Samarkand region · 2h10 by train from Tashkent
Samarkand
The capital of Amir Temur's empire and the most photographed city on the Silk Road — Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda.
Samarkand is the easiest great city of the Silk Road to reach: the Afrosiyob high-speed train leaves Tashkent in the morning and you are standing in front of the Registan two hours later. The city works both as a day trip and as the centre of a longer classic route.
What to see
Registan Square
Three madrasahs — Ulugbek, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori — around one square. Best light in the early morning and in the last hour before sunset.
Gur-e-Amir
The mausoleum of Amir Temur and his descendants, and the model for the Taj Mahal.
Shah-i-Zinda
A narrow street of tiled mausoleums built over eight centuries — the finest ceramics in Uzbekistan.
Bibi-Khanym & Siyob Bazaar
A giant congregational mosque next to the city's living food market: bread, spices, dried fruit.
Practical notes
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October. July and August are hot (up to 40 °C); winter is quiet and cheap.
- Getting there
- Afrosiyob high-speed train from Tashkent (about 2h10) or a car with driver (about 4h). We book train tickets as part of every tour.
- How long to stay
- One full day for the main monuments, two days for a relaxed visit.
