Samarkand walking tour & city guide

Turquoise domes and tiled madrasas at the crossroads of the Silk Road.

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Evening Walk in Central Samarkand

Video by traveler_HIRO · Jul 2024 · All rights belong to the creator · More from traveler_HIRO →

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City guide

Samarkand on foot

Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and one of the great names of the Silk Road. Timur made it his capital in the fourteenth century, and the monuments he and his descendants built, from the Registan's three madrasas to his own ribbed-domed mausoleum, are covered in blue and turquoise tilework that glows in the low evening sun.

The Registan and Timur's city

The Registan is the centrepiece: a vast square framed on three sides by madrasas, the Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori, with tall portals, minarets and courtyards of small shops. A few minutes away, Gur-e-Amir is the mausoleum of Timur, with a fluted turquoise dome and a richly gilded interior.

North-east of the Registan, a pedestrian street leads to the enormous Bibi-Khanym Mosque and, beside it, Siab Bazaar, where locals buy Samarkand's famous round bread, nuts, dried fruit and sweets. Beyond the bazaar, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis is an avenue of tiled mausoleums climbing a hillside, one of the most beautiful places in the city.

A classic walk: the Registan to Shah-i-Zinda

Start early at the Registan before the tour groups, then visit Gur-e-Amir nearby. Walk the pedestrian street to Bibi-Khanym Mosque and wander through Siab Bazaar, tasting bread and dried apricots along the way.

Continue on foot to Shah-i-Zinda and climb slowly between the mausoleums. Return to the Registan at dusk, when the madrasas are lit and families gather on the square.

Good to know

April to May and September to October bring mild weather; summer afternoons are very hot. The historic centre is compact and walkable, and taxis are cheap for longer hops, such as to the Ulugh Beg Observatory. Dress modestly at mosques and mausoleums. Samarkand is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and fast trains connect it with Tashkent and Bukhara.

Don't miss

Top sights in Samarkand

1
The Registan
A grand square framed by three tiled madrasas.
2
Gur-e-Amir
Timur's mausoleum with a fluted turquoise dome.
3
Shah-i-Zinda
An avenue of tiled mausoleums on a hillside.
4
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
A huge fifteenth-century mosque by the bazaar.
5
Siab Bazaar
The city's main market for bread, nuts and dried fruit.
6
Ulugh Beg Observatory
Remains of a fifteenth-century astronomical observatory.

Eat

Food markets & where to eat in Samarkand

Siab Bazaar
Bread, dried fruit, nuts, sweets and simple food stalls.
The pedestrian street to Bibi-Khanym
Cafés and snack stalls between the monuments.
Around the Registan
Tea houses and places to eat close to the square.
The new city
Tree-lined Russian-era streets with local cafés.

Taste

Food to try in Samarkand

Samarkand non
Dense, glossy round bread, famous across Uzbekistan.
Plov
Rice with carrots and lamb, cooked in a cauldron.
Samsa
Tandoor-baked pastry filled with spiced meat.
Shashlik
Grilled meat skewers served with onions.
Green tea
Served in small bowls at every meal and tea house.

Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.

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