By rail
Samarkand, high-speed trains from Tashkent
East Asia · Uzbekistan
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Blue domes and tiled squares of the Silk Road
Getting there
By air
Samarkand International Airport (SKD), ~7 km by road
Best time to visit
April to May or September to October — warm and sunny without the summer heat
Don't miss
Registan
Gur-e-Amir
Shah-i-Zinda
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Things to do
Touring madrasas and mausoleums
Bazaar browsing
Photography
Trips into the countryside
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Gustavo Jeronimo · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Sun hat, comfortable shoes, modest clothing for mosques
A quieter corner
The village of Konigil, where paper is still made by hand from mulberry bark
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Samarkand?
April to May or September to October — warm and sunny without the summer heat. What to pack: Sun hat, comfortable shoes, modest clothing for mosques.
How do I get to Samarkand?
Fly into Samarkand International Airport (SKD), ~7 km by road.
What is there to do in Samarkand?
Touring madrasas and mausoleums, bazaar browsing, photography, trips into the countryside. A quieter find: The village of Konigil, where paper is still made by hand from mulberry bark.
What should I eat in Samarkand?
Plov, Samarkand non bread, shashlik, green tea.
About Samarkand
- Inland
Where it is
Samarkand lies in the Zarafshan valley in central Uzbekistan, and is one of the great cities of the old Silk Road.
History
Samarkand, known in antiquity as Maracanda, was taken by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. In the 14th century Timur made it the capital of his empire and filled it with grand mosques and mausoleums. His grandson Ulugh Beg built a famous observatory here in the 15th century. The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.
People
Uzbek is the official language, and in Samarkand Tajik is also widely spoken at home, while families gather around plov and green tea for celebrations.
Known for
- The Registan square
- Turquoise domes and tilework
- Timur's mausoleum
- Silk Road history
Did you know?
Timur, the 14th-century conqueror who made Samarkand his capital, is buried in the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.