Samarkand
Discover Samarkand
Samarkand is the city that is the bejewelled crown of the Silk Road, a rhapsody of ornate Islamic architecture with turquoise domes and soaring tiled minarets. It's one of the twin pillars of the Samarkand through Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, and a must-see destination. With a population of 585,000 in 2024 and as many again in the broader metropolis, much of Samarkand is blandly modern, but its extensive Old Town has been well-preserved, and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name "Samarkand" is said to derive from words meaning "stone fort", but there are about as many other names and claimed origins as there were varieties of goods traded in its bazaars - some of them of dubious value, far from being genuine silk. Stone fort? - it was sun-baked mud, adobe as it's called in the west, and whoever reckoned it would repel invaders was sold a dud.
What to Experience in Samarkand
Taste of Samarkand...
Bars in city centre include Sam Craft outside Registan, Blues Bar on Amir Temur St, Green Bear at Bazarova 11, and Botchka nearby. As of Nov 2024, Samarkand and its approach highways have 4G from all Uzbek carriers, and city centre has 5G from Uzmobile.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFour trains a day run from Tashkent Central, taking about four hours - quickest is the "Afrosiob". Two more run from Tashkent Janubiy (South), less convenient for most travellers. Trains continue west to Navoi, Bukhara (2½ hr), Alat on the Turkmenistan border, Urgench, Khiva, Nukus and Kungrad, and south to Qarshi and Termez on the Afghan border. One train per week is from Volgograd (with connections from Moscow and St Petersburg), via Atyrau in Kazakhstan, then Kungrad, Nukus, Urgench, Bukhara and Navoi, continuing from Samarkand to Tashkent. These trains may sell out, see Uzbekistan#Get in for how to book. Samarkand is 290 km southwest of Tashkent, about four hours to drive; buses and shared taxis leave from Sobir Rahimov bus station. Follow M39 via Jizzah: this crosses a corner of Kazakhstan, which is treated as no-man's-land with no passport checks but keep yours handy. From Bukhara is 270 km by M37....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The main sights of Samarkand are in two nearby clusters: Gur-i Amir and the Registan, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i Zinda, and Afrosiyab. It's simplest to walk between all of these. Take a bus or taxi for sights further out, such as Ulugh-Beg Observatory 2 km beyond Afrosiyab. There are two tram lines from the railway station. T2 is the one you want, heading southeast to Siyob Bazaar about 1 km north of the Registan. T1 goes south to Sartepa and is always about 5 km west of the main sights. Yellow taxis can be taken all over. 5000 som is a standard fare pretty much anywhere in the city, add 2000 for the outskirts. Yandex Taxi app works well in the city center and will offer you a variety of prices. A local SIM card is recommended, as drivers may phone you if they can't find you. Marshrukas - white city minibuses - are tired, wheezy and crowded. 2000 som is a standard fare in 2024. There are lots of ATMs ("bankomats") in city centre, accepting most western credit cards.
Where to Stay
As of Nov 2024, Samarkand and its approach highways have 4G from all Uzbek carriers, and city centre has 5G from Uzmobile.
Money & Budget
There are lots of ATMs ("bankomats") in city centre, accepting most western credit cards. The mark-up for drawing cash is modest, say 1.5%, but your bank will pile on extra. Currency can be exchanged in banks, currency exchange service in the airport, and with men at the northern entrance to Siyob Bazaar (ask around). Bars in city centre include Sam Craft outside Registan, Blues Bar on Amir Temur St, Green Bear at Bazarova 11, and Botchka nearby. As of Nov 2024, Samarkand and its approach highways have 4G from all Uzbek carriers, and city centre has 5G from Uzmobile.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Samarkand
a large ornate building with a dome
A large building with a blue dome on top of it
a large building with a blue dome on top of it
a large building lit up at night with lights
white concrete building during nighttime with lights
The Registan was the heart of the city of Samarkand of the Timurid Empire, now in Uzbekistan. The name Rēgistan means "sandy place" or "desert" in Persian.
brown concrete buildings
Oriental fairy tale in Uzbekistan
green and brown concrete dome building
Early morning at the Sherdor Madrassah
a large ornate building with a dome
A large building with a blue dome on top of it
a large building with a blue dome on top of it