Experience the best of Samarkand
Samarkand is an ancient Silk Road city in Uzbekistan, famous for blue-tiled domes, grand madrasas and the great Registan square.
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Samarkand has been a crossroads of trade routes for more than two thousand years, and in the late fourteenth century it became the capital of Timur's empire. The Registan, a square framed by three madrasas with tiled façades in blue, turquoise and gold, is its best-known sight. The madrasa of Ulugh Beg dates from the 1420s, and the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Gur-e-Amir, Timur's tomb, is topped by a ribbed blue dome, and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque was one of the biggest in the Islamic world in its day. Shah-i-Zinda is a street of tombs covered in blue and turquoise tiles, and Ulugh Beg's observatory recalls the astronomer-ruler who mapped the stars. The Siab Bazaar sells bread, dried fruit and nuts, and the old hilltop of Afrasiyab holds the ruins of the earliest city. Shakhrisabz, Timur's birthplace, lies about ninety kilometres south, and Bukhara is to the west.
Plov, rice cooked with lamb, carrots and onions in a huge iron pot, is the dish of Samarkand, along with samsa pastries baked in clay ovens and round, stamped loaves of non bread. Shashlik, lagman noodles and green tea fill the courtyards.
- Free cancellation on 97% of experiences
- 4.8 across the top 14
Food and drink experiences in Samarkand
14
Likely to sell outFree cancellation
Signature experiences in Samarkand
![PRIVATE Uzbek Market Tour & Home Cooking Class with Transfers]()
Likely to sell outFree cancellation
Go beyond Samarkand
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Leh · 1,121 kmPangong Lake (Pangong Tso)
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Leh · 1,121 kmThiksey Monastery
Questions about Samarkand
- What is there to do in Samarkand?
- We list 178 experiences in Samarkand. The largest groups are day trips (48), city tours (28).
- What are the top attractions in Samarkand?
- Ranked by the experiences that visit them, the top attractions in Samarkand are Registan Square, Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum, Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque (Bibi Khanum Mosque).
- What is the most popular experience in Samarkand?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "A City Tour Of Samarkand: The Pearl Of The East", rated 5.0 out of 5 from 247 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Samarkand take?
- The typical experience in Samarkand lasts about 7 hours; the middle half run between 5.5 hours and 11 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Samarkand?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 97% of the 178 experiences we hold for Samarkand. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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