Samarkand – Comprehensive Guide for Travelers

Samarkand is, by any reasonable measure, an ancient city. It has been continuously inhabited for more than 2,750 years, making it one of the world’s oldest.

Given its age, the origin of Samarkand’s name is a matter of debate. The most widely accepted theory derives the name from ancient Sogdian: samar, meaning “stone” or “rock,” and kand, meaning “fort” or “city,” making Samarkand the “Stone Fort.” The eleventh-century Central Asian scholar Mahmud al-Kashghari recorded it as Sämizkänd — Fat City. Medieval Chinese sources called it the Rich City. The Spanish ambassador Ruy González de Clavijo, who visited in 1404, recorded it as Simeskint, meaning rich settlement. Other theories involve a king named Samar, Sanskrit roots, and even Hebrew.

A Brief History of Samarkand

Main conquests

The ancient Greeks knew Samarkand as Maracanda. In 329 BCE, Alexander the Great captured it and reportedly said, “Everything I have heard about the city is true, except that it is more beautiful than I imagined.”

Samarkand changed hands many times after that — among Central Asian Turks, Arab conquerors, the Samanid dynasty of Iran, and various Turkic rulers. Its position on the Silk Road, the great artery connecting China, Persia, and Europe, made it a prize worth fighting for.

In 1220, Genghis Khan arrived. By then, he had already dealt with Bukhara — the other great city of the region — as a kind of warm-up. Bukhara fell in February 1220 after Genghis Khan led an army of somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 men across the Kyzylkum Desert. Bukhara’s ruler considered the route impassable and had therefore left it largely undefended. The city surrendered and was then looted.

Samarkand came next, in March of the same year. The city had strong fortifications and a substantial garrison. Contemporaries described it as the most magnificent city in the known world. None of that proved decisive. The siege lasted, by various accounts, about five days. The garrison eventually surrendered in stages. The Mongols tore down the walls and destroyed the aqueduct that supplied the city with water. They also deported Samarkand’s artisans to Mongolia.

Samarkand’s golden age

The true golden age came in the fourteenth century under Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane. Timur made Samarkand the capital of an empire stretching from India to Anatolia. Then he did what conquerors of taste have always done with their capitals: he made it magnificent. He brought artisans, architects, and scholars from across the known world and commissioned architectural marvels throughout the city.

His grandson, Ulugh Beg, added a gorgeous madrasah to Registan Square, known as the Ulugh Beg madrasah. In a move unusual for a medieval ruler, he also built an observatory and spent considerable time calculating the length of the solar year. His measurement came within a few seconds of modern calculations. Two more madrasahs were built on Registan Square some years later- Sher Dor and Tilya-Kori.

After the Timurids, the Uzbek Shaybanids took control. Later, the Emirate of Bukhara absorbed the city.

In 1868, the Russian Empire annexed Samarkand and incorporated it into what would eventually become Soviet Uzbekistan. From 1924 to 1936, Samarkand served as the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Later, that distinction passed to Tashkent.

Samarkand Today

Today, Samarkand is a UNESCO World Heritage city and Uzbekistan’s second largest. Like many old Central Asian cities, it has two distinct layers that coexist with varying degrees of mutual acknowledgment.

The old city is where the monuments are, and where much of the medieval street plan survives. Narrow lanes wind through traditional mahalla neighborhoods, with courtyard houses arranged in the organic, honeycomb pattern of settlements that grew around water and commerce rather than administrative convenience. Great public spaces — Registan, Bibi-Khanym, and the Shah-i-Zinda passageway — shaped civic and religious life for centuries.

The new city is a different proposition. When the Russian Empire arrived in 1868, a European-style colonial quarter emerged west of the historic core, with wide boulevards, administrative buildings, and a layout designed to communicate authority.

The two halves are not far apart — Samarkand is not a large place — but moving between them can feel like stepping into two entirely different worlds.

How to get to Samarkand by train

Samarkand is just a short train ride away from Tashkent.

You have options to travel on the Aftosiyob and Sharq trains. Afrosiyob is the top option (it’s a little faster and more convenient). Sharq is not as fancy, but fine as well. The ride to Samarkand is about 3 hours. The train leaves Tashkent early in the morning, so you arrive in Samarkand around noon and still have a lot of time for sightseeing. Going back, the train leaves around 7 pm, and you arrive in Tashkent before bedtime.

You can buy tickets in first or second class. We have traveled in both and first class is definitely nicer and worth getting, especially since prices are not very high by Western standards. Especially during summer months when it is incredibly hot, it’s highly advisable to opt for first class, where you are guaranteed to have air conditioning. If you are first class, keep in mind that air conditioning can be quite strong, so at some point, you might get very cold. Bring a jacket, and you can also ask for a blanket.

The train station in Tashkent is easy to navigate. Arrive about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure and ask which platform the train departs from. Usually, Afrosiyob departs from the first platform and Sharq from the second, though this may vary. For the second platform, you will need to take the stairs. There are various stores selling snacks, drinks, and pastries. Safia is a good local chain and worth buying at, but lines can be quite long, so factor that in.

From Samarkand, the same train continues to Bukhara (if you want to combine trips). It’s easy to get from one city to another and takes just a couple of hours.

Also, please note that the Jizzakh stop is before Samarkand, and it is the gateway to Zamin (the beautiful mountain area, “Uzbekistan’s Switzerland”) if you want to explore it.

When planning your trip, take these points into consideration!

What to See in Samarkand: The Monuments

Samarkand is a city where the monuments are not the backdrop to daily life but rather the other way around — daily life organizes itself around them and has done so for centuries.

What follows is not an exhaustive list. It is a list of the things you will feel, upon leaving, that you should not have missed.

Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum

The Gur-e-Amir — Persian for “Tomb of the King” — was not, strictly speaking, built for Timur. The construction started in 1403 for his grandson and heir, Muhammad Sultan, who died young and at an inopportune time. Timur’s burial was going to take place in his hometown of Shahrisabz. In 1405, he died during a military campaign. At that point, the mountain passes were full of snow, and the decision was to bury him here instead.

The result is one of the most beautiful buildings in Central Asia. The ribbed turquoise dome, sixty meters high and mathematically precise, became the direct architectural ancestor of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi and, through that lineage, of the Taj Mahal. The interior is adorned with onyx, jasper, and deep-blue tilework. At the center of the crypt lies Timur’s tombstone — a single piece of dark-green jade, the largest in the world.

In 1941, the Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened the tombs. When he opened Timur’s tomb, he found a threatening inscription. It warned that whoever disturbed the graves would unleash upon the world an invader more terrible than Timur. Two days later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Gerasimov reburied the remains in 1942 with full Islamic rites, and the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad followed shortly after.

Whether this legend is true or not, it is up to the reader to decide for themselves.

Alisher Navoi Central Park

Alisher Navoi Central Park is a large, leafy green space near the city center. This park is perfect for a leisurely summer walk, away from the heat. It features shaded walking paths, fountains, and monuments dedicated to the revered poet Alisher Navoi and fellow writer Abdur Rahman Jami. The park is very family-friendly and offers several activities for kids. For example, it has a designated zone with classic, small-scale amusement rides and carnival-style games suitable for younger kids.

Registan Square

The Registan Square is the most impressive landmark of Samarkand- and probably of the whole of Uzbekistan.

The name of the square, “Registan,” means “sand place” in Uzbek. In the old days, the square was covered with sand and lacked the impressive architecture it boasts now.

Today, Registan is one of the most impressive sites in Samarkand. It is flanked on three sides by madrasahs built over three centuries. When translated from Arabic, madrasah means “teaching and learning place”.

The oldest, the Ulugh Beg Madrasah, was built between 1417 and 1420. In its time, it was one of the finest centers of learning in the Islamic world. Here, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy were taught. The Sher-Dor Madrasah, built between 1619 and 1636, faces it directly across the square. It is distinguished by its facade — two stylized tigers, each with a sun rising from its back, rendered in tile work above the entrance arch. The third madrasah, the Tilya-Kori, completed in 1660, was built to serve as both a school and the city’s main mosque. Its interior ceiling is so thoroughly gilded that, standing beneath it, the effect feels less like decoration than an argument.

At night, the Registan is illuminated, and a sound-and-light show is held.

While Registan looks impressive today and proudly crowns many postcards from Uzbekistan, it has not always looked this way. Starting in the 17th century, during Samarkand’s decline, very few families lived there (about 1,000), and the magnificent madrasahs became shelters for wild animals. Further challenges arose during the Soviet era, when religious schools were prohibited. Natural factors (earthquakes, rain, etc.) also took their toll.

Samarkand later regained its importance, and the beauty of its square and madrasahs was gradually restored. Today, it’s a gorgeous city visited by millions of tourists.

We recommend visiting Registan at least two times during your trip- once during the day and once at night to watch the light show.

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Amir Timur built the Bibi-Khanym Mosque between 1399 and 1405, immediately after returning from a campaign in India. He intended it to be the largest and most magnificent mosque in the Islamic world.

The ambition was, in the end, slightly ahead of the engineering. The dome began to show structural problems before it was fully completed. Earthquakes over the following centuries further damaged the walls. By the nineteenth century, significant portions had collapsed. What remains today is a combination of original structure and Soviet-era and post-independence restoration.

If you plan to visit this monument, make sure to wear long pants and long sleeves to cover your arms.

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

If the Registan is Samarkand’s public face — formal, ceremonial, designed to impress — then Shah-i-Zinda is something more personal, and for many visitors considerably more affecting. It is a necropolis: a city of the dead, built for the dead. The name means “the Living King.” This is a reference to the legend of Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. He came to Samarkand in the seventh century to spread Islam, was beheaded during prayer, picked up his own head, and walked into a garden where, according to the legend, he continues to reside.

Shah-i-Zinda has been a pilgrimage site for fourteen centuries. The complex comprises more than twenty mausoleums built between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, connected by a long stepped passageway. They were built for members of Timur’s family, court nobles, and religious figures.

After Registan Square, I find Sha-i-Zinda the most impressive landmark in Samarkand.

Siyob Bozori

The Siyob Bozori — also spelled Siab Bazaar – is Samarkand’s oldest and largest market. The bazaar is partly covered and partly open-air. The bread section is unmissable and worth lingering over. Beyond the food, the bazaar sells ceramics, ikat fabric, hand-hammered metalwork, suzani textiles, and souvenirs of varying authenticity, all coexisting with the vegetable sellers, the dairy stalls, and the men playing backgammon near the entrance, who are not selling anything and are not planning to. It is also where locals shop for food, so you might be able to buy things at a reasonable price.

Afrasiab Museum

The Afrasiab Museum sits on the site of the original ancient city of Maracanda. The museum, opened in 1970, is not very large, but it has a rich collection of various artifacts.

The centerpiece is a set of seventh-century murals discovered in 1965, painted on the walls of what was once a royal reception hall during the Ikhshid dynasty — the rulers of Sogdiana before the Arab conquest. They depict processions, hunting scenes, and ceremonial events, rendered in reds, blues, and ochres that have survived thirteen centuries underground with improbable vividness. A Chinese delegation is visible. So are ambassadors from other kingdoms, arriving by boat. It is, in effect, a diplomatic scene from a world that no longer exists. In the context of a city with 2,750 years of history, it is a useful reminder that most of what happened here was never recorded.

Ulugh Beg Observatory

Ulugh Beg built it in the 1420s on a hill northeast of the city. It housed the largest astronomical instrument of its era: a marble sextant with a radius of forty meters, set into the earth at an angle precisely calibrated to track the arc of the sky. Using it, Ulugh Beg and his team of astronomers cataloged 1,018 fixed stars. They produced a star catalog that European astronomers were still consulting two centuries later.

In 1449, the observatory was dismantled due to the end of Ulugh Beg’s rule. His son, Abd al-Latif, had developed strong political ambitions, supported by religious fanatics who did not believe in the power of education. The civil war between father and son was brief and went badly for Ulugh Beg. He surrendered. Abd al-Latif, in a gesture of filial generosity, granted his father permission to undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca. He then quietly arranged for a Sharia court to issue a fatwa ordering his execution. Assassins intercepted Ulugh Beg on the road not far from Samarkand and executed him on October 27, 1449. Abd al-Latif ruled for approximately six months before being assassinated in turn by nobles loyal to his father. His epithet in the historical record is Padar-kush — “killer of his father”.

What you see today is the surviving underground section of the sextant and a small museum built in 1970 that houses reproductions of his star charts and instruments. It sat buried and forgotten until 1908, when a Russian archaeologist named Vassily Vyatkin found it by following a clue in a medieval manuscript.

While not much is left of the observatory today, it is still very much worth visiting and learning about this important part of history.

Shaitan Zhiga: The Devil’s Helmet

About thirty kilometers from Samarkand, behind a series of mountain spurs and valleys near the Karatepe reservoir, lies a plateau the locals call Shaitan Zhiga — the Devil’s Helmet. It has not yet joined the standard tourist itinerary as regularly as Registan, making it a hidden gem well worth visiting.

The plateau is a landscape of weathered stone formations occupying a vast, largely silent area. Wind and erosion have shaped these rocks over thousands of years, producing forms that resist easy description. Visitors consistently see figures in the stones. A tiger, a giant frog, a bear, a bird of prey, even something resembling a giant with a severed head. Parts of the plateau form natural stone labyrinths, and several formations have acquired names: the Heart, the Skull, the Turtle.

Local legend holds that the rocks are ancient spirits and demons turned to stone for their disobedience, and that the site once hosted pagan rituals before the arrival of Islam. The landscape naturally inspires such stories, which tells you something about what it feels like to stand there.

Reaching Shaitan Zhiga requires hiring a car or arranging a guided day trip from Samarkand. The road becomes rough in the final stages, so this is an excursion that rewards planning and punishes improvisation. For those who have seen the main monuments and want something less curated, the journey is well worth the effort.

Where to Stay: Hotels in Samarkand

Samarkand’s hotel landscape has expanded considerably in recent years, keeping pace with the growing number of tourists. International chains have arrived, and boutique hotels have proliferated. As a result, you now have enough options to choose from, and the quality is quite good. Nevertheless, the best hotels get booked quickly during high season and major holidays. It is highly recommended to book in advance. When choosing a hotel, make sure to consider its location, not just the amenities and price.

The following properties offer genuine value for Western travelers.

Kosh Havuz Boutique Hotel

Kosh Havuz is located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site and approximately three minutes’ walk from Registan Square, which is a big selling point. You will be visiting Registan at least twice (during the daytime and at night), so it’s an advantage to stay close. The interiors draw on traditional Uzbek craft. You will see carved wood, painted ceilings, and tilework in the blues and turquoises that Samarkand has produced since the Timurid era. The staff is attentive, and an amazing breakfast is included. This hotel is a favorite among many tourists. We recommend advance booking, especially for high season or public holidays/weekends.

Hilton Garden Inn Samarkand

For travelers who have had enough of authenticity and would like a swimming pool and a shower with predictable water pressure, the Hilton Garden Inn provides them without apology. It is a Hilton Garden Inn in the way that all Hilton Garden Inns are Hilton Garden Inns — consistent, competent, and reassuring in the manner of something that has been doing this for a long time. The indoor pool, sauna, and spa make it a reasonable choice if you intend to spend a meaningful portion of your visit relaxing at the hotel. Keep in mind that this hotel is not close to the historical landmarks, so it does not place you on Registan’s doorstep. However, Samarkand is not a large city, and transport is manageable.

Mövenpick Hotel Samarkand

The Mövenpick is the city’s most conspicuous international five-star option — vast, modern, and visible from several directions. Two pools, a sauna, a steam room, multiple restaurants, an amazing breakfast buffet, and a gorgeous lobby are among the top selling points. For Western travelers seeking a familiar reference point for daily walks to monuments, it works well. Movenpick is located just 10 minutes away from Amir Timur’s mausoleum and a roughly 20-minute walk from the Registan Square. The value proposition is real. By Western European or North American standards, what you receive at this price point would cost considerably more elsewhere. We stayed at this hotel and enjoyed our stay tremendously. Highly recommend it to all visitors, especially those with children. Check out my review of this hotel if you are considering staying there.

Samarkand Travel Hotel

This property offers a complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary train station drop-off, a fabulous free breakfast, and free Wi-Fi. It is within reasonable walking distance of Registan, which is a significant advantage. While activities at the hotel are much more limited than at the Garden Inn or Mövenpick, the service is excellent and the price is very reasonable, which is worth considering.

Registan Saroy Hotel

The Registan Saroy is a modern hotel with an Uzbek twist. The design incorporates local motifs without overwhelming them into decor; the rooms are comfortable, and breakfast is included and sufficient. Its proximity to Registan Square means that you can, if you choose, walk to the most photographed monument in Central Asia in the time it takes to finish a cup of tea. It offers solid value at a mid-range price.

What to Eat: Food in Samarkand

Samarkand’s cuisine is, like most things about the city, simultaneously straightforward and the result of several centuries of accumulated opinion about how things should be done. It is meat-centric and bread-forward.

Plov

The dish around which everything else organizes itself is plov. It is the rice and meat pilaf that is the national dish of Uzbekistan and the subject of what is, for a rice dish, a remarkable degree of regional pride and inter-city rivalry. Samarkand’s version, known as Samarqand oshi, is widely considered the finest in the country, a claim the people of Tashkent dispute, while the people of Samarkand decline to take it seriously as a counterargument. The differences are real and, once you understand them, instructive. Tashkent plov mixes its ingredients. Samarkand plov layers them — rice on top, meat below, the two cooked separately in the same kazan and combined only at the moment of serving. If you want to learn more about plov in Tashkent and places that serve the best plov, check out my blog post: Where to Find the Best Plov in Tashkent.

Non (bread)

Bread, here, is not a side dish. It is a foundational position. Samarkand non — the thick, round flatbread stamped with intricate patterns and baked in a tandoor until its crust is firm and its interior soft — is considered the finest bread in Central Asia. Bread is placed on the table before anything else and removed last, if at all. It functions simultaneously as a plate, a utensil, and a social contract.

Samsa

Samsa — the baked pastry triangles of spiced lamb and onion, cooked in a tandoor and sold from street stalls at a temperature that will reliably burn the roof of your mouth if you are impatient, which you will be — are ubiquitous and correct. The pumpkin version, kadu somsa, appears seasonally and is worth planning around.

Shashlik (kebab)

Shashlik — meat skewers grilled over charcoal, served with raw onion and a flatbread to rest them on — is everywhere and varies considerably in quality, which is the nature of things that are everywhere. Laghman, the hand-pulled noodle soup with lamb stew, is a dish that manages to be both substantial and delicate in a way that its description does not suggest. Tandir kabob, mutton slow-cooked in a clay oven until the fat renders completely and the meat falls apart, is the sort of thing you think about on the flight home.

Where to Eat

There are numerous restaurants in Samarkand, all reasonably priced by Western standards, so you will have plenty of options. If you are thirsty during the day, there are various coffee shops where you can stop and get a drink. If you are hungry, you will find many welcoming restaurants near all the main landmarks and various hotels.

Most restaurants serve local cuisine, but you will also find restaurants that serve international dishes, such as the chains Bon! and Bellissimo Pizza, as well as the Boulevard. Speaking English is not an issue; most restaurants handle it easily, and there are English menus. Paying is also straightforward; they bring a card machine after you have examined the cheque and agreed with what’s on it.

Below are some suggestions for the restaurants to try.

We have found the service at all the restaurants we visited excellent, the prices moderate, and the food delicious. However, experience can vary, as you can see from online reviews. Some reviews are excellent, but not all. I guess everybody can have an unlucky experience, so I recommend taking online reviews with a grain of salt.

Platan

Address: Pushkin Street, 2

Platan, attached to the hotel of the same name, has been recommended by CNN Travel. The setting is romantic in the traditional sense — courtyard, soft lighting, carved wooden details. The menu covers Uzbek classics alongside some European options, with plov and local Uzbek wine both drawing particular mention from tourists.

Sirius

Address: Mironshokh Mirzo Str. 34

Sirius represents the other end of the spectrum: a rooftop terrace, professional service, and the distinction of serving medium-rare tenderloin — a cooking preference that, in much of Central Asia, is treated as an eccentricity rather than a specification. For travelers who have reached the point in a trip where they would like a steak cooked to order, Sirius has apparently made a considered decision to accommodate this.

Old Havuz

Address: Qoshhovuz St. (close to Registan)

Old Havuz is a reliable choice for traditional food at sensible prices. It has lovely indoor and outdoor seating, a beautiful interior, and a straightforward menu of shareable dishes. The restaurant’s specialty is shashlik (kebab) with various meats. You can also get other typical Uzbek dishes, but I would say that the menu has fewer options than some others. If you are looking for a good shashlik, Old Havuz is a perfect place.

Emirhan Restaurant

Address: Makhmudzhanova 1/18 (close to Registan)

Emirhan Restaurant, on the rooftop terrace of the Emirhan Hotel, offers the best view of the Registan without requiring a ticket. The menu extends to Italian and Eastern European influences alongside Uzbek dishes, which is a reasonable hedge for groups with divergent preferences. The restaurant is not overly expensive, though prices are a bit higher than at Old Havuz. The quality of service is exceptional, and the dishes are well presented and delivered quickly. The restaurant is frequented by tour groups and various foreign travelers staying in the city. The building is quite large, so there is enough seating for everyone.

Zargaron Restaurant

Address: Tashkent street 10 (close to Bib-Khanym)

Zargaron Restaurant occupies a position near the Bibi-Khanym Mosque that it is aware of, and the terrace view of the turquoise domes is managed with the casual confidence of an establishment that does not need to oversell the location because the location sells itself. The Uzbek menu is solid, and the staff dress in traditional garments, which is either charming or performative depending on your disposition, but is sincere in either case.

Labi Gor

Address: Registan Street (across from the Registan Square)

Labi Gor was our favorite lunch spot near Registan Square, and we enjoyed both the gorgeous Uzbek decor and the restaurant’s hospitality and the tasty dishes. The restaurant serves a wide variety of Uzbek dishes and is frequented both by locals and tourists. It’s only a 2-minute walk from Registan Square. There is ample indoor and outdoor seating. Online reviews are mixed, but both times we visited Labi Gor were excellent, and we enjoyed everything.

Samarkand in Books, Film, and on Stage

In literature, the most direct engagement is Amin Maalouf’s 1988 novel Samarkand, which uses the city and its court as the setting for the first half of a historical fiction centered on Omar Khayyám, the eleventh-century Persian mathematician and poet. In poetry, the city’s best-known appearance is James Elroy Flecker’s The Golden Journey to Samarkand, written in 1913. On-screen, Samarkand appears most directly in The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005), filmed largely in Samarkand and Bukhara.

In Registan Square, the most significant recurring event is Sharq Taronalari — the Melodies of the East International Music Festival, held biennially since 1997. One of Central Asia’s largest music festivals, it runs for about a week and brings together traditional musicians, dancers, and performers from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Navruz, the ancient Persian New Year celebrated on the spring equinox, March 21, is another event worth planning around. Celebrated across Central Asia and the Iranian world, it carries particular weight in Samarkand, a crossroads of the cultures that gave rise to the festival. Street fairs, traditional sports, music, and the communal preparation of sumalak — a sweet paste made from germinated wheat and cooked for a day and night in enormous cauldrons — give the celebration a genuinely communal character rather than one staged for visitors.

And for those who enjoy running, there is also the Samarkand Marathon to enter. There are different types of races, not just the marathon (kids’ runs, 2 km races, etc.). Check out the Samarkand Marathon 2026 website if interested!

What to Buy in Samarkand

Samarkand has produced things worth buying since the Silk Road was a logistics network rather than a tourism brand. Many of its crafts descend directly from workshops that supplied the medieval world.

The main shopping areas are as follows:

• The Siab Bazaar. Immediately behind Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Siab Bazaar is Samarkand’s oldest and largest market. It smells of spices and dried apricots and has operated on roughly the same site for centuries. You will find everything from saffron, coriander, and dried mulberries to fresh non bread, ikat fabrics, ceramics, woodwork, and various items you did not know you needed until you saw them.
• Shops near Registan. There are plenty of shops on the way from the Registan Square to Bibi-Khanym Mosque/Siab Bazaar. They sell many different kinds of souvenirs.
• The workshops in Registan and Shah-i-Zinda. They offer more serious craft pieces. Several madrasah cells around Registan now house artisan studios, where you can watch traditional crafts being made and buy directly from the makers. Quality is generally higher, as are the prices, though they remain modest by Western standards. Walk around the cells and see what gifts suit you best. You will definitely find something to your taste!
• The Samarkand Craft Center. The center brings several workshops together under one roof and suits those who prefer organized shopping. For a short trip outside the city, the Urgut Bazaar, about 40 kilometers away and busiest on Sundays, offers a wider selection of ikat fabrics and suzani embroidery.

Ceramics

Ceramics are perhaps the most immediately appealing purchase. Samarkand pottery is known for deep blues, turquoises, greens, and ochres, often combined with geometric or floral Islamic patterns. It differs from the distinctive blue-glaze style of Rishtan. Please be aware that these are not cheap things to buy, as they are hand made.

Fabrics

Ikat fabrics and suzani are other good options. Ikat is a silk or silk-cotton cloth with flowing, slightly blurred patterns created by dyeing the threads before weaving. It has been produced in the region since at least the nineteenth century, possibly earlier. Suzani are large hand-embroidered pieces featuring elaborate floral and celestial designs. Traditionally, brides and their female relatives made them before weddings. Genuine vintage pieces are collectors’ items; contemporary versions remain beautiful and much easier to transport.

Carpets

Samarkand silk carpets are more serious purchases. Handwoven and often months in the making, they combine Persian, Turkish, and Chinese influences. If you are buying a full-size carpet, ask for a certificate of authenticity and check the knot count. At least 60 knots per square centimeter is a useful benchmark for quality. The Samarkand Bukhara Silk Carpets Factory near Shah-i-Zinda is a reliable starting point.

Paper

Samarkand paper, made from mulberry bark using methods that have changed little since the eighth century, is produced at the Konigil paper mill just outside the city. You can visit the mill and watch the process. Postcards, notebooks, and small paintings on paper make excellent gifts. Keep in mind that the gifts are not cheap, since they are handmade. We bought several postcards and a few smaller souvenirs; the total was about $100.

Before You Go: Practical Notes

Samarkand is, by the standards of destinations with this much history, a remarkably straightforward place to visit. It is safe, the infrastructure has improved considerably in recent years, and the people are, as a general rule, genuinely hospitable rather than professionally so. None of this means that a small amount of preparation is not worthwhile.

What to wear

Uzbekistan is a predominantly Muslim country with conservative cultural norms, and Samarkand is more traditional than Tashkent in this respect. Outside religious sites, modesty is appreciated rather than strictly enforced. You can still wear shorts at the Registan Square and while walking around the city. However, inside mosques and at the Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda, a stricter dress code applies. Please note that if you do not have the correct outfit, you can get one at the entrance. They usually have a few available for you to use, free of charge.

Cash

Card acceptance has greatly improved. You can pay by card in most hotels and restaurants, but at markets and street stalls, cash is expected. In taxis, you can pay either in cash or by card (choose the right option in the app).

The currency is the Uzbekistani Soum. ATMs exist in Samarkand and generally accept Visa; Mastercard acceptance is less reliable. When withdrawing, choose to be charged in Soum rather than your home currency to get a fairer rate. Bring US dollars as a backup — they are the preferred foreign currency for exchange and are accepted at bank-attached exchange points.

The bill

Always check it. Restaurant overcharging is a common issue, especially when you order many items or return some dishes. The discrepancy between what was ordered and what appears on the bill is not always dramatic enough to catch the eye without attention. We did not get overcharged at any of the restaurants we visited, but it can definitely happen with larger groups.

Taxis

Use Yandex Go. The app sets the price before you get in, which removes the negotiation that otherwise tends to go the driver’s way. Unofficial taxis near major monuments operate on the optimistic assumption that a foreign visitor does not know what a journey should cost. The assumption is often correct, which is why the app is the better option. Keep in mind that the car selection is not as large as in Tashkent (nothing fancy), and you will need to wait a bit longer than in Tashkent (5-7 minutes, sometimes more). Factor that in if you are short of time. Traffic can also be heavy at times.

Selecting the hotel

When selecting a hotel for your stay, make sure to pick one that is relatively close to the historical sites. While you can reach these sites from any part of Samarkand by taxi, it is much easier (and much more enjoyable) to just walk to the main landmarks. My advice is to stay close to Registan. This is because it’s located in the middle of all attractions, and you will also need to visit it at least twice (in the daytime and at night to see the light show). There are plenty of nice hotels near Registan, so you have many options. We stayed at Mövenpick and found its location perfect for sightseeing. Check out my hotel review to see if this hotel will work for you as well.

How long should you stay?

My suggestion is to spend 2 days in Samarkand visiting its landmarks, and 1 day relaxing at a nice hotel, enjoying great food, and/or taking a day trip outside Samarkand (for example, Shahrisabz or neighboring Tajikistan). One day is sufficient to visit key landmarks, but you would unlikely be able to squeeze in Observatory, paper mill, and Afrosiob, as they are a bit far away. Also, I recommend visiting Registan twice (in the daytime and at night). So, you’d need at least two days to comfortably visit all Samarkand’s attractions, plus a day to relax and enjoy the hospitality.

If you only have one day to visit, I recommend focusing on the main landmarks: Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, and Amir Timur mausoleum.

When should you visit Samarkand?

Like with any place in Uzbekistan, the best time to visit is late spring and early fall, when the weather is sunny and warm. However, this is also when prices are highest, and there are crowds of tourists. Consider your budget and see what works best for you. Samarkand is beautiful in any season. Check out my blog post, Best Time to Visit Uzbekistan, to see other times that might be good for visiting Samarkand and other Uzbek cities.

Bathrooms

Public facilities exist and vary, as they do in many parts of the world. Squat toilets are common outside hotels and restaurants. Toilet paper is not reliably provided. Carrying your own is a small logistical adjustment that pays consistent dividends. Hand sanitizer belongs in the same category. Major monuments and restaurants generally have usable facilities; the question is more relevant in markets and less-trafficked areas.

Water

Do not drink from the tap. Bottled water is the way to go in Samarkand and any other city of Uzbekistan.

Pickpockets

Samarkand is, by any honest measure, a safe city. Violent crime against tourists is rare enough to be a theoretical rather than a practical concern. The police presence at major sites is visible. Petty theft — specifically pickpocketing in the Siab Bazaar and at busy transport hubs — is a real, if modest risk. A bag worn in front of you in crowded spaces and a phone kept in a zipped pocket rather than a back pocket covers most of the exposure.

Language

English is spoken at major tourist sites, restaurants, and in better hotels. Russian remains useful in markets. A few words of Uzbek — rahmat for thank you, salom for hello — are received with genuine pleasure and cost nothing.

Bargaining

As for bargaining, it is expected in bazaars and from street vendors. Starting 30 to 40 percent below the asking price is reasonable. The more informal the setting, the more bargaining becomes part of the experience.

Do you need a guide?

We have used the services of a recommended guide on several of our visits to Samarkand and have found this helpful. Prices are quite low, and there is no reason not to book a guide online or through a hotel. Samarkand’s landmarks are many, and history is fascinating. Having a good English-speaking guide will greatly improve your experience.