3 days in Samarkand

Day by day

1. Day 1: Registan and Tashkent Street

   Registan, Tashkent Street and Chorsu trading dome, then Gur-e-Amir in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Registan

      Samarkand's old public square is framed by three madrasas: Ulugh Beg's (1417–1420), the Sher-Dor (1619–1636) with its mosaics of tigers chasing deer beneath sun faces, and the Tilya-Kori (1646–1660), whose mosque interior is covered in gilding.

   2. Late morning

      Tashkent Street

      Walk it in the evening after the heat has passed, when families stroll and shops are still open.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Samarkand plov

      Plov centres and teahouses around the Siab Bazaar and in the new town; go by early afternoon, as many cook one batch a day.

   4. Afternoon

      Chorsu trading dome

      This six-sided 18th-century domed market hall stands at a crossroads beside the Registan, once a trading point for hats and goods.

   5. Evening

      Gur-e-Amir

      Return after sunset, when the dome and portal are floodlit and the courtyard is far quieter.

2. Day 2: Shah-i-Zinda and Afrasiyab Museum

   Shah-i-Zinda, Afrasiyab Museum and Mausoleum of Daniel (Khoja Doniyor), then Eternal City at Silk Road Samarkand in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Shah-i-Zinda

      Come early in the morning when the low sun lights the tiles and before groups arrive; dress modestly, as many visitors are pilgrims.

   2. Late morning

      Afrasiyab Museum

      On the grassy mounds of Afrasiyab, the city's pre-Mongol site destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1220, this museum displays the 7th-century Sogdian 'Ambassadors' Painting', a wall mural of foreign envoys from China, Korea and elsewhere at the court of King Varkhuman.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Samarkand bread

      The bread rows of the Siab Bazaar, or any neighbourhood tandir bakery early in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Mausoleum of Daniel (Khoja Doniyor)

      Drink from the spring at the foot of the steps as pilgrims do, and dress modestly.

   5. Evening

      Eternal City at Silk Road Samarkand

      Visit around sunset and combine it with a stroll along the complex's canal-side promenade.

3. Day 3: Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar

   Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Siab Bazaar and Hazrat Khizr Mosque, then The Registan after dark in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Bibi-Khanym Mosque

      Timur ordered this enormous Friday mosque after his Indian campaign of 1398–99, and it was finished around 1404.

   2. Late morning

      Siab Bazaar

      Go in the morning for the freshest bread and the liveliest trade; bargain politely for dried fruit and nuts.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tandir somsa

      Bakeries and stalls near the Siab Bazaar and along busy roads in the morning and at lunchtime.

   4. Afternoon

      Hazrat Khizr Mosque

      This small mosque on a hill opposite Bibi-Khanym was rebuilt in the 19th century on a much older site, with a painted wooden ceiling and carved columns on its open veranda.

   5. Evening

      The Registan after dark

      Sit on the steps of the viewing platform as the three madrasa facades are floodlit, then walk Tashkent Street towards Bibi-Khanym.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Registan and Old Town keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Siab Bazaar and Bibi-Khanym ($) suits food lovers, budget and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 11–13 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.4 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Samarkand
• 2 days in Samarkand

Questions travellers ask