For couples · Samarkand · Uzbekistan
Romantic things to do in Samarkand
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Шухрат Саъдиев, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Samarkand's romance is in its light and its evenings: the Registan glowing after dark, turquoise domes at sunrise and long dinners under vines in a courtyard. Couples tend to stay in Registan and Old Town.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 0
- Area for couples
- Registan and Old Town
- Best months
- April–May and September–October
Romantic ideas
1.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.
2.Sunrise at Shah-i-Zinda
Arrive as it opens, when the lane of tiled mausoleums is quiet and the low sun picks out the turquoise and cobalt glaze.
3.Courtyard dinner in the old town
Several guesthouses and restaurants in the lanes around the Registan serve dinner in courtyards under grapevines.
4.Gur-e-Amir by night
The floodlit ribbed dome is quiet and atmospheric in the evening, followed by a walk along University Boulevard.
5.Konigil and the canal promenade
Spend a slow afternoon at the paper workshop's garden by the stream, then watch sunset along the Silk Road Samarkand canal.
Where couples should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, culture, couples and solo travellers
Registan and Old Town
The streets immediately around the Registan put you within a few minutes' walk of the madrasas at sunrise and after dark, when the square is lit. Family-run guesthouses with courtyard breakfasts are tucked into the mahalla lanes behind the square, and Tashkent Street leads straight to Bibi-Khanym and the Siab Bazaar.
- Good
- Walk to the main monuments; Lit Registan in the evening; Courtyard guesthouses with character
- Watch out
- Rooms in older houses can be small; Few restaurants open late inside the lanes
- Nearby
- Registan, Chorsu, Tashkent Street, Gur-e-Amir
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Samarkand plov, Shashlik and Lagman. Alcohol is available in many restaurants in the new town, but teahouses in the old town often do not serve it.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Samarkand romantic?
Samarkand's romance is in its light and its evenings: the Registan glowing after dark, turquoise domes at sunrise and long dinners under vines in a courtyard.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Samarkand?
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 should couples stay in Samarkand?
Registan and Old Town: Guesthouses in lanes around the three madrasas and the Chorsu dome.