Season guide · Samarkand · Uzbekistan
Samarkand in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Quick answer
Blossom, green hills and mild days, with Navruz celebrations in March and the most rain of the year in March and April. Expect highs up to 27°C (81°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 28 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 5°C (41°F) to 27°C (81°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 14°C (57°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 11 | 11.8 h | 3/5 |
| April | 21°C (70°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 10 | 13.2 h | 4/5 |
| May | 27°C (81°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 7 | 14.3 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 21°C (70°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 71 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Navruz — spring new year, with sumalak cooked overnight and public celebrations (21 March)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Afrasiyab
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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Architecture · Registan and Old Town
Chorsu trading dome
Step in when the summer heat peaks; the thick walls keep the interior cool.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Day trips in spring
- Shahrisabz (About 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours by car) — Timur's birthplace keeps the colossal ruined portal of his Ak-Saray palace, the Kok Gumbaz Friday mosque built by Ulugh Beg and the Dorut Tilovat memorial complex.
- Bukhara (About 1 hour 30 minutes by high-speed train) — Bukhara's old centre of brick madrasas, covered trading domes, the Kalyan Minaret and the Ark fortress is compact and walkable.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Samarkand?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Blossom, green hills and mild days, with Navruz celebrations in March and the most rain of the year in March and April.
+What is the weather like in Samarkand in spring?
Highs of up to 27°C (81°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.