Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania
By Season
By Interest
By Group
Call us for free now
Book with an expert for free:
+44 20 8068 3176
Prefer us to call you? Drop your number in the box:
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

What to see in Uzbekistan
Samarkand
Tourist attractions Samarkand
Immortalised in the poetry of Lord Byron, among others, Samarkand is perhaps one of the best known and popular of Uzbekistan’s Silk Road Cities. As old as ancient Rome, the city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, prospering in the medieval centuries from the influx of traders passing by on the long road to and from Asia and the Mediterranean. A crossroads of world cultures, Samarkand has undergone a myriad of religious and cultural changes over the years, and today there are still Buddhist temples in the city, dating back to at least the 8th century, alongside the many Islamic mosques and madrassas. Persian is predominantly spoken here although Russian is frequently heard.
The city is divided into an old and new town and the leafy tree-lined avenues of the Russian quarter contrast with the majesty of the Shah-i-Zinda, or Avenue of Mausoleums, in the Old Town, a burial place for kings of days gone by and a popular site of pilgrimage. The electric blue hues of the impressive madrasas and mosques are sure to capture the imagination of any traveller. The Shah-i-Zinda is considered one of the most impressive sites in all of Samarkand.
The focal point is Samarkand’s Registan Square, a three-sided plaza featuring imposing madrasas, domed minarets and mosques. It was once the cultural centre of the city, a place of education, worship and gathering and it is home to Emperor Timur’s tomb, the founder of the Timurid Empire in Central Asia.
The Ulugh Beg Madrasa, an educational institution and another building bordering Registan Square, is unmissable and humbling in its intricate decoration, both on its exterior and interior. If you desire a taste of authentic Samarkand, you cannot miss the Urgut Market. A little off of the usual tourist route, the market is the perfect place to pick up a Silk Road souvenir or a beautiful locally weaved Persian carpet whilst soaking up the old-world charm and unique atmosphere.
OUR BEST TRIPS TO SAMARKAND
YOU ALSO LIKE
Armenia
Notify me when available
Israel
Notify me when available
Jordan
7 Trips
Kazakhstan
Notify me when available
Kyrgyzstan
Notify me when available
Lebanon
Notify me when available
Oman
1 Trips
Uzbekistan
1 Trips
Cambodia
7 Trips
Thailand
10 Trips
Vietnam
11 Trips
Myanmar
Notify me when available
Indonesia
4 Trips
Malaysia
3 Trips
Philippines
3 Trips
Singapore
Notify me when available
Laos
1 Trips
India
7 Trips
Bhutan
Notify me when available
Turkey
8 Trips
Nepal
2 Trips
Sri Lanka
1 Trips
Maldives
4 Trips
United Arab Emirates
5 Trips
Saudi Arabia
1 Trips
China
4 Trips
Japan
7 Trips
Hong Kong
4 Trips
South Korea
Notify me when available
Tibet
Notify me when available
Mongolia
Notify me when available
Taiwan
Notify me when available