Samarkand in 2 days: a Timurid monuments route

Two days, in the order the monuments were built

Samarkand was the capital of Amir Temur's empire and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as 'Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures'. This themed route follows the blue-tiled monuments in the order they were built: day 1 for buildings of Temur's time, day 2 for those of his grandson Ulugbek.

The guide recommends 2 nights in Samarkand. The standard route starting at the Registan, and how to arrive from Tashkent on the Afrosiyob high-speed train, are covered in the posts linked below, so here the order changes and each monument gets more time.

• Day 1: Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis → Bibi-Khanym Mosque → lunch at Siab Bazaar → Gur-Emir in the evening → dinner on Orzu Mahmudov Street
• Day 2: Ulugbek Observatory → lunch (manti, kebab) → Registan Square in the late afternoon → 21:00 music show
• Building order: Bibi-Khanym 1399-1404 → Gur-Emir begun 1403 → Ulugbek Madrasah 1417-1420 → Observatory 1428-1429

• Samarkand travel guide →
• Incheon → Samarkand flights →
• Tashkent and Samarkand in 4 days: metro and high-speed train →

Day 1 morning: Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

Shah-i-Zinda is one of Central Asia's most revered pilgrimage sites, associated with Qusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Its mausoleums, decorated with blue and turquoise tiles, date from the 11th to the early 20th century, so you see tilework from many periods in one place.

There is little shade at midday in summer, so go early. It is a place of pilgrimage: visit quietly and avoid shorts, T-shirts and skirts. Women should cover shoulders, back and legs, and cover their heads. Don't take photos during prayers, and ask before photographing people.

Check Shah-i-Zinda's opening hours and ticket prices in the official information before you go.

• Mausoleums from the 11th to the early 20th century
• A pilgrimage site: visit quietly
• Dress: cover shoulders, back and legs; women also cover their heads
• Hours and tickets: check official information before you go

Day 1 midday: Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Siab Bazaar

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque is the great mosque built on Temur's orders in 1399-1404, then the largest mosque in Central Asia. It is named after Temur's beloved wife, Saray Mulk Khanym, and its 5,000-square-metre courtyard is surrounded by tall minarets on four sides.

Have lunch at Siab Bazaar right next door. Plov was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016, and in Samarkand style it is not stirred while cooking, so each diner can choose how much carrot and meat to take. Samarkand bread from vertical tandoors, halva, dried fruit and nuts also make good souvenirs.

Hot tea follows the meal. Before serving a guest, the host pours tea into a bowl and back into the pot three times, then serves the fourth pour. During the summer 'chillya', rest through midday and head out again in the evening.

• Bibi-Khanym Mosque: 1399-1404, 5,000-square-metre courtyard
• Siab Bazaar: right next to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque
• To eat: Samarkand plov, Samarkand bread, halva

Day 1 evening: Gur-Emir and a late dinner

Gur-Emir is the royal tomb of the Temurids, where Amir Temur, his mentor and members of his family are buried. Temur began building it in 1403 for his grandson Muhammad Sultan, and it was completed under Ulugbek. His dark green jade tombstone lies in the middle of the main hall. Begun under Temur and finished under his grandson, it links day 1 and day 2.

According to a September 2026 Samarkand announcement, Gur-Emir and Bibi-Khanym stay open until 23:00. Hours can change, so check locally. It is a mausoleum, so the same dress rules as at Shah-i-Zinda apply.

Have dinner on Orzu Mahmudov Street. According to a September 2026 announcement by the Registan directorate, this service street was created under Samarkand's '24/7 tourism' policy, with 20 eateries serving Uzbek and international food around the clock. Siab Bazaar also stays open until midnight, as of a September 2026 announcement.

• Gur-Emir: begun 1403, completed under Ulugbek, jade tombstone
• Gur-Emir and Bibi-Khanym: open until 23:00 (September 2026 announcement)
• Orzu Mahmudov Street: 20 eateries open 24 hours (September 2026 announcement)

Day 2: from the Ulugbek Observatory to the Registan

Day 2 belongs to Ulugbek, Temur's grandson and an astronomer. The Ulugbek Observatory, built near Samarkand in 1428-1429, was a round three-storey building 46.4 m across. Today part of its huge marble quadrant, reaching underground, survives, and its star catalogue described 1,018 stars. As of a September 2026 announcement, the observatory museum stays open until 23:00.

For lunch, switch to manti or kebab. Manti are large dumplings of minced meat in thin dough, steamed in a tiered pot and served with a fermented milk product that Samarkand calls 'chakka'. The tourism site says various kebabs are popular in Samarkand.

Head to Registan Square in the late afternoon. Of its three madrasahs, the Ulugbek Madrasah was built in 1417-1420 in Ulugbek's time, while the Sherdor ('abode of lions') Madrasah, famous for the beast chasing a deer on its portal, came much later, in 1619-1636. It is officially open daily, 07:00-24:00 from 20 February to 20 November and 08:00-20:00 from 20 November to 20 February. E-tickets are sold on the official site (tickets.registon.uz). As of a September 2026 announcement, there is a music show daily at 21:00.

• Ulugbek Observatory: 1428-1429, 46.4 m across, 1,018 stars
• Ulugbek Madrasah 1417-1420, Sherdor Madrasah 1619-1636
• Registan: 07:00-24:00 from 20 February to 20 November, 08:00-20:00 from 20 November to 20 February
• From 20 November to 20 February it closes at 20:00, so move your evening plans earlier

Walking, dress and when to go

Registan Square, Gur-Emir and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque are all in the historic centre, so you can walk between them. For other trips, use a taxi or city bus. The tourism site recommends ordering taxis via official taxi apps to avoid overpricing; check fares officially. According to its general information for Uzbekistan, a city bus ride costs UZS 1,700 and tickets are bought from the conductor on board. Fares may differ by city, so check locally.

Uzbekistan's national tourism site calls spring and autumn the 'velvet season'. By the 1991–2020 normals for Samarkand station (Uzhydromet (Hydrometeorological Service of Uzbekistan) submission · WMO normals collection (NOAA NCEI)), April averages a high of about 22°C and a low of about 10°C, and October about 22°C and 8°C. From around 20 June to early August comes 'chillya', the 40 hottest days: avoid midday walks and drink plenty of water. Don't drink untreated water.

Drones need prior permission and are prohibited near historical landmarks without it. Emergency numbers are police 102, ambulance 103 and fire 101; the tourist safety call center is 1173, and Samarkand has tourist police to help foreign visitors. Entry rules depend on your nationality, so check the official information before you go.

• On foot: Registan, Gur-Emir and Bibi-Khanym are in the historic centre
• City bus: UZS 1,700 per ride (tourism site's general information)
• April about 22°C/10°C, October about 22°C/8°C (Samarkand station, 1991–2020)
• Emergency: police 102, ambulance 103, fire 101, tourist safety 1173

• Full Samarkand travel guide →
• Samarkand in one day: Registan and the fast train →

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