Best things to do in Samarkand, including free and rainy-day options

If you have one day, do Registan in the morning light, walk to Gur-e-Amir, then take a taxi to Shah-i-Zinda and finish with the Registan lit after dark. With two days, add Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Siab bazaar and the Ulugh Beg Observatory on the second morning, then slow down.

Book nothing in advance except your train. Tickets at the monuments are bought at the gate, in cash, and prices change; treat any figure here as a 2026 estimate and confirm on arrival.

Prices are 2026 estimates in Uzbek som, per person, and are the kind of figure that moves — confirm at the gate. Times are how long most travellers spend, not opening hours.

Start at Registan early, before the tour buses and the heat. The three madrasas face each other across the square, and the light on the tilework is best in the first two hours. Buy your ticket, ask about re-entry, and come back after dark when the facades are lit — that evening view costs nothing from the edge of the square.

Gur-e-Amir is a short walk from Registan and takes under an hour. The interior is small and the tilework is the point; go when a group is not inside. From there, take a taxi or walk the 2.5–3 km northeast to Shah-i-Zinda, the street of tombs where the earliest and finest tilework sits. Morning is the better half of the day for it.

On day two, Bibi-Khanym Mosque stands next to Siab bazaar, so pair them: mosque first, then the market for bread and dried fruit. The Ulugh Beg Observatory is a further taxi ride out and suits anyone interested in the astronomy rather than the architecture. If you have a third day, Shahrisabz is about 1 h 30 by road and works as a day trip.

Getting between the sites is cheap by taxi or ride-hailing; the distances are walkable but the summer heat is not. See samarkand public transport for how the marshrutkas and taxis work.

Each major monument sells its own ticket, so a two-day sightseeing budget is a stack of small cash payments rather than one pass. Prices are set locally and rise; the figures below are 2026 estimates only. Carry som in small notes — card acceptance at gates is not reliable.

Taxis across the centre are short and cheap; agree the price or use an app. Food and tea houses are a separate budget — see where to eat in samarkand.

Dress for the monuments: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women at the shrines is the safer default. Photography inside some interiors is restricted; look for signs.

Do the big three in the morning and the market in the afternoon. In July and August, plan a real break in the middle of the day and go out again in the evening.

Take cash. ATMs exist but are not always working, and the ticket windows prefer notes.