The Silk Road's crown jewel
Samarkand
The legendary heart of the Silk Road, famous for the turquoise-domed grandeur of Registan Square.
- Registan Square
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- Shah-i-Zinda
- Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
Registan Square — three madrasas facing a single courtyard
The Silk Road's great crossroads
Founded over 2,750 years ago, Samarkand was already ancient when Alexander the Great passed through it. It went on to become the capital of Amir Timur's empire in the 14th century, and Timur poured the wealth of his conquests into building a city meant to be the most beautiful on earth. What survives today — turquoise domes, tiled minarets, and courtyards big enough to hold a caravan — still lives up to that ambition.
Registan Square
Three madrasas (Islamic schools) — Ulugbek, Sherdor, and Tilya-Kori — face each other across one square, each covered floor to dome in mosaic tilework. It's the single image most people picture when they think of Uzbekistan, and it's even more overwhelming in person than in photos, especially at golden hour when the tiles catch the light.
Beyond the Square
Registan gets the fame, but Samarkand rewards a full day. Bibi-Khanym Mosque was built at the scale of an empire capital and still awes despite centuries of earthquakes; Shah-i-Zinda is a quiet, narrow street of tiled mausoleums built up over centuries; and Gur-e-Amir, Timur's own mausoleum, has one of the most striking ribbed domes in Central Asia.
Getting there from Tashkent
~2h 10m on the Afrosiyob high-speed train
The single most popular day trip from Tashkent — easily done there and back, or as a first stop before Bukhara.
Ready to visit Samarkand?
Tell us your dates and we'll handle the train tickets and transfer, start to finish.
Message Us on WhatsApp