Samarkand
Tiled domes and madrasas on the old Silk Road, the tomb of Timur, and a terminal built for the city’s second life as a destination.
- Arrival
- Samarkand International · SKD
- To the city
- About 8 km from the centre
- Private jets
- Land at SKD, two-level VIP lounge
- Best time
- April to May · September to October
The city
Timur’s capital, rebuilt in tile.
The city is put at about 2,750 years old. Its first centre, Afrasiyab, was the heart of it from the sixth century BC until the Mongols destroyed it in 1220. What draws people now is what came after: Amir Temur’s capital and the work of his grandson Ulugbek, astronomer and ruler, whose observatory on Kuhak hill catalogued 1,018 stars by 1437.
In April and May, and again in September and October, the days are in the twenties and the light on the tilework is soft. July averages 34 °C and almost no rain falls all summer; January highs average 6 °C.
- Registan Three madrasas facing one square, begun by Ulugbek in the 15th century and closed on the north by Tillakori.
- Gur-e-Amir The mausoleum Timur ordered in 1403, where he was buried after his death in February 1405.
- Shah-i-Zinda An avenue of eleven mausoleums raised over the 14th and 15th centuries, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2001.
Arriving
A new terminal on the old road.
Samarkand International lies about 8 km from the centre. A new terminal opened in 2022 with a forecast to take traffic from under half a million passengers a year to two million, and the runway now runs to 3,105 m.
- Almaty 1 h 35
- Baku 2 h 15
- Delhi 2 h 20
- Prague 5 h 45
- Tokyo 8 h 25 long-range jet
When to go
April to May, and September to October.
Far from any sea, Samarkand bakes in summer, chills in winter and sees little rain. Spring (April, May) and early autumn (September, October) bring afternoons of 21 to 28 °C. From June to August the heat reaches 32 to 34 °C and almost no rain falls; from November to March highs drop to single figures.
- 6° J 39
- 8° F 35
- 13° M 59
- 21° A 62
- 26° M 34
- 32° J 4
- 34° J 3
- 32° A 1
- 28° S 3
- 21° O 21
- 14° N 22
- 9° D 35
Where to stay
By the Registan, or on the canal.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Hilton Samarkand Regency A 22-floor tower of 234 rooms, opened as the Samarkand Regency Amir Temur, with the Nephrite spa and indoor and outdoor pools.
- Silk Road by Minyoun Two hundred and forty-one rooms on 22 floors, with a Chinese restaurant and a bar on the 20th floor.
- Mövenpick Samarkand Opened in 2022 about 1.3 km from the Registan, with indoor and outdoor pools.
- Savitsky Plaza Named after Igor Savitsky, the artist and collector who founded the museum of art at Nukus.
- Lia! by Minyoun Stars of Ulugbek The younger sister of Silk Road by Minyoun next door, named after the astronomer-ruler.
Where to dine
Dinner at the Silk Road hotels.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Uzbekistan. Both tables are the dinner restaurants of hotels on our list at Silk Road Samarkand, from the hotels’ own pages.
- The Ipak Fusion Restaurant Signature restaurant, Silk Road by Minyoun Pan-Asian and European Silk Road by Minyoun, Silk Road Samarkand
- El Sabor Signature restaurant, Hilton Samarkand Regency Steakhouse Hilton Samarkand Regency, Silk Road Samarkand
Elsewhere in Uzbekistan
More reasons to come.
Flying to Samarkand?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.