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2 days in Samarkand: a day-by-day itinerary

Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in Samarkand: a row of brick mausoleums with turquoise and ribbed domes in the evening sunShoppers at a covered hall of Siab Bazaar in Samarkand, fruit and vegetable stalls under a blue-trimmed steel roofBibi-Khanym Mosque courtyard in Samarkand: the big blue ribbed dome, a smaller dome behind trees and a tiled pylon

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
3 of 10 free; 7 paid — see “Cost”
Duration
2 days, 9:30 to 16:46 each day
Start and finish
Shah-i-Zinda → Hazrat Khizr Mosque
On foot
≈ 1 h 35 min in total
Transport
none — all on foot
Lunch
around 12:40
With kids
fine: short walks
Best time
Tuesday to Saturday. Start day two in the morning: there is almost no shade on the hills.

Day-by-day plan

Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.

Day 1 · Samarkand09:30–16:46 · 6 places · 7 h 20 min

  1. Shah-i-Zinda

    · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners

  2. 12 min on foot

  3. Siab Bazaar

    · 1 h · Free

  4. 3 min on foot

  5. Bibi-Khanym Mosque

    · 40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 13 min on foot

  8. Registan

    · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors

  9. 16 min on foot

  10. Gur-e-Amir

    · 45 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial

  11. 7 min on foot

  12. Amir Timur Monument

    · 15 min · Free

Day 2 · Samarkand09:30–13:24 · 4 places · 3 h 50 min

  1. Ulugh Beg Observatory

    · 45 min · UZS 40,000–75,000 (unofficial)

  2. 17 min on foot

  3. Tomb of Saint Daniel

    · 40 min · ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial

  4. 8 min on foot

  5. Afrasiab Museum

    · 1 h 15 min · ≈ UZS 40,000–80,000 (unofficial)

  6. 19 min on foot

  7. Hazrat Khizr Mosque

    · 30 min · Free

Go · start

What the route costs

3 of 10 are free; 7 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.

1Shah-i-Zinda461 h 15 min≈ 50,000 som for foreigners
3Bibi-Khanym Mosque4940 min≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial
4Registan571 h 30 min100,000 UZS for foreign visitors
5Gur-e-Amir5945 min≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial
7Ulugh Beg Observatory4045 minUZS 40,000–75,000 (unofficial)
8Tomb of Saint Daniel4140 min≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial
9Afrasiab Museum351 h 15 min≈ UZS 40,000–80,000 (unofficial)
Other 3 places2 hFree
Total8 h 40 min3 of 10 free

Tips for each stop

Day 1

  1. 1

    Shah-i-Zinda. Start at the street of 11th–19th-century mausoleums on the slope of Afrasiyab: about 50,000 sum for foreigners. It is quieter in the morning.

  2. 2

    Siab Bazaar. The main market behind Bibi-Khanym: flatbread, dried fruit, halva. Free; closed on Mondays.

  3. 3

    Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Timur's mosque of 1399–1404: a 35 m portal and a dome about 40 m high. About 75,000 sum.

  4. 4

    Registan. The square of the Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori madrasas. Inside the enclosure — about 100,000 sum for foreigners.

  5. 5

    Gur-e-Amir. Tamerlane's mausoleum: gilding inside and a jade slab over the tomb. About 75,000 sum.

  6. 6

    Amir Timur Monument. Finish at Timur on his throne at the start of University Boulevard. Free.

Day 2

  1. 7

    Ulugh Beg Observatory. Day two — the remains of the 1420s star tower on Kohak Hill: the underground arc of the sextant and a museum. 40,000–75,000 sum (unofficial).

  2. 8

    Tomb of Saint Daniel. A shrine where, by tradition, the relics of the Prophet Daniel rest: a tombstone about 18 m long and a spring below the hill. About 30,000–40,000 sum.

  3. 9

    Afrasiab Museum. A museum by the hills of ancient Samarkand with the 7th-century Sogdian 'Ambassadors' painting'. About 40,000–80,000 sum; closed on Sundays.

  4. 10

    Hazrat Khizr Mosque. A working 19th-century mosque above Siab Bazaar: a painted iwan and a terrace with a view of Bibi-Khanym. Free.

Who this route is for

Good for
  • A weekend in Samarkand
  • An Uzbekistan trip with two nights here
  • On foot and by taxi
Not for
  • Sundays — the Afrasiyab museum is closed
  • Mondays — Siab Bazaar is closed
Best time

Tuesday to Saturday. Start day two in the morning: there is almost no shade on the hills.

How to spend 2 days in Samarkand

Day one is the centre, as in the one-day itinerary. Day two follows the Tashkent road in the north: the observatory, the Tomb of Saint Daniel, the Afrasiyab museum and Hazrat Khizr are 8–19 minutes' walk from each other.

Day two is short — about four hours. In the evening go back to Registan: after dark the square is lit up.

How to get to the north of the city

Registan to the observatory is about 4 km: about 10 minutes by taxi. Back to the centre take a Yandex Go taxi too — hailing one on the road takes longer. From Hazrat Khizr, Shah-i-Zinda and Siab Bazaar are 5 minutes on foot.

What to wear

Cover up for the Tomb of Saint Daniel and the Hazrat Khizr Mosque; women need a headscarf, and you may have to take your shoes off at the tomb. Around Friday midday tourists are not let into the mosque.

How to do it right

  • The Afrasiyab museum is closed on Sundays.
  • The Tomb of Saint Daniel closes around 18:00 and is not lit up like Registan.
  • Carry cash in sum: small ticket desks may not take cards.
  • Uzbekistan uses the sum (UZS). Cards work in the cities, but bazaars, taxis and small ticket desks prefer cash. Many monument prices are unofficial — check at the desk.
  • For mosques and mausoleums cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf.

Questions

Is 2 days in Samarkand enough?

Yes: the main monuments and the north of the city fit into two days.

What to do in Samarkand in 2 days?

Day one: Shah-i-Zinda, Siab Bazaar, Bibi-Khanym, Registan and Gur-e-Amir. Day two: the Ulugh Beg Observatory, the Tomb of Saint Daniel, Afrasiyab and Hazrat Khizr.

How much does a 2-day trip cost?

Registan is about 100,000 sum, the other monuments 30,000–80,000 sum each (partly unofficial). The bazaar and Hazrat Khizr are free.

How much is the Ulugh Beg Observatory?

40,000–75,000 sum for foreigners by unofficial data; the sextant arc and the museum are one ticket.

What is the Ambassadors' painting?

A 7th-century Sogdian wall painting in the Afrasiyab museum.

Can I walk to the observatory?

From Registan it is about 50 minutes; a taxi takes about 10.

What about 3 days in Samarkand?

Take these two days and keep the third free to see Registan and Shah-i-Zinda at different times of day.

Is it good with kids?

Yes: walks are short, and the Afrasiyab museum has a child ticket.

Where to stay for 2 days in Samarkand?

Near Registan or University Boulevard: day one is all on foot.

How do I get to Samarkand from Tashkent?

By the fast train, about 2–2.5 hours.

Sources and fact-check

  • Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
  • Wikipedia: Ulugh Beg Observatory, Afrasiyab
  • Samarkand State Museum-Reserve
YesGo editorial team ·
How we checkedDay one is the city's one-day route; the next days were put together by hand — the centre on one day, trips out of town on others. The YesGo planner works out the order within each day, the walks and lunch. Prices, hours and closing days come from the place pages; many monument prices in Uzbekistan are unofficial.

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