Bibi-Khanym Mosque
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Registan, Samarkand
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Daily; summer ≈ 8:00–19:00, winter ≈ 9:00–17:00
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Entrance (foreign visitors)
- 100,000 UZS — one ticket for all three madrasas
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Re-entry
- Not allowed on the same ticket, according to unofficial reports
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Light show
- Evenings, around 20:00–21:00; paused in deep winter
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Free viewing
- From the viewing-platform steps on Registan Street
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Payment
- Cash in som is safest; foreign cards don't always work
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours by day, plus 30–40 minutes in the evening
- Address
- Registon ko‘chasi (Registan Street), central Samarkand
Key facts
1417–1420Ulugh Beg Madrasa built — the oldest on the square
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan1619–1636Sher-Dor Madrasa built, with its tiger mosaics
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan, Sher-Dor Madrasa1646–1660Tilya-Kori Madrasa built, with its gilded mosque
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan, Tilya-Kori Madrasa2001inscribed with ‘Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures’ on the UNESCO World Heritage List (no. 603)
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan‘Place of sand’the meaning of ‘Registan’ in Persian
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English and Russian Wikipedia: RegistanYalangtush Bahadurthe governor of Samarkand who commissioned Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori
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Russian Wikipedia: Registan (Samarkand)English Wikipedia: Sher-Dor Madrasa, Tilya-Kori MadrasaUlugh BegTimur’s astronomer grandson lectured in his own madrasa
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English Wikipedia: RegistanRussian Wikipedia: Ulugh Beg Madrasa (Samarkand)Tigers and sunsthe Sher-Dor portal shows big cats with rising suns on their backs
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan, Sher-Dor Madrasa‘Gilded’the meaning of Tilya-Kori — its mosque hall is covered in gold leaf
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English and Russian Wikipedia: Registan1932a leaning minaret of the Ulugh Beg Madrasa was straightened to a design by engineer Vladimir Shukhov
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Russian Wikipedia: Ulugh Beg Madrasa (Samarkand)English Wikipedia: Vladimir ShukhovRegistan entrance fee and how to pay
Foreign visitors pay 100,000 UZS (Uzbek som) for one ticket that covers all three madrasas and their courtyards. That figure is consistent across several independent sources from late 2025 through 2026, but the official museum-reserve price list wasn’t reachable, so treat it as unofficial. Uzbek citizens pay much less.
Pay in cash, in som. The ticket desk reportedly has a card terminal, and Visa and Mastercard often work, but not always — don’t rely on it. ATMs at banks in central Samarkand dispense som, and bank exchange offices change US dollars and euros.
The ticket desk is at the entrance on Registan Street. Local guides wait just to the right of it if you want the stories behind the tiles.
What time is the Registan light show?
After sunset the three façades are lit up, and a 20–25-minute sound-and-light show is projected onto them. There is no published official schedule. Unofficial reports put the lights on around 20:00 in summer, the show at about 20:30 and a laser show around 21:00. When the coloured floodlights go dark, it is about to start.
You don’t need a ticket: tiered steps by the viewing platform on Registan Street, facing Tilya-Kori, work like a small amphitheatre. Inside the fence you are closer, but you need an entrance ticket.
The show takes a winter break — last season there was none from 21 November to 20 February — and it is cancelled on concert nights. If you’re visiting in late autumn, ask your hotel whether it’s on tonight.
Is the Registan worth it?
Yes — it is the one sight in Samarkand you shouldn’t skip. The scale of three monumental portals facing each other works even if you have little interest in history. The real highlights are the gilded mosque inside Tilya-Kori and the tiger portal of Sher-Dor, so do go inside rather than just photographing the façades from the street.
It is less worth paying for at midday in July, when the paving bakes and there’s no shade. In that case view it free from the platform, come back early next morning and spend the hot hours in Gur-e-Amir.
What to see inside the three madrasas
- Ulugh Beg Madrasa (left as you face the square) — the oldest, built 1417–1420. Look up at the portal: its mosaic stars form a night sky, fitting for an astronomer’s college. Inside is a courtyard of student cells and a small exhibition.
- Sher-Dor Madrasa (right) — the ‘tiger madrasa’. Striped big cats with rising suns on their backs fill the portal — a rare image of living creatures on an Islamic building and now a symbol of Samarkand.
- Tilya-Kori Madrasa (centre) — walk through the courtyard to the mosque, where the walls and dome are covered in gold leaf and fine painting. This is the best interior on the square.
- The courtyards — former student cells now house craft shops selling ceramics, suzani embroidery and miniatures. Browsing is free; bargaining is expected.
- The viewing platform — the only place where all three façades fit into one frame.
How to get to the Registan
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque is about 16 min away on foot.
- Siab Bazaar is about 16 min away on foot.
- Gur-e-Amir is about 18 min away on foot.
More tips
- The Registan is the centre of Samarkand, on Registan Street. From most hotels in the old town it’s a 5–15-minute walk.
- From Samarkand airport or the railway station (where the fast Afrosiyob trains from Tashkent arrive), take a taxi with the Yandex Go app — about 15–20 minutes. Every driver knows ‘Registan’.
- City buses and marshrutka minibuses stop on Registan Street by the square; check the route in Yandex Go or ask the driver.
- Start at the viewing platform opposite Tilya-Kori for the full view; the ticket desk is next to the entrance gate.
- From here it’s about 10 minutes on foot to Gur-e-Amir and about 15 minutes along the pedestrian street to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque.
Best time to visit the Registan
Come right at opening for the emptiest courtyards — tour groups arrive towards midday. Photographers should note that the Sher-Dor portal is in shade in the morning; the hour or so before sunset gives the warmest light on all three façades. Then stay for the illumination after dark.
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable seasons. Summer afternoons are fiercely hot, and in winter the show may be off.
Before you go: checklist
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You are ready for the visit
Registan vs Gur-e-Amir vs Shah-i-Zinda
| Registanyou are here | Three 15th–17th-century madrasas | Scale and portals | Illumination and show | 1–1.5 h | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gur-e-Amir | Timur’s mausoleum | Gilded hall and tomb | Lit up, quiet | 30–45 min | ≈ 10 min |
| Shah-i-Zinda | Avenue of mausoleums | Tilework up close | No show | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 25 min |
With one day in Samarkand, the Registan is a must; Shah-i-Zinda and Gur-e-Amir come next. Each site has its own ticket.
Samarkand’s historic sights compared
Every historic site in Samarkand rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Gur-e-Amir | 59 | 45 min | ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial | 16 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registanyou are here | 57 | 1 h 30 min | 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors | — |
| Bibi-Khanym Mosque | 49 | 40 min | ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial | 13 min walk |
| Shah-i-Zinda | 46 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners | 24 min walk |
| Amir Timur Monument | 44 | 15 min | Free | 18 min walk |
| Tomb of Saint Daniel | 41 | 40 min | ≈ UZS 30,000–40,000, unofficial | 2.6 km |
| Ulugh Beg Observatory | 40 | 45 min | UZS 40,000–75,000 (unofficial) | 3.4 km |
| Hazrat Khizr Mosque | 38 | 30 min | Free | 20 min walk |
| Afrasiab Museum | 35 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ UZS 40,000–80,000 (unofficial) | 39 min walk |
Old Samarkand in one day
Timur’s tomb in the morning, the Registan by day, then a walk through the old town to Bibi-Khanym and the bazaar, ending at Shah-i-Zinda. YesGo fits in the timing and walks.
- Gur-e-Amir45 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial
- 16 min walk from the previous stopRegistanyou are here1 h 30 min · 100,000 UZS for foreign visitors
- 13 min walk from the previous stopBibi-Khanym Mosque40 min · ≈ UZS 75,000, unofficial
- 3 min walk from the previous stopSiab Bazaar1 h · Free entry
- 12 min walk from the previous stopShah-i-Zinda1 h 15 min · ≈ 50,000 som for foreigners
5 places · about 5 h 54 min with walks · 44 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Siab Bazaar
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Gur-e-Amir
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Amir Timur Monument
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
How to do it right
- Arrive at opening for quiet courtyards; groups turn up around midday.
- Want both day and night? Buy a daytime ticket and watch the evening show free from the steps.
- A hotel within walking distance lets you do the morning visit and the evening illumination without a taxi.
- Hire a guide at the gate — without the stories of Ulugh Beg and the tigers, the square is just a beautiful backdrop.
- Shops in the madrasa cells quote in dollars; convert to som before you agree a price.
- In summer, skip the midday heat on the open square and come back in the late afternoon.
Questions
How much is the Registan entrance fee?
100,000 UZS for foreign visitors, one ticket for all three madrasas — an unofficial figure reported consistently through 2025–2026. Uzbek citizens pay much less. Bring cash in som.
What are the Registan opening hours?
Daily, roughly 8:00–19:00 in summer and 9:00–17:00 in winter. No official schedule is published online, so we mark these hours as unofficial.
What time is the light show at the Registan?
After dark: in summer the lights come on around 20:00, the show starts about 20:30 and a laser show follows around 21:00 (unofficial). Last winter it was paused from 21 November to 20 February.
Can you see the Registan at night for free?
Yes. The steps by the viewing platform on Registan Street, outside the fence, give a full view of the illumination and the show without a ticket.
Is the Registan worth visiting?
Yes — it’s Samarkand’s headline sight. Go inside for the gilded mosque of Tilya-Kori and the tiger portal of Sher-Dor, not just the view from the street.
How long do you need at the Registan?
1–1.5 hours for the three madrasas and courtyards, plus 30–40 minutes if you come back for the evening show.
Can I pay by card at the Registan?
Sometimes. The ticket desk reportedly has a terminal and Visa or Mastercard may work, but cash in som is the only option you can count on.
Can you re-enter the Registan with the same ticket?
Recent unofficial reports say no — one entry per ticket. Plan your daytime visit and watch the evening show from outside.
Which madrasa has the tigers?
Sher-Dor, on the right as you face the square. Its name means ‘lion-bearing’, and its portal shows striped big cats with suns on their backs.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Registan, Sher-Dor Madrasa, Tilya-Kori Madrasa, Vladimir Shukhov
- Russian Wikipedia: Registan (Samarkand), Ulugh Beg Madrasa (Samarkand), Registan disambiguation page
- Wikidata: Q1373583
- Saiga Tours: ‘Samarkand increases entry fees’, July 2025 — prices for foreign visitors
- Sailing Stone Travel: ‘Samarkand: How to Visit Registan Square’, updated 2026 — price, hours, show, re-entry
- Eurasia.travel forum: Samarkand entry fees (December 2025 – April 2026) and the Registan laser show thread
- Sputnik8: Registan visitor information
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