Things to Do in Samarkand

A covered market selling dried fruits, spices, bread, and cheap souvenir scarves. No entry fee, but bring small change for a bag of almonds or a fresh naan.

🕐 Daily 7am-6pm

💡 Best in the morning (8-10am) when produce is fresh. Haggle gently on crafts, but prices on food are fixed.

A white marble mosque with a single minaret, built on a hill near the Siab Bazaar. You can look inside the prayer hall and see views of the old city.

🕐 Daily 9am-8pm (closed 12-1pm for prayers)

💡 Wear a headscarf if you're female, and shoes off at the entrance. The small garden behind is quiet for a sit-down.

A large green space with plane trees, benches, a small lake, and a café. Locals come here for evening walks and picnics.

🕐 Daily 24 hours (café closes 11pm)

💡 Bring a book or a picnic. The park is busiest after 5pm in summer, but quieter at 10am.

A narrow alley of mausoleums from the 11th-15th centuries, with particularly good tilework on the blue and turquoise domes.

🕐 Daily 9am-7pm

💡 Entry costs 40,000 som (about £3), but is free on the first Monday of each month. Go early (9am) to avoid tour buses.

Three madrasas with blue-tiled facades and courtyards, lit up at night. The entry fee covers all three, but you can wander the outer plaza for free.

🕐 Daily 9am-7pm (ticket booth closes 6pm)

💡 Visit half an hour before sunset: the change in light on the tiles is stunning, and the crowds thin out after 6pm.