Samarqand Region · Uzbekistan
Where to stay in Samarkand
Samarkand is a city in Samarqand Region, Uzbekistan, home to about 546,000 people.
- Best months
- April, May, September and October
- Nearest airport
- SKD5 km · Samarkand International Airport
- Currency
- UZSUzbek som
- Time zone
- Asia/Samarkand
- Language
- Uzbek
About
About Samarkand
Samarkand is a major city located in southeastern Uzbekistan. Among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, it has a population of 882,000 inhabitants as of 2026, making it the second-largest city in Uzbekistan after Tashkent.
The name "Samarkand" is said to derive from words meaning "stone fort", but there are about as many other names and claimed origins as there were varieties of goods traded in its bazaars - some of them of dubious value, far from being genuine silk. Stone fort? - it was sun-baked mud, adobe as it's called in the west, and whoever reckoned it would repel invaders was sold a dud. This area has been inhabited for millennia, but the first entity that could be called a town was about the 8th century BC.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Samarkand
See
- Registan
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque
- Khazrat-Khizr Mosque
- Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble
- Afrosiab
- Tomb of Prophet Daniel
- Gur-e-Emir Mausoleum
- Rukhabad Mausoleum
- Ulughbek's Observatory
- Imami A'zam Grand Mosque
- Namazgah Grand Mosque
- Khoja Is'haqi Vali Mosque
Do
- Eternal City and Eternity Square
- Afrasiyab
- Football
- Samarkand Regional Anton Chekhov Russian Drama Theater
- Samarkand Regional Theater of Musical Drama
- Samarkand Grand Concert Hall
- Tash Hammam
- Sayid Hammam
- Yoshlik Attraction Park
- Amir Temur Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Samarkand
33 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Samarkand Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| Alexander Hotel | 2.9 km | |
| Amir Hostel | 1.9 km | |
| B&B Bahodir | 0.4 km | |
| B&B Emir | 0.8 km | |
| Bibikhanum Hotel | 0.7 km | |
| City Hotel | 1.9 km | |
| Dilimah Premium Luxury Hotel | 3.7 km | |
| Hilton Garden Inn Samarkand | 2022 | 2.2 km |
| Hilton Garden Inn Samarkand Afrosiyob | 6.8 km | |
| Hilton Garden Inn Samarkand Sogd | 7.0 km | |
| Hilton Samarkand Regency | 7.2 km | |
| Hotel Asia Samarkand | 0.4 km | |
| Hotel Bek Samarkand | 1.7 km | |
| Hotel Billuri Sitora | 1.5 km | |
| Hotel Dilshoda | 0.8 km | |
| Hotel Diyora | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Grand Samarkand Superior B | 2.0 km | |
| Hotel Ishonch | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Latif Samarkand | 3.6 km | |
| Hotel Legende | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Marokand | 1.0 km | |
| Hotel Royal Palace | 2.0 km | |
| Hotel Samarkand Safar | 2.0 km | |
| Hotel Zarina | 0.4 km | |
| Hotel Zilol Baxt | 2.1 km | |
| Ideal Hotel | 2.2 km | |
| L'Argamak | 1.0 km | |
| Muzaffar Hotel Samarkand | 0.5 km | |
| Platan | 1.8 km | |
| Rabat Boutique Hotel | 0.8 km | |
| Sultan Hotel Boutique | 1.0 km | |
| Tilyakori Hotel | 0.3 km |
All 33 hotels in Samarkand, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Samarkand
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Samarkand are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; April is the wettest, with about 59 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Samarkand: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Samarkand International Airport (SKD), about 5.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Zomin Airport (OMN, 129 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
The main sights of Samarkand are in two nearby clusters: Gur-i Amir and the Registan, and Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i Zinda, and Afrosiyab. It's simplest to walk between all of these. Take a bus or taxi for sights further out, such as Ulugh-Beg Observatory 2 km beyond Afrosiyab. There are two tram lines from the railway station. T2 is the one you want, heading southeast to Siyob Bazaar about 1 km north of the Registan. T1 goes south to Sartepa and is always about 5 km west of the main sights. Yellow taxis can be taken all over.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SKD · Samarkand International Airport
OMN · Zomin Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Samarkand
Drink
Bars in city centre include Sam Craft outside Registan, Blues Bar on Amir Temur St, Green Bear at Bazarova 11, and Botchka nearby.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Samarkand: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Samarkand?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Samarkand are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; April is the wettest, with about 59 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Samarkand?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Samarkand International Airport (SKD), about 5.3 km from the city centre in a straight line; Zomin Airport (OMN, 129 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Samarkand?
Uzbek som (UZS).
Nearby
Destinations near Samarkand
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.