Imperial Treasures: Samarkand & Shakhrisabz in Two Days

Samarkand and Shakhrisabz belong together: one was Amir Timur's capital, the other his birthplace, and the monuments of both tell the same family story. If you are based in Tashkent, you can see them in two days with one night in Samarkand. This guide explains why the overnight makes the trip work, how the two days are paced and what to expect.

Key facts

• Start and end: Tashkent — by high-speed train to Samarkand and back.
• Duration: 2 days, 1 night in Samarkand.
• Day 1: Gur-e-Amir, Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda, Ulugh Beg Observatory, free time in Samarkand.
• Day 2: drive over the mountains to Shakhrisabz (about 1.5 hours), Ak-Saray, Dorus Saodat, Dorut Tilovat and Kok Gumbaz, lunch on the pass, evening train to Tashkent.
• Runs: daily; the route can also start from other cities on request.
• Good for: travellers with a weekend or two spare days in Tashkent; anyone interested in the Timurid story.
• Book with: Imperial Treasures: Samarkand & Shakhrisabz in Two Days — prices depend on group size and season; see the tour page or contact us.

Why two days and not two day trips?

You could see Samarkand on a day tour from Tashkent and Shakhrisabz on another day. But each day trip from Tashkent starts with the early train and ends with the evening one, and Shakhrisabz is another 1.5 hours' drive beyond Samarkand. Doing it as one trip with an overnight saves a return journey, gives you an evening in Samarkand, and lets the second day start from Samarkand rather than from Tashkent.

There is also a story reason. Day one shows Timur's capital and his tomb in the Gur-e-Amir; day two takes you to the town where he was born and where he built a palace and a family burial complex. Seen in this order, the two cities explain each other.

Day 1: Tashkent to Samarkand

The morning train

You are taken to the station in Tashkent early in the morning for the Afrosiyob high-speed train, which reaches Samarkand in about 2–2.5 hours. Your guide and driver meet you at Samarkand station. For how the trains work, see our Afrosiyob guide.

Sightseeing in Samarkand

The day covers Samarkand's core: Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum of Amir Timur and his descendants; the Registan with its three madrasas; the Bibi-Khanym Mosque; the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis; and the Ulugh Beg Observatory, built by Timur's grandson, the astronomer-ruler. The afternoon ends with free time.

The evening — the reason to stay

This is what a day trip cannot give you. With no train to catch, you can return to the Registan in the evening light, eat in an old-town restaurant and walk back to your hotel. Overnight in Samarkand.

Day 2: Shakhrisabz and back

Over the mountains

At about 08:00 you leave for Shakhrisabz. The road climbs over the Takhtakaracha pass, known to many as the Kitob pass, and drops into the Kashkadarya valley; the drive takes about 1.5 hours. The road has its own guide: Kitob Pass.

Timur's home town

In Shakhrisabz you see the remains of the Ak-Saray Palace, the Dorus Saodat complex with the mausoleum of Timur's son Jahongir, Dorut Tilovat — where Timur's father and his spiritual teacher are buried — and the Kok Gumbaz Mosque. For more on each monument, read Day Tour to Shakhrisabz.

Lunch on the pass and the train home

Around midday you head back. On the way the tour stops on the mountain pass for lunch, usually lamb cooked in a tandir clay oven, a regional speciality. You reach Samarkand station in the late afternoon for the evening train and are back in Tashkent in the evening, with a transfer to your hotel.

When to go

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable seasons for walking in both cities. Summer is hot in the afternoons, so start early. In winter Samarkand is quiet and pleasant on sunny days, but heavy snow can close the mountain pass to Shakhrisabz for a time; we check the road before departure.

Practical tips

• Bring your passport: you need it for the train and at the hotel.
• Pack light — one small bag for one night is easiest on the train.
• Book the train dates early in spring and autumn, when the fast trains fill up.
• Dress modestly for the working mosques in Shakhrisabz; women should carry a scarf.
• Wear comfortable shoes: Shah-i-Zinda has steps, and Shakhrisabz is spread out across a park.
• Bring some cash in Uzbek som for lunch, souvenirs and photo fees.

Plan it with TravelBliss

We arrange the whole trip from Tashkent: transfers, the train, a guide and driver in Samarkand and the drive to Shakhrisabz — see Imperial Treasures: Samarkand & Shakhrisabz in Two Days. Already in Samarkand? The Shakhrisabz day tour covers day two on its own. We can also start the route from other cities. Prices depend on group size and season — see the tour page or contact us.