Registan Square in Samarkand with the Ulugbek, Tilya-Kori and Sher-Dor madrasas

Private tour · Samarkand

Samarkand Private City Tour, Registan to Shah-i-Zinda

Samarkand's great monuments in one well-paced day — Timur's mausoleum, the three madrasas of Registan, the bazaar and the tiled avenue of Shah-i-Zinda.

Duration
Full day (about 7–8 hours with a lunch break)
Group
Private — your party only
Start
Usually from 9:00
Meeting point
Your hotel in Samarkand
Language
English as standard; other languages on request, subject to availability
Price
On request — quoted for your party

Highlights

  • Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum of Amir Timur
  • The three madrasas of Registan Square
  • Bibi-Khanym mosque and Siab bazaar
  • The Shah-i-Zinda necropolis

Itinerary

  1. Gur-e-Amir

    Start at Timur's mausoleum, ideally early, before groups arrive — the gilded interior is at its best in quiet.

  2. Registan

    The Ulugbek, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori madrasas — how they were built, what the tile motifs mean and the best angles for photographs.

  3. Lunch break

    Plov or shashlik at a place your guide recommends.

  4. Bibi-Khanym and Siab bazaar

    Timur's giant mosque and the lively market beside it — bread, nuts, dried fruit and halva.

  5. Shah-i-Zinda

    End at the necropolis, walking up the avenue of tiled mausoleums in the softer afternoon light.

Entrance portal of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis in SamarkandRibbed turquoise dome of the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum, Samarkand

Included

  • Private guide for the whole day
  • Private car with driver, fuel and parking for the day
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Samarkand
  • Lunch at a local restaurant

Not included

  • Entrance tickets
  • Extra drinks, alcohol and anything ordered beyond the set lunch
  • Tips

Good to know

  • Full-day package — guide, car and lunch are included; entrance tickets are paid on the spot (your guide helps you buy them).
  • Shah-i-Zinda is a place of pilgrimage — dress modestly and keep voices low.
  • Registan is also beautiful after dark; ask your guide for the best time to return.

20% deposit · free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. Booking terms

Questions about this tour

Can you include the Ulugbek observatory?

Yes — it is a short drive from Shah-i-Zinda, and the car is already included; we just adjust the timing.

More about the city: private guide in Samarkand

Before you go: Samarkand, Bukhara or Khiva · One Day in Samarkand · Photography in Uzbekistan

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