Samarkand Group Day Tour: Five Monuments with a Local Guide
Five monuments in a day with a licensed guide: the Registan, Gur-e-Amir, Bibi-Khanym, Shah-i-Zinda and Ulugh Beg's observatory. Transport included. From $20.
Shakhrisabz Private Day Trip from Samarkand: Amir Timur's Hometown over the Mountain Pass
A day in Shakhrisabz, the town where Amir Timur was born: the giant gateway of his Ak-Saray palace, the tomb he built for himself and the blue-domed Kok Gumbaz mosque. Your own guide and car, with pickup at your hotel in Samarkand.
About this trip
Shakhrisabz is where Amir Timur was born, and the town he meant to make his capital before he chose Samarkand. It lies about 90 km south of Samarkand, over the Takhtakaracha Pass, and the drive is half the reason to go: the road climbs through the Zarafshan range to about 1,700 m, with roadside stalls selling fruit and honey, and views over the Kashkadarya plain on the way down.
The day is private: the guide, the car and the timing are yours alone. We collect you from your hotel, and the length of each stop follows you rather than a group.
What you see
- Ak-Saray, Timur's "White Palace", begun in 1380. Only the stumps of its gateway survive, and they are still almost 40 metres high, with blue-and-gold tilework high up on them. Timur's statue stands in front.
- Dorus Saodat, the burial complex Timur built for his family: the tall mausoleum of his eldest son Jahangir, and the crypt Timur prepared for himself, though he was buried in Samarkand instead
- Hazrati Imam mosque, beside it, still used by the town
- Dorut Tilavat, the quarter of Timur's father's family: the Kok Gumbaz mosque built by Ulugh Beg, its great blue dome, and the Gumbazi Sayyidon mausoleum
- The old centre, with its domed bazaar and the long park that now links the monuments
How the day goes
About nine to ten hours in all, with roughly two hours' drive each way. Lunch is wherever you like; your guide will suggest a local place for tandir gosht, the slow-baked lamb Shakhrisabz is known for, and you pay for the meal there. Entrance tickets are small fees paid on the day, or we can buy them for you (see the options).
In winter, if snow closes the pass, the driver takes the longer road round the mountains, which adds about an hour each way.
Who it suits
Anyone with a third day in Samarkand who wants a change of scene: mountain road, small-town life and the Timurid story from where it began. If you have only one day, start with our private Samarkand day tour.
Groups of more than 12, or other start points such as Bukhara: message us on WhatsApp.
Day by day
- Pickup in Samarkand and the Takhtakaracha Pass
Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel in the morning. The road leaves the Zarafshan valley and climbs over the Takhtakaracha Pass, at about 1,700 m, with a stop at the top for the view, then drops down to the Kashkadarya plain. About two hours.
- Ak-Saray palace and the statue of Amir Timur
Timur's summer palace was so large that it took more than 20 years to build. What survives is the gateway: two towers of brick still nearly 40 metres high, with traces of the blue, white and gold tiles that once covered them. Your guide explains what stood here and what the inscriptions say.
- Dorus Saodat: Jahangir's mausoleum and Timur's crypt
Timur planned this complex as a resting place for his family. The tall mausoleum of his eldest son Jahangir still stands, and nearby is the underground crypt with a stone sarcophagus that Timur prepared for himself; he died on campaign in winter and was buried in Samarkand instead. Beside it is the Hazrati Imam mosque.
- Lunch in Shakhrisabz
A break at a local restaurant of your choice. Your guide will suggest a place for tandir gosht, lamb slow-baked in a clay oven, a Shakhrisabz speciality. Lunch is paid on the spot.
- Dorut Tilavat: the Kok Gumbaz mosque
Ulugh Beg, Timur's grandson, built the Friday mosque of Kok Gumbaz, the "Blue Dome", in the 1430s. Beside it are the Gumbazi Sayyidon mausoleum and the tomb of Sheikh Shamsiddin Kulal, the Sufi teacher of Timur's father.
- Old centre and return to Samarkand
Time for the domed bazaar and a walk through the centre, then the drive back over the pass. You are at your hotel in Samarkand in the early evening.
What's included
- Private car or minivan with driver for the whole day
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Samarkand
- Your own professional guide (other languages: see the options)
- Bottled water
Not included
- Lunch: paid at the restaurant, choosing from the menu; your guide will help with recommendations and ordering
- Entrance tickets, paid on the day (small fees at each site), unless you add them as an option
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Travel insurance — required for every traveller
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