Open Travel Guide
Day trips from Samarkand

Best Day Trips from Samarkand 2026

Escape the city with the best day trips from Samarkand.

By Updated

This guide covers 5+ day trips in Samarkand — Shahrisabz and Takhtakaracha Pass, Urgut Bazaar and Chor Chinor Garden and Konigil Meros Paper Mill top the list. Every recommendation carries its practical details: typical costs, the best time to visit, and what to know before you commit.

Samarkand is Uzbekistan's Silk Road showpiece, a 2,700-year-old city of turquoise domes, the Registan's three madrasas, Timur's tomb and the tiled mausoleums of Shah-i-Zinda.

Top day trips

Handpicked excursions within easy reach.

About 88-90 km south

Shahrisabz and Takhtakaracha Pass

Shared taxi from the Registan and Suzangaron streets intersection in Samarkand, reported at about $3-10 (36,000-120,000 UZS) per seat in older sources; confirm the fare on the day

Timur's birthplace with the Ak-Saray palace ruins, reached over a 1,675 m mountain pass.

Highlights: Ak-Saray Palace ruins · Takhtakaracha Pass at about 1,675 m · Dorus-Siyodat and Dorut-Tilovat mausoleums · Timur memorial museum
About 45 km east

Urgut Bazaar and Chor Chinor Garden

Shared taxi from the stand at the corner of Dagbit and Registan streets in Samarkand, about 7,000 UZS (~$0.60) per seat reported by Lonely Planet (older figure); about 45 minutes

A foothill town known for its textile market and an ancient plane tree garden.

Highlights: Urgut Bazaar textile and jewellery section on Sunday and Wednesday · Chor Chinor plane tree garden · Suzani and embroidery shopping · Nearby mountain villages
About 8-10 km east of central Samarkand

Konigil Meros Paper Mill

Yandex Go or taxi from central Samarkand to Konigil village, about 20-25 minutes; fare shown in the app before booking

A working mulberry-bark paper mill with tours and hands-on workshops.

Highlights: Traditional mulberry-bark paper making · Masterclass to make a sheet of paper · Water-driven pounding process · Shop selling paper and crafts
About 25 km north of central Samarkand

Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex

Taxi or Yandex Go from central Samarkand, about 25 km, 30-40 minutes; fare shown in the app before booking

A pilgrimage site at the tomb of the hadith scholar Imam al-Bukhari.

Highlights: Tomb and mosque complex of Imam al-Bukhari · Quiet landscaped grounds · Often paired with the Dahbed Makhdumi A'zam shrine
About 40-50 minutes by taxi to the Jartepa border, then 15-20 minutes to Penjikent

Penjikent and Sarazm (Tajikistan)

Taxi from Samarkand to the Jartepa border crossing, about 40-50 minutes; agree the fare before departure, then walk through the neutral zone to the Tajik side and take a taxi on to Sarazm and Penjikent

A UNESCO-listed Bronze Age settlement and Silk Road town just across the Tajik border.

Highlights: Sarazm UNESCO World Heritage archaeological settlement · Penjikent old town and bazaar · Rudaki Museum · Gateway to the Seven Lakes

Trips by distance

How far you can go in a day.

Getting there

Transport options for day trips.

Public
Shared taxis and marshrutkas from Registan-area stands to Urgut and Shahrisabz; bus from Shahrisabz to Samarkand Central Bus Station (avtoticket.uz)
Taxi
Yandex Go for Konigil and Imam al-Bukhari complex
Private
Private car with driver about $50-100 (600,000-1,200,000 UZS) per full day

Multi-day tours from Samarkand

If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.

Browse multi-day tours from Samarkand

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Day trip tips

Make the most of your excursions.

Tip

Confirm shared-taxi and tour fares on the day; published figures are often old.

Tip

Carry cash; ATMs are scarce outside Samarkand city.

Tip

Start early; many outlying sites are best in the morning.

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