Expert opinion
Pluses
- Meals and tickets included: breakfast, lunch with Samarkand Rice cooked in a kazan with carrots, onions and meat: the dish of every Uzbek celebration. Each region cooks it its own way., dinner, entrance tickets and water on the road are in the price.
- Samarkand's main sights: the Did you know? The Registan's sun-carrying lion went on a banknote The Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636) is named for the big cats with the sun on their backs on its portal. The image appeared on the reverse of Uzbekistan's 200-som note of 1997. Read more → with its three madrasahs, Did you know? Timur's tombstone went to Persia and came back The dark-green jade slab on Timur's grave in Gur-e-Amir was carried off by Nader Shah in 1740. It broke, and on his advisers' urging he sent it back to Samarkand. Read more →, The great mosque Amir Timur ordered after his Indian campaign of 1398–1399, one of the largest of its time. Read more →, the Samarkand's main bazaar, right next to Bibi-Khanym: Samarkand bread, dried fruit, nuts and halva. Read more →, Did you know? Why Shah-i-Zinda means 'the Living King' The necropolis grew around the shrine of Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Legend says he did not die in battle but went down a deep well to a garden of paradise, where he lives on. Read more → and the Did you know? Ulugh Beg measured the year to within 25 seconds Working at his Samarkand observatory, Ulugh Beg put the tropical year at 365 days 5 h 49 min 15 s, about 25 seconds too long, closer than Copernicus a century later. Read more →.
- Back the same day: 06:00 pick-up in Tashkent, a full day in Samarkand and the drive back to Tashkent in the evening.
Minuses
- 06:00 pick-up: the day starts at 06:00 in Tashkent.
- Long road, full day: the drive to Samarkand is about 270 km, 4–5 hours one way, and the programme fits six sites plus lunch into the rest of the day.
- Group of five: the tour has a minimum group of 5 people and fixed monthly departures.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Longest transfer
- 5 h · by car
- Starts before 7:00
- day 1
Best time
Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
March and November are the start and end of the season: 14–16 °C by day, few crowds and lovely weather. Winters are getting milder, too: very few people, sunny days and pleasant prices.
Cool, fewer people: Jan–Feb, Dec
Better to avoid
Jul–Aug
July–August is outside the season and hot: 33–36 °C by day in Samarkand and Tashkent.
A typical day
06:00 pick-up in Tashkent and the drive to Samarkand (about 270 km, 4–5 hours). Breakfast on arrival, then the Registan, the Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Siab bazaar, lunch with Samarkand plov, Shah-i-Zinda and the Ulugbek Observatory. In the evening you drive back to Tashkent, with dinner included.
What the price includes
What is included
- Transfers Tashkent–Samarkand–Tashkent by comfortable vehicle
- Breakfast, lunch with Samarkand plov and dinner
- Excursion programme with a guide in your language
- Entrance tickets to the listed monuments
- Water on the road
Not included
- Photo and video fees at the monuments
- Personal expenses and tips
- An extra night in Samarkand (on request, booked separately)
Extra cost on site
- Photo and video fees at the monuments
- Personal expenses and tips
Good for
- Travellers based in Tashkent with one free day
- Business trips with a spare day
Maybe not for you if
- Those who don’t like long drives — about 4–5 hours each way
Questions about this tour
How does the day work?
Pick-up in Tashkent at 06:00 and a drive to Samarkand of about 270 km (4–5 hours), a full day of sightseeing, then the drive back to Tashkent in the evening.
What is included in the price?
Everything that is and isn’t included, and what you pay on site, is in one list: What the price includes
What is the minimum group?
Departures are fixed monthly with a minimum of 5 people. Book 21 or more days ahead to save 10%; inside the 21-day window the full price of $179 applies.
Can I stay overnight in Samarkand?
Yes, an extra night in Samarkand is available on request and booked separately.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
Make it your trip
Tick what you’d like to add — it goes into your request, and the manager confirms the final price.
Add a few days
Arrival, departure, transfers
Programme and details
Day-by-day route, prices and terms
Day trip from Tashkent
Samarkand in a Day — from Tashkent
A full day in Samarkand from Tashkent: the Registan, Amir Timur (Tamerlane, 1336–1405), founder of the Timurid empire, which had its capital in Samarkand. Born near Shahrisabz.’s tomb and Shah-i-Zinda, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. All-inclusive — no hidden extras.
1 day
From Tashkent
Min. group 5
Programme
What you will see
- Registan Square — the three madrasahs (Ulugbek, Sher-Dor, Tilla-Kori)
- Gur-Emir Mausoleum — the tomb of Amir Timur
- Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Siab bazaar
- Shah-i-Zinda — the «avenue of mausoleums»
- Ulugbek Observatory
Day
The route
Day 1 · Tashkent — Samarkand — Tashkent
06:00 pick-up in Tashkent, drive to Samarkand (~270 km, 4–5 hours). Breakfast on arrival, then a full-day tour: Registan Square, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Siab bazaar, lunch with Samarkand plov, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the Ulugbek Observatory. Drive back to Tashkent in the evening, with dinner included.
Price
Price per person
| All-inclusive tour, min. group 5 people | $179 |
One price, no hidden extras — meals and entrance tickets are already included. Book 21+ days before departure and save 10%; inside the 21-day window, the full price applies.
Booking
How to book
- Send a request via the form on this page, by email hello@aroundca.com or on WhatsApp, or contact your manager directly. Reply within 24 hours.
- Fixed monthly departures, minimum group 5 people — see available dates above.
- Book 21 or more days before departure and save 10%; inside the 21-day window, the full price applies.
★ «Everything was great. We were lucky with the weather and found ourselves in a wonderful city — we loved Samarkand. The guide was excellent.» — Irina, Samarkand, April 2026
Samarkand and back in a day — the essential A network of caravan routes between China and the Mediterranean. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva grew rich as stops along it. city from Tashkent.
