Samarkand travel guide

Samarkand is a city to spend a day around the Registan ensemble. The official ticket site lists foreign adults at 100,000 sum, teenagers 50,000 sum and children free.

From 21 November 2025 the ensemble opens 8:00 to 22:00; the same notice said the light-and-sound show and 3D laser show would not run while equipment is repaired. All three madrasas, Ulugbek, Sherdor and Tilla-Kori, hold history exhibitions.

Samarkand was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001. Prices were checked on 4 November 2026.

Visa and entry requirements for Uzbekistan

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Railway e-ticket (Uzbekistan Railways)

The Registan directorate's official ticket site lists foreign visitors at 100,000 sum for adults, 50,000 sum for teenagers and free for children. Uzbek nationals pay 15,000 sum for adults and 10,000 sum for teenagers. Check the age bands on the ticket screen.

Tickets are sold on the official site, tickets.registon.uz. Look-alike agency sites may add fees, so check the address.

Per the official ticket site, checked 4 November 2026.

In a 22 November 2025 notice, the directorate set opening hours from 21 November at 8:00 to 22:00. The same notice said the light-and-sound panorama and 3D laser show would not run during technical repairs.

Check whether the show has resumed via the directorate's notices or its information line, +998-66-235-38-26. With opening until 22:00, you can see the madrasa exhibitions by day and still walk the square after dark.

According to the directorate, all three madrasas, Ulugbek, Sherdor and Tilla-Kori, have history exhibitions on teaching and scholarship in the 15th to 17th centuries. There are 12 qualified guides and an audio guide in 12 languages; group tours use headphones to cut noise, and ramps serve visitors with limited mobility.

Two foreign adults pay 2 × 100,000 = 200,000 sum. Two adults and a teenager pay 200,000 + 50,000 = 250,000 sum. Children are free within the age band. Make sure you selected the foreign-visitor fare on the ticket screen.

UNESCO inscribed Samarkand as Crossroad of Cultures in 2001. Besides Registan, the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis are in the same city. We could not confirm their prices or hours because the managing body's official website did not load, so check at the ticket desks.

Buy train tickets on the official Uzbekistan Railways site, eticket.railway.uz. Train types, times and fares vary by date, so choose on the booking screen. On a day trip, fix your return train first.

Buy Registan tickets on the official site and check whether the evening show has resumed. Check that your hotel registers your residence. Local police are on 102.