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Samarkand

Countries in the atlas · Caucasus and Central Asia

Uzbekistan

The Great Silk Road: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva — turquoise domes, madrasas and bazaars linked by high-speed trains.

Russian passport: visa-freeprices 1.3 times lower than in Russia

Photo: Ekrem Canli · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Samarkand
Photo: Ekrem Canli · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Uzbekistan · World’s best

Samarkand

Access 1/5 · easyJFMAMJJASOND

Registan Square with its three madrasas is one of the most famous squares in the East. Nearby are the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum and the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, with tiles in every shade of blue.

Samarkand, a crossroads of cultures, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening the square is lit up, and in the old mahallas flatbread is baked in tandoor ovens.

Getting there
Direct flights from Russia; from Tashkent, about 2 hours on the Afrosiyob high-speed train.
Sources (1)
Bukhara
Photo: Maksimsokolov · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Uzbekistan

Bukhara

Access 1/5 · easyJFMAMJJASOND

The historic centre of Bukhara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: more than a hundred monuments within a few square kilometres. The 12th-century Kalyan Minaret rises about 46 metres above the city.

Fabrics and carpets are still sold under the domes of the trading arcades, and in the evenings life gathers around the Lyabi-Hauz pool.

Getting there
From Samarkand, about 1.5 hours by high-speed train; there are also direct flights from Russia.
Sources (1)
Khiva
Photo: Bosinus · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Khorezm Region, Uzbekistan

Khiva

Access 2/5 · fairly easyJFMAMJJASOND

Itchan Kala, the inner town of Khiva, lies entirely within its fortress walls: minarets, madrasas and palaces packed into a small patch of ground. It is the first site in Uzbekistan on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The unfinished Kalta Minor minaret, clad in turquoise tiles, is the symbol of the city. At sunset the walls glow gold.

Getting there
Fly or take the train to Urgench, then 30–40 minutes by car; from Bukhara, about 7 hours by train across the desert.
Sources (2)

Before you go

Uzbekistan: entry, safety, money, flights, laws and budget — with sources.

Entry

Russian citizens: visa-free (the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department). You need an international passport, and children need their own; the internal passport is not accepted.

The length of the visa-free stay could not be officially confirmed. Hotels register their guests themselves; for a long stay with friends or in a flat, it is worth registering yourself.

Rules for any passport

Checked 2 November 2026. These are the rules for a Russian citizen with an international passport on a tourist trip. For other passports and purposes, see the official website — the button above.

Sources (4)

Safety

No Russian Foreign Ministry advice to refrain from travel (as of 02.11.2026).

Sources (2)

Money and cards

The Mir card has not worked since 2022 (according to reviews). Bring dollars in cash; you cannot buy som outside Uzbekistan.

Sources (1)

Flights

Direct Aeroflot and Centrum Air flights from Sheremetyevo to Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, and Uzbekistan Airways from Vnukovo; flights from many Russian cities.

Sources (5)

Laws and bans

  • Always carry your passport — the police often check documents.
  • Drugs: even possession means a long sentence.
  • Photographing government buildings and some other sites can draw questions from the police — check where filming is allowed.
  • During Ramadan, show respect to those fasting, especially near mosques.
Sources (1)

Budget

prices 1.3 times lower than in Russia · price level 0.28 (US = 1), 2025

Prices are about a quarter lower than in Russia. No mandatory tourist fees were found; between cities, high-speed trains are the most convenient.

The price level is the ratio of purchasing power parity for household consumption to the market exchange rate (World Bank). These are national averages: resorts and capitals cost more, the countryside less. Flights are not included.

Sources (1)