After a good night’s sleep, our second day in Samarkand saw us hitting some of its most famous sights and stumbling upon one of the best meals of our entire trip.

Morning: Historical Exploration

Registan Square

We started our day with a visit to the heart of Samarkand—Registan Square. This iconic site is a must-visit for any traveler, with its stunning madrasahs that showcase exquisite Islamic architecture. The square is best visited early in the morning to avoid the crowds and enjoy the serene atmosphere.

Amir Timur’s Mausoleum

Next, we made our way to Amir Timur’s mausoleum. This architectural marvel is not just the resting place of one of Central Asia’s most infamous rulers but a symbol of the wealth he brought to Samarkand. The intricate designs and grand structure left are awe-inspiring but naturally attract a large number of tour groups.

Lunch: Navigating Tourist Traps

Finding Authentic Food

We ventured into the new town for lunch at the frequently recommended ‘Samarkand Restaurant’. However, it turned out to be a tourist trap with gaudy decor and unfriendly staff. We quickly realized that one benefit of not being part of a larger tour group was that we could avoid such places in the future. Instead, we found a little restaurant opposite Registan Square. While it didn’t stand out for its food, it offered a humorous interaction with the waiter, who in the same breath as the WiFi details (name: Bob Marley; password 666ganjaman) told us that he “likes the weed”… Like in most other places in the region, even soft drugs are of course illegal in Uzbekistan and possession is severely punished.

Afternoon: Cultural Discoveries

Tourism Information and Local Tours

After lunch, we stopped by the tourism information center and discovered several interesting tours, including cooking classes, Uzbek language lessons, arts & crafts workshops, and a wine tasting. We booked a wine tasting tour for the next day, eager to compare it to our previous experiences in Georgia and the Champagne.

The Golden Hour at Registan Square

As the day drew to a close, we returned to Registan Square to capture the perfect sunset shots. However, we almost missed the golden hour due to a slightly random but very enthusiastic conversation with our host about Germany’s performance in the ’86 World Cup. After sunset, the Square is lit up in a green light; a pretty sight offering additional photo opportunities of Uzbekistan’s most photographed site.  

Evening: Our first taste of lagman

Having taken an abundance of beautiful photos of Registan Square at dusk, we suddenly noticed how hungry we were. Not wanting to end up in one of the many very average and touristy looking shashlik places near the Square, we picked one of the better reviewed restaurants in a part of town we had not seen before. It was a real stroke of luck as Chorraha Milliy Taomlar serve a delicious Uyghur-style lagman (noodle soup), a real culinary highlight of our trip.