What's on in Samarkand, Uzbekistan through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Winter quiet (1 Dec – 20 Feb)

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Winter quiet (1 Dec – 20 Feb)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Festival

  Navruz

  21–22 MarNational holidayClosures

  The spring new year is the year's real holiday: sumalak stirred overnight in the mahallas, concerts on the squares, and two days when nothing official opens. The monuments are quiet while the city is out. Source ↗

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in April.

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Hazard

  High-summer heat

  25 Jun – 25 Aug · usuallyExtreme heat

  The tiled courtyards hold the heat and there is no shade in the Registan at any hour worth photographing it. Sightseeing splits into early morning and after six, and the middle of the day is spent indoors. Source ↗

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: High-summer heat (25 Jun – 25 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Melon and grape season

  1 Aug – 30 Sep · usuallyHarvest

  The Siyob bazaar next to Bibi-Khanym fills with melons, grapes and the year's new dried fruit, sold off the back of trucks parked outside. It is the one unambiguous argument for coming in the hot months.

Still on: High-summer heat (25 Jun – 25 Aug (usually))

Busy — Independence Day, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  1 SepNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  A staged national celebration with concerts and closed central roads, and a public day off across the country. Domestic travel is heavy around it and the trains from Tashkent fill. Source ↗

Still on: Melon and grape season (1 Aug – 30 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  Winter quiet

  1 Dec – 20 FebOff-season shutdown

  The tour groups are gone and the Registan and the Shah-i-Zinda are close to empty, which is the version of them worth seeing. Rooms are cheap, some restaurants close, and the light is short.