The Golden City of Samarkand: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

As the author of an award-winning book about Central Asia, let me take you on a voyage of discovery, exploring Samarkand’s rich heritage and unearthing the stories of the people and places of this fascinating land.

Starting at the dazzling majolica and terracotta tile-covered 9th Century Shah-I-Zinda, the "Tomb of the Living King," our route proceeds to modern-day Samarkand's major market, the vibrant Siab Bazaar. We'll visit the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, learning about local folklore, history and present-day politics en route to the turquoise domes and tapering minarets of the Registan, the Holy Grail of most visitors to Uzbekistan. This tour also allows for more exploratory detours and the possibility of stops at popular local chaikhanas (tea houses).

The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.