"The high road or the low road?" Shahrisabz Transportation Tip by TheWanderingCamel

There are two roads from Samarkand to Shahrisabz. The short one takes you across the Takhtakaracha Pass (1676 metres). Unfortunately, it's off-limits for tour buses these days so we had to take the low road - a longer journey that takes you away from the farms surrounding Samarkand and out onto the steppe before turning south towards the mountains. Shahrisabz lies at the foot of the Gissaro Alay, a spur of the Pamirs. The journey takes about 3 hours and is uneventful, passing through just a few villages, becoming drier and more open as the oasis of Samarkand falls behind you only to become green again as you enter the valley of the Kashka Darya.

Independent travellers usually take a shared taxi or minibus from Samarkand. Some minibuses terminate at Kitab, 10km north of Shahrisabz - you can then catch a local bus from there into the town.

Mode: TO
Type: Car/Motor Home