Timur's jade tombstone was stolen by a Persian shah, cracked in two, and later brought back to Samarkand. You'll hear that storey standing right next to the stone, at Gur-e-Amir, where this tour begins.

From there, walk with your guide to Registan Square. You'll go inside all three madrasahs, spot the lions on the Sher-Dor portal, which look a lot more like tigers and are a rare exception to the Islamic rule against depicting living creatures, and look up at the gold-covered ceiling of Tilya-Kori. Then grab a coffee right on the square.

On Tashkent Street, stop at a tandoor bakery where non bread comes off the oven wall still hot. Your guide will tell you how a Bukhara emir once brought Samarkand's best bakers to his city and still couldn't get the same loaf. A few minutes later you're at Bibi-Khanym, the huge mosque Timur built with treasure from his Indian campaign. In the courtyard stands a giant marble Quran stand, and local legend says any woman who crawls under it will soon have a baby. People still try.

At Siyob Bazaar, look for halva, dried apricots, and navat, the crystal sugar locals drop into their tea. Then climb up to Hazrat Khizr Mosque and look out over the domes of Bibi-Khanym and the old city.

The walk ends at Shah-i-Zinda, a narrow lane of turquoise-tiled tombs where Timur's relatives and commanders were laid to rest. On the stairs, count the steps on the way up and again on the way down. If the numbers match, legend says your sins are forgiven.

Your guide knows where the best angles are, so you'll leave with photos worth posting. Before you part, you'll get tips on where to eat and when to catch the evening light show on Registan.

The tour takes about 5 hours and covers around 4 km at an easy pace, with breaks for coffee and snacks. Small groups have a maximum of 10 people. Entrance fees are paid on site, and the tour ends at Shah-i-Zinda, a 15-minute walk from Registan.

If you'd rather not walk, book the private full-day option by car. It adds the Ulugh Beg Observatory, the Mausoleum of Saint Daniel, and a workshop where silk paper is still made by hand, with hotel pickup included.