Uzbekistan
Samarkand in December
🧥 WinterCold and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat
Why December scores 8.2What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.5
- !Cold (9°C highs / 0°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -3.9°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~39 mm rain)
- Air quality8.0
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~18 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.2 Very good | 9.7 Excellent |
| Season | 🧥 Winter | 🌷 Spring |
| High / low | 9° / 0° | 27° / 14° |
| Rain | 39 mm | 40 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -4° | dew pt 8° |
| PM2.5 | 18 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Samarkand weather-station normals. Rainfall: Samarkand weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- New Year 31 Dec – 3 Jan · 4 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Constitution Day (8 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Samarkand
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Nov–Mar (most in Jan: ~9 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Samarkand.
Source: Samarkand weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore SamarkandEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallySilk Road city in Uzbekistan, known for the tiled Timurid monuments of the Registan, Shah-i-Zinda and Gur-e-Amir.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
NavruzEvery year21 March every year
Persian New Year celebrated with food and festivities.
Why go: A public holiday.
Where: Citywide
Independence DayEvery year1 September every year
National holiday with concerts.
Why go: Public holiday.
Where: Citywide
Registan
A square framed by three tiled madrasas.
💡 Visit at dusk for softer light.
Shah-i-Zinda
A street of tiled mausoleums.
Gur-e-Amir
Timur's mausoleum with a ribbed blue dome.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque
A vast mosque built by Timur.
Siab Bazaar
A market selling bread, dried fruit and nuts.
Ulugh Beg Observatory
Remains of a 15th-century observatory.
💡 Summer is very hot; spring and autumn are best.
Plov
Rice with meat, carrots and spices.
💡 Plov centres, usually at lunch
Samarkand non
Round bread from the city.
💡 Siab Bazaar
Samsa
Pastries baked in a tandoor.
💡 Street vendors
Shashlik
Grilled meat skewers.
💡 Grill houses
Silk paper
Handmade paper from mulberry bark.
💡 Konigil paper workshop
Suzani
Embroidered textiles.
💡 Craft shops in the madrasas
Ceramics
Glazed plates and bowls.
💡 Craft shops
Dried fruit and nuts
Local dried fruit and nuts.
💡 Siab Bazaar