Tour & Activity Scams in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities scams reported in Samarkand — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Almaty, Tashkent, and Bukhara.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
3
Tour & Activities Scams
13
Total in Samarkand
How it works
The Registan is Samarkand's main monument and charges an official admission fee that includes standard photography rights. However, individuals near the entrance pose as officials and demand additional "photography permits" or "tripod fees" for amounts far exceeding any actual charge. Some approach visitors inside the complex claiming that using a phone or camera without a special sticker is illegal.
How it works
Unofficial guides approach tourists at the Registan, Shah-i-Zinda, and Gur-e-Amir and offer tours for a fee agreed at the start, then demand substantially more on completion, claiming the original price was per monument or per hour rather than for the full tour. Some produce additional "entry fees" for inner sections of monuments that are included in the standard ticket.
How it works
Near the Registan ticket counter, individuals posing as official staff sell separate tickets to a folklore-ethnographic performance inside one of the madrassas for 60,000–80,000 UZS. Buyers are told it is a premium cultural experience included with the complex but requiring a special pass. In reality, the performance is an informal, low-quality indoor show in a small hall, not affiliated with the official monument management. Some visitors report the show door is simply locked when they arrive.
See all scams in Samarkand
13 total warnings across all categories