pamir highway group tour

• Tajikistan Tours
• Group Tours
• Pamir Highway Tour Package

Pamir Highway Group Tour 2024-2025 Departures 8 Days | Pamir highway, Dushanbe, Kalai-Khumb, Khorog, Ishkashim, Langar, Murgab, Ak Baytal pass, Karakul Lake, Sary-Tash

Pamir Highway Tour is a fascinating trip to Tajikistan where you will cross many high-mountain passes, winding serpentine roads, see monuments of the Islamic, Buddhist and unique Pamir cultures. Moreover, you will have around like-minded adventurers to share your impressions and experiences. The tour will start in the capital of Tajikistan where you will see the main sights of Dushanbe and its surroundings. After this informative entry, you will have a week of snow-capped mountains, as the height will be closer, you will have acclimatization to the air of the Pamir Mountains. You will see beautiful villages, wild flows of the River Panj, cross one of the highest passes – Ak-Baytal (4655 m) and learn a lot about the history of the Pamir tract once connected to the Great Silk Road and the Great Game. Pamir Highway Tour is not merely a walking trip. It is a choice of real adventurers. Check out the detailed tour program, select the appropriate date, and start preparing for a memorable expedition!

Pamir Highway Tour itinerary:

• All transfers as per itinerary;
• Accommodation based on double/twin room sharing, breakfasts included;
• Full-board from Day 2;
• Service of an English-speaking guide;
• Entrance fees to sights as per itinerary;
• Visa support for Tajikistan tourist visa (if required);
• GBAO permit (Pamir permit).
• Hotel charges for additional services;
• Hotel accommodation in Osh, Kyrgyzstan;
• Consular fees for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan tourist visas;
• Personal travel insurance;
• International flight tickets before and after the tour.

Dates & Prices

100% guaranteed departures – even if there is only 1 traveler.

Group size: 1-16 persons

Please note that itinerary and prices are subject to change due to airline and train schedule changes, currency fluctuations and other unforeseeable events.

We strongly recommend NOT to purchase airline tickets for 2025 tours without discussing it with your travel consultant.

Accommodation

Tour request.

Tour start date:

Number of Travelers:

Pamir Highway Tour Package Reviews

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Tajikistan: The Pamir Highway

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The Pamir Highway is undoubtedly one of the world’s most stunning roads and yet few Westerners have ever travelled its length, lying as it does in a rarely visited and remote part of Central Asia. Our journey begins in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, from where we head east to Kalai-Khumb to meet the Amu Darya River - the ancient Oxus - and follow it upstream alongside the Afghan border into the Wakhan Corridor. This narrow valley, which lies between the mighty Pamirs and the ...

The Pamir Highway is undoubtedly one of the world’s most stunning roads and yet few Westerners have ever travelled its length, lying as it does in a rarely visited and remote part of Central Asia. Our journey begins in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, from where we head east to Kalai-Khumb to meet the Amu Darya River - the ancient Oxus - and follow it upstream alongside the Afghan border into the Wakhan Corridor. This narrow valley, which lies between the mighty Pamirs and the Hindu Kush, once formed a highly strategic buffer zone between the British and Russian empires during the era of ‘The Great Game’ in the 19th century and is today being eyed by China as a possible new trading route as part of their plans to regenerate the Silk Road. Continuing up to Murgab and Lake Karakul, we’ll take an adventurous route through the central Pamirs and the Bartang Valley, eventually finishing back in Dushanbe. In true  Wild Frontiers style there will be ample time to explore on foot and meet with local Tajiks, who uniquely amongst the Central Asians share more of a linguistic and cultural link with Persia than with Turkey. Combining some of the world’s most striking mountain scenery, homestays with the most hospitable locals and an ancient culture that hasn’t changed for thousands of years, this is very much a trip for the exploratory traveller.

At a glance

Outside of Dushanbe, where we use a minibus, we will use 4WD land cruisers for the whole trip.

EXPERT TEAM

Accommodation, entrance fees, fitness rating.

As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip. 

On this particular trip we will stay in small hotels in the towns - beginning with a large, Soviet-style one in Dushanbe. We will also be staying in a number of homestays with basic, shared facilities; it is usual for 3 or 4 people to share a room and you sleep on mattresses on the floor. The homestays tend to have limited local-style toilet facilities of the long-drop variety and only some have a shower/ wash room.

Please note that the accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is intended as a guide only and is always subject to availability.

Wild Miles Club

When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:

Positive Impact of this Trip

Map & itinerary.

Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below

Day 1 Tour starts in Dushanbe

The tour begins in Dushanbe. Accommodation for tonight is included in the tour due to the arrival time of our suggested group flights in the early hours of Day 2.

Day 2 In Dushanbe

After a relaxed breakfast we have the rest of the day to explore Tajikistan’s capital city and see the sights. Depending on opening hours, we will visit the impressive Museum of National Antiquities, which houses Asia’s largest statue of a sleeping Buddha (a mighty 13 metres), ancient weapons and a carving of Alexander the Great. Alternatively, we’ll visit the impressive new National Museum located next to the world’s third-tallest flagpole.

Day 3 Dushanbe - Kalai-Khumb

This morning we start our epic journey taking the Pamir Highway, a road built by the Red Army in the 1930s in order to link the isolated communities to the rest of the Soviet Union. We make a full day’s drive through the changing landscape of canyons and farmland to Kalai-Khumb, situated so close to the Afghani villages just across the river that you’ll be able to wave to each other. Total driving distance: 285km.

Day 4 Kalai-Khumb - Khorog

This morning we drive south towards Khorog and spend the day exploring in 4WDs and on foot. Khorog is the administrative centre of the Pamir region, dramatically set deep in the valley at the confluence of the Panj and Ghund rivers and boxed in by the mountain peaks. Total driving distance: 250km.

Day 5 In Khorog

Today we will visit a number of places of interest, including the Ethnographical Museum and beautifully-designed Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre. Built by the Aga Khan Foundation, it provides a space for congregation, contemplation and contribution to civil society. We’ll stroll in the shady, well-maintained gardens and soak up the relaxing atmosphere of Khorog. The town is also the site of one of Central Asia’s few university campuses.

Day 6 Khorog - Ishkashim - Yamg

The road from Khorog is partially tarmacked, so the journey today should be relatively smooth. We’ll make a stop for lunch in Ishkashim and see the bridge which is the border with Afghanistan. If time permits, we will be able to stop off along the way and have a look at the old castles that once guarded this branch of the Silk Road, including Yamchun Fort. These castles are all built quite high up so as to dominate the surrounding valley. This part of the Pamirs is also dotted with a variety of religious sites from Sufi shrines to Buddhist stupas. We’ll stay overnight in Yamg village, where we can take a short walk, visit the local shrine or simply relax.

Day 7 Yamg -  Langar

We take a short drive along the Panj River today, taking in the cultural change between the nomadic and settled people of the Wakhan. Our destination for today is Langar, the last village of the Tajik Wakhan Corridor before the border with Afghanistan. Langar boasts a castle and some interesting petroglyphs, and is home to the Wakhi Tajiks, most of whom are farmers or shepherds.

Day 8 Langar - Yashik Kul Lake (3,737M approx.)

We start our day with an uphill hike to view the impressive collection of over 6000 petroglyphs and visit the Jamoat Khana, adorned with colourful murals. We then continue our journey along the Pamir River, hopefully spotting one of the rare herds of Bactrian camels that still exist here. The vista before us brings spectacular views of Afghanistan, with the ice-capped summit of the Wakhan Range. Once our passports have been checked at Kargush army base, we continue north and cross the Khargush Pass. We will pass by a number of interesting salt lakes before reaching our overnight stop at Yashil Kul Lake, where we will stay in the small hamlet of Bulunkul. The people living locally are Kyrgyz pastoralists living in a harsh but hospitable environment. Our stay here will deepen our understanding of how people have adapted to live in such remote mountainous areas, in fact the coldest place in Tajikistan.

Day 9 Yashik Kul Lake - Murgab (3,600M)

We will spend some time this morning exploring Lake Yashil Kul before continuing on our way, following the Alichur Plateau. Weather permitting we’ll head up to Shorbulak Observatory, from where you can see the Muztag Ata and Kongur peaks, at 7550m and 7719m respectively, which are part of the Khun Lun Range. We then continue on to Murgab. This quiet town, which is home to the only bazaar of the High Pamir region, is still struggling with its development due to the nearby Russian border guards’ base being closed down – the last remaining Soviet influence in this region. The recent opening of the Chinese Qolma Pass, however, has slowly aided the town in its progression.

Day 10 In & around Murgab

This morning there will be time visit the local market before we depart to explore the stunning Madian Valley, one of the main grazing areas near Murgab. Driving out of town, we will then head off on foot towards Eli Su hot springs. Here we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch and spend time relaxing, before returning to Murgab for the night.

Day 11 Murgab - Karakul (3,900M)

Our journey today takes us to Karakul. The road climbs up to the Ak Baital Pass - the White Mare Pass. At 4655m, it is the highest pass in the former USSR. Views of mountains and glaciers along the way are simply breath-taking. The stunning Karakul Lake is hidden deep in this expanse of arid landscape. It is a body of water thought to have been created millions of years ago by a meteorite and noted as one of the most geologically fascinating places on earth. We’ll have the opportunity for a short walk along the lake to our homestay in Karakul village. The surrounding area offers some spectacular views, which are especially dramatic with the sun setting over the nearby snow-capped mountains.

Day 12 Karakul - Bartang Valley

Today we head west towards the Bartang Valley. Very different from both the High Pamir and the Wakhan Valley, Bartang is dotted with small villages and plots of land are carved out of the mountainsides to provide for the local farmers. Considered to be one of the most impressive spots in the western Pamirs, the valley is famous for its superb climbing, hospitable villages and local musicians. We will spend our first night in the valley in Koudara, with time to explore the local village on arrival.

Day 13 In Bartang Valley

Leaving Koudara this morning, we continue our journey through the Bartang Valley today by driving on to Siponji village, historically used as a shelter from neighbouring Afghan slave traders. On arrival we’ll be able to take a short walk to explore this friendly village and maybe witness something of their pastoral life, such as milking time.

Day 14 Bartang Valley - Kalai-Khumb

This morning we’ll set out on foot, crossing the river and walking to the next village, where our drivers will meet us. Leaving the Bartang Valley behind us, we retrace our steps today and drive on to Kalai Khumb to spend the night.

Day 15 Kalai-Khumb - Dushanbe

Our final drive today sees us bid farewell to the mountains and return to Dushanbe. This evening we’ll head out for our final dinner together and a chance to reminisce over our adventures of the last two weeks.

Day 16 Tour ends in Dushanbe

The tour finishes today after breakfast at the hotel. However, those on the suggested group flights will depart for the airport early this morning, before breakfast.

ACCOMMODATION USED ON THIS TOUR

Avesto hotel, dushanbe.

Avesto Hotel is a Soviet-style hotel in a central location along Rudaki Avenue, close to the botanical gardens and large landscaped gardens of the central park. The Avesto has comfortable rooms with balconies, as well as suites available offering more space. Rooms in one wing have been renovated and are modern with more facilities where as the other wing is provides a good representation of all its former Soviet-style glory. A large restaurant and separate breakfast room offer extensive meals and can be accessed from the regal foyer, complete with an impressive stain glass window display. From the foyer, there is direct access to the lush green gardens where locals are often seen relaxing. There is a souvenir shop, an ATM and Wi-Fi is available at certain points within the hotel.

Pamir Hotel, Murgab

The two-floor Pamir Hotel, located at the central bend of the Pamir Highway, is a very simple, if slightly worn, hotel but remains one of the few viable accommodation options in remote Murgab, and a popular stopover spot for travellers passing through. Most of the rooms, like much of the rest of the hotel, are basic with a bed, wardrobe and desk to provide a place to rest and freshen up during your time in Murgab. Rooms are available with shared bathrooms and as en suites, both with hot water. There is parking and simple restaurant onsite.

Hotel Rating

Accommodation displayed here should be taken as a guide only. *Please refer to the Detailed Itinerary of your individual departure for more information.

PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?

All group tours can be taken on a private basis.

Additional Details

Responsible travel.

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit. When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats.  Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

In Tajikistan, we will stay in the homes of hospitable locals. This is a great way to meet and interact with the local people, understand their limited infrastructure, and be introduced to their culture and way of life. With the homestays we use, the money goes straight into these remote communities and so benefits the people directly.

Reducing Single Use Plastic

We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)

Getting There

If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.

If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.  

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here -  https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour UK passport holders currently require a visa for Tajikistan, including a GBAO permit. Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements. VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Tajikistan. For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider.  For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk Covid Testing : No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers. If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration. The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.

*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert

Governmental Travel Advice

Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department . Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.

Key Information

The weather conditions can be extremely varied on this trip. In the mountains of Tajikistan we will often be travelling at heights in excess of 3,000m and even in the middle of summer it can turn cold with snow falling. At the same time, mercury in the thermometers of Dushanbe can be nudging 40C. You should therefore come prepared for a variety of temperatures and possibly rain.

IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?

It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, as many of the activities are optional. However, please note that this trip spends considerable time at altitude in the mountains. There will be a chance to undertake some short walks to help acclimatise during the trip.

Please note though that this is not designed as a walking tour, but rather is predominantly a road trip - involving considerable driving on uneven terrain. Whilst you should be prepared for this, try not to panic too much – we’re sure that what you will be witnessing will easily make up for any discomfort. Similarly, as you will be staying in homestays for much of the time, you should be prepared for communal sleeping and long-drop toilet facilities. An ability to squat is essential, this is adventure travel at its best!

Please also be advised that on this trip vegetarians can be catered for, but the selection and variety will be extremely limited.

THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.

TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!

Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation, but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.

On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour spent in hotels and guesthouses, but not in the homestays. You will need to be prepared to share a room with others at the homestays.

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.  

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

General Information

All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.

A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY

For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page

This tour will earn you 6714 Wild Miles

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour. Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights Beverages & any costs of a personal nature : This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY

If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events. 

WHY WILD FRONTIERS?

We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.

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Tajikistan – Pamir Highway Tour

Experience the unique waghan culture on a tajikistan group tour, pamir highway tour.

Experience one of the most beautiful road trips in the world with our spectacular Pamir Highway Tour. Expect impressive scenery, deserted Soviet bus stations and a few lost Lenin statues scattered throughout Tajikistan. For group tours we will follow the Wakhan route. That means we will drive a large part alongside Afghanistan , where you can have a unique view across the border. Our tour starts in Kashgar (China) or in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and then slowly makes its way towards Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

General info

Friday 13 September – Kashgar (China) – Irkeshtam Pass – Sary-Tash (Kyrgyzstan)

• For those continuing from the Karakoram Highway Tour or starting in Kashgar will start with an early departure towards the China / Kyrgyzstan border at Irkeshtam.
• After the border we meet our new guide.
• Participants who want to skip China leave in the morning, together with our local guide, from Osh (Kyrgyzstan) to Sary-Tash. The price is for both options the same.
• Drive to Sary-Tash, a small town in the south of Kyrgyzstan.
• If there is time we go for a walk through this remote village.
• Overnight stay in Sary-Tash.

Saturday 14 September – Sary-Tash – Lake Karakul (Tajikistan) – Murghab

• Early rise and shine for our drive to the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.
• Upon leaving the village we see (with nice weather) the Lenin Peak (7134m).
• See in the distance the remains of buildings from the Soviet era, as the area is far away from anything most remains are just left here.
• Border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
• Highlight : After the border crossing we drive towards Lake Karakul via the Ak-Baital Pass (4644m). This section is the highest section of the Pamir Highway.
• Short stop at Lake Karakul to stretch our legs. As the lake is on a high altitude no fish can actually live in the lake.
• We continue towards Murgab, a village that feels like the (almost) end of the world.
• We take a short walking tour around the village, passing by a big Lenin Statue and the traditional local market.
• Overnight stay in Murghab.

Sunday 15 September – Murghab – Langar

• We continue on the Pamir Highway. Today we leave behind the rocky, mostly barren landscape of the motorway route of the Pamir Highway and we enter the lush valleys of the Wakhan Valley. We return to the  Pamir Highway  in a few days for the route to Khorog / Dushanbe.
• The  Wakhan Valley is one of the wildest landscapes on our planet. It is 210 kilometers long and between 20 kilometers and 60 kilometers wide valley splitting the Pamir Mountains from the Hindu Kush and named after Wakhi people who inhabit the area. Most people who take the Pamir Highway take this route, as it’s the most scenic part of the area.
• Short stop at Yashil Kul (the green lake) and Bulung Kul.
• Photo opportunity of the point where the Pamir Highway and Wakhan Route meet.
• We cross the Khargush Pass (4,344m) and travel further southwards.
• Highlight: On the left you see one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan, the Wakhan Corridor.
• Overnight stay at a guest house in Langar, located at the end of the Wakhan Valley and is the point where the Wakhan and Pamir rivers combine to make the Pyanj. The village is set deep within the gorge, where steep, rocky slopes surround the verdant green valley.

Monday 16 September – Langar – Vrang – Ishkashim

• Drive to Vrang. We continue on the Afghan route of the Pamir Highway. The journey runs alongside the Panj river and across it lies Afghanistan.
• Stop at a few old caves where Buddhists used to live.
• Drop by Sufi Muborak-Kadam Museum, about a famous Sufi scholar who created a solar calendar.
• Highlight : Khahkha Fort which gives a great view over the border with Afghanistan. It’s one of the ancient sights of Pamir and the Wakhan corridor. It was built on a huge natural cliff over the Panj River. This fortress had been serving as a defense construction from the 2nd century B.C up to the 7th century A.D and is one of the oldest fortresses in Wakhan valley.
• Highlight : Bibi Fatima natural hot springs, named for the Prophet Mohammed’s sister and where local women believe they can increase their fertility.
• Yamchun Fort, an old fort that served to protect the Pamir route, built on the top of the cliff overlooking the valley. It is thought to have been a greatest defense fortification in the ancient Wakhan.
• Overnight stay in Ishkashim.

Tuesday 17 September – Ishkashim – Khorog

• We continue along the Wakhan Corridor.
• Highlight : You’ll see the strong contrast with life across the river. While Tajikistan is not a well developed country, life in Afghanistan is a lot harder. 
• Arrival in Khorog, one of the poorest areas of Tajikistan, but it used to be very important in the Soviet Union times.
• Overnight stay in Khorog, the capital of Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).

Wednesday 18 September – Khorog – Kalaikhumb

• Drive to Kalaikhumb.
• Highlight : We reach the Kotezek Pass at (4,272m) on a potholed route of lunar-like, high-altitude desert scenery.
• The highway wasn’t a road as we now see it, but just a trail suitable only for packed animals or people. The highway was built much later by Soviet engineers exploding granite walls, breaking thru the rocks and by building the bridges over the Pyanj side feeders. It was complicated as the road could only go by the right side of Pyanj river as the left one belong to Afghanistan.
• Overnight stay in a guesthouse in Kalaikhumb. “Fortress on the banks of the river of Khumb” in Arabic, Qal’ai Khumb sits at the meeting point between the Pamir Pass and the Panj River right in the very south of Tajikistan. Across the river, which acts as a border, you can see into Afghanistan from the town.

Thursday 19 September – Kalaikhumb – Dushanbe

• We start our road trip west departing the Pamirs and Kalaikhumb.
• We take the scenic route via Kulyab (also called Kulob), which traverses the lower Shurabad Pass (2,200m) and follows the Afghan border along the Panj river gorge, driving through beautiful scenery and interesting village’s en route.
• We stop for photos along the seven-hour winding journey through the Kulyab region.
• Highlight : Short visit to the partly restored Hulbuk fortress. This medieval citadel once guarded the western entrance of the Pamir Highway.
• Stop at the monument in memory of the attack on cyclists in 2018.
• Arrival in Dushanbe , the capital of Tajikistan.
• Overnight stay in Dushanbe.

Friday 20 September – Dushanbe

• See The famous botanical garden of Dushanbe.
• Highlight : Victory Park & Victory Square, set up on a hill the park has an impressive World War 2 memorial & provides a beautiful view over the city.
• Rudaki Street, Central Park and the Somoni monument, the most important place in Dushanbe. It was Ismail Somoni that united the Samanid states in 892. His empire ruled over what is nowadays Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Nowruz palace, the largest teahouse in the world.
• Dushanbe’s flagpole, which was built for the 20th anniversary of Tajik independence in 2011. For 3 years it was the tallest freestanding flagpole in the world with 165m.
• We visit the Ismaili Centre, a cultural centre and praying house for the local Shia Ismaili minority.
• Final group dinner and Dushanbe nightlife, hopefully finding the local beer ‘Sim Sim’.

 Saturday 21 September – Dushanbe

• End of the Pamir Highway group tour. Departure at your own convenience.

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The Ultimate Pamir Highway, Tajikistan Travel Guide (2024)

• Last Updated: February 5, 2024

Everything you need to know about travelling the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. A detailed travel itinerary, how to book a car and driver, things to do along the way, where to stay and how much it will cost.

Basketball-sized stones rained down on us from the roadside cliffs above. The earth shook violently, and the sound of exploding dynamite echoed down the valley.

We stopped in our tracks and stared fearfully across the narrow Pamir River. 30m from us was Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, which was currently under the attack of Taliban rebels.

We looked at Mohammed and waited for his instructions. Our guide simply laughed. “The Afghans are building a road.”

The Pamir Highway is one of the world’s greatest road trips . Unofficially starting in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan and unofficially ending in Osh in Kyrgyzstan, this captivating route was once part of the historic Silk Road.

Weaving between soaring mountains and along sprawling desert, the trek that today makes up the majority of people’s exploration connects Osh to Khorog, a small town in the heart of the Pamir Mountains.

Highway M41 rises over the second highest border crossing in the world and hits the border of Tajikstan and Afghanistan before cutting in on a direct route to Khorog.

At this point most people continue along the border and into the infamous Wakhan Valley , flanked by the Pamir Mountains on one side, and the Hindu Kush on the other.

BREAKING NEWS: Registrations are now open for our NOMADasaurus  Pamir Highway and Tajikistan Tour  in 2024!

No images or stories can prepare you for just how beautiful the Wakhan Corridor is. For as many days as you care to take you traverse the fine line between two misunderstood nations.

Tajikistan is more remembered for its civil war and as a major heroin trade route than anything else. The problems of Afghanistan are well-documented and often overstated.

Still in this narrow passage all one can think about is how surreal its scenery is.

We spent 7 days travelling along the Pamir Highway in September 2015, renting a 4×4 in Osh with two other travellers. This is our route, tips and stories from our amazing road trip along the roof of the world.

Table of Contents

Getting a Tajikistan Visa and GBAO Permit

Public transport, hitchhiking the pamir highway, things to do in sary moghul, where to stay in sary moghul, things to do in karakul, where to stay in karakul, things to do in murghab, where to stay in murghab, things to do in bulunkul, where to stay in bulunkul, things to do in langar, things to do in yamg, where to stay in yamg, why we didn’t stay in langar, things to do in yamchun, where to stay in yamchun, things to do in khorog, where to stay in khorog, exchanging money on the pamir highway, camping along the pamir highway, extending your pamir highway adventure, pamir highway from dushanbe or khorog.

• Getting The Tajik Visa And GBAO Permit
• How To Travel The Pamir Highway
• Day 1 – Osh To Sary Mogol
• Day 2 – Sary Moghul To Karakul
• Day 3 – Karakul To Murghab
• Day 4 – Murghab To Bulunkul
• Day 5 – Bulunkul To Yamg
• Day 6 – Yamg To Yamchun
• Day 7 – Yamchun To Khorog
• Budget For The Pamir Highway
• Camping Along The Pamir Highway
• Extending Your Trip
• Travelling From Dushanbe Or Khorog

When we travelled through Tajikistan we had to acquire a visa in advance. In addition to this if you want to travel along the Pamir Highway you must also get a permit for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region.

We did this at the embassy in Bishkek in less than a day for $62 ($60 for our 45-day double entry Tajik visa, and $2 for our GBAO permit for the same length of time).

However we now have good news! Most people can now obtain an e-visa for Tajikistan, including the GBAO permit! The cost is US$70 for a 45-day single entry visa that can be used at all border crossings and international airports.

Click here to apply for your Tajikistan e-visa.

Note: If you want a double entry visa (to travel into Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor for example) you still need to apply at the embassy. We recommend the one in Bishkek .

How to Travel the Pamir Highway

There are a couple of ways to travel the Pamir Highway, and all of them have their ups and downs. It really depends on your travel style and budget.

BIG UPDATE – We originally used Osh Guesthouse to book our 4×4 Pamir Highway Tour, but during our latest trip to Kyrgyzstan talking to tourism directors we were informed about a new company which has better vehicles, experienced drivers and can organise a perfect itinerary. In fact Osh Guesthouse approached them this year to partner together, they are that good. For that reason we now recommend you to get in contact with Talant from  Visit Alay  to book your trip along the Pamir Highway. He speaks perfect English and is passionate about delivering a great experience. He has also been trained by USAID in tourism product development, which is the organisation we worked with from 2016-2020 in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. You can pre-book the vehicles and drivers now before you arrive in Bishkek, Osh or Dushanbe, which saves a lot of headache.

This is the option we went with and recommend. Having your own transport and driver allows you to go at your own pace, stop for photos and breaks and have a bit of comfort as well.

We organised our 4×4 rental from Osh Guesthouse in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. This place has become quite famous for helping travellers plan their Pamir Highway road trip, and the owner is friendly and willing to provide assistance.

He also speaks great English and has all the connections sorted, so even if you aren’t staying there it’s worth dropping by to speak to the owner.

When renting a 4×4 you will be charged per kilometre. This sounds pretty crazy, and to be honest it is. But that’s just how it works down here. You also pay a small daily stipend for your driver.

You will plan out your route (distances are already known) and any side trips you want to take in advance. Any additional kilometres driven will be charged extra, and must be paid for in cash directly to the driver.

You must also pay for the driver to return to Osh, charged at a lower rate if you wish to exit in Khorog or Dushanbe (unless he happens to be from Khorog or Dushanbe).

If you don’t have a group of 4 people, we recommend putting your name on the board in Osh Guesthouse saying you are looking for extra people to join you on the Pamir Highway. This will help keep your costs down. You can also do a call out on the Caravanistan forum .

One of the guys who we travelled with had actually been in Osh for a week already waiting to find people to join him on the trip.

Unfortunately every time a group came in they were already a 4, so he had to bide his time until he could find more travellers.

This isn’t always the norm, but something to keep in mind if you are showing up in Osh and expect there to be hundreds of people to jump in with.

Of course if your budget allows you can go by yourself or as a 2 or 3. This is totally up to you.

This is actually one of the worst ways to travel the Pamir Highway, but completely doable if on a tight budget.

Transport isn’t comfortable or regular from Osh to Khorog, and you can expect to spend a lot of hours crammed into a dilapidated marshrutka bouncing over horrible roads staring out of a closed, dirty window. But it’s all part of the adventure, right?

Public transport on the Pamir Highway is definitely possible if you’re more interested in the scenery outside the window as opposed to the side adventures that can be had along the way.

You can get a minivan from Osh to Murghab in one day, and then take local rides into the Wakhan Corridor. However if you do this we highly recommend you split the trip from Osh to Murghab into two days, with a night in Sary Tash, due to the huge rise in elevation.

It is very possible to get altitude sickness, as you’ll be going from around 1000m up to 4655m in one day.

Absolutely doable, and we met quite a few people hitchhiking. One thing to keep in mind is that once you enter the Wakhan Valley most of the traffic will be from people who have rented vehicles, tours or shared taxis – not the kind of people who will pick up some hitchhikers for free

That being said with patience and persistence you can find rides to get you hitchhiking the Pamir Highway and Wakhan Valley.

If you have your own car or motorbike self-driving the Pamir Highway is probably the absolute best experience you can have!

The roads are horrible and the going is slow, but having the time to go at your own pace is something you will really relish.

Obviously the chances of picking up a decent car or motorbike in Central Asia isn’t huge, so if you’re considering this option you probably will be looking at bring your own vehicle from Europe.

This is it – the Holy Grail for cycle tourists. The second highest international road in the world and some of the most challenging and beautiful scenery imaginable.

We lost count of the number of cyclists we saw peddling the Pamir Highway, and almost all we had met after they had completed it said it was one of the best experiences of their lives.

We are not cycle tourists , so can’t give advice on this. But definitely check out Crazy Guy On A Bike for some great tips about it.

This is the most expensive option for travelling the Pamir Highway, but it might also be the best (depending on your point of view).

There are quite a few companies that offer Pamir Highway tours, and these are all in excess of a few thousand dollars. The main benefits are you get a newer, comfortable and reliable vehicle, an English-speaking guide and all the logistics are covered for you, so you can literally just focus on taking epic photos and soaking up the culture.

If it’s in your budget or you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like landing in a foreign country without everything pre-planned a group tour on the Pamir Highway is a good choice.

But in our experience you can do it much, much cheaper and get the exact same experience by doing it yourself .

Day 1 – Osh to Sary Mogol

Starting our seven-day adventure from the Kyrgyz city of Osh, our driver Mohammed picked our group of four up in his Mitsubishi Pajero and headed towards the Tajikistan border.

It only took a few hours from Osh before the landscape changed from craggy fields to steep alpine gorges. The famed Pamir Mountains began to rise all around us; speckled at first, then gradually becoming more dramatic.

At the border town of Sary Tash, where one road leads to China and the other to Tajikistan, we took a detour and instead stopped off in Sary Mogol for the night.

Peak Lenin stood 7134m tall in the distance, its permanent snow-capped summit looking like a water painting in the afternoon sun.

Mohammed dropped us at the CBT Guesthouse and we wasted no time in exploring the rugged Soviet-esque village.

Despite being a popular stopover for trekkers and alpinist who wish to summit Peak Lenin, our presence generated an excited interest with the young community.

Kids and adults alike would call our greetings from their windows and men would stop to ask us where we were from.

Passing a game of football between some local children, we were eagerly recruited and took part in a 30-minute match in a dirt yard.

Abandoned cars and trailers were scattered throughout the village – a sight that would become common along the Pamir Highway.

Before night fell we returned to the guesthouse for a large vegetarian meal and fell asleep on the floor, surrounded by other travellers and trekkers just as thrilled at being in such a beautiful part of the country.

There aren’t a lot of things to do in Sary Moghul itself, but it acts as an amazing launchpad for some of Kyrgyzstan’s best adventure activities.

For those who are experienced in high-altitude trekking, a summit attempt of Peak Lenin is perhaps the most incredible opportunity in the country.

This is one of the easiest 7000m+ peaks in the world, and besides an immense level of fitness and stamina, no advanced mountaineering skills are required.

Don’t be lured into a false sense of security though – it is still a very dangerous hike if you aren’t properly prepared! Consider going on a guided tour (you should already know if you think you could tackle this on your own).

Sary Moghul also acts as a great base for trekking in the surrounding mountains, and organising horse riding adventures. Check with the CBT Guesthouse for routes, ideas and information.

We stayed at the CBT Guesthouse and enjoyed it. It was the most expensive place along our Pamir Highway road trip, but it was quite high quality.

For US$20 per person we got a night’s accommodation, a large vegetarian dinner and a typical Pamiri breakfast (bread, jams, tea, etc).

We slept on a thin mattress on the floor with about 15 other people in the room. If you want to camp they also have places to pitch your tent.

Day 2 – Sary Moghul to Karakul

Morning came quickly and we set off with Mohammed towards the international border. Exiting Kyrgyzstan was a simple affair, providing that the correct ‘fees’ were paid to the officers.

Mohammed took our passports to be stamped out and returned happy, but with his wallet visibly lighter.

A 25km section of ‘no-man’s land’ separates Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and is the second highest international border crossing in the world. It is not uncommon to see cycle tourists camping in this dead zone, unable to make the crossing in one day.

Entering Tajikistan was much the same. Our visas and special GBAO permits were checked and Mohammed took care of the legalities. When he returned he sighed. “Immigration, narcotics, medical, police, customs, they all want bribes. You pay them money, no problem. You don’t pay, you wait all day at the border.”

Seeing as we were now cleared to enter Tajikistan, it was clear that Mohammed had paid the unofficial fees to make our passage easier. We asked him much he paid. “Too much,” was his response.

The first village we reached in Tajikistan was Karakul, named after the sprawling lake on its edge. We chose Sadat’s Homestay to be our resting place for the night.

With welcoming hosts, and only $12 per person including a bed, lunch, dinner and breakfast, it was simply splendid.

The village was quieter than Sary Moghul, and after walking along the lake’s shore we found ourselves at a decrepit prison, complete with the shell of an old Russian tank near its perimeter.

Our group decided to break through a hole in the fence to explore further. Suddenly a soldier called out and came sprinting over to stop us, Kalashnikov in hand.

We stopped dead in our tracks and slowly showed him that we were unarmed, and simply curious tourists. Luckily he used his mouth rather than his gun to warn us that this was not actually an abandoned prison, but an active military base. We apologised and quickly returned to the village.

The reason the base looked so empty was because the soldiers were in the town, playing volleyball with the villagers. We stopped to watch their game, made small talk with the army and then returned to Sadat’s Homestay for dinner and bed.

Besides admiring the beautiful lake, there isn’t actually a lot to do in Karakul. As mentioned we tried to break into the prison, which turned out to be an active military base, so we don’t recommend that.

Simply walk around and enjoy the atmosphere of the village. It makes for some beautiful photos. Have a chat to the locals, and if you’re lucky you might even catch a volleyball match.

If you’re in Karakul for longer you can do some hiking around the flats and up to the mountains. Just make sure you stay well away from the Chinese border, which is quite close to the village.

We stayed at Sadat’s Homestay, and it was absolutely brilliant! The lady running it, Sadat, is very welcoming and makes some delicious food. Look out for the blue fence on the right hand side of the village when looking at it from the road.

The cost was also the cheapest we came across on the entire Pamir Highway – $12 per person for lunch, dinner and breakfast. We were the only people there and slept on the floor next to a wood-fired stove.

There are other options in Karakul, and our driver tried to make us stay at another one for $15 a night. However we got the feeling it was his friend’s place and kept walking around, and were stoked that we found Sadat’s.

Day 3 – Karakul to Murghab

That’s what we awoke to on a chilly Wednesday morning. Light at first, but soon the snowflakes got heavier and began to coat the village in a brilliantly white layer.

It was only the beginning of September, but already winter was coming fast in the mountains.

We wandered around Karakul before breakfast, and life was continuing as usual. Ladies were collecting water from the well, kids were running off to school and the men were getting ready to head into the fields to tend for their livestock.

We said goodbye to our friendly hosts and set off in a blizzard towards the south. It was only another short drive to the region’s largest town, Murghab.

Anywhere else in the world Murghab would be a blip on the map, but here in the GBAO it was the major trade and transport hub for the region.

Between Karakul and Murghab is the Akbaytal Pass, the highest point along the entire Pamir Highway. At 4655m above sea level, it’s not uncommon for people to feel lightheaded when climbing it.

Eventually arriving in Murghab we checked into the famous Pamir Hotel and treated ourselves to our first shower since leaving Osh.

The list of attractions of things to see in Murghab is limited to the local bazaar, operating out of shipping containers, and the small mosque.

Still, it was a nice place to wander, and after a few hours we found ourselves back at the hotel playing card games and sipping on Tajik beer.

Almost every other foreigner we met was a cycle tourist, many who had ridden to Tajikistan from Eastern China or Western Europe, giving an idea of the type of adventurous souls you meet on the Pamir Highway.

We met a young Australian man named Harley who had ridden is Suzuki dirt bike all the way from his home in Queensland. Clearly Tajikistan is not somewhere you encounter those seeking a relaxing vacation.

Walking around the container market is perhaps the best thing to do in Murghab. You can buy just about anything you would need there, from fresh vegetables to mobile phones and everything in between.

If you head out towards the back of Murghab you can find a small mosque. This is worth checking out as well. Otherwise just work your way through the streets then make the most of the comfortable accommodation back at the Pamir Hotel.

The Pamir Hotel is on the main road and is the largest accommodation in town. It is also the first one to fill up, as it offers decent meals and the first hot showers out of Osh.

The cost was $25 per night for a large room with shared bathroom. Naturally when we arrived there was no running water, so the minute it turned on there was a huge rush to jump in the shower. But as promised, the water was hot!

There are other home stays you can find on the outskirts of town. Stop by the META office (similar to the CBT in Kyrgyzstan) to find out more.

Day 4 – Murghab to Bulunkul

The scenery exiting Murghab quickly changed to become rockier and more imposing. We beelined it for Bulunkul, which has the solemn reputation of being Central Asia’s coldest town.

After Karakul’s snow only two days earlier, we feared the worst, but luckily for us the weather was delightfully sunny.

Bulunkul could be considered less of a village and more of a collection of mud-brick dwellings. It looked like the set of an armageddon movie.

Busted trailers and vehicles were dumped in random places and mud-brick homes were propped up with random pieces of scrap metal.

Still with the snow-capped mountains in the background it made for a stunning and intriguing scene.

We made our way to a homestay, cooked our own lunch and left Mohammed to drink tea with the family while our group trekked up a nearby hill to get a glimpse of Yashilkul Lake.

Reaching the top of the rise we were met with Yashikul Lake’s turquoise beauty shimmering in the daylight. A sign warned us that special permits were required to trek any further, so instead we aimed our sights towards the closest peak.

20 minutes of scrambling brought us to the summit, and our efforts were rewarded with near-360 degree views of the entire valley. We snapped our pictures before escaping the wind and heading back towards the village.

Yaks wandered around and kids played games. We soaked up the atmosphere for a while longer before retiring for the night.

Definitely trek up to the nearby Yashikul Lake and admire the immense beauty of the region. If you have permits you can continue trekking for days, and we wish we had more time to do so.

Get up for sunrise and catch the small ponds and lakes perfectly still on a calm morning.

We stayed at the main homestay in town. We can’t remember the name of it, but it’s owned by the guy in charge of the meteorological station in town. Just look for the big weather station on the roof. Your driver will know it.

The cost was $15 per night with dinner and breakfast included. The food was superb, and the sleeping quarters were similar to everything else we had encountered – a thin mattress on the floor.

Day 5 – Bulunkul to Yamg

Our fourth day was destined to be the most spectacular of all. Here we would leave the M41 Pamir Highway and join the stretch of road that follows the Afghan border along the Wakhan Valley.

Before we reached the security control point we spotted “Panorama Peak” on our left, a steep ridge that our cycling friend Nick has told us about. Mohammed parked the Pajero and left us to trek on our own.

It took almost two hours of an uphill battle to reach the peak, the rocky terrain made even more dangerous with the altitude. At 4500m above sea level exerting your body at this height can bring about lethal altitude sickness.

Our fitness levels were up to the challenge, and we managed to reach the summit without incident.

The views we gained were what people come to this region for. In the distance the infamous Hindu Kush, the “Killer of Hindus”, formed an impenetrable mountainous barrier throughout this strange stretch of land in Afghanistan.

30km away was Pakistan, on the other side of this “corridor” that had been carved out by the Soviet’s during The Great Game in the early 1900s.

The Hindu Kush has been the intrigue of great explorers for centuries, and here it was towering in front of us.

The descent from Panorama Peak was quick and soon we were back in the Pajero and at the GBAO checkpoint.

At this point the Pamir River creeps into the scene, only 10m wide at some points, forming the official border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

We drove a few kilometres further and were soon following the meandering waterway for the rest of the journey.

Mohammed parked his car and allowed us to snap photos of Afghanistan. In the hills we could see farmers and small mud-brick houses, and two-humped Bactrian camels wandered along the banks of the river.

Afghanistan was so close, quiet and picturesque. We asked Mohammed if we could swim over to take a photo looking back at Tajikistan. He shook his head. “Big trouble for you.”

I looked around. “But there is no one else here.”

He whispered, “The army. They are watching.” And with that grim warning, we continued on our way.

For hours we followed a flat route in the shadows of the Hindu Kush. The river gradually grew wider and more powerful as tributaries rushed in from alpine glaciers.

The beauty we encountered behind every rounded bend took our breath away faster than the climb to Panorama Peak.

Soon the road climbed high into the mountains, following the contours of the cliffs. Any lapse in concentration from Mohammed would have resulted in us tumbling to a final resting place far below.

Luckily he remained attentive and cautious.

Dropping down towards the town of Langar we saw the lush farmland of the Wakhan Valley, stretching in from hidden regions of Afghanistan.

Langar is home to an ancient fort and megalithic petroglyphs, and its location could not be any more inspiring. After exploring the sights we opted to make the most of the daylight and move onto the smaller village of Yamg.

We stopped over in Vrang to climb around the quarry-like rock walls and to explore one of the region’s most interesting sites*, a Buddhist shrine.

Here some young boys approached us and bowed their heads in a respectful way, miming that of Buddhist monks. We allowed them to take us there and were surprised when they ran off without asking for money

Arriving late into Yamg night had already begun to fall, and Mohammed took us to Aydar’s Guesthouse. Aydar is the leader of the village, and spoke decent English.

His guesthouse felt less like an authentic homestay and more like a business, and we were eager to move on the next day. In the morning we walked around Yamg’s quaint streets and moved towards Yamchun, less than an hour on.

*Our good friends Thomas and Veronika recently used this guide on their own travels, and have reported that they were very underwhelmed with the Buddhist shrine. Perhaps we may have been too generous with our appraisal of it.

There are countless things to do in Langar, and for most people this is why they end up spending the night here. It also is a more logical spot to stop in terms of time spent on the road.

About 3km before Langar, make sure you check out the Ratm Fort, an old relic from the Silk Road that has great views over the Pamir River (now turning into the Panj River) and into Afghanistan.

You can walk around past the family’s house to get to it. Just make sure you watch your footing when stepping close to the edge inside the fort – there are plenty of loose stones.

If petroglyphs are your thing then climb into the hills to find over 6000 of them. To get there go to the school, follow the powerlines up the hill towards the cemetery, then keep going up until you can cross the small stream.

There’s also some Islamic shrines scattered around the village. It really is quite picturesque, and easy to see why people stay here.

There’s also quite a few cool things to do in Yamg. There is the Yamg Wakhani Museum, dedicated to local legend and Sufi mystic Mubarak-i Wakhani. You can find old musical instruments and relics of his life here.

Near the museum is a solar calendar as well. To be honest we didn’t visit any of these due to a bad taste left by our homestay owner (who also happened to manage all the attractions in town), so we simply walked around the beautiful, bucolic village.

We stayed in Aydar’s Guesthouse, but we don’t necessarily recommend it . It was overcrowded with group tours when we arrived, and while Aydar was smiling when we first got there, he made a big deal about how we were inconveniencing him by coming so late and tried to charge us $20 for a place on the floor there, with dinner and breakfast being extra.

When we asked for a cheaper price he got aggressive, saying that he had the best guesthouse in town and that if we didn’t like it we could leave. So we grabbed Mohammed to leave, and Aydar dropped the price to $15*.

During dinner Aydar’s son gave us a very nice and detailed explanation of Pamiri architecture, which was fascinating. He then asked for money for his explanation.

We refused, and he asked if we’d like to stay after dinner to watch a cultural dance his sister was doing. Sure, we replied. “It is only a $10 donation to watch the dance,” was his response. We went to bed instead.

In all honesty the place wasn’t bad – there was a shower, the mattresses were comfortable and the food was great. It just felt like a money-grabbing business trying to take advantage of tired travellers.

Others have stayed there and enjoyed it though, so perhaps we just got them on a bad day.

*(We asked to pay in Tajik Somoni, and he gave us the worst rate ever. We then said “fine, can we change our USD into Tajik Som at your rate?” and he cracked it, demanding we go to the market to see what the rates were there. We just paid in USD after that.)

Our original plan was to stay in Langar, but we decided to drive on. The reason being that our cyclist friend Nick had caught the owner of one guesthouse stealing money out of his bag there (sorry can’t remember which one). When we said this to Mohammed he agreed that the lady steals a lot from travellers at that guesthouse.

We then asked if there were any other homestays, and Mohammed recommended a different one, who was his friend. “But food is very bad,” he said. “Everybody gets poisoned there.”

We tried to go to another one but Mohammed kept talking them down (we suspected it was because he didn’t get a commission or free stay at those ones for bringing us), so we pushed on to Yamg.

Our friends have stayed in Langar without problem, so this is up to you whether you want to try it or not. If we were to do this trip again we would take the risk and stay in Langar for a night, or even two.

Day 6 – Yamg to Yamchun

Yamchun is famous for having the two most spectacular attractions along the whole Wakhan Corridor: The Yamchun Fort and the Babi Fatima Hot Springs.

The 2200-year-old Yamchun Fort sits precariously on the edge of a crumbling mountain, offering perhaps the best views of anywhere encountered in Tajikistan. Today the fort is left in ruins, but its foundations and walls can still be admired.

Our group separated for the first time in five days, and found our own corner of the fort to seek solitude and reflect on our surroundings.

Further up the hill the Babi Fatima Hot Springs flow into man-made pools, and the water is believed to boost fertility. Men and women are given separate pools to bathe in, and clothes are forbidden.

We paid our 10 Somoni ($1.25) each, stripped down and joined the locals in the steaming waters.

Clean and refreshed, we drove slowly down the mountain searching for another homestay we had heard about from other travellers.

Unsigned and hidden from view, the homestay took us over 30 minutes to find. But when we did discover it, we were in paradise.

It was perhaps the best example of Pamiri style decorations that we had encountered, complete with crimson carpets adorning the walls and a four-tiered skylight in the centre.

A vegetable garden, fruit trees and sunflowers made up the yard, with the gaps in the leaves offering stupendous views over the Wakhan Valley. Our afternoon was spent playing card games and basking in the sensational vistas.

Obviously the two main things to do in Yamchun are the fort and the Babi Fatima Hot Springs.

The fort is a great place to wander for an hour or so, and you can grab some epic photos. Climb around, find a shady spot and relax.

The Babi Fatima Hot Springs are equally cool and make for a relaxing session after exploring the ruined fort. Men and women are separated, and clothes are not allowed (yep, time to nude up).

The setting is really nice, nudged up against a rock overhand and filled in with cement to block out the elements.

We found a discreet homestay on one of the switchbacks coming down from the Yamchun Fort. It really was hard to find, as the road drops away steeply while the house is up on a hill slightly.

It was maybe the 4th or 5th switchback down from the fort. It is on the left-hand side of the road if you are driving downhill.

The owners were amazingly friendly, and the house was gorgeous. We actually could have spent another night here just to chill out, but decided to head to Khorog instead.

It was $15 per person and included lunch, dinner and breakfast. The food was impeccable!

Day 7 – Yamchun to Khorog

Leaving in the morning was a reluctant endeavour, but it was time to finish our Pamir Highway journey. We continued on the road, stopping at key photo opportunities, and at another ancient fort.

At the town of Ishkashim we passed the international border crossing into Afghanistan. Every Saturday for years had seen a cross-border market operating on a small island between the two countries.

Normally it was the best opportunity for tourists to interact with Afghani sellers without entering the country.

Unfortunately for us the market had been closed for six weeks due to instability in the region. The Taliban had been moving closer to the border, and were now reportedly 20km from Ishkashim.

The gates were open, but no one was making the crossing.

We stopped by at the Ishkashim Fort, another Silk Road relic with a formidable location on the edge of the Panj River.

With views over lush farmland and the high position allowing a phenomenal sight of the natural border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, it may be one of the most unique spots along the Pamir Highway.

We snaked along the mountains before finally arriving in Khorog, the biggest town we had visited since Osh. Mohammed drove us to the Pamir Lodge where we pitched our tents, cracked a beer and celebrated the end of our Pamir Highway adventure.

There are plenty of things to do in Khorog, but to be honest the town’s main appeal is to be used as a resting point before or after a Pamir Highway road trip and to stock up on supplies.

You can take a marshrutka out to some of the nearby villages, or check out the botanical gardens just outside of town.

There’s also a great hike into the Jiseu Valley with a long suspension bridge over the river.

Hot Tip: Eat at Dehli Dharba. It’s a great Indian restaurant with decent prices. Walk towards the river down an alleyway when you hit the MicroFinance Bank on the main street.

Khorog has a lot of decent options of places to stay, but we chose to stay at the most popular one: The Pamir Lodge.

It’s a bit of a legend around the region for having the highest concentration of people to swap stores and advice with, and it’s a cool setup. It also has wifi.

It’s $9 per person for a private room, or $5 to pitch your tent (either on the grass or on the timber deck). We spent 2 nights in a private room, then jumped in our tent for the next few nights.

To get there you turn up the hill at the Afghan embassy. It’s a little walk out of town, but not too bad. The manager also speaks decent English, and is a great guy to chat to if you want to travel into Afghanistan or explore more of the region.

• READ MORE: Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking tents on the market

Extra Information for Travelling the Pamir Highway

Here’s a bit of extra information to help you plan your adventure along the Pamir Highway.

Remember we now recommend making bookings through Visit Alay . You can of course still try to organise this on your own if you’d like.

Budget for the Pamir Highway

Exploring the Pamir Highway is not cheap. Homestays are, on average, higher than most places in Central Asia due to the remoteness of them. Food is also more expensive.

Renting a 4×4 in Osh is charged per kilometre. A standard rate is $0.75 per kilometre, but this can go up or down depending on the quality of the driver, the reliability of the car, etc.

Expect to spend about $100 per day on car rental. You also have to pay for the driver to return to his home. This is charged at about half the usual rate, but he will take the most direct way possible.

It’s also about $20 per day for the driver in addition to the car rental.

Vehicles are best split between 4 people, to keep the costs down. Fuel is included in the price of car rental.

Homestays range from $12-20 per person, per night, including meals. This is not luxury by any means, but it is a great experience staying with a family and learning about the Pamiri culture.

You will also need to buy some food supplies along the way for lunches and snacks. Bring some water too, although you can fill up at streams along the Pamir Highway. We recommend having a SteriPEN or water filtration system of you do this.

As a good estimate expect to spend between $50 – $60 per person, per day on the Pamir Highway for a group of 4.

We recommend travelling with new USD notes, ranging from $5 up to $100. All homestays will accept USD as payment.

We also suggest exchanging some of your USD for Tajik Somoni so you can make smaller purchases in the markets. You can do this at the bank in Murghab or Khorog.

There are NO ATMs between Osh and Khorog. Bring all the cash you need with you.

There is no problem with camping along the Pamir Highway, as long as you take precautions and don’t pitch your tent near anyone’s property without asking them permission.

If you are riding a bike or self-driving you can get off the main roads and find a quiet patch out of the way. If you’re hitchhiking just do the same and walk up into the mountains or out of sight of villages. Another option is to ask the owners of the various homestays if you can pitch your tent in their yard.

Keep in mind that the temperatures do plummet at night, even in summer. Make sure you have a warm sleeping bag, a decent tent and thermals!

If you’re looking to add a few extra days along the Pamir Highway you can quite easily spend up to 2 weeks (or more) doing it.

Sary Moghul and Bulunkul have some great options for multi-day treks. In Bulunkul these may need to be planned in advance so you can get the permits.

We also just discovered that it’s possible to drive or hike up to Lake Zorkul, which is the start of the powerful Pamir River. It’s at the northern end of the Wakhan Corridor on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

It’s in a nature reserve and we have no idea if permits are required to visit it. Ask at Osh Guesthouse or at the GBAO checkpoint where M41 heads to Khorog and you travel on to the Wakhan Valley.

Another option is to do the Pamir Highway trip in reverse, starting in either Dushanbe or Khorog. If you go from Dushanbe we recommend breaking it up into two days, as it’s a long, long, bumpy trip. There’s also meant to be some nice hiking opportunities along the way.

If you want to leave from Khorog you can organise everything at the PECTA office. Go to the Pamir Lodge to find people to split the costs if you are renting a 4×4.

[box] Have you travelled on the Pamir Highway? Let us know what your experiences and tips are below![/box]

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Maybe someone knows if after the Kyrgyz-Tajik border war in 2022 all borders between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are closed or is it possible to cross the border now?

Great guide! I’m very interested in doing the highway in July this year, starting from Khorog. I was wondering if the guest houses offer vegetarian meals along the highway? Or if you think it’s feasible/have any advice on doing the trip as a vegetarian? We’d be renting a 4×4 and driver as you did. Thank you!

Amazing and very well written guide, We are hoping to ride the Pamir from the direction of Osh on motorcycles and if we can go via the Bartang valley then that would be great. Either way we will be travelling in this wonderful part of the world. We start our little trip in Ulaanbaatar in May so it’ll be warm by the time we arrive in Tajikistan. Thanks for a great guide.

Thank you so much Trev. Doing it on motorbikes would be amazing. Sounds like an amazing trip when you go. Maybe your plans have been delayed right because of the current health crisis. Hope you still do it. 🙂

This is so helpful blog.I am planning for next year, can you pls let me know which month did you visit Pamir highway? And how safe is wakhan corridor??

Hi Mayuri, we did the Pamir Highway in August. It is very safe. The people are so lovely along the highway. If you have your own vehicle, make sure you are prepared. There are not many mechanics along the way. All the roads are gravel. All the best

Hey Alisha and Jarryd, It is always a pleasure reading about your epic travels. The latest, to Tajikistan, is so informative. A lot of people worry about security issues in such places yet there are hidden nature gems to see.

Hi Lydia, We travel to Tajikistan every year and have never worried. We always feel safe. There are places in some western countries that are way worse, one that comes to mind is the US. Please do not read everything you see in the news. Tajikistan is a beautiful raw country. Yes it does have their issues, but so does every country. There are restricted areas that tourists are not allowed to go but that is no where near the tourist route. We suggest people go on a tour and have a local guide who is knowledgeable about the country. Take care

Thanks for a very useful blog… do you have any details for the northern route from Murghab to Khorog… as i want to start and end at Murghab…kind of round trip..

No we don’t have any information sorry. We didn’t take that route. Hope you have a great trip and find what you are looking for. 🙂

Awesome blog guys! 8 days (renting 4×4 with driver) should be enough from Dushambe to Osh?

Definitely. It will be fast but doable. Just have in mind what you want to see and don’t so you can charge through areas. All the best. Have a great trip.

One of the best travel guide to how to plan your travel to Pamir Highway

Thank you so much Talant 🙂

Bonjour !. Nous avons visité le Pamir en 2019. Jamais on a du de payer a aucun frontiere, c’était fin avril début mai, on avait eu de la neige a Bulunkul, splendide paysage avec de la sortie de jak sur la neige. A refaire. Nous sommes allee jusque le pont suspendue , belle balade et plus on peut séjourné pour la prolonger.

Nice blog! How easy is it to find another traveller to split cost? probably do it on coming sept after world nomad games 2018.

Your best option is to contact Visit Alay. They will be able to put your name down on a list and if any other travellers contact them for a trip, they will contact you. Hope you get to travel Tajikistan. It is incredible. Have fun at the World Nomad Games.

hi we are a group of 6 docs from india ,planning a central asia trip. 5 stans. want to some how squeeze the pamir highway if not full atleast part of it due to time constrain. we plan to start from osh, day one:drive down till karakul lake then back again to sary tash ,then take the A372,overnight at sarigon, day two drive to Dushanbe. valuable guidance and advice welcomed. thanks

Hi, Maybe contact the Osh Guesthouse in Osh. This is who we went through. You can talk to them about what you want and maybe they can help. All the best and have a great trip.

We have an update. Now contact Talant at Visit Alay. He will reply promptly and speaks fluent English. Hope you have a great trip. https://visitalay.com/pamir-highway/

It looks a nice roadtrip : full of adventures and meeting people along the way. Plus it looks quite peaceful and the pictures are pretty !

It was a great trip. Thank you

Thanks for the great tips, and a fantastic write up. Looks like you had great experience. I see the images and landscape resemble the Ladakh part of India. What is the best time to visit this route, is it it June-Sept?

Hi Sas, Thank you so much Glad we could help. June to September is a great time to travel the Pamir Highway. Have a great time.

In Osh, be sure to exchange your money into Tajik Somani and leave a few Kyrgyz Som before leaving as you will need to pay for accommodation and food along the way and the closest town you can exchange after Osh is Murghab with questionable rate.

Thank you for the tips Addy. 🙂

Such an excellent read, Alesha and Jarryd! Tajikistan seems like an awesome travel destination and I rarely read posts about this charming destination. I’ve read so many new things about this place from your experience!

Thank you so much Agness. It is an amazing country. Definitely check it out one day. 🙂

Hi Guys, I am planning a trip to Central Asia and Caucasus for three months starting on May 11 and ending on August 12th. My itinerary would start in Georgia, Armenia then fly to Tashkent, next overland to Tajikistan and ending in Kirguistan; so I would do the Pamir Highway from Dushanbe to Khorog. As I am a solo traveler woman, I would need some other travelers to share the costs of renting a car, where in Dushanbe do you think I could contact them? I have read about contacting in Osh but not in Dushanbe. I have planned that way as the return flights from Bishkek are cheaper than those of Dushanbe. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful stories and useful information with us. Greetings from a 65 y.o Venezuelan lady

Hi Noelia, what an amazing trip you are going to have. Your best option is to maybe contact Green hostel in Dushanbe or Pamir Lodge in Khorog.They may have more information or you can ask to put a note on the notice board. If you want to leave from Khorog you can organise everything at the PECTA office. Go to the Pamir Lodge to find people to split the costs if you are renting a 4×4. Sorry we can’t help you more. We wish you all the best and would love to hear about your travels. Do drop us a line some time. Take care. 🙂

This is a very useful webpage. However, I’m still wondering how much you paid for renting the 4X4.

Sorry, in the meantime I noticed the info towards the end. I’m still curious, though how much it cost in total. Was it $1200? Also, how did you get out of Khorog at the end? Flying?

Yes it was. We split is up between 4 of us over 7 days. From Khorog you can get a helicopter or a small plane to Dunshanbe. But you can not book tickets, you just rock up to the airport in the morning and they’ll let you know if they are flying. It is through a valley so sometimes the winds are too strong. The other option is to get a shared vehicle. The will pack in 7 people plus the driver in a 4×4 and it will take up to 15 hours. The road is rough and raw. Be prepared. Happy travels. 🙂

Hi they are offering group tours for 7 seater cars? I mean for 7 persons instead of four? Bec. most of the iffers are for group of fours only. Thanks.

Hi Andrian, We are talking about the transport from Khorog to Dushanbe. If you choose to hire a driver the price for this section of Tajikistan will be higher and you can put as many or as little people as you want in the 4×4. We took shared transport which means we share with locals to make it cheaper for ourselves. They put 7 people from Khorog to Dushanbe and the drivers will not leave the station in Khorog until all seats are filled in their car. Along the Pamir Highway from Osh (Krygyzstan) to Khorog (Tajikistan) we hired a driver and we spilt the price between 4 people. Happy travels

Wow, this post is really amazing! I would love doing this but I would be a solo traveller and I am not sure it I have the balls to do this haha. I might be afraid to not be able to fill up a 4×4 (I would like to split the costs) and afraid of a lot of other things. Did you ever feel unsafe? In what period did you make this trip? I would have time in April; do you know anything about the climate then and the conditions of the roads? If it would be snow all over the place, it’s perhaps not the best time to do this trip!

Hi Barbara, my friends and i (3 of us – 2 boys and a girl) planning to do PHT also in april next year, end of april to be exact and still planning about our trip. we are malaysian which is not really hardcore backpackers but love to see nature, and love to enjoy the good scenery, our planning currently will start pamir highway trip in osh around 28 @ 29 april till early may arnd 5 – 6 may maybe.. because of the budget, yeah, im planning to find another travel partner to rent a 4×4.

however, we still have not confirmed yet about this pamir highway trip due to our small budget. in case you still interesting please do contact me thru my email [email protected]

Hi Chek Wan, That is amazing you are planning to travel the Pamir Highway. Do double check if it is open. In the winter months they are closed and you can not access a lot of the roads. We think it is open May to October but do check. Try to contact Osh Guesthouse. They might be able to help you out. 🙂

Hi Barbara, don’t worry about filling up a car. It will happen. Surprisingly there are many people wanting to do the trip and they are either travelling solo or as a couple. We stayed at the Osh Guesthouse but it you are not staying there you can easily pop in and put you name on the board. You may have to wait a week at the most. If you are in Bishkek, give them a call and put you name on the board then. Then you have a little time to explore and get down to Osh. We didn’t feel unsafe once. There are a lot of security checks but this is normal. In April I think the season is closed. It is only open from May to October. Do ask around and check. All the best and have a great time.

Hi guys, did you have to get double entry visa to access the Wakhan corridor or to get Afghani views?

I have read some people have said you need an Afghan visa for Wakhan corridor and double entry visa.

We just want to drive along the corridor or even at least see it from a distance.

Thanks for reading! Great article btw, we are going to follow the 7 day plan.

Hey Dennis. Yes you need a double entry Tajik visa and the GBAO permit to be able to enter (and return from) the Afghani Wakhan Corridor, but not if you stay in Tajikistan (just GBAO permit needed). If you don’t have these you can see the Afghani side from Tajikistan, although we have heard amazing things about the mountains across the border if you get a chance to cross. Happy travels.

Just finished a small group tour on the Pamir Highway on August 3rd. You captured the feel of being there . . . in both word and great pictures. I literally have some of the same shots! Thanx for sharing your adventure.

Thank you so much Laurel. We are so glad you had an amazing time. What was your highlight? We can not wait to get back to this part of the world. (Sorry for the late reply) 🙂

Hi Jarryd, this is such useful information. Thank you. We have booked a 4WD for 8 days and plan to drive between Osh and Dushanbe. Do you think that is going to be tight? We don’t plan to hike/trek which is something that consumes time.

Also did you by any chance spend time in the North of Kyrgyzstan around Lake Song Kul/Karakol etc. We are debating how much time to spend there in light of the fact that we will have spent 8 days on the Pamir Highway. It also looks very nice and somewhat similar. Any advice here? Thanks!

Hey PJ, glad you enjoyed the article. How exciting that you have 8 days on the Pamir Highway! If you’re not planning on trekking, and don’t want to spend too much time in Khorog, it’s definitely doable.

Also we just got back from Karakol actually, and there’s some incredible cultural stuff going on there, such as Dungan (Muslim minority from China) cooking classes, yurt stays at Jyrgalan, boat tours, etc. It’s really growing as a tourism destination. Stop by the tourist office that is next door to Fat Cat Cafe and tell them NOMADasaurus sent you. Happy travels.

I am absolutely amazed at the beauty of these places. It’s rugged, raw and surreal. My personal favorite is the picture of the soldiers playing with the local and the scenery in the background. Thank you so much for penning down the itinerary in such detail. We are definitely going to add this to our list for the year. Will probably bother you with questions, when we do 🙂

Thank you so much for reading. It was a little surprise to walk around town and seeing a bunch of soldiers playing volleyball. And some still armed too. Crazy. It was a definitely a highlight of our Central Asia trip. Highly recommend it. Happy travels and happy planning Divya and Vikas

so. Freaking. COOL! Thanks dudes, the pics are dope but that Russian tank takes the gold for me though. Now my personal travel-bucket list has been lengthened… again. Lookin’ forward to more!

Thanks so much Aaron. It’s an awesome place to travel. Definitely get there sooner than later. 🙂

wow!It sounds really exciting.The views along the highway are superb.Definitely home stay experience is worth to spend time with locals while understanding a bit of their culture…

Thank you. They were so amazing. All the homestays were wonderful and the food was so delicious. A few spoke a little English or our driver helped us out when he could.

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• Vanj & Darvoz (PAMIR)
• Tailor Made

Jeep Adventures

Classic Pamir Highway Overland Tour

10 days, 9 nights

From $1770 per person

Destination

Comfort level.

Mixed Comfort

Trip information

The classic Pamir Highway tour is a once-in-a-lifetime journey through some of the world’s most stunning and remote landscapes. This unforgettable adventure takes you on a winding route through the rugged mountains and high-altitude plateaus of Tajikistan, where you’ll encounter welcoming locals, ancient Silk Road history, and breathtaking natural beauty at every turn. Whether you’re trekking through the high passes, soaking in natural hot springs, or camping under the stars, the Pamir Highway tour is an experience that will stay with you forever.

• Take in the stunning Pamir Mountains’ landscapes and feel their majesty as you drive along the Pamir Highway.
• Explore Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, and visit the Somoni Monument, Rudaki Park, Hissar Fort, and the Navruz Palace.
• Visit the Karon archeology complex, known as the “Machu Picchu of Tajikistan,” on the way to Khorog.
• Explore the ruins of the vast fortress known as Kakhkakha in Namadgut and Yamchun Fortress, which dates back to the Greeco-Bactrian and Kushan periods.
• Visit the house museum of astronomer and scholar Sufi Muborak Wakhoni, a traditional Pamiri house with superb carved pillars and beams.
• Connect with the Pamiri people and experience their warmth, hospitality, and rich cultural heritage by staying at local guesthouses and visiting traditional villages on the Pamir Highway.
• Soak in Bibi Fatima and Garm Chashma hot springs, believed to have therapeutic properties that can help with various ailments.
• Attend a Pamiri folklore concert in Ishkashim for a unique cultural experience featuring traditional music, dance, and costumes.

After your arrival at Dushanbe airport you will be taken to the Turkish restaurant to have a traditional breakfast. After breakfast, your guide will conduct a short welcoming briefing and take you on a fascinating city tour of Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital. Highlights of the city include the magnificent Somoni Monument, the world’s second-tallest flag pole, Rudaki Park, Hissar Fort, and the Navruz Palace where one can enjoy folk crafts of Central Asian people. In the vening you will have dinner at local restauran where you can enjoy live music and dance show.

Altitude: 800m 

Accommodation: 4* Atlas Hotel

Today you start your journey towards the Pamirs over the spectacular mountain pass, to Kalaikumb, the halfway point on the way to Khorog. This time we will take the northern road via Tavildara and Khaburabad pass 3255m (or via Kulyab region if weather does not allow). You may notice more conservative attitudes of local dressing style and beards, but the hospitality is just as welcoming. Lunch is at a roadside café or picnic on the route. 

Altitude: 1300m, 300km, 10 hours.

Accommodation: *4 Karon Palace

Another scenic drive to Khorog, the capital of (GBAO) Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, along the Panj River which is a natural border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan makes our day unforgettable. After an earlier breakfast we will visit Karon archeology complex known as a Machu Picchu of Tajikistan. Karon is a one-of-a-kind, new archeological site in Tajikistan history of which is still being considered and reconsidered among the historians and archeologists of global community.

Late afternoon you will reach Khorog and check in to the luxury boutique hotel. For the rest of your time you can have a visit to botanical garden which is the second highest altitude garden in the world. 

Altitude: 2100m, 240km, 8 hours.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel Lal

Today after an earlier breakfast, we will drive toward Ishkashim. Ishkashim district is undoubtedly the most attractive destination in Gorno-Badakhshan for its wealth of archeological sites (castles, petroglyphs and more than 60 shrines and holly places and thermal springs) and spectacular scenery with views across the Wakhan Corridor to the snow-covered Hindi Kush in Pakistan. 

About 30 km from Khorog, there is a famous thermal, holly hot spring called Garmchashma described for the first time by a Danish explorer Ole Olufsen in 1897. The hot spring is believed to be a healing spring for many diseases. You can stop here for a quick bath. Afternoon we will reach Ishkashim where we overnight and have a folklore Pamiri concert arranged for us. 

Altitude: 2550m, 110km, 4 hours.

Accommodation: simple guesthouse with twin room option

After breakfast, you will continue the exploration further visiting village of Namadgut, there are ruins of a vast fortress known as Kakhkakha, the oldest parts of which back to the II century BC (Kushan Empire). On the other side of the road from the fortress is the shrine Ostoni-Shohi Mardon (one of the names attributed to Ali-Muhammed the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-low). The outer gate to the shrine is covered in calligraphy and the interior of the shrine is a good example of early wood carving. We take a visit to the house museum of an astronomer and scholar Sufi Muborak Wakhoni (1839-1930). The museum is a very fine example of a traditional Pamiri house with superb carved pillars and beams. Just outside the museum there is the solar calendar used by Sufi Muborak for determining the start of the Navruz festival. Probably the most spectacular site in Tajikistani Wakhan is the area above the village of Yamchun, with imposing Yamchun Fortress. Parts of this fortress date to the Greeco-Bactrian and Kushan periods (III-I centuries BCE). The nearby Bibi Fatima hot spring is believed to improve female and male fertility. Here we can have a quick bath. Our lunch will be served at the traditional guesthouse. 

After lunch we will move further to Vrang, to see Buda Stupa, and in Zong village you will stop for visiting Abrashim Qala fort. Your day finishes in Zong where you will overnight at guesthouse. 

Altitude: 2800m, 150km, 8 hours.

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Another adventurous day for you begins after the breakfast. We will head to Murgab town. Murgab district comprises more than half of the land area of Gorno-Badakhshan. The majority of the population is ethnic Kyrgyz. The drive is scenic with a u number of stops; both photo and learning discovery ones depending on the circumstances and availability of the nomadic yurts on the way. On the way to Mughab we will visit Alichur village and have lunch at a roadside café “Golden Fish”.

Altitude 3600m, 230km, 7 hours.

Accommodation:  2* Hotel Pamir.

Today is going to be a big day. After an early breakfast we will drive back to Khorog, the capital of (GBAO) Gorno-Badakhshan Oblast, we will stop in Bulunkul for lunch and visit Bulunkul and Yashikul lakes. The scenery around the Bulunkul and Yashilkul lakes is spectacular. There will be several photo stops. On the way we will also stop to see old wooden bridges over the Ghund river.

Altitude: 2100m, 320km, 8 hours.

Today we will continue our journey back to Kalai Khumb along the Panj river aka Oxus and Afghan border. Looking at the beautiful landscapes from counter perspective is an interesting experience. A walking tour around Darvaz town is included.

Dinner is at the guesthouse at the shore of the river.

Altitude: 1300m, 240km, 7 hours.

Accommodation: 4* Karon Place

A long journey to Dushanbe. This time we take the southern road via Kulyab. On the way to Dushanbe there will be more stops including a short stop at Hulbuk Fort form the IX-XI centuries at Vose settlement and Nurek reservoir. Lunch is at a local restaurant in Kulyab. We will reach Dushanbe late afternoon, will have some time to rest before we have a farewell dinner with guide, driver and other travelers. 

Altitude: 800m, 280km, 7-8 hours.

Accommodation: 4* Atlas hotel.

You will be transferred to the airport. Have a safe flight!

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7 Days Pamir Highway Group Tour Dushanbe to Osh

TOUR DOSSIER: For anyone anticipating a Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan tour, the Pamir Highway is certain to stand out in a series of dramatic landscapes and cultural encounters to leave travellers in no uncertain terms as to the adventures that are still to be had in two of Asia’s lesser visited locations.

Encapsulating the rugged mountain imagery and remote nature of a Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan tour, the Pamir Highway lets you travel across the roof of the world on a stretch of road that promises spectacular views to leave a long lasting impression on first-time passengers and old hands alike.

Aside from the trip over the Pamir Highway this 7 days tour Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan holiday also features many of the remote communities living within the Pamir Mountains as well as chances to spot the wildlife, including birds of prey, that call this eternally unchanged habitat, home.

Following the course of the River Panj, along the Afghanistan border towards Khorog, takes travellers to the relics of the Silk Road where former fortresses and Buddhist temples still signal the strategic importance of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the Pamir Highway.

The chance to stay with a host family in Sary Tash is a real highlight of this Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan holiday with visits to the ancient citadel of Osh to watch the traditional ceremonies surrounding Solomon’s Throne bound to stay long in the mind’s eye.

Program Itinerary

Included & excluded, dates & prices, request or book, day 1 – dushanbe – kalaikhumb 360km 7/8hours altitude 1245 mh..

Meeting at your Accommodations and start the tour to Pamir, We set off east towards the Pamirs and Kalaikhumb, driving through beautiful scenery and interesting villages en route. This area is a little more conservative, and we see many men with beards, and women wearing traditional dress. We will cross the Shurabad Pass (2200m high) On the road we will visit to the ancient fortress Hulbuk dated by VIII century recently restored under the decree of the president. The local guide will talk interesting stories about the life in the fortress, shows outlines of the bases of rooms, halls and harems of the local governor’s palace. Arrive to Kalaikhumb in the early evening.

Overnight: in Guest House.      Meals included: (Lunch, Dinner)

Day 2 – Kalaikhumb to Khorog 260 km, 7/8 hours altitude 2131 mh.

From Kalaikhumb we leave for Khorog along river Pianj, border of Afghanistan. We have reached the capital of Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).

Overnight: in Hotel Lal or similar.      Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Khorog town The capital of Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast, Khorog is a small town that at various times has been under the control of the Russia, the Emirate of Bukhara and Afghanistan. The Russians built a fort here in the Soviet era, with Khorog being in a highly strategic location on the border with Afghanistan, but today it languishes and is one of the least developed parts of the country, with the Aga Khan Foundation contributing to the bulk of the local economy. It holds the distinction of being home the second highest botanical garden in the world, at 3900m.

Day 3 – Khorog – Ishkashim (130 km 4/5 hours, altitude 2665mh)

We have a little time to explore Khorog including the bazaar and the lovely Botanical Gardens which are perched high above the town, affording some great panoramic view. About 50kms along the road to our next stop, Ishkashim, we will stop at Garmchasma hot springs for an (optional) dip in the waters. Visit detour to the nearby village of Namadguti to visit the Khahkha Fortress. From here, we enter the Tajik half of the Wakhan Valley (shared with Afghanistan) and pass regional gem mines mentioned by Marco Polo. The most famous mine is Koh-i-Lal ruby mine which is visible from the road. Ishkashim itself the regional centre, but it is essentially still a large village and we stay in Guesthouse in Ishkashim.     Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Wakhan Valley The Wakhan Valley (also pronounced Vakhan) is a majestic alpine valley in the Badakhshan region of Afghanistan and Tajikistan (the “Wakhan Corridor” refers to the part of the valley in Afghanistan). It is located in the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia. Its upper reaches consist of two wide, hilly plains surrounded by alpine peaks, beginning near the Chinese border in one of the most remote regions of the world. Further down, where the Pamir and Wakhan rivers join to form the Pyanj River, the valley narrows, finally becoming a severe canyon with roaring river rapids at its end in Ishkashem. Its muddy rivers are fed by water from huge glaciers on some of the highest mountains on the planet, fantastic views of which are visible throughout the area.

Day 4 – Ishkashim to Langar (110 km 6/7 hours altitude 2882mh)

Driving along the Wakhan valley and visit detour to the nearby village of Namadguti to visit the Khahkha Fortress. This impressive structure rises from a naturally formed platform of rock and dates back to the Kushan era of the 3rd Century. There are a number of these ancient fortresses in the area, and we also visit Yamchun fort, perhaps the most impressive of them. We take a break at the Bibi Fatima hot springs, named for the Prophet Mohammed’s doughter and where local women believe they can increase their fertility. Continuing on we then stop at the 4th Century Buddhist stupas at Vrang, reminders of the ancient pilgrim caravans that passed through the region.

Overnight: homestay.      Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5 – Langar to Murghab (240 km, 6/7 hours altitude 3500mh)

Today we get a chance to explore the amazing landscape of this area. We drive up to Murghab via the Kargushi Pass (4344 meters). On this journey we leave behind the lush valleys of the Wakhan Valley and enter a landscape that is rocky, mostly barren but nevertheless dramatic. This is the Pamir Highway we have anticipated, with the route between Khorog and Osh completed in 1931 across a Tibetan-plateau style high altitude terrain. We leave for Murghab the center of East Pamir. The road up Murghab, however, is spectacular an, passing through again the settlement of Mamazair. This small town bestrides the Murghab at an altitude of 3,500 m. Younghusband visited it in 1890 and wrote “It is a dreary, desolate spot… with a certain amount of grassy pasture and a few scrubby bushes by the river, but surrounded by barren hills, and bitterly cold. How these Russian soldiers can support existence there is a marvel…shut up in dreary quarters, with nothing whatever to do – week after week, month after month passing by in dull monotony….” Over a century later, nothing much has changed. We anticipate arriving in Murghab in evening. Murghab (3670 m) itself has few attractions, but it will serve as our base for a one night as we explore the area a little. The 7546 m – high Chinese peak of Mustag Ata is visible to the northeast of town, 110 km away in a direct line.

Overnight: in Home stay.      Meals included: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6 Murghab via Kara kul to Tulpar Kul (305kms 6/7h)

In the morning we will continue our trip to Osh via Karakul. This drive will see us enjoying some of the most dramatic scenery of the trip, with the lunar-like landscapes and bright blue lakes providing plenty of opportunities to take our breath away. We will again cross a high-altitude pass Ak-Baital Pass (4655 meters) which is the highest section of road in the former Soviet Union. We descend to Karakul Lake, the highest lake in Central Asia, and at 3915 meters, too high to support any aquatic life. Our final Pamir Highway high pass is the Kyzyl Art Pass (4282 metres), which essentially forms the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Border formalities take place shortly after crossing the pass, with 20kms of ‘no man’s land’ to cross. Having crossed to Kyrgyzstan, we will keep our driver – although we are in a different country, the ethnic lines in this region are greatly blurred, and Russian, Tajik, Kyrygz and Uzbek are all spoken with interchangeable ease. We continue our trip driving through Pamir Lay Mountain range and arrive to Tulpar kul nomad village, the village is close to see Lenin Peak (7134m).

Overnight in Yurt Stay       Meals: (1 Breakfast 1 Lunch and Dinner)

Day 7 Tulpar Kul to Osh (255kms 4/5h)

After Sary Tash village we depart the high mountains of the Pamir-Alay range, leaving behind us the crossroads of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. The drive offers a contrast as we encounter lush farmlands and small villages on this side of the mountains, instead of the stark high-altitude plateau we recently crossed in Tajikistan. En route we will cross the Taldyk Pass (3554m) and enjoy some beautiful views. We must travel about 185km from Sary Tash, and depending on road conditions and travel times we expect to arrive in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s oldest city early evening.

Overnight: On your own arrangements       Meals: (1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch)

Osh city Osh is ancient – various sources date it back around 2500 years, and legends abound over who founded it, including Alexander the Great and King Solomon. On the edge of the Ferghana Valley it is home to both Uzbek and Kyrgyz people, with its position on the border giving rise to an extremely lively market, one of the most interesting in Central Asia. The rock known as Solomon’s Throne is an important place of pilgrimage for Muslims, and a 15th century mosque on the top has now been reconstructed, with excellent views of the surrounding countryside.Osh is also home to the largest mosque in Kyrgyzstan, and is one of the few places in the former Soviet Union still to have a statue of Lenin.

END OF THE TOUR SERVICE

From Osh you can continue your trip to explore Kyrgyzstan through Silk Road till Bishkek, and we also can book domestic flight tickets from Osh to Bishkek if required.

Included to tour price:

• All accommodation on twin share basis (Hotel 1, Guest houses 2, home stays 2 and 1 Yurt stay)
• Meals as listed: 6 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 6 Dinners.
• All transfers according the program (price includes driver’s per diem, road and parking fees, all necessary permissions fuel and taxes;) Experienced and basic English speaking drivers, type of cars: (A/C Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus LX470, Mitsubishi Pajero or Nissan Patrol)
• Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary
• Ticket for Tajik National park and permission
• Mineral water (1/2L per day per person)

Excluded to tour price:

• International flights
• Supplement for single room USD 29 per person
• English speaking guide service for whole tour USD 322
• Travel Insurance
• GBAO permit
• Tips and gratuities
• Any personal expenses
•  Important – early arrival is not included.
• Some sightseeing places and excavations might be closed / not possible to visit due to local changes, reconstruction, roads condition, and security reasons. We do not guarantee all advised places will be covered, but we will try to do our best to cover them.
• Pricing is confidential & non commissionable

Price for packege tour per person in USD Pax: 1 —- Booked 2 —- Booked 3 —- Free space per person – 629 USD 4—- Free space per person – 533 USD

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Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan - Epic Tour 2024

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Planning a Pamir Highway Tour: the ultimate guide

A Pamir highway tour is for many a dream come true and a highlight of travel in Tajikistan . It is called the roof of the world and is one of the highest highways in Asia. The M41 runs through spectacular and desolate rugged mountains with deep blue glistening lakes and lunar landscapes.

Depending on one’s perspective it starts in Mazar-I-sharif in Afghanistan or in Termez, Uzbekistan. However, most people start their Pamir highway tour in Dushanbe, Tajikistan while ending in Osh, Kyrgyzstan .

So far it sounds pretty simple, but planning a Pamir highway tour can be a daunting task. There are a lot of tour companies out there selling Pamir highway tours that come with different price tags and a huge variety in quality. Before booking a Pamir highway tour there are a lot of things you should think about.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know when planning your Pamir highway tour so that you come well prepared to this beautiful part of the world.

Do I need a Pamir highway tour?

The first question you might have is whether you need a Pamir highway tour in the first place or whether it is also possible to travel the Pamirs independently.

The pro’s and cons of public transport

If you are on a budget, travelling the Pamir highway on your own is probably the cheapest way. Public transport in Tajikistan and the Pamirs is through an informal system of shared taxi’s that leave once they are full. There is no schedule and cars only operate on demand. There should be at least one car every day between Dushanbe, Khorog, Murgab and Osh. From Khorog there are also shared taxi’s into the Wakhan valley as far as Langar.

So even though it is very well possible to travel independently, traveling by public transport can be a pain in the ass. Quite literally if you end up in an old bumpy soviet car. It can take ages for cars to fill up, you won’t see much and travel times can be excruciatingly long.

You cannot stop along the way for pictures or interesting side trips, instead there will be a lot of unannounced stops. People want to pick up extra luggage, the car might break down, the driver earns some extra money by picking up and delivering parcels, family visits, lunch breaks, toilet stops etc.

In addition, your safety is not the drivers main priority. Earning money it is, so once they are finally on the road they often go as fast as they can.

Conclusion : travelling by public transport is possible, but only for those that have a lot of time on their hand and are on a tight budget.

Good to know : Sundays is the informal day off for drivers and there is much less chance of finding public transport along the Pamir highway.

The pros and cons of Pamir highway tours

Pamir highway tours don’t come cheap, but have a lot of advantages over traveling by public transport. If there is one place on earth where it is worth paying extra for a tour it is the Pamir highway.

You have group tours or tour companies that work with you to establish your Pamir highway itinerary and through which you can then rent a 4 by 4 with a driver . The latter is the best option in my opinion, because it gives you the biggest flexibility and the opportunity to see as much as possible.

My biggest reason for opting to book a Pamir highway tour was first of all safety. The profesional tour agencies have a reputation to uphold and they make sure their cars are well maintained, have spare wheels and drivers are somewhat trained in dealing with tricky situations on the road.

In my situation it paid itself off when I got severe altitude sickness at lake Karakul. Not only did my driver brought me to the local health clinic, but also followed the doctors advice to go down immediately even though it was already late in the afternoon.

The second reason is that a Pamir highway tour is a once in a lifetime trip and you actually want to see something rather than being stuck behind a dirty window. Furthermore, there are a lot of interesting sidetrips you can make to local shrines, lakes, observatories and petroglyphs that are impossible with public transport.

Conclusion : Renting a 4 by 4 with a driver through a proffesional tour agency is the best and safest way to travel the Pamir highway. This way you will get the most out of your trip and you are able to make some nice sidetrips as well.

Alternative ways to travel the Pamir highway

Cycling : Cycling the Pamir highway is quite popular and in summer you will likely meet fellow cyclists along the route. Here are 9 great tips for those considering to cycle the pamir highway .

Hitchhiking : Another option to save money is hitchhiking, but it is not one that I would recommend as you might get stuck for some time or get into awkward situations.

Hitchhiking is actually quite common in Tajikistan, but not for free and a small payment is expected. Locals know that some foreigners don’t pay, so they have become reluctant in picking up backpackers. On the other hand there are stories of locals that made use of the desperate situation hitchhikers found themselves in and asked exorbitant prices.

Considering the cost of renting a 4 by 4, other tourist jeeps and their drivers, might also not be very happy to give away rides for free, even if they have a spare seat.

Remember that Tajikistan is one of the poorest countries in this region and that unemployment in the Pamirs is high. Tourism or using their car as a shared taxi are one of the few possibilities for people to earn a living.

Don’t be a begpacker and pay a fair amount for your transport. I will talk more about costs later in this post, but if you want to hitchhike, plan to pay the same amount as what a shared taxi would have costed you.

The Pamir Highway Route

When people talk about the Pamir highway they can mean different things. I already explained that people disagree where it starts and there are many detours that you can take.

The official Pamir highway refers to the M41 highway that runs from Dushanbe to Khorog to Murgab to Osh . This would be the quickest and cheapest route, but not necessarily the best as there is so much more to see and do in the Pamirs .

For a one week itinerary I can recommend my detailed post with my Pamir highway itinerary . Below I will give an overview of places to visit on your Pamir highway tour.

Bartang & Jizeu valley

Coming from Dushanbe one of the first sidetrips you can make from the town of Rushan is into the Bartang valley for the Jizeu village trek .

Rushan lies mid way between Qalai-kumb and Khorog. From Rushan rather than following the road to Khorog you take the road along the Bartang river. The Bartang highway is about 400 kilometer and eventually reconnects with the M41 near Karakul.

Highlights include the Jizeu trek and homestays in the villages along the valley. Gudara is the last village in the Bartang valley. After that the road is often closed for 4 by 4 vehicles due to landslides or snow. Most people return to Rushan to continue their journey to Khorog.

Khorog is one of the biggest towns on the Pamir highway and not a bad place to stay a couple of days. While in most towns there is nothing else than basic homestays, Khorog offers a good choice of accomodation that is relatively comfortable.

In Khorog you can even get your fast food fix at Mac Dolands (not a typing misstake) or find good Indian food at Delhi Darbar restaurant. Other highlights include a botanical garden and the new Ismaili center with its beautiful architecture. Also check if the Afghan border market is running when you are there on a Saturday.

The PECTA office aims to promote community tourism initiatives and is very helpful in giving advice about your travel ideas in the Pamirs.

Wakhan valley

One of the most popular sidetrips on a Pamir highway tour is the lush and green Wakhan valley with its hot springs and ancient fortresses along the border with Afghanistan.

The Wakhan valley is home to the Ismaili muslims. A rather liberal branch of Shia Islam that has their own unique traditions. Central in their belief is the religious leader Aga Khan whose Aga Khan Development Organization has done a lot for the development in the Pamirs.

From Khorog the route goes south to Ishkashim famous for its Afghan border market and Ismaili centre then continues to Yamchun fort and Langar . After Langar you need to cross the Kargush pass at 4344 meter to reconnect with the M41 near Alichur.

Bulunkul and Yasilkul lakes

Bulunkul is a small detour from the M41. This small village is one of the coldest places in central Asia and is also the gateway to two beautiful mountain lakes. Bulunkul famous for its fish and Yasilkul lake.

I was there in April when both lakes were still solid frozen. A wonderful sight and certainly worth the detour. Bulunkul is only 16 kilometer from the M41.

Sidetrips from Murgab

Murgab is a typical high altitude town with a large Kyrgyz community and a sea container market. The town itself is not very appealing, but the lunar landscapes surrounding it are spectacular and there are several sidetrips you can make. Therefore Murgab makes a good stop for a couple of days.

First of all there is Rangkul lake . With many tour agencies you can book a camel or yak trek. Other sidetrips include the abandoned Shorbulak Soviet observatory , the Shakty neolithic cave paintings or treks into the Pshart and Madiyan valley .

Karakul lake

At almost 4000 meters high, Karakul lake is one of the highest lakes in the world. It was formed by an impact crater millions of years ago. In summer, the lake has a deep blue colour and in winter it is solid frozen. It is a great farewell of Tajikistan before crossing the border to Kyrgyzstan.

Sary mogul and Tulpar lake

Our Pamir highway tour with visit Alay included a sidetrip to the small village of Sary Mogul from where we could visit Tulpar lake and hike to Lenin Peak base camp. Unfortunately in early May there was still too much snow so we only made it as far as Tulpar lake, but the views were spectacular.

After Karakul most people head straight to Osh in Kyrgyzstan, but a visit to the Alay valley and the village of Sary Mogol is definetly worth your time.

Pamir Highway Tour Travel Tips

Which direction.

You might ask yourself, if it is better to travel from Osh to Dushanbe or Dushanbe to Osh. Both are possible in theory and the views are equally spectacular, but altitude sickness can be a real problem. For acclimatization purposes it is much better to travel from Dushanbe to Osh to prevent the quick rise in altitude if you travel from Osh to Murgab.

Conclusion : Before booking your Pamir highway tour make sure you know what you want to see. I can definetly recommend to take the Wakhan valley route and the small detour to the Bulunkul and Yasilkul lakes. Depending on how much time you have you can add other sidetrips to your Pamir highway tour as well.

How much time?

How much time you need for your Pamir highway tour is a difficult question to answer. With so much things to see and do you could spend weeks in the Pamirs.

In theory you could finish your Pamir highway tour in 3 days traveling straight from Dushanbe to Khorog, Khorog to Murgab and Murgab to Osh. This won’t be much fun though with three long and tiresome travel days where you only get to see a tip of the iceberg.

Travel times with a 4 by 4: Dushanbe to Khorog:  14 – 16 hours Khorog to Murgab:      8 – 10 hours Murgab to Osh:            9 – 11 hours Khorog to Ishkasim:    3 – 4 hours Ishkasim to Langar:    3 – 4 hours Langar to Alichur:       7 – 8 hours

A week will make your schedule much more comfortable also allowing for the Wakhan valley route. If you are renting a 4 by 4 with driver the longer you go the more expensive it will be, so in the end you will need to make a balance of how much time you have and what your budget allows.

My budget allowed for a one week Pamir highway itinerary. It was a good compromise, but sometimes I wished I could have stayed longer to spend some more time in the places along the way.

If you want to include the Bartang valley or make day excursions from Khorog and Murgab you will definetly need more than a week.

Pamir highway tour costs

The cost of a Pamir highway tour was my biggest concern when planning my trip to Tajikistan. On the internet you sometimes see exorbitant prices.

After some research I figured out that for renting a 4 by 4 with a driver it is fair to pay 0.85 – 1.10 USD per kilometer which comes between 175 and 220 USD per day. If you can share this between 4 people it comes to 50 – 60 dollar per day per person.

It’s good to keep this as a rough guideline in mind when looking to rent a car with a driver. This is excluding costs for food and accomodation. Some companies might ask more, some slightly less. Always check what is included in the price and what not.

Food and accomodation is pretty cheap along the Pamir highway. A basic homestay costs between $10 and $15 dollar per night per person including breakfast and dinner.

Travel costs by shared taxi: Dushanbe to Khorog:  300 – 350 somoni Khorog to Murgab:      150 – 200 somoni Murgab to Osh:            150 – 200 somoni Khorog to Ishkasim:    50 somoni Ishkasim to Langar:    60 somoni

Good to know : There are no ATM’s, so bring enough cash with you in both US dollars and Tajik Somoni. Most guesthouses and restaurants accept both, although some do insist on either dollars or somoni.

Should I book my Pamir highway tour beforehand?

No, it’s not necessary to book a Pamir highway tour before you go. It’s still possible to book it when you are in Dushanbe or Osh.

That said, there are only a number of well trained english speaking drivers that are often fully booked by the renowned tour agencies in summer. Arranging your Pamir highway tour might take some time and if you book it last minute, it might be more difficult to meet other people to share the costs with.

Finding people to share a ride with on the Pamir highway is relatively easy through the Caravanistan ride sharing forum . Sometimes the tour agencies also help in pairing up travellers.

Where to book a Pamir highway tour?

There are a lot of agencies out there selling Pamir highway tours. I booked my journey through Visit Alay and I was very happy with their communication and proffesional services. I had an excellent driver and good car and they also helped me to find other travellers to share the cost with.

Based on my personal experience I can definetly recommend Visit Alay for your Pamir highway tour. Other agencies that I don’t have experience with, but have good reviews include Roof of the World travel and Pamir highway Adventure .

Visas and Permits for a Pamir highway tour

Everyone that is going on a Pamir highway tour needs a Tajik visa and a GBAO permit . Most nationalities can apply online for the Tajik e-visa . It is a quick and easy process in which you can at the same time request the GBAO permit.

The evisa is single entry and valid for 45 days. If you need a double entry (in case you like to make a sidetrip to the Afghan Wakhan valley) or need more than 45 days, you need to get a visa at a Tajik embassy.

Checkpoints on the Pamir highway

The Pamirs lie in the Gorno Badakshan Autonomous region and a part of the road also goes along the Panj river that at the same time forms the border with Afghanistan.

Once you enter the Gorno Badakhan region you will come across several checkpoints where you have to show your passport and your visa with the GBAO permit. This is nothing to worry about and the police officers were quite friendly, if not a bit flirty towards female travellers.

Money matters in the Pamir highway

With the exception of Khorog there are no ATM’s on the Pamir highway and even the one in Khorog is not very reliable. Make sure you bring enough cash in US dollars and Tajik somoni. Theft on the Pamir highway is not unheard of, so keep it safe in a money belt under your clothes.

Electricity and charging

In most homestays you can charge your batteries over night. However, some don’t have electricity and power cuts are common. Make sure you have spare batteries. A power bank or solar charger might also be useful.

Internet and communication

Outside of Khorog and Murgab, wifi is a rare thing in the Pamirs. Your best bet is to have your own local sim card with data, but as a foreigner it is not easy to obtain them. On top of that, even with a local sim card the internet can be frustratingly slow.

Hostels in Dushanbe can sometimes help out in getting your sim card. Megafon and T cell work best in the Pamirs.

Accomodation on the Pamir highway

There is no need to book your accomodation in advance. Most villages and towns have several homestays and guesthouses that cater to tourists. Homestays are the norm and are a great way to learn more about the local culture.

The prices vary between $10 to $15 dollar a night per person including dinner and breakfast. Don’t expect any luxury on your Pamir highway tour. With the exception of Khorog, things are very basic. A typical Tajik home has a room with matresses and blankets on the floor while sometimes there are actual beds.

I travelled off season and therefore it was relatively quiet. I always got a room for myself, but in high season when it gets more busy you might have to share the room with other travellers.

In almost all of the guesthouses there was some kind of bathroom with the exception of Alichur and Karakul. Toilets are of the squat variety. Often outside, so bring a torch.

Food on the Pamir highway

Before I went, I thought it might be difficult to find enough restaurants on the Pamir highway. Things weren’t that bad in the end, because our driver knew exactly where to go for lunch. The fact that our driver loved good food really came in handy. But then, nobody comes to the Pamir highway for its cuisine.

Tajik food can be a bit bland and greasy. Expect to eat a lot of plov (rice with carrots and chunks of meat), laghman (noodle soup with vegetables and sometimes meat) or dimlama (potatoe vegetable stew). Potatoes are also quite common and can be served for both breakfast (often fried) or dinner (boiled with meat).

Plov, laghman and dimlama are actually foreign foods to the Pamirs. They hold a high prestige and locals think this is what tourists prefer to eat. Nowadays traditional Pamiri food is hard to get by.

If you are really interested in Pamiri food I can recommend the book With our own hands . The authors have done an amazing job watching and documenting the culture and recipies of Pamiri cuisine. Some highlights that you might be able to find if you are lucky include osh (noodle soup), guzkharvo (walnut soup) and noshkhukpa (dried apricot soup).

Pamiri Hospitality

Part of what makes travelling in Central Asia so special are the people. Together with Iran they are among the friendliest people I have met on my travels. An invitation to someone’s home for a cup of tea is never far away, especially if you travel alone or if you are cycling the Pamir highway.

Pamirs hospitality is famous, but realize that giving you free rides or free food comes at a high cost for your host. Life is expensive in the remote Pamirs. Most items had to travel a long way to get there and food security is definetly an issue.

Don’t be a begpacker and discreetly leave some money that is equal to what you would pay in a regular homestay or restaurant, even if your hosts tell you it is free. For a meal that would be between 20 – 40 somoni per person. Either give it to the female head of the family or leave it under your plate.

Cultures and languages in the Pamirs

The Pamirs only hold 3% of Tajikistans population, but is very multicultural. The Pamiris are often described as an Iranian ethnic group speaking Pamiri languages. However, in reality there is no such thing as the Pamiri people.

In fact, there is a number of different communities each with their own culture, traditions and languages. Although Tajik is widely understood, most ethnic groups speak their own language. There is Shughni, Rushani, Wakhi, Bartangi, Yazgulyani, Khufi and Ishkashimi. In the Eastern Pamir there is also a large community of Kyrgyz people speaking Kyrgyz.

Most people practice Sunni Islam, but in the Wakhan valley you will find the Ismaili , a liberal branch of Shia islam. It’s leader is the Aga Khan whose Aga Khan Development Network has done a lot for the development in the Pamirs.

Tajik and Kyrgyz time

In the Eastern Pamirs from Alichur onwards there is a large Kyrgyz community. Therefore the Murghab district operates on Kyrgyz time, that is 1 hour ahead of Tajik time. If agreeing on a time with your driver, make sure you are both using the same time zone.

Where to stay on a Pamir highway tour

There is no need to book your accomodation in advance and few homestays have a presence online. Most of the time you are fine in just showing up. However, if you do prefer to arrange your accomodation beforehand a handful of guesthouses can now be booked online.

Dushanbe : Dushanbe has a good choice of excellent hostels like the Pamir hotel hostel , Hello Dushanbe hostel , Yellow hostel Dushanbe & City hostel Dushanbe

Khorog: In Khorog you will have a decent choice of options. The Pamir lodge is the most popular among backpackers and a great place to meet other travellers, but it is often full during high season. Other options for budget travellers is Zarya hotel .

Sary Tash : When coming from Tajikistan Sary Tash will be your first stop in Kyrgyzstan and you will receive a warm welcome at Pamir extreme

Sary Mogol : When going to Tulpar lake and Lenin peak base camp you can base yourself at Tilek guesthouse

Osh : my personal recommendation is Guesthouse VIP . Other budget options are Park hostel Osh and Hostel Inn Osh

When to go on a Pamir highway tour

Summer : The best time to visit the Pamir highway is in summer from June till September when the weather is most stable with clear blue skies and relatively warm temperatures. Do keep in mind that even in summer, temperatures can still fall below zero at night when you are at the higher altitudes.

Autumn : Autumn is when the Pamirs are at its most beautiful. The poplar trees turn yellow and in the villages people are busy with the harvest season. But Autumn is short in the Pamirs. From October onwards temperatures get more cold and the chances of snow are increasing.

Winter : In winter the Pamir highway is very cold with temperatures far below zero and there will be lots of snow. The M41 stays open all year round, but it will be though and most homestays are closed.

Spring : Things start to open up in spring when the snow melts and Nowruz is celebrated. At the one hand its beautiful with the fruit orchards in bloom, but this is also one of the wettest times of the year. April and May are transition months and high altitude treks are still out of bounds. Furthermore there is a risk of avalanches and rock falls.

Safety on the Pamir highway

Danghara attack.

When talking about safety on the Pamir highway it is difficult not to mention the Danghara attack in July 2018 when 4 cyclists were killed by armed men that pledged allegiance to IS.

So far this seems to be an isolated incident that was condemned by most people in Tajikistan as you can read in the sober memorial on the road. Wherever I met I was greeted with smiles and friendlinnes and nowhere did I feel any hostility towards foreigners.

Ironically when I was travelling in central Asia an attack happened near my hometown in Utrecht where a terrorist killed three people in a tram. It shows these kind of events can happen anywhere.

Regarding your safety on a Pamir highway tour, your chances of becoming the victim of crime or terrorism are still extremely low. It is your health, and in particular altitude sickness, that is a much bigger concern.

Sanitary conditions on the Pamir highway are very basic and hygiene standards pretty low. Furthermore, health facilities are far in between and only provide very rudimentary health care. There are small hospitals in Khorog and Murghab, but for anything serious you might need to go to Dushanbe or Osh.

Diarrhoea is probably the most common health issue among travellers on a Pamir highway tour. Many people struggle with the food that is quite heavy in fat. Bring a water filter with you and a hand sanitizer to minimize the risk of bacterial diarrhoea.

Also be aware that at higher altitudes the sun is much stronger and you can get sunburn more easily. Bring enough sunscreen with factor 30 or higher. Also bring sunglasses and a sunhat for adequate protection.

At last, if you are prone to motion sickness make sure you bring your preferred medication with you.

Altitude sickness

The biggest threat to your health on a pamir highway tour is altitude sickness . It can affect anyone no matter how fit someone is. It starts to become a concern at 2700 meters and above. The higher you go, the higher the risk,

The key is to go up slowly. The general rule of thumb is that, once you are above 2700 meters, you should not ascend more than 300 meters per day. During the day you could go a bit higher and it is even adviced to do so as long as you sleep at no more than 300 meters higher as the previous day.

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to follow this advice on a Pamir highway tour. To reach the high plateau of the Eastern Pamirs it is inevitable to go much higher than the guidelines recommend.

Symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) include headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue, problems sleeping, shortness of breath and simply feeling miserable. If left untreated it can progress into the life threatening conditions of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).

When at higher altitudes make sure you drink enough water. At least 3 to 4 liters per day. Local remedies include dried fruits with a bit of sugar and kurut (dried yoghurt balls). You might consider taking diamox , a medicine that will help you acclimatize.

Once you have severe symptoms the only thing that helps is to go down again to a lower altitude.

Altitudes on the Pamir highway: Dushanbe :            710 meters Khorog :               2123 meters Ishkashim:          2600 meters Langar:                2909 meters Kargush pass:      4344 meters Alichur:               3991 meters Murghab:             3618 meters Ak Baital pass:    4655 meters Karakul:               3960 meters Kyzylart pass:      4280 meters Sarytash:              3170 meters Osh:                       960 meters

What to bring on a Pamir highway tour

Enough money : There are no reliable ATM’s on the Pamir highway. Bring enough US dollars and Tajik somoni with you. Most guesthouses and restaurants accept both, although some do insist on either dollars or somoni. Also bring a money belt to safely store your money. Theft along the Pamir highway is not unheard of.

Sunscreen and Sunglasses : The sun is very strong at higher altitudes. Bring enough sunscreen with you with at least factor 30.

First aid kit : It is very important to bring your own first aid kit with you including your preferred medicines against diarrhoea and motion sickness. Also consider to bring diamox (altitude sickness), ciprofloxacine (a general antibiotic), aspirin and ibuprofen.

Water filter or water purification tablets : To prevent diarrhoea and plastic waste bring your own bottle with a water filter or water purification tablets. It’s important to drink enough fluids at higher altitudes.

Power bank and or solar charger : you might not get the chance to charge your electronics every night. Not every homestay has electricity and power cuts are common. Bring enough spare batteries, an extra power bank and or a solar charger. At high altitudes batteries also drain much faster due to the colder temperatures.

Torch : very useful for when you have to go to the toilet at night. Often it is outside and at night it is pitch dark.

Toilet paper and wet wipes : There is often no toilet paper so bring some with you. Wet wipes come in handy in all kind of situations for example when the bathroom facilities are non existent.

Hand sanitizer : you can’t control the hygiene standards in your homestays, but you can control your own. There isn’t always clean water and soap available to wash your hands so bring a hand sanitizer.

Warm clothes and sturdy shoes : Even in summer it can get very cold at the Pamir highway. Bring enough warm clothes and sturdy shoes for day hikes.

Gifts : bring some small gifts from home such as postcards or keychains to give to your hosts in your homestay or if you are invited over for tea.

Sustainable Travel on the Pamir Highway

The Pamir highway is one of the most scenic routes, but it runs through a remote and fragile ecosystem. While Tourism is a welcome source of income it can also have negative consequences. Traveling sustainably on the Pamir highway, involves conscious choices that minimize your environmental impact and support the local community.

Support the local community : You can support the community by purchasing goods and services from local vendors, artisans, and restaurants. It is better to stick to Central Asian cuisine that uses local ingredients rather than imported foreign foods.

Stay in small scale sustainable hotels : It is also better to stay in locally-owned guesthouses or homestays to support the local economy directly. These accommodations often have a more positive impact on the environment compared to large hotels. Where possible, I can recommend staying in a homestay for an authentic cultural experience. You might want to bring a small book with pictures of your family to break the ice.

You can try to look for guesthouses or homestays that prioritizes sustainable practices. That said, environmental awareness is still low. It’s up to you to be mindful of water and energy conservation. Water can be scarce in some areas along the Pamir Highway so it is important to avoid wasting water.

Leave no trace principle : The Pamir highway is famous for its natural beauty and mountains. When hiking, stick to designated trails when they are there, avoid disturbing wildlife or picking plants, and leave no trace of your presence. Ensure you take all your trash back with you and dispose of it responsibly.

To avoid single-use plastics, invest in reusable items. For example, you can bring your own water bottle with a filter that you can refill at your accomodation. At last, use biodegradable and eco-friendly personal care products to minimize pollution of water sources.

Respect the culture: Besides environmental concerns it is also important to respect the culture. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are Islamic countries that are just opening up to tourism. Therefore, learn about the local customs and traditions beforehand and be mindful of your behavior.

People will appreciate it, if you dress modestly, especially at religious sites. Learning a few basic phrases in Tajik, Kyrgyz or Russian, can go a long way in building meaningful connections and to learn more about the local culture. Not everybody is happy to have their picture taken. When in doubt, ask permission.

Books about the Pamir Highway

Lonely Planet Central Asia : The Lonely planet about Central Asia has lots of practical information about travelling in Tajikistan including the Pamir highway

Bradt Guide Tajikistan : The Bradt guide is superior to the Lonely planet if it comes to background information. The Bradt guide has elaborate sections on culture, languages and wildlife in the Pamirs

Trekking in Tajikistan : If you plan to do treks on your Pamir highway tour this is the best guide book available. Written by Jan Bakker and Christine Oriol.

With our own hands : With our own hands is a beautiful book to have at home with everything about Pamiri food culture. Frederik van Ouwenhoven and Jamila Haider have done a great job in documenting tradition Pamiri food recipies.

Eastern Tajikistan : This book from Matt Traver with a visual exploration of life in the Pamirs has beautiful pictures of a Kyrgyz shepherd family around Murghab.

Peoples & Landscapes Tajikistan : This book from Nicolas Pernot is one of the best photography books depicting the people and landscapes of Tajikistan including the Pamirs.

For more information about Backpacking in Tajikistan I can recommend my practical travel guide about travel in Tajikistan , my post on the best things to do in Tajikistan and my 3 week Tajikistan itinerary .

Disclaimer : This travel guide about everything you need to know when planning your pamir highway tour contains affiliate links. If you buy any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! Thanks for your support!

16 thoughts on “Planning a Pamir Highway Tour: the ultimate guide”

This feels like a really different adventure to some of your others. It makes for a fascinating read. You are really teaching me about places I have never heard of. I am happy to be seeing these places through your footsteps. kx

Hi Ellis, you always make such amazing trips, you keep me impressed!

Hi Ellis Many Thanx for this article. I’m at the stage of planning my trip via the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Kyrgizstan and it’s so helpful to plan the Pamir Highway trip with all your tips and information you shared. To say thank you, we gonna make arrangements and bookings via side links you included.

Thank a million, Jola

This is such a bucket list trip! Thanks for the great guide Ellis.

This is so helpful in planning my trip.Can you pls let me know which agency you booked for one week pamir highway trip??

I used visit Alay. They were very helpful and can certainly recommend them.

Hi! I have been watching overlanders on youtube now for a year. I will be driving from Oslo, Ulaanbaatar, Pamir Highway and down to Iran and back up through Europe this coming summer, and your blogs that I found this Christmas, are the ones that are the most helpful of them all.

Thank you sharing with your experience. Last year I visited with my friend to Pamir Highway. We started from Dushanbe to Osh via Wakhan corridor. It was taken 10 days. In this destination phone connection terrible, offroad. We contacted with local companies which is called Pegas Adventure. Booked tour package includes all services, transportation 4×4, accommodation, meals, GBAO permits, tickets etc. Everything organized professionally. Highly recommend

Salut Thank you sharing with your experience. I would like to know which options better. Renting car, car with driver or book tour? Because renting car its per day about 100$ . Its out of our budget, and also asked car with driver in Pegas Adventure tour operator, company suggests us car with driver and cheap tours. We’re 2 people and It cost per day 60$ per person (This is 4×4 car with driver). How do you think, which options is better?

Personally I would recommend a car with driver because of the state of the road and safety. I have no experience with Pegasus Adventures but its best to compare the prices from several tour companies anmd make sure to know what is and what is not included in the price.

Hi Alex My opinion take car with English speaking driver, we booked it with Pegas Adventure last year, our driver was very kind and on the way he tell us about histories, culture etc. The car also was 4×4 comfortable with AC and clean inside. I recommend to start from Dushanbe to Osh via Wakhan corridor 7-8 days. Everyday about 5 hours driving. I think june-september best time to visit

Hello! I am a local guide from Bartang valley of Pamir, Tajikistan and I have been guiding tourists since 2010. Tourism helped to develop the remote areas of the region a lot and now some people have built their “mimonkhona”, i.e. guesthouse, while many others have no money to build a house and start their lodging business. So it would be nice if You visit those families that are poor, which will help them to earn some money and start their own guesthouse business, I have created my website, where I want to put the guesthouses, guides, local drivers, tours, and even news about Pamir and Pamir tourism. My intention is to help the local community get involved in tourism and benefit from it, which is the only income among the Pamir mountains.

And thank you for your visiting Pamir! Remember that by visiting Pamir you are helping them in an indirect way! Welcome to Pamir!

Hello! I am a local guide from Bartang valley of Pamir, Tajikistan and I have been guiding tourists since 2010. Tourism helped to develop the remote areas of the region a lot and now some people have built their “mimonkhona”, i.e. guesthouse, while many others have no money to build a house and start their lodging business. So it would be nice if You visit those families that are poor, which will help them to earn some money and start their own guesthouse business, I have created my website – https://discoverthepamirs.com/en/ , where I want to put the guesthouses, guides, local drivers, tours, and even news about Pamir and Pamir tourism. My intention is to help the local community get involved in tourism and benefit from it, which is the only income among the Pamir mountains. And thank you for your visiting Pamir! Remember that by visiting Pamir you are helping them in an indirect way! Welcome to Pamir!

Would mid-April be an OK time to visit the Pamir Hwy? I understand that it will be cold and some trekking not possible, but it seems the only time I could do this.

I actually went at the end of April. Weather is a bit unpredictable at that time. We only had one day of rain though and I thought it was a good time to go. It is not yet that crowded and winter is definetly behind you. Yes, it can still be cold, especially as soon as the sun is down. So make sure you bring some warm clothes and enjoy.

Hi, how to check the opening status of Pamir highway after anow is over. Does it open by the first week of May, specially the high passes like Ak baital

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16-day Highlights of Tajikistan ADVENTURE Tour to the Pamir Highway and Fann Mountains

Explore the highlights of Tajikistan with a small group during this unique 16-day Tajikistan Tour Adventure: drive over the stunning high landscapes of the Pamir Highway , stay with local people and experience the culture in the Jisue and Wakhan Valleys , hike to various alpine lakes in the scenic Pamir Mountains and join a 3-day trek in the stunning Fann Mountains !

If you’re from Belgium or the Netherlands, you can read the description in Dutch .

16-DAY HIGHLIGHTS OF TAJIKISTAN ADVENTURE TOUR DATES 2024:

June 2nd – June 17th, 2024 (bookings closed)

July 2nd – July 17th, 2024 (3 places left)

August 2nd – August 17th, 2024 (4 places left)

September 2nd – September 17th, 2024 (11 places left)

Price : €2450   per person*

* depending on group size, see tour costs below for more info

What to expect on the Highlights of Tajikistan Adventure Tour

The Highlights of Tajikistan Tour is an active adventure tour and offers the ideal combination to explore the culture and nature of this – currently still untouched – Central Asian country. This tour is for you if:

• you’re an active person who  loves spending time in nature  and don’t mind  roughing it a bit  (= camping, sleeping on mattresses on the floor in shared spaces in homestays, using outdoor toilets, not having a hot shower for a few days in a row and being disconnected from the internet for a whole week)
• you love trekking and you’re in  good physical shape  to go  hiking   at high altitudes
• you don’t mind  long – but very scenic! – driving days  as it’s the only way to get across the Pamir Highway
• you are  open-minded and comfortable with unexpected events  that an adventure trip might bring

Together with a small group, you’ll travel to remote mountainous destinations in Tajikistan that are otherwise hard to reach without an experienced local guide. The driving days on the Pamir Highway are interspersed with day hikes to stunning mountain lakes and remote areas that barely gets visited by travelers.

The tour starts in Osh , the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan and once an important trading center along the Silk Road. The Pamir Highway begins (or ends, depending on how you travel) near Osh. We decided to start the tour here so you can get some altitude adjustment before heading towards the highest parts of the world’s second highest paved road in the world!

We start with the trip by traveling to Sary Mogul , a village located at 3000m , and a hike to Traveler’s Pass (4150m) where you get treated to scenic views of the magnificent Lenin Peak. Along the way, you pass Lenin Peak Basecamp where you’ll meet mountaineers in their attempt this second-highest mountain of Central Asia (7135m). This hike offers an ideal altitude acclimatization and introduction to the beauty of the Pamir Mountains.

After spending 3 days in the south of Kyrgyzstan, we cross the land border with Tajikistan and properly start the road trip on the Pamir Highway !

While the driving days are very scenic, I also want you to really get a feel of the daily life in the remote villages and experience the beauty of the Pamir Mountains.

T he driving days are therefore alternated by day hikes to some incredibly beautiful places that are hard (and sometimes almost impossible) to reach if you’d be traveling independently: Ortoboz Pass, Panorama Ridge, Engel’s Peak in the Whakhan Valley and the remote Jizeu villages in the Jizeu Valley .

After we finish the Pamir Highway Adventure, this tour isn’t finished as I’ve added another higlight for you: a 3-day trek in the untouched and incredibly beautiful Fann Mountains ! This mountain range with its crystal-clear alpine lakes and snow-capped mountains are truly one of the most incredible mountain ranges I’ve ever been to!

The 16-day Highlights of Tajikistan Adventure Tour is not your typical (group) tour .

I traveled for the first time to Tajikistan in 2019 and I right away fell in love with the beauty of this untouched Central Asian country and its peope. I immediately knew I wanted to explore more of this country and offer travelers with a similar mind-set like mine the same experience: to truly feel the untouched, raw and soul-filling nature and encounters.

It’s been my dream since then to organize a tour like this one but due to circumstances and safety-issues, I had to postpone it for several years and this is the first year I can open up this tour. In case you’re worried about safety, it’s now safe to travel to the areas in the itinerary (I wouldn’t otherwise offer this tour, see the FAQ’s below).

With the help of my friend and local partner Aziret from Visit Alay , a community-based travel agency based in Osh that helps with the development of sustainable tourism and supports the local communities in remote areas in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, I can finally make this dream come true!

We designed this tour based on my personal highlights and preferences and we work together with experienced local drivers, guides and small family-run businesses in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to support its local economy.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

• 14-day Highlights of Kyrgyzstan Adventure Tour
• 14-day Highlights of Uzbekistan Adventure Tour
• 15-day Highlights of Georgia Adventure Tour
• 10-day Best of Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Adventure Tour

☛ Are you looking for a private guided tour with your partner, family and/or friends?

Have a look at my tour & itinerary planning services

What travelers say about my adventure tours in central asia.

Aziret and I recently developed this trip so the 16-day Highlights of Tajikistan Tour is a first edition! You’d be the first to join this trip, making it an extra special experience! Below you can read what travelers say about my other tours in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan)!

Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive more info about my upcoming tours!

Tajikistan Tour Overview

June 2nd – June 17th, 2024

July 2nd – July 17th, 2024

August 2nd – August 17th, 2024

September 2nd – September 17th, 2024

All tours will be guided by an experienced English-speaking local guide from Visit Alay .

• Start: Osh, Kyrgyzstan
• F inish: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• Maximum group size: 11 people
• T ransport: 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers with experienced drivers
• Housing & lodging: hotel, guesthouses, homestays, tents
• Who can join : The 16-day Highlights of Tajikistan Adventure Tour is suitable for  active, adventurous and physically fit  travelers aged 18 and above. This trip is perfect for you if:
• you’re an active outdoorsy person and you don’t mind not being able to take a hot shower sometimes and being disconnected from the internet for a while
• you are physically fit and can ascend steep hills of maximum 1000m in one day, hike across rough mountainous terrain and at high altitudes from 3000 to 5000m. The maximum hiking distance in one day is 22km. We strongly recommend you do endurance training in advance!
• you enjoy traveling in a small group and don’t mind sharing a room with 3 to 4 people from the group at the homestays
• you don’t mind long – but very scenic! – driving days (it’s the only way to get from one remote place to the other)

The average age of the travelers who usually join my adventure tours is between 20 and 60 years. The participants are usually solo travelers, friends, and couples. Families are also welcome provided that the children are at least 14 years old, are physically very fit and have hiking experience.

16-Day Tour Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in Osh, Kyrgyzstan
• Day 2: Osh – hike to Izumrudnoe Lake – Sary Mogul Village
• Day 3: Sary Mogul Village – Tulpar Kol Lake; day hike to Traveler’s Pass (20km)
• Day 4: Tulpar Kol Lake – border crossing – Karakul Lake
• Day 5: Karakul Lake – hike to Ortoboz Pass (11km) – Murghab
• Day 6: Murghab – Bulungkul & Yashilkul lakes – hike to Panorama Ridge (5km) – Langar (Wakhan Valley)
• Day 7: Day hike to Engel’s Peak (20km) in Wakhan Valley
• Day 8: Langar – Ishkashim Village – Khorog
• Day 9: Khorog – Jizeu Valley – hike to Jizeu Village (7km)
• Day 10: Jizeu Valley – Kalaikhum

Day 11: Kalaikhum – Dushanbe

• Day 12: Dushanbe – Iskanderkul Lake – Artuch (Fann Mountains)
• Day 13: Trek Artuch – Kulikalon Lakes – Bibijannat Lake (10km)
• Day 14: Trek Bibijannat Lake – Alaudin Pass – Alaudin Lake (8km)
• Day 15 : Trek Alaudin Lake – Mutnye Lake (14km) – Dushanbe

Day 16: Departure from Dushanbe

Day 1: arrival in osh.

Welcome to Osh , Kyrgyzstan! Our driver will meet you upon your arrival at the International Airport in Osh and transfer you to the hotel (check-in available from 1pm).

The Highlights of Tajikistan Tour officially begins at 2 pm . A local guide will welcome you and the group at the hotel to take you on a guided tour around Osh during which you’ll visit the market and the Sulaiman Mountain.

After the city tour, your tour guide will meet you and the group in the early evening for a briefing and a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals included: Dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in hotel. Facilities: Wi-Fi, electricity, hot shower

Day 2: OSH – Izumrudnoe Lake (hike) – SARY Mogul Village

Driving time: 5 hours Hiking time: 4 hours

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we pack our belongings in the 4×4 jeeps and start our adventure! We leave Osh and are soon already driving on the Pamir Highway towards the village of Sary Mogul. Enjoy the ride as the drive is already very scenic!

Halfway the drive, we stop for a hike to the beautiful Izumrudnoe lake . We’ll have a picnic at the lake and hike back to the car and continue the drive to Sary Mogul.

We arrive at Sary Mogul Village ( 3000m ) in the early evening and enjoy the incredible views of the +7000-meter high snow-capped Pamir Mountains in the distance. We settle into the family-run guesthouse and enjoy a homemade dinner.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse. Facilities: Wi-Fi, electricity, hot shower .

Day 3: SARY-MOGUL VILLAGE – TULPAR-KUL – day Hike to PEAK LENIN BASECAMP and TRAVELLER’S PASS

Driving time: 1 hour Hiking distance : 20km Hiking time: 6 hours Ascent: +760m Descent: -760m

After breakfast at the guesthouse, we go on a 1-hour drive to Tulpar-Kul lake ( 3500m ). After our arrival at a local yurt camp, we start hiking towards Lenin Peak Basecamp ( 3600m) .

Once we pass the tents of big mountaineering companies at the base camp, we take the trail leading to Traveller’s Pass ( 4,150 meters ). The path goes slowly up except for the last 20 minutes where it becomes a steep zigzag trail that ends up on the mountain pass.

We have a picnic at Traveller’s Pass where we enjoy the magnificent views of glaciers tumbling off the massive Lenin Peak (7,134 meters), which is the highest peak of the Pamir-Alay Mountains.

After lunch, we return to Tulpar Kul by walking the same trail back. We have dinner at the yurt camp and spend our last night in the Alay Mountains there.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared space in yurt. Facilities: No electricity, no wi-fi, no shower, outdoor toilet.

Day 4: TULPAR KOL LAKE – BORDER CROSSING into Tajikistan – KARAKUL LAKE

Driving time: 3-4 hours

After breakfast at the yurt camp, we get in the jeeps and say goodbye to Kyrgyzstan. We drive for about 2 hours to the land border with Tajikistan. The border control and passport-check might take some time but once we passed the checkpoint, we arrive in Tajikistan!

We drive for another hour and marvel at the phenomenal landscapes until we arrive at a small village near the shores of Karakul Lake (3960m) . Karakul has a diameter of 25 km and was formed by the impact of a large meteorite.

After checking-in at a local guesthouse, we have the rest of the afternoon free to go on a walk around the lake and visit the small town to get a feel of the living conditions in this area. We return to the guesthouse in the evening for a home-cooked meal.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse. Facilities: Electricity , no wi-fi, no hot shower

day 5: KARAKUL LAKE – Hike to ORTOBOZ PASS – MURGhAB

Driving time: 3 hours Hiking distance : 11 km   Hiking   time: 5 hours   Ascent:  +900m   Descent:  -900m

After having breakfast at the guesthouse, we pack our stuff and get in the car to make the 10-minute drive from Karakul Lake to the starting point of the hike ( 4150m ) to Ortoboz Pass , located at 5041 meters !

We walk the first half of the hike through grassy meadows and the second half on rocky ground. After about 3 hours, we reach the summit and enjoy our accomplishment of reaching the 5000-meter high pass along with the panormic view of the 7000-meter high Pamir Mountain Range.

We make the descend back to the jeep and continue our roadtrip along the Pamir Highway. We finish the day in Murghab , the highest town in Tajikistan at 3650m above sea level, where we spend the night at a homestay.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in homestay. Facilities: Electricity, wi-fi, hot shower

Day 6: Murghab – BULUNGKUL & YASHILKUL LAKES – PANORAMA RIDGE HIKE – LANGAR

Driving time: 6 hours Hiking distance : 5.5 km   Hiking   time: 3-4 hours   Ascent:  +450m   Descent:  -450m

After an early breakfast at the homestay, we first take a litte side trip to visit the high alpine lakes of Bulunkul and Yashylkul. We then get back to the main road and drive up to the Kargush Pass ( 4344m ) where we start the hike to Panorama Ridge ( 4800m ).

It’s a steep hike up but once we’re at the top, we’ll be rewarded with the most incredible views of the Wakhan Range, Afganistan’s snow-covered Pamir Mountains. The whole valley of the Great Pamir at the foot of the Wakhan Range just looks otherworldly!

We hike back to the car at the Kargush pass, and descend towards the Wakhan Valley along the Pamir River. It’s again a very scenic drive as we have splendid vistas of the great Hindu Kush Mountains.

The Pamir Highway descents into Langar and we’re entering a green oasis as this is where the Pamir and Wakhijil rivers come together to form the Panj River, dividing Afghanistan and Tajikistan. We spend the evening and have dinner at a homestay in Langar village ( 1436m ).

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in homestay. Facilities: Electricity, no wi-fi, hot shower

day 7: day hike to Engel’s Peak

Hiking distance : 22 km   Hiking   time: 9 hours   Ascent:  +750m   Descent:  -750m

We leave Langar early today to drive to the start of one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the entire Wakhan Valley: the 9-hour return hike to the 4000m-high meadows at the base of Engel’s Peak , nestled in the Pamir Mountains!

The trail goes slowly up and although it can be a challenging hike at times, the views of the Wakhan Valley, the snow-covered Hindu Kush Mountains and the villages along the Panj River are exceptional and make it all worth it!

We hike all the way to the Engels Peak basecamp (5 hours) and enjoy lunch at the edge of a lake in the meadows. We return by the same route (4 hours). In the evening, we stay at the same homestay in Langar.

Day 8: LANGAR – YAMCHUN FORTRESS – ISHKASHIM VILLAGE – KHOROG

Driving time: 6 hours

Today is a driving day so you can relax after the long hike from yesterday. After having breakfast in our homestay, we pack up our belongings and continue our road adventure on the Pamir Highway. We make a little side trip to visit the 12th-century old Yamchun Fortress and have one last amazing view over the Wakhan Valley from the edge of the fortress.

We return by jeep to the main road and spend the rest of the driving the Pamir Highway. We stop at the Khakha Fortress near the village of Ishkashim to stretch our legs and visit the ruins of this century-old fortress.

We arrive in the city of Khorog ( 2200m ) , famous for being a gateway into Afghanistan, in the afternoon. After we check into our hotel, we spend the rest of the day visiting the interesting Regional Museum and the Central Park. We go for an evening walk in the Khorog Botanical Garden and enjoy dinner at a local cafe.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in hotel. Facilities: Electricity, wi-fi, hot shower

Day 9: Khorog – Jizeu Valley – hike to Jizeu Village

Driving time: 3 hours Hiking distance : 7 km   Hiking   time: 2 hours 

Today we drive for about 3 hours towards the Bartang Valley. Our jeeps drop us off at the trailhead to the Jizeu Valley from where we go on a 2-hour hike to the remote Jizeu Village ( 2700m ). As there are no roads in the village, the jeeps can’t come along so we need to pack a daypack with gear for one night. The rest of our belongings stay safely in the jeeps with the drivers.

We’ll walk along the river while enjoying the views along the way. The Jizeu Valley is a very isolated area and barely gets visited by tourists. We arrive in the village where we have lunch and get accomodated in a few homestays (the group might get seperated for the evening as each homestay only has a few rooms).

After we’re settled in our homestay, we go for a walk around the lake near the village and get a feel of the local culture in this wild and remote community.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in homestay. Facilities: Limited to no electricity, no wi-fi, no hot shower.

Day 10: Jizeu Village – Kalaikhum

Driving time: 6 hours Hiking distance : 9 km   Hiking   time: 2 hours 

We start the day by going on a small hike to an azure-colored alpine lake in the Jizeu Valley, about 2.3 km beyond the last homestay in the village. We enjoy the views of the lake and the high mountain peaks at the horizon before we return on foot to the place where the jeeps dropped us off yesterday.

We get in the jeeps and drive the rest of the day on the Pamir Highway. The road follows partly the Panj River where we get gorgeous vistas of the Vanj Valley until the road widens up and continues along the Afghan border until we reach the village of Kalaikhum ( 1268m ). We spend the night and have dinner in a guesthouse in the village.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse. Facilities: Electricity, wi-fi, hot shower .

Today is the last day of our epic road trip along the Pamir Highway! We drive the last 350 km to Dushanbe, following the Panj River and passing numerous small villages along the way. We enjoy the spectacular views of deep rocky valleys while driving up the Shurobod Pass ( 2126m ).

We have a lunch break at a chaikana , local café, in the village of Kulab. We continue the drive and stretch our legs while visiting the 11th-century Hulbuk Palace before we arrive in Dushanbe ( 2530m ), the capital of Tajikistan, in the early evening. Welcome back to civilization! We check-in our hotel, enjoy a proper hot shower, connect to the Wi-Fi to let our loved ones know we’re still alive, and have dinner in the city.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in hotel. Facilities: Wi-Fi, electricity, hot shower .

Day 12: Dushanbe – Iskanderkul Lake – Artuch

Driving time: 4 hours Hiking distance : 3.5 km   Hiking   time: 1-2 hours   Ascent:  +300m   Descent:  -300m

After spending the night in Dushanbe, we trade the city for the mountains again. This time we’re heading towards the stunning Fann Mountains. On the way, we take a side trip to visit Iskanderkul Lake ( 2195m ). This alpine lake is surrounded by beautifully-shaped rocky peaks and on a sunny day, the crystal-clear turquoise water contrasts with the red rocks of the mountain slopes.

We have lunch and go for a walk around the lake before continuing our drive to Artuch , a village located at 1848m at the foot of the Fann Mountains. We arrive in the afternoon at the family-run guesthouse in the village. You have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy a walk around the village to get a feel of the daily life of the local residents before we have dinner at our guesthouse.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse. Facilities: electricity, limited Wi-Fi, hot shower

Day 13: Trekking day 1: Artuch – KULIKALON LAKEs – BIBIJANNAT LAKE

Hiking distance : 10 km   Hiking   time: 5-6 hours   Ascent:  +855m   Descent:  -100m

After our breakfast at the guesthouse, we get ready to start the 3-day trek in the Fann Mountains. We start the trek from Artuch and follow the trail upwards along the river.

We turn right into the gorge at the junction of three valleys and follow the trail gradually to the top of the Chukurak Pass ( 3106m ). On the pass, we get treated to a magnificent view of Kulikalon Lakes at the foot of Chimtarga Peak, with its 5489 meters the highest peak in the Fann Mountains.

After our break at Chukurak Pass, we hike south-east towards the foot of the Alaudin Pass where we set up camp on the shores of Bibijannat Lake ( 3000m ). We enjoy our camp dinner while marveling at the scenic lanscapes surrounding the turquoise lake.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Accommodation: Tent. Facilities: None

Day 14: Trekking day 2: Bibijannat lake – alaudin Pass – Alaudin Lake

Hiking distance : 8 km   Hiking   time: 6-7 hours   Ascent:  +890m   Descent:  -980m

We pack up our camp in the morning and continue our trek through the Fann Mountains. We follow the trail climbing east between craggy mountain walls to the summit of Alaudin Pass at 3770 meters . While hiking up, we enjoy the views of stunning snow-capped peaks and alpine lakes reflecting the mountains.

We reach the summit after 4 hours of hiking and enjoy the stunning scenery of the Chapdara Peak and the surrounding mountains. After our picnic, we descend the pass on quite a steep slope towards the Alaudin Lake ( 2800m ). We set up camp on the shore of the lake where we enjoy our dinner and another night underneath the starry sky.

Day 15: Alaudin Lake – Mutniye Lake – Base Camp – Dushanbe

Driving time: 4 hours Hiking distance : 14 km   Hiking   time: 5-6 hours   Ascent:  +774m   Descent:  -774m

After an early breakfast, we get ready to make our last hike in the Fann Mountains. Today we hike to Mutnye lake ( 3500m ) at the foot of the Kaznop Pass and surrounded by the rocky Fann Mountain peaks. We reached the scenic lake after a challenging 3-hour hike.

We enjoy a picnic on the shores of the lake while enjoying the scenery. Then we return via the same trail all the way to Vertical Base Camp where our drivers are waiting for us to bring us back to Dushanbe.

We arrive in the early evening in Dushanbe where we take a much-needed hot shower at the hotel. We have one last dinner in the city to say goodbye to our amazing group of friends.

After a final breakfast together, this adventure has finished! Our driver will transfer you to the international airport.

Depending on when you planned your flight home/ onward travels, you could also make some more time to explore Dushanbe further.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: This itinerary can be modified in case of weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.

What you should know before joining the Highlights of Tajikistan Tour

Kyrgyzstan is one of the safest countries in Asia . The biggest danger in Kyrgyzstan is that you’ll fall in love with the beautiful landscapes and people and that you don’t want to leave anymore. That’s why I stayed 1 year in the country and keep returning back yearly… There was a border dispute between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan but the situation has been cleared up. It is now completely safe to travel along the Pamir Highway and in the Fann Mountains , that’s also the reason why I’m opening up this tour to tourists . We’re also going to travel near the borger with Afghanistan. This area is very isolated and far away from the troubles in the rest of the country. If any places on the route would have warnings, we will avoid them and go on an alternative route. We want you to have a safe adventure, not a dangerous one, and your well-being and safety is our priority! In all honesty, I have never felt unsafe while traveling in Central Asia (as a solo female!). It’s in my opinion and experience safer than when I traveled solo in Europe, Morocco, Australia, etc.

Kyrgyzstan has a visa-free policy for citizens of 61 countries, including citizens of most EU countries, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Check here to see whether or not you need to obtain an e-visa or if you’re granted a free visa on arrival. Note: we can offer visa support in case you need a Letter of Invitation While Tajikistan has a visa-free policy for citizens of 53 countries, including citizens of most EU countries, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, this is only valid when arriving at the airport. As you’ll enter the country via road, you’ll need to apply for an e-visa. You’ll receive the information when confirming your place on this tour. We’ll apply for a GBAO permit in your name so you can enter the Pamir Highway. More information will be provided in the info guide you receive upon booking.

Osh has a small international airport with international flights to and from Istanbul on certain days with Pegasus Airlines or to and from Dubai with FlyDubai. If the flight dates to Osh don’t work, then the best is first to fly to Bishkek – the capital of Kyrgyzstan – to the international airport called Manas. You can get there via Istanbul with either Pegasus or Turkish Airlines. Those flying from other continents (America, Australia, Asia,…), also have the option of flying via Dubai. There are daily several domestic flights between Bishkek and Osh (40 minutes flying time, one-way). We can book your domestic flight(s) between Bishkek and Osh at an additional price of €55 (no extra booking fees and price might change, depending on the current rates). You can also drive from Bishkek to Osh by shared taxi but know that this journey takes around 10 hours. Dushanbe has an international airport with international flights going via Istanbul, Dubai and other Central Asian countries. You receive a detailed info guide upon booking with more information about how to find the best flights for this trip.

We organize lodging in guesthouses and homestays owned by local families. The rooms in the guesthouses and homestays in the rural areas are shared between 2 to 6 people. The rooms at the hotels in Osh, Khorog, Kalaikumb and Dushanbe are shared between 2 people. A single supplement (having a private room) is only possible in the hotels in the cities (Osh, Khorog, Kalaikumb and Dushanbe) at the additional price of €250. We cannot provide single supplement in the rural guesthouses and homestays due to limited places. The sleeping arrangements in the homestays are very basic, meaning sleeping on mattresses on the floor (blankets are provided). This is how the people of the Pamir sleep and live so it’s part of the experience! We stay for one night in a yurt camp (Tupar Kol Lake, Kyrgyzstan) and also have to share the sleeping place with 4 to 6 people from the group. There will be mattresses on the floor and blankets are also provided. We camp for 2 nights in tents in the Fann Mountains. Tents and sleeping pads are provided. You can bring your own sleeping bag, or you can rent one for this trek at the additional price of €30.

You have to be comfortable with not being able to take a hot shower for multiple days in a row as there is not always hot water or even a proper shower at the homestays. You’ll also have to be comfortable using a squat toilet as there won’t always be western-style toilets on the road. Some homestays have a toilet outside in the form of a separate small building with a hole in the ground. There’s usually toilet paper but definitely bring a roll (or two) with you on this tour. During the treks, you have to feel comfortable doing ‘your business’ in nature.

Breakfast is usually fried eggs, bread and/or porridge. Lunch and dinner usually consist of 2 courses: a hearty soup and a local dish with mutton and beef, served with noodles, potatoes or rice and a salad on the side. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll get the same meals but without any meat. We can’t cater for vegans, and people with a gluten-free and/or dairy-free diet . We hope you understand.

Bottled water is provided but you also must bring your own reusable water bottle that you can refill with fresh water from springs and streams when there aren’t any shops if you want to buy extra bottled water. You must bring  a water filter   or a  steripen   as most foreigners aren’t used to the bacteria and minerals in the water which can cause stomach problems. I’m using a  Lifestraw water bottle  and that has always done the job for me!

The best time for this tour is from the beginning of June until the end of September. While the temperature in the cities will be high (between 30°C – 35ºC), we’re going to spend most of the time in the mountains at high altitudes where the temperatures will be a lot lower. The average temperature in the mountains is between 10°C and 20ºC during the day – depending on the altitude -, nights can be very cold (between 5ºC and -5ºC). The weather in the mountains is unpredictable so you might experience rain, snow, and sun in one day. Even in July and August, there is a possibility of a cold spell or even light snow. Bring warm and waterproof clothes, suitable for any weather condition. You’ll receive a detailed packing list once you’ve confirmed your booking.

Once you’ve confirmed your booking, you’ll receive a detailed packing list. You can already read the Packing List for Trekking in Central Asia to get an idea of what you’ll need You should bring a backpack or duffle bag to easily carry your belongings from the jeeps to the homestays (no suitcases) and have a comfortable trekking daypack (30L-40L) to carry your rain gear, warm sweater or jacket, sunscreen, water, and camera during the day hikes and 3-day trek in the Fann Mountains. During the 3-day trek, food items and other personal belongings (up to max. 10kg) will be carried by donkeys during the trekking days. A special bag designed for donkeys to carry the luggage will be provided. You don’t need a tent or sleeping pad as those are provided but you will need a sleeping bag for the trekking days. You can always rent one during the 3-day trek at the additional price of €30.

You won’t be able to charge your electronic devices on days 3, 9, 13 and 14. Bring enough batteries for your camera and a USB power bank to keep your electronic accessories charged. The power  plugs  and  sockets are of type C and F (same as in Europe). The standard voltage is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. You’ll have acces to (sometimes very slow) Wi-Fi when in Osh, Korogh, Kulaikhum and Dushanbe (on day 1, 8, 10, 11 and 15). Getting a SIM-card won’t be of much use as you can only buy them in the cities (so for Tajikistan, the earliest you could get one is on day 8) and you won’t have any coverage while in the mountains.

You need to have a very good level of fitness and endurance to join this trek. You’ll be hiking on rough terrain and at high altitudes. While it won’t be technically difficult, some hikes are long and include steep ascends. Train beforehand and build up your endurance by doing cardio exercises before joining this tour.

On this trip, we’ll be reaching altitudes with an average between 3500 and 4500 meters above sea level. You’ll get time to acclimatize to the altitude during the first few days in Kyrgyzstan: you’ll sleep just below 3000 meters in Sary Mogul Village and at 3600 meters at the yurt camp in Tulpar Kul lake. By the time you cross the border with Tajikistan, you should be more acclimatized. It’s hard to predict exactly how your body will react to high altitudes because everyone is different.  The highest place you reach will be Engel’s Peak Bascecamp at 5000 meters altitude. In case you’re worried about it, please ask medical advice from your doctor before booking this trip and ask about medication such as Diamox. If you have any existing medical conditions, like heart problems, trouble breathing, or diabetes, you should talk to your doctor before traveling to high altitude.

In case you have more questions about this tour, don’t hesitate to contact me .

Price for the 16-day Highlights of Tajikistan Adventure Tour (depending on group size):

• from 4 to 8 people: €2530 per person
• from 8 people on: €2450 per person

What’s included in this price?

• Airport transfer in Osh and Dushanbe
• Private transportation: 4×4 Toyota Landcruisers (3 people in 1 jeep) with experienced drivers
• English-speaking tour guide
• All accommodation mentioned in the itinerary (shared sleeping spaces)
• All meals mentioned in the itinerary + bottled water
• All activities mentioned in the itinerary
• Entrance fees for all sites listed in the itinerary
• GBAO permits to enter the Pamir Highway
• Crew for the Fann Mountains trek: local mountain guide, cook, donkeys for luggage
• Cooking and camping gear (tent + sleeping pads)

You’ll need a GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblastto) permit to travel to the Pamir Mountains and other border regions in Tajikistan. To arrange these permits for you, we’ll ask for a copy of your passport when you finalize your booking.

What’s not included in this price?

• International airfares to and from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
• Domestic transport to Osh and from Dushanbe (we can arrange Bishkek – Osh airfare tickets for an additional price of €55, see FAQ’s)
• Visa application fee (however, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is visa-free for most EU and other countries. Check here for Kyrgyzstan  and check here for Tajikistan to see if you can visit the country without having to obtain a visa)
• Early check-in on day 1 in Osh
• Medical or travel insurance (mandatory to join our trip). I recommend  SafetyWing , HeyMondo or IATI backpacker if you want a good insurance provider (in case you don’t have one yet).
• Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and coffee
• Personal expenses and souvenirs
• Private room in hotels in the cities (€250) – we can’t provide single supplement in rural areas, see FAQ’s
• Sleeping bag: can be rented for an additional price of €30 for the 3-day trek in the Fann Mountains

Payment & Cancellation Policy

16-day highlights of tajikistan adventure tour:.

Price (depending on group size):

Confirm your participation with a deposit of €300 per person .

Deposits can be made via a standard bank transfer in EUR or via online transfer (Wise) in EUR or USD.

As soon as I receive your booking, I’ll send out the payment details. You have 48 hours to pay the deposit. If not, I have to cancel your participation and reserve the place for the next person who books.

The remaining tour costs can be paid either in cash on the first day of the tour, via credit card (an additional transaction fee of 3% will apply) or via online transfer (Wise) at the latest one week before the start of the trip.

Note: there is an additional government tax of 7% on online payments .

If you have any more questions or want more info, please contact me  here !

Cancellation policy

If for any reason you can’t join this tour, we’ll refund your deposit  if you cancel at the latest 3 months before the start of the tour.

In case we have to cancel this tour due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control (pandemic, political reasons, natural disasters,…), you’ll receive a full refund of the tour costs (minus transaction costs). We’re not responsible for and therefore don’t refund any flight cancellations and/or flight expenses.

Don’t hesitate and join now! It will be an unforgettable and beautiful adventure!

I’m so excited to share this adventure with you!! Cynthia

Not Another Backpacker

Pamir Highway in Tajikistan: Tour Highlights + Tips

I am standing at an altitude of nearly 5000 meters, looking down into the valley. Only a single road winds through the desolate mountain landscape – the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan !

Known as Highway M41, the Pamir Highway runs 1200 kilometers from the Tajik capital of Dushanbe all the way to Osh in Kyrgyzstan (or the other way around, depending on how you take it). Back in the day, the highway was an important route of the Silk Road – now it has become a sought-after destination for travelers seeking adventure in Central Asia.

The route runs through the Pamir Mountains, several hundred kilometers along the Afghan border, past Pakistan and China, and over the second-highest road in the world.

When I heard this, I knew immediately I wanted to explore this area. So, my partner, three friends of mine, and I spent 12 days away from civilization – traveling the Pamir Highway from Dushanbe to Karakul Lake near the Kirghiz border. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it all the way to Osh on this trip because the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan was still closed at that time (and still is at the time of writing, so please double-check if you plan on going).

Nonetheless, we had an incredible time – we went swimming in ice-cold lakes and natural hot springs, stood at the highest point of the highway at 4655 meters above sea level, and hiked through beautiful valleys of the Pamir Mountains.

Does this sound like your kind of trip? In this article, I’ll show you how you can book a tour to the Pamir Highway, what you should consider before your trip and what highlights you definitely shouldn’t miss!

Note: Your trust is important to me. Therefore, I’d like to point out that this article contains referral links (also known as affiliate links). This means I get a small commission if you buy a product after clicking on one of the corresponding links marked with a *. There are no extra costs for you, but it helps me keep this blog ad-free. Thank you!

Our Pamir Highway Route

As already mentioned, there are different routes you can choose to travel the Pamir Highway. Here, I’ll show you which route I chose:

Note: On mobile devices, the table can be moved sideways.

Highlights of the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

The Pamir Highway in Tajikistan is known for scenic routes, amazing hiking trails, beautiful alpine lakes, and so much more! To help you plan your trip, I created a list of my personal highlights along Pamir Highway (the highlights are listed in chronological order, so you can find them easier on the map):

Views of Afghanistan

When I came to Central Asia, I didn’t expect that I would ever get to see Afghanistan. But as it turns out, the Pamir Highway runs along the Afghan border in Whakan-Valley for several hundred kilometers, with only the river “Panj” separating the two countries!

We rode along the border for several days and at some point, we even stopped at a viewpoint from where you could see a small Afghan village that was only a stone’s throw away. We were so close that we heard children screaming and playing on the other side of the river, watched people working in the yard, and even caught a glimpse of a naked man swimming – pretty epic!

Technically, there are even some parts of the river that are shallow enough to cross (which one of our group members did to take a photo in Afghanistan – craaazy!). Yet, I really wouldn’t recommend this, as it can cause you a lot of legal trouble if you get caught!

Hiking in Baghtan Valley

Another place on the Pamir Highway I can’t recommend enough is the hidden mountain village of Jizev in Baghtan-Valley. To get here, you have to hike about 3 hours from the main road. The scenic trail leads through the beautiful valley along an ice-blue river and ends at the small village near a lake.

On arrival, we were greeted by the locals, who offered us homestay-style accommodation. However, don’t expect anything fancy. Saying that the accommodation is basic would be putting it lightly; The toilet is a drop-down, there is no electricity, and if you want to take a shower you have to go for a dip in the ice-cold lake. Yet, it was a lovely experience to spend a night with the locals in this remote part of the country. Plus, the views of the lake were utterly stunning!

In my opinion, this hike was one of the best things we did on the Pamir Highway (and that’s despite the fact that I got food poisoning from dinner and threw up all night. But don’t let this discourage you; the others in my group had the same dinner as I did and they were perfectly fine – sometimes it’s just bad luck…)

Bibi Fatima Hot Springs

When traveling the Pamir Highway, don’t forget to stop in Yamchun to visit the famous Bibi Fatima Hot Springs! Some people travel thousands of miles to come here, as the hot water doesn’t only feel extremely relaxing but is also said to have healing powers.

One young woman told us that the minerals in the water are supposed to boost fertility in women and cure any medical problems in their private parts. Daily, young couples come out here in the hope of finally conceiving. She came all the way from Turkey herself to take advantage of the spring’s healing powers.

As you swim naked, genders are separated and small huts have been built around the springs. I, unfortunately, couldn’t take a photo but it feels a bit like swimming in a stalactite cave and it’s the perfect way to kick back at the end of an active day out on the Pamir!

Note: Admission to the Hot Springs costs 10 somonis (about 1 USD).

Engels Peak Meadow Hike

Hiking is easy to overlook when driving the Pamir Highway. You can spend your entire trip stuck in a car – or you can truly immerse yourself in the surrounding scenery by venturing out into the mountains. There are plenty of amazing day hikes and multi-day treks and one that you should certainly not overlook is the Engels Peak Meadow Hike.

The mountain “Engels Peak” has a height of 6510 meters and is part of the Shakh Dara range of the Pamir Mountains. However, to climb the whole mountain, you need good equipment and appropriate mountaineering experience, whereas the Meadow Hike to Engels Peak is a great alternative for those who are just looking for a moderate day hike. The trail leads you through the mountains, offering amazing views along the way – yet the highlight is the meadow at the end of the hike with the snow-covered Engels Peak in the background.

The starting point of the hike is at Zong village, but we paid our driver an extra 5 USD per person to drive us up the first part to Dirch, from where the “real” trail begins. This way you can save yourself the first few kilometers on a steep road and save your energy for the remaining hike. From Dirch, it took us about four hours to get to the meadow and about three hours back to Zong village.

Note: The hike to the Engels Peak meadow is literally breathtaking. At an altitude of 4000 meters, the air is quite thin and to avoid getting altitude sickness, I recommend bringing Diamox tablets in case of an emergency. If you don’t have Diamox and you start feeling sick – descend to a lower altitude!

Zorkul Nature Reserve

Falcons, snow leopards, and Marco Polo sheep – these are the inhabitants of the Nature Reserve “Zorkul” in southeastern Tajikistan. According to our driver, only five to six tours set out to come here each year. This caught our interest – so it’s a proper off-the-beaten-path destination? We had to go here! And we were not disappointed!

Although we didn’t spot any Marco Polo sheep (for whose gigantic horns many hunters travel to this area), Zorkul was one of my favorite places, if not my favorite place in all of Tajikistan. The nature reserve covers a total of 1610 km², but since there are only a handful of houses placed in the entire area, you can drive for hours through deserted landscapes and completely soak in nature. Wide valleys are surrounded by enormous mountains and the whole area has a Martian feel to it.

We spent the night at the “Hunter’s Shelter”, where you can marvel at huge, spiral horns of Marco Polo sheep that are hanging as trophies on the wall. Plus, there’s also a small indoor pool filled with very (!) hot water from nearby natural springs. What an experience!

Murghab – The Highest Town in Central Asia

At an altitude of 3600 meters above sea level, Murghab is the highest town in Central Asia as well as one of the most important towns on the Pamir Highway. Still, only a few thousand people live in this remote municipality. We arrived in the small town around noon and decided to spend the night here and get some rest from our trip. In the afternoon, we explored the area and were pleasantly surprised.

Although the place is nothing spectacular, we still enjoyed strolling around and diving into the local culture. In the center of town, you’ll find a market where you can buy food, clothes, and useful household items from container trucks. Also, sour cheese balls (, which none of us were a fan of) are sold in traditional yurt tents, and in a backyard, we even discovered a small café with homemade soft serve ice cream made from yak milk. So, if you’re interested in experiencing authentic, local culture, Murghab is the place to go!

Ak-Baital Pass – The Second-Highest Highway in the World

Not far from Murghab, you’ll find the highest point of the Pamir Highway on the Ak-Baital Pass. At its highest point, the road reaches an altitude of 4655 meters, which is only 38 meters lower than Karakoram Highway (the highest paved highway in the world).

Here, you’ll see a sign indicating the highest point of the road, but don’t keep driving just yet. On the side of the road, you’ll see a small hill that you can climb to get another 100 meters in and enjoy the view of the surrounding valley beneath you. If you’re wearing good shoes and have some time on your hands, you could hike even further to reach the 5000-meter mark and feel high on life (sorry, I’m a sucker for bad jokes… :D).

Karakul Lake at the Kirghiz Border

In the highlands of the Pamir Mountains with the Kirghiz border to the north and the Chinese border to the west, you’ll find a huge lake called Karakul. The water is quite cold, but it’s worth coming here just to enjoy the scenery.

Karakul Lake lies at an altitude of 4020 meters nestled between picturesque mountains, whose peaks are covered with snow even in summer. The landscape reminded me very much of New Zealand and spending some time in this area immediately made me feel like I was on vacation. Whether you want to go for a walk along the shore or read a book while overlooking the lake, here you can perfectly relax at the end of your Pamir Highway trip!

Bulunkul Lake

Another beautiful alpine lake in Tajikistan is Bulunkul Lake, which contrasts the orange-brown landscape with its strong blue color. The lake is situated a bit lower than the surrounding valley, which gives you a great view from the top. It’s a lovely place to spend a few hours walking around or just chilling out!

Northern Route from Kalaikhum to Dushanbe

On our way back to Dushanbe, we took the northern route via Tavildara. Although this road is part of the official M41, many drivers don’t want to take this route and insist on taking the southern route instead. As soon as we got on the road, I realized why – we were literally driving along a steep cliff and I nervously clung to the seat, afraid of plummeting down. However, our driver assured us that we’d be safe, claiming he had driven down the road countless times before.

After some time, the road became slightly wider and I could finally relax and enjoy the view of the magnificent mountain landscape around us. At several places, we stopped to look into the vastness of the valleys and to marvel at the mountains that stood picturesquely one after another – what a place to be!

How Can I Book a Pamir Highway Tour?

Normally, you can arrange a Pamir Highway tour either in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) or in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), but since the border between the two countries is currently closed , you should start your tour in Dushanbe (most of the Pamir Highway is located in Tajikistan). There are some travel agencies offering tours to the Pamir Highway, e.g. SilkAdventures but if your schedule allows it, I would advise you to book your tour in person rather than online.

This allows you to discuss the details of the trip with your driver beforehand (route, accommodations, duration, price, etc.), so that there are no misunderstandings later on.

The best way to do this is to ask at your accommodation in Dushanbe for contact. Most hotels and hostels know drivers they can put you in touch with. I booked the tour through Green House Hostel* and was extremely satisfied (Green House Hostel is also a great place to meet fellow travelers if you’re still looking for people to join you on the adventure). Our driver Tamriz took the time to plan the tour with us a few days before we set out and offered us a fair price. Besides, he’s just a super cool guy we got along great with – I can highly recommend him as a tour guide!

If you want to book a Pamir Highway tour with him, you can reach him on his Instagram channel Pamir_Traveltjk , or on his mobile number +992 93 555 4136 !

How Much Does a Pamir Highway Tour Cost?

There are several aspects influencing the total cost of your Pamir Highway tour. Most drivers calculate the cost per kilometer , whereas the number of days you want to go is usually secondary. Also, certain routes cost extra , such as the northern route between Dushanbe and Kailaikhum and the nature reserve “Zorkul” in the southeastern part of Tajikistan. This is because these roads are further off the beaten path and more difficult to navigate.

For this reason, I advise you to discuss with your driver beforehand which roads you want to drive on and which areas you want to see. Also, you should be aware that the cost is usually charged per vehicle rather than per passenger . This means the more people you are, the less you pay per person (as long as everyone fits in one vehicle – 4/5 people).

Our group consisted of five people plus our driver (5 was the maximum number of passengers, as our luggage occupied two of the seven passenger seats). For a 12-day tour from Dushanbe to Karakul Lake and back we paid 1500 USD. Plus, we paid an extra 300 USD to explore Zorkul and the northern route from Kalaikhum to Dushanbe set us back another 100 USD. So, the total cost amounted to 1900 USD, which is 380 USD per person.

Keep in mind, that this is only the cost for the vehicle. For accommodation, we had to pay another 15-25 USD per person per night. Dinner and breakfast were usually included in this price!

Other Options to Travel the Pamir Highway:

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to book a guided tour to travel the Pamir Highway. There are also some other options to travel the route:

• Drive yourself:  As an alternative to a Pamir Highway tour, you can also rent a vehicle in Dushanbe and drive the route yourself. However, you should be aware that you’ll need a 4-wheel drive for this, as some roads are in very poor condition and you may also have to conquer some low river-crossings. We considered this option ourselves for a short time but decided against it, as the price of a rental car is almost as much as a guided tour. Plus, if you book a tour, you don’t have to worry about where to find hotels, restaurants for lunch stops, and gas stations (the latter is something you should figure out beforehand if you decide to drive yourself!).
• Motorcycle: If you’re seeking an even crazier adventure, you can also drive the Pamir Highway by motorcycle. Just keep in mind to inform yourself thoroughly about the route, research gas stations beforehand, and make sure that you can make simple repairs to your motorcycle yourself in case of emergency!
• Pamir Highway by bicycle: On my trip, I even met people who traveled the Pamir Highway by bicycle. This should not be taken lightly, though A friend of mine calculated that he would need 40 days by bicycle to travel from Dushanbe to Karakul Lake (for comparison, it took us 8 days to get there by car with several detours). In addition, you undoubtedly need to take a tent and enough food with you, because accommodations and stores along the Pamir Highway are often far apart from each other!
• Hitchhiking: Last but not least, you can also hitchhike the Pamir Highway. However, you should not assume that you could travel this way for free. Hitchhiking as we know it is not very common in Central Asia and you’re normally expected to pay for the ride. Also, you should be aware that some roads are barely being used and the cars that do come are often already full. Usually, you have the best chances to catch rides from trucks transporting goods between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. However, since the border between the two countries is closed at the moment, this is not an option either.

What You Need to Know BEFORE Going on a Pamir Highway Tour

Before hopping on a tour to the Pamir Highway, you should be aware of a few things:

Visa and GBAO-Permit:

As of January 2022, citizens from over 50 countries can travel to Tajikistan visa-free, including the US. If you’re not sure whether you need a visa for Tajikistan, you can check the requirements here .

Keep in mind that you need to register your visa-on-arrival (within 3 or 10 days after arrival, depending on your nationality) at the Department of Visa and Registration in Dushanbe.

Furthermore, you need to apply for a permit to travel to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of the Pamir Highway. This is known as the “GBAO permit” and can be obtained when registering your visa (it may take a day to process). The visa registration costs 260 Somoni (appr. 25 USD) and the price for the GBAO permit is 200 Somoni (appr. 20 USD).

Checkpoints:

Keep in mind that there are several checkpoints along the Pamir Highway where you have to show your passport and GBAO permit. It’s best to keep your documents ready and it’s very useful to make numerous copies of your passport and permit beforehand. This will save you a lot of time, as you can simply hand the copies to the inspectors and you don’t have to wait until they have written down all the information from your passport!

ATMs and Money:

To be honest, I’ve never been to a country that has such a bad system for ATMs as Tajikistan. Many ATMs have a limit of 800 or 1000 Tajik Somoni per day (appr. 80/ 100 USD), which can make the process of taking out money quite tedious. Still, you should make sure to have enough cash with you when heading out for your Pamir Highway adventure, as there are not many ATMs along the way. Also, many ATMs only accept VisaCard .

If you’re traveling with MasterCard, I can recommend  Halyk Bank . At this bank, you can use three different ATMs with a withdrawal limit of 1000 Somoni each per day. In addition, you can take out up to 500 USD extra (in dollars or local currency) at the teller inside the branch. Be sure to calculate enough time for this, as the bank is usually very crowded and chaotic!

Food and Drinking Water:

Breakfast and dinner will be provided by accommodations on the Pamir Highway. The quality may vary depending on the place, but the meals are always quite similar (we had soup almost every night and were often served fried potatoes and meat as a main).

To stock up on snacks, we went to the supermarket with our guide in both Dushanbe and Chorugh, as there are only a few stores along the Pamir Highway with a limited selection of goods.

I also advise you to stock up on drinking water , as it’s not always available in remote areas. And don’t be fooled – even if the locals drink tap water, many tourists still get sick from it, as we’re not used to the different types of bacteria.

Tip:  If you stay a night in Chorugh, book your accommodation without dinner and head to a restaurant instead. There are several decent places to eat, like  Delhi Darbar   (Indian) or   World Cuisine  (mixed international food), which is a nice change up from the local food!

Accommodations Along the Pamir Highway:

On the Pamir Highway, you’ll mainly find small, basic guesthouses and homestays . In places like Chorugh and Murghab, the hotels we stayed in were quite good, but there were also nights where we slept on the floor or on beds where you could feel every single spring of the mattress.

Also, you should be aware that the cost of accommodation on the Pamir Highway is considerably higher than in other places of Central Asia (despite them being not that good).

Altitude Sickness:

Many places on the Pamir Highway are located at an altitude between 3000 and 4000 meters, with the highest point at 4655 meters above sea level. As of 3000 meters above sea level, the air contains less oxygen than what our bodies are used to, which can cause altitude sickness. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, and nausea.

To avoid this from happening, it’s recommended to slowly get used to the altitude and not increase the height by more than 500 meters per day. You should also drink plenty of water and bring medicine to treat altitude sickness, e.g. Diamox (you can also take Diamox preventatively). If you still suffer from altitude sickness (for example, during a hike), descend to lower ground.

Connection and Wi-Fi:

Wi-Fi is a foreign word on the Pamir Highway and for our entire trip, there was only one guest house that offered Wi-Fi connection. If you urgently need internet access, it’s best to buy a local SIM card. TCell and Megacom are supposed to be the best, with Megacom being slightly better in our experience. However, in remote areas, even these SIM cards often have no reception!

Road Conditions:

Although the Pamir Highway is used for transportation and has played an important role in the Silk Road, the road conditions are surprisingly bad . The main road of the highway is paved (not always well…), but if you get off the official route, you’ll often be driving on gravel. Also, parts of the road are very windy, bridges are frequently broken, and you may encounter some river crossings.

The best time to travel the Pamir Highway are the summer months of July and August, when temperatures are at their peak. Due to the altitude of 3000 to over 4000 meters, it can be chilly in the Pamir mountains even in these months (especially at night). In winter, on the other hand, you have to expect very low temperatures in some regions (according to a local up to -60 C°/ -76 Fahrenheit)!

The US advises travelers in Tajikistan to “ exercise increased caution due to terrorism “. In July 2018, four cyclists were killed in a terror attack in the south of Tajikistan and in 2019, 17 people have died due to an armed attack. Yet, this shouldn’t hold you back from traveling the Pamir Highway. Tourists travel to this region regularly and terrorist attacks remain to be exceptions. I found the Pamir Highway to be very safe – the people are very friendly and welcoming and I haven’t felt threatened at any time!

There are different ways and routes to travel the Pamir Highway. So, the time it takes to travel the Pamir Highway depends on what routes you choose and how much you want to see along the way. If you want to thoroughly explore the area, I advise planning for at least 10 days to travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. Though, if you’re on a tight schedule, you can also limit yourself to a few places and shorten the trip!

Checklist for Your Pamir Highway Adventure

To make sure you don’t forget anything for your trip, I’ve created a checklist for your Pamir Highway tour. Save this page or download the checklist as a PDF to not forget anything!

Note: The PDF version also includes a packing list for your trip. You can download it here .

What Do I Need to Do BEFORE Traveling the Pamir Highway?:

• Register your Visa in Dushanbe
• Apply for the GBAO permit and don’t forget to pick it up
• Find a driver and discuss the details of the tour beforehand
• Take out money (don’t rely on ATMs along the Pamir Highway and take out enough money to pay for your trip in Dushanbe)
• Install Maps.me (an offline navigation app) and download the maps for Tajikistan
• Stock up your travel Medicare kit (Diamox for altitude sickness, Imodium for diarrhea, and travel sickness pills if required)
• Make copies of your passport and GBAO permit (not necessary but highly recommended)

Conclusion: Is a Pamir Highway Tour Worth it?

Absolutely – traveling the Pamir Highway has been my highlight of backpacking Central Asia!

Nestled in between awe-inspiring mountains, the Pamir Highway is a real off-the-beaten-path paradise, where you can experience authentic local culture, hike through breathtaking valleys, peak into Afghanistan, and enjoy views of beautiful alpine lakes, making this trip an unforgettable experience.

In other words, a trip to Tajikistan is not complete until you’ve made your way to the Pamir!

Helpful Travel Resources for Your Trip

Do you still need to book your trip to Central Asia? Here, I’ll show you what resources I use:

• Skyscanner *: I book (almost) all my flights through Skyscanner. This site scans the web for the best deals within the blink of an eye. Plus, it shows you prices for the whole month, which makes it easy to find the cheapest day to fly!

ACCOMMODATION

• Agoda *: Agoda usually has the best prices for accommodation and offers unbeatable 24-hour flash deals!
• Booking*: Alternatively, you can also find good deals and a wide selection of hotels and guest houses on Booking.com.
• Hostelworld*: If you’re looking specifically for a hostel, you’ll be amazed by the variety of options Hostelworld has to offer!

You are reading: Pamir Highway in Tajikistan: Tour Highlights + Tips

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