498346898 - touroperator of city tours.
This jeep tour will allow you to explore the famous Wakhan Corridor in Tajikistan. You will have the opportunity to see one of the wildest places on earth, learn the history and live centuries-old culture of the Pamiri people, enjoy Asian hospitality and breathtaking landscapes of the Pamir mountains, find yourself on the very border of man’s possible conditions of life, have an unforgettable time at the foot of a giant icy mountain that is over 7,000 m in height (officially called Ibn Sina Peak in Tajikistan and Lenin Peak - the Soviet name - in Kyrgyzstan) and get back to civilization in green and warm Kyrgyzstan.
Wakhan Corridor is a link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China, running through Tajikistan, and separating Tajikistan from Pakistan. The corridor is a long narrow high-altitude strip of 210 km in length and 20 - 60 km in width. Through the corridor flows the Wakhan River from the east to join the Pamir River to become the Panj River, which then forms the border. In the south the corridor is bordered by the high mountains of the Hindu Kush, crossed by a few passes to Pakistan.
The corridor was a political creation of the Great Game. On the corridor’s north side, agreements between Britan and Russia in 1873 and between Britain and Afghanistan in 1893 split the historic area of Wakhan by making the Panj and Pamir Rivers the border between Afghanistan and the Russian Empire. On its south side, the agreement of 1893 marked the boundary between British India and Afghanistan. This left a narrow strip of land as a buffer between the two empires, which became known as Wakhan Corridor in the 20th c.
Adventure jeep tour in Pamir mountains - 16 days.
Itinerary:
| Day 1. | Arrival in Dushanbe. |
| Day 2. | Dushanbe - Blue Lake. |
| Day 3. | Blue Lake - Kalai-Khumb. |
| Day 4. | Kalai-Khumb - Khorog. |
| Day 5. | Khorog - Ishkashim (Tajikistan). |
| Day 6. | Ishkashim - Langar (Tajikistan). |
| Day 7. | Wakhan (Tajikistan) |
| Day 8. | Langar - Khargush. |
| Day 9. | Lake Zorkul. |
| Day 10. | Lake Zorkul - Murgab. |
| Day 11. | Murgab - Lake Karakul. |
| Day 12. | Karakul - Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak. |
| Day 13. | Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak. |
| Day 14. | Yurt camp - Osh. |
| Day 15. | Osh - Bishkek (by air). |
| Day 16. | Bishkek. Departure. |
Useful information for the tour:
Total
duration - 15 days / 14 nights.
Total duration of itinerary - 1970
km.
Maximal height - 4650 m.
Minimal height - 500 m.
Optimal time for
visiting: June till end of September.
This itinerary is conducted along
territory of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan by road transport (jeeps and mini-buses),
includes air flights. The time of Bishkek-Osh flight is 1 hr.
Temperature during the tour: from 0° till +30° С.
Itinerary gradation: This jeep tour has the maximal duration possible for the Asian region. Participants don’t need to have special skills and physical preparation.
Comfort - ***
Difficulty -
**
Attractions - *****
Options: Trekking and horse rides. Tour program can be altered according to wish.
Additions: After the tour you can have the opportunity to spend a few days on the shore of the warm resort Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.
Additional Information:
The list of necessary documents for the visas depends on the country where you live. The citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan (for 60 days at most) and Kazakhstan can enter Uzbekistan without entry visas, since Uzbekistan has visa-free regime agreements with these CIS countries, except Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The general requirements for obtaining visas and the list of necessary documents are here. Please contact our managers for more information.
Our general recommendations concerning the documents are the following:
- All the necessary documents to enter / exit the countries during the tour should be obtained BEFORE the tour if possible;
- your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the end of the tour.
- if you cannot obtain a necessary visa beforehand, you should have at least 4 3x4 cm photos with you for the tour.
Transportation.
During the tour you will be using the following means of transportation:
4x4 SUV - The main type of motor-vehicle used during the tour.
Plane - You will have to take one internal flight from Osh to Bishkek.
Accommodation.
During the tour the accommodation will be the following:
Hotels: We choose reliable and conveniently located hotels. The list of the hotels we recommend is below. However, it may vary depending on the season and the size of the group.
Yurts/guest houses: In Kyrgyzstan you will be staying in yurts under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak. Electricity and other necessary amenities are provided in them. Night accommodation and meals are included in the tour price.
Detailed tour description:
Day 1. Arrival in Dushanbe.
Your journey begins in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. This cozy city greets you with a picturesque combination of modern buildings, abundant greenery and captivating beauty of the mountains in the background.
Although Dushanbe was first mentioned only at the beginning of the 19th c, a lot of Greek-Bactrian artifacts and remains of medieval settlements were discovered there. Meaning "Monday" in Tajik, Dushanbe grew from a settlement on a crossroads that originally was a popular Monday marketplace. The city is located in the area where in the 9th c Ismail Samani (also spelled Ismoil Somoni), the father of the Tajiks, founded his powerful kingdom. The Somoni currency of Tajikistan is named for Ismail Samani. The highest mountain in Tajikistan and in the former Soviet Union, formerly known as Stalin Peak and Communism Peak, is named for him too - Ismoil Somoni Peak.
Today’s Dushanbe is a modern capital with good infrastructure. The city has a large number of streets and squares named for Tajik poets, writers and scholars, which is evidence of profound respect the Tajik show for their history.
During the excursion round the city you will see the monuments to Ismail Samani, Avicenna and Rudaki, the mausoleum of Saddriddin Ayni, and visit the Sadriddin Ayni Historical Museum and Ethnographical Museum with its impressive collection of ceramics, jewelry and other interesting objects. And, of course, you should certainly visit Barakat Bazaar - a real Oriental bazaar, which will undoubtedly make a pleasant impression on you.
Besides, you will have to make preparations for the journey to the Pamirs. You are having lunch in the hotel and spending the night there.
Day 2. Dushanbe - Blue Lake.
You are going to Blue Lake with a lot of breathtaking Pamir sceneries on the way.
You are spending the night in a guest house.
Day 3. Blue Lake - Kalai-Khumb.
You are moving on to Kalai-Khumb through 3,252-meter deep Haburabat Gorge! The small town Kalai-Khumb is situated on the banks of the rivers Humbob and Panj on the border with Afghanistan. Here you will have a good night rest in the local hotel.
Day 4. Kalai-Khumb - Khorog.
You are going Khorog - the capital of Kuhistani Badakhshon Autonomous Province of Tajikistan (called Gorno-Badakhshan AP in the Soviet times). Khorog is a handsome green town with a lot of huge poplars, hundreds of apple, apricot and mulberry trees. The valley Khorog lies in is quite narrow, so the town is elongated along one main street, which only adds to the distinctive charm of the town. Although the standard of living in Khorog is not high, a number of new hotels, guest houses, Tajik cuisine restaurants, and Internet cafes have been built there lately. The center of the town along the Pamir Highway has usual Soviet-style buildings, while along the river and on the hills on the outskirts there are a lot of colorful traditional Pamiri houses with large terraces. Before the October Revolution in 1917 there were two villages at the place of today’s Khorog, connected by mountain paths. Now the town is a regional administrative, trade, transportation and educational center.
You are spending the night in a local hotel.
Day 5. Khorog - Ishkashim (Tajikistan).
You are going to Ishkashim, an "urban-type village" located at a distance of 104 km from Khorog. Ishkashim lies on the Panj River forming the border with Afghanistan, with another Ishkashim across the river in this neighboring country. In Ishkashim you are visiting the sanatorium Garm Chashma, which is famous for its healing natural hot springs and mineral water. The area is also notable for its beautiful mountain landscapes and crystalline alpine streams.
You are spending the night in a guest house.
Day 6. Ishkashim - Langar (Tajikistan).
You are going to Langar - another village in the area (and there is another Langar in Afghanistan). Langar in Tadjikistan is famous for its petroglyphs - ancient drawings or carvings on rock. There are over 6,000 of them, depicting hunting episodes, horsemen, caravans…
You are also visiting the local history museum and the mausoleum of Shah Kambari Oftaba - the introducer of Ismailism (Shia Islam) in Langar. The mausoleum is a local shrine.
You are staying in a traditional guest house in the village, with hospitable Tajik hosts making meals for you.
Day 7. Wakhan.
Today you are getting to Wakhan itself! Wakhan is a district in Kuhistani Badakhshon Autonomous Province of Tajikistan (part of the historic Wakhan lies in Afghanistan as well), located along the upper Panj and Wakhan Rivers. Especially interesting are the Aryan peoples inhabiting Wakhan. Their culture is a surprising and colorful mixture of various religions, traditions and systems developed in harmony with the high-mountain surroundings. Making the history and cultural heritage of Wakhan were the famous Alexander the Great and his army with their Greek faith and following Greco-Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhists who built large monasteries in the area, the Arabs with Islam, the Mongolian conquerors whose help sought Sunni Muslims and Ismailites in their fight against each other… All of them left their traces in Wakhan - the traces so very well preserved high in the mountains.
Day 8. Langar - Khargush.
After breakfast you are going to the mountain pass Khargush (444 m). As you have safely got over it, you will reach the camp of chaban shepherds. From here you can see the border guard posts - it is the border with Afghanistan.
You are staying overnight with the shepherds.
Day 9. Lake Zorkul.
You are going up the Pamir River to Lake Zorkul, which is located at an altitude of about 4,000 m. Zorkul in Kyrgyz means "Large Lake". The expedition led by Lieutenant Wood, a British officer, discovered the lake in 1842. They named this natural wonder Victoria. The beauty of the lake impressed the British expedition so much, that the explorer and artist Sir Thomas Hordon shared it in one of his paintings.
The high-mountain Lake Zorkul is not just a picturesque sight. It is a unique Tajikistan’s gem of nature - a habitat of many rare species of birds and animals. By the way, even residents of Tajikistan cannot easily visit the place, since it is necessary to get a permission for getting there in the country’s border guard office: the nature reserve the lake is in is located at the Tajik-Afghan border.
Day 10. Lake Zorkul - Murgab.
Murgab is the most high-altitude town in the CIS (3,600 m). The town lies at the junction of the Pamir Highway that runs through the town and connects the region with Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, and the main road linking Tajikistan with China through Kulma Pass. The town was founded by the Russians as Pamir Post in 1893, as their last military outpost in Central Asia. The modern town was constructed during the Soviet times as a rest stop along the Pamir Highway and a transportation hub. It is the largest town in the eastern part of Kuhistani Badakhshon Autonomous Province, with a population of 4,000. Most of its residents are ethnic Kyrgyz, but their houses are rather traditional Tajik.
You will be able to see some of the life of the local people on the way and even make out in the distance the majestic peak of Muztag-Ata, the highest mountain of the district (7546 m). You are spending another night in a Murgab guest house.
Day 11. Murgab - Lake Karakul.
Today you are moving on through the mountain pass Ak-Bital (46 km) to the picturesque closed drainage lake Karakul at an altitude of 3,914 m. Lake Karakul is located 100 m higher than the famous Lake Titicaca in the Andes! The peninsula projecting from the south shore and an island off the north shore divide the lake into two basins: a smaller eastern one, which is relatively shallow, between 13 to 19 m, and a larger western one, with the depths of 221 to 240 m. The area of the lake is 380 square km. It lies within a circular depression interpreted as a meteorite impact crater with a rim diameter of 52 km. The impact occurred a little less than 5 million years ago. Karakul in Turkic means "black lake". They gave the lake this name because at certain times its waters turned blackish, as it was said. However, today it is not so. When the sun shines at a certain angle the crystalline water of the lake is either dark blue or dark green.
After a hike along the shore of "Black Lake", you will spend the night in a guest house.
Day 12. Lake Karakul - Tajik-Kyrgyz border (at 9 a.m.) - Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak.
After breakfast you are going down to Alai Valley to cross Tajik-Kyrgyz border. After you get through the customs, you will enter Kyrgyzstan where you will stop at the yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak - a giant icy mountain of over 7,000 m in height. The mountain stands on Tajik-Kyrgyz border and is officially called Ibn Sina Peak in Tajikistan and Lenin Peak (the former Soviet name) in Kyrgyzstan.
The yurt camp under Lenin Peak is like a small village. It is located at an altitude of 3600 m. You are going to stay in warm and cozy traditional yurts, equipped with heaters, furniture and electricity. All the necessary conditions for relaxation and comfort are guaranteed there. There is also an excellent bathhouse with a steam room, and a decent toilet. There is a doctor working in the camp, just in case, and, of course, wonderful cooks who will make tasty European and Kyrgyz dishes for you. Despite the height and great distance from civilization, the camp has a telephone you can use to call anywhere in the world, and even the Internet!
You are spending the night in a yurt.
Day 13. Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak.
After sound sleep in one of the world’s ecologically cleanest corners of the world and away from civilization, you are going on a hike around the camp. You may meet mountain climbers who have come to the camp to ascend Ibn Sina/Lenin Peak, learn about the life of people at this altitude or just enjoy the breathtaking sceneries and take photos.
You are spending another night in a yurt.
Day 14. Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak - Osh.
From the foot of Ibn Sina/Lenin Peak you are going down the scenic mountain road to the ancient city of Osh. The Kyrgyz call Osh their southern capital. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but the legends about the city connect its origin with Alexander the Great and even the prophet Solomon (Suleiman). According to one of the legends, once Suleiman and his army with a pair of oxen with a plow in front of him came to the area. When the oxen came up to the mountains, the king said, "Hosh!" ("Enough!"), which was what the name of the town built where the oxen stopped came from.
Osh is one of the oldest Central Asian settlements and is the oldest one in Kyrgyzstan. Archaeological finds prove that the city is at least 3000 years old. In the 10th c Osh was considered the third largest city in Fergana Valley. It was a crossroads of the caravan routes from India and China to Europe - those of the Great Silk Road, part of which you are moving along. In modern times Osh became the starting point of the Pamir Highway crossing the Pamirs to end in Khorog. Osh is also one of the Muslim religious centers in Central Asia; it has the largest mosque in the country. The only World Heritage Site in Kyrgyzstan, Suleiman Mountain, offers a splendid view of Osh and its environs. A cave in the mountain is the site of a museum containing a collection of archaeological, geological and historical finds and information about local flora and fauna. There are many legends about the mountain. It was named for the prophet Suleiman, who is believed to have been able to cure all the diseases.
After a long journey you are having a rest in a cozy hotel room.
Day 15. Osh - Bishkek (by air).
Bishkek is a young city; it was founded only in 1825, and so it has no ancient and medieval historical sights. However, the city is never boring, and has a lot to offer to a tourist as well. It boasts a remarkable oak park, for example, with sculptures and innumerable charming squirrels asking you for tidbits.
Near the oak park is the picture gallery Bishkek Vernisage where you can enjoy the works of Kyrgyz artists and craftsmen. Behind the gallery is the Alatau Square, the main square of the city, with the white-marble House of Government and fountains. There is also a stage for mass holiday performances in the square.
Day 16. Bishkek. Departure.
Your jeep tour has ended. You have seen the most important things in the Pamirs and its Wakhan Corridor. If you had more time, you would see more interesting places in the region, of course. Maybe, in the near future? The hospitable Central Asian countries will always welcome you.
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