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The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range formed by the junction of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Hindu Kush and a number of other ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the Roof of the World, translated from pamir. The Pamirs are also called the Foot of the Sun. They are not only a natural wonder; they have a long and interesting history, which is also the history of the Alai Mountains, Tian Shan, Tibet, Hindu Kush, Karakorum, and Turkestan.
The Pamir Highway is very isolated and hard-to-reach, but it is really worth visiting to feel the grandeur of the wild. In fact, it is the remoteness and virginity of the area that attracts many travelers to it. The tour along the Pamir Highway, full of contrasts, exoticism and striking beauty of nature, will undoubtedly amaze anyone who goes on it.
Central Asia Travel offers you the opportunity to reach the very foot of the sun. Happy journey!
Best time to travel: May - September
Itinerary:
| Day 1. | Arrival in Tashkent. Excursion. |
| Day 2. | Tashkent - Samarkand. |
| Day 3. | Samarkand - Jartepa (Uzbek-Tajik border) - Penjikent. |
| Day 4. | Penjikent - Dushanbe. |
| Day 5. | Dushanbe. |
| Day 6. | Dushanbe - Blue Lake. |
| Day 7. | Blue Lake - Kalai-Khumb. |
| Day 8. | Kalai-Khumb - Khorog. |
| Day 9. | Khorog. |
| Day 10. | Khorog - Jelondi - Lake Bukunkul. |
| Day 11. | Jelondi - Murgab. |
| Day 12. | Murgab - Lake Karakul. |
| Day 13. | Lake Karakul - Tajik-Kyrgyz border - Yurt camp under Ibn Sina Peak/Lenin Peak. |
| Day 14. | Yurt camp under Lenin Peak. |
| Day 15. | Yurt camp under Lenin Peak - Osh. |
| Day 16. | Osh - Margilan - Fergana. |
| Day 17. | Fergana - Rishtan - Kokand - Tashkent. |
| Day 18. | Tashkent. Departure. |
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The cost of the tour in USD for 1 person: | ||||||
|
Group |
2 |
3-4 |
5-6 |
7-9 |
10-15 |
SGL supplement |
|
Hotels of 2-3* |
2875 |
2465 |
2395 |
2355 |
2310 |
170 |
|
Hotels of 3-4* |
3070 |
2635 |
2540 |
2515 |
2485 |
230 |
The cost tour includes:
| • | Accommodation at the hotels on twin/double share with breakfast: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| • | Services of the driver with comfortable transport during the tour, including airport - hotel - airport transfers; | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| • | Sightseeing tour in each city; | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| • | Entry fees to the base monuments of each city; | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| • | The cost of Bukhara - Tashkent railway ticket; | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| • | Full board in “Pamir Expeditions” yurt camp; | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| • | Visa support in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. |
The cost tour does not include:
| • | International air fare; |
| • | Visa fee; |
| • | Medical insurance; |
| • | Photo and video shooting at museums and monuments. |
Additional service:
| • | Board: | |
| - | Half board - 145USD/per person/on all route; | |
| - | Full board - 295USD/per person/on all route; | |
| • | Services of accompany guide - 545USD for tour. | |
Additional Information:
Necessary documents.
In order to make this tour you need to get visas to the following countries:
| • | Uzbekistan - double-entry visa; |
| • | Tajikistan - single-entry visa; |
| • | Kyrgyzstan - single-entry visa. |
The list of the documents necessary to apply for a visa may vary greatly depending on the country of your residence (e. g. the citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan (for the period of 60 days) and Kazakhstan can enter Uzbekistan without a visa, because Uzbekistan has bilateral agreements on visa-free travel with all CIS countries except Tajikistan and Turkmenistan). General guidelines on visa application process and the list of necessary documents can be found here. If you need more detailed information, please, contact our tour operators.
General recommendations:
- If possible all necessary documents to enter/exit all countries of the tour must be prepared before your arrival to the starting point of the tour;
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the supposed ending date of the tour.
Transport.
You are supposed to use the following type of transport en route:
Car/Minibus/Bus (depending on the size of the group) will be used in all other cases en route. This type of transportation is also included into the price of the tour.
Accommodation en route.
There are two supposed types of accommodation for this tour:
Hotels - we choose the most comfortably located and proven hotels to accommodate our travelers. Below you will find the list of the recommended hotels, however, due to seasonal conditions and group size the list is subject to change.
Yurts and guest houses - You will have to spend some of the nights during the tour in yourts and guest houses, since they are most comfortable and cost reasonably. Electricity and other necessary amenities are provided in them.
Detailed tour description:
Day 1. Arrival in Tashkent. Excursion.
You have finally landed at Tashkent International Airport. Welcome to the Orient! You cannot wait to set out on a journey to the Pamirs, but we advise you to wait a little. The Oriental culture, based on meditation and thoughtfulness, does not accept haste. First you are welcomed and accommodated in a hotel.
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the fourth largest CIS city with the population of over 2,2 million. Tashkent consists of two parts - the Old Town and the modern part. The name Old Town is self-explanatory: there you will see madrasahs (Muslim colleges), mausoleums and an Oriental bazaar - the evidence of the past; in the modern part there are, of course, modern parks, squares and buildings, some of which are also extremely pleasing to the eye.
The excursion begins in the Old Town. First you are seeing Barak-Khan Madrasah. This remarkable architectural monument of the 16th с is located in the center of the Old Town, in Khast-Imam Square. The madrasah is surrounded with old adobe homes, almost like in the past. Today the madrasah houses the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. There is also a large library of Oriental manuscripts in the building. In a special room there the world-famous Osman’s Koran is kept. It dates back to the 7th c. Along with the Sana"a manuscripts, Osman’s Koran is considered to be the oldest in the world. The manuscript has 353 large parchment pages. It was kept in the caliphs’ treasuries for centuries. During Tamerlane’s times the manuscript was brought to Samarkand. In the 19th с it was taken to St. Petersburg, where Russian scientists proved it was genuine. After the October Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, in an act of good will to the Muslims of Russia gave this Koran to the people of Ufa, Bashkortostan. In 1924, after repeated appeals by the people of Turkestan ASSR, the Koran was returned to Central Asia, to Tashkent, where it has since remained.
Next sight of the excursion is Yunus-Khan Mausoleum. It was built in the 15th с in honor of Yunus-Khan, a Tashkent ruler. Yunus-Abad, one of today’s Tashkent district, was named for him. The building is still in good condition and is quite impressive.
Kafal-al-Shashi Mazar of the 16th с is an asymmetrical domed mausoleum-khanaka. Khanaka (also transliterated as khanqah, khaniqah) is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation. In the past, and to a lesser extent nowadays, khanakas often served as hospices for Sufi travelers and Islamic students who lived there in khujra cells. The mausoleum was built in the 10th с over the grave of Kafal-al-Shashi - the famous Islamic missionary and mystic poet. Later, after the mausoleum was reconstructed, it became an Islamic shrine and a place of pilgrimage.
Kukeldash Madrasah of the 16th с is another Tashkent gem of historical buildings. It is located near Chor-Su, a large Oriental bazaar, and is one of the 23 madrasahs built under the direction of Kukeldash, a minister of Shaybanid sultans. Kukeldash means ‘milk brother’. The minister and the ruler were fed with the same milk. The madrasah still functions as an Islamic college, which is quite notable.
Now let us take a look at the modern part of the city. First you are visiting the Museum of Applied Arts. The arts and crafts traditions of the Uzbeks are centuries-old. In the museum you will see the collection of the best pieces of Uzbek crafts as to the provinces of the country: Chust knives, Rishtan ceramics, Margilan satins, Bukhara gold embroideries and many other fine things.
Not far from the museum is the Independence Square - the main square of the country in the center of Tashkent. It is the place where mass outdoor festivities take place. Last year an impressively large arch was built in the square. In the evening little lights on the floor illuminate the arch in a fabulous cosmic-like way. From the square you can take a 15-minute stroll to the beautiful building of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Then you are going to the Istiklol Square - the second largest square of the city. It is another place of mass outdoor festivities. There is also a concert hall where local and foreign artists perform regularly.
We recommend that you get to the sights by metro - no traffic lights and jams. When it is hot, the metro in Tashkent is the coolest means of transportation. The phrase ‘Tashkent metro is the most beautiful!’ is often said by both Tashkent residents and guests. Right, every station of Tashkent metro has a remarkable and distinctive interior; every station is worth visiting for the purpose of aesthetic pleasure. However, taking photos in Tashkent metro is forbidden.
As the first day of your trip ends, you have a good night rest in a cozy hotel room.
Day 2. Tashkent - Samarkand (330 km, 5-6 hours). Excursion round Samarkand.
After breakfast you are going to Samarkand. You have most probably heard about this ancient city. Samarkand still keeps the aura of Asian Middle Ages. It has very long and extremely interesting history. In 1220 Genghis Khan’s hordes destroyed Samarkand almost completely, but 150 years later, during the times of Tamerlane, it became the capital of a huge empire. The city boasts a number of extraordinary architectural monuments.
On a small hill at the entrance to the city stands Khazrat-Khyzr Mosque. It was destroyed by Genghis Khan’s hordes and restored in the 19th c. From the hill you can have an impressive view of the historical Shakh-i-Zinda Necropolis, the city bazaar and distant mountains.
After you check in, you will have enough time to see some of the sights of the city: Rukhabad Necropolis (15th c) where some of the hair of Mohammed the Prophet are kept, according to a legend; Bibi-Khanum Mosque (15th c), which was built by 200 best architects and 500 workers brought from all the corners of Tamerlane’s empire, and 95 elephants - one of the biggest mosques in the Islamic world; and Ulughbek Observatory (15th c) where you will see a section of a medieval mural sextant, once the world’s largest. Ulughbek, Tamelane’s grandson, was an astronomer, scientist and architect. His astronomical discoveries greatly advanced knowledge in the field.
Another point of interest is Shakh-i-Zinda Necropolis (12th - 15th c). It is a complex of more than 20 mausoleums with 44 tombs; most of them are of Tamerlan’s relatives, military and clergy aristocracy. The main of them is the mausoleum of Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of Muhammad the Prophet. Shakh-i-Zinda means ‘living king’. According to a legend, Kusam ibn Abbas came to Samarkand with Arab conquerors to preach Islam. He was beheaded for faith in the city, but took his head and went down to a deep well where he remains alive.
You may decide to go to Gur-Emir Mausoleum, the mausoleum of Tamerlane and the family crypt of the Timurid Dynasty. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tomb of Tamerlane with the world’s largest piece of jade (greenstone), and the tombs of his two sons, two grandsons, and teacher.
And it is, of course, Registan - the main Samarkand attraction, the most spectacular Central Asian square with three fascinating madrasahs built in the 15th and the 16th c. All of them boast stunning mosaics and almost all the other types of Central Asian interior and exterior decoration at its best.
You are spending the night in a hotel.
Day 3. Samarkand - Jartepa (Uzbek-Tajik border) - Penjikent.
After breakfast you are going to the crossing border point Jartepa on Uzbek-Tajik border. On passing through the customs, you enter Tajikistan and head for the first Tajik city on your way - Penjikent.
Penjiknet is one of the oldest Central Asian cities. It is 5500 years old. The name of the city means ‘five settlements’. The history of the city seems to have begun from a group of five settlements. In the 5th - 8th с Penjikent was one of the most important cultural and artisan centers of Zoroastrian Sogdiana. In those times the city was even called Central Asian Pompeii. Ancient Penjikent was a well-fortified and well-organized town with a ruler’s palace, two temples, bazaars, and a lot of wooden and stone sculptures of ancient gods.
On the outskirts of the modern city you will have and impressive view of the ruins of the old town: its medieval citadel surrounded by homes, large necropolis and Zoroastrian fire temple. The residents of the city call the ruins of the old town for the nearby spring Kaynar. Russian archaeologist Boris Marshak spent more than fifty years excavating the ruins at Panjikent. He remained there even after Tajik independence as director of the excavation. Through close cooperation with the government of Tajikistan, Boris Marshak ensured the protection and continued excavation of Penjikent ruins. An important feature of the ruins is frescoes that show details of dress and daily life.
You will have an opportunity to see Sogdian architectural masterpieces you find nowhere else, even in other Asian countries. Tajik art you will see in Penjikent is unique in terms of having Byzantine, Indian and Persian features.
You are spending the night in a hotel.
Day 4. Penjikent - Dushanbe.
After breakfast you set out on an exciting journey through Azob Gorge and have lunch on the way. After a rest in a hotel in Dushanbe you will have time to see the city and learn some interesting facts from its history. 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. Dushanbe means ‘Monday’ in Tajik. The name reflects the fact that the city grew on the site of a village that originally was a popular Monday marketplace. The city looks very cozy. Its picturesque combination of modern buildings, abundance of greenery and breathtaking beauty of the mountains in the background is very impressive.
You are spending the night in a hotel.
Day 5. Dushanbe.
Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikistan, the largest Tajik city with a population of 680,000 - the political, cultural and economical center of the country. 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. Now it is 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.
After breakfast you are going on an 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.
You will also have to make preparations for the journey to the Pamirs. You will have meals and spend the night in the hotel.
Day 6. 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 7. Blue Lake - Kalai-Khumb.
You are moving on to Kalai-Khumb through 3,252-meter deep Haburabat Gorge! The town Kalai-Khumb is situated on the banks of the rivers Humbob and Pyanj at the border with Afghanistan. Here you will have a good night rest in the local hotel.
Day 8. Kalai-Khumb - Khorog.
You are going to Khorog (also transliterated as Khoroq, Khorogh, or Khorugh) - 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 buildings are of typical Soviet style and traditional Pamiri. The center of the town along the Pamir Highway has usual Soviet buildings, while along the river and on the hills on the outskirts there are a lot of colorful traditional Tajik houses with large terraces. Before the October Revolution in 1917 there were two villages at the place of today’s Khorog. Now the town is a regional administrative, trade, transportation and educational center.
You are spending the night in a local hotel.
Day 9. Khorog.
You are going on an excursion around Khorog, its environs, and Pamir Botanical Garden - the second highest botanical garden in the world, after Nepal’s. The garden has an impressive collection of European, American, and even African and Australian plants. It is located at an altitude of 2320 m east of Khorog, on the terraces along the river Shakhdara. You are also visiting the resort Garm-Chashma (‘hot spring’) built in 1957 at mineral springs. The resort is located at a distance of 42 km southeast of Khorog. It is widely famed for the healing power of its hot springs and its favorable climate, which greatly contribute to curing many illnesses. The springs sit high upon their huge white mount of sulfur deposits, forming stalactites and vapor spilling out into the chilly mountain air. Trenches were dug up and down the mountain, feeding the almost-boiling water into bathhouses and the nearby rest house. There is also a small pool dug as a reservoir for the freshest, hottest water. In the past the locals considered the springs holy. They used to put various cult objects and lights in the little niches in the rocks at the springs.
After you get back to Khorog, you spend the night in a local hotel.
Day 10. Khorog - Jelondi - Bulunkul Lake.
From Khorog you are moving on to Murgab. The highest mountain passes are still ahead. There are a few roads to get to Murgab. One of them runs through Jelondi, a small village famous for its spouting hot springs. After a rest in a guest house you are going on a short hike to Bulunkul Lake. The water of the lake is fresh, it has lots of aquatic plants. You may see ducks and geese on the lake, and seagulls scurrying over it. It is the lake where first Pamiri fishery was one organized. From May to September-October fishermen put nets in the mouths of the rivers flowing into the lake and catch Diptychus osmans and Schizothorax marinkas. After the hike, you will spend the night in a Jelondi guest house.
Day 11. Jelondi - Murgab.
You are going on to Murgab, the highest town in the CIS. It is located at an altitude of 3600 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 place 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 12. Murgab - Karakul Lake.
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 meters, 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 Lake Karakul, you will spend the night in a guest house.
Day 13. Lake Karakul - Tajik-Kyrgyz border (at 9 a.m.) - Yurt camp under 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 first stop at the yurt camp under Lenin Peak - a giant icy mountain that is over 7,000 m high. 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 14. Yurt camp under 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 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.
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