Your itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Dushanbe
Begin your adventure in Dushanbe, the capital and cultural heart of Tajikistan, laid along the Varzob River and framed by the foothills of the Hissar Range.Most international flights arrive either late tonight or in the very early hours of Day 2, so we recommend booking pre-tour hotel nights to ease into the trip.Want more time in Dushanbe? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Day 2
Explore Dushanbe
Say hi to your leader and fellow travellers this morning, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.We leave the hotel around 10.30am and start exploring Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. We start with an overview of Tajik history at the National Museum of Antiquities, where we see a reclining Buddha statue. Next, we visit Mehrgon Market where we can try local fruits and learn Tajik bargaining skills.We have lunch (not included) in a cafe within a training centre run by the NGO Chatr, which means umbrella. The centre provides free courses to women who have suffered abuse.Later in the afternoon, we walk beside the fountains of Rudaki Avenue and visit the Rudaki Monument, dedicated to the founder of Tajik-Persian literature. We also see the Ismail Somoni monument to the first emir of the Tajik nation. Next stop is the Gurminj Musuem of Pamiri Musical Instruments. We end the day with the choice of a cooking class or pottery demonstration. The cooking class sees us learn about plov, the rice and meat-based national dish.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 3
To Kulob and Anjirob
We drive south from Dushanbe passing through hilly landscapes and pastures to reach Norak Dam. We continue to Hulbuk Fortress and museum in Vose to learn more about the regional history. Following a stop for lunch (not included) in the city of Kulob, we visit the mausoleum of Mir Said Ali Hamadani, a poet from Iran who preached Islam in Central Asia. Our drive continues over the Shurobod Pass to Anjirob, where we stay overnight with a local family.We cover around 150mi (240km) today on good roads, which takes about six hours with stops, with a maximum altitude of 2890 ft/880m. Daytime temperatures can be very high today.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 4
Markhor goats and a Zoroastrian water temple. Along the Afghan border into the Pamirs
Following a very early start, we drive to into the hills to view markhor goats, the largest member of the goat family, best known for their twisting horns. This animal-watching adventure can take about three hours including the driving. We do this very early while temperatures are cooler as chances of seeing the goats are better before the heat of the day sends them to shelter behind cool rocks. This can mean leaving our homestay at approximately 4 am (it is possible to remain at the homestay if you prefer). The goats are usually seen through binoculars or a telescope.As we continue our journey, the road squeezes through the gorge of the Panj River into the western Pamirs. The Panj forms the border with Afghanistan, which we follow for the next few days, allowing us to peer into Afghanistan along the way.On arrival in Kalai Khumb (altitude 1,270m), we walk in town or visit the Karon archaeological site, which is thought to be the last-surviving Zoroastrian water temple in Central Asia and has only been excavated relatively recently. There are fantastic mountain views from the site.There are about three hours of driving today (75mi/120km) mostly on good roads, with a maximum altitude of 1,270m.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 5
Along the Pamir Highway to Khorog
If we didn’t visit Karon yesterday, we do so this morning. We continue our drive along the Panj River, tracing the border, stopping for a box lunch along the way. Early afternoon, we reach Khorog, the capital of the mountainous Badakhshan region. At an altitude of around 6,800ft (2,100m), it sits in a narrow valley where the Shakhdara and Ghund rivers flow into the Panj. While small, the town is an important cultural centre with two universities and a theatre. We explore Khorog, walking through Chorbogh park.We drive for around seven hours (160mi/260km) today including stops, mostly on a poor road which is undergoing construction work in places which can sometimes delay our journey. Maximum altitude of 6,840ft (2,085m).
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 6
Into the Wakhan Valley
This morning, we visit Khorog bazaar. Here, we can purchase traditional goods, including juraby (woollen socks) and toki (colourful embroidered skullcaps). We also visit Khorog botanical gardens, high above the city.From Khorog, the Pamir Highway heads east. However, we’ll head south, continuing along the Panj River and the Afghan border. We stop at Garm Chashma, a small town home to sacred, sulphurous hot springs. Impressive white-yellow deposits are formed where the water flows out of the earth and cools. We continue to Ishkashim, where the valley widens and the waters of the Panj calm. This is the start of the Wakhan Valley, a legendary area in the Silk Road age. Always remaining in Tajikistan, we follow a route along the edge of the Wakhan Corridor, which once acted as a buffer between the Russian and British empires during the Great Game. This sliver of Afghanistan separates Tajikistan from Pakistan to the south. To the east lies the Xinjiang province of China.The Wakhan is home to mountain fortresses and numerous other intriguing sites. To the north are the Pamirs, to the south are the mountains of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram.We have a picnic lunch in Namadgut and visit Qah-Qaha fortress and Shohi Mardon shrine. We have views to Karl Marx Peak (22,057ft/6,723m) and Engels Peak (21,348ft/6,507m). In the evening, we reach Yamg and spend the night in a chid, a traditional Pamiri home. Following dinner, we have a demonstration of local Pamiri dances.We drive for around six hours today (155mi/250km) including stops, with a maximum altitude of 2,750m. The condition of the road today is generally reasonable.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 7
Exploring the Wakhan Valley
We start the day with a visit to the lovingly decorated Muborakkadam Wakhoni musuem. Wakhoni was a Sufi educator, astronomer and musician. We see a stone solar calendar in Yamg. Next, we drive back to Yamchun to visit an impressive mountain fortress giving us views across the Wakhan and its fertile gardens, fields and villages. We visit the thermal baths of Bibi Fatima and marvel at a Buddhist stupa in Vrang, plus observe numerous cliff caves once inhabited by Buddhist monks.In Zong, we can climb the imposing ruins of Abreshim Qala fortress and gain views of the Pamir and Wakhan rivers merging to form the Panj, which we’ve followed over much of the previous days. We spend the night in Langar.We drive for around four hours today with stops, covering around 40mi (70km) with a maximum altitude of 2,880m. Road conditions today are generally reasonable.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 8
The eastern Pamirs: Zorkul Lake and Jarty Gumbez
We visit Langar parish hall and an old shrine decorated with ibex and Marco Polo sheep antlers. A walk across flat granite slabs above the village takes us to an area of nearly 6,000 petroglyphs dating from the Bronze Age to the present. A detour takes us to the ruins of Ratm Castle. Heading along the Pamir River, we see a caravanserai on the other side and may see Bactrian camels.We pause at a military checkpoint then head towards Zorkul Lake (once known to the British as Lake Victoria), the landscape changes and the eastern Pamir plateau comes into view in front of us. The plateau has an average altitude of 13,000ft (4,000m) and the inhabitants call it Bam-i Dunya, the roof of the world. Leaving the (relatively speaking) main road behind us, we head to Jarty Gumbez, known for being home to hot springs, a sun calendar and the tombs of Scythian and Kyrgyz nomads. We may come across herds of Marco Polo sheep, which are giant, wild sheep with horns up to 5ft (160 cm) long. We have time to refresh in the hot springs.We travel for about six hours today, covering 80mi (130km), reaching our highest sleeping altitude of the trip at 4,110m. We travel off main roads today along rough and bumpy tracks which can be muddy.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 9
In search of Marco Polo sheep; Shorbuloq; to Murghab
We have an early start and head off with a ranger in search of Marco Polo sheep herds. It may take us a few hours to find them. The sheep are usually seen through binoculars or a telescope. If we’re lucky, we might see ibex too. After returning to the guesthouse, we visit Scythian burial grounds. We now head north, crossing the Ak-Bura Pass at 13,780ft (4,200m). We enter the lunar landscape of Shorbuloq, which has colourful rock formations and a cave with Bronze Age rock paintings at Shakhti. We pass Shorbuloq observatory, once an important Soviet observatory, located here due to the regular dry, cool and stable climate.In clear weather, we can see mountains in China: Muztag-Ata (24,757ft/7,546m) and Kongur (25,325ft/7,719m). In the late afternoon, we meet the Pamir Highway once again and head to Murghab, the administrative centre of the eastern Pamirs. Murghab was an important military station in the 19th century under the Tsars and later for Soviet Russia. Now the inhabitants are mostly Kyrgyz. There is a small bazaar, mosques and a cemetery, which are worth seeing.We have about four hours of travel today (80mi/130km), excluding looking for Marco Polo sheep. Our maximum altitude today is 11,875ft (3,620m). The first part of the day is on rough tracks. As we approach Murghab, we rejoin the Pamir Highway and the road conditions improve.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 10
Akbaital Pass and Karakul
We have a short tour around Murghab, seeing the market and yak house where we can purchase yak-wool handicrafts. Yurts were common in pre-Soviet times, but following construction of permanent houses they are less common.On our way to Karakul Lake, we reach the highest point of the Pamir Highway and our adventure: Akbaital Pass at 15,272ft (4,655m).We spend the night in Karakul (meaning Black Lake) at 12,800ft (3,900m) above sea level. The lake itself is 15mi (25km) wide and sits within a crater formed by a meteor impact millions of years ago. This is a cold, remote and hard place to live.We cover around 85mi (135km) today, taking about three hours, reaching the second highest altitude point in this trip of 13,000ft/3,950m. The road is reasonably good today.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 11
Into the Bartang Valley
We leave Karakul and the Pamir Highway and head southwest into the Bartang Valley. The road is particular rough and travel is very slow but we’re rewarded with a route few tourists take and spectacular mountain scenery. The name Bartang translates approximately as ‘narrow passage’ which is very apt. We stop at Shurali geoglyph and have a picnic lunch along the way.We stay the night in Ghudara village, partway along the valley. We drive for about five or six hours today with stops on the way, covering around 77mi (125km). Today’s maximum altitude is 3,010m. The road is rough.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 12
Castles and legends in the Bartang Valley
We continue slowly making our way through the Bartang Valley, enjoying the landscapes along the way. We stop at Savnob village to see a 19th-century castle and hear its legends. Inhabitants of the Bartang are among the most hospitable people in the Pamirs. We stay the next two nights in a chid in the village of Yemts with a carved-wood ceiling and square roof window. The interior of chids have symbols linked to the Ismaili faith.We travel for about six hours today (85mi/135km), with a maximum altitude of 2,060m. The road is rough.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 13
Walk in the Jizewdara Valley
We hike in one of the side valleys of Bartang today. You may remain in Yemts on your own if you don’t wish to do the hike. We start by crossing a long bridge over a river and can see tiny terraces, small orchards and fields. Barberry and buckthorn bushes line the narrow path that villagers from Jizew use to reach Bartang. The river is dammed by landslips in places forming small lakes. We have a picnic lunch along the way.Ascent: 1,640ft (500m); descent: 1,640ft (500m); walking distance: 8.5mi (14km); walking time: approximately six hours, with a maximum altitude of 2,060m. The road is rough.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 14
Return to Kalai Khumb
We visit an old mazar this morning, a shrine where Zoroastrianism and Ismailism mix. Shortly after leaving Yemts, we exit the Bartang and are back on the Pamir Highway and return to Kalai Khumb. Along the way, we pass white-sand dunes by the river. On the Afghan side, we see the network of tiny paths across steep rock walls, which used to be the only connections between villages. We stop for lunch (not included) and may have the chance to try local honey.On arrival in Kalai Khumb, we have a welcome night in a hotel for the first time in several days.We cover around 150mi (240km) today over about eight hours (including stops), with a maximum altitude of 1,270m. The road is poor today.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 15
Over the Saghir Dasht Pass to Dushanbe
This morning, we return to Dushanbe over the Saghir Dasht Pass (10,670ft/3,252m), a different route to the one we took on our outward journey. As we leave the high mountains of the Pamirs behind, the view changes completely. We have a break in Tavildara, where we can see the colourful rocks of Navruz Mountain. We pass orchards and villages and the landscape is increasingly green as we travel through the wide valleys of Vakhsh and Obikhingou.There are about eight hours of travel today, covering 210mi (340km).
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 16
End in Dushanbe
The trip ends today in Dushanbe. We begin our return journey home. Alternatively, if you’d like to explore a little more, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
When travelling in Tajikistan, be prepared for the meat-heavy cuisine of Central Asia. Over the centuries, it was influenced by various cultures, mainly Persian, Afghan and Russian. Beef and lamb are most commonly eaten. In the Pamirs, you might get to try yak meat in homestays. Different types of beans, grains, meat and vegetables are used. In general, the higher altitude and more remote the accommodation, the more basic the food. There is usually just one option at homestays and guesthouses. Food tends to be quite high in fat.
Non (a flatbread) is served first with meals. The centrepiece and national dish in Tajikistan and Central Asia is plov. The main ingredients are meat, oil, rice, shredded carrots, chickpeas, garlic and sometimes raisins.
The general meal during the trip is plov, qurutob (vegetarian), manti (steamed meat or pumpkin dumplings), different soups, sambusa (puff pastry with meat), laghman (noodle soup with meat), rice, french fries, shish kabab, fresh salads and fruits.
During picnic lunches, on the first days, apples, pears, watermelon, tomato and cucumber, cheese, sausages and salads will be served, followed by jam, honey, instant or espresso coffee, tea, dried fruits, candies, herbal tea, honey, cookies and bread. Dinners include a first and second course followed by various types of cooked salads, tea, dried fruits, biscuits, sweets, jam and honey.
Vegetarians and vegans can be catered for if we are aware before travel, though there will be limited choice. Other dietary requirements are likely to be difficult to accommodate on this trip. Please ask us.
Southern Tajik Heritage: Hulbuk Fortress & Mir Said Ali Hamadani Mausoleum
Discover two pillars of the south’s heritage. At Vose, walk the restored halls of Hulbuk Fortress, a medieval palace complex whose ceramics and carved stucco recall flourishing courts on the Silk Road. Exhibits in the adjacent museum add texture to the region’s pre-Mongol story.
In Kulob, step into the serene complex honoring Mir Said Ali Hamadani—the 14th-century Persian Sufi scholar. Beneath shade trees, locals pay quiet respects, reflecting the deep influence of Hamadani on Islamic learning across Central Asia.
Markhor Goat Viewing in the Foothills near Anjirob
Set out before dawn to search for markhor goats, the majestic, spiral-horned caprids of Central Asia. With binoculars and scope, scan sun-blushed cliffs while the air is cool and wildlife is active. Guides help spot distant silhouettes and explain behavior and habitat.
This is a patient, low-impact wildlife experience that rewards quiet observation. Expect sweeping views, the call of early birds, and the thrill of seeing a rare species in rugged terrain, often best observed from respectful distances.
Karon Archaeological Site: Zoroastrian Water Temple above Kalai Khumb
Visit the newly explored heights above Kalai Khumb to see the Karon archaeological site, believed by researchers to preserve a rare Zoroastrian water temple. The ridge-top setting frames the Pamirs in every direction, adding drama to the remains of sacred platforms and channels.
Your visit connects ancient ritual landscapes with today’s communities along the Panj. Guides outline excavation insights and local lore, inviting you to pause for photos and reflection where empires once vied and faith traditions overlapped.
Khorog Botanical Garden & Bazaar Walk
Ascend above town to wander one of the world’s highest botanical gardens, where alpine plots and poplars frame expansive views over Khorog. Learn how altitude and microclimate shape cultivation on the upper Panj and see species curated from across the Pamirs.
Back in the valley, explore the lively bazaar for dried apricots, nuts, and Pamiri handicrafts. This gentle cultural immersion blends mountain botany with everyday market rhythms in the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan.
Garm Chashma Sacred Hot Springs
Visit the mineral-rich terraces of Garm Chashma hot springs, long revered for their sulphurous waters and healing reputation. See shimmering pools and travertine formations where hot water emerges, cools, and deposits gleaming white and amber crusts.
Local custom and belief fuse with the landscape here, offering a window into mountain spirituality. You’ll have time to pause for photos and reflection and appreciate the contrast between steamy outflows and high-country air.
Wakhan Fortresses & Sacred Sites: Qah-Qaha, Yamchun & Bibi Fatima, Vrang Buddhist Stupa
Trace millennia of belief and power along the Wakhan. Climb to the stone ramparts of Qah-Qaha Fortress and the eagle-nest citadel of Yamchun for sweeping views across the corridor to the Hindu Kush. Soak in the legend-steeped waters at Bibi Fatima hot springs.
At Vrang, stand by a weathered Buddhist stupa and cave cells that recall pre-Islamic pilgrimage routes. This concentrated circuit brings Silk Road layers—Buddhist, Islamic, and local folk traditions—into vivid relief against glacier-cut ranges.
Muborakkadam Wakhoni Museum & Stone Solar Calendar (Yamg)
Step into the home-museum dedicated to scholar and Sufi polymath Muborakkadam Wakhoni, whose curiosity spanned astronomy, music, and education. Exhibits illuminate Pamiri lifeways and the intellectual currents that coursed through this remote valley.
Outdoors, examine the village’s stone solar calendar—a simple yet precise device used to mark seasonal change. The pairing of household artifacts and sky-watching lore captures the woven fabric of science and spirituality in the Wakhan.
Langar Petroglyphs, Ratm Castle & Horn-Shrine
Walk a granite slope above Langar to find nearly 6,000 Bronze Age-to-modern petroglyphs—ibex, hunters, and caravan lines etched by generations. The panorama sweeps across irrigated fields to stark ridges on the Afghan side.
Nearby, explore the ruins of Ratm Castle and a local shrine adorned with ibex and Marco Polo sheep horns, vivid emblems of mountain reverence. Guides decode symbols and stories that bind wildlife, livelihood, and belief.
Zorkul Plateau & Jarty Gumbez: Hot Springs, Sun Calendar & Nomad Tombs
Journey onto the high-altitude steppe toward Zorkul Lake, where the landscape opens into ochre plains and distant snow ridges. At Jarty Gumbez, unwind in on-site hot springs and examine a simple sun calendar used by herders to track seasons.
Scattered Scythian and Kyrgyz kurgan tombs hint at ancient passage across this crossroads. The thin, crisp air, a sense of immensity, and sightings of nomad camps define the eastern Pamirs’ stark beauty.
Marco Polo Sheep Tracking with Ranger
Team up with a local ranger to track herds of Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii), the giant wild sheep of the Pamirs famed for their impressive spiral horns. Using scopes, scan ridgelines and scree slopes where the animals move with surprising grace.
This ethical, low-disturbance search deepens understanding of high-plateau ecology, from predator-prey dynamics to the conservation challenges facing this emblematic species in a vast, wind-etched landscape.
Shorbuloq Lunar Landscapes & Shakhti Petroglyph Cave
Traverse the lunar badlands of Shorbuloq, where mineral pigments streak hillsides in reds, ochres, and purple-grey. The silence and scale invite unhurried photography and contemplation.
Visit the Shakhti rock-art cave and learn how researchers read faint figures and hunting scenes preserved for millennia. A glimpse of the shuttered Soviet-era observatory recalls nights when astronomers targeted these cloudless skies for deep-space study.
Ak-Baital Pass Summit & Karakul Lake Crater Basin
Crest the highest point of the Pamir Highway at Ak-Baital Pass (4,655m), a stark saddle swept by cold winds and endless horizons. Descend to the broad, steel-blue expanse of Karakul Lake, set in an ancient meteor-impact basin.
The austere shoreline, distant snowcaps, and high-light clarity make this a photographer’s dream. Learn how altitude shapes life here, from yak-herding rhythms to seasonal migrations along the plateau.
Murghab Market & Yak-Wool Handicrafts
Take a short orientation around Murghab, the administrative hub of the eastern Pamirs. At the container-style market and yak house, see warm shawls, socks, and rugs made from yak wool, and hear how craft cooperatives support Kyrgyz families through long winters.
Remnants of Tsarist and Soviet outposts linger in this frontier setting, adding historical context to a town sustained by trade, herding, and road-station life.
Bartang Valley Shurali Geoglyph
Stop to view the enigmatic Shurali geoglyph, etched into the valley floor along one of Tajikistan’s most secluded routes. Guides outline current theories—ritual marker, wayfinding sign, or communal artwork—while the river’s roar underscores Bartang’s wild reputation.
The setting, hemmed by steep walls and narrow bends, highlights why Bartang translates as a “narrow passage” and why this route remains one of the Pamirs’ least-traveled corridors.
Savnob Castle Legends & Village Visit
Call at Savnob to explore a modest 19th-century castle whose crumbling walls once guarded the Bartang. Hear local legends—of feuds, floods, and folk heroes—that keep memory alive in this tightly knit valley community.
Between stone houses and irrigated plots, learn how agriculture clings to steep terrain. The hospitality of Bartangi villagers and their distinct language varieties reveal the cultural mosaics of these side valleys.
Jizewdara Valley Hike between Remote Villages
Walk a classic Pamiri footpath into the Jizewdara side valley, crossing a long bridge and climbing beside terraced fields and barberry and buckthorn hedges. Lakes formed by natural landslips add mirrored stillness to the route.
With around 14km of hiking and 500m ascent/descent, this is a moderate day focused on village-to-village connection, mountain agriculture, and the rhythms of life beyond the highway. Expect ample time to pause for photos and reflection.
Syncretic Mazar near Yemts: Zoroastrian-Ismaili Shrine
Visit a modest mazar (shrine) where traditions interweave—Zoroastrian echoes meeting Ismaili devotion in offerings, horn motifs, and votive ribbons. The site embodies centuries of respectful layering rather than replacement.
Guides outline how belief adapts in high valleys where communities are small and seasons harsh. It’s a quiet, resonant stop that deepens understanding of spiritual continuity in the Pamirs.
Wakhan Pamiri Dance Demonstration
Experience an evening of Pamiri dance and music hosted in a traditional chid (Pamiri house) with its emblematic ceiling and single ravzana skylight. Movements and songs reflect mountain seasons, courtship, and community celebration.
This intimate performance connects architecture, hospitality, and art, offering a warm window onto Wakhan cultural life in a setting where guests and hosts share tea and stories.
Dushanbe Plov Cooking Class
Join a hands-on session to learn the craft of Tajik plov, the fragrant rice and meat dish at the heart of local hospitality. Chop carrots, scent oil with garlic, and balance spices as you cook alongside a local instructor.
Hear how recipes vary across regions and occasions, then share a tasting. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; availability is typically one evening in Dushanbe.
Dushanbe Pottery Workshop
Try your hand at throwing a clay vessel under the guidance of a local artisan. Learn how Tajik potters prepare clay, center the wheel, and carve simple motifs inspired by Silk Road patterns and mountain flora.
Take home a small piece (or have it finished on your behalf) and gain insight into a craft that threads daily life and ceremony. This workshop is at additional cost and bookable on tour.
Dushanbe City Highlights: National Museum, Rudaki Monuments & Gurminj Instruments
Explore Tajikistan’s capital on a curated introduction to its culture and history. Visit the National Museum of Antiquities to see the famed reclining Buddha of Ajina-Tepa, browse colorful produce at Mehrgon Market, and stroll elegant Rudaki Avenue to the Rudaki and Ismail Somoni monuments.
At the intimate Gurminj Museum of Pamiri Musical Instruments, encounter the sounds of the high Pamirs—rubab, tanbur, and doyra—and hear how music threads through everyday life. Expect a balanced mix of galleries, street life, and capital-city atmosphere during your time in Dushanbe.
