- Drive along the spectacular Pamir Highway
- Enjoy views to the Hindu Kush and Karakorum mountains
- Peer across the Panj river into Afghanistan
- Trace the lines of the Wakhan Corridor, a region associated with the Great Game
- Visit archaeological sites and remnants of the Silk Road
- Search for Marco Polo sheep and markhor goats
- Take a day walk between remote villages in Bartang
Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway & beyond
16 Days
Excluding Flights
16 Days
from
Culture
Activity Level
Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you
Comfort Level
Simple
Itinerary
Dushanbe Dushanbe
Arrive Dushanbe
Arrive into Dushanbe today (or very early morning next day) and overnight.
Accommodation: Atlas Hotel (or similar)
Fly to Dushanbe
Fly to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Flights usually arrive in the early hours of the morning of the following day. We’ll be met at the airport and driven to the hotel.
Accommodation: Atlas Hotel (or similar)
Explore Dushanbe
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.
Accommodation: Atlas Hotel (or similar)
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Guesthouse
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), Khorog 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, and visit Ruzbeh, a public organisation running community projects, such as support for the elderly and media literacy for teenagers.
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 2,085m.
Accommodation: Lal Inn (or similar)
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Guesthouse
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 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.
Overnight at Pamir Hotel (or similar)
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
Walk in the Jizewdara Valley
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.
Accommodation: Homestay
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.
Accommodation: Karon hotel (or similar)
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).
Accommodation: Atlas Hotel (or similar)
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.
Fly to London
We fly back from Dushanbe to London in the early hours of this morning.
Homestays, guest houses and hotels
Most of the accommodation on this trip is in homestays (seven nights) and guesthouses (two nights). The remaining six nights are in hotels. The single supplement only applies to Dushanbe and Khorog.
Homestays are basic (see Essential Information for more detail) but are the only option in many places and are the best way to gain an insight into life in this region and meet local people. Some homestays have the option of sleeping on a tapchan (a large platform/bed) outside.
Some homestays are in traditional Pamiri houses called chids. These have philosophical and religious significance. The main room is divided into a few sections, such as a cooking and sleeping area, a place to study or keep clothes, and has only one window called a ravzana. The ceiling symbolises four elements of the universe: fire, earth, air and water.
Dinner in a homestay usually consists of two courses: a bowl of soup and a main dish with sides, homemade bread and jam. Usually, it is noodles or rice soup with or without meat, stewed or fried potatoes, plov, and fried vegetables with beef. Expect jam, sweets, biscuits and jurgot, a local Greek yoghurt made from yak or cow milk. For breakfast, a traditional meal is shirchoy, a mixture of milk, butter and salt boiled with black tea leaves. Pieces of bread and a little pepper can be added.
In Dushanbe, we stay in a four-star hotel (local rating). We pass through Kalai Khumb twice. On our outbound journey, we use a homestay, on the return journey we stay in a three-star (local rating) hotel, which will be welcome after several nights in homestays. In Khorog, we stay in a pleasant local-style hotel. In Murghab, we stay in a very modest hotel.
Atlas Hotel Dushanbe:
Karon Hotel, Kalai Khumb:
Lal Inn, Khorog:
Jarty Gumbez guesthouse:
This guesthouse has its own hot springs, great for relaxing after a long drive.
Pamir Hotel, Murghab:
Trip Experts
Tom Manchester
Product Manager Middle East & Central Asia
Reviews
Add your own reviewAn Adventure Above and Beyond. Kris and Garth.
If you want a truly off the beaten track adventure then this is the one for you.
Magnificent scenery, friendly hosts, culture and flora and fauna.
Most Inspirational Moment
Travelling along the Pamir Highway along the Afghan border, Wakhan corridor, Chinese border to Lake Karakul then down the Bartang valley is to say the least truly spectacular. If you are a nature lover there are flowers especially, birds and some animals. Homestays were above our expectations with very friendly hosts. Organisation by the host travel agency was excellent. Reliable four wheel drive vehicles with experienced drivers, on very demanding roads, made the journey exceptional.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide, Didorali, was thrown in at the deep end when our original guide Sherali had a family emergency. Didorali was very friendly and spoke excellent English. He managed all situations well and organised our hotel and homestays efficiently. He always made sure that the group was sorted before he thought of himself. Although this is a review of our leader we would like to mention the friendliness and excellent driving skills of our drivers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long days travelling over very rough roads. Three per vehicle means that you all have excellent views on a seat rotating basis. As the only couple we were fortunate enough to have our own room everywhere otherwise you may have to share. There were hot showers everywhere except at the highest homestay which had a thermal pool. In some homestays there was only one toilet and they could be outside. They were always clean and western style. Food was plentiful but limited for vegetarians. We had no health issues with food or altitude. Having travelled widely this trip would certainly rank in our Top Ten. We recommend the trip to anyone with a true spirit of adventure who appreciate that all home comforts may not be available. GO FOR IT!
Adventure in the Pamir
This was truly an adventurous trip, in fact an intrepid 4×4 adventure into one of the least travelled parts of the world. The constantly changing scenery, geography and geology was often mind-blowing due to its vastness and beauty, especially with the spring flowers in bloom. Photographs do not do any justice. There are also stunning views looking into Afghanistan, Pakistan and China. The trip gave a brief insight into the culture and lives of the people. This was a well designed trip exploring as much of the Pamirs as possible in the short time period!!
Most Inspirational Moment
Literally too many to choose! Following the Afghan border through the Whakan Valley seeing the Afghans going about their daily business; watching the Panj and Bartang rivers crash through narrow canyons; views across the Whakan Valley into the snow capped mountains of Pakistan; the remoteness of Lake Zorkul and Bam-i Dunya (the roof of the world); Lake Karakul surrounded by snowy mountains; driving through the Bartang Valley; the walk up to the village and lake of Jizewdara Valley. Finally the friendliness and welcome of the Tajikistan people, especially in the home stays. Many certainly could not do enough to make our stay more comfortable and memorable.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Having stepped in on Day 3 after we had already started, Didorali did really well. He was well organised, pleasant and courteous. He worked well with all the drivers and made sure that we were all sorted at home stays, hotels, etc and at mealtimes before sorting himself. The drivers were excellent and fully proficient in handling the off-road (and sometimes not even off-road) conditions and extreme weather conditions. Despite limited English they tried to engage in conversation and were good fun on the long days with their music and occasional dancing!
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a truly adventurous off-road trip. Creature comforts were not always there, but many of the home stays exceeded expectations, having hot showers although a few had little more than a basin to clean up at. Everywhere we stayed had western style toilets, albeit sometimes only one, which might be a short trek outside and often with a queue! Much of the home stay and guesthouse accommodation is shared, not en-suite and sometimes not in separate private rooms; maybe just a corridor or a platform where a mattress could be placed, or even outdoors if you wish. Ear plugs were a necessity, especially if you were in the corridor leading from all the other rooms to the toilet, or to the kitchen when the home stay owners started to prepare for breakfast at a very early hour! On the whole the food at the home stays and guesthouses was good and plentiful, but was occasionally quite limited, especially some of the breakfasts, just bread and jam. The drives are long, bumpy and dusty. Some days are very long especially the journey between Kalai Khumb and Khorog (on the way out and back) due to a landslide but mainly the planned roadworks that closed sections of the road for several hours at a time. Efforts were made to travel to avoid the roadworks (a very early start) but going the landslide meant this did not work and on the return the construction workers just decided to start work early! Be prepared to sit around for several hours. More often where we stopped there was no shade from the fierce sun, and with no opportunity to buy food or snacks. Meal times were quite random with often long periods between meals. I would certainly recommend bringing plenty of snacks or buying them in the market in Dushanbe, as there are little to no options after that except places like Khorog or Murghob. The trip notes originally mentioned changing $200 to cover all expenses not covered (now states $100). There are limited opportunities to buy souvenirs, snacks, etc, so most people ended up having about or more than $100 left. However, this can be used for tips. Also note that changing US dollars with older larger denomination notes ($50 or 100) comes at a much inferior rate. If you have these then make sure that they are the latest version or use small denominations.
A fabulous journey through the Wackhan valley to the remote and untouched Pamir mountains
This was the first trip Exodus have done to this area.. There is spectacular and varied scenery on route, wonderful people and definitely a journey to remember. I loved every minute of it.
If you like an adventure, travelling to relatively unexplored areas, enjoy Mountains, like an insight into the lives and culture of the local people and their history and don’t mind roughing it a bit, this is a trip for you.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were several ..
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide Didorali was excellent, as too were all the drivers.
ATJ: Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway and Beyond
This was a totally amazing and very real adventure! One of my all time favorites; for me, it ranks with Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda. It’s not for the faint of heart – it’s tough and yet worth every squat on a toilet, dust in the eyes, bumpy roads and lack of privacy. It makes one feel totally alive. Plus it’s an incredibly beautiful and fascinating country filled with lovely people!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Didorali was an amazing tour guide. Solicitous, intelligent and speaks excellent English
An amazing adventure in a stunning country
No words or photos can really do justice to this trip, but, to give you an idea, it went straight into my top 3 trips ever, alongside Zim/Bots/Namibia and Falklands/S Georgia/Antarctica, even though I has a bad case of travellers’ tummy.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hard to pick, but either the stunning river valley along the Afgan border, the extraordinary scenery in the very remote area between Lake Zorkul/Djartygubez and re-joining the Pamir Highway.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tour leader was well organised and very helpful. Ideally he'd have known more about plants and birds etc, but as he stepped in at the last minute, due to the planned leader (who was more of a mountain guide) having a family emergency, he did extremely well. The drivers are exceptional. They minimised the bumps and made me feel safe on roads that would normally have me shutting my eyes.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you want an adventure through staggering scenery and an incredibly welcoming country and don't mind roughing it, go on this trip. However, the roads are very bumpy (I am pretty sure all the Toyota Prados we had needed a full service after the punishment we gave them), the drives can be long, you will be sharing rooms with potentially several other people (max 5 in our case) and washing facilities can be basic. Make the most of the hot springs. No matter how delicious it looks (it is), do make sure you avoid all uncooked fruit and veg unless you have washed it yourself in bottled water, even in the nice hotel in Dushambe. Ask if you can pre-book a single room in Qalai Khumb after the Bartang. For some reason it was not included in the single supplement. Similarly the Pamir Hotel in Murgob isn't necessarily included in the single supplement (due to only a few en suite rooms. That said the shared showers at the end of the corridor was more likely to have warm water.) Altitude increase is pretty gradual and they have back up plans if you do get altitude sickness. Nobody in our group seemed to have anything worse than a mild headache. NB a side effect of Diamox is diahorrea, so think carefully before taking it. I was given ciprofloxin by the Tajik doctors . Amoxycillin did nothing for my traveller's tummy. The tour organisers were amazing at getting me medical support.
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Friday Friday
13 Jun 2025 13 Jun 2025
Saturday Saturday
28 Jun 2025 28 Jun 2025
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Land Only Trip Price 5 400 €
Optional Single Supplement +372 €
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
01 Aug 2025 01 Aug 2025
Saturday Saturday
16 Aug 2025 16 Aug 2025
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price 5 400 €
Optional Single Supplement +372 €
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
12 Sep 2025 12 Sep 2025
Saturday Saturday
27 Sep 2025 27 Sep 2025
Availability Available
Land Only Trip Price 5 400 €
Optional Single Supplement +372 €
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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Tajikistan Expedition: Pamir Highway & beyond
16 Days
Excluding Flights
16 Days
from