6 Days Along The Pamir Highway

Day 1  – Dushanbe – Kalaikhumb 360km 7/8hours altitude 1245 mh.  

Meeting at your hotel and start the tour to Pamir!

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

Overnight in Guest House. Meals included: (1 Lunch,1 Dinner)

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

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

Overnight in Guest house Meals: (1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner)

Khorog town

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

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

We have a little time to explore Khorog including the bazaar and the lovely Botanical Gardens which are perched high above the town, affording some great panoramic view. About 50kms along the road to our next stop, Ishkashim, we will stop at Garmchasma hot springs for an (optional) dip in the waters. Visit detour to the nearby village of Namadguti to visit the Khahkha Fortress. From here, we enter the Tajik half of the Wakhan Valley (shared with Afghanistan) and pass regional gem mines mentioned by Marco Polo. The most famous mine is Koh-i-Lal ruby mine which is visible from the road. Ishkashim itself the regional centre, but it is essentially still a large village and we stay in Guesthouse in Ishkashim. Meals: (1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner)

Wakhan Valley

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

Day 4 – Ishkashim to Murghab visit Langar (370 km 6/7hours altitude 2882mh)

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

We drive up to Murghab via the Kargushi Pass (4344 meters). On this journey we leave behind the lush valleys of the Wakhan Valley and enter a landscape that is rocky, mostly barren but nevertheless dramatic. This is the Pamir Highway we have anticipated, with the route between Khorog and Osh completed in 1931 across a Tibetan-plateau style high altitude terrain.

We leave for Murghab the center of East Pamir. The road up Murghab, however, is spectacular an, passing through again the settlement of Mamazair.

This small town bestrides the Murghab  at an altitude of 3,500 m. Younghusband visited it in 1890 and wrote “It is a dreary, desolate spot… with a certain amount of grassy pasture and a few scrubby bushes by the river, but surrounded by barren hills, and bitterly cold. How these Russian soldiers can support existence there is a marvel…shut up in dreary quarters, with nothing whatever to do – week after week, month after month passing by in dull monotony….” Over a century later, nothing much has changed. We anticipate arriving in Murghab in Lunch time. Murghab (3670 m) itself has few attractions, but it will serve as our base for a one night as we explore the area a little. The 7546 m – high Chinese peak of Mustag Ata is visible to the northeast of town, 110 km away in a direct line. 

Overnight in Home stay.  Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Day 5 – Murghab to  Sary tash visit Karakul Lake (235 km, 5/6 hours )

We depart today to Karakul. This drive will see us enjoying some of the most dramatic scenery of the trip, with the lunar-like landscapes and bright blue lakes providing plenty of opportunities to take our breath away. We will cross a high-altitude pass Ak-Baital Pass (4655 meters) which is the highest section of road in the former Soviet Union. We descend to Karakul Lake, the highest lake in Central Asia, and at 3915 meters, too high to support any aquatic life.

We depart today to Tulpar Kul Kyrgyzstan. Our final Pamir Highway high pass is the Kyzyl Art Pass (4282 metres), which essentially forms the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Border formalities take place shortly after crossing the pass, with 20kms of ‘no man’s land’ to cross. Having crossed to Kyrgyzstan, we will keep our driver – although we are in a different country, the ethnic lines in this region are greatly blurred, and Russian, Tajik, Kyrygz and Uzbek are all spoken with interchangeable ease, continue to Sary Moogul village, via beautiful Alay ranges. Once we pass the village of Sary Tash, the natural scenery of Pamir Alay range is spectacular. You could even see, we will arrive Kyrgyz nomadic village near the lake Tulpar Kul,the village is close to see Lenin Peak (7134m).

Overnight in Yurt stay. Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Day 6 – Karakul to Osh (285 km, 2/3 hours altitude 1077mh)

Today After Sary Tash village we depart the high mountains of the Pamir-Alay range, leaving behind us the crossroads of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. The drive offers a contrast as we encounter lush farmlands and small villages on this side of the mountains, instead of the stark high-altitude plateau we recently crossed in Tajikistan. En route we will cross the Taldyk Pass (3554m) and enjoy some beautiful views. We must travel about 285km from Kara Kul, and depending on road conditions and travel times we expect to arrive in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s oldest city early evening.

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

Osh city

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

End of service.

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

• All accommodation on twin share basis (Guest houses 3, home stays 3)
• Meals as listed: 5 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 5 Dinners.
• Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary
• All transfers according the program (price includes driver’s per diem, road and parking fees, all necessary permissions fuel and taxes;) Experienced and basic English speaking drivers, type of car: (A/C Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol)
• Mineral water (1/2L per day per person)
• Ticket for Tajik National park and permition

• International flights
• Supplement for single room
• English speaking local guide USD 242
• Any airport taxes
• Travel Insurance
• GBAO permit             
• Drinks
• Tips and gratuities
• Any personal expenses
• Any services not included in the above itinerary

_ PS

• Important – early arrival is not included.
• Some sightseeing places and excavations might be closed / not possible to visit due to local changes, reconstruction, roads condition, and security reasons. We do not guarantee all advised places will be covered, but we will try to do our best to cover them. Pricing is confidential & non commissionable