The Republic of Tajikistan is located in the south-east of Central Asia. The average temperature in June – July is 30 C° to 35 C°. Modern Tajikistan is a mountainous country with absolute altitudes from 300 to 7495 meters above sea level. 93% of the country’s territory is occupied by mountain ranges of the Pamir, Gissar Alay and Tien Shan Mountain systems. These ranges are divided by rich and fertile lands of the Fergana, Zerafshan, Vakhsh and Gissar valleys.
Tajikistan is the land of the highest peaks, powerful glaciers, rapid, turbulent rivers, unique beautiful lakes, unique vegetation and rare animals. It is the mountain, floor landscape that determines the distinctiveness and uniqueness of the nature of Tajikistan, the richness of its forms brought by the diversity of climatic zones. In the republic, in an hour and a half of flight from the sultry heat of the Vakhsh valley, you can get into the arctic cold of the eternal snows of the Pamirs.
The history of the Tajik people dates back to the depths of centuries, to the beginning of human civilization. The most ancient finds on the territory of modern Tajikistan serve as the evidence. The mountains and valleys of Tajikistan, the peoples who lived on its territory are mentioned in ancient sources of ancient authors: Pliny and Ptolemy. The Venetian traveler Marco Polo wrote about his travelling to the Pamirs.
At the beginning of the 9th century, tendencies toward national self-identification of the people arisen, the first state formations of Tajik people appeared, the largest of which was the Samanid state with its capital in Bukhara, founded by Ismail Somoni from the Samanid dynasty.
The Tajiks made a significant contribution to the spiritual treasury of civilization, gave the world outstanding and remarkable scientists, philosophers, writers, poets and architects whose works have become an integral part of the scientific and cultural baggage accumulated by the world civilization. Examples of this are the lyrics of Abuabdullo Rudaki, the founder of Persian-Tajik literature, the immortal poem “Shahnama” by Abul Qasim Firdausi and “The Canon of Medical Science” Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the treatise that for centuries served as the main medical guide in European educational institutions. The world poetry stars: Khayyam, Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz, Jami, masters of artistic creativity Borbad, Mani, Behzod – were known far beyond the boundaries of ancient Sugd, Khorasan and Movarounnahr – the main territory of modern Central Asia.
Cultural and historical heritage: part of the Great Silk Road, a site of ancient settlement "Sarazm" and National Park are included in the List of World Heritage (UNESCO)
Visa requirements: starting from 1st January 2022 Tajikistan has introduced a unilateral visa-free regime (for up to 30 days of temporary residence and for all types of passports) for citizens of 110 countries.
ARRIVAL DAY, DUSHANBE SIGHTSEEING
09:00 – we will pick up tourists from hotel and starting our excursion from the Ismail Somoni complex which is in the center of Dushanbe.
Visiting objects: Ismail Somoni complex – National Library – Nation Palace (outside) – State emblem square – Park "Navruzgoh" – State Flag square – National Museum – Rudaki Park
In this complex we will be introduced about the Maydoni Ozodi, history of Ismail Somoni and Monument of Ismail Somoni.
The monument of Ismoil Somoni constructed in honor of the founder of the statehood of the Tajik nation Ismail Somoni, who was the head / shah of the Samanids State in the VIII-IX century. Monument height is 11.5 meters; arch height of 40 meters is a symbol of the Eastern state.
The National Library of Tajikistan is the main library of the country, specializing in preserving cultural heritage of the peoples of the Republic of Tajikistan, there are a new nine-story building features, 15 reading halls as well as over 20 departments. The library main focus is to include works that are of national renown by the Tajik people and of international renown written by Tajik authors.
The area of the State Emblem with a 45-meter stele is located on the left side of the Nation Palace, equipped with a variety of seedlings.
Navruzgoh Park was opened in 2014 in honor of the international holiday Navruz and is located on an area of 146 sq. meters - between the Palace of the Nation and Navruzgoh Square. On 15 hectares of the garden grow such types of trees as pine, viburnum, lilac, cedar, fir, juniper, magnolia, plane tree, chestnut, red maple and other plant species. On foot from Dusti Square, you can go to the Navruzgoh park. Despite the fact that the park is located very close to the center, there is a completely different atmosphere here. A lot of greenery, trees and fountains. There is even a waterfall - "Sharshara". This is a great option for families with children, and just a good place for walks, both on foot and by bike. It is especially beautiful here in the evenings. You can walk in the park at any time.
The Palace of the Nation (Tajik: Қасри Миллат) is the official residence of the President of Tajikistan. The construction of the Palace began in 2000.
Еhe State Flag Square located in the center of Dushanbe, to the left part of the Nation Palace. This Flagpole entered in the Guinness Book of records as the Highest Flagpole in the world. The height of the flagpole is 165 meters, area 1800 m2, width 30 meters and length 60 meters.
National Museum — located in the center of Dushanbe. The Museum consists of 22 large and small exhibition halls — departments of nature, antiquity and the Middle Ages, modern history, fine and applied arts. The exposition area of the National Museum of Tajikistan is 15 thousand m2.
The city garden “Boghi Rudaki” - Rudaki Park is located in the center of Dushanbe, and its eastern side faces the main street of the city - Rudaki Avenue, and the southern side to the Nations Palace. The area of the garden reaches - 8 hectares. The park is named after the founder of Tajik classical literature, the world-famous poet, father of the Persian language Abubdullah Rudaki.
13:30 – lunch at a national kitchen, halal.
18:00 – end of day excursion.
19:00 – dinner at a national restaurant “Toqi”
DUSHANBE SIGHTSEEING
Itineraries: Kokhi (Palace) Navruz – Independence monument & square (Istiqlol) – National Museum of Antiquities – Iram Park – Yaqubi Charkhi mausoleum – Mehrgon Bazar
09:00 – After breakfast tourists will be picked up from hotel and starting excursion from the
Kokhi (Palace) Navruz - is a new building of 12 unusual halls, each of which is made in its own special national style. It is ready to receive up to 3200 guests at the same time. All the halls of the palace are decorated by local craftsmen: there are wood carvings, Florentine mosaics made from local semi-precious stones, mosaics of colored mirrors, and painted ceilings. On the walls there are scenes from ancient legends, on the ceiling there are wood patterns made in the old style. Navruz Palace impresses with its splendor and modern luxury - it is a representative palace in which important political events of the country and international meetings take place. It was within these walls that the 14th SCO summit took place.
Independence monument & square (Istiqlol) - this complex was opened on September 8, 2022 with the participation of the Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in honor of the 31st anniversary of the State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan. The 121-meter height of the Istiqlol complex is symbolic, that is, the lower part of the 30–meter complex is a symbol of the 30th anniversary of State independence, and the upper part - 91 meters – represents the independence in 1991 of the last centuries. The total area of the symbolic complex "Istiqlol" is 11900 square meters, the area of the object under construction is 4761 square meters. In the upper part of the complex there is an 8-meter crown made of titanium. In the symbol of Independence, the crown embodies the symbol of statehood, independence, state property and civilization, knowledge of the history of the ancient Tajik people. The base of the complex is an octagonal pyramid and consists of 7 entrances. When drawing up a project with the symbol "Crown", the designer relied as a basis on the symbol "Tree of Life", which represents and embodies broad ideas.
National Museum of Antiquities - was established in 1934 on the basis of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy and Expeditionary Research of the Tajik Base of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Then the museum had only 530 exhibits. The museum collection contains unique finds, such as the preserved artifact of the "Queen of Sarazm" in Sarazm, Sughd region, near the city of Penjikent and a twelve-meter figure of Buddha, found by archaeologists in 1961 in the town of Ajina-Tepa in southern Tajikistan, Khatlon region, near the city Kurgan-Tyube and other items that have been awarded the status of a nominee for the World Heritage Site by the international organization UNESCO.
Iram Park - This Park located in the Northern part of Dushanbe. The garden area reaches 40 hectares; the main entrance to the garden is start from the East. The alley goes to the glass greenhouse, where the alleys and paths of the Botanical Garden originate. Parker was established in Dushanbe in mid-1933.
13:30 – lunch at a national kitchen, halal.
Yaqubi Charkhi mausoleum - is in the west part of Dushanbe. Yaqub Ibn Usman Al-Charkhi (1359-1447) — a religious figure, the spiritual leader of the Sufi tariqa Hadzha-Naqshbandi. Sheikh, the eighteenth in the golden chain of succession of sheikhs of tariqa.
Mehrgon Bazar - is a new and modern food market in the city of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, put into operation in September 2014. The total area of the market is approximately 30 thousand square meters. The market is located on the eastern outskirts of the city of Dushanbe. The total area of the market building is about 10 thousand square meters. The building consists of 3 floors, the first floor mainly sells fruits, cakes, legumes, meat, chaka, spices and dried fruits, the second and third floors are clothing stores, cafes and service salons, including financial services, communication services. All goods and products of the market are environmentally friendly and very healthy for health, which are very hard to get in ordinary markets or supermarkets.
19:00 – dinner at a national restaurant
HISSAR FROTRES
09:00 – After breakfast pick up tourists from the hotel. Today we have trip to Hisor city
Visiting places: Hissar city museum – Hissar Fortress – Hissar Fortress Museum – Horse riding – Kharbuza Teahouse – Museum of Mirzo Tursunzoda
Hissar Fortress
The Hissar Fortress, one of the most famous historical monuments of Tajikistan, was built to protect the local population and trade caravans from the raids of nomads. The Hissar fortress still impresses with its power and monumentality, especially after major restoration. The fortress was built about 3000 years ago, during the heyday, when the routes of the Great Silk Road passed near Hissar. The remaining remains of fortifications were built in the XVI–XIX centuries. The Hissar Fortress in Tajikistan is one of the oldest and largest architectural monuments of Central Asia. Now it is an open-air museum with an area of 86 hectares, located on the site of an ancient settlement. It is located 30 km from the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. For a long time, the Hissar fortress served as the residence of the governor of the Emir of Bukhara and the base where the state troops were located. To date, only two cylindrical towers and structures around the main gate, forming a pointed arch and built on the instructions of the emir of Bukhara in the XVI century, have partially survived from the fortress. The fortress was completed in the XIX century. All structures are built of burnt brick. The Hissar fortress was built on the slope of a large hill. A high fortress wall 1 meter thick with loopholes for guns and cannons was built of baked bricks. The main gate has a laconic and simple look, traditional for the feudal military architecture of the Bukhara Emirate.
Fortress square - horse riding (at the request and expense of traveler)
13:00 – lunch in the Hissar restaurant
Teahouse "Kharbuza" (watermelon)
The teahouse "Kharbuza" — is a unique in the world, it was built in the form of a melon (the Taj: - kharbuza). The teahouse, with a height of 43 meters, length 100 meters, width of 55 meters, is designed to receive 2.3 thousand visitors at a time.
Museum of Mirzo Tursunzoda
Mirzo Tursunzoda (Tajik: Мирзо Турсунзода, 2 May 1911 — 24 September 1977) was an important Tajik poet and a prominent political figure. Today Tursunzoda has been elevated to the level of a national hero of Tajikistan. Tursunzoda's face appears on the front of the one Somoni banknote.
In the Hissar Fortress square we will participate in the process of Navruz Festival (our visit will be regulated within the dates of Navruz festival)
17:00 – Return to Dushanbe
19:00 – Dinner and accommodation to hotel
SAFED-DARA RESORT OR KHOJA SANG-KHOK VALLEY
09:00 – After breakfast at the hotel departure to Varzob side
Safed-Dara Mountain resort
The Ski Complex was founded in 1976 and provides sports, tourism and skiing services. The resort is located at a distance of 50 km from Dushanbe. Safed-Dara is Mountain resort, located on a unique, hilly plateau at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. Clear sunny weather, always fresh mountain breeze makes this place ideal for all-season holidays. The breathtaking mountain landscape, the most beautiful blue sky pulls everyone who has ever spent a holiday in Safed-Dara to come back here again. All infrastructure - a good hotel, ski lifts, ski and snow slopes, cafes.
The word “Safed-Dara” from the Tajik language is translated as "White Gorge" which means a white place.
The Safed-Dara with special attention and consistency began to function at the end of 2016 Safed-Dara, with the participation of the Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in a new design. In this area, many services have been built, sports halls and playgrounds are located on an area of 60 hectares, which can simultaneously accommodate up to 1000 people.
In Safed-Dara, mainly on winter days, as well as at other times of the year, tourists are offered the following services: - two cableways (in 2000 m.); - skiing; - skates; - snowboarding; - skis and snowmobile; - zip-line; - paintball; - pool; - restaurant; - conference room; SPA and other services.
Safed-Dara is now a whole tourist complex; Modern hotel, restaurant, ski slopes, new cable cars, snowmobile parking. A special children's and youth school for winter sports has also opened on the territory of the complex.
In Safed-Dara we will spend our time with the sport and entertaining events as Zip-Line, Paintball, SPA, Horse riding, Quadricycle driving etc. (at the request and expense of traveler)
13:00 – lunch in the Safed-Dara restaurant
17:00 – back way to Dushanbe
19:00 – dinner including a concert program in the Rohat restaurant
Notice: in case closed of Safed-Dara (as it is winter resort) we will change this itinerary to Khoja Sang-Khok Valley
CHILUCHOCHASHMA HEALTHY SPRING
08:00 – breakfast and departure to Shaartus, Bokhtar region
Places to visit: Mausoleum of Hazrati Zayn al-Abidin - Chiluchochashma – Khoja Mashhad Medrece - central square of Bokhtar – Kurgon Hill - Bibikhonum Museum
10:00 – arriving Shaartus
Ali ibn Husayn was born on January 6, 658 in Medina. His father was Husayn ibn Ali— the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and his mother was the Persian princess Shahrbonu, the daughter of the last Sasanian Shah Yazdigerd III. Zayn al-Abidin has the face of a Prophet." Some authors report that people who saw Imam Sajjad could not get enough of him.
Chiluchorchashma from Tajik means 44 Springs. There are five large water springs break into 39 smaller ones. All springs merging form a 12-13 m channel inhabited with a plenty of fish. People all over Tajikistan visit this place for spiritual harmony and pilgrimage.
Mausoleum / Madrasa Khoja Mashhad is a unique monument of Tajik architecture of IX-XII centuries, which embodied the whole era of history, culture, building skills and aesthetic views of his time
13:00 – lunch
16:00 – arriving Bokhtar
Bokhtar (until 2018 — Kurgan-Tube) is a city in southwestern Tajikistan, the administrative center of the Khatlon region. It is located 100 km south of Dushanbe, in the center of a rich oasis in the valley of the Vakhsh River. According to ancient sources, the Kurgan-Tube oasis appeared during the Kushan Kingdom. It was already a big city that had its own currency. At the end of the VII century, it fell under the rule of the Arabs. Near Bokhtar, on the bank of the Vakhsh River, there are ruins of the city of the X—XIII centuries Lagman, probably together with Bokhtar, which was part of a vast oasis. In the middle of the 20th century, archaeologists discovered ancient water pipes, brick wells and fortifications with towers. This city was one of the largest settlements of ancient Bactria and occupied a relatively large territory of 43 hectares. This oasis was destroyed by the Mongol invasion of Genghis Khan.
19:00 – dinner and accommodation in hotel
HULBUK CASTLE, ANCIENT KULYAB
08:00 – reception of tourists from hotel and foward Kulyab
Places to visit: Hulbuk - Kulyab
On the way to Kulyab we will visit the Hulbuk Fortress (165 km from Dushanbe). From the 9th to the 11th centuries, the Hulbuk Fortress was located in the center of one of the four largest cities in Central Asia, it was the residence of Shah (King) Khatlon. The citadel was guarded by a giant salt hill, which at that time was of great importance as the source of one of the three precious resources (along with gold and horses) traded on the Silk Roads.
13:00 – lunch
The next object is the Kulyab (31 km drive from Hulbuk). In the center of the city of Kulyab, in the park area, there is a memorial complex of Mir Said Ali Hamadoni - a poet, philosopher and thinker of the 14th century. His son Muhammad, relatives, as well as Sheikh Shokhi Tolikoni from the Afghan city of Tolukan, a former inspector of the mausoleum and mosque, are also buried there. The complex includes the local history museum of the 2700th anniversary of Kulyab, the museum of the literary heritage of the writer Mirsaid Ali Hamadoni and the house-museum of the national poet Saydali Valizod. Every year the museum is visited by more than two million visitors, both local and foreign guests.
19:00 – dinner and accommodation to hotel