Tour description
Tajikistan is an amazing country with the highest peaks, the most powerful glaciers, the fastest, most turbulent rivers, the most beautiful lakes, the most unique vegetation, and the rarest animals you'll ever see! Tajikistan's mountainous terrain is what makes it so special. The country's incredible biodiversity is a result of its diverse climatic zones. In just an hour and a half of flying from the Vakhsh Valley, you can experience the Arctic cold of the Pamir Mountains!
Tajikistan is blessed with a vast mountainous landscape, spanning an impressive 93% of the country and extending west from the majestic Himalayas. The south and far north are home to some of the lowest elevations in the country, with only minor parts reaching below 1,000 meters. The eastern part of the country is home to some of the world's highest peaks, reaching an impressive 7,495 meters! The mountains are still actively building up, giving them a rough and majestic aspect that is truly awe-inspiring!
The greatest, most mysterious, and most awe-inspiring of all the mountains in Asia are the Pamir Mountains. They have always captured the imagination of people from all over the world. The sharp peaks seem to reach for the sky, the deep, rocky gorges seem impregnable, and the winding roads leading into the clouds are full of adventure. The mountain peaks rising to the sky remind us of the Persian kings, the mysterious Bactria, and the troops of Alexander the Great. Here, the path of Tamerlane and Bobur, Marco Polo, and dozens of pioneer explorers of glaciers and mountains lie.
And there's more! Along the roads laid over the abyss, caravans carried Chinese silk, lapis lazuli, and rubies obtained in local mines. Today, we know so much more about the incredible Pamirs! It never ceases to amaze us with its breathtaking beauty and rich diversity. The magnificent Pamirs were once known as the "roof of the world" before the Himalayas spread out like a magnificent blanket across the land.
Itinerary: Dushanbe - Hulbuk - Kulyab - Kalai Khumb (Darvaz) – Khorog – Bulunkul Lake & Yashikul Lake – Murhab – Karakul Lake
Program of the tour
ARRIVAL DAY. Dushanbe - Hulbuk - Kulyab - Kalai Khumb (Darvaz)
Welcome of tourists from the international airport of Dushanbe or hotel guests.
! Here we have free time about 3 hours so we can start our tour (waiting for travelers) the latest, at 12:00
09:00 - Froward to the city of Kulyab (from Dushanbe - 196 km drive)
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.
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.
14:00 - after lunch, we will continue our journey to Kalai Khumb, Darvaz (from Kulyab - 169 km drive).
20:00 - arrival in Kalai Khumb, Darvaz. Accommodation at the hotel and dinner
Qal’ai Khumb - the ancient city of Karon - Khorog
08:00 - breakfast at the hotel
09:00 - visit the ancient city Karon
Tajik and Russian archaeologists in 2012 found the ancient city of Karon on the territory of the Darvaz region of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. Temples, fragments of a five-domed church, a temple of fire, water, two temples of the wind, a windmill, a fragment of the sacred book of the Zoroastrians "Avesta", the remains of a large polo ground, halls, administrative and residential premises were found. building. The ruins were found in the ancient city, which is supposedly one of the largest mountain "residences" of local kings.
11:00 - continuation of the journey, heading to Khorog (from Qal’ai Khumb - 243 km), lunch at the same time.
20:00 – arrival in Khorog, hotel accommodation and dinner.
Khorog – Bulunkul & Yashikul
08:00 - breakfast at the hotel
09:00 - departure to Bulunkul Lake (from Khorog - 208 km).
BULUNKUL is alpine lake of Badakhshan located at the altitude of 3734 m above sea level. Bulunkul lake is connected with Yashilkul lake by narrow channel. The water is fresh and has rich flora and fauna. A flocks of ducks, geese and sea gulls are always can be seen over the lake. Bulunkul lake is the first basin at Pamirs were fishing was introduced to locals and now from May thru October the fishermen set their nets near the rivers mouths flow in to the lake catching osman and marinka.
The lake's area is also known for being one of the coldest places in Central Asia, the lowest temperature here in winter was registered here at -63 Centigrade.
17:00 - end of the day, dinner accommodation to Avlaz homestay
Bulunkul – Murgab – Karakul
07:00 - breakfast at the hostel
08:00 – Departure to Karakul via Murgab (from Bulunkul – 270 km)
Murghob (Tajik: Мурғоб) is district in the Pamir Mountains of Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. With a population of just under 7,500. It is the highest town in Tajikistan at 3,650 meters above sea level. It is where the Pamir Highway crosses the Bartang river. The Pamir Highway goes north to Sary-Tash and on to Osh in Kyrgyzstan. Another road goes east over the Kulma Pass to the Karakoram Highway in China connecting to Tashkurgan to the south and Kashgar to the north.
11:00 – Arrival Murgab, sightseeing
12:00 – Lunch and departure to Karakul
Karakul Lake
Karakul, Qarokul (replacing the older Tajik name Siyohob) - is a 25 km diameter lake within a rather large 52 km (32 mi) impact crater. It is located in the Tajik National Park in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan.
Karakul lies within a circular depression interpreted as an impact crater with a rim diameter of 52 km (32 mi). Some estimates give its age as relatively recent. Preliminarily, it was thought to be c. 25 Ma or less than 23 Ma. However, it may even be from the recent Pliocene (5.3 to 2.6 Ma). The Earth Impact Database (EID) also lists it as younger than 5 Ma.
The lake/crater lies at an elevation of 3,960 m (12,990 ft) above mean sea level. A peninsula projecting from the south shore and an island off the north shore divide the lake into two basins: a smaller, relatively shallow eastern one, between 13 to 19 m (43 to 62 ft) deep, and a larger western one, 221 to 230 m (725 to 755 ft) deep.
15:00 – Arriving Karakul Lake and walking on the beach of Karakul Lake
19:00 – Dinner and accommodation to the hostel at the lake
Departure day: Karakul Lake – Osh, Kyzyl-Art (Kyrgyzstan, cross border)
08:00 - breakfast at hotel
10:00 – continue sightseeing of Karakul Lake.
12:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Departure to Osh, Kyzyl-Art
17:00 – Arrival at Osh, Kyzyl-Art (Kyrgyzstan, cross border) (225 km from Karakul)
End of tour; here travelers will be drop off (in Kyrgyzstan border).
