HIGHLIGHTS OF TAJIKISTAN

Meet in the airport. Transfer to hotel

Breakfast. Sightseeing the Dushanbe.

Dushanbe is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. Dushanbe means "Monday" in Tajik (Persian language), and the name reflects the fact that the city grew on the site of a village that originally was a popular Monday marketplace. Situated at the confluence of two rivers, Varzob and Kofarnihon.

Museum of antiquate – Budda in Nirvana position
Navruz palace
Lunch. 

Hissar fortress 30km outside of city – the remains of an 18th century fortress, occupied until 1924 is located in 30 km west of Dushanbe. Beside the fortress are two plain madrassahs, one dating from the 18th century and the other 19th, and beyond them is the mausoleum of 16th century (25km). Drive to Dushanbe.
Walking in the main square: Monument Somoni, park Rudaki, national library, President palace, Flag park
Dinner. Overnight in the hotel

Breakfast.  Drive via Varzob gorge, Anzob pass and tunnel Isticlol (5km)  to famous lakes of Fan mountains – Iskandakul lake.  Iskandarkul lake:  length - 5км, width - 3,5км and depth to - 80м, located at height 2250м. The heart of Fan mountains, the treasure of Tyan-Shan, a scenic Iskandarkul lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tajikistan. Having emerald green and blue color. A fast flouring Iskandar-darya river flows from the lake, forming a marvelous and gorgeous waterfall, so called the “Fan Niagara” that falls from the height 38 meters.

Walking near the lake.  Short hiking  to see waterfall. Lunch. Drive 5km far from lake to Saritag valley, one of the amazing valley of Tajikistan. Accommandation in the guest house. Enjoy dinner and overnight in a local guest house.  This is a typical Tajik house built in traditional style in a remote village. You will experience life with a local family, sleeping in a traditional room. Sleeping accommodation is in shared rooms, it is possible to take a shower, but in a shared bathroom. In this village there is no wifi, but there is electricity for charging telephones.

Breakfast. Drive via Zarafshon valley along the river Zarafson to village Ghazza. On the way beauty panoramic view of mountains and villages.  Gazza is a remote village, located 1700m above sea level, at the foot of the Hamid and Obshor mountains with a population of about 200 people. Enjoy walking through the village, meeting local people and finding out how Tajik people live in the mountain areas. 

Lunch.  

Drive to village Vory. village located in the 1900m above sea level, in the mountains area, population about 1000, 120 houses. Construction of building reminds you of 18-19 centuries time.

Drive back to Ghazza village.  Enjoy dinner and overnight in a local guest house.  This is a typical Tajik house built in traditional style in a remote village. You will experience life with a local family, sleeping in a traditional room. Sleeping accommodation is in shared rooms, it is possible to take a shower, but in a shared bathroom. In this village there is no wifi, but there is electricity for charging telephones.

Alternatively stay in the camping village of Simiganj, which is surrounded by mountains. Accommodation is in two person tents, with the possibility for single tents too. Washing and toilet facilities are natural style.  At this campsite there is no wifi but there is electricity for charging telephones.

Camping village Simiganj

Camping village Simiganj Virtual tour

Breakfast. Drive to Panjakent. En route stop to explore the Rudaki mausoleum. The mausoleum was constructed in 1958 in honor of the founder of classic Tajik poetry, the poet Abu-Abdullo Rudaki. Due to ambiguous facts surrounding Rudaki’s biography, his tomb remained undiscovered, but it is known that Rudaki lived at the end of the 9th century/beginning of the 10th century under the reign of the Samanids’ Dynasty. It is also known that Rudaki passed away in 941 A.D. in his native village of Panjrud, spending his last days in poverty.   

THE MAUSOLEUM OF RUDAKI

Reach to Panjakent. Accommandation in the hotel.  Enjoy lunch at the national teahouse ‘Sayohat’ where you will have a chance to participate in a cooking class, learning to make the national Tajik dish.  

Explore this ancient city with your local guide, including visits to:

Ancient Penjikent - ruins of old Sogdian town founded in 5th century and abandoned in the 8th century by arabs. Foundations of houses, a citadel with a couple of Zoroastrian fire temples and city bazaar are visible in the excavated ruins. http://panjakent-trip.com/VirtualTours/AncientCityPanjakent/
Sarazm settlement – 5500 years, UNESCO site. Virtual tour of Sarazm
Dinner and overnight in the hotel. 

Breakfast. Drive 70km to Marguzor lakes. 

The Marguzol lakes are a collection of seven beautiful lakes. We will drive to each of the lakes.

The names (in order) are:
Lake Mizhgon (which means eyelash) -  this multi-coloured lake is considered one of the most beautiful of the seven lakes.
Lake Soya (‘shade’) and Lake Husher (‘vigilance’) are located at an altitude of 1700м.
The fourth lake ‘Nofin’ is 3.5km long with a depth of 70m.
The fifth lake is named Hurdak and the sixth is Marguzor – a lake 5km in length, 80m deep and located at 2139m above sea level.
The seventh lake is named Hazorchashma (which means one thousand sources) and is the hghest of the seven lakes at 2400m above sea level.  

Marguzor lakes (seven lakes)

After the lakes visit you’ll be driven back to Penjikent. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Breakfast.

Drive to Istarafshan city: Istaravshan is a museum city, the ancient center of trade and crafts, one of the most ancient cities of the Central Asia. In 2002 Istaravshan turned 2,500 years old.  The city was founded in the sixth century B.C. by a Akhemenid king Cyrus who fortified the settlement by means of three wall lines and a citadel. In the second -seventh centuries B.C. the ancient sentiment Mugteppa was located on the territory of Istaravshan. Mugteppa was the residence of the local aristocracy who erected there numerous palaces distinguished by original expressive architecture. The evidence of that was found in Bundzhikat (Kala and Kakh-Kakh) and Chil'khudzhra settlements which had fortified structures with palaces and cult buildings decorated with paintings and carved panels. For example in Bundzhikat the archaeologists found the painting with the image of a she-wolf feeding two babies - the symbol of contacts between the West and the Orient. During the years of Arabian sovereignty Istaravshan became a province Arabian Caliphate. It was at this time when Islamic architectural structures of portal-dome design such as mosques, madrasahs, mausoleums, minarets, etc. started to appear.

Sightseeing the city: Madrasa Kuk-Gumbaz, Old  city, mosque Shohi Zinda 

Lunch. Drive to Khujand city.

Evening walking in the central park.

Dinner and overnight in the hotel. 

Breakfast.

Khujand is the capital of northern Tajikistan and the second largest city in the country. The city's history dates back to ancient times. In the opinion of historians legendary city of Alexander-Eskhata (Alexandria Extreme) was constructed by Alexander the Great on the place of the present Khujand (the 5th century BC) and become the city of highly developed culture, important commercial and crafts center. It in many respects speaks it can be explained by its favorable position. Khujand stands at the entrance to the fertile Fergana Valley. Owing to this it was one of the main centers of the Great Silk way and enjoyed prosperity and richness. One of the ancient cities of the Central Asia Khujandhas been known since the 7th century. In the 19thcentury after the Russian intrusionKhujand became the center of district of rapid industrial development.

Sighseeing the city: museum,  western market Panjshanbe and mavzoleumShayhMuslihiddin

Lunch. Drive to Tajik sea. Enjoy your time. Dinner and overnight in hotel. 

Breakfast. Transfer to Tashkent or Dushanbe. 

End of tour