Pamir Highway Tour 2024

Today we have a long drive (380 km, 8-10 hours), but the condition of the road is good. We start earlier in order to have enough time for photo stops. The road lies through the city of Kulob and along Afghanistan border. Lunch in Kulob. Drive along the river Panj to Kalai-Khumb. Overnight in a guesthouse.

Today you drive along the Panj river, shorter distance (220 km, 6 hours), but the road condition is bumpy. You will see Afghanistan from the right side across the river. After reaching Rushan, we will turn left and drive towards Bartang valley. We cross a bridge and do trekking towards the Jizeu village - a remote untouched village with 12 households, where no electricity, no mobile connection with the world. The trekking takes 2.5-3 hours. Overnight in a guesthouse.  

We hike down to the bridge where our car will pick up us and drive towards the head to a famous mineral hot spring - Garm-Chashma. Depart to Ishkashim, a small town at the mouth of the Wakhan corridor, where the 19th century Great Game ended. Continue up the north side of the river with amazing views of the Pamir on your left and the Hindu Kush on the ride sides; a number of peaks in view are above 6,000 m. Overnight at the guesthouse. Road conditions: the first half from Khorog to Ishkashim is a poor dirt road, the second part is paved. 6km ramp to Garm-Chashma has a bad ground.

Drive from Ishkashim to Langar. On the way, visit Kah-Kaha, one of the old fortresses on the Silk Road. Then, continue to the ruins of Yamchun Fortress (4-3rd centuries B.C.), sacred hot springs of Bibi Fatima Zahra, the Museum of Sufi Muborak-Kadami Vakhani, a local Sufi scholar, theologian, poet and traveller, who died in 1910. There is a stone pillar with a hole near his house that he used to calculate a solar calendar and a building with inscriptions and decorations. We will also visit Buddhist Stupa. Homestay overnight. Road conditions: All day you will drive on the paved and smooth road, only descent and ascent to the Yamchun fortress lies across a bad dirt road.

After breakfast, drive towards Khargush, source of Amu Darya River, via Khargush Pass (4344 m) and Nazay-Tash Pass (4137 m). After having lunch in Murghab, we visit the Murghab market, which is made of the truck containers. Drive towards Karakul lake. Homestay overnight*. *It might be difficult to fall asleep on the height of 3600meters due to the lack of oxygen and dry air. Road conditions: the first half of the way will be a dirt road, the second half, on the turn towards Khorog, there will be a bad sinuous paving.

Driving to Karakul Lake. On the way to Karakul, driver right to the Rangkul lake to see and take picture of the Indian goose. Back to the Pamir Highway road and drive towards Karakul lake. The road to the Karakul Lake lies through the Ak-Baital (White Horse) Pass, the highest pass (4655 m) in the former USSR. People call it “The Roof of the World”. After lunch in a homesyay, go out to the Lake shore of the Karakul Lake for taking photos, the largest lake in Tajikistan (3800 m). Overnight in a homestay in Karakul village.

Driving to Jelondy hotspring of the Ghund valley -  a beautiful hotspring inside a hotel, where you can swim and stay overnight.

In the morning, start driving from Jelondy hotspring towards Qalai Khumb (366 km). On they way you will see beautiful village of the Ghund valley along the Pamir Highway and Ghund river. Lunch will be in Rushan or Qalot, based on the time. Overnight in a homestay over the river in Qalai Khumb.

Driving back to Dushanbe. Lunch in Kulob. Dropping off to your hotel. Relax. In the evening, a final farewell dinner in a beautiful restaurant.