Itinerary
- Day 1
Dushanbe
Your private guide meets you at Dushanbe airport and takes you into the city. The afternoon opens up with time at the National Museum of Antiquities, which holds 22 exhibition halls covering the region's history. After that, you'll walk through the Botanical Garden for some quiet time, then head to Victory Park to pay respects at the war memorial there.
- Start point
- Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Dushanbe International Airport Pick-up, 00:00 - 23:55)
- Accommodation
- Hotel ( Hotel Atlas Dushanbe or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit National Museum of Antiquities
- Stroll through Botanical Garden
- Visit Victory Park
Landmarks National Museum of Antiquities Botanical Garden Victory Park - Day 2
Dushanbe
After breakfast, you drive about an hour to Hisor Fortress, an open-air museum that shows layers of the area's past. Back in the city, you'll see the Soviet-era buildings that shaped Dushanbe's look, including the National Library and Palace of Nations. The day includes the Ismoil Somoni Statue, the Dushanbe Flagpole, the National Museum again, and Navruz Palace. Later you can browse through the Asian Bazaar before heading back to your hotel. It's a full day of architecture and history.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel ( Hotel Atlas Dushanbe or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Hisor Fortress
- Explore Rudaki Park
- View National Library (exterior)
- View Palace of Nations (exterior)
- View Stele with the Emblem of Tajikistan (exterior)
- View Ministry of Internal Affairs (exterior)
- View Parliament (exterior)
- Visit Statue of Ismoil Somoni
- View Dushanbe Flagpole
- Visit National Museum
- Visit Navruz Palace
- Visit Asian Bazaar
Landmarks Hisor Fortress Rudaki Park National Library Palace of Nations Stele with the Emblem of Tajikistan Ministry of Internal Affairs Parliament Statue of Ismoil Somoni Dushanbe Flagpole National Museum Navruz Palace Asian Bazaar - Day 3
Dushanbe to Kalai-Khumb
You start an 8-hour drive southeast on the Pamir Highway heading toward the mountains. There's a stop at the Nurek Reservoir viewing platform where you can see the scale of the dam and water below. The route crosses through the 2,267-meter Shuraba Pass and follows the Panj River, which marks a border. By evening you reach Kalai-Khumb at 1,200 meters altitude and check into your hotel for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Karon Palace Hotel Kalai-Khumb or similar)
Included Activities
- View Nurek Reservoir from viewing platform
Landmarks Nurek Reservoir Shuraba Pass Panj River - Day 4
Kalai-Khumb to Dushanbe
The drive back to Dushanbe takes the same mountain route but in reverse. You ascend from Kalai-Khumb and cross the 3,252-meter Khaburabot Pass with winding roads showing snow-capped peaks and open terrain. The journey passes through remote areas and scattered settlements before you arrive back in Dushanbe later in the day. The road time is long but the scenery shifts continuously.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel ( Hotel Atlas Dushanbe or similar)
Landmarks Khaburabot Pass - Day 5
Dushanbe to Iskanderkul Lake
A 3-hour drive takes you to Iskanderkul Lake in the Fann Mountains. The route crosses the 3,372-meter Anzob Pass, giving you views across the range. When you arrive, a 40-minute guided hike leads to Iskanderkul Waterfall with the lake and rough mountain walls around you. You also visit Snake Lake before settling into your lakeside hotel. The day balances driving with hiking and nature.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Guesthouse (Zumrad Guesthouse or similar)
Included Activities
- Hike to Iskanderkul Waterfall (40 minutes)
- View Snake Lake
Landmarks Iskanderkul Lake Anzob Pass Iskanderkul Waterfall Snake Lake 
- Day 6
Iskanderkul Lake to Panjakent
You drive 5 hours northwest through the Zarafshan Valley, passing the Alauddin Lakes on the way. Panjakent becomes your base, and you'll see Sarazm, Tajikistan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site showing early settlement patterns. The Republican Museum of History and Local Lore holds artifacts from Sarazm. Time at the 5th-century Ancient Town of Panjakent itself follows, then the local bazaar for browsing. Check-in happens at your Panjakent hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Panjakent Plaza Hotel or similar)
Included Activities
- Explore Sarazm (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Visit Republican Museum of History and Local Lore of Rudaki
- Visit Ancient Town of Panjakent
- Browse local bazaar
Landmarks Zarafshan Valley Alauddin Lakes Sarazm Republican Museum of History and Local Lore of Rudaki Ancient Town of Panjakent - Day 7
Seven Lakes
After breakfast, a 1.5-hour drive gets you to the Seven Lakes trailhead. The hike starts from the 4th lake, Nofin, and takes about 1.5 hours from there. You might see local shepherds and women wearing traditional embroidered clothing. The route continues to Marguzor, the largest of the seven lakes, then climbs over a hill to reach Hazorchasma, the 7th lake. From there you return to your Panjakent hotel, having hiked through the chain of glacial waters.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Panjakent Plaza Hotel or similar)
Included Activities
- Hike around 4th lake, Nofin (1.5 hours)
- Visit 6th lake, Marguzor
- Hike to 7th lake, Hazorchasma
Landmarks Seven Lakes Nofin Lake Marguzor Lake Hazorchasma Lake - Day 8
Panjakent to Khujand
The 4-hour drive to Khujand crosses the 5-km Shahriston Tunnel and the 3,378-meter Shahriston Pass. Before reaching Khujand, you stop in Istaravshan to see Fortress Mug Teppe, a hilltop ruin from ancient trade routes and Alexander's time. The Kuk Gumbaz Mosque sits in narrow streets nearby. Handicraft workshops let you meet artisans working on their crafts. Then you continue to Khujand for the evening, with time to rest or wander on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Parliament Hotel Khujand or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Fortress Mug Teppe
- Visit Kuk Gumbaz Mosque
- Tour handicraft workshops
Landmarks Shahriston Pass Istaravshan Fortress Mug Teppe Kuk Gumbaz Mosque - Day 9
Khujand
Your guide takes you through Khujand starting at the Historical Local Lore Museum of Archeology and Fortification, a fortress structure on the old city wall. The city center shows the Mausoleum of Sheik Muslekheddin from the 12th century. Panjshanbe Market, one of Tajikistan's oldest, gives you the feel of local commerce and life. In the afternoon the Arbob Cultural Palace, modeled after Peterhof's winter garden in Russia, offers another perspective. The day finishes at Qairoqum Reservoir, an artificial lake used for power and water.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Parliament Hotel Khujand or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Historical Local Lore Museum of Archeology and Fortification
- Visit Mausoleum of Sheik Muslekheddin
- Explore Panjshanbe Market
- Visit Arbob Cultural Palace
- Visit Qairoqum Reservoir
Landmarks Historical Local Lore Museum of Archeology and Fortification Mausoleum of Sheik Muslekheddin Panjshanbe Market Arbob Cultural Palace Qairoqum Reservoir - Day 10
Khujand to Dushanbe
The 300-km drive back to Dushanbe shows changing landscapes as you go. Early sections use flat asphalt, then roads wind through mountains with views of snow-capped peaks and open plains with scattered villages. The 5-km Anzob Tunnel, historically called the Tunnel of Death for its poor conditions, marks a key part of the route. By late afternoon you reach Dushanbe, check into your hotel, and have the rest of the evening free.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel ( Hotel Atlas Dushanbe or similar)
Landmarks Anzob Tunnel - Day 11
Departure from Dushanbe
Your guide and driver transfer you to Dushanbe airport at the time you arranged. It's your farewell to the north Tajikistan tour, heading home with memories of mountains, history, and the people you met along the way.
- End point
- Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Dushanbe International Airport See-off, 00:00 - 23:55)
- Meals
- Breakfast
