7-Day Pamir Highway Tour from Dushanbe to Osh via Wakhan Valley

• Depart Dushanbe and travel to Kalai Khum through spectacular mountain scenery.
• You will cross the Norak Water Reservoir, known as the Tajik Sea, and visit the ancient Hulbuk Fortress, dating from the 8th century. The highest point of the day is Shurobod Pass (1,955 m); from here, the Afghanistan border begins.
• You will drive along the natural border formed by the Panj River. This part of the journey is especially lovely for its unique mountains and marks the beginning of the Pamir Mountains.

Accommodation: Homestay (1 night)

Meals Included: Lunch/Dinner

• Today is mostly a travel day as you set off to Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). The town lies on high, narrow terraces at 2,200-2,300 meters above sea level in the Pamir Mountains, at the confluence of the Gunt and Panj rivers. The road follows the Panj River and was built by the Soviets in the 1930s, though it remains in disrepair in many places.
• Along the way, you can observe the civilizations of the two countries and their differences.
• As you travel from Kalaikhum to Khorog, both the scenery and the people begin to change. The people here are Pamiris and have unique traditions and languages.

Accommodation: Homestay (1 night)

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

• First, take a trip to the mineral hot spring called "Garm Chashma." Located about 45 km from Khorog on the way to Ishkashim, it was developed in the late 1950s on the site of a mineral spring. The healing waters of this place are known throughout the region and are visited by many travellers and tourists each year.
• You will also pass the Ruby Mines of Kukh-i-Lal, where Badakhshan's rubies were already being mined in the 14th century. Ishkashim is a small town at the mouth of the Wakhan Corridor, where the 19th-century Great Game came to an end.
• As you travel north, you will encounter breathtaking views of the Pamirs to the left and the Hindu Kush to the right.
• If you are lucky and arrive in Ishkashim on a Saturday, you can visit the cross-border Tajik-Afghan market on the Afghan side. You do not need an Afghan visa for this visit.

Accommodation: Guesthouse (1 night)

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

• As you travel farther, you will visit Kah-Kaha in Namadgut. It is one of the oldest fortresses on the Silk Road, thought to have been constructed around the 4th century A.D., and is said to be named after the epic king of dark-skinned fire-worshippers.
• After that, you will visit the sacred hot springs of Bibi Fatima Zahra and the ruins of Yamchun Fortress (4th-3rd century B.C.), which once guarded the Pamir branch of the Great Silk Road.
• In Yamg village, you will visit the Museum of Sufi Muborak-Kadami Vakhani, where visitors can explore the life of a local Sufi scholar, theologian, traveller, and poet who lived in this region until 1910. Some of his most marvellous achievements can be seen here. Near his house stands a stone pillar with a hole carved into it, which he used to calculate a solar calendar. His home is decorated with inscriptions and decorations made by the scholar.
• Near Vrang village, on a hill, visit a Buddhist temple dating back to the 4th-7th centuries, dotted with caves.

Accommodation: Homestay (1 night)

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

• You will have breakfast at your accommodation before enjoying the stunning views of Afghanistan, including the ice-capped Wakhan Range and the Pamir River. After crossing the 4,344-meter Khargushi Pass, you will arrive at Bulunkul Lake in a small hamlet. Bulunkul is one of Tajikistan's high-mountain lakes, located at 3,734 meters above sea level, and is known as one of the coldest inhabited places in the former Soviet Union, with a record low temperature of -63 degrees Celsius. The residents include Pamiris, Tajiks, and Kyrgyz nomads who thrive in this harsh environment. After reaching Bulunkul, you can take a short drive or hike of approximately 15 km to Yashikul Lake, where you can explore the shoreline and hike to viewpoints offering stunning vistas.

Accommodation: Homestay (1 night)

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

• As the journey continues, and if the weather is clear enough, you will head up to the Shorbulak Observatory, where you can see Muztag Ata and Kongur Peaks, part of the Khun Lun Range in China. Murghab is a quiet town in the High Pamir region, with only a bazaar, where Kyrgyz and Tajik people live.
• You will visit a handicraft shop in "Yak House." The marvellous views of the mountains and glaciers along the way are breathtaking as the road takes you to Ak-Baital Pass at 4,655 m. This is the highest pass in the former USSR and was called "The Roof of the World." Hidden within this vast arid landscape is the stunning Karakul Lake, created millions of years ago by a meteorite and noted as one of the most geologically fascinating places on Earth.
• You will have an opportunity to take a short walk along the lake. The surrounding area offers spectacular and especially dramatic views, with the sun setting over the nearby snow-capped mountains.

Accommodation: Homestay (1 night)

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

• The following day, you will continue your trip to Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan and the oldest city in the country. Your final Pamir Highway high pass is Kyzyl Art Pass, at an altitude of 4,282 m, which forms the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
• After Sary Tash village, you leave the high mountains of the Pamir-Alay range behind, departing the crossroads of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China.
• You will cross Taldyk Pass at an altitude of 3,554 m and enjoy beautiful views.
• You must travel about 185 km from Sary Tash, and depending on road conditions and travel time, you can expect to arrive in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, in the early evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast/Lunch