Tajikistan · Geological Wonders

10-Hour Iskanderkul Tour from Dushanbe with Fan Niagara and Snake Lake

10 Hours Round trip from Айни Moderate pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Admire the beauty of Lake Iskanderkul
02 Swim in the waters of Snake Lake
03 Marvel at the enchanting Fan Niagara waterfall
04 See the Fan Mountains framed by peaks such as Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, and Chimtarga

Sign up for this incredible 10-hour excursion to Iskanderkul and witness striking mountainscapes framed by peaks such as Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, and Chimtarga. Discover the mystery, secrets, and legends associated with Lake Iskanderkul, admire the famous Fan Niagara waterfall, and continue to Snake Lake for time to relax or enjoy a swim in its warmer waters.

Discover the mystery, secrets, and legends associated with Lake Iskanderkul, admire the famous Fan Niagara waterfall, and continue to Snake Lake for time to relax or enjoy a swim in its warmer waters.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 10 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Dushanbe, Iskanderkul

Languages English, Russian

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Iskanderkul Lake, Fan Niagara, and Snake Lake Excursion

The distance from the capital of Tajikistan is more than 180 kilometres along a high-altitude and quite decent highway.
Along the way, you can see fascinating natural landscapes, with snow-capped mountain tops rushing into the deep blue of the sky. This small piece of untouched land can show a lot of interesting things, including Lake Iskanderkul. There are magnificent blue lakes, fast mountain rivers, and picturesque forests. Iskanderkul, considered the heart of the Fan Mountains, is surrounded by several five-thousand-meter peaks - Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, and Zidon. The highest is Chimtarga (5,487 meters).
Visit Lake Iskanderkul, which resembles a triangle in shape. Its area is 3.5 square kilometres, and the water depth is 70 meters. The mirror surface of the reservoir, surrounded by mountains, looks magnificent. The uniqueness of the lake lies in the fact that it is the largest in the mountains and is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. The volume of the lake's water is 172 million cubic meters. The length of the coastline is 14 thousand meters.
Next, head to the nearby 43-meter waterfall, "Fan Niagara." It is located on the river flowing out of the lake. There is also a rock with an inscription dating back to 1870, left by the participants of the expedition led by the famous Russian traveller and scientist A. Fedchenko.
Afterwards, proceed to Snake Lake. According to the stories of old-timers, many snakes live in it. Locals claim that reptiles will not bite in two cases: when they are in the water and when people drink water. The water here is warmer than in Iskanderkul, so it is quite possible to swim.

Tour ends.

Where this trip takes you

Triangle-shaped Lake Iskanderkul, Fan Niagara waterfall, Snake Lake

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Айни 2 cities · 10 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Transfer - transport service for the entire tour
Lunch (one time)
Guide/interpreter
Entrance fees for visiting objects
Tourist tax/duty

What's Not Included

Personal costs, alcoholic drinks, food, etc.
Please note: in case of changes to the list of services according to the traveller's wishes, the cost of the tour program will change.

What to bring

Fresh water

Know before you go

It is a hiking tour, so tourists should be ready for these conditions.
The name of the lake in Tajikistan comes from the name "Iskander" (meaning "Alexander") and the word "kul" (translated as "lake"). Some legends say that the reservoir got its name because Alexander the Great visited it during a campaign to India from Central Asia.
The lake, located in the amazingly beautiful Fan Mountains, has a rather rich and long history. It is believed that it was named in honor of Alexander the Great, whom the locals called Iskander Zulqarnain, which means "Iskander the two-horned" (because of the unusual helmet that resembled horns).
After Iskander Zulqarnain visited here, due to the obvious consonance, the name was changed to Iskanderkul.
The lake is located in the northern part of the country, in the Sugd region. The distance from the capital of Tajikistan is more than 180 kilometers along a high-altitude and quite decent highway. Along the way, you can see fascinating natural landscapes with snow-capped mountain tops rushing into the deep blue of the sky. This small piece of untouched land can show a lot of interesting things, including Lake Iskanderkul. There are magnificent blue lakes, fast mountain rivers, and picturesque forests.
Iskanderkul, considered the heart of the Fan Mountains, is surrounded by several peaks over five thousand meters - Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, and Zindon. The highest is Chimtarga (5,487 meters).
Lake Iskanderkul resembles a triangle in shape. Its area is 3.5 square kilometers, and the water depth is 70 meters. The mirror surface of the reservoir, surrounded by mountains, looks magnificent. The uniqueness of the lake lies in the fact that it is the largest in the mountains and is located at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. The volume of the lake's water is 172 million cubic meters. The length of the coastline is 14 thousand meters.
Near Lake Iskanderkul, there is an old juniper bush whose branches are decorated with colorful ribbons. Everyone who comes to admire the local amazing waterfall leaves something of their own on this tree so they can return here again in the future.
The nearby 43-meter waterfall is called "Fan Niagara." It is located on the river flowing out of the lake. There is also a rock with an inscription dating back to 1870, left by the participants of the expedition led by the famous Russian traveler and scientist A. Fedchenko.
Not far from Iskanderkul, there is another lake called Snake Lake. According to the stories of old-timers, many snakes live in it. Locals claim that reptiles will not bite in two cases: when they are in the water and when people drink water. The water in it is warmer than in Iskanderkul, so it is quite possible to swim here.
There are quite remarkable mountain peaks in the vicinity of the lake. For example, according to one mountain, popularly called "Rain Gauge," residents determine the weather. If the peak is hidden in a cloud, it is likely to start raining. There is another version that it was named this way by the locals because there is a device on it to measure the amount of precipitation.
There is another peak here - Chil-shaitan. Its name translates from Tajik as "40 devils." According to the stories of the old men, shepherds and hunters met devils there. That is where the name came from. Therefore, people are still afraid to go up there, but tourists are not afraid of anything, because there is something to see there.
Lake Iskanderkul is called a pearl in the palms of the mountains, a living legend. A lot of tourists come to this mountain reservoir. There are guest houses for their stay here, but foreign visitors prefer to rest in tents. Swedes, Englishmen, Frenchmen, and Tajiks themselves come here. Moreover, they all rest in different ways. Some travel on foot, others on motorcycles, and others in rare cars.
People are attracted here by the mystery of the lake and the secrets and legends associated with it. For example, there is one beautiful legend saying that Rustam's horse from the poem "Shahname" (Firdousi) is grazing at the bottom of the reservoir - the fiery Rakhsh.
According to legend, Alexander the Great stumbled upon a settlement of Sogdians who resisted his army. The commander was very angry and gave the order to dam the river, on the bank of which residential buildings were located. That is how the lake appeared on the site of that settlement.
According to another legend, the Macedonian horse Bucephalus drank water from the lake during a halt after a long march and fell ill. The commander himself went further to India, leaving his faithful horse here. However, even at such a great distance, he felt the death of his master and threw himself into the lake, remaining in it forever. Since then, during the full moon every month, Bucephalus comes out of the water to graze: the waters part, and a snow-white horse comes to the surface of the lake, accompanied by grooms.