Afghanistan, Tajikistan · Trekking

13-Day Pamir and Wakhan Corridor Tour from Fayzabad to Chaqmaqtin

13 Days Round trip from Fayzabad Moderate pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Explore the remote Wakhan Corridor and Little Pamir Mountains
02 Visit the surreal Chaqmaqtin Lake on the historic Silk Road route
03 Meet Afghan Kyrgyz and Wakhi semi-nomadic families in secluded mountain communities
04 Travel through the Pamir Highlands with an expert local guide and road support
05 Admire the beautiful mountain scenery and Pamiri settlements of Badakhshan

Rise to the Top of the World on a journey through far north-east Badakhshan, exploring the Hindukush range, the Pamir Highlands, the Wakhan Corridor, and Bartang Valley. This small-group tour with a local guide and guard focuses on safe travel by road through one of Afghanistan's most remote and least-known regions. Along the way, experience the fantastic welcome of local communities and discover why Badakhshan in general, and the Pamir in particular, are among the most exciting places in Afghanistan.

Rise to the Top of the World on a journey through far north-east Badakhshan, exploring the Hindukush range, the Pamir Highlands, the Wakhan Corridor, and Bartang Valley.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 13 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Dushanbe, Kabul, Kondoz, Fayzabad, Ishkashim, Wakhan Corridor

Languages Arabic, English, Russian

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Journey to Faizabad from Kabul or Dushanbe

Day 1 (Option 1): The Start of the Journey | Kabul to Faizabad

Starting from the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul International Airport.
Make our way north towards Gulbahar.
Drive up to the notorious Hindukush Salang Tunnel into Baghlan Province.
Head towards Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan Province.

Driving: 12 hours

Altitude: 3,200 meters

Overnight: Proper hotel Bam-e Dunya in Faizabad (3-star hotel)

Day 1 (Option 2): The Start of the Journey | Dushanbe to Faizabad

Starting from Dushanbe, the capital of neighbouring Tajikistan.
Make your way south toward the Khatlon region.
Cross the Shirkhan Bandar land border crossing into Afghanistan's Kunduz Province.
Have Kite Travel Boutique's letter of invitation for Afghan visas at the border crossing.
A local guide with car will meet and greet you and brief you on the itinerary.
Head to Kunduz City to get travel permits approved.
Continue eastward across Kunduz and Takhar provinces to finally reach Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan.

Driving: 12 hours

Altitude: 2,200 meters

Overnight: Proper hotel Bam-e Dunya in Faizabad (3-star hotel)

Day 02

Drive from Faizabad to Ishkashim

Getting yet another early start, we will continue our journey toward the small town of Ishkashim.

Driving: 10 hours

Altitude: 2,600 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Ishkashim

Day 03

Explore Ishkashim and Arrange Permits

Today, the plan is to explore Ishkashim while Kite Travel Boutique's organizers collect travel permits for your onward journey to Wakhan National Park.

Altitude: 2,600 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Ishkashim (modest guesthouse)

Day 04

Scenic Drive to Qala-e Panja

After breakfast in Ishkashim, we will begin our drive along the Afghan Wakhan Corridor toward Qala-e Panja in Pamir, near where the Pamir and Wakhan Rivers meet to form the Panj. This route sits along one of the major thoroughfares of the ancient Silk Road, with the likes of Marco Polo and Hsuan Tsang passing through this area in times past.

Driving time: 6-7 hours

Altitude: 2,800 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Qala-e Panja (modest guesthouse)

Day 05

Enter Wakhan National Park

After breakfast, from Qala-e Panja, the once capital of the Mirdom of Wakhan, which dates back to the Sassanid era, we'll make our way to Wakhan National Park.

Driving: 5-6 hours

Altitude: 3,800 meters

Overnight: Tent camp in Wakhan National Park

Day 06

High-Altitude Trekking in Wakhan

After a sunrise breakfast at Wakhan, we'll continue camping as the trek gains gradual elevation today before we reach our camp between the 4,400 and 4,500 meter mark.

Trekking: 5-6 hours

Altitude: 4,500 meters

Overnight: Tent camping at the foot of Wakhan

Day 07

Road Journey to Chaqmaqtin Lake

We will take today to continue the road journey along the Afghan Wakhan to the surreal Chaqmaqtin Lake, making scenic stops in villages along the way.

Driving time: 5 hours

Altitude: 4,100 meters

Overnight: Tent camp

Day 08

Explore Chaqmaqtin and Meet Kyrgyz Families

Today we will have the chance to explore the Chaqmaqtin area, meet local Afghan Kyrgyz families, and learn about their culture in what feels like one of the most secluded places in the world.

Trekking: Rest day

Altitude: 4,050 meters

Overnight: Tent camping at Chaqmaqtin

Day 09

Return from Little Pamir to Qala-e Panja

After breakfast, we'll say goodbye to the Little Pamir and depart Chaqmaqtin Lake, where our vehicles will continue waiting for us. From Chaqmaqtin, we'll make our way to Qala-e Panja, the once capital of the Mirdom of Wakhan, which dates back to the Sassanid era.

Driving: 7-8 hours

Altitude: 2,800 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Qala-e Panja (modest guesthouse)

Day 10

Drive Back to Ishkashim

We will take today to make the road journey along the Afghan Wakhan back to Ishkashim from Qala-e Panja, making scenic stops in villages along the way.

Driving time: 6 hours

Altitude: 2,800 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Ishkashim (modest guesthouse)

Day 11

Contingency Day in Ishkashim

Given the remote nature of this trip, we always budget an extra day in the event of delays in order to have plenty of time to get across the border and to Dushanbe or back to Kabul International Airport so that guests don't miss any outbound flights.

Altitude: 2,600 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Ishkashim (modest guesthouse)

Day 12

Return to Kabul or Kunduz

Day 12: Say Goodbye to the Wakhan | Ishkashim to Kabul (Exit option 1)

In the morning, we'll say goodbye to Wakhan in Afghanistan and make the journey, as Option 1, straight to Kabul via the Hindukush range and the 'Salang Tunnels'.

Driving: 17 hours +/-

Altitude: 3,200 meters

Overnight: UN Security Approved 4-star Park Star Hotel in Kabul

Day 12: Say Goodbye to the Wakhan | Ishkashim to Kunduz (Exit option 2)

In the morning, we'll say goodbye to Wakhan in Afghanistan and make the journey back to Kunduz City and head for Shirkhan Border Crossing (as Option 2).

Driving: 16 hours +/-

Altitude: 2,600 meters

Overnight: Guesthouse in Kunduz City (modest guesthouse)

Day 13

Departure via Kabul or Dushanbe

Day 13: The Final Day | Kabul International Airport (Exit option 1)

Today begins early or late, as per your return ticket timing, with a short drive to reach Kabul International Airport. You will be accompanied by a tour representative for the airport transfer to catch your flight to Dubai or elsewhere, and your trip ends.

Driving: 30 minutes to Kabul International Airport

Day 13: The Final Day | Kunduz to Dushanbe (Exit option 2)

Today begins early with a short drive of a little over an hour to reach the Shirkhan Border Crossing. Once across, you'll continue the 3-hour drive to Dushanbe, where your trip ends.

Driving: 4-5 hours to Dushanbe

Altitude: 2,200 meters

Where this trip takes you

Chaqmaqtin Lake, Wakhan Corridor, Little Pamir Mountains

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Fayzabad 6 cities · 13 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Afghanistan visa invitation letter
Travel permit & entry tickets
Secure and confidential pick-up and drop-off service
Air-conditioned 5- or 10-seater car hire with an English-speaking friendly driver and tour guide, facilitating safe 'travel by road' with a GPS live tracker device installed
Three to five days (or more, as you wish) alone or small-group tour
English-speaking driver
3 main meals, beverages, and medicine on board
Hotel & guesthouse accommodation (3-star)

What's Not Included

Escort guards (fully vetted by the Ministry of Interior)
Doctor on board
Domestic air ticket

What to bring

Necessary medication
A simple first aid kit
A solar power bank
Charger
External batteries
Inreach Explorer+ for communication
Long sleeves
Full-length trousers or trekking pants
Head covering for women
Layered clothing for high altitudes and cool temperatures

Know before you go

Join us on an epically amazing 12-day journey through northern Afghanistan's remote Wakhan Corridor to explore the little-visited 'Little Pamir Mountains' and the surreal Chaqmaqtin Lake.
Afghanistan Entry Option 1
- Starting from the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul International Airport, we will first make our way north towards Gulbahar before driving up to the notorious Hindukush Salang Tunnel (Soviet-made) into Baghlan Province, the epicentre of the Kushan Empire, then head towards Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan Province.
Afghanistan Entry Option 2
- Starting from Dushanbe, the capital of neighbouring Tajikistan, you will first make your way south toward the Khatlon region before crossing the Shirkhan Bandar land border crossing into Afghanistan's Kunduz Province. You will have Kite Travel Boutique's letter of invitation in hand to attain your Afghan visas at the border crossing.
- Once in the country, our local guide with car will meet and greet you and brief you on your itinerary. Then we will head to Kunduz City to get prior-arranged travel permits approved and then head eastward across Kunduz and Takhar provinces to finally reach Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan.
Taking either option mentioned above, we continue our journey onwards to Ishkashim district. From Afghan Ishkashim, we'll continue by jeep down the Wakhan Valley Road to Gaz Khan, from which we'll begin our expedition on foot.
The goals are to reach the famed surreal Chaqmaqtin Lake located in the Little Pamir Mountains, on the path of the Silk Road, inhabited by Afghan Kyrgyz and Wakhi semi-nomadic families.
About Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor
- Squeezed between the Pamir and Karakoram Mountains, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor is a political creation, formed during the Great Game in 1893 by the Durand so-called agreement between Afghanistan and the then British Empire to serve as a buffer between Russian Turkistan (present-day Tajikistan) and British India (present-day Northern Pakistan).
- Historically, the Afghan Wakhan Corridor was a trade route along the Silk Road, used by Arian merchants, monks, and travellers traversing between the Badakhshan region and Yarkand in what is now Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China.
- Over the years, the Wakhan became quite diverse, with many people of varying cultures crossing and settling in the area as they travelled through this remote land.
- The Wakhan Corridor has remained largely cut off from the remainder of Afghanistan due to its rugged, arduous terrain, making it the only reasonably safe destination within Afghanistan's borders, dodging the wars that have wracked the country since the 1970s.
About Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor
- Squeezed between the Pamir and Karakoram Mountains.
- Political creation in 1893 by the Durand agreement to serve as a buffer.
- Trade route along the Silk Road.
- Diverse with many people of varying cultures.
- Largely cut off from the remainder of Afghanistan due to rugged terrain.
Other Important Information
- Sleeping Arrangements & Showering
  - Sleep two to a tent while camping on the Wakhan trek.
  - In guesthouses, group accommodation in large rooms with several beds.
  - Chance to shower on all nights in Tajikistan, Kabul, and in Afghan Ishkashim.
  - Camping: Plan to get dirty; it's quite dusty in these parts.
- Meals
  - Three delicious Afghan meals per day are included.
  - Meals in the Wakhan are simple: chai, nan, and either rice or noodles with meat.
- Electricity, Internet & Communications
  - No regular electricity during the trek.
  - We recommend a solar power bank, charger, and external batteries.
  - Limited online connectivity in the Afghan Wakhan.
  - We recommend bringing an Inreach Explorer+ for communication.
- Dress Code
  - The Wakhan Corridor is conservative.
  - Full coverage is recommended for both men and women (long sleeves, full-length trousers/trekking pants).
  - It is best for women to wear a head covering.
  - Layering is recommended for high altitudes and cool temperatures.
- Medications & First Aid
  - Bring necessary medication.
  - Carry a simple first aid kit.
  - Kite Travel Boutique's guide will have a first aid kit.
- Altitude
  - The trek takes place at high altitudes.
  - Take precautions to prevent altitude sickness.
- Weather
  - Expect cold temperatures year-round.
  - Temperatures can drop to -15°C at night and reach 25°C in the daytime.
- Physical Level
  - This is challenging trekking.
  - Expect long days, up to 5 kilometers (5-8 hours).
  - The trek goes over mountain passes, with the highest at nearly 4,900 meters.
- Extra Days
  - Additional tours in Afghanistan can be arranged.
- Sign Up
  - Limited to a maximum of 14 travelers.