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Day Trip to the Seven Lakes?

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(@ika_rismayanti)
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Joined: 3 weeks ago
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Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip to Uzbekistan and am curious about visiting the Seven Lakes in Tajikistan from Samarkand. Is it feasible to do this in a single day? I’ve only come across longer tours. Can anyone suggest how to hire a driver for this journey? Thanks!


   
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(@kulagar)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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We made a similar trip a couple of months ago! and although it was quite a long day, it was absolutely doable. If you prefer to go independently, you could potentially hire a driver in Tajikistan to meet you at the border and take you to the Seven Lakes. Just a heads-up, though: a 4x4 is necessary since the roads can be quite rough.

From what I understand, hiring a driver in Uzbekistan might be tricky due to the complicated border crossing regulations. Much easier to arrange a driver from Tajikistan to pick you up from the border and start the tour from there.



   
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(@terus)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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Hello,
I'm considering a different approach and would appreciate any tips or insights. My plan is to take a shared taxi from Samarkand to the border, then cross over and catch a local taxi to Panjakent. I’d like to arrange for a guide to take me on a day hike to the Seven Lakes or the Fan Mountains. Ideally, I want to return to Samarkand the same day if that’s possible.

I’m trying to avoid spending a lot on organized tours since I’m traveling solo, and they can be quite pricey.


   
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(@kulagar)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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We traveled with a company called Marcopolo, and it cost us $140 per person for a group of two. The package included pick-up and drop-off at the Uzbekistan border, plus a brief stop at the Panjakent mosque and bazaar to grab some supplies before heading to the lakes. If you start from Panjakent, I think it could be cheaper. You can reach out to Said at +992 92 633 0203 for more details.


   
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(@vogor)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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For our one-day tour, we went with Sogda Tours. The whole trip took around 10 hours, including pick-up and drop-off at our hotel in Samarkand. We ended up paying $360 for two people. Hope this helps!


   
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(@yamary)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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I’m not sure if this will be useful, but I spent three nights in Panjakent last autumn. When I booked my hotel, I asked the owner if he could set up a trip to the Seven Lakes, and he arranged it with a local taxi driver. I paid just $80 for the trip.

To get to Panjakent, I took a marshrutka from Samarkand to the border for about 20,000 som (roughly $1.75), then a shared taxi from the border to Panjakent for 20 TJS (around $1.85). The return journey was the same, so I ended up spending significantly less than what I’ve seen quoted here. Being in Panjakent definitely made things easier.


   
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(@rolla)
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Joined: 2 months ago
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@yamary Thanks for the great info! I’d love to know which hotel you stayed at in Panjakent. Could you share the name?


   
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(@yamary)
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Sure! The hotel is called Umariyon, though you might also see it spelled as Umarion due to transliteration issues.

To give you a clearer picture of my journey: I went to what’s known as the Kaftarxona “bus station” in Samarkand, which is more of a busy road with various buses and taxis. I took a marshrutka to the border for 20,000 som ($1.75). From the border to Panjakent, I would have paid the usual fare of 20 somoni ($1.85) for a shared taxi, but since I didn’t have any somoni yet, the taxi driver accepted 25,000 som ($2) instead.

Now, while the title of this thread is about a day trip to the Seven Lakes, I’d recommend considering an overnight stay in Panjakent. It only takes a couple of hours to get there from Samarkand, and staying overnight would allow you to have a more relaxed experience. Plus, you’d keep a good rapport with the hotel owner.

I booked my stay at the Umariyon hotel for June, but I made the reservation back in March and mentioned my interest in visiting the Seven Lakes. When I arrived, the owner recognized me and offered to arrange a local taxi driver to pick me up at 9 AM the next day. This way, I had ample time for photos and hiking from Lake 6 to Lake 7, which was fantastic! We returned to Panjakent by 4 PM, just as planned. The total cost for the taxi was 870 somoni (around $80).

The driver was great, even though he didn’t speak any English. We communicated through gestures and laughter, and he even showed me pictures of himself swimming in Lake 6 with other tourists. The hotel experience was excellent as well; the owner was incredibly accommodating.

So, to sum it up, my total expenses came to $80 for the taxi, about $7.35 for transport at the border, and $22.50 per night for the hotel, which totals around $109.85. You could argue that the hotel cost doesn’t really count since you need a place to stay before the trip anyway.


   
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(@jlsclep)
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Joined: 2 months ago
Posts: 8
 

@yamary Thanks a ton! This is super helpful. I completely agree that staying overnight in Panjakent is a smart move. I’ve adjusted my plans and booked a room at Hotel Sugd, which is pretty close to Umariyon. Looking forward to the adventure!


   
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