Today I visited the beautiful Artuch and the Kulikalon Lakes from Samarkand. It took me 3 hours on foot (with very frequent breaks) to get there and 1 hour 40 minutes back.
It’s about an hour and a half drive from the border. I was choosing between the Seven Lakes and Artuch — the photos clearly show I made the right choice 
Three hours walking on flat terrain or in the mountains?
There’s no flat terrain there at all.