This is a translated and professionally rewritten account of a traveler’s 2016 summer expedition along the Pamir Highway. Despite its original publication years ago, the insights remain highly relevant today. The detailed advice presented here may serve as a practical guide for anyone contemplating a similar trip. Originally shared by the user “snus71” on the awd.ru forum, this report has been adapted to make it accessible to a broader audience while retaining its informative value.
This report serves as a technical guide for preparing a trip to the Pamirs, aiming to compile answers to questions the author faced and those likely to arise for anyone planning to follow the same route. For those not intending to venture to the Pamirs, I recommend simply enjoying the photos included here—they are provided purely to capture interest and do not directly connect to the text. A separate account, possibly more than one, will cover the actual travel itinerary in detail.
The idea of traveling to the Pamirs was born during the typical early-spring deliberations about summer vacations. My initial plans—destinations that had long occupied my thoughts—were thwarted by sold-out flights and accommodations. Furthermore, family circumstances left me with only the first two weeks of July for vacation. Faced with these constraints, I began to consider alternatives.
The Pamirs had long intrigued me. I’d skimmed through travelers’ reports, admired captivating photos, and learned about the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), home to the Pamiri people—a distinct ethnic group with a complex relationship with the Tajik government. The tragic events of 2012 in GBAO were also fresh in my memory. Most famously, the Pamir Highway beckoned as an iconic route.
Yet, despite this fascination, I never seriously planned to visit. That changed when I stumbled upon direct flights from St. Petersburg to Dushanbe and onward from Osh, Kyrgyzstan, at a reasonable price of around 10,000 rubles one way. Tired of convoluted itineraries (our last vacation involved a flight from St. Petersburg to Tokyo via Paris), and uninterested in urban sightseeing, the allure of the world’s second-highest mountain range—after the Himalayas—was irresistible. These wild, untouched landscapes offered the chance to ascend altitudes exceeding 4,500 meters without technical climbing. Decision made: we were going to the Pamirs!
Before booking flights, I needed to ensure the trip was financially feasible. Annual tourist traffic to the Pamirs is modest—estimated at a few thousand visitors during the short summer season. Of these, less than 5% are Russian. Locals often tried speaking to us in broken English, surprised and delighted when we replied in Russian. “Russians, at last!” they’d exclaim. We encountered tourists from Japan, Germany, the UK, the US, South Africa, and the Czech Republic—but not a single Russian.
Tourists in the Pamirs typically fall into several categories:
Cyclists – The most numerous group. They arrive in Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan with their bicycles and tackle hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, camping or staying in guesthouses along the way. These enthusiasts are true adventurers. We even saw a lone Japanese woman cycling through one of the most remote areas, where cars are a rare sight. Over six days, we encountered at least 30 cyclist-tourists.
Motorcyclists – Similar to cyclists but equipped with their motorcycles, often shipped from faraway countries. We spotted a trio from South Africa and a lone Estonian motorcyclist during our journey.
Hitchhikers and Trekkers – A rare sight due to the harsh conditions. We met three Czech men trekking near Lake Yashikul, aiming to reach Alichur after several days of hiking, and then hitchhiking to Murghab and Osh.
Independent Drivers – Travelers who drive their own vehicles to the Pamirs, mainly from Russia or Ukraine. While reports suggest this is a popular option, we only saw one such vehicle, with European plates.
Hired Drivers with 4x4s – This was our choice. Surprisingly, only a few tourists opt for this method. Over six days, we encountered just 5–6 vehicles with tourists like us, none of whom were Russian. Our driver mentioned that 100–200 drivers operate in the Pamirs, each transporting 5–6 tourist groups per season (usually 2–3 people per group). However, this figure seemed inconsistent with what we observed.
Securing a reliable driver with a suitable vehicle proved to be a time-consuming task. I hope this report saves you considerable effort. Russian tour operators are best avoided—they merely act as intermediaries for Tajik firms, inflating costs. A quick search of Tajikistan’s online tourism sector reveals several companies offering transportation services, but their prices—clearly aimed at affluent Western tourists—are often double or triple the real costs.
The key is to bypass intermediaries and connect directly with local drivers. While I couldn’t achieve this, I can guide you to trustworthy sources:
Tajikavia Tour: http://www.tajikaviatour.tj
Established connections with experienced Pamiri drivers.
Drivers' Association SAFAR: http://www.pamir-drive.tj
Led by Sherali Bakhtaliev (email: assafar@yandex.ru).
Both offered reasonable rates. Confident in our budget, I booked flights for my family: myself, my wife, and our 17-year-old son.
Time Zones – Tajikistan is two hours ahead of Moscow, while Kyrgyzstan is three hours ahead.
Entry Requirements – At Dushanbe Airport, fill out migration cards before border control. These are required for registration (detailed below) and must be presented upon departure. Kyrgyzstan requires only a passport for entry and exit.
Currency –
First and foremost, you’ll need a permit to enter the GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region), as it is a border zone, and entry is not allowed without authorization. The permit can be arranged at the local police station in Dushanbe, for example, but it cannot be issued in just one day. The process requires three working days. To avoid wasting time upon arrival, it’s better to arrange the permit in advance by contacting a travel agency in Dushanbe.
What’s needed for the permit? Scanned copies of your passports and your planned entry dates. The permit will be issued with a buffer, valid for a month ahead, so you’ll definitely fit within the timeframe of your trip. The permit looks like this:
How much does it cost? Officially, just a couple of dollars—a mere token fee. Naturally, no one will handle the process for free. However, don’t fall for the myths about $50–$100 per person. The permit can be easily obtained for $15.
How did I arrange mine? I sent $45 for three people to a travel agency via the "Zolotaya Korona" money transfer service, along with scanned copies of our passports and the estimated date of our arrival in the GBAO. A week later, the agency emailed me scanned copies of the permits so I could verify everything. Done. When I arrived, I picked up the original documents.
Secondly, according to Tajikistan’s regulations, any foreigner staying in the country must register with the local police within three days of arrival (update: as of now, registration is only required if your stay exceeds 10 days). This applies specifically to Russian citizens, who can enter Tajikistan without a visa. Europeans, on the other hand, typically require a visa, which exempts them from the need to register.
Registration
The registration process is a mere formality. You simply need to register at any location within Tajikistan, after which you are free to travel the country however you wish. Registration is typically issued for two weeks or up to a month.
How do you obtain registration, and how much does it cost?
The official fee is around 60–70 somoni (approximately $7–8), as I was told. You can go directly to the police station yourself to get it. They say it’s not a complicated process, but most people prefer to avoid the hassle of dealing with the intricacies of the Tajik bureaucratic system.
Travel agencies charge a wide range of fees for handling registration, from unreasonably high amounts to more acceptable ones (around $15 per person).
I highly recommend completing your registration at your place of residence in Dushanbe. Here's how it worked for us:
At the hotel in Dushanbe where we stayed, the owners informed us that they could handle the registration for us. In my presence, they called a contact of theirs who specializes in processing registrations. This person quoted a price of 130 somoni per person (registration is also required for children aged 16 and older). We negotiated and agreed on $50 for three people. I handed over our passports and migration cards at 11 a.m. directly at the hotel. By 9:30 a.m. the next day, they returned our documents, along with the completed registration forms, directly to our room. Done! I strongly recommend doing it this way—it's simple and efficient.
To determine the cost of a vehicle, you first need to finalize your route. I highly recommend the route we chose.
If you look at the map, the M41 highway (commonly known as the Pamir Highway) begins in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif and runs through Dushanbe, Kulob, and Kalai-Khumb to Khorog, the capital of GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region). From there, it continues to Murghab and descends toward Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
For our journey, we focused on the section from Dushanbe to Kalai-Khumb, then to Khorog. From there, instead of sticking to the M41, we took the so-called Wakhan Corridor, passing through Ishkashim and Langar. After that, we rejoined the M41, visited Lake Bulunkul, traveled through Alichur to Murghab, then headed to Lake Karakul and the Kyrgyz border, before continuing through Sary-Tash to Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
Does this sound complicated? Take a look at the map to see the route we followed. Unfortunately, plotting the entire route on Google Maps isn’t possible, as it considers some parts of the Wakhan Corridor impassable. Therefore, I had to sketch the map manually.
In total, we planned to cover approximately 1,650 kilometers. This number is crucial because vehicle rental pricing is based directly on the distance traveled. Drivers determine their rates primarily by the mileage covered and secondarily by the number of days required.
It is therefore critical to agree on your route with the driver (not a tour agency!) before your trip. Specify where you plan to stop and which roads you intend to take. This will save you from unexpected costs and ensure your journey proceeds smoothly.
Fuel in Tajikistan is not exactly cheap (though it’s not exorbitantly priced either). Diesel costs range from 5 somoni ($0.637) per liter in Dushanbe to 6 somoni ($0.764) in Khorog and 6.5 somoni ($0.828) in Murghab. However, when you consider the average salary of around $100, fuel expenses can be significant.
Traveling through the Pamirs usually happens in a Toyota Land Cruiser, either the 80 or 100 series, typically about 15 years old. These vehicles are already fuel-intensive, and this only increases when driving at high altitudes and on local roads. That’s the first factor. Secondly, the harsh conditions lead to significant wear and tear on the vehicles, meaning drivers need to recoup their maintenance costs. Additionally, tourism in the region is not exactly booming; rather, there is a notable shortage of tourists. As a result, the most expensive part of your trip will likely be transportation in a rented vehicle.
Take your estimated distance, multiply it by $0.6 per kilometer, and add the cost of the vehicle’s return journey from Osh to Dushanbe (drivers typically charge about $100 for this). On top of that, add around $10–$15 per day for the driver’s daily expenses (accommodation and meals). This will give you a rough idea of the total cost of your Pamir adventure. Rest assured, all other expenses will be negligible in comparison.
For example, using this formula, here’s how much our trip cost:
1650 km×0.6+100+15×8=$12101650 \, \text{km} \times 0.6 + 100 + 15 \times 8 = \text{\$1210}1650km×0.6+100+15×8=$1210.
I believe this is the maximum amount you should pay a driver for the route I’ve described below. And, of course, negotiation is key.
We ended up paying slightly more because we initially planned for an eight-day, seven-night trip instead of six days and five nights. Additionally, we worked through an intermediary rather than directly with drivers.
Here’s how it broke down: Sherali quoted us $1375 for a car and driver, while Tajikavia offered $1520, which included our accommodation along the route at $10 per person per night (for seven nights). The latter offer seemed more attractive to me. I tried negotiating, but they politely declined, stating these were already “final” prices. We agreed that I would pay $1000 in Dushanbe and $520 to the driver upon reaching Osh.
In total, I ended up paying $1460 since we stayed two nights fewer than originally planned. If Tajikavia took a $150 commission, the driver ultimately received $1310. Out of that, he paid for our accommodation for five nights, which I estimate cost him no more than $100, possibly even $70–$80. Overall, this aligns with the calculation method described above.
An Important Lesson: Do Not Include Accommodation and Meals in the Tour Price. Here’s a mistake I made and a pitfall I’d like to help you avoid: do not bundle accommodation (and especially meals) into the tour price. When drivers are responsible for covering these costs, they have an incentive to take you to the cheapest possible lodging options, which may lead to disagreements if you prefer better accommodations.
Additionally, breakfast is almost always included in the cost of lodging. However, our driver made a habit of charging us an extra 10 somoni per person for breakfast, arguing that the agreement only covered accommodation.
To avoid such situations, ensure the tour price only includes the cost of a clearly defined route in the agreed-upon type of vehicle (e.g., avoid opting for a UAZ, even if it’s cheaper). This way, you’ll have more control over the quality of your trip and fewer surprises along the way.
The Final Actual Route (with Daily Distances and Overnight Altitudes)
July 5
Departure from Dushanbe at 9:30 AM, heading toward Kalai-Khumb (Darvaz).
Along the way:
At 5:30 PM, we stopped for the night in the village of Sangevn, about 40 km before Kalai-Khumb.
Distance covered: 360 km.
Overnight altitude: ~1000 m.
July 6
Departed from Sangevn at 9:00 AM, heading toward Khorog.
Arrived in Khorog at 4:30 PM and stayed overnight at the Nazarbay Hotel.
Distance covered: 280 km.
Overnight altitude: ~2200 m.
July 7
Along the way:
At 5:00 PM, arrived in Yamchun and stayed overnight at the Bibi Fatima Zahra Hotel (may Allah spare you from staying there). Before bed, visited the Bibi Fatima Hot Springs.
Distance covered: 180 km.
Overnight altitude: ~3000 m.
July 8
Along the way:
After Langar, began ascending north toward the M-41 Highway.
Along the way:
Crossed the highway and arrived in the village of Bulunkul at 3:00 PM.
In the evening, visited Yashilkul Lake (bathed in a hot spring) and Bulunkul Lake.
Stayed overnight in the village of Bulunkul.
Distance covered: 170 km.
Overnight altitude: ~3700 m.
July 9
At 9:00 AM, we departed from Bulunkul, returned to the M-41 Highway, and traveled through Alichur toward Murghab.
Along the way:
By 11:30 AM, we arrived in Murghab, where we spent the night at the Mansur Tufulbek Guesthouse.
Distance covered: 155 km.
Overnight altitude: ~3600 m.
July 10
At 8:00 AM, we left Murghab, taking a significant detour (about 60 km) to the village of Rangkul to visit Rangkul Lake and Shorkul Lake. Afterward, we continued toward Osh.
Along the way:
We arrived in Osh at 7:00 PM (Tajik time) or 8:00 PM (Kyrgyz time).
Distance covered: 480 km.
Altitude of Osh: ~1000 m.
Why and how the planned route changed into the actual route will be covered in the next reports. I can only say that the overall experience wasn’t diminished. The trip ended up taking four extra days: one spent in Dushanbe, and the last three relaxing in Osh.
We had the fortune of dealing with two different drivers. This happened because our primary driver encountered paperwork issues with his vehicle and handed us over to a colleague in Murghab. This meant that for the longest driving day, we were with a different driver, providing an opportunity for comparison.
The first five days, starting from Dushanbe, we were driven by Ergash, a Pamiri from Khorog, aged slightly over 40. While I cannot fully, 100% recommend him, let me explain why. Overall, things were fine, and we communicated easily, but there were a few downsides:
As a big and obvious advantage: he always negotiates with the locals on your behalf to make sure you pay less. That is, where they would charge you 15 somonis per person, with Ergash, you can get away with paying only 10. In this regard, he's really good. Overall, I rate his performance at a solid "B+".
His car had transit plates, which he had recently bought, and he planned to change the plates in Murghab, but that didn’t work out, and on the last day, we switched to Nurmukhamed (you can just call him Mukhamed), who was introduced to us by his nickname “Mukha”. He is a guy "slightly over 30", a Kyrgyz citizen, but lives in Murghab. His car was more comfortable than Ergash’s. He takes good care of it and doesn't drive recklessly off-road. When it comes to helpfulness, he’s spot on: he’ll offer to stop at interesting spots for photos. He’s moderately talkative, even more on the quiet side. If you ask a question, he’ll answer, but he won’t initiate conversation. To me, he was the perfect driver, and I would confidently give him a solid "A". However, I should note that we only had him for one, albeit very long, day.
I’ll post the contact details for the drivers in a separate file, so I can update them as needed:
Drivers in the Pamirs
If anyone has additions or comments about these or other drivers, feel free to share, and I will update the information, as there’s very little of it available online.
Now, here are some questions that arose for me, and will likely arise for you after reading this text:
Why go from Dushanbe to Osh, and not the other way around? There are two reasons for this. The first is organizational: you’ll need to obtain a permit for the GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region). Getting this permit from Kyrgyzstan will be much more difficult and expensive, since Gorno-Badakhshan is part of Tajikistan. The second reason is physiological. As you ascend from Dushanbe, you gain 1000-1500 meters in altitude each day, and only by the fourth day do you reach over 4000 meters. This gradual increase provides a good buffer against acute mountain sickness. If you ascend from Osh, you’ll go from 1000 meters to 4500 meters on the very first day, which almost guarantees you’ll experience a severe attack, with the outcome depending solely on your health. I’m not joking about the "mountain sickness", take it seriously. Despite the gradual ascent, by the fourth day, we did feel the full effects of the altitude, each of us differently. In a later section of the report, I will describe our condition in more detail. There’s nothing really scary about it, the heights aren’t extreme, but why add unnecessary headaches, literally, to your trip?
Why not return to Dushanbe without stopping in Kyrgyzstan? It's an unnecessary waste of time. You will have already seen everything, and on the Kyrgyz side, there are also very impressive mountain passes. It’s easier to pay the driver the required $100 for the return leg than to trudge back along the already seen Pamir and end up paying more in the end.
Is it possible to enter Afghanistan? Yes, it is, and it's not difficult. In Khorog, there is the Afghan consulate where you can easily get a visa (I believe it costs $100 per person) and cross the border either in Khorog or Ishkashim. What can you do on the Afghan side? Honestly, I don't know, I didn’t study this issue as we clearly didn’t have time for a trip to Afghanistan. Technically, the people on that side are the same Pamiris, just a bit poorer, many have relatives in Tajik Pamir, the province is also called Badakhshan. It is currently controlled by Afghan government Pashtun forces. It is unlikely you will be able to travel further into the country – that area is Taliban-controlled. For about half of your journey along the Pamir, you’ll still be traveling along the Panj River, which forms the border. Sometimes it will be just a few dozen meters away, giving you plenty of opportunity to observe life “on the other side.”
Is it safe on the Pamir now? Yes, absolutely. There is no visible danger.
As far as mudslides from the mountains are concerned, we were lucky. During our time there, none occurred to destroy the road. We saw last year’s damage: washed-out sections of road that had simply been cleared by a grader so that cars could pass. They say the worst mudslides happen in August.
Due to the risk of mudslides, it’s a good idea to add a couple of buffer days to your route, as large-scale road destruction could require a day to fix or may force you to take detours. Keep in mind that the road through the Wakhan Corridor is practically unused, unlike the M-41 highway itself, so if it gets destroyed, local road workers’ response won’t be lightning-fast.
Roads and Checkpoints: Checkpoints in Tajikistan fall into several categories: routine money collection and those where documents will be checked. Money collection – a local traffic police patrol on the road that collects 2-3 somonis from all drivers, just like that. For what? Well, for nothing. Just for driving through. Although tourists in their own vehicles won’t be bothered. I’ve heard there is an unofficial directive from the authorities on this. The level of corruption in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan surpasses any reasonable bounds. No issue is resolved without a bribe, even at the lowest levels.
Checkpoint checks: When entering the GBAO from the side of Dushanbe, there is a military checkpoint that first requires your permit, and along the route, there are about five Tajik local traffic police posts. The standard document package includes a passport, migration card, GBAO permit, and registration. At the Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border, of course, there are three posts on each side: customs, border guards, and drug control. It’s clear that at each post, the driver gives a bribe to every official – that’s the only way to get through. Bribe amounts vary, but as far as I remember, they rarely exceed 20 somonis. In any case, it’s none of your concern. The driver takes care of all issues with the posts and money collection. We never even got out of the car. We only stepped out once, to get the stamp on our passport when entering Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, how, to whom, how much, and in what way the driver hands over the money is not your problem – you’ve already paid for everything. As a rule, the officers would come up to us and chat while the driver "resolved issues" with the authorities, especially once they found out we were Russian.
The roads themselves vary in quality:
Clothing: The entire route was blessed with excellent summer weather, with temperatures ranging from +18°C to +28°C during the day. Rain was rare and did not pose any problems. However, keep in mind that mountains are mountains—at night in the Bulunkul or Karakul area, the temperature dropped to no more than +5°C, and even during the day at the Ak-Baital Pass, snow was possible. There’s no need to over-layer, though. We completed the whole journey in thin fleece jackets over t-shirts, occasionally pulling on thicker fleeces when needed. A long-sleeve shirt and a wide-brimmed hat are essential—at higher altitudes, you burn quickly in the sun. Sunglasses are highly recommended. For bottoms, the most comfortable option is athletic pants made from natural fabric.
Footwear: It was entirely unnecessary to bring hiking boots. We completed the entire journey in regular sandals and sneakers. There will be no alpine challenges, so simple sneakers are perfectly fine for short walks.
Extension cord and multi-socket adapter: There will definitely be one socket in your room, but it will likely be in the least convenient location—if you even have electricity at all.
Mosquito repellent: Absolutely essential at night. Near the mountain lakes, there are swarms of insects. This is assuming you even have electricity. In fact, we also used repellent in Osh.
Toilet paper: There is none on the Pamir. In the best case, you’ll get a roll of something that vaguely resembles cardboard in texture and color.
Soap: Small pieces like those found in hotels. In half the cases, there won’t be any in guesthouses. Shampoo and shower gel are, of course, necessary. Rubber slippers! At least one pair for everyone. If there’s a shower, you’ll need something to wear in it. Towels: These won’t be provided even in "decent" hotels. Along the way, you’ll encounter hot springs of varying degrees of civilization. You may think now that you won’t bathe in a hot spring, even if it's cold, but you will. Sheet: This may be useful for the particularly squeamish. We didn’t take one.
Oh! This is a separate topic. Compared to local living conditions, even the most dilapidated Indian hotels will seem like the Hilton. I will provide specifics in the daily route descriptions. There is no need to book in advance; the supply far exceeds the demand. Every local resident is ready to rent you a room—your task is to walk around and choose. There are almost no hotels in the conventional sense along the route. In places like Khorog and Kalai-Khum, you can find something resembling a one-star hotel: there will be plumbing, a shower, a toilet, and possibly even clean bed linen. In Murghab, you can also find a relatively civilized place.
On the way through the Wakhan Corridor, forget about amenities. It will simply be a room in the same house where the hosts live—called a “guest house” or “mehmonkhona” in Tajik. There won’t be a shower for sure, but there will be a washbasin in the yard, and you will be offered to bathe with a ladle in some corner (just like the hosts do), called a "bath" (in a very loose sense). Well, if you’re in a hurry. We refrained. The toilet will hardly be "European," but more likely a hole in the ground somewhere in the yard. And if you’re wondering how many tourists have slept on that bed linen before you, perhaps you’d be better off not going to the Pamirs. Ordinary guesthouses without amenities cost around 30 somoni per night per person, while hotels or guesthouses with showers and proper toilets may charge 60-70 somoni per person. Of course, bargaining is essential.
In Bulunkul and Karakul, there won’t even be electricity: in the best case, the host will turn on a diesel generator for an hour a day, tears in their eyes, or they might have a solar panel. Don’t even think about a shower, but there might be a washbasin in your room. The lack of beds should not scare you. Sleeping on a simple platform is quite comfortable if you lay a mattress on it.
When choosing a guesthouse, pay attention to the distance from the toilet to your room: the closer, the better, since at night you’ll have to walk to it in the cold, lighting your way with a flashlight (hopefully, you have one on your smartphone). The toilet, of course, is a hole in the ground. Also, make sure there’s a stove (a "burzhuyka") in your room, which you must remind the host to heat, or else it will be cold by morning at 4000 meters. The stove will be fueled with dry cow dung, as there’s no vegetation. But it produces a lot of heat and has almost no odor. How locals live in Bulunkul during winter (when it can get as cold as minus 40°C) is a mystery to me.
Communication: Forget about the internet after Khorog and until Osh, unless you have mobile internet. For four days, I had no mobile coverage on MTS in roaming. My wife, however, had decent reception with MegaFon.
Food: I highly recommend stocking up on drinking water in Khorog for the entire route. Ask your driver to take you to a factory where glacier water is bottled. We bought 12 liters for 21 somoni, which was enough for three people for five days. I also recommend buying a few kilograms of cookies and candies (that won’t melt in the sun) in Khorog, as you’ll need something to drink with your tea in the mornings and evenings. If you don’t buy them, you’ll have to rely on the famous bus shop in Langar, and after that, only in Murghab. Forget about fruits from Khorog to Murghab. You’ll likely find tomatoes and cucumbers.
Breakfast and dinner will be provided in the guesthouses where you stay. Most likely, there will be meat (beef or yak), chicken (usually “American” drumsticks), and eggs, except in Bulunkul, where you’ll have local fish, which is very tasty. For breakfast, you’ll typically get a boiled egg, a flatbread, a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, tea, possibly butter (be cautious, as it may not have been stored in a fridge), and jam (apricot or cherry, if available). Breakfast is usually included in the price of your stay. A typical dinner consists of rice, meat, flatbread, tea, and possibly a soup like shurbo. The cost of such a dinner is about 20-30 somoni per person. For lunch, only stop at more established cafes, or there’s a high risk of food poisoning. There are very few cafes of this kind between Khorog and Murghab, but if in doubt, it’s better to wait for dinner or snack on a cookie. At these cafes, you’ll have a much better selection of dishes (several soups, manti, various side dishes) than in guesthouses, at the same cost of 20-30 somoni per person.
Between Langar and Alichur (about 200 km), there are no cafes or places to stay at all—only a high-altitude desert and rare shepherds with their flocks.
My son, the driver, and I got food poisoning from an unscrupulous guesthouse owner in Yamchun. My wife demonstrated incredible resilience.
First Aid Kit: Do not forget your first aid kit! After Khorog, there will be no pharmacies—don’t even hope for it. Bring with you:
Local Population. Everyone speaks Russian well. In most cases, people are very welcoming and will share with you whatever they have. They are happy because you are tourists, and even more so because you are Russian tourists. I am far from great-power chauvinism, but Russia is deeply loved and respected in both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. As a taxi driver in Dushanbe once said: “99% of Tajikistan survives because of Russia. There’s no work here, there’s nothing. I don’t know what would happen if Russia weren’t here.”
How many tourists can optimally travel in one car? You’ll laugh, but it’s two. Technically, a Land Cruiser can fit six passengers: one next to the driver, three in the backseat, and two on foldable seats in the trunk. The price is per car. The driver really doesn’t care how many of you there are. Want to save money by picking up hitchhikers? Don’t! First of all, even in the "100th" model, the Land Cruiser is a rather cramped car, and three people in the backseat will be uncomfortable. The trunk will shake around and won’t leave enough space for luggage. But the most important thing isn’t even that! The main thing is that for the majority of the time, you’ll be driving in the car and looking at the landscape outside the window. Seventy percent of the entire trip, the tourist sitting behind the driver will be looking at the mountain range wall – the views will be on the other side! The best seat is next to the driver, the second-best is behind the front passenger seat. The third person will see 70% less than the first two (in our case, my son was the one who got stuck). Why would you want such an experience? You might say, “But you need to stop and all that.” You know, at every turn and curve along the route, 100% of the time, landscapes will unfold before you that the editor-in-chief of National Geographic would instantly give his pinky finger for. You won’t be able to stop every ten minutes – the driver simply won’t agree to it. And how could you go anywhere with such a pace? So, sit back and look. Just the two of you.
By the way, speaking of landscapes and mountains. Before the trip, I had some nagging doubts: after all, we’ll be in the mountains for a week, and there are no special landmarks there. Won’t we get tired of the monotonous views? I can tell you that every single day in Pamir opened up a new, unexplored side to us. Throughout the whole journey, the mountains were completely different; one kind of beauty at 2,000 meters and a completely different kind at 4,000 meters! And then there are lakes! One lake, Yashikul, was worth all the hardships along the route. Only the night stars above Bulunkul are worth all the money we paid for the trip. My wife and I could barely stop gasping, and we’re not exactly “beginners” – Tajikistan was already my 50th country. So for the doubters – you should go! Despite the conditions and other challenges. They say the Himalayas are more beautiful, but we haven’t been there.
The photos posted here don’t even convey a quarter of the beauty and grandeur of the landscapes we saw. This is due to the imperfections of the camera and my own clumsiness. But the reality is simply overwhelming.
I’ll wrap up here; this technical part of the story turned out to be too long.