My husband and I ended up in Tajikistan purely by chance. Honestly, I’d never have considered going there myself. But we had five vacation days to use up quickly, and somehow, Tajikistan just came together. We had two days to organize, book, and figure out what kind of adventure awaited us. I browsed through reviews on various sites and found a couple of travel agency contacts on TripAdvisor. I sent inquiries to several of them and got a few responses.
We chose one agency, and it turned out to be an excellent decision!
Here’s a short report on what turned out to be an unexpectedly amazing trip!
We coordinated everything with the agency in advance. From the moment we landed to the time we left, we were accompanied by their team. We arrived in Dushanbe at 4 AM, where a driver met us and took us to Rohat Hotel. It's a decent three-star place. Breakfast was fantastic—oatmeal, eggs, pastries, fruits, and even a coffee machine! 😊 At 9 AM, the main organizer arrived, and we went over the itinerary one last time. Here's what we finalized:
Saying I was pleasantly shocked by the country would be an understatement. Mountain rivers, pristine lakes, apricots falling straight from the trees into your hands, and the incredible hospitality of the locals—words can’t do it justice.
For those who love hiking and adventure tourism, this is one of the best destinations. We met many independent travelers (backpackers) from Slovenia, Spain, Germany, and Poland—some on foot, some on bikes.
Day 1: Dushanbe – Panjakent
You need a jeep for this journey; the mountain roads are dangerous. It took us about 5–6 hours with a stop for lunch (all meals, accommodations, etc., were included; we only spent a little on apricots and kurt cheese). By the way, currency exchange is only available at banks, and finding an exchange point isn’t easy. We reached Panjakent by 4 PM, checked into our accommodation, met our guide, and immediately went to explore the museum and ancient ruins. It was fascinating. After dinner, we called it a night.
Day 2: Artuch – The Most Memorable Day!
We reached Artuch (a mountain base) in a couple of hours and started our hike to the lakes right away. The trail is uphill and takes about three hours—not easy, but manageable and incredibly scenic. A mountain river accompanies you along the path. Bring a water bottle to refill on the go. In the distance, you can see snow-capped peaks.
We reached the lakes, admired their beauty, had a quick snack, and descended—it’s faster going down. Along the way, some locals invited us for tea (a common gesture), and a German woman traveler was already there. We joined her, enjoyed some tea and fresh yogurt, and then returned to the base for dinner. The base had good showers and toilets, and the rooms were comfortable enough for trekking conditions.
Days 3–4: Iskanderkul and Saratog Base
Early in the morning, we climbed another small hill from Artuch—just a 30-minute hike. The reflections in the lakes at sunrise are spectacular!
Later, we drove to Iskanderkul Lake. Our guide advised us not to stay long because of the mosquitos—and he was right. We stopped briefly before heading to another mountain base about 10 km away. On the way, we visited a waterfall and Snake Lake; the detour took about an hour.
At Saratog Base, the living conditions were more modest, but still fine for trekkers. Here, we met a group of 25 Americans, six Germans, and some local tourists.
There are no mountain hikes directly from this base, but you can explore the surrounding area. One longer trek from here leads to Alaudin Lake, but it takes about four days to complete.
Day 5: Back to Dushanbe
We returned to Dushanbe, with half a day left to explore museums and the city. But we were so exhausted that we just went to the hotel to rest before our late-night flight.
If we’d had more time—around 10 days—we would have gone to the Pamirs. From what we’ve heard, it’s even more stunning and fascinating there!