Nord-Tadschikistan Tour

Arrive in Dushanbe and transfer to the hotel, with free time until dinner. In the evening the group gathers for a welcome dinner accompanied by traditional folk music. Overnight at the hotel in Dushanbe.

Duschanbe

Über Nacht: Duschanbe (Hotel)

Mahlzeiten: Dinner

After breakfast, spend the day exploring the sights of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Lunch is at a traditional teahouse, and in the evening dinner is at a restaurant with performances of traditional music and dance. Overnight at the hotel in Dushanbe.

Duschanbe

Über Nacht: Duschanbe (Hotel)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive north through the Varzob valley to Iskanderkul, a mountain lake in the Fann Mountains. Take a walk around the lake before continuing to the nearby village of Saritag, where you spend the night at a local guesthouse. Dinner and overnight at the guesthouse in Saritag.

Varzob-Tal, Iskander Kul, Sary Tag

• Duschanbe → Iskander Kul (134 km)
• Iskander Kul → Sary Tag (7 km)

Über Nacht: Sary Tag (Guesthouse)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive toward the Panjakent region and reach the village of Gazza, where lunch is served at the guesthouse. In the afternoon, rest at the guesthouse or take a walk to explore the village. Overnight at the guesthouse in Gazza.

Gazza

• Sary Tag → Gazza (130 km)

Über Nacht: Gazza (Guesthouse)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast at the homestay, drive to Panjakent, a major city founded by the Sogdians in the 5th century AD. Visit the Rudaki historical and ethnographic museum, the local bazaar and the mosque. After lunch in a traditional chaikhana, explore the ruins of the ancient Panjakent settlement. Overnight at the hotel in Panjakent.

Panjakent, Panjakent History Museum (Rudaki Museum), Ancient Panjakent

• Gazza → Panjakent (65 km)

Über Nacht: Panjakent (Hotel)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

The day trip starts with a bumpy ride into the mountains to the Seven Lakes. The valley is not far from Panjakent, but because of the poor road the trip takes a full day. Drive up the valley to the sixth lake, then take a short and easy hike of about two hours (there and back) to the seventh and highest lake, Hazorchashma. There is time to enjoy the scenery and wander along the shore before hiking back down to the sixth lake and returning by road to Panjakent. On the way down, stop for walks in a couple of villages and have lunch at a guesthouse in Nofin village. Overnight at the hotel in Panjakent.

Haftkul - Sieben Seen

• Panjakent → Haftkul - Sieben Seen (65 km)
• Haftkul - Sieben Seen → Haftkul - Sieben Seen (5 km)
• Haftkul - Sieben Seen → Panjakent (65 km)

Über Nacht: Panjakent (Hotel)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

Today you leave the mountains behind for the more urban life of Khujand, the capital of Northern Tajikistan, on the Syr Darya River in the Fergana Valley. Khujand is an ancient city whose history goes back to Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great. On the way, visit Istaravshan, a city founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC that recently celebrated its 2,500th anniversary. Its artisans are highly regarded across Central Asia, and the city is still well known in Tajikistan for its blacksmiths, who hand-craft knives of excellent quality. Arrive in Khujand in the evening and check in at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Khujand.

Istaravshan, Chudschand

• Panjakent → Istaravshan (210 km)
• Istaravshan → Chudschand (78 km)

Über Nacht: Chudschand (Hotel)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, visit Panjshanbe Bazaar, Khujand's main market and the largest in Tajikistan. The city tour continues to the Sheikh Muslihiddin Mosque, the Lenin monument and the Arbob Cultural Palace, where you also visit a small workshop that produces traditional Tajik textiles. Lunch is at a house museum where you can appreciate traditional design and the authentic atmosphere of a Tajik home. The friendly family is always happy to welcome guests from other cultures and to exchange thoughts with interested travelers. After lunch, drive to the last sight of the tour, the women's atlas factory of Khujand, one of the leading producers of the traditional silk atlas fabric. See the production process, learn about the history of the factory and its role in the local economy, and buy some atlas products as souvenirs. Afterwards, drive to Tashkent (about 3 hours by car), where the tour ends.

Panjshanbe Bazaar, Chudschand, Taschkent

• Chudschand → Taschkent (160 km)

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Lunch