Bartang Valley
Bartang Valley
The Bartang valley is one of the wildest, beautiful and most remote ways of crossing the Pamirs with bad roads, possible landslides, water crossings and amazing hospitality from the locals. Bartang valley is best known as a biking road through Pamir as it is by far the shortest route between Lake Karakul and Rushan at the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, in Western Pamir, and mostly visited by cyclists but it can be also well explored with a 4WD car and it should be mentioned that Bartang is one of the most beautiful destinations in all Pamir.
You might also notice the Bartangi dialect spoken in the Bartang Valley villages. This language is similar to Shughni but different from the Tajik spoken in the west. Each village in the valley can even have its accent compared to the next. Bartangi people are some of the friendliest you’ll meet in the Pamir, so don’t surprised to receive a lesson in basic Bartangi upon making a new friend with a cup of tea, dried apricots and nan bread. Bartang Valley is included in some of our Tajikistan Tours.
Bartang Valley Sights
Bartang fortresses & shrines
As the Bartang has been used already for thousands of years for trade, there are ruins of several fortresses also here. The ruins are nevertheless less dramatic as in the Wakhan Valley that was a major route of the Silk Road. There are ruins of fortresses at least in the villages of Yemts, Visav, Nisur, Savnob and Roshorv. Shrines are located at least in Vomar, Khuf, Yemts, Ravmed, Basid and Bardara. In addition, there are tombs of saints, caves and solar calendars.
Bartang Valley Petroglyphs and Geoglyphs
One of the most fascinating aspects of Bartang Valley is its rich collection of petroglyphs. These intricate rock carvings provide a glimpse into the lives of the people from the past that inhabited this part of Pamir. Marvel at the detailed depictions of animals, warriors, solar calendars and daily life scenes, and let your imagination run wild as you try to decipher their meanings. It’s a truly immersive experience that will transport you back in time. There are no single significant locations where one could find the petroglyphs in Bartang so keep your eyes open while hiking or trekking in the valleys.
Bartang Valley villages
Bartang Valley and its tributary valleys are dotted with amazingly beautiful mountain villages.
Jizeu village
Jizeu (Jizev) village is one of the easiest day treks in Pamir. It is fully below 3000 meters so it is also suitable for the ones who have just arrived to the higher altitudes. Even with its short about 15 km out and back distance, it’s recommended to spend a night in Jizeu village to relax and enjoy the rural life and beautiful panoramas, but if you’re in a time crunch a day trip out and back is entirely plausible. Jizeu village is divided into two sections, Upper Jizeu and Lower Jizeu, each section scattered around gorgeous turquoise lakes fed by the Jizeudarya river. Nearly half of the homes in Jizeu operate as homestays.
It is a further 5 kilometer walk to the second lake from the first lake where most of the Jizev village houses are located. The path to the second lake is quite good but it has some rocky and steep parts as well with a moderate total ascend from the first lake. Reaching the second lake within one day and having the time to come back to the main road is barely possible for a person with good physical condition and with a fast walking pace.
Savnob village
Savnob is the district center for these reaches of the Bartang and home to the crumbling Savnob Fortress, worthy of a climb up if you’ll be passing by. Savnob hosts a couple of homestays for those wanting to spend the night and is located just by the road passing the Bartang so it is easily visited.There are some caves above Savnob that might be interesting for some visitors to explore. These caves were used as a hideout in the past during the raids from Kyrgyz nomads and Afghan slave raiders.
Istiklol base camp
One can visit the Istiklol base camp from Yapshorv village through Roshorv. Istiklol used to be called the Indepence peak and it is the seventh highest peak in Pamir mountains. The challenging day hike to the site of Peak Istiklol Basecamp starts from Roshorv. Those that just want to get in a nice hike can go to Isitklol Basecamp and spend the night there or return in the evening, and mountaineers taking on the arduous 6 940 meter Istiklol trip will begin their expedition here.
Sarez lake & Usoi dam
Sarez lake is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Pamir. The lake was formed by the dislodging of the mountain side to the Murghab river and therefore forming the Sarez lake. It is expected that the dam will fall naturally one day causing a flood disaster.
Grum Grijmailo glacier
Grum Grijmailo glacier can be reached from the village of Pasor. You should expect to trek for 3-4 days to reach the glacier.
Khafarzdara valley
Another great trekking destination from Pasor is the Khafrazdara valley and the amazingly beautiful mountain lake there.
Kök Jar
Kök Jar pass is the route that allows to enter or exit the Bartang Valley in the northeast. At the pass there is a small forest and a site of a meteor crash. The views when entering the Bartang Valley through this pass are both terrifying and almost unbelievably beautiful.
Bartang Valley Tours
Travel to Bartang
If Pamir is the most adventurous area of Central Asia, Bartang is one of the most adventurous areas inside Pamir. This means that Bartang Valley is not for everyone but more for the ones looking for off the beaten path adventures. The hiking and treks in the valley are more demanding than in many other places in Tajikistan and Central Asia. One should avoid Bartang Valley in the spring time due to dangerous avalanches and land slides, especially during the snow melt period.
The Bartang valley road is often cut by the nature and it requires sometimes some waiting to be able to pass some rivers with a car as the water levels fluctuate according to the melting speed of the snow and glaciers and the infrequent rains. Bartang can be accessed from Kalai Kum or Khorog in the Western Pamir or by turning west at the southern side of Karakul lake.
Destinations and sights near Bartang Valley
Page updated 7.4.2024
