Trekking the Lakes and Mountains of Tajikistan

You arrive early in the morning and are welcomed by your English-speaking guide, followed by a transfer to the hotel. Discover the capital, situated at an altitude of 850 meters: visit Ismail Samani Square and the local bazaar. Lunch in the city.

Continue with visits to the botanical garden and explore the city. Dushanbe is one of the most pleasant capitals in Central Asia, set against a backdrop of mountains, with its shady avenues lined with pastel-colored neoclassical buildings.
Dinner in the city. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. We head north towards Varzob Gorge (65 km from Dushanbe) and continue to the Zerafshan Valley, reaching Iskanderkul Lake (160 km, 4.5 hours of driving). Lunch along the way. Iskanderkul Lake, one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in Tajikistan, is a major attraction in the Fanskye Mountains.

According to legend, it is named after Alexander the Great, known as Iskander in the East, who used this route during his campaign to India. The lake culminates in a stunning waterfall that is 24 meters high. Enjoy a walk around the lake. Depart via the village of Sarytag to the Karakol River at an altitude of 2350 meters (12 km, 45 minutes of driving). Meet the team and the donkeys.
A picnic will be organized in nature.
Dinner and overnight in tents.

Breakfast. We ascend a wooded valley, then a rocky path leads us to the first platform. Picnic in nature. Continue along the Dougdone Stream to the camp we set up on a beautiful grassy terrace at 2900 meters altitude.

• Walking hours: between 4 and 4.5 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 1160 m
• Negative elevation loss: 280 m
• Dinner and overnight in tents.

Cross the Dougdone Pass (3812 m) at the foot of the Dougdone glacier peaks (5208 m), enjoying stunning high mountain landscapes.

Picnic in nature. Descend via a moraine, which may be snowy at the beginning of summer, to the picturesque Sarikhodang Gorge (2650 m). Enjoy magnificent views of the glacial range.
Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 7 and 7.5 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 620 m
• Negative elevation loss: 1130 m
• Dinner and overnight in tents.

Hike in a stair-step pattern to Ptchikoul Lake (2450 m), a beautiful transparent body of water where we will picnic. Breakfast.

Picnic in nature. Then we descend into the Artcha Maidan Valley (2200 m), encountering several sometimes difficult passages.

• Walking hours: between 6.5 and 7 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 800 m
• Negative elevation loss: 1340 m
• Dinner and overnight in tents.

Descend (2 hours of walking) along the Artcha Maidan Valley on fairly wide, well-marked dirt paths, before walking through the apricot and apple orchards of the village of Gaza. Arrive in the pleasant shade of a walnut grove.
Picnic in nature.

After lunch, we follow a road (30 minutes) then ascend to the village of Guintan (1850 m), where we discover its surprisingly authentic customs and traditions. Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 7 and 7.5 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 240 m
• Negative elevation loss: 540 m
• Dinner and overnight: with locals.

We leave the village of Guintan to reach the pass of the same name, perched at an altitude of 2660 m. Cross through Tajik camps where the welcome is always warm. Panoramic views of Chimtarga (5489 m) and the high northern faces of this range: Mirali (5106 m), Maria (4790 m). Picnic in nature.

Descend towards the tranquil and radiant lake of Tchoukourak, meaning “the deep” in Tajik (2450 m). The cliffs surrounding it provide climbing routes. Meet the shepherds. Overnight on the shores of Lake Chukurak.
Breaksfast.

• Walking hours: between 5.5 and 6 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 850 m
• Negative elevation loss: 160 m
• Dinner and overnight: in a bungalow.

Climb to Tchoukourak Pass, with a stunning panorama of the colorful patchwork of Koulikalon lakes and the peaks of the Chimtarga range (Adamtach, Mirali, Maria…).
Picnic in nature.

We then descend to the Koulikalon lakes (2800 m) on a fertile plateau filled with numerous junipers and pastures. Set up camp near the lakes.
Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 5.5 and 6 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 700 m
• Negative elevation loss: 360 m
• Dinner and overnight: in tents.

Stroll around the Koulikalon lakes (2800 m), including Bibi Jana Lake (“grandmother’s paradise”), where we can admire the various glaciers. For the bravest, there is an option to swim in these lakes, which are warmer than others in the region. Picnic in nature. Continue to Douchokha Lake (2900 m), located 30-40 minutes of walking away.
Breakfast. 

• Walking hours: between 3.5 and 4 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 110 m
• Negative elevation loss: 85 m
• Dinner and overnight: in tents.

Climb to Alaoudin Pass (3860 m), surrounded by alpine meadows and overlooking the pearl of the Fanskye Mountains: the magnificent Alaoudin lakes. Enjoy beautiful views of the imposing faces of Chapdara peaks (5049 m) and Zamok (5070 m), as well as Bodkhona, Maria, and Mirali. By a good descent on a stony path, we reach the emerald waters of the Alaoudin lakes. Picnic in nature.

Stroll around the beautiful Alaoudin lakes (main lake and guitar lake) with crystalline waters in shades of dark blue, turquoise, and emerald. The peaks surrounding the lakes reflect in its waters like a mirror. Set up camp on the shores (2770 m).
Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 5.5 and 6 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 900 m
• Negative elevation loss: 1020 m
• Dinner and overnight: in tents.

From the Alaoudin lakes, ascend towards Mutnoye Lake. After crossing some thickets, we start our ascent on a steep rocky slope. Throughout the day, we can contemplate the peaks of Zamok (5070 m), Paygamber (4938 m), Energiya (5120 m), and Kaznok Pass (4040 m). We arrive at the summit of Mutnoye Lake (“murky lake”) where we picnic (3500 m). Its dark colors contrast with those of the Alaoudin lakes. Enjoy a beautiful panorama of the snowy peaks surrounding the lake, all over 5000 m high, especially Chimtarga (5487 m). In the afternoon, return to the camp on the shores of Alaoudin lakes (2770 m).
Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 5.5 and 6 hours
• Positive elevation gain: 760 m
• Negative elevation loss: 760 m
• Dinner and overnight: in tents.

Quick descent to the road where we meet our vehicles and transfer to the Djartepa border post. Stop in Pendjikent.
Lunch.

Visit the Pendjikent site from the Sogdian era, in the high valley of the Zaravchan River. Pendjikent was founded in the 5th century BC and abandoned in the 8th century when the Arab conquerors arrived. Visit the ruins of Bunjikath (5th century), the Rudaki ethnographic museum, and the ancient city. Transfer to the Djartepa border (25 km). Border crossing formalities. Welcome by the Uzbek team. Drive to Samarkand (50 km).
Breakfast.

• Walking hours: between 1 and 1.5 hours
• Dinner in