Facebook Pixel

13 Things To Do in The Pamir Highway Roadtrip from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan

By Kach Umandap September 14th, 2019 Posted in Asia Travel Blog, Organized Tours, Roadtrip & Adventure, Travel Blog No comments

Through the highs and the lows– I’ve probably seen it all as we traversed the towering mountains, long rivers, and dry deserts along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. Flying from Croatia, I landed in Dushanbe Airport and headed straight to my hotel so I will be ready to begin my roadtrip and the beginning of my 2 months solo travels in Centra Asia.

I had a blissful business classroom which is definitely needed to prepare myself for a once-in-a-lifetime journey that’s ahead of me– a long drive along the rugged Pamir Highway, which not a lot of people have been to. I was over the moon to be on this trip but I had to ask my Tour Guide, Alisher of Paramount Journey if it’s safe. His answer is “definitely”. True enough, along the road, we had to go through more or less 10 Military Checkpoints which checks the Visa and the GBAO Permit (which costs 70 USD). 

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan5

Now that I’ve seen it all during my 1 week roadtrip, here are 13 Things You Shouldn’t Miss When You Travel To The Pamir Highway in Tajikistan.

1. Just enjoy the beautiful scenery of the river and mountains

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

Depending on how much time you have, you would probably spend the whole day driving and this is not just your usual route. You’ll come across the beautiful landscapes of the Fann and Zarafshan Mountains in the Northwest, the scenic Murghab Plateau where you can meet a lot of friendly locals, and the breathtaking (albeit remote) Bartang and Wakhan Valleys.

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

May I suggest that you take your time, breathe, and take in all the beauty that’s in front of you. Stop when needed and then again, take your sweet time. Whether you’re stopping for a break, a drink, or some photos, do not forget to enjoy yourself. This is not an easy journey but it will definitely be an epic one!

2. Visit the Natural Hot Springs

One thing that’s special about the Pamir Highway Route is there are plenty of things you can do in between, only if the time permits. Given the chance, wouldn’t you want to soak your tired body in a refreshing Natural Hotspring? Stop by the Wakhan Valley, Bibi Hotsprings, or the Garam Chashma to get this and probably some friends thanks to the very kind locals living around the area.

3. Get a  glimpse of Afghanistan located at the opposite side of the Panja River in Wakhan Valley

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan15

Yes, Tajikistan and Afghanistan are separated by a river and on your journey through the Pamir Highway, this is impossible to miss. If you want to “feel connected” to both countries, then get out of the car, walk across the bridge over the Panja River, and have that very special photo taken. How often is it that you could see 2 countries in one frame, anyway??

4. Attend a local wedding

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan1

Now, this is something you can’t do as planned but if you’re lucky, you might just get to be invited over a wedding in one of your stopovers. If ever you are, don’t say no! I was and it was one of the highlights of our trip where I learned so much about their culture– music, dance, festivities, and of course, marriage! I got the chance to dance with the locals and I even got paid for it haha. It’s their wedding tradition 🙂

5. Play and enjoy the local music

What better way is there to enjoy an epic road trip other than listening to music?? For this one, I suggest you let your driver choose a local playlist and enjoy! Most of their songs are really upbeat and energizing, perfect to soothe your tired body (especially your driver’s). I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it too. Music connects us afterall

6. Eat the local food

One thing I love about this tour with Paramount Journey is that everything is included– Guest Some of my favorites are the freshly cooked fish which was freshly caught from the river, rice soup, and my not so favorite– the YAK! I have tried it but it’s something I won’t eat every day, I guess :p I really enjoyd the local food because they make it with so much passion, especially for visitors! 

P.S. Mention “KACH” when booking with them and get a 5% Discount 🙂

7. Shop at their local bazaars

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan17 (1)

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan6

Whether you want to shop for souvenirs, handmade products, spices, clothes, or you just want to see how the locals get about in their everyday lives– the bazaars are the perfect spot for you. They have one at Khorog, Ishkashim and Murghab and I was able to buy some clothes and a pretty bag made of Yak 🙂 Shopping from them is a good way to support their livelihood too. #SupportLocal

8. Spend a night at Bulunkul Village

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan1

This very remote village is located at the Bulunkul Freshwater Lake in the Upper Gunt Valley of Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains. Having an altitude of 3,700 meters, this is where the coldest temperature in Tajikistan was recorded– a freezing -63 degrees celsius! True enough because the view changed from greeneries to snow capped mountains. Anyway, having stayed here for a night, I highly recommend you do the same. The village is remote yet it is home to very friendly locals. Observing their way of life is just an eye opener for me.

9. Learn how to make their local bread

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

Most locals are friendly and are eager to welcome foreigners. This is how I felt during all our stopovers. In fact, for a lunch stopover at a local house, the owner showed us around her house and even taught us how to make their local bread. Yum! I think this is one of the perks you’ll get from arranging a tour with a local agency– you’ll learn a lot from the local’s perspective. 

10. Check out their beautiful lakes along the way

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

The Pamir Highway is home to highly elevated lakes including the Yahilkul Lake and Bulunkul Lake which I’m sure you’re going to enjoy. The best one is probably in the isolated Murghab Plateau where the Karakul Lake is located.  It is 3,914m above sea level which makes it one of the highest lakes in the world. Here, you’ll definitely experience seclusion and serenity. 

11. Learn how to milk a Yak

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

Yes, Yak Milk can be drank by humans too! You’ll even find candies and butter made of Yak Milk. Haha. While you’re in Tajikistan, why not learn how to milk a Yak yourself? It’s not very often you’ll get to see a yak anyway, much more milk them :p 

12. Enjoy the local Homestays and Guesthouse

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan8

If you’re expecting a bathtub, hot showers, and a cozy mattress on your stopovers, then I’d say you’re expecting too much. You’ll most likely be staying in guesthouses or local houses / homestays with comfortable beds, shared bathrooms, and home cooked meals. There’s no over-the-top treatment, just sincere welcome from the locals and a complete immersion in their local way of life. I would say enjoy it!! This is the best way to learn about a country and these memories are the best souvenirs you could take home with you. Don’t worry you can find hotels in Khorog though if you really miss it along the journey!

13. Go on a trek

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan2

You can do a lot of trekking on this journey, only if your time permits. You can tailor your own trip with any tour provider and they will be glad to add treks in your itinerary which would suit your level. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there’s definitely something to see for you in the Pamir area.

13 Things You Should Not Miss When You Travel the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan10

14. Find accommodation in Pamir Highway, Tajikistan

That’s it for this post! If you have more time, you can also go on a side trip to Ishkashim, Afghanistan and do the Wakhan Corridor. However, in order to do this, you need to get your Afghanistan Visa in Khorog and another e-visa to enter Tajikistan again. Note that this could take 3 weeks to process! 

Note that this won’t be an easy journey but it’s going to be epic! <3 

Line seperator

Are you on Pinterest? Pin these!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:Many of the articles on Two Monkeys Travel Group are guest posts by a number of Approved Contributors and are hosted by Two Monkeys Travel Group. Approved Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. This includes all text and images that they use within their own work. All contributors are instructed to follow internationally recognised copyright and intellectual property guidelines. Two Monkeys Travel Group takes its own responsibilities very seriously, so if you feel that any part of this work is abusive in any way, please send us an email so that we can investigate - [email protected]


DISCLOSURE: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. So when you make a purchase we sometimes make a small commission, at no extra cost to you. The cost to you remains the same, sometimes even cheaper if we have negotiated a special deal for our readers.We use all of the companies we have listed here and that’s why they are in this list, but of course we need to keep Two Monkeys Travel Group running as well as it can, which is exactly what you’re helping with if you do decide to buy or book something through an affiliate link! If you have any more questions about the companies we use or any other companies you’re looking at, just email us and we’ll be happy to help.Please see our full disclaimer page for more information.

Written by Kach Umandap

Founder of Two Monkeys Travel Group. Since 2013, Kach has visited all the 7 continents (including Antarctica) and 151 countries using her Philippines Passport. In 2016, she bought a sailboat and went on sailing adventures with her two cats - Captain Ahab & Little Zissou in the Caribbean for 2 years. She now lives in Herceg Novi, Montenegro where she's enjoying her expat life and living on a gorgeous Stonehouse. She writes about her experiences traveling as a Filipina traveler with a PHL Passport. Also tips on backpacking trips, luxury hotel experiences, product reviews, sailing & adventure travel.