Tajikistan Tour 7

  

Tour structure:
Day 1: Kyrgyz border - Karakul Lake - Murgab
Day 2: Murgab - Khorog
Day 3: Khorog - Kalai Khum 
Day 4: Kalai Khum - Norak - Dushanbe
Day 5: Dushanbe 
Day 6: Flight

Day 1: Kyrgyz border - Karakul Lake - Murgab
Welcome to Tajikistan! You will be met by your driver at the border and straightly head on to Murgab. The road runs over mountains and high passes. On the way you will drive over Taldik pass, at height of 3615 metres, connecting a river Gulcha valley in the north and the Alay valley in the south. Right on the highway of the Pamir Tract is situated the light-blue lake of Karakul (3, 815 m), in Turk language the name of a picturesque reservoir means «Black lake», however actually water in it is bright-dark blue and emerald-green. Karakul is the highest large mountain lake of the world, excluding those in Tibet and Titicaca. In course of the tour you will drive to Murgab. In the Pamir usually says: "to arrive here and do not see Murgab is like not visiting the Pamirs at all". After all, by the Roof of the World, we mean Murgab. En route you will drive over the highest Ak Baital pass (4 655 m). Nowadays Murgab is the best base with which it is recommended to begin acquaintance with mountains of Pamir. Often the landscape of Murgab is compared to the surface of the Moon. Night will be in a guesthouse.

Day 2: Murgab - Khorog 
The tour continues with morning drive to Khorog along Pamir Highway, known as M41 Pamir Tract. Today Khorog - the present centre of Mountain Badahshan. Through it passes a trading way from China to the Central Asia, and also it is indispensable point on tourist routes across Pamir. Here lives about 30 thousand people. On the way you will drive over Koitezak pass (4 271 m). The incredible landscape and the rocky mountains of this corner of the world have given safe haven diversity of wildlife. The species of wildlife are very different are Turkestan rat, tiger-cat, grizzly bear, badger, stoat, fox, grey and red wolves. Pamirs grow a large and prospering population of Marco Polo sheep, this rare mammal also is known under the name arhali, with all year round and a strong population snow leopard, large predatory mammal from family of the cat's. Night will be spent in a local guesthouse.

Day 3: Khorog - Kalai Khum
The tour is full of adventure! In the morning you will drive to Kalai Khum village. Kalai Khum - small village on the river Pyandj, and one of the first settlements on a route on the Pamir Trakt after Dushanbe. This area consists of high rocky mountains over 6 000 meters and only 1 road was possible to be built. Walking around the Pamirs, the visitors have great chance to marvel the beauty of virgin environment, and also know more about the ethnography, history of Tajik people. In tour we will stopover in small villages to meet local people and to observe their way of life. The settlements are based on both sides of the river in narrow mountain valleys. Overnight is at a home stay.

Day 4: Kalai Khum - Norak - Dushanbe
Today you are going drive to Dushanbe. Today you will farewell with Afghanistan border. The highest  point of the day is Shuraba pass (2 267 m). You will be inspired by this fascinating place. Mountains of Pamir differ with severity, in the big height. Here is located the set of glaciers, lakes and the rivers. Over the centuries, the Pamirs attracted the world's greatest explorers - Marco Polo, Hsuan Tsang, Mirza Muhammad Haidar. And now you are really have  a chance to explore the territories of Tajikistan. En route you will move along natural border - Pyanj River. In the end of the tour you will discover Norak water reservoir that is called Tajik Sea. You will spend night in a hotel. 

Day 5: Dushanbe  
There is the option to take the excursion in capital of Tajikistan. The capital includes outstanding sights Rudake Park, National library, White House, National state seal, and House of parliament. We will walk in National park to make a lot of wonderful photos of Ministry of Inner Affairs and the biggest National Flag in the world, Central Museum. Then you will visit to Gurminj Museum of traditional musical instruments that was built in 1990 on the basis of a private collection of national actor Gurminj Zavkibekov. In the East musical instruments always were a poetry transmission. In course of the tour you will visit Asian bazar. This place where you will feel all national culinary art, here you can get the freshest and tasty food. We will see today the main highlights of Dushanbe and you will find out many interesting facts about Tajik people. Overnight is in a hotel.

Day 6: Flight
In the morning is transfer to the airport. 

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