Dushanbe – Varzob Valley – Fan Mountains – Seven Lakes

Zeravshan Valley - ARRIVAL DAY. Drive distance - 260 km from Dushanbe and 50 km from Samarqand

08:30 – Welcome tourists in Dushanbe from the airport or hotel
or
11:00 – From the border/Samarqand (Uzbekistan)
09:00 – Depart to Seven Lakes via Varzob Valley and Hissar Ridge
13:00 – Arrive in Panjakent and have lunch at a city restaurant

Seven Lakes - 15:00 – Our tour begins at the 1st Lake, Mijgon. We will spend 30 minutes at the lake’s beach.
MIJGON (62 km from Penjikent). Typically, the first lake travelers encounter, Mijgon, is situated at an altitude of 1640 meters above sea level. Its name is derived from the Tajik word for “eyelashes.” Lake Mijgon has a depth of up to 20 meters and covers an area of 0.05 square kilometers.

15:40 – Arrive at the 2nd Lake, Soya, and rest for about 20 minutes.
SOYA (1.8 km from Mijgon). Continuing from Lake Mijgon along a steep serpentine, you will cross a natural dam that separates Mijgon from the second lake, Soya, which offers a stunning view of Mijgon. The lake is located at an altitude of 1701 meters and covers an area of 0.1 square kilometers.

Jumaboy Guesthouse (3 Juniper Branches Homestay) - 16:00 – Arrive at the 3rd Lake, Hushor, and rest for about 1 hour.
HUSHOR (2.8/1.0 km from Soya). The third lake, Khushor, is 400 meters from Soya, and as you approach it, you will see a turbulent stream connecting them. Lake Khushor is situated at an altitude of 1771 meters and covers an area of 0.23 square kilometers.

17:00 – Arrive at the 4th Lake, Nofin.
NOFIN Lake lies 400 meters from Hushor Lake. It is highly elongated, being more than 2.5 km long but only about 200 meters wide. Lake Nofin is located at an altitude of 1820 meters and covers an area of 0.48 square kilometers. In Soviet times, the Marguzor Lakes campsite was located next to this lake. However, a mudflow from the mountains demolished the camp, leaving only traces of its foundation. Although this may indicate some danger, the lake appears quite calm, and in good weather, you can watch schools of fish swimming in clear water.
19:00 – Dinner and overnight stay at Jumaboy homestay

Seven Lakes - Iskanderkul Lake

Fann Mountains - 08:00 – Breakfast at the homestay
09:00 – Continue our tour to Lake Iskanderkul
FANN MOUNTAINS. Iskanderkul, considered the heart of the Fan Mountains, is surrounded by several peaks over five thousand meters high, including Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, and Zindon. The highest is Chimtarga (5,487 meters). The Fanns boast about a hundred peaks, with several rising to altitudes of more than 5,000 meters and relative elevations of up to 1,500 meters.

Iskanderkul Lake - 12:30 – Arrive at Iskanderkul and have lunch at the lake’s beach.
ISKANDERKUL - The lake is located in the northern part of the country, in the Sugd region. The distance from the capital of Tajikistan is more than 180 kilometers along a high-altitude and well-maintained highway. Along the way, you can see fascinating natural landscapes with snow-capped mountain tops reaching into the deep blue sky. This small piece of untouched land offers many interesting sights, including Lake Iskanderkul. There are magnificent blue lakes, fast mountain rivers, and picturesque forests. Lake Iskanderkul is often called a pearl in the palms of the mountains, a living legend. Many tourists come to this mountain lake to rest and feel its historic soul. There are guesthouses for their stay here, but foreign visitors often prefer to camp. Swedes, Englishmen, Frenchmen, and Tajiks themselves come here.

Waterfall of the Fann Mountains - 14:00 - Hike to Snake Lake Moron and Iskandarkul Waterfall
SNAKE LAKE is not far from Iskanderkul Lake. According to old-timers, many snakes live in it. Locals claim that reptiles will not bite in two cases: when they are in the water and when people drink the water. The water in it is warmer than in Iskanderkul, so it is quite possible to swim here.
FANN NIAGARA WATERFALL. Near Lake Iskanderkul, there is an old juniper bush, the branches of which are decorated with colorful ribbons. Everyone who comes to admire the local amazing waterfall leaves something of their own on this tree to return here again in the future. The nearby 43-meter waterfall is called “Fan Niagara.” It is located on the river flowing out of the lake.

Panj-Chashma Springs - 16:00 – Tour to Panjchashma and Busefal Canyon
BUCEPHALUS CAVE - According to another legend, Alexander the Great’s horse, Bucephalus, drank water from the lake during a halt after a long march and fell ill. The commander himself went further to India, leaving his faithful horse here. However, even at such a great distance, he felt the death of his master and threw himself into the lake, remaining in it forever. Since then, during the full moon, every month Bucephalus comes out of the water to graze: the waters part and a snow-white horse comes to the surface of the lake, accompanied by grooms.
PANJ-CHASHMA - A place called “Five Springs” for an unusual natural phenomenon, where pure spring water flows from five highlands into Lake Iskandarkul. The sight is so mesmerizing that it is impossible to take your eyes off.

Sarytag – Nurek, Mountain Sea

Nurek - 07:00 – Breakfast at the hostel
08:00 – Depart to Nurek via Dushanbe
13:00 – Arrive in Nurek and have lunch
The BLUE SEA or MOUNTAIN SEA is a reservoir in Nurek city for a hydroelectric power station, filled with clear, mirror-like fresh water sourced from the icy mountains of the Pamir range. The reservoir has formed at an altitude of 885 meters above sea level under the Nurek dam. Currently, it is one of the most powerful hydroelectric plants in Central Asia, with the dam listed in the GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS as the highest bulk dam in the world. The height of the Nurek hydroelectric dam is 304 meters.

Nurek Dam - 14:00 - Visit Nurek Dam.
The Nurek Dam and hydroelectric station is an enormous earth-fill dam located in a deep gorge at 38.3715 N, 69.3492 E, on the Vakhsh River in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan. At 304 m (984 ft), it is the tallest dam in the world as of 2008. Currently, the dam makes up 75% of the country’s total electricity production (3.0 of 4.0 Gigawatts) and provides more than 90% of its power needs.

Nurek – Khovaling – Childukhtaron Canyon

Childukhtaron Valley - 14:00 – Hike to Childukhtaron Mountain
Childukhtaron translates as the valley of the Forty Girls, which is associated with an interesting legend. According to this legend, 40 stone blocks towering over the valley were once beautiful and charming girls. When enemies came to the valley and decided to make them their concubines, the inhabitants of the mountains prayed and asked Allah to turn them into silent stones.
Among the locals, there is also another legend, according to which the rocks grew in this place after a fierce battle with Genghis Khan. Defending their land, 40 young women blocked the path of Genghis Khan himself. However, the forces were unequal, and the riders died in battle. At this very place, huge boulders have grown, decorating the valley.
18:00 – Dinner and accommodation at Childukhtaron Hotel

Childukhtaron - Kulob – Dushanbe

Mausoleum of Mir Said Ali Khamadoni - 08:00 – Breakfast at the hotel, then depart to Dushanbe via Muminabad and Kulob
10:00 - Arrive in Kulob and visit the Mausoleum of Mir Sayid Ali Hamadoni
In the center of Kulob stands the memorial complex of Mir Sayid Ali Khamadoni - a poet, philosopher, and thinker of the 14th century. The complex includes the historical museum of local lore celebrating the 2700th anniversary of Kulob, the museum of literary heritage written by Mirsaid Ali Hamadoni, and the house museum of national poet Saidali Valizoda. Every year, the museum is visited by over 20 million visitors, both local and foreign guests.

Dushanbe - 13:00 – Depart to Dushanbe
16:00 – Arrive in Dushanbe

END OF TOUR, WELCOME AGAIN

• Private transportation
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Breakfast
• All fees and/or taxes

• Alcohol (own)