- Hiking and Trekking
- Days - 12
Experience a breathtaking trek through the Fann Mountains, starting from Alaudin Lakes and ending at Iskanderkul Lake.
Cultural Immersion Tour: Classic Tajikistan
9 days, 8 nights
Exclusive Culture Tours
From 1545$
Mixed
2-8 people
Explore Tajikistan’s highlights on this exciting tour. Begin in Dushanbe where you’ll visit the National Museum of Antiquities and Navruz Palace before venturing to Iskanderkul to enjoy stunning views and short hikes. Visit Gazza village for a cooking class and folklore show before heading to Voru village to meet locals. Discover Penjikent’s ruins and explore the Seven Lakes area before continuing on to Khujand, an ancient city with a rich history. Along the way, enjoy delicious meals and comfortable accommodations.
Upon your arrival mid-night, you'll be greeted at the airport by our representative and transferred to your luxurious 5 star hotel. Take a moment to settle in and get refreshed before stepping out to explore the vibrant city. Your hotel, the Serena, is located in the picturesque Ismoili Somoni avenue surrounded by lush green trees. Make sure to take a dip in the rooftop pool of your hotel for a truly relaxing experience.
Later in the evening, join us for a welcome dinner with a music and dance performance that will give you a taste of the local culture. Get ready to be entertained and enjoy a delicious meal with new friends.
Accommodation: Serena Hotel
Meals: B, D
Our city tour will start with a visit to the National Museum of Antiquities with its famous Sleeping Buddha, excavated from the Buddhist monastery at Ajina Teppa. Our next stop is the Navruz Palace, an extraordinary modern building decorated by hundreds of artisans from all over Tajikistan. Most of the rooms are now used for official government meetings, or for international conferences, but one room is open to the public and used as a popular wedding venue. This is a unique opportunity to tour the interior of this ornate contemporary palace. Afterwards, we will visit the handicrafts centre to meet master craftsmen, including those involved in the creation of the Navruz Palace.
After lunch, we will visit the statue of Ismail Somoni in Rudaki Park. This large monument commemorates the 1,100th anniversary of the Samanid State, a Golden Age of the Tajik nation, when science and arts flourished. From there we will walk through pretty Rudaki Park, which is dedicated to the great Persian poet Rudaki, who also lived during the Samanid period, in the 10th century.
Accommodation: Serena Hotel
Meals: B, L
It’s a moderately long but scenic drive out of Dushanbe to Iskanderkul. We will stop on the way to have lunch in Sarvoda. By early afternoon we will reach Iskanderkul (2191m), the triangular lake named after Alexander the Great (“Iskander” is the Persian form of Alexander). It is considered to be one of the most exquisitely beautiful lakes in all of the former Soviet Union. In addition to admiring the views there will be time for a short hike to Iskander Waterfall and Snake Lake before dinner. We will spend the night in cottages on the lake shore, where the rooms have private bathrooms.
Accommodation: Cottages (Rooms with lake view)
Meals: B, L
After breakfast we drive toward Penjikent region. We reach Gazza village we will have a lunch at the guesthouse. On arrival to the village you can rest at the guesthouse or walk and explore the village. For the dinner we will have an opportunity to have cooking master class with local folklore show either in here or in Penjikent.
Accommodation: Guesthouse (rooms with private bathroom)
Meals: B, L, D
After the breakfast we will be transferred to the one the most iconic and authentic village in the Zerafshan valley – Voru village. Voru is a mountain village, it is located on the left bank of the Archmaydon river. The houses in the village are built in a steep gorge which allows for the rooftop of one house to serve as the yard for the house above. We will be hosted by them and have a chance to meet some of their family members.
By evening, we will reach Penjikent – known as Pompeii of Central Asia. We check it at our hotel and start the sightseeing of Old Penjikent and Sarasm ruins (both UNESCO World Heritage sites).
Accommodation: Panjikent Plaza
Meals: B, L, D
Our day trip will start with a bumpy ride into the mountains to explore the area of the Seven Lakes. This mountain valley is not far from Penjikent, but due to the bad road conditions, the trip takes a full day. We will drive up the valley to the sixth lake. It is then a short and easy hike of about two hours (both ways) to the seventh and highest lake, Hazorchashma. There will be time to enjoy the scenery and wander along the lake shore before hiking back down to the sixth lake and returning by road to Penjikent. On the way down we will stop for a walk in a couple of villages and will have a lunch at guesthouse in Noffin village.
Accommodation: Panjikent Plaza
Meals: B, L, D
It is time to leave the mountains behind and return to urban life, journeying to the city of Khujand in northern Tajikistan. Khujand is situated on the Syr Darya River in the Fergana Valley. It is an ancient city with a history dating back to Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great. On the way we will visit Istaravshan, a city founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC which recently celebrated its 2,500th anniversary. Istaravshan’s artisans are highly regarded across Central Asia and the city is still well known in Tajikistan for its blacksmiths, who hand-craft knives of excellent quality. We will visit the blacksmiths’ workshops near the entrance to the city’s market, and also meet a woodcarvers workshop and a comb maker’s house. There will be time to see the main historical sights – the Kok Gumbaz and the Hazrat Shoh Mosque – before continuing on our way to Khujand. We will arrive in the evening and check in at the hotel.
Accommodation: Khujand Grand Hotel
Meals: B, L
After breakfast, we will visit Khujand’s main market, Panjshabe Bazaar, which is the largest market in Tajikistan. Our city tour will continue to the Maslihaddin Mosque, the Lenin Monument, and Arbob Cultural Palace, where we will also visit a small factory which produces traditional Tajik textiles. We will have lunch at Anora, a house museum where you can appreciate traditional design and experience the authentic atmosphere of a Tajiki house. The friendly family members are always happy to welcome guests from different cultures and to exchange experiences with interested travellers. After lunch we drive to our final attraction, to the women's factory Khujand atlas. Khujand Atlas was one of the leading textile factory that use silk for production of traditional Atlas textile. During our visit, we'll get an inside look at the production process and learn about the history of the factory and its significance in the local economy. We'll also have the opportunity to purchase some of the beautiful atlas products for souvenirs. Afterwards, we will departure to Tashkent which will take about 3 hours ride.
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency or similar
Meals: B, L
Your driver will transfer you to the international airport.
Meal: B
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I visited the Fann Mountains with Paramount Journey in early October for a four-day trek (starting and finishing in Dushanbe). It was my first visit to Tajikistan. Paramount Journey were... read more outstanding from start to finish. Alovaddin was extremely quick to respond and to customise a trip for me, and our guide Humayan was excellent company: engaging, patient and a brilliant source of information on all things Tajik. The trek was challenging, but the views, the campsites, the company and the sheer beauty of the mountains made it amply worth it. Thank you again, and I hope to be able to return one day!
Iskanderkul Weekend - My wife and I and two friends of ours enjoyed an excellent autumn weekend Iskanderkul, one of the top tourist spots in Tajikistan. It was a very smooth and... read more easy process to set up this trip with Alovaddin's expertise. He was very responsive and gave good advice to us as "newbies" to traveling in Tajikistan. He arranged our accomodation, transporation and meals. Our driver, Hussein, was very professional, knowledgeable, gracious and fun. Hussein gave suggestions about places to stop for photos and short hikes. Both Hussein and Alovaddin also speak English very well. We stayed at the Tourist Hotel on the shores of the lake and highly recommend this accomodation. I definitely plan to consult Paramount again for my furture travels in Tajikstan.
Travel to Tajikistan - We took a 7 day tour to Tajikistan taking in Dushanbe and trekking in the Fann Mountains. The mountain scenery was breathtaking and the tour was very professionally arranged.... read more Our Guide spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We certainly learned a lot about Tajikistan.
A terrific crew took care of the camping arrangements and the trek was carefully thought out and allowed us to acclimatise to the change in altitude. All together an excellent trip and we thoroughly recommend Paramount Journey.
John & Graham
Fanntastic trip to the FANN mountains - We had a fantastic time on our trip to Tajikistan with Paramount. From the beginning, we worked closely with Alovaddin to plan a custom trip. He offered lots of great... read more advice and was very patient and flexible when our group size changed. He also patiently answered our many, many questions.
Once we arrived, everything went smoothly. Our guide - Yun - was so friendly and knowledgeable and genuinely fun to be around. Tajikistan is no easy country to travel around, but Paramount made it as seamless and comfortable as possible and made it easy for us to explore this beautiful country. I hope to return and do another trip to the pamir highway with these guys one day. I wouldn't hesitate to use them or recommend them to anyone!
Couple Travels through Tajikistan & Uzbekistan - If you would like to travel through Tajikistan & Uzbekistan we can highly recommend Paramount Journey. The proposed itinerary was excellent, we were able to incorporate all our wishes and... read more communication before and during the trip was perfect. Once in Tajikistan, we started off in Dushanbe, and did a few days of trekking in the Fann mountains. Afterwards we continued in Uzbekistan and were able to cover a lot of cities thanks to the great organization! The transportation with the drivers worked effortlessly and the guides all exceeded our expectations. All had a very high level of English, a deep knowledge and always went the extra mile. The accommodations were a wonderful mix of home stays and boutique hotels. We had an unforgettable time - thanks a lot for the great organization!
Incredible 7 Day Tour from Dushanbe through the Fann Mountains to Khujand - We partook in a 7 - day tour of Tajikistan from Dushanbe to Khujand and back, stopping in several villages in the Fann Mountains. From the very beginning, it was... read more clear that Paramount Journey provided exemplary service. During the booking process, Alovaddin promptly answered all questions and provided reassurances for all covid-related questions.
Once in Tajikistan, Fahrod, our guide, was excellent, serving as a gracious host, ensuring our comfort was paramount, while also providing endless knowledge about Tajikistan and the days activities. Jurabek, our driver, expertly and safely drove us through the country.
The tour itinerary itself was well paced allowing us to see an array of sites in a given day while leaving time to cool down and rest. The homestays were comfortable despite us being there in winter, and all the food was fantastic.
The tour was incredibly educational giving multiple opportunities to learn about the unique history of Tajikistan, while also giving a unique insight into Tajik culture via the homestays. As a bonus we were able to take several short hikes through jaw-dropping scenery.
Overall a 12/10 experience. Rakhmat!
We made a 3 weeks 2 persons Jeep Tour individually designed for our requiremenst through the Pamirs and the Zerafshan including exploring cities on the old Silk-Road. ... read more The trip was well planned, any queries or changes through Corona caused flight changes Alovaddin reacted super fast and flexible. Alisher is a fantastic driver, professional driving, explaining so much about Tajikistan, stopped everywher to make photos and reading every wish from our lips. We loved the car too. Highly recommended !
Fantastic 7 day Jeep tour in the Zerafshan and Yagnob Valleys and Fan mountains. - Date of tour: September 2019.
Booking process: Booking the tour was very easy. Alovaddin answered all my questions quickly, suggested an itinerary and adjusted it to... read more suit our start/end points and flight times. Excellent service.
Arrival and departure: Our guide( Zikriyo), and our driver (Sher) met us at the Uzbekistan border as planned. Easy to organise. At the end of the trip they took us to the airport at 4am. We were more than happy to get a taxi, but they insisted on driving us. Sums up their attitude throughout. Thanks Zikriyo and Sher.
Tour: Superb tour. Our guide and driver were excellent. Our guide spoke good English, was very knowledgable and made the trip fun. We enjoyed talking to him about Tajikistan, its history, his life and family. Our trip included Penjikent, Shing Valley (7 lakes), Noffin, Marghib, Pskan (Yagnob valley), Saratog (Iskanderkul) and Dushanbe. A particular highlight was the short walk and overnight homestay in Pskan. The homestays and guesthouses were all comfortable, the food was good and plentiful. The length of travelling on each day was well planned. We had plenty of time to explore on the way and at the evening destination. It wasn't rushed so we could get the most of our trip, whether it was a bit of hiking, meeting the locals, or just relaxing as the sun set.
Overall we had a wonderful trip, that showed off some of the best countryside that Tajikistan has to offer. Highly recommended. Thanks Alovaddin, Zikriyo and Sher!
An amazing experience - I did the Fann Montaign trekk with a friend and we enjoyed every step of it: be it the breathtaking landscapes of montaigns, glacier, incredible blues lakes and camps (add... read more to it the dunkeys and their dunkey handlers... You get the view!), or the food (they even prepared a birthday cake, knowing that I was turning 30!and this was an evening I will remember), or just the nice moment spent together talking about tajik lifestyle, enjoying a woodfire or a game of card.
Thank you Rajim, thank you Karaminour, thank you Roumish and Bobo... This memory will stay for long!!!
Fann Mountains Trek - We had a fantastic, well organised 3 night trek through the Fann Mountains.
Yun and the team were fantastic! I cannot fault them. They really cared about us, and... read more made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious, and always plentiful. Yun certainly knows his way around the mountains, and provided us with entertainment along the way.
Pamir & beyond - I had a wonderful experience visiting Tajikistan with Paramount Journey. Alovaddin and his staff organized a trip tailor-made to my wishes and needs. Truly a journey to remember. Highly recommended.
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A particular shout-out to my driver and guide, Alisher. Knowledgeable, patient and funny: the best you could ask for.
Pristine Trek - Incredible Untouched Beauty - This must be one of the few pristine trek left in the world. It is very rough but the sights were amazing. The water in the lakes are crystal clear,... read more creating beautiful different shades of blue when the sunlight shine on them.
Shari and his team from Paramount Journey were great. They are friendly, always making sure that our needs are met. They are always cheerful and had made this difficult trek easier for us. Thank you Shari and team.
The Tajikistan people are very friendly. Never once I felt unsafe in the country, except when I was leaving through airport immigration when a customs officer singled me out and asked me to surrender all my USD. I refused and was held back for more than 10mins.
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