- Hiking and Trekking
- Days - 12
Experience a breathtaking trek through the Fann Mountains, starting from Alaudin Lakes and ending at Iskanderkul Lake.
MTB and Trekking in Fann and Zerafshan Mountains
15 days, 14 nights
On request
Fann Mountains & Zarafshan
Moderate
Explore the most beautiful mountains in Tajikistan by bike and on foot, visiting stunning gorges and lakes as well as the ancient ruins of Sarazm and Penjikent.
The Pamirs might technically be higher, but there are no more dramatic mountain ranges in Central Asia than the Fann and Zarafshan ranges in north-west Tajikistan. You’ll bike on low-traffic roads through remote valleys, then along mountain trails over high passes which normally only shepherds and their flocks can reach. Mix this with hikes to waterfalls and through gorges, swimming in pristine alpine lakes, and campfires beneath the stars and you start to understand why our MTB and trekking itinerary is the most exciting adventure tour around.
This tour is physically challenging. Though your baggage will be transported by donkey or vehicle, you’ll have to mountain bike up to 45 km per day, gaining as much as 1,070 m in altitude. On trekking days you inevitably cover shorter distances (up to 14 km) but at altitude even this can feel strenuous. You’ll be staying in simple accommodation and eating local food: some nights will be spent in local guesthouses, others will be in camp sites.
Arriving in Dushanbe — which means “Friday” in Tajik — you’ll learn about Tajikistan past and present. This informative city tour includes the National Museum and the impressive Hissor Fortress, as well as more modern sites such as Rudaki Park (with its colourful monuments) and the Navruz Hall. Stock up in the capital on any kit or clothing you need for the journey as shops hereafter will be few and far between!
Accommodation: 4* Hotel
Leaving the city behind you’ll drive north towards the Yagnob Valley. The Yagnobis are an ancient people who were cut off from the outside world for much of their history. Their language is unchanged since the time of Alexander the Great. Lunch will be in Margheb, and in the afternoon you’ll hike through the Yagnob Gorde to the village of Pskan (3 km), where you’ll spend the night. It’ll be your first introduction to Yagnobi culture and warm hospitality. (Jeep, 170 km; Trek 3km)
Accommodation: Homestay
After breakfast, it’s a scramble down the track from Pskan to Numetkan village, where well-maintained mountain bikes will be waiting for you. Adjust the height of the saddle, put your helmet on, and you’ll be ready to go! It’s a five-hour ride along the Yagnob River from Numetkan to Marghib (30 km). You’ll stop for a picnic lunch on the way, and in the evening have dinner and overnight at friendly guesthouse in Marghib. The guesthouse has a shower and western toilet. (МТВ, 30 km, +460m/-700m, Trek 6 km)
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Today you will continue your MTB predominantly off-road and downhill. It’s a long but not uncomfortable ride. Lunch will be at a café in Sarvoda, where you can take a much-needed rest in preparation for the afternoon ascent to Marguzor. You will overnight at guesthouse where a shower is available. (МТВ, 45 km, +1070m/-1400m)
Accommodation: Guesthouse
The MTB route continues through one of the most scenic gorges in the Fann Mountains’ alpine landscape. At lunchtime this MTB part of your journey will come to and end, and you’ll meet the donkey handlers and cook who will assist you for the next eight days. Tonight you will stay at Vertical Alp Camp, which has a shower and western toilets. (МТВ, 20 km, +900m/-180)
Accommodation: Vertical Alp Camp
You’re already quite high in the mountains, but acclimatisation is essential before you proceed higher. Today’s trek is intended to help you adjust. The 12 km route to Aluddin and Mutnoe Lakes will take approximately six hours, and you will camp for the night on the shore of Alauddin Lake. (Trekking, 14 km, +950m/-900m)
Accommodation: Tent
It’s time to start trekking at altitude. Conqueriing the Alauddin Pass (3,860 m) you’ll be treated to stunning panoramic views across the Fann Mountains. In bright sunlight the turquoise lakes glitter and shine. Tonight’s campsite is at picturesque Bibijanat Lake, where you might well want to have a swim. (Trekking, 8 km +960m/-800m)
Accommodation: Tent
After breakfast we suggest you take a short walk around the Kulikalon, a group of three glacial lakes akin to the tarns in the Lake District. It’s then a three-hour trek downhill to the Artuch Alp Camp, built in the Soviet era for climbers. The camp has been upgraded in recent years with showers and western toilets, and it’s the one place along our route where you might meet other trekkers. You can spend the afternoon relaxing, or perhaps do a short hike to Chukurak and Ziyorat Lake. (Trekking, 7 km, +300m/-700m)
Accommodation: Artuch Alp Camp
You’ll be glad to hear that the first part of today’s MTB ride is mostly downhill. There will be a short break at the Rudaki Mausoleum so you can visit the small museum and learn about the life and work of Rudaki, the famous 9th to 10th century Tajik poet. Continue by MTB to the village of Zimtud (a slow ascent), where lunch will be served at your guesthouse. A shower will be available. (МТВ, 26km, +500m/-1000m)
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Back in the saddle this morning, you’ll MTB to the village of Humorigung, which has attractive stone-built houses. Leave your bike here and continue on foot, trekking to the campsite under the Tovassang Pass. (МТВ/trekking, 20km +1500m/-750m)
Accommodation: Tent
Enjoy your breakfast, then you will start the ascent to the top of the Tovassang Pass (3,305m). If the weather is clear, you should be able to see the Hazorchashma Lake in one direction, and the Sarimat River in the other. Coming down from the pass will be faster, and you’ll have a picnic on the way to the Seven Lakes of the Shing Valley. You’ll camp tonight on the lake shore beneath the stars. (trekking, 11 km +900/-1000m)
Accommodation: Tent
You will start today with a short walk around the seventh lake, then continue by MTB, descending towards Shing. En route along the river you’ll pass all seven lakes, each one of which is strikingly beautiful. Lunch will be at the village of Noffin. Our guests frequently say that today is the undisputed highlight of their MTB tour, so we hope you enjoy every minute of it. Accommodation in Shing is in a clean but basic guesthouse. (МТВ, 23km, +300/-1300m)
Accommodation: Guesthouse
It is a long but actually quite relaxing ride towards Penjikent over a combination of paved and unmade roads. You will reach Penjikent in time for lunch, and will have the chance to taste the delicious traditional plov for which the town is famous. After lunch you will visit the Penjikent Historical Museum and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sarazm, learning about the rich ancient history of this region. Tonight you will stay at a local hotel, where a private bathroom is available. (MTB, 40km +300m/1070m)
Accommodation: 3* Hotel
The drive back to Dushanbe from Penjikent is long, but it’s a scenic route through the mountains and there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and take photographs. Reaching Dushanbe in the late afternoon or early evening, you’ll be treated to a farewell dinner and spend your last night in a comfortable city hotel. (Jeep, 240 km)
Accommodation: 4* Hotel
Transfer to Dushanbe Airport, or alternative transport arrangements as per your personal itinerary.
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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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