The supreme guide To Backpacking Tajikistan

travelling Tajikistan is not always easy, but the days of corrupt border guards and random checkpoint charges are pretty much over. This guide will instruct you everything you need to know about travelling in this fascinating country.

Rough and rugged Tajikistan is a place where few travellers venture, but with recent improvements in tourism infrastructure, now is the time to enter this outstanding country. Whether you’re planning to take on one of the worlds many epic road trips (The Pamir Highway), or you just want to sip espresso from a cafe in Dushanbe, Tajikistan has it all. If you’re the type of traveller who seeks adventure where few other travellers go, then you’ve come to the best place. Tajikistan is one of the least went to countries in central Asia, and central Asia is one of the least went to regions on Earth… so get ready for an off the beaten path experience that you’ll never forget.

Jump To: Must-see places | must-have Experiences | Off The Beaten path | Pros | Cons | transport | Visas | health | weather | much more TAJIKISTAN BLOGS

How much will Tajikistan Cost?

Budget For Tajikistan

$89/day for 2 people (Average including Pamir highway Trip)

Most people backpacking Tajikistan will probably be taking the Pamir highway road trip, and for this portion, your budget will be higher, but not too much higher. If you can organize a car with 4 travellers in it, you can expect to pay about $110 / day for the vehicle, fuel and driver, with the cost of side-trips, rooms and food extra.

[widget id=”text-70″]

Outside of the Pamir highway trip, around $35 / day / person ought to be plenty, but expect to pay much more in Dushanbe. If you’re doing a central Asia trip, the cost of visas for your next country(ies) can add up so keep that in mind when budgeting your trip in this region.

Budget Accommodation: (Avg $30 / night) (Pamir = $15 / person incl. 2 meals)

A cheap double room in Dushanbe will cost you around $30 / night. On the Pamir Highway, stays in yurts and home stays will typically cost around $15 / person / day including dinner & breakfast. There are a couple of places on the highway where you can get a hotel room and they are around $10 / person / night including breakfast.

Eating: ($2-$7 / meal)

On the Pamir Highway, your meals will mostly be included in your accommodation costs. In Dushanbe expect to pay around $5 – $10 for a western meal, or $3 – $5 for a local dish. Don’t miss the best Indian food in the world at Salaam Namaste in Dushanbe (around $10 / large meal). expect to find mainly local-style dishes outside of Dushanbe (around $3 – $5).

A delicious Tajikistan Plov
Entrance Fees: ($1-3/person)

Probably the only time you’ll be paying entrance fees will be at national Parks & some museums in Dushanbe. entrance fees are very reasonable, even in the capital. common costs are between $1 – $3. There are some parks that you may enter on the Pamir highway that will cost around $5 / person.

Alcohol: ($2 Beer, $4 Cocktails)

Tajikistan is said to have the most affordable beer in the world. A pint of Khujand will cost about 40 cents, but personally we continued to drink Baltika (a Russian lager) when we were backpacking Tajikistan. You can find lots of different cocktails in Dushanbe, but outside of the capital expect to be limited to beer and spirits.

Tipping:

Tipping
Tipping is not customary in Tajikistan but services that accommodate tourists will expect a gratuity. If you’ve hired a guide, a porter or a driver, expect to give a suggestion at the end. For the Pamir highway trip, your chauffeur will certainly expect a suggestion for his work. around 10% of all services would be a generous suggestion if your chauffeur speaks English and doubles as a guide.

Some restaurants, particularly in larger hotels, will add a 10% service charge to the bill. If you stay with a local family in Tajikistan, it’s a good idea to leave a small gift. Stickers, pens and notepads from your home country are great to give to kids when you leave.

[widget id=”text-83″]
Dinheiro:

The currency in Tajikistan is called the Tajik Somoni or Som for short. The exchange rate at the time of writing was $1USD = 4.9 TJS. Denominations come in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 notes. There are no ATMs on the Pamir highway except in Khorog, but even the ATM there can be unreliable. You can take out USD and TJS from ATMs in Dushanbe and some other cities. In small towns, you can withdrawal TJS only and in some cases you won’t be able to find an ATM at all. ATMs accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, which implies that they typically also accept plus and Maestro debit cards.Click here For current exchange Rates

Must-See Places:

There are far too numerous “must-see places” to list here. We spent a lot of time in this country and we still have much to see. Tajikistan is many well-known for the Pamir highway trip, but the country has far much more to offer.

Jump To: must-have Experiences | Off The Beaten path | Pros | Cons | transport | Visas | health | weather | much more TAJIKISTAN BLOGS

The Pamir Highway:

The Pamir highway (M41) is the second highest road on earth (next to the Karakorum in Pakistan) and it traverses the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The majority of the highway is in Tajikistan and it is one of the main traveler draw cards for the country. Most commonly, travellers drive the length of the Tajik highway between Osh (Kyrgyzstan) in the north and Khorog in the south (most travel South to North but trips can go both ways).

The trip can take anywhere from 1 week to 2 months depending on how much you stop and what you decide to see. You will pass through some of the most outstanding mountain ranges on earth including the Hindu Kush (Hindu Killers) and the Pamirs themselves. The scenery on this drive is spectacular and it is a road trip like no other. What makes the drive so memorable are the numerous turnoffs and side trips that lead away from the M41 itself. expect to trek to mountain lakes, spot endangered Marco Polo sheep and sleep in yurts along the way. It’s best to organize this trip from Dushanbe (heading north), Osh or Murghab (heading south).

There is a lot to know about a Pamir highway trip and for this, we have The supreme guide To The Pamir highway road Trip… coming soon!

The Fann Mountains:

Other than the Pamir highway trip, this is probably the most popular excursion to take in Tajikistan. located in the Sughd province in northern Tajikistan, these stunning, snow-capped peaks are the ideal place for hikes, treks and exploration. The area is also known as “The Land Of Lakes”, thirty of which can be seen rather easily and each displays its own color. The Fann Mountains offer a great alternative for those who don’t want to embark on the epic Pamir highway trip, but still want to see the beautiful scenery that Tajikistan is well-known for.

Dushanbe:

Tajikistan’s proud, modern capital, this is a great place to chill out and delight in some delicious food and drink. If you’re planning a trip into the rest of the country, or returning from one, Dushanbe makes for a great place to plan your adventure, or your next country on a central Asia trip. This is one of the best places in the region to pick up visas for Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and other places you may visit.

The Fergana Valley:

Central Asia’s many politically divided, culturally diverse and notoriously unstable region, the Fergana Valley actually makes for a great travel destination. If you can make it up to Kujand, the second largest city in Tajikistan and home to the worlds most affordable beer, you can travel from there and delight in some very off-the-beaten-path places in the far north of the country.

Goat Note: The political situation is always changing in the Fergana Valley. Make sure to check that it is stable before planning a trip there.

Zeravshan Valley:

Another one of Tajikistan’s main touristic destinations, Zeravshan is nestled amongst the Western Pamir-Altai mountain ranges. The word Zeravshan implies “Golden River” and it refers to the main river which crosses the valley and offers precious water to the inhabitants of the area. well-known for outstanding landscapes, and beautiful lakes (including Alouddin, Kulikalon and Iskanderkul Lakes), the area is ideal for hiking and horseback riding.

If you’re not wanting to do any alpinism while you’re here, check out Penjikent, the old capital of the Sogdian empire and home to the best preserved remains of the pre-Islamic, Zoroastrian civilization.

Goat Note: once a major tourism draw during the Soviet Era, the Zeravshan Valley is now reserved for those “in the know”. A great off the beaten path place in Tajikistan.

Must-have Experiences:

The Pamir Highway:

If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably heard enough about the Pamir Highway. É incrível! For much more on this epic journey, check out this Goats On The road 9-part series of our personal experience. numerous of these have videos:

Part 1 – travelling The Pamir Highway: Osh to Sary Moghul

Part 2 – travelling On The Pamir Highway: Sary Moghul to Karakul

Part 3 –  Travelling On TEle Pamir Highway: Karakul para Murghab

Parte 4 – Viajando na Pamir Highway: Murgab para Keng Shiber

Parte 5 – Viajando na Pamir Highway: Keng Shiber para Bulunkul

Parte 6 – Viajando na Rodovia Pamir: Bulunkul para Langar

Parte 7 – Viajando na Pamir Highway: Langar para Yamchun

Parte 8 – Viajando na Pamir Highway: Yamchun para Khorog

Parte 9 – Um passeio de helicóptero sobre a rodovia Pamir

Apenas para os vídeos:

Viajando na Pamir Highway: uma série de vídeos de 4 partes

Salte para: lugares imperdíveis | Fora do caminho batido | Profissionais | Contras | transporte | Vistos | Saúde | clima | Muito mais blogs do Tajiquistão

Faça isso em Dushanbe:

Se você viaja pela Ásia Central há muito tempo, Dushanbe se sentirá como o céu. Bons bares, cafés destacados e restaurantes elegantes, a capital do Tajique é como uma lufada de ar fresco (exceto a poluição). Uma viagem ao Tajiquistão não estaria completa sem fazer isso em Dushanbe!

Um passeio de helicóptero sobre os Pamirs:

Mesmo se você não fizer a viagem de Pamir Mountain, todos devem gastar os US $ 90 (em cada sentido) de voar de Dushanbe para Khorog, sobre as montanhas Pamir! Esta é uma das experiências mais destacadas que você já teve e as opiniões são espetaculares. O helicóptero voa através das montanhas, não sobre elas, para que as janelas estejam abertas e você pode sentir o ar nítido do ar da montanha na cabine a 5.000 metros! Se o helicóptero não estiver disponível, os pequenos aviões ainda são uma experiência emocionante.

Nota de cabra: o passeio leva 2 horas e custa cerca de US $ 90 nos EUA. No Canadá (por exemplo), você teria sorte de obter um voo de helicóptero de 8 minutos por esse custo … e não estaria voando sobre os Pamirs!

Caminhe por um passe de montanha:

Com inúmeras belas montanhas, lagos alpinos e trilhas florestais, não há lugar melhor no mundo para caminhar por uma passagem de montanha. Existem dezenas de caminhos bem marcados que podem levá-lo para as regiões alpinas do Tajiquistão. Contrate um guia para trilhas menos conhecidas e realmente se encontre no meio do nada!

Veja alguns petroglifos:

Os petróglifos são esculturas de rochas antigas que frequentemente retratam a caça de Ibex e outros animais, bem como alguns instrumentos musicais e exibições culturais. Encontrados principalmente na região de Pamir, ao redor do vale de Ghunt, os petroglifos são uma visão interessante da história inicial da região. Numerosos deles datam da idade do bronze há mais de 2100 anos.

Barganha no mercado transfronteiriço:

Bem na fronteira entre o Afeganistão e o Tajiquistão, o mercado transfronteiriço Ishkashim é uma ótima maneira de espiar o Afeganistão sem realmente entrar no país. Localizado no lado afegão do rio Wakhan (sobre uma pequena ponte), o mercado é um excelente lugar para ver as vendas e a troca, bem como as roupas convencionais do povo afegão.

Nota de cabra: é normal entregar seu passaporte ao controle de fronteiras neste mercado. Eles segurarão para você garantir que você retorne ao Tajiquistão! (Existe realmente que inúmeras pessoas fugindo para o Afeganistão?)

Nota de cabra: devido à instabilidade recente em Ishkashim, verifique a situação atual antes de planejar uma visita ao mercado transfronteiriço.

Mergulhe em fontes termais

As melhores fontes termais do país são Bibi Fatima, perto de Yamchun, nas montanhas de Pamir. Mas se você não vai fazer a viagem de Pamir, há outras grandes fontes em todo o país. Para alguns, espere entrar totalmente nu com tempos de banho separados para homens e mulheres.

Deve experimentar pratos:

A comida é uma grande parte da viagem para qualquer país e o Tajiquistão de mochila não é diferente. Embora vários pratos no campo não tenham sabor e tempero, você pode encontrar algumas deliciosas refeições locais em Dushanbe.