Afghanistan & Tajikistan: Wakhan Pamir Adventure
20 days starting on Wed 13 Jun 2012In Afghanistan’s distant north-eastern corner lies the Wakhan corridor. This narrow strip of land once formed the buffer zone between the...
Group Tours in Tajikistan
Starting in June 2012
Starting in July 2012
Afghanistan & Tajikistan: Wakhan Corridor Trek
30 days starting on Wed 4 Jul 2012As many of you will be aware, Wild Frontiers is a company that has been set up by travellers for travellers and the company ethos has always been to...
Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan: High Pamir Explorer
17 days starting on Sat 7 Jul 2012The Pamir Highway is undoubtedly one of the world’s most stunning roads and yet few Westerners have ever travelled its length, lying as it does...
Starting in September 2012
Silk Road Odyssey
23 days starting on Sat 1 Sep 2012Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan & Uzbekistan - This unique Wild Frontiers tour takes you on an epic cultural journey along the Old Silk Road through some of Central Asia’s most spectacular...
Starting in June 2013
Tajikistan & Afghanistan: Wakhan Pamir Adventure
20 days starting on Wed 12 Jun 2013In Afghanistan’s distant north-eastern corner lies the Wakhan corridor. This narrow strip of land once formed the buffer zone between the...
Tajikistan Travel Guide
Dushanbe
The Tadjik capital lies at the confluence of two rivers beneath the snow-capped Hissar mountain range. The word Dushanbe is derived from the Persian for 'day 2', which referred to Monday, the day the famous market takes place. Although now a busy city, it was little more than a village a century ago but it grew largely as a result of the arrival of the Red Army and later, in 1929, the railway. Dushanbe is a clean, green city with wide, tree-lined streets and pale, elegant buildings with plenty of cafés in which to enjoy tea and local sweets.
Istarafshan
Located in the northern foothills of the Turkistan mountain range, west of the Kattasai River, Istarafshan is one of the oldest cities in Tadjikistan, having existed for more than 2,300 years. Formerly known as Ura Tyube, Istarafshan was founded in the 6th century BC by king Cyrus who fortified the settlement with walls and a citadel. During its long history it has fallen into the hands of many invading forces and enjoyed a period of architectural expression under the Arabian Caliphate and grew significantly through the first Tadjik Samanid dynasty (9th - 10th centuries AD) before being destroyed in the 13th century the by the Mongols. Under the powerful Timurids the city became known as Ura Tyube and it became part of Russia in 1886. Today the city has a number of interesting historical and architectural monuments as well as a huge market.
Khojand
Khojand is the capital of northern Tadjikistan and the second largest city in the country. Its history dates back to ancient times where it is thought to have been founded by Alexander the Great as his easternmost outpost. Its location on the Silk Route at the entrance to the fertile Fergana Valley ensured that it enjoyed prosperity and richness. During the 19th century Khojand became the centre of rapid industrial development and the arrival of the railway allowed the city to become a centre of cultural life.
Iskandar Kol
This beautiful alpine lake in western Tadjikistan lies at 2195 m above sea level and is named after the Macedonian conqueror Alexander. The scenery here is fantastic and there are a variety of walks along the lake shore or up into the surrounding hills.
Penjikent
Ancient Panjekent was a small but rich town of the Soghdians, an Iranian people among the most important peoples of pre-Islamic Central Asia. The ethnic and territorial name "Soghd/Soghdian" occurs in historical sources as early as in Iranian Achaemenid times (6th century BC). In their heartland, the Zarafshan valley, they founded several city-states, as well as colonies along the ancient Silk Routes from Easturn Europe (Crimea) to the Chinese border and Mongolia.In the central Zarafshan valley, the town of ancient Panjikent (Soghdian: Panchekanth) was the capital of Panch and its rulers. The town probably arose in the 5th century AD; its citizens well established businessmen and landowners. In. 722AD, Arabian forces besieged and took the town. The last ruler Devashtich fled into the upper Zarafshan regions where he was captured and sentenced to death shortly after. For some 50 years, ancient Panjikent stayed a living place under the new rulership, but towards the end of the 8th century the place was given up and never resettled again. Penjikent, otherwise known as Bunjikath, is a real highlight of any trip Tajikistan as we wander freely around this amazing ancient town that was once home to 20,000 people during the early days of the Silk Road. Sadly the St. Petersburg Hermitage’s Dr Boris Makasdi is now deceased, but with any luck Dr Vladimir Skoda – who excavated the site for 30 years – will be there to answer your questions.
Murgab
Murghab from the Persian word "river of the birds") is a small town in the Pamir Mountains of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in central easturn Tajikistan. It’s main claim to fame is that it is the highest town in Tajikistan (and of the former Soviet Union) at 3,650m above sea level. Situated on the Murghab River, it sits strategically at the junction of three major roads lead to the region's capital Khorog to the southwest), the Chinese city of Tashkurgan to the east (through the Kulma Pass), and Kyrgyzstan to the north. The roads leading to Khorog and Kyrgyzstan are segments of the Pamir Highway, the only road that traverses the Pamirs and it’s location at the hub of these roads makes it a regional centre for trade, reputedly including a significant trade in illicit drugs.
Wakhan Corridor
The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow (in some places less than 10 metres wide) corridor in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. It is located in the Pamir mountain region, with Tajikistan to the north, Pakistan to the south and China to the east. Created at the end of 19th century by the British, to act as a buffer against potential Russian ambitions in India during the Great Game, historically the Wakhan has been an important region for thousands of years as it is where the Westurn and Easturn portions of Central Asia meet.
Khorog
Until the late 19th century, Khorog was in an area disputed between the Emir of Bukhara, Shah of Afghanistan, Russia and Britain. The Russians emerged the winners of the region after The Great Game, which fixed the current northern border of Afghanistan on the Panj River and established the territory of Russian Pamir around Khorog. Following the fall of czarist Russia and the rise of the Soviet Union, Khorog became the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan in 1925. The valley in which Khorog sits is very narrow, and the town essentiall consists of one street. It is surrounded by gardens of apple, apricot and mulberry trees.
Tajikistan Travel Information
Visa Information
UK Passport holders require a visa to visit Tajikistan.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip, and it must have at least one blank page for each visa required. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
To obtain the Tajik visa you need:
• To provide your flight itinerary for the visa application.
• A guarantee letter from Wild Frontiers.
Tajikistan has opened an Embassy in London making the application process much simpler. There is information at http://www.tajembassy.org.uk/consular.htm.
NB. Please note that some areas of Tajikistan require that you get a GBAO permit. It is essential that you request this at the time of applying for your visa. If asked, please request that the permit covers all areas of the GBAO, as this will allow for maximum flexibility.
Once you have obtained your Tajik visa please send us a scanned copy of this and your passport details page to the office.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
If you prefer to organise the visa yourself this can be done through a visa company such as:
Travcour (UK)
Tempo House
15 Falcon Road Battersea
London
SW11 2PJ
Tel: 020 7223 5295
Fax: 020 7738 2617
Email: info@travcour.com
Website: www.travcour.com
If you are travelling on a non-UK passport, please contact your nearest consulate/embassy for up to date visa information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Service Limited. Both compani
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Tajikistan, although you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. We recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend you check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
Tour Leaders
Amanda Drake
Born in London, Amanda’s joy in travelling was first awoken at age 4 when her family relocated back to Sydney, Australia (her first memory is of... Read More
Richard Dunwoody
Richard Dunwoody was 12 when he started riding racehorses and rode in his first race as an amateur in 1982. He turned professional two years later and won... Read More
Simon Watson
Simon was born and raised the hard way in the remote wilderness of the Oxfordshire Chilterns where the seeds of a passion for adventure travel were first... Read More
Mette Steen
Our most experienced Ethiopia, Yemen and Wakhan guide, Mette has spent the past 18 years traversing the African continent with side trips to Middle East and... Read More
Marc Leaderman
Narrowly escaping the "lawyer, doctor or accountant" stereotype career that is the fate of many London sons, Marc taught English in Romania & Japan... Read More
Max Wood
Max was born in Yorkshire and brought up in Lancashire. After studying at university in Coventry he realised that there was much more in this world to... Read More
