22 Day Pamir Highway & Kyrgyzstan Expedition

This Tajikistan expedition is rated as moderate to difficult and rugged. During the Fann Mountains portion and the treks to Jizeu and Pik Engles Meadows, we will be tent camping, sleeping in primitive camps, and will be trekking higher altitudes. We will have several nights without access to showers, so can be a bit uncomfortable for some.

You can expect long days of trekking on the Fann Mountains portion of the trip, up to 18 kilometers | 11 miles (7-10 hours) at the longest. As mentioned in the itinerary, we will trek over high mountain passes, the highest just over 3800 meters. We will have pack animal support for the trek to carry food and tents, but you should still expect to carry a pack with roughly 5-10 kg of weight each day.

The Pamir Highway portion of the expedition is rugged but isn’t as physically challenging. The Peak Engles Meadows and Jizeu treks in the Pamirs are not as physically demanding and shorter in distance.

To join any Safar Expeditions departure you will need to carry an active travel insurance plan. Be aware that Tajikistan’s generally remote nature poses very real challenges in the event of medical emergencies and serious illness. Because of this, it is recommended to select an insurance plan that covers both medical care and evacuation.

We recommend using IATI travel insurance for medical coverage and an evacuation plan from Global Rescue.

Prescriptions and over-the-counter meds are usually possible to find in Dushanbe, but we still recommend to make sure to bring any meds you need or may need with you.

The Tajik Somoni (TJS) is the official currency of Tajikistan. The value of the Somoni fluctuates a little but seems to have steadily stayed around 10-12 TJS to $1 USD for the past couple of years.

In Kyrgyzstan (KGS), the Kyrgyz Som is the official currency and has been steadily staying around 80-90 KGS to $1 USD.

The food you’ll encounter during your time in Tajikistan will be simple and traditional. In the cities and towns, we will have the chance to try different Tajik and Central Asian dishes in local restaurants. Once the trek in the Fann Mountains begins we will have a cook with us who serves up some delicious meals as we make our way through the mountains. You can expect flavorful soups and salads, plov (a traditional Central Asian take on fried rice), noodle dishes, and meat dishes. Of course, almost any meal in Tajikistan is accompanied by a hot glass of chai. On the Pamir Highway portion of the trip, we’ll mostly be eating homecooked meals provided by the homestays we’ll staying in.

Please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance so that we can accommodate your needs.

SIM cards are available for purchase in Dushanbe, with T-Cell and Megafon having the best service. That said, we will not have access to the internet for most of the trek in the Fann Mountains.

Once we depart for the Pamirs portion of the expedition we will have internet in most of the larger villages and towns along the way.

On the Fann Mountains portion of the expedition, we will only have electricity on the nights we are in Dushanbe, Sarytag, Vin, and Artuch. In the Pamir, we will have access to electricity each evening.