Tajikistan Travel Guide
Before you go:
Best to obtain an e-Visa and GBAO permit in advance. This has been available since June 2016 and should be completed only through the official site. This option is for single entry visas only. If you wish a double-entry visa, you need to use this system to apply for two different visas.
If you do not wish to or cannot apply for an e-Visa, then seek an embassy that also provides a Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region permit. I obtained mine from the embassy in Almaty, Kazakhstan and the permit was issued for free whereas it will cost approximately $50 if obtained in Tajikistan. However, not all embassies will issue this permit, so check in advance. You need to list all the GBAO regions you wish to visit on the form, thus include Darvaz, Ishkashim, Khorog, Murghab, Rushan, and Vanj.
Due to Tajikistan being a very mountainous country, you could often be travelling at altitudes of greater than 4000 metres in the Pamir Mountains (the Pamirs), thus bringing warm clothing or items that can protect against the wind is essential.
Accommodation: A healthy range of accommodation is on offer in Dushanbe, but it becomes far more limited when leaving the capital. Some places such as Khorog or Murgab do have proper hotels but almost everywhere else will be guesthouses with shared (and mostly good quality) bathrooms. It is also possible to utilise a homestay or yurt stay in the Pamir region, and these can be found when arriving in a town.
Note that where electricity is available in the Pamirs, the voltage can be so low that the lights barely illuminate and batteries charge at a painfully slow rate. In Murgab, I found that waiting until very late in the evening when consumption drops make the lights brighten and the batteries recharge at a normal rate, so consider charging overnight instead of at peak usage times.
Food: Similar to accommodation, Dushanbe possess the widest variety of options, but once you leave the choice of cuisine is restricted to local Tajik or Kyrgyz fare. Even in larger popular centres such as Khorog and Murgab, food options are minimal, so you will be eating only local cuisine during much of your time in the country.
Transport: Transport is limited in Tajikistan once one leaves the confines of Dushanbe. The most common form of transportation is a shared taxi – and these are usually a 4WD/SUV. However, they drive long hours and into the evening along some perilous roads. If you can afford to do so, hire your driver and vehicle which will enable you to stop to admire the stunning scenery, especially along the road that skirts the Afghanistan border.
Once in the Pamirs in the GBAO, even shared taxis are rare and you may wait days for a vehicle. Here it is almost essential to organise your transport to take you through the region unless you possess a lot of patience (particularly if you wish to travel south from Khorog and east from Ishkashim along the Afghanistan border) and a bit of luck.
Permits: You will need to obtain the GBAO permit if you wish to visit the Pamir Mountains, which is the main reason for coming to Tajikistan. As mentioned earlier, try to obtain this for free prior to coming to the country. If you do wish to travel the areas of Sarez and Zorkul, you are likely to need a special permit, but these can only be obtained from within Tajikistan. More information on permits can be found from the excellent Carivanistan site.
Safety: Tajikistan is safe in terms of security issues, despite its proximity to Afghanistan. There has been unrest due to local protests in Khorog in 2012, and as a result, that town was closed to tourists. This posed no physical danger to foreigners, but it obviously caused an enormous amount of frustration for those wanting to visit the Pamir Mountains (the Pamirs). The welcome in Tajikistan is warm and genuine, and since tourists are still an uncommon site, you will often be approached by curious locals. Despite it being safe concerning security, there are three other aspects to be considered by any visitor.
Police corruption is endemic in the west of the country, but not so in the eastern Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region. Police “checkpoints” in the west are merely opportunities to stop every driver to obtain bribes (something to remember if in your vehicle) and police in Dushanbe will try all manner of reasons to “fine” foreigners (for me it was stepping on a portion of grass). Be prepared for this, and be ready to confront the challenge if it comes your way.
The roads in some parts of the country are perilous – negative camber corners, winding roads overlooking precipices but with no-guard rails, landslides, rockfalls, fording swollen creeks and navigating through cattle. Avoid driving at night, and be careful taking shared taxis that insist on doing so. These drivers usually will drive for 12+ hours a day and will continue to do so into the evening. Considering the roads, I would dissuade people from taking chances on such roads with a driver who has already been behind the wheel for more than half a day.
Altitude sickness can occur if one ascends too quickly, and it is characterised by symptoms including nausea, dizziness, fatigue and headache. This is most likely to happen in the Pamirs, where you will often be travelling at altitudes greater than 4000 metres. The best way to avoid such sickness is to ascend more slowly, which is not only beneficial healthwise but also enables you to enjoy more of the stunning scenery along the way. If you do suffer symptoms, you should either remain at the same altitude for a while or descend to lower levels.
If you wish to visit Tajikistan, it is important to read the following information:
Lonely Planet Tripadvisor UK FCO