TAJIKISTAN

A 7-Day Non-Hiker Itinerary (With a Driver)

This classic route gets you the best views straight from the car window or short walks:

• Day 1: Dushanbe to Qalai Khumb — Drive through deep gorges, eventually hitting the Panj River. Look across the narrow water to see traditional mudbrick Afghan villages.

• Day 2: Qalai Khumb to Khorog — Follow the dramatic river canyon to the capital of the Pamir region.

• Day 3: Khorog to Yamchun Fortress — Enter the spectacular Wakhan Valley. Visit the 12th-century Yamchun cliffside fort and soak in the natural, hot mineral springs of Bibi Fatima.

• Day 4: Yamchun to Bulunkul Lake — Drive up onto the high-altitude, otherworldly Pamir Plateau. Spend the evening next to a completely isolated alpine lake.

• Day 5: Bulunkul to Murghab — Cross the stark, lunar landscapes of the high plateau to a remote, post-Soviet mountain outpost.

• Day 6: Murghab to Karakul Lake — Cross the highest point of the highway (Ak-Baital Pass, 4,655m) to see Karakul Lake, a massive, brilliant blue lake formed by a meteor impact, completely surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

• Day 7: Karakul to Osh (Kyrgyzstan) — Cross the border into Kyrgyzstan, descending through green pastures to finish your trip.