This year, we are excited to welcome motorcycle enthusiasts to the most picturesque part of our homeland: the Tajik Pamirs. We will provide our clients with lightweight Honda CRF300L motorcycles, ensuring a journey that is both thrilling and unforgettable. This is the ultimate high-altitude adventure: a rugged loop through the Pamir Mountains—the 'Roof of the World'—crossing some of the highest rideable passes on Earth.
Day1
Dushanbe collapse
Arrive in Dushanbe International Airport, Tajikistan Flights (usually Turkish Airlines via Istanbul) arrive at the rather ungodly hour of 03.45 so this will be a gentle day of sleeping, acclimatizing, eating and drinking.
Day2
Dushanbe to Qalai Hussein collapse
Lift Off! It’s chocks away as we hit the road to Kala i Hussein 220 km east of the capital. We’ll stop for lunch by a lake where you can swim, and by then we will have left the tarmac behind for a few days as we head into the mountains proper.
Day3
Qala i Hussein to Qalai Khumb collapse
A thrilling (and at times chilly) 70 km ride over the 3852 m Khaburabot Pass to Qalai Khumb, where we join both the mighty Panj River and the border with Afghanistan. On the way we enter Gorno Badakhshan, the autonomous province that defines the Tajik Pamirs.
Day4
Qalai Khumb to Khorog collapse
We head deeper into the mountains, following the Pamir Highway and the Panj 240 km south-east to Khorog along the Afghan border. Expect soaring eagles, stunning mountain scenery and dusty roads carved through deep river gorges.
Day5
Khorog to Yamchun collapse
From Khorog we continue south to Ishkashim. After this we turn east into the Wakhan Corridor, riding in the shadow of both the High Pamirs and Pakistan’s Hindu Kush. Tonight after a total ride of 160 km we stay in Yamchun, home to a 2000 year old Silk Road fortress and some extremely reviving hot springs.
Day6
Yamchun to Langar collapse
There’s so much to see in the Wakhan Corridor that today we just ride 40 km to the village of Langar. On the way we climb up to Buddhist stupas, visit a great little museum and stop in some lovely Wakhi villages. The views here across to Afghanistan and Pakistan are quite something, and the family at tonight’s homestay are utterly delightful.
Day7
Langar to Hunting Camp collapse
We leave the Wakhan Corridor and the Panj River behind us today and ride 130 km north and east, following the Pamir River through the Zorkul Nature Reserve. This route lies between the Alichur and Great Pamir mountain ranges and offers some rather spectacular views as we ford a 4400m pass. We’ll spend tonight with a friendly family at a hunting camp at over 4100m. More hot springs await us here!
Day8
Hunting Camp to Murghab collapse
From the camp it’s a blustery 165 km ride across the extraordinary lunar landscape of the Aksu River valley, to the town of Murghab. Now we really are riding on the Bam-i–Dunya, ‘the roof of the world.’ To our right lies the Saray Kol range and behind it, China. To our rear are Afghanistan and Pakistan; truly one of the most remote tri-borders in the world. Watch out for yaks, Kyrgyz nomads and fat golden marmots. Time and weather permitting, we will visit an abandoned Soviet observatory before arriving at Murghab.
Day9
Murghab to Bartang Valley collapse
From Murghab we head north and then west along the M41 Pamir Highway, crossing two 4400m passes as we traverse this incredible empty moonscape. After the second pass, we’ll branch off and pursue the wild Bartang valley. Views from here can be rather spectacular and the rural way of life is beguiling.
Day10
Bartang Valley collapse
Bartang Valley A beautiful ride west down the Bartang valley ending in a delightful homestay where we’ll have a relaxing stay tonight.
Day11
Bartang Valley to Rushan collapse
Continuing to explore the Bartang Valley, which contains one of the oldest threads of the Silk Road, shown on maps from 200AD. It is little visited, being off the ‘main’ road from Dushanbe to Khorog and subject to inaccessibility due to high river levels and landslides during much of the year. Today, we’ll exit the valley at it’s confluence with the Panj river. The road is among the roughest in the Pamirs, as it weaves its way between the Rushan and Yazgulom mountain ranges. By now, we’ll be at one with our motorised steeds, and hopefully the day will prove to be a hugely enjoyable exploration of this remote valley. We will head down the valley to a homestay in an apricot orchard tonight.
Day12
Rushan to Qalai-Khumb collapse
Today we ride north along the mighty Panj, diverting for a brief excursion into a side valley if time allows. We’ll stop with our lovely homestay in Qalai-Khumb for our final night on the road.
Day13
Qalai - Khumb to Dushanbe collapse
Kala-i-Kumb – Dushanbe Our final day’s riding, much of it on tarmac as we track the Afghan border towards Kulob. After 70 km on dirt we have 300 km on smooth tarmac roads, we’ll be back in Dushanbe for a triumphant return celebration, and a hearty supper.
Day14
Day off in Dushanbe – it’s your time to explore this interesting city, maybe visit a spa for a massage, do a spot of shopping, explore the bazaar or just relax in the comfortable hotel.