Our three-week 4×4 trip from Dushanbe to Almaty

We took a three-week trip to Central Asia in the summer of 2018.

We set off from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to Almaty in Kazakstan. It was a fabulous expedition that took our breath away!

Following this, I wrote three articles on our impressions of the trip, which I present chronologically.

• Part 1: Towards the Panj River and Wakhan Corridor in Tajikistan (Dushanbe to Langar)
• Part 2: Crossing the Pamir Highlands in Tajikistan (Langar to Tulpar Kul)
• Part 3: Crossing the Tian San mountains in Kyrgyzstan (Tulpar Kul to Almaty)

Finally, this article explains how we organized our trip to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Article summary:

• A map of our route to help you find your way around.
• How we prepared for our trip.
• A day-by-day description of the trip.
• The results on our return and our advice.
• Finally, some practical links to make your own trip easier.

All texts in color coral indicate an internal or external link.

The map of our expedition

Preparing for your trip

Organizing a trip to Central Asia requires some preparation. It reminded me of my trip to Yemen in 1983. The big difference is that the Internet now makes it possible to obtain much information and optimize your itinerary.

In summer 2018, we have just under four weeks, as our professional schedules don’t allow us to stay any longer.

We start by looking at a few travel blogs and tours offered by tour operators.

Public transport is poorly developed, especially in Pamir.

We quickly realized that renting a car without a driver would not be possible. Imagine having a breakdown on a road at 4000 m altitude with a vehicle that only comes every three days! It would be enough to spoil our vacation.

Leaving with a tour operator, as part of a group, doesn’t appeal to us. We’ve done it in the past but generally didn’t like it. We’ve become too independent and experienced to bend to a guide’s whim.

Moreover, we plan to go from Dushanbe to Almaty, but no agency has offered us the desired route.

What to do?

Organize your trip with local agencies

We decided to use local agencies to organize the crossing. After extensive internet research, we chose two:

Pamir guides for the Tajik part and Ultimate Adventure for Kyrgyzstan.

The service includes a 4×4 with a driver, an English-speaking guide, accommodation, and meals in both cases. Before our departure, we appreciated the availability and flexibility of our contacts. We’ve had good feedback on their reliability.

Our tour aims to minimize long car journeys and allow us to do as many walks as possible.

The good news is that Kyrgyzstan no longer requires a visa, and Tajikistan offers an easy-to-obtain electronic visa. Until recently, both countries continued to apply complex procedures invented in the days of the former USSR.

Our assessment on returning from the trip

Unquestionably, the trip was superb, and in July 2018, we had pretty ideal weather.

We liked :

• The grandiose, wild and arid landscapes of the Tajik Pamir highlands.
• The greener, more wooded Tian San mountains in Kyrgyzstan.
• A blend of Eastern and Soviet heritage
• Low tourist numbers.
• The many extraordinary hikes.
• Geography and history lessons in a little-known part of the world.

We didn’t like the sometimes long days on the road, but they were hard to avoid. Fortunately, the scenery was always superb.

Alternatives to our “slow travel” expedition!

We covered Dushanbe – Almaty in 23 days. It’s a perfectly feasible program, but if you want to make the most of it, you have two alternatives:

• Only do Dushanbe – Osh in three to four weeks. You can fly back from Osh.
• Dushanbe – Almaty in four to five weeks.

In the “day by day” section, I’ll tell you where you can stay longer.

The Dushanbe – Almaty or Osh journey can also be made in the other direction. If you have less than three weeks, I advise postponing your trip to another time. Given the difficulty of getting to Central Asia and the poor traffic conditions, you risk being frustrated. This is my personal opinion.

Meetings with Tajiks and Kyrgyzs

A trip to Central Asia also means frequent human contact. There are, of course, the guides and drivers, the hosts (we generally stay with local people) and the people we meet along the way.

Tajiks and Kyrgyz are often pleasant to deal with!

Can I make the journey myself?

Unless you have the time, public transport– mainly shared cabs – is impractical.

I don’t recommend driving yourself unless you’re a skilled and resourceful mechanic. Some tracks are hard to find, and driving on bad roads is very tiring.

We believe renting a 4×4 with a driver is the best solution for a three- or four-week stay.

The choice of local agencies

In Tajikistan, we give Pamir Guides five stars. We listened attentively during the preparation with its manager, Saidali. During the trip, the tandem of Sherali, our guide, and Ismalai, our driver, was of a very high standard.

In Kyrgyzstan, Ultimate Adventure is a reputable agency run by a Frenchman, Stéphane. The trip went smoothly after a difficult start due to our guide and driver’s lack of experience. We therefore recommend Ultimate Adventure.

I think our request to start our tour in such a remote place as Tulpar Kul, in the middle of the summer rush, was a logistical challenge for the agency. So my advice would be to start your tour in a major city like Dushanbe, Osh, Almaty or Bishkek.

The cost of local agency services in July 2018

Pamir Guide charged us $2545. The service covers accommodation, a half-board, a car, a driver, and a guide for two adults for the Dushanbe / Tulpar lake trip. Pamir permits are also included.

We paid €2,320 to Ultimate Adventure. The service covers accommodation, half-board, car, driver, and guide from Tulpar Lake to Almaty for two adults.

In both cases, the cost seems reasonable for the service provided. However, it’s worth remembering that the agencies had to pay to set up vehicles and teams where we wanted them.

Do I need a guide?

We found the presence of a guide very useful in Tajikistan. Sherali took us on hikes we couldn’t have done on our own. He spoke excellent English, and we appreciated his erudition, experience, and kindness.

The places we visited in Kyrgyzstan were more touristy and the guidebook less necessary. The trails were well-marked and well-traveled.

Our conclusion!

The mountains of Central Asia are rugged to get to, but they’re sumptuous and we rank this trip among the most beautiful we’ve ever had the good fortune to make.

Go for it! You won’t regret it.