A Journey to Yamchun, Tajikistan- a Splendid Gem in the Epic Wakhan Valley

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This is a place where geography and history present their best. It is a place where people every day wake up with a fantastic view of a mountain paradise. The place is called Yamchun, a village established in the small local world of the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan, far from the rest of civilization. Let’s go on a journey to Yamchun and spend some time tasting the best it can reveal.

About Yamchun

Let’s open the map of Central Asia and zoom on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan- more precisely, on the region of the tiny northeastern “tail” of Afghanistan, called “Wakhan Corridor”, where it borders Tajikistan. Here the border between the two countries follows a long river, called Panj. And here, this river flows on a spectacular valley, called Wakhan Valley.

Some geography: Wakhan Valley

Wakhan Valley is a deep trench, separating two of the highest mountain ranges on the Earth- Pamir and Hindukush. The elevation difference between the bottom of the valley and the tops of the surrounding mountains reaches almost 4 km.

A mountain river flows on the valley in its eastern part, called the Wakhan River. At some point, it merges with the Pamir River and the two rivers form the Panj River. Although the river flowing in the valley in the lower 100 km is not Wakhan but Panj River, it is still called Wakhan Valley.

There is a chain of picturesque villages on the two sides of the Panj River. The villages in the Tajikistani bank of the river are connected by a road, sometimes considered as a part of the epic Pamir Highway. This is a land of a unique local culture, agricultural fields, and meadows, surrounded by majestic mountains, with ancient history- a world with fantastic landscapes, full of mysteries from the ancient past.

One of these villages, located in the middle of the lower Wakhan Valley is Yamchun. All the villages are beautiful and look like taken from a fairy tale, but Yamchun is different. Unlike the other villages, it is established not only on the bottom of the valley but its houses are scattered on the steep slopes of Pamir. Besides, it reveals some amazing hidden historical and geographical gems…

Some history

Let’s travel back in time. For thousands of years, one of the Silk Road routes has passed on the spectacular Wakhan Valley. Many large empires and local kingdoms have controlled the valley and the route on it. More than 2200 years ago, the local Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Bactrian kingdoms started to build forts to protect this route.

They were followed by the strong Kushan Empire which developed the forts further, establishing a whole fortified system. The ruins of these forts still can be seen along the Wakhan Valley. Today, they are one of the points of interest in the region.

Islam arrived here in the 8th century, and the following Islamic empires- Abbasid, Samanid, and Qarakhanid empires restored some of the forts and further developed them. But after the Mongol conquest in the 13th century, and the Timurid empire, some of the forts were destroyed, others- gradually abandoned.

During the following centuries, the cultural image of the Wakhan Valley gradually formed into what is it today, further formed by the local emirates, Russian influence, modern Tajikistan, and in recent years, tourism, the newest and strongest factor.

Before tourism, local people established their villages and roads. But when tourism came, they turned many of their homes into guesthouses, some even started learning English, and learned how to deal with tourists.

But now, let’s back to Yamchun and its more famous gem- Yamchun Fortress.

Yamchun Fortress

Of all the forts in the Wakhan Valley, Yamchun Fortress is the most spectacular one. While the other fortresses were built on the bottom of the valley, this one (as well as Vrang Fortress) was built on a high hill, a part of the steep slope of the Pamir Mountains, almost 400 m above the Panj River (the river down below in at 2745 m, and the fortress- 3140 m altitude).

History of the fortress

It is considered that Yamchun Fortress was built around 300 BC, after the conquest of Alexander the Great of the Macedon Empire. His empire quickly disintegrated after his death and its easternmost parts soon separated into a new Greco-Bactrian kingdom. One of the activities the Greco-Bactrian kings did was building forts to protect their kingdom, and Yamchun Fortress was one of them.

Kushan Empire replaced the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and its smaller successors and renewed the fortress. It was made in a triangular shape, following the shape of the hill, with towers and double walls. It is considered that a Zoroastrian temple was built inside it too but today is unclear where exactly its ruins are located.

After the fall of the Kushan Empire, Yamchun Fortress declined and was almost abandoned. Several new kingdoms and empires came until the Qarakhanid dynasty decided to restore the fortress and expand it. The Qarakhanids built new walls in the 12th century, replacing some of the old walls. So, today it is unclear what exactly the original fortress looked like but at least they brought new life to this construction.

However, after the Mongol conquest, Yamchun Fortress was fully abandoned. Left without people, it was gradually destroyed by wind, rain, snow, erosion, and earthquakes, to the image of its ruins that we can see today.

Yamchun Fortress has a long history. But what really impresses the travelers is the fantastic landscape that is formed by the hill, the ruins, and the majestic Hindukush Mountains of Afghanistan in the background. This is a real feast of time and space- ancient history and spectacular geography in one! And this is what makes Yamchun Fortress a must-see if you travel through the Wakhan Valley!

Bibi Fatima Hot Springs

Yamchun Fortress is not the only reason to visit the village of Yamchun. Wakhan Valley is also rich in hot springs. And the best of them, called Bibi Fatima, is located here, about 2 km behind the fortress.

Bibi Fatima is the local’s pride. When you visit Yamchun, the locals certainly will ask you “Have you visited our Bibi Fatima, or will you visit it?” This is the largest hot spring “resort” in the Wakhan Valley. The locals have built a new, clean, and somehow luxurious mineral bath.

The hot springs are located in the ravine of Yamchun Stream. The water temperature is 41°C. It is caught by pipes and directed into a small hot pool inside the “resort building” where it enters like an exotic waterfall. Here is the place where you can enjoy a comfortable relaxation. Then, the water flows into the Yamchun Stream outside.

This hot water is perfectly clean and pure. However, keep in mind that you can’t stay in the pool too long- after about 15 min you will feel too hot (and if your blood pressure is unstable, you can even faint when you go out!). Water is rich in various minerals and it is considered good for some gynecology and urology healings.

Besides, locals have attached some religious meanings to the hot springs. The place is a subject of Muslim pilgrimage. Muslim women come here to submerge in the water because they believe it will give them fertility.

Although the “resort” is a bit luxurious, it is still extremely cheap. I paid only 30 TJS (about 3 USD) to enjoy the bath. And the whole serene environment, “far from the civilization” makes this place worth visiting.

The village

Besides these two spots, the village of Yamchun itself is a point of interest too. As mentioned above, it is different than most of the other villages in the Wakhan Valley. Its houses and yards are scattered on the steep slope of the mountain, with long distances between each other. In every house you stay, you can enjoy silence, serenity, and fantastic views everywhere. These people literally live in a “fairy tale”.

Yamchun hiking trail

The majestic mountains around Yamchun and the whole Wakhan Valley are tempting for every hiker. First, if you start your hike from the main road down below, you can hike to Yamchun Fortress at 3140 m altitude. From there, you can proceed on the dirt road to Bibi Fatima (3210 m).

The real trail starts from Bibi Fatima. It ascends following the Yamchun Stream until 3860 m. Here it disappears and to proceed further, you have to climb the steep and difficult slope without a trail to around 4030 m. Here you can find the trail again and you can follow it to 4200 m.

From this point, the trail disappears again, and you can just follow the stream to 4780 m. Here is Yamchun Glacier which descends from around 5300-5400 m altitude.
In general, the higher you go, the more difficult the trail becomes- not only due to the terrain but also due to the altitude (and weather).

You can go to some point and back within one day, or if you are more experienced, you can hike it for two days, reaching the glacier and camping somewhere around. In any case, keep in mind the harsh conditions up in the mountains! Weather can become severe and unforgiving even in summer!

Local people

Wakhan Valley is like a small kingdom in a fairy tale, “far away from the civilization”. Local people are Wakhi- a branch of the Eastern Persian Pamiri ethnic family. They speak Wakhi dialect but they know the official Tajik language and Russian language as well.

Like many such societies, the locals are very friendly and hospitable. Tourism is something new for them and they are happy to show their best attitude and hospitality.

I reached Yamchun by hitchhiking. There is no public transport in the Wakhan Valley but locals have arranged their own “public transport”- some of them use their vans to carry passengers- other locals or foreign travelers. One of these vans stopped at Qah-Qaha Fortress near Ishkashim and picked me up. It was already full of other passengers- all of them locals, and all of them knew each other.

The driver arrived in Yamchun and the passengers got out of the van at different spots. It was evening already and I didn’t have any idea where to spend the night. So, the driver who was a local from Yamchun invited me to his house where I stayed. I paid him some symbolic money- for the transport and accommodation (they are friendly and hospitable but to pay for that is perfectly normal, and it is how it should be).

On the next day, he took me to Bibi Fatima, and then to the new Bibi Fatima Hotel where he works. From there, I proceeded without him to visit Yamchun Fortress and explore the village on foot. On the way, I met some locals who were very happy to talk with me and to take some photos together. The cutest of all were the local children who enjoyed seeing a “tourist” from far away.

How to reach Yamchun

So, I reached Yamchun by local “public van”. But what if you don’t see such a van?
Normally, visiting Yamchun is almost always a part of a Pamir Highway itinerary (from Dushanbe to Osh or vice versa) on its alternative Wakhan version. So, in this case, I would say: when you follow your Pamir Highway itinerary, don’t skip Yamchun but consider it an important destination on your route!

The village of Yamchun is located beside the main road connecting Khorog with Ishkashim and Langar, considered the “alternative Pamir Highway”. Another side road ascends with several curves on the mountain slope between the scattered houses of the village. It passes by Yamchun Fortress and finally ends at Bibi Fatima Hot Springs.

So, if you have your own transportation- a car (preferably 4×4), a motorcycle, or a bicycle, you can easily use these roads to reach Yamchun on your way through the Wakhan Valley and explore it. But if not, then you can easily find a shared taxi, a local “public van” or just a passing car (usually a taxi again) from one of the two directions: from Khorog-Ishkashim, or Langar-Vrang.

However, if the driver is not from Yamchun, most probably you have to stop on the main road below, and you have to proceed upward on the slope on foot. You can walk on the main dirt road curving through the village to Bibi Fatima. The whole route to Bibi Fatima is 7 km long.

Or, you can hike on the steep trail to Yamchun Fortress (it can be challenging if you bring a heavy backpack) to the middle of the village, or the fortress and beyond it. In this case, the whole distance is only 3,5 km.

Where to stay in Yamchun

There are several “official” places to stay in Yamchun. None of them can be found on Booking, Agoda, or another website for booking in advance. You can see them on Google Maps:

• Hotel-Hostel Iroda. A nice place, the nearest property to the main road but far from the fortress and the hot springs.
• Akim Homestay. The best guesthouse in Yamchun according to travelers.
• Chorshanbe Homestay. Another great place to stay, with an even more traditional style.
• Kurbonasayn Homestay. A good place, although not as good as Akim and Chorshanbe, but nearer to Yamchun Fortress.
• Bibi Fatima Bed & Breakfast. A new hotel (the most “luxurious” one), mostly for hot spring visitors.
• Hotels Mirzo and Vakhon. Two small hotels (by local standards), located very close to Bibi Fatima hot springs. Again, not perfect but great for adventure travelers.

In fact, all of these properties are almost the same in quality- budget accommodations (between 10 and 20 $), with almost the same conditions, with friendly hosts, and most of them designed in traditional Pamiri style. However, the only way to book them in advance is to call on the phone (or What’s App) given on Google.

But you shouldn’t worry about that. As I mentioned above, the locals are very hospitable in the whole of the Wakhan Valley. So, it is unlikely to stay outside without a place to spend the night. Normally, all of the properties mentioned above have enough free beds. But even if they don’t have, most locals are ready to open their homes for you.

Let’s say you go to one of the homestays mentioned above, and it is full. The host would not let you just go but he will call the other homestays or just a friend from an ordinary home who would open his house for you.

Again, don’t expect any special luxury. After all, this destination and the whole Wakhan Valley are a clearly off-the-beaten, adventurous place. But you will experience a lot of authentic, local atmosphere, and this is the charm of this place.

This is Yamchun, one of the splendid gems of the fantastic Wakhan Valley. Many travelers focus more on Ishkashim and especially Langar, because they are the first and the last settlements in the Tajikistani part of the valley, and Langar is famous for its petroglyphs. But (this is my and many other travelers’ opinion) Yamchun is the most beautiful and spectacular of them- a mandatory stop in the Wakhan version of your Pamir Highway journey.

Take a look at the videos about Yamchun and the Wakhan Valley below: 

Check some travel books about Tajikistan and Pamir:

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