Things to do in Dushanbe, Tajikistan- info, tips and ideas
Updated October 2026: This guide is based on my visit to Dushanbe in June 2024, with updated practical information. Since […]
TAJIKISTAN
Location: Central Asia
Capital: Dushanbe
Area: 143 100 km2
Population: 10 277 100
Official language: Tajik, Russian
Other spoken languages: Various Eastern Persian dialects, known as Pamiri languages. The yonger people, especially in the bigger cities and the travel destinations usually can speak English too.
Ethnic groups: Tajik, Pamiri Tajik, Russian, Uzbek
Currency: TJS (1 USD = 10,53 TJS; 1 EUR = 11,49 TJS)
Basic facts: Tajikistan is a former Soviet Union republic, now a unitary presidential republic under an autoritarian dictatorship, part of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Travel tips:
- Tajikistan is one of the remotest from the ocean countries in the world.
- Tajikistan is a mountainous country, most of its territory are mountains- Pamir and Pamir-Alay Range.
- The eastern part of Tajikistan, on the Pamir Plateau is one of the coldest regions in the world outside of the polar regions.
- Tajikistan is well-known for the Pamir Highway, one of the most epic and beautiful roads in the worlds.
- Tajikistan has two cultural areas- Classical Tajik in the west, and Pamiri Tajik in the east. There is a significant difference between the lifestyle of the two.
10 best places in Tajikistan:
Dushanbe: The capital of Tajikistan. A good starting point for exploring the country, with some important historical and cultural sites, including Hisor Fort, about 30 km from the city.
Khujand: The second largest city of Tajikistan, the Tajik cultural and historical center in the Ferghana Valley.
Sarez Lake: One of the newest lakes on the Earth, created in 1911 by a strong earthquake.
Wakhan Valley: A picturesque high mountain valley formed by Wakhan and Pamir Rivers which join into Panj River, serving as the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. An area with unique Pamiri culture.
Alichur: One of the coldest settlements on the Earth, with temperature sometimes dropping below -60C in winter, located “in the middle of nowhere” on the Pamir Plateau
Karakul Lake: An impact crater lake on the Pamir Plateau, the largest and most beautiful lake in Tajikistan.
Mount Ismail Somoni: The highest mountain in Tajikistan, one of the highest in the Pamir Mountains with altitude 7495 m.
Zarafshan Valley: One of the most beautiful mountain valleys in Tajikistan, with some cultural and historical sites, located in the Pamir-Alay Range.
Panjakent: A historical town with some impressive pre-Islamic ruins.
Kulob and the Southwest: The southwestern part of Tajikistan, called also Khatlon.