Pamir Highway is one of the most epic routes on Earth, revealing fantastic landscapes where you can feel like you are traveling on another planet. On this route, you can see vast barren spaces under the deep blue sky, turquoise lakes, icy mountain peaks, and unique local culture, scattered in only several small settlements. One of these gems is the fantastic Lake Karakul, one of the most beautiful lakes in Central Asia, a dream for adventurous travelers exploring this part of the Earth.
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About Lake Karakul
You can see it from above on Google Maps- the largest lake in the Pamir Mountains. You can notice its unique complex shape, which is almost divided into two lakes. It is located in the northern part of the Pamirs, south of the magnificent Trans-Alay Range. The famous Pamir Highway runs along the eastern shore of Lake Karakul and it is an important stop for travelers on this route.
Some geography
Lake Karakul lies at 3920 m altitude. It is an endorheic lake, without an outlet, with brackish water. It is separated into two parts by an island and a peninsula. The island is called North Aral, and the peninsula- South Aral. The eastern part of the lake is smaller and shallower- only about 16 m, and the western part which is more remote is larger and deeper- 230 m.
Lake Karakul was formed by an asteroid impact during the deep pre-history, and the crater that was formed is its basin today. The crater rim is about 52 km wide, and it has been identified in the 80s of the last century.
There is only one fish species living in the lake, but there are a lot of birds. Some of them are seasonal migrants and others live around the lake permanently.
The whole environment around Lake Karakul is incredibly beautiful- it is a mix of hills, high snowy mountains, and plains, belonging to the vast Pamir Plateau. They are treeless, with scarce grass, mostly around the lake shores and the mountain streams, and the views are fantastic everywhere. Finally, if you stay in Karakul Village, you can see the magnificent massif of Lenin Peak, the highest point of the Trans-Alay Range.
Local people
Lake Karakul is located in an uninhabited area, except for only one village- the village of Karakul, established on the passing Pamir Highway, at the eastern shore of the lake. Besides the village, the only other inhabitants are temporary nomads in summer, and the military personnel at the nearby borders with China and Kyrgyzstan, mostly at the border checkpoint at Kyzyl-Art Pass.
Most of the locals in the village of Karakul are Kyrgyz, and the rest are Pamiri Tajiks. You can easily recognize them- Kyrgyz have more Eastern Asian faces while Tajiks look more European. But all of them live in peace and harmony, in their small closed society.
The village of Karakul consists of one-storey houses in Pamiri style. It has even a mosque. But the most prominent features are the new guesthouses and even a hotel, serving the passing adventurous travelers on the famous Pamir Highway. So, the locals are no longer isolated from the rest of the world but well-familiar with the foreigners. Some of them even can speak English.
Pamir Highway
Pamir Highway is a road built by the Russians, more than a century ago. Its last version was gradually determined and called M-41 during the Soviet times. Today, this road has a different numeration and only a part of the former M-41 is named “Pamir Highway”- from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Pamir Highway has two alternative versions but all of them join in one between a point called Razlivka (about 23 km west of Alichur) and Osh.
So, Lake Karakul is one of the important stops on the Pamir Highway. The road was paved about 80 years ago and currently, its pavement is in bad condition, forcing drivers to make alternative dirt roads beside the main road.
But it can’t stop travelers from having adventure experience on the Pamir Highway, on the contrary, the bad road even adds to the adventures. And most importantly, the landscapes of the straight, endless, and empty road “in the middle of nowhere” are really spectacular. In fact, you don’t go to Lake Karakul with a special purpose to visit it like a specific destination, but you go traveling with a focus on the Pamir Highway and Lake Karakul is only one of its epic stops.
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What to do around Lake Karakul
The Lake Karakul itself is a major, fantastic point of interest. And most of the things you can do here are related to the lake. Actually, due to its proximity to the nearby borders of Kyrgyzstan and China, you can’t go wherever you want. For example, not far from the eastern lake shore is the fence of the border zone- you can see it almost all the time along the Pamir Highway, from Murghab to Kyzyl Art Pass.
Also, there isn’t any boat transport in the lake. There used to be a windsurfing regatta (from 2014 to 2017) but it was terminated too. Today, you still can float on the lake waters but only by bringing your own vessel- since there is only one fish species, there are no fishing activities in Karakul.
But you still can spend a great time at the shores of Lake Karakul or a bit further (but away from the border zone), on your Pamir Highway adventure. So, this is what you can do here:
Spend some time with locals in the village of Karakul
The village of Karakul is small. It is even not so beautiful and glamorous (don’t expect houses in authentic “old town” style). But it is enough authentic, it is not a museum or attraction especially made for tourists but a real-life place with real living people. That’s why spending some time with them is a real and authentic experience.
The best way to do it is just to find a local guesthouse and spend the night there. Almost all of the locals speak Russian, and some of them speak even English. Yes, they are accommodation hosts but first of all, they have their own authentic lifestyle that you can’t see anywhere else.
Hike Mt. South Aral (4276 m)
This is a very beautiful hike. Mt. South Aral is the highest point in the southern peninsula that divides the lake into eastern and western parts. So, the peak is between these parts, somehow surrounded by the lake. You can only imagine the fantastic views that appear in front of your eyes!
There is an 18 km trail from Karakul Village to the top of Mt South Aral. You can cut the first 8 km by vehicle on the Pamir Highway, and in this way, you can do the hike within one day (16 km in total). Otherwise, you better bring a tent and spend the night at the southern shores of the lake. Yes, probably you still can do the whole hike from the village to the peak and back (36 km in total) within one day (walking partly at night) but is it worth hurrying?
Dive into deep history: Saka tombs and geoglyphs
The area around Lake Karakul is not only stunningly beautiful but it also contains some ancient mysteries. One of these mysteries is the site of the ancient Saka tombs and geoglyphs. It is a place with two main sites. The first site contains 4 tombs and 16 geoglyphs (around 10-30 m long), and the second site nearby- 21 tombs and 3 geoglyphs. The geoglyphs are made mostly of white stones arranged in figures.
According to the research, these tombs and geoglyphs date from the time between the 7th and 2nd centuries BC (the time of Alexander the Great and the Greko-Bactrian kingdoms), when this area was mostly inhabited by Saka people.
To reach the sites, you have to walk about 8 km north of Karakul Village (to Kara-Art hamlet), then turn westward and walk about 500 to 1000 m. You can do it as a one-day walk or just for an hour by vehicle.
More history and local culture: Muzkol Valley
If Saka tombs and geoglyphs are not enough for an adventure combining harsh natural beauty with ancient mysteries, there is an opportunity for a much more serious experience- Muzkol Valley and its ancient site.
This adventure, however, normally requires at least one day with a proper vehicle, better two days and one night. Your goal is the small nomadic station of Jalang, where Kyrgyz nomads install their yurts in summer.
Here you can see an even better-preserved ancient site. It contains 15 geoglyphs and a Saka necropolis. But that’s not all. There is a clearly-formed meteor crater (about 10-12 m in diameter).
Jalang is located about 62 km southwest of Karakul Village. To reach it, you have to drive 21 km southward on the Pamir Highway, they turn right on a dirt road for more than 40 km. You can stay in the nomad’s yurts for the night- another exciting element of the whole adventure.
Wild and remote: Markansu Valley
If you travel in a northward direction from Karakul Village on the Pamir Highway, you will cross the last valley in Tajikistan before the border checkpoint. When you reach Markansu River (41 km from Karakul), you can stop for a while.
Markansu Valley is known as one of the driest places in the whole of Central Asia, drier even than the large deserts of Karakum and Kyzylkum. It is because it has its own microclimate and has formed a tunnel for cold winds toward the Tarim Basin in China.
There is a point where the Pamir Highway crosses the Markansu River. This point is called Oshhona, and it is known as a site of even older remains- probably from more than 9500 years ago. Here scientists have discovered ancient weapons, animal bones, and bonfire ashes made from wood. The great mystery is where the wood has come from since the nearest trees today grow more than a few hundred miles (kilometers) away…
The interior and the western shores of the lake
As mentioned above, the water interior of Lake Karakul is difficult to access. But if you can bring your own vessel- a boat, a kayak, a windsurf, or a canoe, you can try a lake trip by yourself. Probably the best adventure you can do is to reach the island of North Aral and try a hike to the top- it is a full escape from the world of humans, with fantastic views everywhere.
There aren’t any special natural or archaeological sites in this area, and there aren’t any settlements. It is just a wilderness, far from civilization. And since it is too far from the Pamir Highway and the village of Karakul, the only way to reach it is to plan a longer “expedition”.
In recent days, the local tour companies even organize tours around the whole lake (for about 150-200$), so this is another way to enjoy Karakul’s fantastic landscapes. In addition, you would have a great opportunity for bird watching.
Finally, just relax at the lake shores
Yes, even if you don’t go to the points mentioned above, you can still have a great time just relaxing beside the eastern shores of Lake Karakul. The village itself is not located exactly at the shore, but there are a few hundred meters of meadows between the village and the lake water.
How to reach Lake Karakul
Today, Lake Karakul is not too difficult to reach because it is located on the Pamir Highway- a popular traveler’s route and the only on-land connection between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. And in general, you would visit Lake Karakul as a part of your Pamir Highway trip.
Many travelers arrange their journey on the Pamir Highway by their own vehicles- a car, a caravan, a motorcycle, or a bicycle. Or they join an organized tour. All of them do it from Dushanbe to Osh, or vice versa.
Independent travelers without vehicles
Some travelers don’t have their own vehicles and don’t use organized tours. And since there is no public transport on the Pamir Highway, the only way to travel is by shared taxis or just hitchhiking. The problem is that shared taxis to or from Lake Karakul are rare because there are almost no locals living or traveling on this section of the Pamir Highway here (the village of Karakul is too small). Local Tajiks can’t cross into Kyrgyzstan, and local Kyrgyz can’t cross into Tajikistan too.
So, most vehicles that travel between Murghab and the border with Kyrgyzstan are tourist-related. They are used for foreign tourists or organized tours. Yes, there are shared taxis for tourists who can wait at the border or in the center of Murghab. But since they are not passing cars, they are expensive (their price can be more than 150$ from Murghab or 50$ from the border checkpoint), and if you want to reduce the price, you have to wait for other travelers to share the money.
When I came from Murghab, I had good luck because the young manager of the hotel at Lake Karakul traveled to Murghab, and then he had to return to the lake. So, he took me as a passing car by hitchhiking, for only 25$. So, if you don’t have your own vehicle, the best way is to communicate with your guesthouse in Murghab in advance- they can tell you if there are passing or shared taxis to the lake. From the border is more difficult but still possible, mostly when the drivers of the organized tours take the travelers to the border and back alone.
Where to stay around Lake Karakul
As already described above, the only place where you can find permanent places to stay are the few guesthouses in the village of Karakul, a yurt camp, as well as the new hotel, established beside the passing Pamir Highway. If you want to spend the night everywhere else, you can do it only if you find some temporary nomad’s yurts or just bring your own camping gear.
The well-known guesthouses and homestays in Karakul can be found on Google Maps. The most popular of them is Homestay Aigerim, providing not only coziness but also an atmosphere of local tradition and adventures. Other homestays are Homestay Karakul and Homestay Erkin.
There is a small yurt camp functioning in summer, called just Karakol Lake Yurt Camp. It is located 1 km south of the village and consists of 4 yurts only. Still a great exotic way to spend the night.
The new hotel
Finally- the new hotel. It is called Sher’s Inn 2 and it is the most “luxurious” property around Lake Karakul. It also offers a yurt. I personally spent the night in the yurt, not in the hotel room and it was great, except for one issue- they installed the noisy electric generator right beside the yurt. At least they stopped it around 22:00, so I could sleep well.
So, don’t expect any luxury around Lake Karakul (like X-star hotels, etc.). This is a totally different place, proper for adventurous travelers. The properties mentioned above (as well as some other homes that can be open for travelers) are great places to communicate with the local people and to find other travel mates.
Pamir Highway is an amazing route through a fantastic wilderness, and Lake Karakul is one of the precious gems on it. So, don’t skip this gem, and don’t be hurry to leave it quickly. When you plan your Pamir Highway journey, consider some time around the lake “at the end of the world”, because it is one of the highlights of this epic route.
Take a look at the videos about the road to Lake Karakul below:Â
Check some travel books about Tajikistan and Pamir:
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