How to get to the start/end points of the trails
This can be very challenging in Tajikistan if you want to do it independently. How do I find transportation to the trailheads? How much does it cost? How long does it take? For the Fann Mountains I helped contribute to Caravanistan’s how-to guide for that area. Read it here (and, as of 2022, add 50% to those prices).
Go with a tour company
Go with just a private driver to drop you off
Fully independent on “public“ transportation
1. Go with a tour company: A quick way around this is to go on a fully-supported trek. If you have the budget, then check out a tour company like Paramount Journey. They operate in the Hisor, Fann and Zeravshan Mountains. You can also check out Caravanistan’s selection of local operators’ tours here. Caravanistan can also help you create a custom tour and get a price quote. Another option is the Zerafshan Tourism Development Association.
2. Go with just a private driver to drop you off: If you want to go independently to the Takali Mountain Knot - but you don’t speak Tajik or Russian, and you just need a driver to get you from Dushanbe to the start of the trail or to a guesthouse in the last village before then trek starts, then I suggest Archa Foundation’s “Fann Adventure Travel“ service (in addition to transportation, they offer gear and equipment rentals). They’ll talk to the driver for you, get a price quote, and make the arrangements. Caravanistan offers a similar service with their custom tours.
3. Fully independent on “public“ transportation: If you insist on going fully independently, then you need to accept that for some sections of the journey you may end up waiting hours, or even overnight for connecting transportation. It can be very unpredictable, and it varies by destination.
What can happen to you if you don’t speak Tajik or Russian and/or you get a bit of bad luck? Here’s a scenario: You want to go the the Upper Zeravshan region and start a hike from Langar. You find a car in Dushanbe that will drop you off in Ayni. It takes a couple of hours for the driver to find other passengers in the shared taxi. He drops you off in Ayni. You may get dropped off in the wrong place. After an hour a local boy who speaks a little bit of English directs you to the place where shared taxis depart to the Kuhistoni Mastchoh district of the Upper Zeravshan valley. You’ll find that none of the drivers are going as far as the village of Langar, instead they say that they are going to bigger towns half-way to Langar. They say that maybe you can find an onward driver in those places. But you don’t speak Tajik or Russian and you can’t communicate this. Your Google translate app on your phone is atrocious in Tajik (and it’s not available offline). Soon you find that no more cars are going up the valley. You have to find a hotel in Ayni. It’s not cheap. And the person at the hotel says they can arrange a driver to Langar the following morning. It’s not cheap. And you have lost a full day. You could have, for a lesser price, found a driver through Archa Foundation’s fixer service to take you directly and quickly from Dushanbe to the guesthouse in Langar in a private car.
At the moment, we have detailed instructions on how to find transportation to trailheads in the following mountain villages and towns. Dushanbe will be used as the main starting point (but for some trailheads you can start after staying the night in Panjakent, Khujand or even Samarkand in Uzbekistan).
The closer regional connections to the trailheads would be the towns of Ayni, Vahdat/Romit, Sarvoda, and Navobod/Gharm in the Rasht Valley.
The trailheads we have collected detailed information for:
Margheb (Yaghnob)
Romit and Rufigar/Lufghar
Rasht (Gharm and Navobod)
Moghiyon (far western Fann Mountains and Haft Kul)
2. How to get to Margheb: Margheb is the starting point for hiking in the lower Yaghnob Valley and for treks onward. There are three guesthouses in the village.
Route: Dushanbe/Khujand/Panjakent/Samarkand >>>> Sarvoda >>>> Margheb.
For now, we suggest you follow the transportation instructions at the Adventures of Nicole travel blog. Take note that Sarvoda is the transfer point, don’t get out at the crossroads to the Yaghnob Valley road and expect cars with free seats to be passing by.
3. How to get to Romit area starting points: The village of Romit is too small to be a place to find a driver (if you don’t speak Tajik or Russian AND have lots of patience while trying to find a local driver with a UAZik or a Niva). So best is that you speak Russian or Tajik and make a deal with a driver at the “Romit gate” by the city of Vahdat, but even then they likely won't know the places you want to go, nor the road conditions.
Route: Dushanbe >>>> Vahdat/Romit Gate >>>>> onward
From Dushanbe, you start near the crossroads on Rudaki/Ayni. Look for the Vahdat shared taxi drivers near this bus stop: MAPS.me bookmark/pin. I can’t recall the price, but expect somewhere between 5 to 10 Somoni for a seat. Don’t go all the way in into central Vahdat. Get out near the “Romit Gate” and look for the taxi drivers nearby (temporary Google Maps link.). They will be heading in two directions: straight north (where you don’t want to go unless you are doing the day trek to Varzob) and northeast up the “Romit Gorge.“ They will not be going all the way to the village of Romit, but rather to the larger towns on the way there. You can work out a deal to get to the village of Romit (but Tajik/Russia is essential as they will think you want to go to the Romit tourist zone towns and resorts that are on the river on the way to the village or Romit, even if you keep saying “Romit!“ Very few people actually want to go to the village of Romit).
Once in the village of Romit you will find a village with no taxi drivers standing around looking for passengers in the direction you want to go. So… you may actually have better luck in the bigger towns back down the road. Also, you need a driver with a UAZik or a Niva 4-wheel drive, especially for the final section of road to Rufigar (where you’ll find 4 passes that quickly connect to the Upper Yaghnob Valley). Rufigar is north up the Sarda-i Miyona River from the village of Romit, while the start point for hikes to the Kaniz Glacier, Javdara Glacier, Khanako Valley and the connecting passes to the extreme Upper Yaghnob Valley are northeast up the Sorbo and then Kaniz Rivers.
Overall, lots of confusion and difficulty - even if you do speak Tajik you may have difficulties finding a driver with the right car. For those that do not speak Tajik or Russian, you should probably hire a driver through Archa Foundation’s “Fann Adventure Travel“ service.
4. How to get to Rasht valley starting points: For now we will only provide information for the easiest access point: going through the Zorkamar Pass after driving up from Mujikharf.
Route: Dushanbe >>>> Gharm, but get out at the crossroads to Mujikharf.
Your starting point is the “Gharm avtostantsiya“ on the east side of Dushanbe on the way to Vadhat by the “eastern gates.“ You should be able to quickly find a driver, as this is a regularly used departure point and Dushanbe has many people who regularly visit their home towns in Rasht Valley and Gharm. Full instruction and map links for the Gharm shared taxis here.
You will need to pay the full price to Gharm (minimum 70-80 Somoni per seat, more during times of high demand). Get out at the crossroad to the Mujikharf valley here: MAPS.me bookmark/pin.
For Mujikharf, get out on the main road and wait for a driver, there are many villages up the road and regular traffic on an easy road. The cars, however, may not have empty seats. Certainly not for more than one person with a trekking backpack. Worst case scenario: you need to walk the 5km up the river to the village of Zoron and look for a driver onward. You are not looking to get to the town of Mujikharf, but rather to get all the way up the Mujikharf river to the village of Degdonak, where the trail starts: MAPS.me bookmark/pin. Prices? We have no idea. But it won’t be too expensive.
Expect very curious locals. This is not a tourist route, but rather a shepherd’s route through the Zorkamar Pass. Tell people you are headed to Romit, as that’s what’s on the other side of the mountains.