An Introduction to Tajikistan Tour - Central Asia (9 Days)

Upon arrival in Dushanbe at 0305 you will be transferred to the Great Game Guest House where you will stay for the rest of your time in Dushanbe. After a few hours sleep and a light brunch you will have a tour of the city.

The first impression of Dushanbe is of a relaxed, green and spacious city. The city centre retains the ambience intended by the original city planners in the 1920s - wide, tree-lined boulevards with elegant buildings painted in white and pastel colours. The tall trees (planted eighty years ago when the city was laid out) provide ample shade and make it cool and pleasant to walk around even during the hot summer. Your experienced guides can show you the highlights of the city, telling the stories behind the buildings and bringing history to life.

Sunday is bazaar day! Visit the huge Kurbon Bazaar on the edge of Dushanbe, where all conceivable goods are bought and sold. In the afternoon visit a Tajik home to experience the people's traditional hospitality.

Today enjoy a day trip to Nurek. During the Soviet era, Nurek was a restricted zone, but it is now possible to get permission to visit the town and the power station. Nurek Dam, constructed in 1961 on the river Vakhsh, is still the world's tallest hydroelectric dam (310m). The power station has a capacity of 3 GW and provides more than 90% of Tajikistan's electricity. A narrow road winds up to the top of the dam, affording spectacular views of the Pulisangin Canyon. The lake above the dam is suitable for boat trips and swimming.

Downstream from the dam, the town of Nurek is fascinating as a preserved piece of Soviet history. A statue of Lenin still stands in the central square, and his giant (once-illuminated) face looks benevolently down from the mountainside above. There is a small but interesting museum dedicated to the construction of the dam, and the town's library contains signed copies of books by many prominent Soviet personalities, including the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

This morning enjoy an excursion to the Hissor Fort (18th century), the remains of which lie just above the flat valley floor to the west of Dushanbe. The fort was the capital of Eastern Bukhara province and was occupied by the representative of the Emir, Ibrahim Beg until 1924, when it was destroyed in a rearguard action by the Red Army against the Basmachi. The gate towers are all that remain; however, a short climb to the top of the Citadel is rewarded with a panoramic view of the Hissor valley, ringed by mountains.

The fortress faces a market square ringed by a caravanserai and two madrassah (18th and 19th centuries), one of which is now a fine ethnographic museum. Other important buildings on the site include the 16th century Mausoleum of Makhtum Azam, the Masjid-i-Sangin ("Stone Mosque") and the natural spring Chashma-i-Mohiyon, where another madrassah has been recently excavated.

On return to Dushanbe take an afternoon tour around the landmark Museum of National Antiquities. This museum features artefacts from Tajikistan's Islamic and pre-Islamic history (Greek/Bactrian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist and Hindu) and shows how Tajikistan was an important crossroad in Central Asia.

This morning visit Tursonzoda. Here the Mausoleum of Khoja Nakhshron (11th-12th centuries) was built in an architectural style quite distinct from the Timurid style typical of cities like Samarkand and Istarafshan. The building features intricate brickwork, carved terracotta inlays and calligraphic inscriptions.

The nearby Aluminium Factory, Tajikistan's largest industrial concern, provides an architectural counterpoint. The Soviets built an aluminium factory here not because Tajikistan has aluminium ore, but because of the availability of cheap electricity from Nurek. The factory has a quaint museum.

From here drive to the Shirkent Gorge and have a lunch of grilled fresh river fish before taking a short walk to see the areas fossilised dinosaur tracks, which are about 50cm long and 30cm wide, and have been identified as belonging to Macropodosaurus Gravis, a bipedal dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous period. Hundreds of larger imprints were also found in the same valley and also in a small gorge formed by a tributary of the Khargush river. Today's excursion will finish with a leisurely walk along the river to a small village.

Day 8 - Thu

Today enjoy the day free at your leisure in Dushanbe.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the 0505 Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul at 0825 board the 0945 flight to London. You will arrive into Heathrow at 1135.