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The Pamir Highway

If there is one road in Central Asia that captures the imagination above all others it’s the M41, better known as the Pamir Highway (Памирское шоссе). Technically, the M41 and the Pamir Hwy are not identical thoroughfares: the M41 starts from Dushanbe and extends to the Kyrgyzstan border. The Pamir Hwy, by contrast, refers to a section of the M41 that runs only between Khorog and Osh. But who cares about the technicalities! The route, by whatever name it’s given, is famous for a reason. Whether bending along the hem of Tajikistan, following the Pyanj River, or winding across remote high-altitude pastures, this highway is one of the most spectacular in the world. Built by Soviet military engineers between 1931 and 1934 to facilitate troop transport and provisioning, it’s the world’s second highest road and, in all its potholed, yak-used glory, is a major highlight of visits to the region.

Explore The Pamir Highway

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Pamir Highway.

  • Fortress

    Hulbuk Fortress

    Destroyed by the Mongols, the sparse remnants of this fortified palace have been undergoing excavation since 1951 and now a fine reconstruction of the…

  • Viewpoint

    Shurabad Pass

    With any luck, there will be enough light left in the day after any delays crossing the Shurabad Pass to enjoy the first glimpse of the raging Pyanj River…

  • Lake

    Balun-Kul

    Mirrorlike lake Bulun-Kul (3737m) looks magnificent in the morning light, reflecting the mineral streaks of a low, multicoloured ridge opposite. The water…

  • Park

    Central Park

    It’s hard to believe that Khorog’s Central Park was dug up to grow crops during the famine of the 1990s. It has since been renovated by the Aga Khan Trust…

  • Viewpoint

    Afghan Village Viewpoint

    Perhaps the most appealing stretch of the A385 is between Rogak and Khostov (after the popular Yakhchi Hisor roadside springs). From this vantage point it…

  • Archaeological Site

    Shakty Cave Paintings

    Soviet archaeologists apparently took shelter in the caves at Shakty (Шахты; 4200m) during a storm one night in 1958, only to awake the next morning to…

  • Park

    Pamir Botanical Gardens

    At the entrance to the Shokh Dara Valley, 5km east of town, this arboretum encompasses a couple of hundred hectares of parkland and is claimed to be the…

  • Shrine

    Ancient Shrine

    Set within a traditional walled enclosure and now protected within an octagonal cover added in the 1990s, this is one of several authentic ancient Ismaili…

  • Lake

    Kara-Kul

    Although salty, lake Kara-Kul is frozen and snow-covered until May but throughout the summer this huge lake is transformed into a beautiful, sky-blue…

  • Viewpoint

    Ak-Baital Pass

    One of the most dramatic of the many high passes in the Pamirs, Ak-Baital Pass at 4655m is one of the highest passes along the whole of the Pamir Hwy…

  • Market

    Saturday Market

    Some 5km west of Khorog, a bridge linking Afghanistan with Tajikistan crosses the river at the point where the Gunt merges with the Pyanj. Every Saturday…

  • Viewpoint

    Hargush Pass

    The road from the Wakhan Valley rejoins the Pamir Hwy via the beautiful Hargus Pass. At 4344m and the highest of the three passes around Alichur, it is…

  • Lake

    Yashil-Kul

    Much bigger but arguably less photogenic than neighbouring Balun-Kul, 3734m Yashil-Kul (Яшилькуль) means 'green lake'. This is surprising because it is in…

  • Viewpoint

    Koi-Tezek Pass

    The potholed Koi-Tezek Pass (4272m) leads into lunar-like, high-altitude desert scenery to the east, framed by a series of snowy if relatively…

  • Viewpoint

    Najzatosh Pass

    At 4314m, this pass is the gateway to Murgab and the eastern Pamirs. It has a wild and eerie beauty to it and superlative views in every direction.

  • Lake

    Rang-Kul

    For those who haven't had enough of long uncomfortable journeys on washboard surfaces, then a half-day excursion to Rang-Kul (and neighbouring Shor-Kul),…

  • Tomb

    Chinese Tomb

    This ancient photogenic Chinese tomb features in local tourist literature but it is worth a visit not so much for the unremarkable building as the…

  • Museum

    Regional Museum

    This fascinating Soviet-style old-school museum exhibits crampons and the first Russian piano to arrive in Badakhshan (10 Russian soldiers spent two…

  • Mausoleum

    Mir Sayid Ali Hamadani Mausoleum

    This mausoleum is the burial site of a much revered 14th-century polymath, Mir Sayid Ali Hamadani. Decorated with a golden dome and meticulous brickwork,…

  • Lake

    Durum-Kul Viewpoint

    In the village of Sezhd (Km71), a tough, easily missed 4WD track spirals up and over a dusty ridge finally petering out after 6km in the green, very…

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