Roughly how long does the Pamir Highway take to do?

Roughly how long does the Pamir Highway take to do? - Road in City during Sunset

I'm heading into Tajikistan on Friday (to Dushanbe). I aim to go around to Khorog and then via the Pamir highway to Kyrgyzstan. I'm unsure as to how long to allow for this part of the trip, or how to go about doing it. I assume I'll run into more information as I hit the country, but in the meantime I hoped someone on here would have more info.

I have applied for the required permit, and have a 30 day visa for both countries. However, I'm a bit behind schedule so would like to be quick, but don't want to rush it either.

Does anyone have some estimates on the minimum length of time required for a single traveler?

(I'm claiming this isn't ambiguous as I'm after the minimum, rather than some flaky 'how long does it take' - some could happily take 6 months to do it!)



Best Answer

Pamir highway is more than 700 kilometers long, and contains some mountain crosses over 4000 meters AMSL. This trip will be very difficult for you, and I wish you good luck with that.
According this article, you should know this:

  • There are not many service points at the Pamir highway
  • After the USSR was down, neither Tajikistan nor Kyrgyzstan have money to spend on quality on the Highway, so in some places road is in awful condition.
  • You'll need some paper for the visiting the Afganistan-near places of this Highway. Unfortunately, I can't provide any info about this, but I think you could get this info locally.
  • There are some companies providing a trip for this Highway, and you should use their tours - I think you can't get through this Highway at your own.
  • You can search for the mountaineering commands for the support - they frequently are at the Highwway because of two mountains they want to visit: Ismoil Somoni Peak and Lenin Peak

Thats all I know, sogood luck with that :)




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How long is Pamir Highway?

The Pamir Highway (M41) is 1.252 km (778 miles) long running from Osh (the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley) to Dushanbe (the capital and largest city of Tajikistan). Running through one of the world's wildest locations, it's said to be one of the most epic road trips.

How many days are enough for Tajikistan?

A comfortable amount of time to plan for Tajikistan is one month for those wanting to take on the Pamir Highway, Wakhan Valley, Fann Mountains, Fergana Valley and get in a couple of good treks.

How do I get to Pamir Mountains?

THE TOURIST ROUTE The most common route for people travelling the Pamir Highway is via the Wakhan Valley. The route runs between Dushanbe and Osh via Kalai Khum, Khorog, Ishkashim, Langar, Alichur, Murghab, Karakul and Sary Tash. It's approximately 1500 km in length.

How high is the Pamir Highway?

The Pamir Highway is designated as route M-41 over much of its length in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and is known as the second highest altitude international highway in the world (4,655 m).



VLOG | Tajikistan | The Pamir Highway, Osh to Dushambe




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Nout Gons, Karol D, Pixabay, Johannes Plenio