05/29/2026
From Samarkand we were able to spend a day in another country- Tajikistan. I was astounded by the kindness of its people and the raw nature.
Here is how the day went:
we were picked up from our hotel in Samarkand by a taxi and taken to the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan border where we then crossed by foot.
Once we reached the Tajikistan border, Diloshube (our amazing local guide) was waiting for us with a big smile.
From here we loaded into a van and were off Panjakent.
In Panjakent we took a quick peak into the market and got our food that we saved for a picnic in the most scenic spot!
From there we continued towards the mountains - about an hour in we hit rough unpaved roads and or ascent into the mountains and its villages.
We stopped at 4 alpine lakes before taking a break for lunch. After lunch we continued to the final 3 lakes that kept getting more and more beautiful!
Along the way we stopped to give snacks to every local kid we came across.
Diloshube gave us as much insight into the country of Tajikistan as she could in our short time together.
After a rough ride back down the mountain we were dropped back at the boarder where we again crossed on foot and found our taxi driver from the morning waiting to return us to Samarkand.
