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Sarez Lake
Ancient city Karon
Sarez Lake with Guterish
From Dushanbe to Badakhshan - 12 days, ALL INCLUSIVE
Rudaki Mausoleum

Eastern Legends, Sarazm-Sarez, 12 days

By Bunyod-Tour
8 out of 10
Free cancellation available
Price is AU$5,652 per adult
Features
  • Free cancellation available
  • 12d
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup
  • Multiple languages
Overview

Fabulosity of the East contains in its fairy possessions, which for thousands of years have lived in souls of peoples of the whole world and which have real parentage; however until now — even in conditions of the development of science and technology — they are still remain undisclosed, mysterious and mythical.
Hundreds of these legends have/had taken place on the territory today’s Tajikistan — with the participation and contribution of the ancient Tajik nation.
Some of legends which have cultural, historical features visualise (covered) in this travel programme.
WELCOME TO TAJIKISTAN, JOURNEY TO THE FAIRY LAND!

Activity location

  • Proto-urban site of Sarazm
    • Sakhibnazar, Tajikistan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Proto-urban site of Sarazm
    • Sakhibnazar, Tajikistan

Check availability


Eastern Legends, Sarazm-Sarez, 12 days
  • Activity duration is 12 days12d12d
  • English

Pickup included

Starting time: 8:00 am
Price details
AU$5,651.80 x 1 AdultAU$5,651.80

Total
Price is AU$5,651.80
Until Mon, 20 Jan

What's included, what's not

  • What's includedWhat's includedPrivate transport
  • What's includedWhat's includedAll Fees and Taxes
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedUse of bicycle
  • What's excludedWhat's excludedAlcohol and other private services

Know before you book

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transport options are available nearby
  • Travellers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Activity itinerary

Day 1: ARRIVAL DAY: Dushanbe airport or Penjikent / Samarkand, tour to ancient city Sarazm
  • 2 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hotel Rohat
Proto-urban site of Sarazm
  • 5h
  • Admission ticket included
Start of the tour: welcome of tourists on the territory of Tajikistan: from the airport of Dushanbe or from the northern border of the country – Penjikent/Samarkand SARAZM - is the first World Heritage Monument in Tajikistan. This is the oldest settlement (IV—II millennium BC) located 15 km west of the district centre of Penjikent, on the left bank of the Zeravshan River. Well-preserved palace and religious buildings, public and residential buildings are of great historical and cultural value. Metal and stone products were found at the excavation site, as well as numerous jewelries made of precious stones and processed seashells. The settlement is located within the Bactrian-Margian Archaeological Complex. The destruction of the settlement coincides with the invasion of this territory by nomadic Indo-Iranian tribes. The name "Sarazm" comes from the ancient Tajik word "sari zamin" (the beginning of the earth).
Mausoleum of Abu Abdollah Rudaki
  • 3h
  • Admission ticket included
MAUSOLEUM / MUSEUM OF RUDAKI - is located on the territory of the village of Panjrud, about 60 km east of the city of Penjikent and is one of the most famous sights of Tajikistan. The mausoleum was built for the founder of Persian-Tajik literature - Abuabdullo Rudaki, who, according to historical data, lived in the late IX – X centuries, during the reign of the Samanid dynasty. Rudaki was not only a great poet and writer, but also a talented singer and musician. The founder of classical Tajik poetry wrote his famous works in the Dari language using the Arabic alphabet. The mausoleum of the great poet was erected in 1958. In 1940, two well-known archaeologists conducted a scientific and historical study and established the exact location of the burial of the great poet.
Day 2: Dushanbe excursion: Ismoil Somoni Complex – National Library – Nation Palace – Navruzgoh Park – National Museum
  • 4 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hotel Rohat
Statue of Ismoil Somoni
  • 1h
ISMOIL SOMONI MEMORIAL COMPLEX – in this complex houses the Ismoil Somoni Monument and Dusti Square. The monument to Ismail Somoni was erected in honour of the founder of the statehood of the Tajik people, Ismail Somoni. I. Somoni was the head of the Samanid state in the VIII – IX centuries. The height of the monument is 11.5 metres; the arch with a height of 40 metres is a symbol of the Eastern state.
National Library of Tajikistan
  • 1h
  • Admission ticket included
NATIONAL LIBRARY – is the main library of the country specialising in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Tajikistan. While the original state library in Dushanbe was founded in 1933 and named after the Persian-Tajik writer Firdousi, the new building of the National Library opened in March 2012 along with a new official name. The new building has 15 reading rooms and more than 20 departments. Currently, the library fund has more than 6 million copies of books, newspapers, magazines and other printed publications, audiovisual and electronic materials
Rudaki Park
  • 3m
The NATION PALACE - is the official residence of the President of Tajikistan. The construction of the palace began in 2000. All imperative political events take place in the Palace, including the reception of high-ranking political figures, such as the reception of heads of states, presidents, heads of international organisations, ambassadors, etc. NAVRUZGOH PARK – was opened in 2014 in honour of the international holiday of Navruz and is located on an area of 146 square metres - between the Nation Palace and Navruzgoh. On 15 hectares of the garden, are planted such types of trees as pine, viburnum, lilac, cedar, fir, juniper, magnolia, sycamore, chestnut, red maple and other types of plants. Despite the fact that the park is located very close to the centre, there is a completely different atmosphere here. Lots of greenery, trees and fountains. There is a waterfall – "Sharshara".
National Museum of Tajikistan
  • 2m
  • Admission ticket included
FLAG SQUARE - is located in the centre of Dushanbe, to the left of the Nation Palace. This flagpole is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest flagpole in the world. The height of the flagpole is 165 metres, the area is 1800 m2, the width is 30 metres and the length is 60 metres. NATIONAL MUSEUM - is located in the centre of Dushanbe. The museum consists of 22 large and small exhibition halls — departments of nature, antiquity and the Middle Ages, modern history, fine and applied arts. The exposition area of the National Museum of Tajikistan is 15 thousand m2. The new exposition of the National Museum of Tajikistan has collected items of material heritage, flora and fauna from all museums of the country. The number of exhibits exceeded 50 thousand items
Day 3: Bokhtar: Hill "KurgDushanbe excursion:an" – Museum Bibikhonum – Ajina-Teppe – Vose: Hulbuk Fortress
  • 3 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hotel Istiqlol
Bokhtar
  • 3h
BOKHTAR (until 2018 — Kurgan-Tube) is a city in southwestern Tajikistan, the administrative centre of the Khatlon region. It is located 100 km south of Dushanbe, in the centre of a rich oasis in the valley of the Vakhsh River.
Buddhist Monastery Ajina-Tepa
  • 4h
  • Admission ticket included
AJINA-TEPPE — the ruins of a Buddhist monastery of the VII–VIII centuries are located 20 kilometres from the city of Bokhtar. Shrines, stupas, images on the walls, cells, statues were found here. The most interesting find is a sculpture of a reclining Buddha, whose length reaches 12 metres. In 1961, archaeologists arrived here and began excavations, during which more than 500 pieces of art were discovered: statues, reliefs, wall images left over from the cult and living rooms of the monastery. Scientists who visited Kurgan-Tube (Bokhtar) came to the conclusion that this structure included two parts, namely the monastery and the temple. In addition, there were a couple of rectangular courtyards, around which buildings and thick walls towered. In one of them there was a large stupa. The monastery was incredibly beautiful, its vaults and walls were decorated with paintings.
Vose
  • 2h
HULBUK - is an archaeological complex in the Khatlon region. It is located in the village of Mehrobod of the Vosei district. The complex occupies a settlement area of 70 hectares, most of which is occupied by modern buildings. The structure of the settlement includes fragments of the settlement, a medieval fortress and its own palace. The settlement is identified with the ancient city of Hishttepa — the capital of the Khuttal (Khatlon) region in the Ghaznavid empire. In the 9th-13th centuries, Hulbuk was the residence of the governors. Hishttepa (Brick Hill), as numerous ceramic products, glass, metal slag and even more bricks were scattered around it. During the excavations that were carried out in the 1950s and 1960s, it was revealed that this place corresponds to the city of governors. More than 5 thousand artefacts were found. Today, Hulbuk is a historical museum-reserve that stretches over 16 hectares.
Day 4: Kulyab: Mir Said Aliya Hamadoni Mausoleum – Museum of the 2700th anniversary of Kulyab
  • 3 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hotel Kulob
Kulob
  • 2h
MAUSOLEUM OF MIR SAYYID ALII HAMADONI. In the centre of Kulyab, there is a memorial complex of Mir Sayyid Alii Hamadoni— a poet, philosopher and thinker of the XIV century. His son Muhammad, numerous relatives, as well as the former caretaker of the mausoleum and the mosque under him, Sheikh Shohi Tolikoni, are also buried here. The mausoleum building is a traditional medieval building. Initially, it had three portal entrances with a domed hall decorated with carved decor. This building dates back to the end of the XIV century.
Mausoleum of Mir Said Ali Khamadoni
  • 4m
  • Admission ticket included
MAUSOLEUM OF MIR SAYYID ALII HAMADONI. In the centre of Kulyab, there is a memorial complex of Mir Sayyid Alii Hamadoni— a poet, philosopher and thinker of the XIV century. His son Muhammad, numerous relatives, as well as the former caretaker of the mausoleum and the mosque under him, Sheikh Shohi Tolikoni, are also buried here. The mausoleum building is a traditional medieval building. Initially, it had three portal entrances with a domed hall decorated with carved decor. This building dates back to the end of the XIV century
Kulob Republican Local Lore Museum Complex
  • 2m
  • Admission ticket included
MUSEUM OF THE 2700th ANNIVERSARY OF KULYAB – was established in 2006 in honour of the celebration of the 2700th anniversary of the city of Kulb. The complex includes the Local History Museum 2700th anniversary of Kulyab, the Museum of Literary and Written Heritage named after Mir Sayyid Alii Hamadoni and the House – Museum of the national poet Saydali Valizoda. The museum complex in total currently has more than 5,000 exhibits. The main museum of the Complex is the Local History Museum of the 2700th anniversary of Kulyab, which has its own exhibition activities in five huge halls of a high building: the Department of History and Archaeology, the Department of Ethnography (the richest and main hall), the Department of Art, the Department of Modernity and the Department of Nature of Tajikistan. More than 20,000 thousand visitors visit the museum annually.
Day 5: Kalai Khumb – the ancient city of Karon – Rushan – the village of Barchidev
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Sino Hostel
Kalaikhum
  • 8h
THE ANCIENT CITY OF KARON. The name of the city in translation from the Middle Persian language means "a place located at an altitude". Karon is located east of the village of Kalai Khumb in the historical region of Darvaz, on the ancient caravan road to Khorog, at an altitude of 2000 metres above sea level, in the highlands above the Panj River, near the Tajik-Afghan border. The area of the city is 100 hectares. Karon was discovered in 2012 by archaeologist, academician Yusufsho Yakubov. According to opinion of Yakubov, the city was founded 4 thousand years ago. Since the discovery, archaeologists from Russia, Iran, France and Belgium have been involved in the excavations. Until the tenth century, Zoroastrianism was professed in the Crown. An altar of the temple of fire, a ritual pool, and a stone stand on which the holy book "Avesta" lay were found in the central square of the city. Islam came to Karon in the XII—XIII centuries.
Day 6: Barchidev village – Sarez Lake
  • 2 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hostel
Barchidev
  • 4h
Sarez Lake stretches almost 60 km in length (55.8 km), and its depth is approximately 500 metres. This lake is called the pearl of the Pamir Mountains - it is so extraordinarily beautiful. The path to the lake from the valley of the Bartang River (Murgab) begins in the Nisur village and passes through the Zharnogdashttag pass to the Borchadiv village. From here, the trail leads up the left bank of the Murghab, then rising high above the gorge, then descending to the water itself.
Sarez Lake
  • 4h
  • Admission ticket included
SAREZ LAKE – is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tajikistan, located in the Pamir. It was formed on February 6, 1911, after a strong 7-point earthquake, when the Murghab River was dammed as a result of a huge landslide, forming a natural dam with a height of 567 metres. The echo of the earthquake was recorded thousands of kilometres from the scene of the events - at the Pulkovo seismic station near St. Petersburg. The filled basin in the same year flooded the village of Sarez, which gave the name to the lake.
Day 7: Sarez Lake
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Not included
Sarez Lake
  • 10h
  • Admission ticket included
Intense radial tracking along the high shores of Lake Sareza (altitude 3500 metres above sea level). On the contrary, the ice caps of the Muzkol ridge, and behind them the almost 6 thousand peaks of the North-Alichur ridge. All this under the sunset of the day against the background of a huge flooded valley. You also have the opportunity to go on a boat, go fishing, climb a mountain. You have one day to enjoy the monumental beauty of the highest mountains.
Day 8: Sarez Lake – Barchidev village
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast, snacks, lunch
  • Accommodation: Not included
Sarez Lake
  • 8h
  • Admission ticket included
On the way back we can see the Fedchenko Glacier — the longest glacier in the world, outside the polar regions. The ridges of the Academy of Sciences, Vanchsky and Yazgulemsky converge some 30 km from our village. The peak of Independence (Revolution) 6940 metro above sea level, rises 20 km from the "house in the village". This is the real Pamir, in which people manage to live, giving good warmth as if reflecting what has been sent down from the Almighty. Many great Russian scientists and officers — researchers of the Pamirs have forever left a part of their soul in these mountains. Some lived in these places for a long time and left for a long time remembered this time as the brightest thing that was in their lives.
Day 9: Barchidev village – Rushan – Kalai Khumb
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Hostel
Sarez Lake
  • 8h
07:30 – breakfast 08:30 – return, direction to Kalai Khumb Destinations: Barchidev village – Rushan – Kalai Khumb 12:00 – lunch in Rushan (national cuisine) 18:00 – arrival in Kalai Khumb, hotel accommodation 19:00 – dinner (national cuisine) Length: transit–275 km
Day 10: Kalai Khumb – Dushanbe
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Rohat Hotel
Dushanbe
  • 12h
07:30 – breakfast at the hostel 09:00 – direction to Dushanbe Destinations: Kalai Khumb – Dushanbe 13:00 – lunch in Kulyab (national cuisine) 16:00 – arrival in Dushanbe, hotel accommodation Length: transit – 350 km
Day 11: Dushanbe tour: Navruz–Independence Square–Iram Park-Yakubi Charkhi Mausoleum–Museum of Antiquities–Mehrgon Bazaar
  • 5 stops
  • Meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks
  • Accommodation: Not included
Navruz Palace
  • 1h
  • Admission ticket included
KOHI (PALACE) NAVRUZ - is a new building consisting of 12 unusual halls, each of which is made in its own special national style. At the same time, it is ready to receive up to 3,200 guests. All the halls of the palace are decorated by local craftsmen: there are wood carvings, Florentine mosaics made of local semi-precious stones, mosaics of coloured mirrors, painted ceilings. On the walls there are scenes from ancient legends, on the ceiling there are patterns made of wood in the old style. Navruz Palace impresses with its splendour and modern luxury, it is a representative palace where important political events of the country and international meetings take place. It was within these walls that the 14th SCO Summit took place.
Independence And Freedom Monument
  • 2h
  • Admission ticket included
ISTIQLOL (INDEPENDENCE) SQUARE AND MONUMENT were opened on September 8, 2022. The 121-meter height of the Istiqlol complex is symbolic, that is, the lower part of the 30-meter complex is a symbol of the 30th anniversary of state independence, and the upper part - 91 metres – represents independence in 1991 of the last century. The total area of the symbolic complex "Istiklol" is 11900 square metres, the area of the object under construction is 4761 square metres. In the upper part of the complex there is an 8-meter crown made of titanium. In the symbol of Independence, the crown embodies the symbol of statehood, independence, state development and civilisation, knowledge of the history of the ancient Tajik people. The base of the complex is an octagonal pyramid and consists of 7 entrances. When drawing up a project with the symbol "Crown", the designer relied on the symbol "Tree of Life" as a basis, which represents and embodies broad ideas
Dushanbe Zoo and Botanical Garden
  • 2h
  • Admission ticket included
IRAM PARK – this park is located in the northern part of Dushanbe. The garden area reaches 40 hectares; the main entrance to the garden starts from the east. The alley leads to a glass greenhouse, from where the alleys and paths of the Botanical Garden originate. MAUSOLEUM of MAVLONO YAKUBI CHARKHI - is located in the western part of Dushanbe. Yaqub Ibn Uthman Al-Charkhi (1359-1447) was a religious figure, spiritual leader of the Sufi Tariq of Haji-Naqshbandi. Sheikh, the eighteenth in the golden chain of succession of the sheikhs of Tariqa.
National Museum of Antiquities
  • 2h
  • Admission ticket included
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES - was established in 1934 on the basis of an exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy and Expeditionary Research of the Tajik Base of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Then there were only 530 exhibits in the museum. The museum's collection contains unique finds, such as the preserved artefact "Queen Sarazm" in Sarazm, Sughd region, near the city of Penjikent, and a twelve-meter Buddha figure found by archaeologists in 1961 in the city of Ajina-Teppa in southern Tajikistan, Khatlon region, and other objects awarded by the international organisation UNESCO the status of a nominee for inclusion in the World Heritage List
Mekhrgon
  • 1h
MEHRGON BAZAAR - is a new and modern grocery market in Dushanbe, commissioned in September 2014. The total area of the market is approximately 30 thousand square metres. The market is located on the eastern outskirts of the city of Dushanbe. The total area of the market building is about 10 thousand square metres. The building consists of 3 floors, on the ground floor mainly fruits, tortillas, legumes, meat, chaka, spices and dried fruits are sold, on the second and third floors there are clothing stores, cafes and service salons, including financial services, communication services. All goods and products of the market are environmentally friendly and very useful for health, which are very difficult to get at ordinary markets or supermarkets.
Day 12: DEPARTURE DAY
  • 1 stop
  • Meals: breakfast
  • Accommodation: Not included
Panjakent
  • 4h
• 07:30 – breakfast at the hotel • 09:00 – direction to Penjikent (for tourists who intend to return via Samkand/Uzbekistan) • Destinations: Dushanbe – Penjikent (borders - Samkand/Uzbekistan) • Length: transit–250 km • During the day – departure of tourists from the Dushanbe airport

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIESProto-urban site of Sarazm
    • Sakhibnazar, Tajikistan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLEProto-urban site of Sarazm
    • Sakhibnazar, Tajikistan

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