r/centralasia

Hi! When I was planning my route from Tashkent to Samarkand through Tajikistan I struggled to find detailed information, so I decided to share my experience for others planning the same. Catching the speed train is always a fast alternative, but taking this short detour is definitely worth it!

At the time of this post, Uzbekistan is visa free for many nationalities, and Tajikistan is too for EU passports. This makes such small deviation appealing to those who don't need to worry about additional visa proceedings.

My full route was: Tashkent > Oybek > Khujand > Istaravshan > Penjikent > Haft Kul (7 lakes) > Penjikent > Samarkand. The total price, including overnight stays and meals, was less than what you'd pay for a day trip from Samarkand to the Seven Lakes, and the mountains along the way are gorgeous.

From Tashkent (UZ) to Khujand (TJ)

The closest border is that of Oybek. To reach there, you can catch shared taxis from Kuyluk market, next to the metro stop of 7-Bekat. The taxis are stationed at the parking lot next to the highway bridge and right under the bridge. The price in a shared taxi is 50.000uzs (~4$). For a private one, I was offered down to 170.000uzs. The journey is short, about 1h.

At the border, the police did check whether I had all the registration slips from my hotels (the little paper with the QR code). Other than that, it went smooth and fast.

After the border, many people offer you to change money and also taxis. I made my way to the official exchange shop. The rates for USD were excellent. Not so much for EUR.

The price for a shared van, directly with the driver without middlemen, was 100tjs (10.5$) and a bit above another hour.

Khujand was actually prettier than I expected and I kinda regret not visiting the fortress (paid). The shared transport leaves you at the north terminal (Rokhi Abreshim), an hour walk from the centre, but you have mashrutkas (number 33) that take you to the bazaar for 2.5tjs ($0.25).

Total around $15 and 3 hours.

From Khujand to Istaravshan

The mashrutkas (shared vans) from Khujand depart from the parking lot in Ёва (YO-bah). Many urban mashrutkas go there (2.5tjs). I took 11A but you can trust what Yandex Maps suggests. Taxis stand at the same roadside where the mashrutka stops, but the mashrutka in the parking lot right at the corner filled very fast and was slightly cheaper (20tjs ~ $2 vs 30tjs of a shared taxi). It took about 2 hours.

Budget options for sleeping in Istaravshan were very limited. Some of the places I had found online are no longer operating. I ended up at the Sadbarg, which had terrible reviews online but wasn't really that bad. The cheapest room is 120tjs for two single beds, with some space for negotiation (~10.5$).

From Istaravshan to Penjikent

The shared taxis depart from the main road around 100 metres after the Bazaar. I went early, by 8am, and it took a bit longer to fill (around 1h). I had been told the price should be 100 but I didn't manage to get lower than 120tjs (~13$).

This was a longer journey through the mountains (3-4h), beautiful scenary. I would have loved to make stops to take pictures, it was gorgeous.

There are many options for sleeping in Penjikent. The double room at Salom Hostel was 200tjs and the beds in the dorm 100tjs (~10.5$), no breakfast.

There are also many affordable options to eat tasty tajik food, and in addition to the bazaar you can freely walk by the hill of ancient panjakent enjoying great views.

If you need to change cash, there is a shop inside the bazaar. Just walk straight ahead from the entrance to the other end. The rates were also pretty decent to exchange the leftover tajik sum into dollars before leaving the country.

Visiting the Haft Kul (Seven Lakes)

Most people visit the seven lakes with a driver (you can negotiate a 4WD in the bazar area), just making stops to take pictures, but I'd really recommend trecking it on your own.

If you are not into hitch-hiking, you can find shared transport at the parking lot at the end of the small downwards alley on the side of the bazaar's main entrance (on your right you're facing it). The mashrutka to Shing (the village closest to the first lake) is 20tjs and departs every 2 hours. Otherwise, you can hop on a shared taxi to any of the lakes (low frequency too). I paid 90tjs (~9,5$) to go to lake 4 (Nofin), where I had already chosen a guesthouse.

Once you dumb your luggage at the guesthouse of your choice (I stayed at Jumaboy, 280tjs ~$30 with dinner & breakfast), you are free to treck around.

The walk from lake 4 to lake 7 (11km) took about 3h + stops and was gorgeous. Only the last bit is a bit steeper, and most of it you just walk by the same trail the cars follow, with amazing views. If you don't feel like walking it back and it is not too late, you can probably hitch-hike any of the many cars carrying tourists and offer a small tip of 10-20tjs.

The walk from lake 4 to lake 1 downhill is just a couple of hours (9h), which I did already carrying the backpack so I wouldn't need to climb back up. These aren't as beautiful as the higher lakes in mid April, although it might be different later when they fill more. Again, either you easily hightchike your way back to Penjikent (in addition to tourist cars, there's vans driving back from the gold mines) or catch shared transport from Shing (20tjs).

From Penjikent (TJ) to Samarkand (UZ)

Plenty of shared taxis depart from the main road, just a few meters after the bazaar. I paid 15tjs (~$1.6) for a shared taxi to the border (граница /gra-NEE-tsa/) and the mashrutka from the border to Samarkand costed 20.000uzs ($1.7). The shared transport does not go all the way to Ragestan Square, but there are urban buses connecting from the point where the mashrutka leaves you (bus 73 or 74, which run every 10 minutes and take around 20min and 2000uzs paying contactless and 3000uzs in cash).

Additional notes

- If your stay in Tajikistan is under 10 days, you don't need to worry about tourist registration bureaucracy.

- If you want to use shared transport, never be the first customer. Keep your luggage with you until you find a shared cab/van already half full.

- Taxi drivers insistingly tried to convince me to take private drives instead of shared transport. Sometimes they denied the existence of shared transport when I asked for indications, and once they even had me waiting in an empty car while they "found other customers" (they were just testing my patience to see if I'd finally offer to pay the full car).

- Internet in Tajikistan is pretty bad. Actual local SIM cards seemed to work better than e-SIM.

I hope someone finds this information helpful. Enjoy the journey!

Hi! 34F Malay-Muslim from Singapore here 😊

I’m looking for a female travel buddy for a trip around July (dates somewhat flexible). My main interest right now is Central Asia—places like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, or Kyrgyzstan—especially for nature, hiking, and cultural exploring.

I also have a few other destinations in mind this year and would be open to planning together if we vibe: Vietnam, Chiang Mai, Mount Kinabalu (Sabah), Sri Lanka, or even Kashmir/Ladakh.

A little about me: I enjoy adventure trips—hiking, nature, scenic views—but also appreciate good food and a balanced itinerary (not too rushed, not too chill). I’m easygoing, respectful, and value good communication when travelling.

As I’m Muslim, I do prefer halal food options where possible and modest-friendly environments.

If you’re planning something similar or keen to explore together, feel free to DM so we can chat and see if we vibe ✨