Transfer Samarkand – Panjakent city 60 km

Breakfast.  Drive to the border. Crossing the border.  Drive to Panajakent 60 km. The city of Panjakent ("five villages") is located in Khujand area of Tajikistan in the picturesque Zarafshan river/valley. Quite possibly the five villages started the history of this remarkable city which originated in the V-VIII centuries AD. Panjakent in that time was one of the most important cultural and crafts centers of Sogd. It was even named the "Central Asian Pompeii".

Explore this ancient city with your local guide, including visits to:

• Museum of Rudaki – Panjakent is the birthplace of Abuabdulloh Rudaki – the father of Tajik/Persian poetry.
• Ancient Panjakent - ruins of old Sogdian town founded in V century and abandoned in the VIII century by Arabs. Foundations of houses, a citadel with a couple of Zoroastrian fire temples and city bazaar are visible in the excavated ruins.

Enjoy dinner at the national teahouse ‘Sayohat’ where you will have a chance to participate in a cooking class, learning to make the national Tajik dish.  Meals: dinner

Panjakent city – Seven lakes 60 km

Breakfast. Continue your journey to Marguzor lakes – a trip of around 4 hours in total from Samarkand (including border crossing).  The Marguzor lakes are a collection of seven beautiful lakes. We will drive to each of the lakes.  The names (in order) are: Lake Mizhgon (which means Eyelash) - this multi-colored lake is considered one of the most beautiful of the seven lakes.

Lake Soya (‘Shade’) and Lake Husher (‘Vigilance’) are located at an altitude of 1700 m.   The fourth lake ‘Nofin’ is 3.5km long with a depth of 70m. The fifth lake is named Hurdak and the sixth is Marguzor – a lake 5 km in length, 80 m deep and located at 2139 m above sea level.

The seventh lake is named Hazorchashma (which means one thousand sources) and is the highest of the seven lakes at 2400 m above sea level.  Dinner and overnight in the guest house.

Meals: full board

Seven lakes – Gazza village 120 km

After breakfast, drive to Gazza village, in the Fan mountains, which is 60 km away by road. Gazza is a remote village, located 1700 m above sea level, at the foot of the Hamid and Obshor mountains with a population of about 200 people. Enjoy walking through the village, meeting local people and finding out how Tajik people live in the mountain areas.

On route stop to explore the Rudaki mausoleum. The mausoleum was constructed in 1958 in honor of the founder of classic Tajik poetry, the poet Abuabdulloh Rudaki. Rudaki’s tomb is in Panjrud village, in the Panjakent and is known that Rudaki lived at the end of the IX century/beginning of the X century under the reign of the Samanids’ Dynasty. Rudaki passed away in 941 AD. in his native village of Panjrud, spending his last days in poverty.

Today you’ll drive to the village of Vory, which is located in 1900m above sea level in the mountains, with a population of about 1000 people living in 120 houses. The architecture of the buildings in the village are reminiscent of XVIII-XIX century construction.

Enjoy dinner and overnight in a local guest house.  This is a typical Tajik house built in traditional style in a remote village. You will experience life with a local family, sleeping in a traditional room. Sleeping accommodation is in shared rooms, it is possible to take a shower, but in a shared bathroom. There is no Wi-fi in this village, but there is electricity for charging telephones. Meals: full board

Gazza village – Iskandar-Lul Lake – Saritag village

Breakfast.  Drive to famous lakes of Fan mountains – Iskandar-Kul Lake. Iskandar-Kul Lake:  length – 5 km, width - 3,5 km and depth to – 80 m, located at height 2250 m. The heart of Fan mountains, the treasure of Tyan-Shan, a scenic Iskandar Kul Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tajikistan. Having emerald green and blue color. A fast-flouring Iskandar-Darya River flows from the lake, forming a marvelous and gorgeous waterfall, so called the “Fan Niagara” that falls from the height 38 m.

Walking near the lake.  Short hiking to see waterfall.  Lunch on the way.  Drive to Saritag village. Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse. Meals: full board

Iskandar Kul lake – Istarafshan – Khujand 320 km

Breakfast.  Drive to Istarafshan city: Istarafshan is a museum city, the ancient center of trade and crafts, one of the most ancient cities of the Central Asia. In 2002 Istarafshan turned 2,500 years old.  The city was founded in the VI century BC. by a Akhemenid king Cyrus who fortified the settlement by means of three wall lines and a citadel. In the VII-II centuries BC. the ancient sentiment Mugteppa was located on the territory of Istarafshan. Mugteppa was the residence of the local aristocracy who erected their numerous palaces distinguished by original expressive architecture. The evidence of that was found in Bundzhikat (Kala and Kakh-Kakh) and Chil'khudzhra settlements which had fortified structures with palaces and cult buildings decorated with paintings and carved panels. For example, in Bundzhikat archaeologists found the painting with the image of a she-wolf feeding two babies – the symbol of contacts between the West and the Orient. During the years of Arab invasion, Istarafshan became a province of Arabian Caliphate. It was at this time when Islamic architectural structures of portal-dome design such as mosques, madrasa, mausoleums, minarets, etc. started to appear.

Sightseeing the city: Madrasa Kuk-Gumbaz, mosque Shohi Zinda, market 

Drive to Khujand. Accommodation in the hotel Sugdiyon hotel 3*.  Meals: breakfast

Iskandar Kul lake – Istarafshan – Khujand 320 km

Breakfast.  Drive to Istarafshan city: Istarafshan is a museum city, the ancient center of trade and crafts, one of the most ancient cities of the Central Asia. In 2002 Istarafshan turned 2,500 years old.  The city was founded in the VI century BC. by a Akhemenid king Cyrus who fortified the settlement by means of three wall lines and a citadel. In the VII-II centuries BC. the ancient sentiment Mugteppa was located on the territory of Istarafshan. Mugteppa was the residence of the local aristocracy who erected their numerous palaces distinguished by original expressive architecture. The evidence of that was found in Bundzhikat (Kala and Kakh-Kakh) and Chil'khudzhra settlements which had fortified structures with palaces and cult buildings decorated with paintings and carved panels. For example, in Bundzhikat archaeologists found the painting with the image of a she-wolf feeding two babies – the symbol of contacts between the West and the Orient. During the years of Arab invasion, Istarafshan became a province of Arabian Caliphate. It was at this time when Islamic architectural structures of portal-dome design such as mosques, madrasa, mausoleums, minarets, etc. started to appear.

Sightseeing the city: Madrasa Kuk-Gumbaz, mosque Shohi Zinda, market 

Drive to Khujand. Accommodation in the hotel Sugdiyon hotel 3*.  Meals: breakfast