If it is a dream to visit countries of the likes of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan then it may be worth your while to do the Pamir Highway tour. The Pamir Highway is a continuous stretch of road that covers all of these countries. A tour on the highway will therefore encompass stops to all of these countries and form part of a cultural extravaganza. The start point of a tour along the Pamir Highway can be done at either end in the cities of Khorog or Osh. Visa will need to be obtained for all of the countries through which the Pamir Highway spans. Most often the tours of the Pamir Highway begins in Khorog so that travellers can easily land in Dushanbe as it is the most accessible international airport near the start point.

Dushanbe is a modern city and guests doing a tour on the Pamir Highway start off their holiday by being put up in one of the exclusive hotels in the city. The first day is set aside for all members of the tour group to get acclimated with one another and to visit significant areas in this historically rich city. A tour along the Pamir Highway is a road trip. It will not, though, be one long ride, but merely a couple of hours getting between destinations. A lot of stops are made along the way and tour guests can expect adventure, culture and nature rolled into a single trip. The vehicles used during the Pamir Highway tour are jeeps.

1

Although a majority of the Pamir Highway is tarred, there are some gravel and potholed areas to be weary off. Normally, there are 2 jeeps which can comfortably accommodate the group, the guides and all luggage items. Groups are purposefully kept small so that it then becomes a personalized trip and not a mass produced run of the mill holiday. People undertaking a tour on the Pamir Highway are also advised to bring along a small amount of luggage as there are different stops each day for accommodation and heavy luggage can be a hindrance to constantly handle.

Smaller groups also allow for each guest to have a greater amount of time with the tour guide. There is a lot to learn from the region, with cultures that are thousands of years old. Each tour is classified according to different type of adventure tour of the area and might be pro cyclists wanting to do a full cycle tour of the Pamir Highway and a lot of the adventure activities from spotting wildlife to mountain climbing. This may not be the kind of trip required from someone looking for a bit more education. A tour of the Pamir Highway can be done to bypass all of the adrenaline rush activities for a simplified cultural experience of learning more about the land, the people, the religions and history. Travellers wanting to do a tour of the Highway must book into the correct holiday type to get the most out of their package deal.

By Alex