Bulunkul and Yashilkul Lakes

Bulunkul and Yashilkul lie at around three thousand seven hundred metres on the Pamir plateau, a short way off the highway, inside the Tajik National Park that UNESCO inscribed in 2013. Bulunkul village beside them records some of the lowest temperatures in the country, well below minus fifty in winter. Yashilkul, the green lake, is the larger, held behind a landslide dam, with hot springs and petroglyphs along its shore and fish in the water.

What you actually see

• Yashilkul - the larger lake, dammed by a landslide, with springs along its shore.
• Bulunkul - the smaller lake beside the village, in the coldest inhabited spot in Tajikistan.
• The high plateau - the Pamir tableland at around 3700 metres.
• The petroglyphs - rock carvings along the Yashilkul shore.

When to go

June to September is the season; the plateau is severe outside it. Nights are cold even in July. A GBAO permit is required for the whole region.

Honest expectations

The altitude affects most people arriving from lower ground and acclimatisation matters. Accommodation is basic homestays with no heating to speak of. A GBAO permit must be obtained before travelling.

Nearby

Murghab is east, and Khorog is west.