The Pamir Highway

The Pamir Highway, snaking for over 1,200 kilometres between Dushanbe and Osh in Kyrgyzstan, much of it through Tajikistan's remote southeast, is one of the world's great overland adventures, the second-highest international highway on earth. Crossing the vast, austere high plateau known as the roof of the world, it climbs over passes above 4,600 metres past a breathtaking landscape of snow-capped peaks, shimmering high-altitude lakes like Karakul, and lonely villages. Threading along the Afghan border through the lush Wakhan Valley and the empty Pamir wilderness, it is a legendary journey of stark, majestic beauty.

What you actually see

• The high passes - the road over passes above 4,600 metres.
• Lake Karakul - the vast, stark high-altitude lake.
• The Wakhan Valley - the lush river valley along the Afghan border.
• The Pamiri villages - the remote settlements and homestays.

When to go

June to September, the short mountain summer, is the only realistic window, when the high passes are clear of snow and the roads passable; even then, weather at altitude is unpredictable and nights are bitterly cold. Outside summer, snow closes the passes and the plateau becomes inaccessible.

Honest expectations

This is a serious, demanding adventure across extreme, high-altitude terrain, requiring a GBAO permit, a sturdy four-wheel drive, and acclimatisation to the thin air, which affects many travellers; facilities are basic homestays and roads are rough. For intrepid travellers, though, the raw, majestic scenery and the sense of crossing the roof of the world make it unforgettable.

Nearby

The town of Khorog, the Wakhan Valley and the Kyrgyz border are on the route.