Samarkand: Tajikistan Seven lakes Day trip with lunch

Tour itself was good. Pick Up from Hotel, Transfer to Border, Crossing & Finding the Guide on the Tajik side was flawless. Guide was very nice and knowledgeable. Picked Up Lunch first, which was surprisingly a lot to choose from [multiple meat options, as well as sides and bread]. Visit to Bazar, although quite fast & rushed. Then drive to the Lakes. The lakes are quite nice to look at. Some are more interesting than others. However i would say, if you are a person that has been to high(er) altitude lakes, these lakes might disappoint you a little. Mostly ~10min stops at each lake. More time at Lake 7 to explore and eat your lunch. Then the tour is basically over, with the drive back to the museum & then border. Was a bit difficult to find the drivers back in the Usbek side, but worked out in the end. Minor negative point from my side: The trip was advertised as small/mini group tour. In the end we were 12 people. Only the transfer to the Boarder was in Cars of 2-3 people. While i was expecting it, i think me and many others have a different opinion on small groups being 12 people.

I was looking for some tours to do outside of Samarkand and I found this tour with an English-speaking guide. It was a beautiful experience; the day was lovely and the scenery is enchanting. The lunch with a lake view was nice. We were a mixed group, with people from different countries, but we chatted and shared stories. Murod, our guide, was very punctual and explained many things about the culture of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; compliments also to the driver Naim, because the road connecting the lakes is really treacherous.

I'm really glad I took this tour. It was more satisfying than I had ever imagined, as the unspoiled nature spread. The tour company contacted us via WhatsApp the day before and informed us of the meeting time. The tour was organized efficiently, and our guide Murad was very good at showing us everything from passport control to buying souvenirs, exchanging money and snacking. Also, the driver drove me carefully along the difficult mountain road, which gave me peace of mind. Passing cars on the mountain roads was thrilling, though. We had snacks, picnic boxes, and watermelon (!) for our meal. Our guide also taught us about Tajikistan's history, culture and songs, and it was a very enjoyable day.

The trip to Tajikistan and the 7 lakes was really great and we enjoyed it a lot. The stop in the city to get lunch boxes for the picnic at the last lake was already super interesting since you can see a bit of Tajik daily life. The scenery at the several lakes was fantastic. Our guide Murod did an excellent job and explained a lot about Uzbek and Tajik culture. We found that super interesting. He was also very nice and absolutely fluent in English. He also made sure that the border controls went smoothly. We also want to highlight the drivers (tour date 14th June) who did an excellent job. Especially driving up in the mountains is not easy, but the driver navigated through the tiny roads flawlessly. We are traveling a lot and have done several tours in our life, but we really liked this one a lot .

A beautiful experience. The Fann mountains and the lakes are wonderful. Our guide, MUROD, is a very kind person... He does his job very well! Thank you!!

Was way better than the photos. Breath taking and Umeda our guide was ace! So lovwly to havr a female guide. Well organised and spoke.perfect english! The lunch sot was a lovely surprise and the cool air by lake 7 was very welcome! Great value foe money and highly recommend!

First, we chose this provider specifically because the description and itinerary say they visit Sarazm, but they do not. We didn’t quite realize we’d been lied to until the tour was over because the guide promised us that we’d stop by “the museum” after the seven lakes. Given the description, we assumed the museum meant the UNESCO world heritage site, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t even mean a museum - it means a tacky gift shop in the lobby of a museum that you aren’t allowed to visit. Total bait and switch. Second, this had to be the most uncomfortable seven lakes tour on offer. It started when they crammed four adult passengers into a small sedan with no A/C for the hour-long ride to and from the border. There, we met up with a larger group, and 16 passengers were stuffed into a Sunray van that made airline seating look spacious, where we spend around 9 hours through the course of the trip. I took a good look at all the other vehicles (I wanted to make sure my expectations weren’t out of whack), and none of them were nearly so cramped. The other high-capacity vans were all Sprinters that fit the same 16 seats into a vehicle that’s nearly a foot wider and four feet longer. The rest were Toyota Prados with two folks in the back, or luxury 5- or 7-passenger vans with oodles of personal space. I know I sound grouchy harping on comfort, but since the didn’t add anything to the standard itinerary, it’s one of the only ways a provider can differentiate itself. And given the fact you’re in these vehicles for most of a very long day, it matters. Despite skipping the promised Sarazm, we still got home 1.5 hours later than promised, mostly because it takes a lot of time to get 16 people out of the van 10 times and then round them up again, and because of the aforementioned wasted “museum” stop.

The tour is very beautiful and well-structured. The guide was fantastic and explained many things during the tour. The seven lakes of Tajikistan are truly beautiful, but do not expect a tour where you will be walking. Most of the time is spent on the minibus, which you board once you cross the border. The first stop in Penjikent is really brief, about 30 minutes, including restroom access. You practically pass through the bazaar, but be careful not to lose the group because the situation is very chaotic. At each lake, you stay for about 6 to 7 minutes, and all stops are scenic except for the seventh lake where a packed lunch is provided (nothing exceptional). On the return, there should have been a stop at Sarazm, but it was not made, and we were informed of this on the morning of the tour. The minibus ride to the seven lakes is not on a paved road but is entirely unpaved and full of potholes; the driver was excellent!!

I had such a fun day in beautiful nature of Tajikistan. After spending some time in touristy places in Uzbekistan, this was a good change and a breath of fresh air. My driver was waiting for me in the morning and we departed on time. Got to the border and spent about 45 minutes there, but the whole process was seamless. Once we entered Tajikistan, our guide Umeda and driver Umed found us quickly. The van was nice and modern. Umeda told us about Tajikistan on the way. We didn’t spend much time in Panjakent, but I liked the city. We packed lunch there to take to the mountains. I loved the scenic drive from and to the lakes! Breathtaking beauty made the long drive more enjoyable. Missing one star is because I signed up for 6am, and I intentionally chose this tour & that time because I wanted to have an early start and an early end. However, when the tour organizer contacted me the day before, it was changed to 7:30am. As it was already after the free cancellation window, I agreed to it. The tour description does not mention the possibility of time change. Overall, I still had a wonderful tour with great company and I highly recommend this to anyone traveling in Samarkand.

It was a nice experience and I’m glad I joined the tour. The destination itself was beautiful and definitely worth seeing. In my opinion, the tour is a bit overpriced for what you actually get, even if this is the standard rate. The guide did her best and made an effort throughout the tour, which I appreciated. She seemed genuinely dedicated.