Heldags privat rundtur i sju sjöar från Samarkand

We had the most amazing day; if you only read one sentence of this review, absolutely 100% take this tour. I am a traveler with a lot of questions, and I contacted the tour provider before my trip and he was incredibly kind in answering anything I was unclear about. You get picked up from hotel in Samarkand (very on time), drive one hour to border, driver takes your picture so the guide on the Tajikistan border knows to find you, and you don’t get in the wrong car as they will show you the picture as proof of the correct guide. Our guide, Khushnuda, made the whole day the most unforgettable experience. If you can request her and she is available, you will be lucky because she is truly AMAZING. She is young, intelligent, passionate, knowledgeable and very kind. Her English is great, and we loved asking her many questions about Tajik culture, history and food. After a quick stop in the market in Panjakent, you continue onto the Seven Lakes. It is a long journey, so prepare yourself, but it is totally worth it. I grew up near Banff,Canada, and I have only ever seen lakes this colour there. Beautiful greens, blues, surrounded by the impressive mountains. You will drive from lake to lake, so you don’t need to worry about a lot of walking or hiking. The drive is stunning as you are able to see villages along the way, and you stop for a very simple but tasty plov lunch in front of Lake #3, beautiful view. You keep driving all the way to the TOP of the mountain, I was shocked how high up you are able to drive, normally this would require a serious hike to reach a remote point like this. We enjoyed that we were able to enjoy the nature without strenuous hiking, with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. After the drive back, you pass by the 5500 year old settlement for a quick 20-30 minute visit, and it was interesting to learn about the ancient history of the region. Crossing the border is straightforward and easy both ways. You are in the car for many hours, but we loved talking with Khushnuda, and learning as much as we could about Tajikistan, and she has inspired me to return one day and visit more. Thank you very much

You can experience beautiful nature and different cultures all in one trip.

It is a very good option to get to know Tajikistan from Samarkand. The drivers -both in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan- were very punctual and kind.

Good experience the tour guide made the event that much more interesting. Highly professional.

I had an excellent tour of Tajikistan with an excellent guide. The guide, a young lady whose name I unfortunately cannot remember, was a tremendous ambassador for her country. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire experience truly memorable. We visited all the main highlights on the tour, and the views were breathtaking throughout. From beginning to end, I had an excellent experience and would like to give the final word of praise to the guide, who was outstanding and a remarkable representative of her country.

Very nice trip to see Tajikistan for few hours while you are in Samarkand. Lakes beautiful and beautiful to explore

Big day trip from Samarkand. Cars, drivers and guide were well arranged and comfortable. Long line to cross border Tajikistan. Lakes are half full in May, so really only the seventh lake was really worth it. It's a long drive back and forth on very bumpy roads. We understood from the guide that the lakes are the most beautiful in August and September because then there is the most water. Still interesting to see the rural country of Tajikistan and beautiful nature.

Great experience. The only bad thing is the 2 hours of queuing at the border to pass Tajikistan. It's chaos and the local people are continually sneaking in, making the queue of the civilized people not advance. As for the excursion it was very good. The guide was very nice although our driver drove like crazy!

It was an amazing trip. The lakes are surreal and our guide, Diloshub, had amazing knowledge about Tajikistan and its history and geography. Would recommend 100%.

I went on a tour of Seven Lakes and overall it was a very satisfying experience. To be honest, it felt a bit expensive compared to the price of the ride-hailing app Yandex in Uzbekistan. However, the scenery was really beautiful enough to make sense of it, and I am glad I participated. When I entered Tajikistan, I found it quite difficult to go there on my own, because I could hardly use the airwaves. I think it was the right thing to do on the tour in that respect as well. The best part was that the driver on the Tajikistan side was an English teacher who was very good at English. It was easy to communicate and I felt safe. The road to Seven Lakes is pretty rattling, but because we had our own solid car on this tour, we were able to get to a deeper area that no other regular car could get to. I think this is a big point. Even at a small restaurant I stopped by along the way, thanks to the driver who stepped in, I was able to eat with peace of mind without worrying about snatching or anything. The tour did not stop at souvenir shops and basically only spent money on lunch. In my case, changing $10 for three people was enough, so I didn't have to change more money. One thing to note is that toilets are fairly simple, have no keys, and are of the so-called "hole" type. It's in nature, so you should be prepared for this. Also, it swings quite a bit along the way, so I think this tour is for people who have some physical strength and can withstand the shaking of mountain roads. Still, it was such a fascinating tour, including all of those, that I wanted to go back. If you came to Samarkand, I highly recommend it. In my case, it was Golden Week, so four Japanese got together and drove the same car. It seems that if there are other Japanese participants, they will solidify it, so I think it is relatively easy for those who are anxious about English communication to participate.