Dushanbe City Tour & Hissar Fortress
Description
Discover the new capital of Tajikistan Dushanbe and the ancient town Hissar. Today you will go to the fortress of Hisar (VII–XVII centuries), which is 35 km away from the city. There are fortified areas and a citadel on this historical site. The fortress served as the residence of the Emir of Bukhara. Its location was on a high hill, and the gun loopholes protected a 1-meter wall. Inside the fortress, there was a garden, and opposite, there was a lively market with a caravanserai and shops. After you willvisit main sights of Dushanbe: National Museum, Mosque, Bazar, independence square.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our city tour will start with a visit to Hissor Fortress, one of the main historical sights of the country, about half an hour's drive from the city. The fortress was built about 3000 years ago, during the heyday, when the routes of the Great Silk Road passed near Hissar. The Hissar Fortress is one of the oldest and largest architectural monuments of Central Asia. Now it is an open-air museum with an area of 86 hectares, located on the site of an ancient settlement. It is located 30 km from the capital of Tajikistan. For a long time, the Hissar fortress served as the residence of the governor of the Emir of Bukhara. To date, only two cylindrical towers and structures around the main gate, forming a pointed arch, and built on the instructions of the emir of Bukhara in the XVI century.
The Museum is proud to own artifacts of the Eneolithic and Bronze Age from the agricultural settlement of Sarazm, a site included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The finds dating from the Hellenistic period coming from the Oxus Temple excavated at the site of Takht-i Sangin on the banks of the Amu Darya River are unique. The highlight of the Museum is the "Buddha in Nirvana", an almost 13-meter statue made of clay, which is today one of the largest ancient monuments of Buddhism in the world.
After visiting the Mehrgon Bazar. Mehrgon is a new and modern food market in Dushanbe — the capital of Tajikistan put into operation in September 2014. The total market area is approximately 30 thousand square meters.
Continue to Dusti Square located in the center of Dushanbe is the heart of the capital and entire Tajikistan. Its name is translated as “Friendship Square”. However, locals call this place “Monument of Ismail Somoni” or “Park Somoni” as there is a monument to the founder of the Tajik state Ismail Somoni. The towering 13 m high Ismail Somoni Monument is the signature attraction of the Dusti square. A beautiful arch (over 43 m) is mounting the monument.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We are meeting travelers with welcome sign DISCOVERISTAN at the lobby of your Hotel
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(29)
Amazing tailored to taste city trip. Highly recommend for solo travelers. Very flexible schedule and can alter the itinerary to your expectations Special thanks to Umeda (tour guide)
Very enjoyable day with Dilik. We had a terrific day engaging with the history, architecture, and culture of Tajikistan. It’s a super tour that allows travelers to see a cross-section of Dushanbe monuments and the Hisar (Hissar or Hisor) fortress and madrasa. We were also able to squeeze in the Imam Abu Hanifa Cathedral Mosque, which was exquisite. Dilik is a professional and took great care of us. We recommend this tour for anyone staying in Dushanbe and wants to see and learn more about regional history.
The Hisor Fortress is a site that must be visited if you go to Dushanbe. It is not far and you can go by taxi at a better price than what I paid for this excursion, which was a total disappointment. The fortress is small and then I visited some points in the city; in my case, I was traveling alone and the guide was hitting on me, which meant that I did not feel comfortable and I canceled the Iskanderkul excursion with this agency the next day. I find it very unprofessional for a guide to hit on a traveler; I would not recommend the excursion because it is cheaper by taxi and it is not difficult at all.
The city is clean and beautiful with lovely parks and flowers (late May) but who wants to see only old statues and memorials?? Many Cafes and restaurants but unfortunately it was Eid holiday that day and everything was closed , couldnt even exchange money as banks were closed. Restaurants dont accept cards or dollars, only local currency. we had to borrow from our kind guide. The museum visit was boring!! Most Tajik museums are not well presented although the content is pretty ok. Toilets are horrible although you pay to use- dirty and stinking!! Hissar fortress is a good place to visit ..but not in summer!! the best thing about Dushanbe are the friendly locals!
To contact the tour company use phone number n whatsapp then they are responsive Tour itself was fantadtic with Nigita as guide
It was a good day trip and it was well organized. The driver cum guide, Mr.Hakim had planned it well .
Dilik was my tour guide and gave me a very detailed overview of Dushanbe and Hisor, while showing me the main highlights of both. He was on time and drove safely. Overall a great intro to Dushanbe. The next day I also took a transfer to Samarkand with them which went smoothly. Recommended!
Thank you so much for your review!
Dilik was a great guide who was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Tajikistan and the city so that in a short time I learned a lot. His English was perfect and his driving safe. If I were to come back to Tajikistan, I would definitely book another tour with him.
Thank you so much for your kind words! It truly means a lot to hear that you enjoyed the tour and learned about the history and culture of Tajikistan in such a short time. I’m really glad you felt comfortable with the driving and communication as well. You are always welcome back, and I would be happy to show you more of beautiful Tajikistan next time. Safe travels and hope to see you again!
Great tour. Definitely worth doing. My guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Tajikistan and was very informative. It’s a great tour.
I really had a great day with Dilik who knew every details of every corner we’ve visited, I had to learn a lot about the country and its history. We started by visiting hissar fortress and then went around Dushanbe. He also took me to a nice local place for lunch where I have tried Kurutob. I really recommend this day trip !
