Samarkand: Tajikistan Seven lakes Day trip with lunch
Description
Experience an unforgettable day trip from Samarkand to Tajikistan! Travelers will be picked up from their hotel and driven to the border, where they will cross on foot. On arrival in Tajikistan, a local guide and driver will meet the group to take them on a scenic journey to explore the ancient city of Panjakent. Guests can walk through historic ruins, see traditional architecture, and learn about the rich culture and history of the region. We will see Sarazm that 5500 years old village (Unesco). We will see our main part Seven lakes on Fann mountains. This experience takes you deep into authentic Tajik village life, surrounded by peaceful mountain scenery. You will explore the colorful local bazaar, where villagers sell fresh produce, spices, handmade goods, and daily essentials — offering a true taste of Tajik culture. The tour continues to the stunning Seven Lakes, each with its own color and charm.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will pick you up from Samarkand and drive you to Jartepa, the Tajikistan border.
At the Seven Lakes, travelers can enjoy one of the most scenic natural areas of Tajikistan. Each lake has its own unique color and character, ranging from deep blue to emerald green. Visitors can stop at every lake, take beautiful photos, and enjoy the peaceful mountain atmosphere. Travelers can also take short hikes between some of the lakes, walking through small villages and meeting local families who live in the mountains. Many visitors enjoy having tea or a homemade lunch in a traditional guesthouse, where they can experience the warm hospitality of the people. The Seven Lakes area is also perfect for picnics, nature walks, and observing rural mountain life. Travelers can see traditional houses, livestock, and fields, giving them a deeper understanding of local culture. For adventure lovers, there are optional longer hikes with stunning panoramic views
At the Panjakent Bazaar, travelers can enjoy a lively and authentic Central Asian market experience. Visitors can stroll through colorful stalls filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, spices, and traditional Tajik sweets. It’s a great place to taste local products, buy souvenirs, and interact with friendly local vendors. Travelers can also explore sections of the bazaar that sell handmade crafts, traditional pottery, embroidered textiles, and unique household items. The atmosphere is energetic and full of local culture, making it an ideal spot for photography and storytelling. Many visitors also enjoy bargaining with sellers, which is a normal and fun part of the shopping experience here. Overall, the Panjakent Bazaar is a perfect place to discover local flavors, learn about everyday life in Tajikistan, and bring home authentic souvenirs.
In Sarazm, travelers can explore one of Central Asia’s oldest archaeological sites, dating back more than 5,500 years. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the region’s earliest urban settlements. Visitors can walk through the excavated areas where ancient houses, workshops, and temples once stood. At the small museum, travelers can learn about the daily life of the Sarazm people, including their tools, pottery, jewelry, and trade connections with distant civilizations. Travelers can also admire the preserved remains of the “Sarazm Princess,” an important archaeological discovery that highlights the site’s cultural richness. The open-air setting allows visitors to enjoy the peaceful surroundings while imagining how life looked thousands of years ago
On the return from Tajikistan, we will drop you off in Samarkand at the same location where we picked you up in the morning.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can pick up guests from any location they prefer — including hotels, the airport, or the train station. After the tour, we can also drop them off at any place of their choice for their comfort and convenience.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(39)
We were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of Tajikistan lakes. The tour went smoothly and we learned a lot about the country, thanks to the local guide, Parvina. Shoutout to our driver in Uzbekistan, Dilshod who was always on time and was even waiting at the border with open arms to welcome us back. Thanks for such a wonderful experience!
She talks about her country with love and passion. This is Dilo, our tour guide. She did a formidable job guiding us through the 9 hour trip. Despite the rough and narrow roads, she made the trip go smoothly by making frequent stops to shows scenes of her beautiful country of Tajikistan. The scenery is breath-taking. The trip was bumpy due to narrow and unpaved road, but with Ali, our professional driver, he made it like a piece if cake. Dilo and Ali made the perfect team for this trip. We made several stops on the way up to the highest lake. At each stop we were greeted by the amazingly friendly villagers. During the drive, we had people wave at us with big welcoming smiles, and little children approached us to create conversations. They introduced themselves and asked about our names. They were happy to see tourists passing through their remote villages and wanted to practice their English. Yes, these little children speak perfect English and with good accent. If you make this trip make sure you meet Saida. She is around 7 years old and not shy to approach everyone. She introduced herself to us and asked about our names and home countries. Such an adorable super polite child. If u ask her to take photo with you she is not shy to take a good pause to capture her best side. We continued our way up to Lake 7 where we took some rest. Other groups were already there and people were sharing food and snacks with each other. Such amazing atmosphere of beauty, sharing, and caring, add to that breath-taking scenery, friendly and knowledgeable guide, and professional driver. It just couldn’t be more complete. Last but not least, it is the friendly people who normally complete any trip and make it memorable. Residents on the way up and down made our trip complete. Thank you Dilo and Ali for making our trip memory a treasure.
A single guide supported us from pickup to dissolution. They were friendly and attentive, and they talked to everyone on the tour. It was a very wonderful tour, going all the way.
Great tour living nature in its purest side with the best tour guide Malika and great profesional driver Obid. I definetily recommend it. Thanks for so much. Genaro. Spain
We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. Dilshod picked us up on our hotel well on time and he even message us before he turn up at the hotel which is very good of him. Then he drive us to the border for the immigration formalities. We encounter a small problem due to having Filipino passport and the immigration officer on Tajik side wont let my friend pass. Good thing we have the number of Mr Murad and called him, and he talked to the immigration officer and he said that we are genuine tourist and he always bring tourist from different countries everyday to Tajikistan for the 7 lakes tour. After some conversation the immigration officer let my friend go. On the Tajik side miss Dilo is patiently waiting for us and the rest of our group. We started the tour going to Panjakent bazaar and then proceed to the 7 lakes. Which is very beautiful and breath of fresh air from all the elaborates and intricate architecture of Samarkand. All in all we had a fantastic time and this tour is highly recommended. The organiser, the guide and mr Ali the driver look after us very well indeed. After the tour they took us back to the border and Dilshod is there waiting for us and took us back to the hotel. Thank you so much to all for the wonderful day.
This was one of those do a country in one day tour! It was comprehensive and covered adventure, history, local culture and amazing outdoors. Our tour guide Dilo was very knowledgeable, extremely communicative and engaging. She ensured each of us were well taken care of and enjoying the tour at all times. The border entry/exit formalities were fairly straightforward and the tour guides were promptly waiting on the other side. The lakes themselves were strikingly beautiful with breathtaking!
The trip to Seven Lakes was spectacular! First we stopped in the Panjakent Bazaar where we could see everyday life. We stopped at all 7 lakes, while learning about Tajikistan. Our guide Dilo was fun, energetic and very engaging with the group. The 7 lakes where different shades of turquoise, landscapes were out of this world! I would recommend this tour to everyone!
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.
