Murghob

Murghob, perched at around 3,650 metres in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, is the highest town in Tajikistan and one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements of the former Soviet Union. With nearly 7,000 mostly ethnic Kyrgyz residents, it is the main supply hub of the eastern Pamirs and an indispensable stop on the legendary M41 Pamir Highway. Winters are extreme, with temperatures dropping to −45 °C and harsh winds, while the high-altitude climate allows only a short, cool growing season. People traditionally live from yak and sheep herding and from cross-border trade with China through the Kulma Pass. Highlights include the bazaar set up inside repurposed shipping containers, the panorama of snow-capped Pamir peaks, the otherworldly Karakul Lake, and the chance to combine high-altitude trekking with sightings of Marco Polo sheep.

Nearby cities

Khorugh

Khorugh is the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, located high in the Pamir Mountains.

Ishkoshim

Ishkoshim is the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor and renowned for the cross-border market on the Panj River.

Bulunkul

A remote mountain village by the eponymous lake, known as the coldest place in Tajikistan, offering raw Pamir beauty.

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Sarez Lake

Sarez Lake is a remote high-mountain lake in the Pamir, created by an earthquake and known for its massive depth and wild beauty.

Jisev (Geisev) Valley

An isolated hiking paradise in the Pamirs accessible only on foot, featuring crystal-clear lakes.

History & landmarks

Langar

A strategic village at the confluence of the Pamir and Wakhan rivers, famous for its thousands of prehistoric petroglyphs.

Vrang

A historical village in the Wakhan Corridor, known for its unique 4th-century Buddhist stupa.

Yamchun Fortress

The ruins of an ancient fortress overlooking the Wakhan Corridor.

Yamchun Fortress

An ancient Silk Road citadel perched high above the Wakhan Valley, offering breathtaking panoramic views.

Nature

Zorkul

This transboundary lake lies on the border with Afghanistan and is a strictly protected nature reserve.

Karakul Lake

A deep crater lake in the Pamir formed by a meteorite impact millions of years ago.

Bulunkul Lake

A small, shallow freshwater lake in the Pamir, known for the coldest temperatures ever recorded in Tajikistan.

Yashilkul

A freshwater lake in the southern Pamir, known for its unusually deep green waters in the otherwise barren landscape.

Sarez Lake

This lake was formed in 1911 by a massive earthquake that blocked the Murghab River with a landslide.

Gunt River

This glacial river flows through deep gorges in the Shugnan Mountains before emptying into the Pyanj at Khorugh.

Bartang River

An impetuous mountain river that drains the Sarez Lake system and cuts through one of the wildest valleys in the Pamir.

More places

Murghab Plateau

A vast, almost moon-like plateau in the eastern Pamir, extremely dry, cold, and characterized by a nomadic culture.

Muzkol Range

An extensive, barren mountain range in the harsh eastern Pamir, characterized by frost-shattered rubble deserts and permafrost.

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Zorkul Nature Reserve

A protected area in the Pamir covering Lake Zorkul, serving as a critical habitat for snow leopards and argali sheep.

Alichur Valley

A wide, windswept high valley in the eastern Pamir, traditionally used by Kyrgyz nomads as summer pasture.

Sarikol Range

This range forms the natural dividing line between the Tajik Pamir and the Uyghur Xinjiang region in China.

Pamir Mountains

The Roof of the World features massive glaciers and deep valleys that attract mountaineers globally.

Trans-Alay Range

The impressive northern border of the Pamir Plateau, whose snow-capped peaks rise like a white wall.

Peak Ibn Sina

A massive snow-capped peak located on the border with Kyrgyzstan, named after the Persian scholar Avicenna.