Road Trips in Central Asia

The classic route leaves Dushanbe and follows the Panj River along the Afghan border to Khorog, the capital of the Pamir region. Most drivers then turn south into the Wakhan Valley, past Ishkoshim, hot springs and hilltop fortress ruins, with the peaks of the Hindu Kush across the river. The road rejoins the highway on the high plateau and runs to Murghob at about 3,600 m, then over Ak-Baital Pass and past the lake of Karakul to the Kyrgyz border at Kyzyl-Art and down to Osh.

Hire a 4x4 and driver in Dushanbe, Khorog or Osh, or share one through guesthouse noticeboards and online groups to split the cost. Fuel is scarce east of Khorog, and homestays rather than hotels are the norm. Apply for the Tajik e-visa and tick the GBAO permit, about 50 USD in total online, and carry printed copies, because checkpoints keep them.

The cultural road trip of the region links Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The Samarkand to Bukhara leg is a straightforward few hours; Bukhara to Khiva crosses the Kyzylkum desert, a long day with few towns. Fast trains link most of these cities, so many travellers drive only the sections the railway covers slowly, or hire a driver for day trips to the desert fortresses near Khiva and to Nukus and the old Aral Sea port of Moynaq.

Car rental is available in Tashkent, roads between the main cities are mostly in good condition, and petrol stations are frequent near towns but sparse in the desert. Some cars run on compressed gas, so check the fuel type when you rent.

The highway from Bishkek to Osh is a long day of about 600 km, crossing the Too-Ashuu Pass at over 3,000 m, the high Suusamyr valley and the Ala-Bel Pass before dropping past the Toktogul Reservoir into the Fergana Valley. Split it with a night at Toktogul or in a yurt in Suusamyr.

The other classic is the loop to Song-Kol, climbing from Kochkor or Naryn on dirt roads with tight hairpins to a lake at about 3,000 m, usually open from mid-June to September. Continue south from Naryn to the caravanserai of Tash Rabat, or circle Issyk-Kul via Cholpon-Ata and Karakol.

From Almaty, a two- or three-day loop takes in Charyn Canyon, Kolsay Lakes and Lake Kaindy, with the last stretch to Kaindy on rough track best done in a 4x4 or a local van. Add the desert of Altyn-Emel for a longer trip, or cross into Kyrgyzstan through the Karkara valley to Karakol and drive back along Issyk-Kul. Roads in Kazakhstan are generally good and car rental in Almaty is straightforward. Our National Parks in Kazakhstan page has the fees.

Turkmenistan does not allow independent touring. A tourist visa needs a letter of invitation arranged by a licensed agency as part of a tour with a guide, so the desert road from Ashgabat to the Darvaza gas crater, about four hours north, is driven by your agency in a 4x4. The flames have weakened in recent years. Tours usually continue north across the Karakum to the medieval mausoleums of Konye-Urgench, close to the Uzbek border and Khiva, or east to Merv.

A 4x4 with driver for the Pamir Highway is usually priced per vehicle per day, so filling the seats with other travellers is the simplest way to cut the cost; guesthouses in Khorog, Murghob and Osh keep lists of people looking to share. In Kyrgyzstan, community tourism offices and guesthouses in Kochkor, Naryn and Karakol arrange drivers for Song-Kol and Tash Rabat. Rental cars in Almaty, Bishkek and Tashkent rarely allow border crossings, so plan one-way trips around a change of car at the border.

Bring an International Driving Permit along with your licence, carry your passport at police checkpoints, and avoid driving mountain roads after dark. On the Pamir Highway, ascend gradually: a night in Khorog or the Wakhan before the 4,000 m plateau helps avoid altitude sickness.