Seven Lakes Day Trip from Samarkand: Tajikistan's Fann Mountains by 4×4
Cross into Tajikistan for a day at the Seven Lakes: Panjakent bazaar, the lakes of the Fann Mountains by 4×4 and the UNESCO site of Sarazm on the way…
Seven Lakes from Samarkand
The Haft Kul, or Seven Lakes, lie in a side valley of the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan, about three hours from Samarkand by road, the border crossing included. Each lake is a different colour, from milky turquoise to ink blue, and the road climbs past them one by one to Marguzor, the sixth, with the seventh an hour's walk further up. It is the easiest way to see Tajikistan's mountains from Uzbekistan, and the most rewarding day trip Samarkand has.
Tours you can book
Uzbekistan Silk Road and Tajikistan's Seven Lakes in 6 Days
Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent with private guides, plus a day across the border at the Seven Lakes of the Fann Mountains. 3–4★ hotels with…
Iskanderkul Lake 2-Day Tour from Samarkand: Fann Mountains, Waterfall and Snake Lake
Cross into Tajikistan for a night by Iskanderkul, the mountain lake named after Alexander the Great: an easy walk to the Fann Niagara waterfall, a…
Tashkent to Samarkand via Tajikistan in 2 Days: Khujand and Iskanderkul Lake
Instead of the train, go the long way: across the border to Khujand, over the mountains to Iskanderkul Lake for the night, then down the Zarafshan Valley…
Uzbekistan in 8 Days with a Seven Lakes Day Trip: Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan
The four Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan by high-speed train, plus a day across the border at Tajikistan's Seven Lakes. Private guides, 3–4★ hotels with…
How the day goes
Pickup in Samarkand around 7 am and a one-hour drive to the Jartepa border, which is open day and night. You cross on foot in about 20 minutes, and on the Tajik side a local driver waits with a 4WD. A stop at Panjakent bazaar, then the Shing valley and the lakes, with stops at each; lunch by the water if you add it when you book; and on the way back the 5,500-year-old site of Sarazm, reaching Samarkand around 6 pm. The group tour runs with up to 16 travellers; a private version with your own 4WD and an English-speaking guide can be booked on any date.
What the price includes
The group price includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Samarkand, the car to and from the Jartepa border, the 4WD with a Russian-speaking driver in Tajikistan, the stops at Panjakent bazaar and Sarazm, and the lakes up to the seventh when the road allows (in bad weather the day ends at the sixth). Not included: lunch, unless you add it when you book; an English-speaking guide-driver (+$30 per group); a visa where you need one; the Sarazm museum ticket (35 somoni per person, paid in cash); tips and travel insurance.
Visas and the border
Most nationalities enter Tajikistan without a visa; others need an e-visa, issued online in a few days. Because you leave Uzbekistan and come back the same day, anyone who needs an Uzbek e-visa must hold a double-entry one. Bring your passport; no other documents are normally asked for, though officers on either side may ask about your plans. Our Tajikistan visa guide and border crossing guide have the details for your passport.
Staying longer
A night in a guesthouse by the lakes turns the day into something quieter: the valley empties after 4 pm and the stars are extraordinary. Our six-day Silk Road tour includes the lakes as a day; our Iskanderkul tour spends a night by the other great lake of the Fann Mountains.
Questions people ask
Do I need a visa for the Seven Lakes trip?
For Tajikistan: citizens of most European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea and many others need no visa for a short visit; some nationalities need an e-visa, which is issued online. Check our Tajikistan visa guide for your passport. For Uzbekistan: if your nationality needs an e-visa, it must allow two entries, because you come back the same day.
When can I go?
From April to October. The road to the upper lakes is closed by snow in winter, and the guesthouses shut. June to September is the safest; in April and October the lakes are quieter and the colours stronger, but check the road with us a few days before.
How rough is the road?
Paved to Panjakent, then gravel up the valley; a normal car manages it in summer, which is why we use a 4WD anyway. Expect about two hours of unpaved road in the day, and a long day in total: ten to eleven hours from pickup to drop-off, depending on the departure time and the queue at the border.
What should I bring?
Your passport, some cash in US dollars or Tajik somoni for drinks and the Sarazm museum ticket (35 somoni per person), a warm layer (the lakes are at 1,600–2,400 m and the wind is cold even in July), sun protection, and walking shoes if you want to continue to the seventh lake.