Iskanderkul Lake 2-Day Tour from Samarkand: Fann Mountains, Waterfall and Snake Lake

Iskanderkul is a turquoise lake at more than 2,000 metres in Tajikistan's Fann Mountains, named after Alexander the Great, who is said to have passed this way. It is close enough to Samarkand for a two-day trip, with a night by the lake.

How the trip works

You leave Samarkand at seven in the morning and cross the Jartepa border on foot. A Tajik driver meets you on the other side and drives you through the mountains to the lake, arriving in the middle of the afternoon. You sleep in a guesthouse near the shore and are back in Samarkand by early evening the next day.

The two walks

• The Fann Niagara, the waterfall below the lake, where the river drops into a deep gorge: an easy walk of one and a half to two hours there and back
• Snake Lake, a small, quiet lake next to Iskanderkul: about an hour there and back

Both are easy walks on paths, with no steep climbs.

The price

The price is for the whole car, not per person. It covers all the driving in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, help at the border and one night in a guesthouse or mountain tour base near the lake. Meals are available at the guesthouse and paid there.

Good to know

• Bring your passport and check whether your nationality needs a Tajik e-visa.
• The trip runs from May to October. Evenings at the lake are cool even in summer, so bring a warm layer.
• Rooms at the guesthouse are simple, shared or private depending on what you book.

Who it suits

Travellers spending a few days in Samarkand who want a night in the mountains, and anyone who would like to see Tajikistan without planning a whole trip there.