The Pamir Highway is the second highest stretch of road in the world. The highway stretches along several countries making for an abundantly rich road trip. For extreme cyclists, Pamir Highway tours are the holy grail of adventures. Here lies one of the longest roads in the world, with not much road traffic along the way. This coupled with the high altitude will give cyclists access to one of the toughest rides of their lives. It is an honour of sorts, to be able to claim a victorious ride along the Pamir Highway. It usually takes around 2 weeks to cycle the length of the along with some exploration time. To keep to schedule, it is best to buy a spot on a Pamir Highway tour.
It is not a location that a lot of people are familiar with and so with demand being low, there are not many Pamir Highway tours, as there are to other more popular holiday locations. Couple this with the tour being classified into 2 groups, for cyclists or motor vehicle guests, spots are highly sought after by people who want to venture into this isolated area. Sign up for newsletters to companies who offer Pamir Highway tours. This way, as soon as dates are announced for a tour to the PamirHighway, you can book a spot immediately. There is no worry if you do not have someone to accompany you on the trip as there will be other people in the group and it is a good way to make new friends.
This one single tour will see you driving through 5 different central Asian countries. It will not be one long continuous boring drive though. So many exciting activities await anyone going across the Pamir Highway. First up, the city of Dushanbe, which houses an international airport and where all guests will fly into, houses international level theatres and historical museums. The city is the only modern one visited on the tour and after a night of rest from a long flight, the Pamir Highway journey begins. Khorog is always a highlight as it is here that the first of many tribes along the way, will be encountered.
The hospitality from the people is like second nature and they are more than happy to share their customs and history. Marketplaces are common along the Pamir Highway as well, most especially in towns like Langar and Wakhan. Here is where tourists will be able to pick up mementos of the trip while supporting the villages. Along with the numerous villages, there are just as many, if not more, forts along the way. Forts were built as far back as the 4th century and some still stand strong. The Pamir Highway, seeing as it is very high up, is really cold. Stops at towns like Chasma are a welcome stop, for the hot springs. Here, guests get to relax and take in the healing salt waters. Whether guests are attempting the Pamir Highway through motor vehicle or bicycle, a fun activity is always mountain climbing where the elevated height gives aerial views of the landscape.