Travel deep dive
Lakes and Passes of the Fann Mountains
North-west of Dushanbe, between the Zeravshan and Hisor ranges, the Fann Mountains crowd a small area with jagged peaks above 5,000 metres and lakes of an extraordinary blue in the valleys between them. They are Tajikistan's trekking country, closer to the capital and lower than the Pamirs, with treks from a day to a week and a lake, Iskanderkul, that a road reaches. They lie outside Gorno-Badakhshan, so no regional permit is needed.
Updated 2026-10-08
Iskanderkul
Iskanderkul, a large lake set among bare mountains at over 2,000 metres, carries the name of Alexander the Great, whom legend ties to it. A road leads to its shore from the main road north of Dushanbe, and a night beside it makes an easy introduction to the mountains. A short walk from the lake leads to a waterfall where its outflow drops into a gorge, and paths lead up the valleys around it.
The Alauddin and Kulikalon lakes
The heart of the Fanns lies around the Alauddin and Kulikalon lakes, below Chimtarga, the highest peak of the range. Treks here link the lake basins over passes of well over 3,000 metres, with nights in tents by the water or at simple mountain camps, and the route from Artuch over the Alauddin pass to the Alauddin lakes is the best known. The trails are not marked, and the passes are steep and rocky.
The Seven Lakes
South of Penjikent, a chain of seven lakes, the Haft Kul, steps up the Shing valley, each a different shade of green and blue. A rough road follows the valley past the lakes and their villages, so they can be seen in a day from Penjikent or walked over two or three, with nights in village homes.
Villages and the Yaghnob valley
The valleys of the Fanns are farmed by villages of flat-roofed houses, apricot orchards and terraced fields, and families along the trekking routes take in walkers. East of the range, the remote Yaghnob valley is home to villagers who speak Yaghnobi, a language descended from the Sogdian of the Silk Road.
Treks, guides and the season
The trekking season runs from about June to September, with July and August the surest months for the high passes. A local guide is the rule for multi-day treks, since the trails are unmarked, and donkeys are hired to carry the loads; a shared taxi or a driver reaches the start points. Camping gear is brought from home or hired in Dushanbe or Penjikent, and the start points of the treks are reached by car from either town.