The program includes visits to the most outstanding archaeological and architectural monuments of this ancient land of the Orient, its museums, mountain lakes and valleys where remains of ancient peoples survive, ongoing excavations and many more. The tour is authored and will be guided by Dr. Pavel Lurje (State Hermitage museum, St.-Petersburg), the leader of the Panjakent archaeological expedition and curator of the exhibition Expedition Silk Road in the Hermitage – Amsterdam.

The trip will cover both northern and southern Tajikistan with particular attention to its middle part, the Zeravshan valley which is famous for its archaeological monuments of Sogdian epoch, Panjakent in the first instance.

Tour's plan by day (Itinerary):

Day 1
Arrival to Dushanbe early in the morning, transfer to the hotel, free time; visit to the national Museum of Antiquities, city tour, the Blue Bazaar. Overnight stay in Dushanbe.

Day 2
Early breakfast, departure from the hotel to the north, via Varzob valley and Anzob pass to the valley of Yaghnob, where the dialect close to Sogdian is still in use. Overnight stay at the camping on Iskander-kul, the biggest lake in the Fan mountains.

Day 3
Mountain walks and swimming on Iskander-kul; departure to the Zarafshan valley. Visit of the site Kum and the castle on the Mount Mugh, where the most important Sogdian texts concerning the events of Arab conquest were found; arrival to Panjakent and overnight stay there.

Day 4
Tour on the excavations in Ancient Panjakent, the most celebrated Sogdian town of 5th – 8th century CE, the bazaar and city museum. Overnight stay in Panjakent.

Day 5
Tour on the chalcolitic site of Sarazm (the nominee of the Unesco World heritage list), Sogdian town of Sanjar-shah, the classical Muslim mausoleum at Mazari Sharif, trip to the Seven lakes, rest and overnight stay at the campsite there.

Day 6
Departure from the Seven lakes to the Shahristan pass. Visit of Kalai Kahkaha ruins and Chilkhudzhra in Shahristan (9th century palace and castle, famous for the wall-paintings), a tour in Ura-tyube and arrival to Khujand.

Day 7
Walks in Khujand, a trip to Isfara with its 9th-century mausoleum, evening on the Kayrak-kum lake, overnight stay in Khujand.

Day 8
Flight to Dushanbe in the morning. Visits to the National Museum, Hissar fortress, Botanical garden. Overnight stay in Dushanbe

Day 9
The trip to Khulbuk (12th century city now restored), Kulyab, Khoja-Mashad, overnight stay in the Tigrovaya Balka national park on Amu-darya.

Day 10
Visit of the Oxus temple, the Hellenistic town and sanctuary on the confluence of Panj and Wakhsh, the town of Kurghan-tepe, Buddhist cloister of Adzhina-tepe (8th century), return to Dushanbe in the evening.

Day 11
Dushanbe: walks in the town, bazaar, botanic farden, free time, the final dinner

Day 12
Early in the morning transfer to airport and homeflight.