Travel to Tajikistan

Flying to Tajikistan

Dushanbe International Airport is the main hub for air travel within Tajikistan. The main carriers into and out of Dushanbe are flydubai (www.flydubai.com), Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com) and Ural Airlines (www.uralairlines.com)

The peak times for travelling to Tajikistan are during March, April, September and October, when temperatures are neither scorching hot or bitterly cold. To keep costs down, travel on the edge of these seasons and book in advance.

Notes

Air travel into and out of Tajikistan remains disproportionately expensive compared to other Central Asian destinations.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London - 11 hours (including stopover); New York - 20 hours (including stopover).

Departure tax

All taxes are included in ticket prices for international flights.

Travelling to Tajikistan by Rail

International connections include a train from Moscow to Dushanbe, but this isn't recommended for foreign travellers, as you need visas for Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

There's also a service from Saratov, Russia to Dushanbe via Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Driving to Tajikistan

There are three main road routes into Tajikistan. The highway between Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan and Dushanbe is pretty straightforward, although it is mainly used by locals rather than international travellers.

The route via Tursunzoda offers trouble-free travel from Samarkand in Uzbekistan to Dushanbe. The best option for travelling between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is on the ‘Pamir Highway’ – a bone-jarring six-day (minimum) adventure through one of the most remote and awe-inspiring regions in the world.

Driving note

The route between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, via the Garm valley, remains closed to international travellers.

The Kulmar Pass into China remains closed to international travellers. The direct route between Penjikent and Samarkand also remains closed due to an ongoing dispute between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Getting to Tajikistan by boat

There are no legitimate entry points into Tajikistan by water.