Ziddi Loop Trek

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Duration 6 days

Distance 62 km

Max. altitude 3910 meters

Camping 3 nights

Homestay 2 nights

Difficulty

Moderate

Price

From €723 $812 / person

Booking Form

A journey through the secluded valleys of Ziddi and Yaghnob

Unique cultures, challenging mountain trails and marvelous views. This trek through some relatively undiscovered parts of Tajikistan has a lot to offer! Starting in the village of Khisortob, the trail first leads upstream along the Yaghnob River for a long time and then turns right into the Tagobikul side valley. Along the way, we pass through numerous villages of the Yaghnobi, a unique ethnic group who have inhabited this isolated region for more than thousand years. Over that long period, their culture and language have remained practically unchanged. From the Tagobikul Valley, the trek leads over a 3900 meter high mountain pass to the Leilakul Lakes. The final part of this loop trek goes down through the picturesque Ziddi Valley.

Highlights

Yaghnob and Ziddi valleys

Leilakul Lakes

Still relatively undiscovered parts of Tajikistan

Hike through the lands of the Yaghnobi people

Altitudes up to 3900 meters

Wild camping

Available departure dates

Available

Unavailable

Group departure

Map and Profile

Itinerary

The day-to-day itinerary gives a detailed overview of the hiking and highlights planned for each stage of the trek. The itinerary has been carefully tested and tried. Although it rarely happens, unforeseen circumstances can force us to make (minor) adaptations to the schedule, even during the trek. For example, weather and road conditions may change rapidly while trekking and make certain parts of the route less passable. Flexibility is indispensable when traveling and hiking through the rugged lands of Tajikistan.

Day 1 – Khisortob

8 km

In the morning, we drive to the village of Margheb in the Yaghnob Valley. The drive takes about 3.5 hours. The main road ends at Margheb. Deeper parts of the Yaghnob Valley are inaccessible by car most of the year. From Margheb we start the trek that will take us through the Yaghnob Valley for the next days. The first part of the hike goes through a narrow and uninhabited valley until we reach the village of Khisortob after a few hours hiking. In Khisortob, we spend the night in a homestay.

Day 2 – Yaghnob Valley

17 km

Today, we keep following the Yaghnob river upstream. The path is relatively easy and ascends gently throughout the day. Half-way, we reach the first Yaghnobi villages. Overnight is again in a homestay – this time in the village of Bedef (2550 m).

Day 3 – Yaghnobi villages

12 km

Today we hike through the heart of the Yaghnobi lands with many small villages along the way. The first part of the day continue through the Yaghnob Valley. Subsequently, we take a turn to the right and head into the Tagobikul Valley. In this valley, we pass along the last few Yaghnobi villages before finding ourselves alone in nature again. Dahana is the last (abandoned) village that we encounter. In the afternoon, we pitch our tents along the river close to Dahana.

Day 4 – Tagobikul Valley

10 km

After having left behind the last Yaghnobi villages, we continue up through the Tagobikul Valley. The trail through the Tagobikul Valley gets more and more difficult as we move up. We camp again next to the Tagobikul river to spend the night under the stars.

Day 5 – Leilakul Lakes

8 km

The fifth day is the toughest of the trek. From the camp site, we continue to climb higher up all the way to the Leila Pass. The pass is with 3900 meters the highest point of the trek. Early in the season, there may still be some snow on this mountain pass. From the top of the pass, we go down over the south flank to reach the Leilakul lakes at an altitude of 3400 meters. We set up camp on the shore of one of the lakes to spend the night.

Day 6 – Ziddi Valley

7 km

Today we are only hiking down. From Leilakul, we descend through the the Ziddi valley towards the west. There are various nice viewpoints on the way and we also pass the Khoja Sanghok shrine – a source of mineral water. We are picked up on the road that leads to the village of Ziddi. The precise pick-up location may depend on the road conditions. From the village of Ziddi, we go by car back to Dushanbe. The drive takes approximately two hours. In Dushanbe, you are dropped off again at your desired location.