ISKANDARKUL - Live Legend, One-day tour
Description
The lake is located in the north, approximately 180 km (3-hour drive one way) from Dushanbe. It is named after Alexander the Great, who visited the region during his campaign to India from Central Asia. The Lake is located in the Fan Mountains, a region renowned for its natural beauty, and has a rich and significant history. During this tour, participants will have the opportunity to visit five remarkable locations, each with its own unique history and natural beauty. BUCEPHALUS CAVE. Legend has it that the Macedonian horse, Bucephalus, drank water from the lake during a rest stop after a long journey and fell ill... FANN WATERFALL.The nearby 43-meter waterfall, known as "Fan Niagara," is another notable attraction... KULI MORON. In the vicinity of Iskanderkul is another lake known as Kuli Moron (Snake Lake)... PANJ-CHASHMA. The location known as "Panj-chashma" – meaning "Five Springs" ...
Tour Options
Itinerary
09:00-09:30 - departure to Iskandarkul lake, Ayni district Our trip will start from the Dushanbe. We will pick up travelers from the hotel residences in territory of Dushanbe.
09:30-12:00 - we will driving through the Varzob valley and Hisar mountains in line with the Varzob aggressive river
12:00-13:00 - in way we will meet the Fann mountains. Iskanderkul, considered the heart of the Fan Mountains, is surrounded by several peaks- five thousand meters – Bodhona, Chapdara, Maria, Mirali, Zindon. The highest is Chimtarga (5,487 meters). The Fanns boast about a hundred peaks, with several rising to altitudes of more than 5,000 meters and relative elevations of up to 1,500 meters.
13:00-14:00 - arrived to Iskandarkul and lunch at the Iskandarkul Beach Lake Iskanderkul resembles a triangle in shape. Its area is 3.5 square kilometers. The water depth is 70 meters. The mirror surface of the reservoir surrounded by mountains looks great. The uniqueness of the lake lies in the fact that it is the largest in the mountains and is located at an altitude of more than 2000 meters. The volume of the lake's water is 172 million cubic meters. The length of the coastline is 14 thousand meters.
14:00-15:30 - Iskanderkul lake - Panjchashma - Busefal canyon; In this time we are visiting Busefal canyon and have opportunitie swimming and boating in the lake. According to another legend, the Macedonian horse, Bucephalus, drank water from the lake during a halt after a long march and fell ill. The commander himself went further to India, leaving his faithful horse here. However, even at such a great distance, he felt the death of his master and threw himself into the lake, remaining in it forever. Since then, during the full moon, every month Bucephalus comes out of the water to graze: the waters part, and a snow-white horse comes to the surface of the lake, accompanied by grooms.
15:30-16:30 - hiking to the Lake Moron and Iskandarkul Waterfall The nearby 43-meter waterfall is called "Fan Niagara". It is located on the river flowing out of the lake. There is also a rock with an inscription dating back to 1870, it was left by the participants of the expedition led by the famous Russian traveler and scientist A. Fedchenko. Not far from Iskanderkul there is another lake called Snake Lake. According to the stories of old-timers, many snakes live in it. Locals claim that reptiles will not bite in two cases: when they are in the water and when people drink water. The water in it is warmer than in Iskanderkul, so it is quite possible to swim here.
17:00-20:00 - end of the tour, leave Iskandarkul, way back to Dushanbe
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(21)
A great guide, he explained interesting facts about Tajikistan to us and all this with a good level of English, the pick up was super punctual as well as the return time, it is a somewhat tiring day trip but it is totally worth it.
Oyatullo was my driver and tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and a very good driver. The views of the mountains are breathtaking. Worth very penny.
If you do not have many days at Tajikistan, this is a great day trip. The driver and the guide were very friendly and provided us with.a lot of information about the place and Tajikistan in general. I would highly recommend.
A wonderful day. The guide and driver Hayat proved very professional and attentive to my requests. A really good tourist agency. Bravo!!
Thank you for your time in warm wishes!
I was picked up on time. The tour guide Hikmatulo told a lot about Tajikistan during the trip, very interesting and I want to give praise! He organized the whole program excellently, his English was great. My driver also drove quickly and very safely, there was no need to be afraid. The lake is very nice, the mountains, I can only recommend it to everyone! Danke Bunyod Tour.
Thank you for feedback, we will glad to see you again in our land!
Iskandarkul is beautiful, but I wouldn’t recommend this tour company. They required a 30% deposit and a signed agreement, which was unusual for a mid-range tour. Payment instructions were poorly communicated — I used Wise instead of Paysend (which they failed to specify), and it took over a month to get my money back. The guide also didn’t speak conversational English, making the day long and quiet. If you do book, insist on paying cash on the day.
Fantastic Tour. The guide Mrs. Mevcude was very helpful. Planning was Great. Thanks a lot, a beautiful experience, wonderful Place to visit
Thank you very much for value, you are welcome!
Amazing day trip to Iskanderkul lake from Dushanbe. The guide picked up us before appointed time, He had good acknowledge about the place and the country. We enjoyed this adventure a lot. I will absolutely recomend this trip.
We were happy to provide you our services, welcome again! Thank you, you are very kind.
Thank you very much for the walk to Lake Iskanderkuhl. Everything was very well organized and your employees were super.👍
Спасибо Вам, что были с намиб всегда ралы видеть Вас на нашей земле.
Scenic drive through snow covered mountains to a pretty lake. Visited a number of sights around the lake - a 500m hike to a water fall, a flat grass area near the lake, and a sister lake. We had lunch by the Iskanderkul lake with local families and walked around and enjoyed the pleasant climate and fresh air. The driver/guide was excellent and shared many stories and insights. We were two solo travellers and it was a nice day trip - we started off at 8am and we were back around 15:30-16:00. The car (a Lexus) made the drive comfortable.
