Tajikistan … Where is it, how is it like?

Try to locate Tajikistan on a map

Not that easy…I would agree. That’s exactly why I wanted to visit the area. We Europeans don’t know Central Asia that well, and it could be a real suprise. I started with Samarkand.

Seven lakes of seven different colors

And did you know that from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in about one hour of driving, you can reach Tajikistan?

The country is 93% made of mountains. Don’t expect anything boring—you will love it. At least I did. I went for a day to visit the Seven Lakes, and honestly, it was one of the most thrilling day trips I’ve ever taken.

Off-road

Crossing the border is already part of the adventure. You walk with your passport, show it multiple times, and then your guide meets another guide on the Tajik side. That’s when the real journey begins. You hop into a proper off-road vehicle and start climbing into the mountains. The drive is like something out of a movie—steep, narrow gravel roads with dramatic drops and switchbacks. The drivers are incredibly skilled. They know the terrain, they know each other, and they communicate with waves and nods. Sometimes one has to reverse to let the other pass. It’s tight, it’s dusty, and it’s absolutely spectacular.

And the roads? Wild. There’s hardly any radar enforcement, so people drive like it’s the 1980s. They pass each other even on solid lines, and my guide’s maneuvers had me wide-eyed more than once. But this is just how it works here. Radars only show up near schools, and the rest of the time, it’s a free-for-all. In Panjakent—the main city near the border—locals joke that there are only four policemen and no radars. I double-checked, and while it’s not exactly true, it’s how people perceive it. It adds to the charm and thrill of the ride.

Each of the Seven Lakes has a different color—turquoise, emerald, deep blue—and you can stop at every one. As you go higher, the air gets cooler. I even found snow at the top, despite starting the day in warm sunshine. The contrast was surreal.

Food

Lunch was another highlight. In a local restaurant, you don’t order. You just sit down and they bring you what they’ve cooked. It’s a beautiful kind of hospitality. Fresh bread, flavorful stews, and the tea—oh, the tea. Tajikistan has a real tea culture. You sip it slowly, surrounded by mountains, and it feels like time stops.

Gold and Uranium

And then there’s the unexpected. I saw Chinese workers and infrastructure in the region. Tajikistan has gold and other valuable metals, and it’s the Chinese who have built the roads and facilities to extract them. Locals are learning Chinese, hoping for scholarships or jobs. It flipped my assumptions—here, the Chinese aren’t looking for work, they’re offering it. The influence of China and Russia is massive, and you can feel how interconnected these Central Asian countries are. It’s a cultural crossroads, and it’s fascinating.

10 fun facts about Tajikistan

1. 93% of the country is mountainous, making it one of the most rugged countries in the world
2. The Pamir Highway is one of the highest roads on Earth and a legendary route for overland travelers
3. Tajikistan has more than 1,300 lakes, many of them glacial and stunningly colorful
4. The Seven Lakes (Haft Kul) are each a different hue, ranging from jade green to deep purple
5. Tajiks are Persian-speaking, making Tajikistan culturally closer to Iran than its Turkic-speaking neighbors
6. Tea is a way of life—you’ll be offered tea everywhere, and refusing it is almost unthinkable
7. Plov (rice pilaf) is the national dish, often cooked with lamb, carrots, and spices in giant cauldrons
8. The capital, Dushanbe, means “Monday” in Persian—it was originally a Monday market village
9. Tajikistan was part of the Silk Road, and you can still find ancient caravanserais and trade routes
10. The country has a strong oral poetry tradition, with epic poems passed down for generations

Tajikistan surprised me in the best way. It’s wild, welcoming, and full of contrasts. A place where snow meets sun, where tea meets adventure, and where every turn in the road feels like a new story waiting to be told.