Lakes of Tajikistan
Five lakes, from a day trip out of Dushanbe to one that takes days on foot.
Tajikistan is a country of mountains, and its lakes sit high among them, in the Pamir and Tian Shan ranges. Some are glacial, some were dammed by landslides, and one was made by a dam that people built. Most take real effort to reach.
Five are covered here in detail. They differ more than the word "lake" suggests: Iskanderkul can be visited in a day from the capital, while Zorkul takes days on foot and a permit; Nurek supplies most of the country's electricity, while Sarez is watched in case it empties itself into four countries at once.
Choosing between them#
If you have one day and a vehicle, Iskanderkul. If you want to walk for several days between lakes, Kulikalon and the Fann Mountains. If you are driving the Pamir Highway, Zorkul is the detour and Sarez the one you will only read about. Nurek is the closest to Dushanbe and the easiest swim.
Altitude is the practical constraint. Iskanderkul and Nurek sit low enough to be comfortable; Kulikalon at 2,800 metres and Zorkul at over 4,100 metres need acclimatisation, and the passes into the Fann basins hold snow well into early summer.