Yaghnob Summer Yurt Camp

🥳 We are super excited to have you come and experience the Yaghnob Summer Yurt Camp!

2025 is our opening season and so we'd really appreciate your support and feedback as we try to get systems in place to operate a site that is economically advantageous for the local communities in the valley and is a pleasant and enjoyable adventure for you!

Availability:

📅 View the availability calendar 👉 Click here to view the calendar

👉 To make a booking contact us on Telegram @archataj or email us: info@archataj.com

How to get there:

⛺️ The camp is located here: 39.1900819N, 69.0620886E

Links: mapy.cz GoogleMaps What3Words [bring.neon.sidekick]

🅿️ The carpark is located here: 39.1981167N, 69.0642031E

Links: mapy.com GoogleMaps What3Words [tuxedo.outgoing.simulate]

Getting to the camp is all part of the adventure!

🚙 Part 1 Driving:

The road into the Yaghnob is not an easy one and the terrain makes it very challenging for the local community to maintain. A 4x4 is definitely necessary!

👉 GoogleMaps gives a good route guide from Dushanbe until the final few kilometers. You can see the main route north out of Dushanbe here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/G5qsHgk43iBLCbja9

👉 From the end of the GoogleMaps directions (here) you need to drive a further 3.8km (about 2.3 miles) until you reach a vehicle bridge crossing the river (here).

👉 Once you have crossed the bridge to the south side of the river continue on the main valley road for 700m (half a mile) until you reach a fork in the road (here).

👉 Take the right hand fork and head up hill passing the villages on the way until you reach the parking lot just below Waghinzoy (here).

🥾 Part 2 Hike in:

From the parking area there is a 1km walk (0.6 mile - 10-15min) into the yurt camp with 140m (450ft) of elevation gain. The path is clear, but here are a couple of areas with steeper drop-offs where young children may need a hand to hold. Trainers/tennis shoes are perfectly adequate for walking this trail. Donkeys are available in the local community to help carry your baggage to the site. Details on booking donkeys and prices at the bottom of this page 👇

You can see a drone flyover of the walk in here:

The GPX file for the walk

in can be downloaded 👉 here

Below are photos that follow the route in:

You can watch a first person view of the walk in here:

Facilities:

There are two yurts at the site.

🛏️ The yurts have sleeping facilities provided for up to 6 people total currently. There are 6 mattresses and you will be provided with a fresh set of bed sheets and pillow cases. You are expected to provide your own sleeping bag.

🚽 There is currently one squat toilet with a lockable door and solar lighting. You need to bring your own toilet paper and soap.

There is a covered outside seating area.

There are two picnic benches

⛺️ There are 8 smaller tent pads.

🏕️ There is 1 large tent pad.

💦 Water: In the early part of the season (up until mid-June) water needs to be gathered from the stream - a 4min walk from the camp. Later on in the season and through to the autumn there is a small irrigation channel bringing water through the site. Filtering facilities are currently not provided. Each yurt has a 10 litre metal bucket and a small hand washing scoop.

Things you must bring:

• sleeping bag
• toilet paper
• water filter
• food
• stove and fuel
• pots, pans, plates, bowls and utensils

These items can all be rented from our store in Dushanbe - contact @archtaj on Telegram or via email info@archataj.com

Cell Service:

🤳 TCell is the only Tajik cell service provider that works in the valley. It has solar powered antennas and currently the battery life is limited so after sunset and on cloudy days service can be limited or non-existent. The internet service is almost non-existent for much of the time.

Pricing:

🎪 Yurts: each yurt is booked separately (see below if you want exclusive use of the site). The first person in each yurt is charged 400TJS and each subsequent visitor is charged 150TJS with a cap of 900TJS/night for each yurt. Children aged 7 and under are free. Children aged 8-17 are 100TJS/night.

Examples:

A couple using 1 yurt would be 400TJS + 150TJS = 550TJS

A family with a 10 year old and 5 year old using 1 yurt would be 400TJS + 150 + 100 + free = 650TJS

A group of 6 friends using 1 yurt would be 900TJS

A group of 6 friends using 2 yurts would be 2 x 400 + 150 + 150 = 1400TJS

🏕️ Camping: there are 8 small and 1 large levelled tent pitches across the site. The small pitches are 50TJs/night and the large one is 80TJS/night.

💯 Whole site reservation: if you would like to reserve the whole site for your exclusive use ensuring that we don't take bookings for the other yurt or for campers then you can do so for 1500TJS/night

👮‍♂️ Yaghnob National Park fees: the Tajik government introduced pricing in 2024 for non-Tajik passport holders at 112.5TJS/24hrs for everyone over 18 years old. In negotiation with Park leadership and to encourage visitors to spend time more in the valley they have chosen to implement this as an entry fee for this season (not a per day rate). This is payable - in addition to the camp fees - to us and will be added to your invoice.

Weather:

🏔️ The camp is located at about 2500m (8200ft). It is significantly cooler than Dushanbe! Night time temperatures - even in the peak of summer - can drop to just above freezing. Bring good warm clothes for the night and bring good sun protection for the day - the sun's rays at elevation are intense and there's not much shade in the valley.

🌦️ For the closest weather forecasts check:

👉 Meteoblue 👉 Accuweather 👉 Windy

How to:

Dos and Don'ts:

🚭 No smoking: Please do not under any circumstances smoke inside the yurts.

🔥 Fire: The Yaghnob Valley has suffered from significant deforestation over the years and continues to battle with illegal logging despite having very few trees. For this reason we operate a no fire policy on this site.

👖👕 Clothing: The communities in the Yaghnob Valley are deeply traditional and conservative. Visitors are warmly welcomed, but it’s important to show respect for local customs—especially when spending time in villages.

Please dress modestly: clothing should cover at least to the elbows and below the knees for all visitors, regardless of gender. This helps ensure a respectful and positive experience for both guests and hosts.

🌱 Yugan: Prangos Pabularia is a very poisonous plant that causes blistering and scarring when it comes into contact with skin. It is ubiquitous in the mountains of Tajikistan. We have done our best to clear it from the camp area, but it grows on the hills in the surrounding area including near the pathways to and from the site.

🗑️ Garbage: There is no municipal waste disposal in the Yaghnob Valley - please pack your trash out with you if at all possible.

Additional Services:

🚙 Transport: 4x4 vehicles can be arranged through us with prices starting from 1000TJS each way (depends on driver availability) from the Dushanbe northern taxi terminal (GoogleMaps) and a 300TJs booking fee - contact us on info@archataj.com

🐫 Donkeys: these can be booked ahead of time from the local village to carry baggage and supplies up to the campsite. The first trip costs 100TJS and each trip or additional donkey will cost a further 60TJS. The number of donkeys available will vary so it may be you get 3 donkeys who can complete the work in one trip costing you 220TJS or it maybe that 1 donkey does the work in 3 trips also costing you 220TJS.

🥾 Guiding: This can be booked ahead of time. Please give us a sense of how long and how strenuous a hike you would like. Abdukholiq (Bobo) is a young man from the local community with extensive experience in the Yaghnob Valley mountains who has agreed to show visitors the local trails. Walks up to 4 hours cost 180TJS. Walks from 4-8 hours cost 300TJS. Please note that Abdukholiq does not speak English and is not a formally trained guide (we're working on it!).