The Pamir Highway leads through the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia.

Understand

The Pamir Highway (M41 highway) is the longest and most easily traversable road through the Pamir mountains. The principal stretch of the highway runs east to west through Tajikistan, and extends northwards through Kyrgyzstan to Osh, and southwest into Afghanistan, to Mazar-e Sharif.

At its highest point, the Ak-Baital pass, the Pamir Highway reaches 4,655 m (15,272 ft); Altitude sickness poses a risk for those unaccustomed to the altitude at several points on the highway.

Prepare

A GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast) permit is required for the Tajik portion of the Pamir Highway. These can be purchased online for $20 when applying for the general Tajik e-visa, and are valid for 45 days. They are checked upon entry, and, occasionally at the moving military checkpoints that pop up along the highway.

Get in

Osh is the largest hub for setting out on the Pamir Highway.

Go, walk, or drive

Several methods of travel on the Pamirs are possible. Cycling is increasingly popular, as is renting a car and driving. Hitchhiking is less common but perfectly achievable, as is regular hiking.

Stay safe

Cannabis is obviously and widely available on the Pamir Highway. Taking advantage of this opportunity is a bad idea: it is very much illegal and due to the high volume of drugs trafficked through Tajikistan from neighbouring Afghanistan, possession penalties in the country are liable to be unpredictable and often severe.

Go next

• Osh is often seen as the northernmost point of the Pamir highway.
• Samarkand can be reached via the road from Dushanbe.