Dushanbe

Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, is a beautiful city of stark contrasts between the old and the new. Old Soviet-era buildings stand adjacent to new massive state buildings and monuments, and there always seems to be a tension between the demolition of the old and the construction of the new. Even with its massive buildings and endless construction, Dushanbe remains the quaintest of the Central Asian capitals.



Understand
Dushanbe, sitting at about 800 m in the Hisor Valley basin at the confluence of the Varzob and Kofarnihon Rivers, is the main population center of the country with about 1.2 million people in 2022.

It has seen instances of human habitation since neolithic times, witnessing the presence of great civilizations like the Greco-Bactrians and the many iterations of the Persian Empire. Dushanbe began life as a small nondescript village existing simply as a place to host a weekly Monday market (indeed Dushanbe is Tajik for "Monday"), but received a whirlwind of development when it was chosen to be the capital of the Tajik ASSR (Associated Soviet Socialist Republic), which was an autonomous region of the larger Uzbek SSR during the Soviet Union. In the 1930s, the Tajik ASSR was carved away from the Uzbek one and made equal, and Dushanbe now found itself one of the 15 main capitals within the Soviet Union. During most of the Soviet Union, Dushanbe was known as Stalinabad.

With the withdrawal of Soviet influence in the dissolution of the USSR, Dushanbe regained its former name but went through schisms of identity crisis alongside the country as it plunged into a civil war that lasted from 1992 - 1997. Even now, it struggles somewhat to exert full control over the entire country, but it nonetheless takes on the dynamics of Tajikistan's main commercial center and happening place.

Dushanbe's central location in Tajikistan makes it a perfect launchpad for excursions across the country.

By plane
There is a thrice-weekly flight connecting the cities of Dushanbe and Khujand in the north on Somon Air. In the winter and early spring, when the mountain passes between the cities are closed, this is the only realistic option to get between northern and southern Tajikistan.

There are also weekly flights to/from Tashkent and Almaty, providing an option for travelers who are coming directly from another Central Asian nation. Pre-2021, there were direct flights between Dushanbe and Bishkek, but with the advent of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border conflict and the closure of the borders between the two nations, those flights have been suspended.

Luggage
If you are flying to Dushanbe from anywhere beyond Türkiye, Dubai, or Kazakhstan, you'll need to make sure your bags are checked all the way through. If all of your flights are on the same airline, you shouldn't have to worry about anything. But if your connecting flights involve switching airlines as well (which may be the case if you're traveling from the western hemisphere), there's a high likelihood that you'll need to go through customs and retrieve your bags during your connection and re-check them through.

Visa at the airport
Most of the European and North American nationals can apply for a visa upon arrival in Dushanbe. The airport is very small and the immigration is before the passport control. Bring 2 passport photos, and have the address at which you are staying. Don't lose your "beeline travel slip" which you will get at the immigration office. The luggage X-ray machines are very poor and they pay little attention to the screens. For travelers traveling for non-tourist reasons (like work or study) you'll need to get a visa in advance from an embassy.

Before you go through Tajik customs, all travelers must fill out a Migration card (available by the visa office). This form comes in parts A and B, and you must keep the B part with you until you leave the country (otherwise there's a big fine).

Watch the children when you leave the airport: they will offer to take your bag to the car and start to pull it off you, though not with intentions of stealing, just wanting to help and get a tip.

By train
The train between Dushanbe and Moscow runs through Turkmenistan for a brief moment. As of 2024, the Turkmenistan government does not grant visas to non-Tajik/Uzbek/Russian citizens for this "then-and-again"-type trip, making entry into Tajikistan via rail all but impossible. In theory, you could get off the train in Uzbekistan and get to Urgench (where the train reenters Uzbekistan from Turkmenistan) before the train gets there and hop back on, but that might add too much work for most travelers.

By bus
There are no international bus services. If you are planning to go to a different town in Dushanbe there are 'terminals' that you can either find a shared taxi or a minibus. Departs are mostly early morning.

By bus
Riding the bus in Dushanbe is an adventure in and of itself. For starters, there are no published or otherwise available bus route maps or timetables. Locals have been there long enough to know which bus(es) they need to take where, but travelers will often have to guess. Luckily, most of the tourist sites and buses are along Rudaki Avenue and Somoni Avenue, and Google Maps works well enough in the city that you'll be fine if you just follow along the map as you ride the bus and get off at a stop near where you need to be.

Officially, buses only take payment by city bus cards which can be purchased at kiosks near the stations (whether or not the kiosks are working is another story), however in practice most bus drivers accept cash payments too. It costs С2 per person per ride (С1.8 if paying with card); drivers may or may not give change depending on if they have it/want to). Buses are clean and modern and so are the bus stops.

There are also unofficial "buses" that run. These are private cars that drive in the rightmost lane and will flash a card with the route number they run at people waiting on the curb. While it's an open secret that these cars exist, the drivers can get in trouble if caught by the police (the passengers, however, will not). Despite their sketchy nature, these vehicles are safe to use and get the job done, but it's still recommended to take official transportation in case issues arise.

By marshrukta
It is very useful to figure out the marshrukta system (private cars and minibuses), which run on a standard set of routes. Minibuses are overcrowded, stop more frequently, and cost С2.50, while private cars are much quicker and cost С7. For marshrukti, the only important phrase is "hamin jo" (ha-MEEN JOH), which means "right here", to indicate that you want to get out.

A couple of useful 'lines' (2010):

No. 1: Giprozem (south) - Sakovat Bazaar - Circus - War Memorial - Aini Street - Dushanbe Airport

No. 2: Giprozem - Sakovat Bazaar - Circus - War Memorial - Bokhtar Street (centre)

No. 3: Dushanbe I Train Station - Rudaki Avenue - Vodanasos Bazaar (north)

No. 8: Dushanbe Airport - Ayni Street - Rudaki Avenue - Ismoil Somoni Street - 102nd microdistrict (west)

No. 17: 82nd microdistrict - Ismoil Somoni Street - Rudaki Avenue - Vodanasos Bazaar

No. 29: Giprozem - Circus - Bus Station - 82nd microdistrict - Ismoil Somoni Street - Barakat Bazaar (centre)

By trolleybus
Cheap way of getting around the city. Dushanbe has a few trolleybus lines running. № 1 is the main one running along Rudaki Avenue between the main train station in the south and Sadreddin Ayni Park in the north. Line 4 runs between the centre and the circus. For finding directions with trolleybuses and buses use Yandex Maps. It's possible to pay with cash, the fare is 2.5 somoni. Just don't expect to get change from a large bill (generally anything above a С20); bring coins.

By taxi
Within Dushanbe it is best to take a taxi, usually it should not be more than С30.

There are five main taxi companies that offer licensed taxis (phone numbers listed after each):


 * Yak Taxi (Yak is Tajik for "one") - 1111
 * Asian Express - 1616
 * Rakhsh Taxi - 3333
 * Olu4a Taxi - 7000
 * Somon Taxi - 888

All of them are Tajik and Russian speaking services, although with the exception of Somon Taxi they may have occasional English services.

Unlike most other Central Asian republics, Yandex's taxi feature does not work in Tajikistan.

Orientation
Very few streets in Dushanbe are known by their names, so it is important to know landmarks and how to navigate with them. Every taxi driver knows the airport, Somoni statue and Opera-Ballet, but beyond that, it is a toss-up. The two street names everyone knows are Rudaki Avenue and Somoni Avenue. Drivers also generally know where neighborhoods are so if you know what neighborhood you're going to you can at least get close to it. It is essential to know "straight ahead," "to the left," and "to the right" in Russian or Tajik.

The center street, Rudaki Avenue, is a rather long boulevard, with a few other main streets crossing it. Most of the major tourist sites and the few western-style hotels are located along it, and drivers generally know where along that road things are.

Dushanbe is an interesting city, but only for a few days. Other than a few museum and monuments, there is not much here. The nightlife is not of a western standard. There are three main clubs: Port Said, Dior, and Vastan (all on or near Rudaki Street). The clubs are pretty bad and attract bad music, prostitutes, and are mostly filled with men. If a man goes out with a Tajik woman, he will be expected to pay for her. The streets are lined with old and tall planetrees, so in the evenings a stroll along Rudaki is quite pleasant. Rudaki Park also features numerous fountains lit by colored lights, and the Botanical Gardens (behind the Chinese Embassy, somewhat north along Rudaki) is the best place to escape the dust and noise of the traffic for peace and quiet.

Do

 * Bactria Cultural Center
 * Bactria Cultural Center

Theaters

 * Mayakovsky Theatre
 * Padida Theatre
 * Various concert halls
 * Padida Theatre
 * Various concert halls
 * Various concert halls
 * Various concert halls
 * Various concert halls
 * Various concert halls

Drink
While drinking alcohol openly isn't strictly allowed, you'd never know and the outdoor beer cafes are some of the nicest places to spend a sunny afternoon; priced at 4-5 somoni per beer, they are also some of the cheapest. You'll always be able to find "zakuskas" here, snacks to have alongside beer. Plaited smoked cheese, "kasichky" ("chechil") and small pieces of battered fish are popular, as is "kurut", hard salty balls of parmesan-like cheese.

Splurge


 Others 

Stay safe
In general, Dushanbe is safe but robberies and street crime do sometimes occur even in broad daylight although this is rare. The police force can sometimes seem a little ineffective. Avoid attracting police attention, as the law enforcement officials are primarily concerned with augmenting their small income. People tend to be private and conservative but with a little effort they can be incredibly welcoming and genuine.

Many people complain about corrupt airport officials, who try to scam departing passengers. For further information and how to avoid problems Google "Dushanbe airport scam".

Stay healthy
Don't drink the water from the tap, nor use the water to brush your teeth, unless you're used to the tap water of the region. Always wash fresh produce with bottled water, especially when bought from the local bazaar. Some melons, although they are incredibly fresh and sweet, can be irrigated and fertilized with manure, so sometimes washing them will not help. Commonly foreigners from developed countries will get sick at least once while in Tajikistan, but this can be delayed by avoiding unwashed/unpeeled fruits and vegetables (be especially wary of this in restaurants).

Power and water cuts can happen at random, although not as frequently as in the past. This is more of an annoyance to the traveler, but you should still be prepared.

Embassies

 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

Connect
Wi-Fi in Dushanbe is a rare thing, but it is becoming more and more prevalent. Still, if you don't have a Tajik SIM card, you probably won't have reliable or fast internet/Wi-Fi while out wandering the streets. Most places of business (restaurants, cafes, banks, etc.) will have public Wi-Fi, but you might have to ask, and it's usually limited to within the building.

Download a good VPN before you arrive if you really need internet: the government is prone to blocking Google and social media access unpredictably (although usually only when issues flare up within the country or if Tajiks abroad are in the news for bad reasons). Even when the government isn't blocking access to sites, internet speeds are incredibly slow compared to many other countries.

Go next
There are many drivers for hire who will take you to lakes and mountains nearby. Varzob River also has some vacation areas with raised platforms above the narrow river, which is quite refreshing on a hot day. Be aware that the drivers will most likely not speak English, so a working knowledge of Russian or Tajik is advisable, as are haggling skills.

Iskander-Kul lake is popular with locals in the summertime and it's very much possible to reach it for free through hitchhiking and hiking. There is a waterfall. Often completely packed in the spring and summer though.

An alternative waterfall in the area is near Gusgarf village. It drops 32m into a pool, possible to swim (for the brave!) unlike in Iskander-Kul. Difficult to find, however. There is a shepherd's trail from Gusgarf village about 4km north. 1,000m ascent over rough scree. Follow the (sometimes invisible) trail to the top of the mountain (where it is possible to camp and make a fire), look down over the ridge and to the left, the waterfall is hidden behind the large bare rock. Turn left along the ridge and walk along until you see a trail leading down to the right; follow this over a ford until you reach a rocky barely-there stream flowing steeply downhill on the left, then follow this down to the waterfall. Or ask a shepherd for directions ("gdye vadapad?" should suffice). Difficult hike, wear good shoes.