[Tajikistan] Travel Experience — Transportation
(Accurate as of 2024/02/01)
Visa
• Apply at https://www.evisa.tj/ if you need visa to enter Tajikistan
- Although only passport (scanned, not photo!) is indicated as required while applying, it is better to upload itinerary (you can write it in a Word document), flight ticket, proof of accommodation as well because I was followed up and requested for those information; there have been previous reports of Tajikistan e-visa having unpredictable application outcome, hence it is better to be transparent to increase probability for approval
Entry
• I entered by air through Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent to Dushanbe; entry stamp was stamped on both printed-out e-visa and on Migration Card
- There have been previous reports of immigration officers at exit points using lack of Migration Cards as an excuse to extort “fine” from travelers, but immigration officers at entry points sometimes do not hand out migration cards; do ask for Migration Card if the officers somehow do not hand it to you and do keep it safely with you until you leave the country
• There are currency exchange booths of 2 banks inside the airport, but there is NO place to buy a SIM card
- I exited the airport, turned left and walked for 20 to 30 minutes to get a SIM card; I chose Salom 80 plan from Tcell and it was much more than enough for a 1-week visit
Exit
• There is 1 train per week on Monday from Dushanbe to Tashkent and it costs TJS455
• There used to be buses running between Dushanbe and Khujand, operated by Asian Express, but the route had been suspended during my visit in winter
- There is a bus route running between Khujand and Tashkent, operated by Asian Express and costs TJS100 per person; it departs at 08:00 on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays
• I exited by land through a shared taxi; my route was Dushanbe — Khujand — Oybek Checkpoint — Tashkent
- It is a highly recommended way for taking in the breathtaking natural scenary of the country, as you will spend hours in the mountains before reaching Khujand
- The location to take shared taxis is called “Terminal Chorbogh”, which is situated on the outskirt of Dushanbe; once you reach there, before you even get off the taxi, you will already see at least 5 shared taxi drivers surrounding your taxi waiting for you to get out of the vehicle, and it can be a daunting experience for someone not used to aggressive taxi drivers
- Shared taxi costs TJS200 from Dushanbe to Khujand or TJS250 from Dushanbe to Oybek Checkpoint for 1 person; all taxi drivers offer the same price and if you try to go lower than that, other taxi drivers will look at you coldly in silence, so just go with whichever driver that makes you feel more comfortable, and be prepared to wait for a bit until other seats in the vehicle have been filled up
- Life hack for shared taxis — before and during the trip, try to strike up friendly conversation with your fellow passengers, even if with Google Translate, because these fellow passengers will cross the border and bargain with Uzbek drivers together with you, and things are more likely to be smooth (not asked for bribe by immigration officers, not paying inflated price for taxi, etc.) as a solo traveler who does not speak Russian / Tajik / Uzbek if you move with your fellow passengers
• There are 4 inspection points on Tajik side of the border, each of them located several hundred meters apart — 1 person who merely takes a look at your passport, a room for security check, immigration officer who stamps your passport, 1 person who takes a final look at your passport before letting you through the gate, which marks your official exit from Tajikistan
- Migration Card mystery — I merely showed the immigration officer that I had it with me, but he did not even take a look at it
• After entering Uzbekistan, you (and hopefully your friendly fellow passengers) will bargain with Uzbek drivers for traveling from the Checkpoint to Tashkent; they offered us UZS100,000 to UZS200,000 per person but we managed to settle at UZS80,000 per person
Getting Around in Dushanbe
• Public transportation system is in place, consisting of buses and marshrutkas, and they are affordable; bus ride cost me TJS5 for 2 people
• Most convenient way of getting around whenever and wherever you want within the city is through hailing taxis — there are a lot of taxis on the roads with numbers (e.g. 3333, 7000, etc.) written on car doors and once you randomly get in one of them, just show the driver your location and the driver will start the meter; starting price is TJS10 and it rarely costs more than TJS30 for single ride
Read more about how to enjoy your time in Dushanbe here
