With a layover in Istanbul, you'll arrive in Dushanbe in the early morning. After transferring to our comfortable hotel, you can sleep in. In the afternoon, we'll explore the city – its name means "Monday" and dates back to the original weekly market that was held here. Today, the bazaar is open daily, and we'll immerse ourselves in its vibrant atmosphere. We'll end the day with a relaxing dinner in a traditional teahouse.

Today our two-day journey to Khorog, the starting point of our cycling tour, begins. We'll travel by 4x4 along the legendary Pamir Highway, passing the first foothills of the high mountains. We'll enjoy spectacular mountain views at lunchtime before arriving at our guesthouse in Kalai-Khumb in the late afternoon. Overnight accommodation will be in shared rooms.

The route takes us along the Panj River, which forms the natural border with Afghanistan. The deep gorge it has carved into the mountains provides spectacular views. In the afternoon, we reach Khorog, where we prepare our bikes.

Our cycling tour begins in Khorog. After a short morning stroll through the town, we cycle south, following the Panj River upstream. The mostly paved road, with little traffic, allows you to enjoy the magnificent views and use this leg to ease into cycling. Our destination for today is the hot spring "Garm Chachma." The 60-degree Celsius water flows into a pool offering a fantastic view over the Panj Valley.

Today begins with a descent. From the hot springs, we descend into the Panj Valley. Following a mostly flat route along the river, we reach Ishkashim. During the drive, you'll experience the impressive Hindu Kush mountains, which become increasingly prominent as we travel south. Their majestic beauty and formidable presence constantly invite you to stop and marvel – just as Marco Polo did in his time. In Ishkashim, we'll spend the night in a comfortable Pamir guesthouse, where we'll end the evening with delicious local cuisine.

In Ishkashim, we reach the Panj Bend, the southernmost point of the river, which here turns east. We follow the river's course, enjoying the impressive scenery of the Hindu Kush. In clear weather, we soon catch sight of the majestic peaks dedicated to the two classics of communist doctrine: Pik Marx (6,723 m) and Pik Engels (6,507 m). Along the way, we also encounter the ruins of the Khaka fortress. After a leisurely lunch break, we cross two smaller passes before the final 5 km climb with a 300-meter elevation gain leads us to our guesthouse. Nearby are the Bibi-Fatima hot springs, where we can relax after a strenuous day.

From the garden of our guesthouse, we enjoyed breathtaking views over the Panj Valley while having breakfast. In the morning, the nearby Yamchun Fortress was on the agenda. Perched at 3,000 meters above the valley, it is one of the largest fortresses in the Pamirs, measuring 900 x 300 meters. Built around 300 BC, it tells the story of this valley's long history as an important trade route. The relatively short 45 km route to Hissor offers many more exciting stops: the Pamir Museum of Muborak Vakhani, a Buddhist monastery, and various shrines. Upon arrival in Hissor, we will spend the night in a traditional Pamir guesthouse.

Hissor lies at the confluence of the Wakhan and Pamir rivers, which from this point onward form the Panj River. Geographically, this point also marks the beginning of the actual Wakhan Corridor. From here, our journey continues into the Eastern Pamirs. A steep climb of about 300 meters awaits us first thing in the morning. From the pass summit, we enjoy a breathtaking view over the vast river delta. With a bit of luck, we might spot caravans on the other side of the river later on. We set up our first tent camp below the Khargush Pass. It is well-equipped with two-person tents for individual use, a shower tent, a toilet tent, and a communal tent where we can relax together at tables and chairs.

After breakfast, we drive to the Kargush border and guard station, 15 kilometers away, where the roads diverge. While the main road leads us to the Kargush Pass (4,344 m), we choose the route heading east, which takes us to the Zor Kul Nature Reserve. Our destination for today is Zor Kul Lake. The road winds along the Zor Kul River, through picturesque floodplains and across the vast plateau, bordered to the south by the imposing, over 5,000-meter-high peaks of the Little Pamirs. We gradually gain altitude. Even though there are no major passes or steep climbs today, the elevation gain adds up, making the day a real challenge. At Zor Kul Lake, at 4,180 m, we reach the highest of all our camps. The breathtaking panorama of the Little Pamirs and the feeling of getting ever closer to the end of the world make this leg of the journey an unforgettable experience.

Our final leg today takes us along Lake Zor Kul to Jarti Gumbez. At Kuk Dzhigit, where we'll stop for lunch, we'll reach the realm of the Marco Polo sheep. With a bit of luck and binoculars, we might spot these rare animals. During the morning, we'll also pass an old Soviet military and radar station, discover petroglyphs, and encounter some cattle herders. After lunch, the highest point of the trip awaits us – an unnamed pass at 4,420 meters. Thanks to our already reached altitude of over 4,200 meters, the climb is less strenuous than initially expected. After a 15-kilometer descent on a gravel track, we'll reach our guesthouse by the hot springs of Jarti Gumbez, marking the transition to the Kyrgyz part of the Pamir Mountains. The cycling portion of our journey thus concludes after almost 500 kilometers. Tonight, we'll stay at the "Pamir Spa" near Kuban, where we can relax in the spa area's several pools fed by warm spring water. We will spend the night in shared rooms.

Jarti Gumbez lies far to the east in the Pamir Mountains, near the Chinese border. Due to its remoteness and status as a nature reserve, it boasts the world's largest populations of Marco Polo game. This is reason enough to set off early this morning before breakfast by car, hoping to spot these animals. After breakfast at the guesthouse, we'll continue our journey by vehicle for approximately 220 kilometers back to the Pamir Highway, passing the old Soviet Shorbulog Observatory. A stop at the observatory is a must in good weather, as on clear days you can see the 7,509-meter-high Muztagata. Located in China, its name translates to "Father of Icebergs." The route then leads over the Ak Baital Pass (4,655 m), the highest point on the Pamir Highway, and across the Eastern Pamir Plateau. Our destination, Karakul, lies at an altitude of over 4,000 meters on the shores of the largest lake in Tajikistan, also named Karakul. In the afternoon we prepare our bikes for the last two stages and can enjoy a hot banya (Russian sauna).

Today, the queen stage lies ahead. The Pamir Highway follows the Chinese border, leading over the Uy Buloq Pass and up to the Tajik border post. After leaving Tajikistan, we ascend to the Kyzyl Art Pass, the highest point of our journey at 4,282 meters. The hardest part is over: time for a passport photo against the breathtaking backdrop of the glaciers of the Trans-Alai Range. Our legs can now relax a bit on the descent to the Kyrgyz border post, 20 kilometers away. And once again, the landscape changes completely. After crossing the border, we enter the vast grasslands of Kyrgyzstan, where herds of horses and sheep graze and yurts dot the landscape. We reach our guesthouse in Sary-Tash in the late afternoon.

Our final leg takes us to the foot of the 7,134-meter-high Pik Lenin. We drive through the expansive Alai Valley, bordered by the Pamir Mountains to the south and the Alai Range to the north. With its countless 5,000- and 6,000-meter peaks, it provides a breathtaking backdrop for today's journey. In the early afternoon, we catch sight of Pik Lenin, which we will keep in view throughout our drive to the yurt camp.

"Relax and enjoy" is the motto of our last day in the high mountains. You have the choice of exploring the surroundings on foot or horseback, for example to the Pik Lenin base camp, or simply enjoying the day to the fullest at camp. We'll end our last evening in pristine nature with a delicious Kyrgyz dinner in a heated yurt.

Today we say goodbye to the Pamir Mountains. We travel along the Pamir Highway through the picturesque Alai Mountains to Osh. The red sandstone cliffs, expansive meadows, and forests provide a breathtaking backdrop to our journey. Upon arrival in Osh, we'll have time for a stroll through the city and a visit to the bazaar to purchase any last-minute souvenirs. Over a farewell dinner, we'll reminisce about the experiences of our trip. This evening, we fly to Bishkek.

In the early morning hours, a transfer takes us to the airport in Bishkek.