Arriving in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe might not be the most obvious capital city to fly into, but if you’re traveling in Tajikistan, chances are this is where your journey begins.   It’s the start of the Pamir going east, and you can head on into Uzbekistan from here, too.  It’s a rapidly changing city, once known for its leafy avenues, but they’re now coated in a dusty hue because of the scale of construction going on here.  Dushanbe is a practical place to start a visit to “the Stans”.  The international airport is only a very short distance from the city center, so close that you can even walk it.  Here’s my guide to arriving in Dushanbe.

Even just months ago, there were reports of disorganized chaos at the airport, separate lines for men and women, and a whole lot of mess. That’s all changed now.  The airport is orderly, calm, and still just a few kilometers from the main streets of Tajikistan’s capital.  There are good reasons to start your trip in Dushanbe, not least because it’s the transport hub of the country, and a good place to get hold of cash, SIM cards, and onward transport connections.

Getting your bearings in Dushanbe usually means sorting out a local SIM card, finding, working out how the public transport system works, and how taxis actually operate here. This is an easy city to settle into, if pretty large.

Visa and Entry Requirements for Tajikistan

Tajikistan has made the visa process a lot easier recently. Many nationalities can apply for an e-visa online, valid for a single entry of up to 45 days, although you will have to register if you plan on staying for more than 10 days.  The Tajik authorities don’t specifically tell you, but I will.  Print a copy, it’s WAY easier for all border control officers.

You can check if you need an evisa, and how to get it, with the Tajik evisa official site here.

If you’re heading to the Pamir Highway and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), you’ll need a special permit. You can either apply for it with your e-visa, or if you’re traveling the Pamir with a company, then they can apply for it for you (there’s a small charge, but this is a poor country, the poorest of the ex- Soviet states around here, and it’s a way for them to add to their revenues).

You should carry your evisa and GBAO paperwork with you, along with your passport.  Having problems with your evisa?  Check out support from ivisa here.

Arriving by Air in Dushanbe

Most travelers arrive via Dushanbe International Airport (DYU), just a few kilometers from the city center. The airport is small and easy to navigate, but your flight arrival time may not be particularly convenient.  We arrived on Turkish Airlines from Istanbul at 01:00.  The flight was early, and there were no other arrivals at the time.  We were in the first row of economy and were third and fourth through passport control.

Immigration at Dushanbe Airport

We’d read all sorts of horror stories about how much of a mess it would be, and so we were pleasantly surprised to find that the news lines were easy to navigate.  Single-person wide lanes, that means you HAVE to line up, rather than rely on your elbows to keep “pushers in” out of the line.

You’ll need your evisa (preferably printed) and your passport.  We weren’t asked for any other information at passport control, but our office clearly enjoyed practicing her English and smiled a lot, too.

You do NOT need to complete an immigration form or any paperwork before you get to the desk.  There’s no paperwork to complete at all.

Facilities on Arrival at Dushanbe Airport

There are four ATMs to the right after you exit arrivals.  And then there’s little else.  A currency exchange, but it wasn’t open.  There is nowhere at the airport to buy SIM cards and there is no luggage storage either.   When we arrived at 01:00, there were only two of the ATMs working.  None of the counters at the airport was open at all.

There’s free WiFi at the airport.  There were two networks, but they both asked for a Tajikistan phone number to connect to them.  So they might not be much use to you.

We had US Dollars with us and decided to pay for a taxi with them.  We knew it would cost more, but after two sleepless nights, we decided not to fight the system.    The Tajik currency is the Somoni; it’s a closed currency and you won’t get hold of it en route, unless you’re coming overland and changed at the border that way.  Taxi drivers at the airport will accept US dollars in payment for the taxi, but it will cost you more. 

Central Dushanbe is only 10–15 minutes away.  If you’re arriving at a sensible time, you can easily walk to places like the Green House Hostel or the Hilton Hotel.  Actually, you can walk at any time of the day or night, but you’ll want to take care.  It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the airport to the Green House Hostel, it’s 2.2 kilometers (1.36 miles).  However, I’d caution this in the dark.  The roads are dark, the open drains down the side of the roads would make Bulgaria from 20 years ago proud, and the drivers are generally crazy.

Dushanbe Airport to City Transport

The airport is only 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the city. Taxi drivers wait outside arrivals, but the metered taxis are away from the arrival area.  You’ll need to head about 150 meters away from the parking lot to the taxi drop-off area on the main drag that runs into the city – it’s called Ahmadi Donish Street.

If you’re still, like us, there outside arrivals, then the drivers will throng you, and someone will latch onto you, and you’re theirs.  If you’re heading to hotels and hostels in the eastern end of the city – near the Hilton or the Green House Hostel, then expect to pay US$5 to US$10. Is that the real rate?  No, of course not.    You can check Yandex Go (if you can get it to work, we’re four days into Dushanbe and still don’t have it working).  You can ask the driver to put the meter on.  They’ll tell you that if you pay in Somonis, it will be cheaper, and it will likely be cheaper if you speak Russian, Tajik, or don’t look as though you haven’t slept in two days.

For us, it was 01:30, we’d (not) slept on a train the night before, and our hostel had quoted us US$10 for a transfer; our taxi driver wouldn’t budge below that.  We took it.

Public transport (marshrutkas) runs from the airport, but not at 01:30.  If you’re arriving during the day, then you can take the number 8, 16, or 33.  You’ll need Somoni to pay for this.

Getting Around Dushanbe

I’d read lots about how Central Dushanbe was very walkable.  And how it was full of leafy avenues.  This is a rapidly changing city.  First of all, if you’re walking, then cross every road with care.  A pedestrian crossing doesn’t actually mean the drivers will stop.

There’s a lot of construction going on in Dushanbe.  Google Maps and Maps.me have some, shall we say, accuracy problems.  Places just don’t exist anymore.  Even the famous Rokhat Teahouse has been demolished.  The Green Bazaar went a few years ago. 

The distances here are longer than you think.  From the Hilton to the Mehrgon Market is 3.2 kilometers (1.98 miles).  Or the Hilton to the National Museum of Tajiistan is 4.3 kilometers (3.7 miles). That might not sound much, but even now in mid-September, it’s 34 degrees during the day.

There are LOTS of taxis around. Mainly electric ones.  They’re green and white primarily.  Flag one down on the street, tell them where you want to go, and pay cash.  Make sure the meter is one.

You can also take the shared minibuses,aka, marshrutkas – they tend to be cheap but crowded, and they run specific routes.  You can see the specific routes here.  You’ll need cash, and you can read my guide to currency and ATMs in Tajikistan here.

Where to Stay in Dushanbe

There’s a huge variety of places to stay in Dushanbe.  You’ll find the Hilton Hotel is in the same area as hostels, like the long-standing Green House Hotel.  We’re here, at the Green House, we have a private room with A/C.  We opted for the Green House because they do breakfast (20 somonis per person), they have a self–serve washing machine (15 somonis) and a drying area.  There are plenty of common areas, decent WiFi, and we have a good shower too.  Our room is quiet at the end of a corridor, there are sockets galore (read about power and plug adapters for Tajikistan here).  It’s a popular hostel with overlanders (both independent and the folks from Madventures and Oasis) and bikepackers, too.

If you’re at the fancier end of things, then head to the Rumi Hotel, which is up by the Dushanbe Mall, Opera House, and gets great reviews.

Final Words on Arriving in Dushanbe

Dushanbe seems like a rapidly changing city.  You won’t bump into English language speakers everywhere, but where you do, they’ll try hard.  A few words of Russian at least (please, thank you, hello, and knowing your numbers up to 10 will help).  It’s a good place to get cash, stock up on toiletries, get your laundry done, and make the final arrangements for the next stops on your travels in Tajikistan.

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