Friends, today I invite you to take a virtual stroll through the picturesque gorges in the mountains of Tashkent region. This route will surely interest travelers who want to diversify their visits to ancient architectural monuments with nature walks.
Karakiysay Waterfalls: How to Get There
We headed towards the waterfalls by train. As of spring 2024, the train departs from Tashkent South Station at 7:06 AM and its final stop is Khodzhikent. To reach the waterfalls, you need to get off at the Gazalkent station, which takes about an hour and a half by train.
The hiking route starts approximately 13.5 kilometers from the station, and you can reach this point by taxi. The fare for such a trip varies greatly depending on the driver's mood. On the day of our visit, many taxi drivers were offering to take us to the trailhead for no less than 100,000 soums. We traveled about half the distance for 50,000 soums and then continued on foot. The total distance of the hiking route was 11.5 kilometers.
Near the end of the paved road, there is a payment point. Access to the hiking area costs 17,000 soums per person. Cell service in the mountains is not very reliable, so it’s best to bring cash.
Hiking in the Karakiysay Gorges
The hiking trail to the waterfalls passes through a few structures. According to online maps, there are several hotels and cottages in the vicinity of the village of Saylyk, which we passed through, that can be rented.
Most of our route lay through scenic gorges with blooming trees. The trail crossed a small river several times, and it’s important to note that you’ll have to ford it. The water in the river is icy, and another unpleasant obstacle is the rocky bottom. I saw that some travelers use so-called aqua shoes or coral shoes—light footwear designed to protect against sharp corals—for such crossings.
The endpoint of the route is two waterfalls, which are located on two different tributaries of the river. So, we first reached one of the waterfalls, then returned to the fork and proceeded along the western branch of the trail.
The Karakiysay Waterfalls are quite different from each other. The first one forms a small pool with icy water, and getting close to it is difficult. Right under the second waterfall, there is a rocky platform where tourists can get very close to the cascading flow.
The internet mentions that ancient petroglyphs can be found in these places. While planning the trip, I couldn’t find out how to reach them, but that gives me a reason to return here again.
We made the return journey to Gazalkent by hitching a ride. The train to Tashkent was completely packed, so we decided to take a minibus for the final part of the trip, which cost 30,000 soums.
You can find other routes to the natural attractions of Uzbekistan in my collection.
Have a nice trip!
