It was still the first week of our journey through Central Asia, and so far, we had visited only Samarkand and Bukhara. While we were mesmerized by the exotic grace of these ancient cities, the relentless August heat of the arid Uzbek lowlands left us fatigued and drained. Longing for a cooler climate, we were delighted to hear about Zaamin National Park.
Located in Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region, by the Tajik border, Zaamin National Park is the country’s oldest nature reserve and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Spanning the picturesque western slopes of the Turkestan Range, the park is known for its diverse landscapes—ranging from lush juniper forests to alpine meadows—set against dramatic mountain backdrops exceeding 3,000 meters.
The park is home to rich biodiversity, including rare species such as Severtzov’s wild sheep, snow leopards, and various birds of prey, making it ideal for nature lovers and wildlife watchers. For adventure seekers, Zaamin offers excellent hiking and trekking trails, with panoramic views of the mountains and valleys. Locals also flock to the area for its reputed health benefits, as its sanatoriums and natural springs have long been celebrated for their healing properties.
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From Samarkand to Zaamin National Park
We proceeded to the bus station in Samarkand to find a ride to Zaamin. There didn’t seem to be any buses—only taxis. A private ride would have cost us 400,000 som, or 100,000 per passenger if shared. We found a driver who already had a lad waiting as a passenger and got into the car. When no fourth passenger appeared after a while, we offered to pay the remaining fare and set out on the road.
After two and a half hours of somewhat tedious driving, we passed the village of Zaamin and began ascending into the mountains. The landscape was dry, with only bushes and a few scattered poplars dotting the slopes. Along the roadside, cows and donkeys wandered freely, while women in the hamlets sold fresh bread. The lad got off at one of these settlements. We continued further up, the driver growing impatient and repeatedly asking how far we intended to go.
We went past a checkpoint (location), where we each had to pay a 17,000 som entrance fee to the national park. The mountains got wetter and greener as we drove higher. We hopped off near the sanatorium—the original and biggest development in the area—where most of the hotels are concentrated, and began asking.
Accommodation in Zaamin National Park
We hadn’t booked anything in advance since only a handful of upscale options were listed on major online platforms. We thought we’d have better luck finding something on the spot, but that wasn’t quite the case. Most accommodations were posh chalets, charging a fortune—if they weren’t already fully booked. As we were walking back down, our previous driver passed by on his way to the village and kindly offered to take us to a more affordable place.
We started by inquiring at a few picnicking places, where Uzbek families rent those traditional pavilions with the big tables/couches they call tapchans to feast in nature. They wanted to charge us 400,000 for one with a curtain. No thanks.
We ended up past the checkpoint, outside the national park’s grounds. Normally, we’d have been required to return the tickets upon exiting. However, since we had only just entered, our driver explained the situation to the guards, and they allowed us to keep the tickets so we wouldn’t have to pay again tomorrow.
In the village just outside the national park gate, nearly every family rented out rooms in their houses. Few of the locals spoke Russian, but their other guests from the cities helped us with interpretation. We first visited a place with nice rooms, though they were quite expensive.
Ultimately, we struck a deal at another house across the street. Their initial offer was 200,000 som per day, including cooking meals with groceries we provided, but we settled on 150,000 for accommodation alone. The room was modest, furnished with five plywood beds and a window that offered a view of the mountains. Though we could hear rats scrambling inside the walls, they went quiet during the night. I forgot to pin its exact location, but it was a couple of hundred meters after the park gate.
The only other guests were a family from Navoiy. After helping us with interpretation, they invited us to their tapchan. They treated us to a generous spread of chicken, bread, watermelon, tea, beer, and vodka. While the children played around noisily and a baby slept in a mini hammock, the adult men chatted to us merrily and the women listened amusedly. Meanwhile, the children of the host family were still hard at work, carrying buckets of water and selling bread by the roadside.
Our Hike in Zaamin National Park
We got up early, made our daypacks, went out to the road, and stopped the first taxi. The guard at the checkpoint took and tore our yesterday’s tickets before allowing us through. After a stop at a shop to buy water and some bread and tomatoes for lunch, we arrived at our trailhead. The taxi ride from the entrance cost 30,000 som.
Out of the area’s several scenic trails, we chose one starting near NGMK Sanatorium (trailhead location) and concluding at Sher Buloq Spring (location) higher up the mountain. It was a nice option for a short day hike during this hot time of the year.
The first part of the trail was quite steep and overgrown with junipers, thorny weeds, and burs—those velcro-like, little thorny seeds that stick all over your clothes). To deal with them, I came up with the trick of flipping my socks over the tops of my hiking boots to avoid having to pick the burs out later from inside the shoes and between the laces.
We reached a small peak with lovely views of the surrounding high mountains. After stopping for lunch in the shade of an unusually large juniper, we continued on. The trail ahead was smooth and open until it met the road again. We followed that down for about a kilometer and arrived at the spring.
Sher Buloq, meaning the Lion Spring, was a popular gathering spot. A queue of locals was all but jostling their way to fill bottles and canisters. Passing cars honked, either as a greeting or out of exasperation at the parked vehicles obstructing traffic. Nearby, a separate queue of men had formed in front of a randomly placed punching arcade machine. Stalls along the sides of the spring sold local produce, while families picnicked across the surrounding area. We sat among them for a rest and soon attracted a pair of children eager to practice their English.
We then continued our way back down along the road, walking comfortably on a broad pavement. Local city tourists in passing cars honked, waved, or snapped pictures of us. About 4 km farther down, among the park’s most luxurious resorts, we arrived at the Zaamin Waterfall. Visiting it required paying an extra high fee, so we opted instead to have a drink at the café near the entrance and see the waterfall from a distance.
That was where we intended to finish our hike, but finding a taxi wasn’t as easy as I’d expected. We carried on walking and hitchhiking simultaneously. Two unofficial taxi drivers stopped but wanted to take advantage and charge a fortune. Eventually, a kind young couple from the capital pulled over and gave us a free ride to our accommodation. We dined with salami and cream cheese from the local shop and crashed before tomorrow’s trip to Tashkent.
Accommodation and activities in Uzbekistan
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Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Zaamin National Park in higher resolution.
