Dushanbe - Post Report Question and Answers

There are two flights a week (Sunday/Monday and Wednesday/Thursday) from Istanbul on Turkish Air that most expats take, even though they are very expensive. AirBaltic just started new, cheaper flights to Riga, which should be a good option. Tajik Air, Somon Air and several Russian carriers fly several times a day to various Russian cities, mainly on older Tupelovs. The Moscow flights land at Domodedovo, so you need a Russian transit visa for most other international flights. Somon and Tajik also fly once a week each to Dubai/Sharjah. Some people even fly to Tashkent and then drive (about 10 hours). In theory, you could also go through Bishkek or Almaty with an overnight stop. Any way you parse it, it's two overnights from the U.S., with a very early morning arrival into Dushanbe. Getting back, it can be hard to make it to U.S. cities besides New York or Washington in a single day. Most flights are paper tickets only and arrive and depart at absurd hours. Welcome to life in Tajikistan! - Jun 2009

This is a tough trip no matter how you do it. The best way is via Turkish Air, which is through Istanbul and only 2 times a week. There are some direct flights from major U.S. cities, or you can come in through Europe--Paris, Frankfurt, London, and Amsterdam are common. With waiting periods and flight time, it's at least 24 hours from the US, and with a delay, it's taken up to 40 hours. It's a tough trip! - Jul 2008