Good Time to Visit

Weather

The weather in Tajikistan is subject to extreme seasonal fluctuations: it can be freezing in December and January, then searingly hot in July and August. For example, in Dushanbe, temperatures vary between a minimum -13°C (8°F) in winter to a maximum 33°C (91°F) in summer. However, the mountains can see near-polar conditions; if the wind chill factor is taken into consideration, temperatures may drop as low as -45°C (-49°F) in winter, with a maximum of 20°C (68°F) in summer.

Visitors are advised to bring light, loose clothing when visiting in the summer, and warmer clothes in the winter - particularly when travelling to the mountains.

More information on the Tajikistani weather may be found in Climate in Tajikistan.

Festivals

Navruz (Persian New Year) is the biggest annual celebration, occurring in March. There are other national public holidays, such as Independence Day, on 9 September and Constitution Day on 6 November. There are also annual Islamic holidays, including Eid-i-Ramazon and Eid-i-Kurbon, the dates of which vary.

Public Holidays

The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Tajikistan:

Date	Holiday
1 January	New Year's Day
8 March	International Women's Day
21-24 March	Navrus (Persian New Year)
1 May	International Labour Day
9 May	Victory Day
27 June	National Unity Day
9 September	Independence Day
6 November	Constitution Day
Variable*	Eid-i-Ramazon (End of Ramadan)
Variable*	Eid-i-Kurbon (Feast of the Sacrifice)

* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.