Bokhtar (Kurgan-Tyube) is connected to Dushanbe by a good road — the drive takes about 1.5 hours in a shared taxi or marshrutka. Shared taxis depart from Dushanbe's Shohmansur market (formerly Kolkhoz market) regularly throughout the day. The road follows the Vakhsh valley south through dramatic gorges before opening onto the flat Khatlon plain.
Bokhtar International Airport (IATA: KQT) has limited domestic service to Dushanbe; the road is fast enough that most travellers skip the flight. There are occasional international flights to Russian cities.
The border crossing to Afghanistan at Nizhny Pyanj, about 90 km south, requires a special permit for foreign nationals and is not a routine crossing. Arrange any necessary documentation well in advance through a Dushanbe travel agency.