Price
1,999.00
No. of people
1 - 5+
Date of tour
Based on clients availability
Quick Summary
Day 1 - Kabul Arrival
Arrival and briefing at the hotel
Visit the Bird Market, the oldest part of Kabul
Explore the Sakhi Shrine, a sacred mosque for Shia Muslims
Day 2 - Kabul to Bamyan
Journey through Ghurband Valley to the ancient Buddhist complex in Bamyan
Explore the Buddha Niches and surrounding caves
Visit Shahr-e Gholghola (City of Screams)
Day 3 - Band-e-Amir National Park & Minaret of Jam
Explore the blue lakes of Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan's first national park
Visit the 63-meter Minaret of Jam, the second tallest ancient minaret in the world
Day 4 - Minaret of Jam Exploration
Detailed visit to the Minaret of Jam with its intricate designs and historical significance
Day 5 - Return to Bamyan
Drive back from Ghur to Bamyan
Day 6 - Bamyan to Kabul via Parwan Stupa
Visit the 2nd-century Buddhist Stupa in Parwan
Return to Kabul
Visit Shah Do Shamshira Mosque and enjoy a view of Kabul from Bibi Mahro Hills
Day 7 - Departure
Airport drop-off depending on flight timing
End of the Trip
Included in the trip
- All accommodation.
- English-speaking local guide.
- All transportation.
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- All drinks (water and soft drinks).
- Domestic airfares from Mazar to Kabul.
- All site entries.
- All pick-ups and drop-offs.
Not Included in the Trip
- Visa fees.
- International flights.
- Local clothing.
- Sim cards
- Souvenirs and anything not mentioned above.
Detailed Summary
Day 1 Kabul Arrival
Upon arrival at the hotel, you will receive a briefing. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to visit the bird market, which is the oldest part of Kabul. At the market, birds from all over the world are exhibited. Additionally, you will encounter blacksmiths, sellers, and old shops. This market is not only for birds, but also represents a significant portion of life in the area. You will be able to observe people from various ethnicities and regions of Afghanistan. Following the market visit, you will have the chance to see the Sakhi Shrine, an old turquoise-tiled mosque located in the west of Kabul. It is a very sacred place for Shia Muslims, as they believe it to be the final resting place of Hazrati Ali, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad.
Overnight at Safi Landmark Hotel
Day 2 Kabul to Bamyan
Early in the morning you will journey out through the Ghurband valley to the famous ancient Buddhist complex. The Buddhas of Bamyan were two monumental statues carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the 6th century. These massive World-Heritage-listed statues, situated in the peaceful Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, were deliberately dynamited and destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001, a great cultural loss to all humanity. Although the Buddhas are gone, the immense niches where they stood, and the extensive surrounding complex of caves and temples, cut into the cliff-face, are still an extraordinary historic site to explore.
After lunch we will visit Shahr-e Gholghola also known as the City of Screams, the ruins of a 12th century (and possibly much older) city near the town of Bamyan. The city was conquered by Genghis Khan in the 13th century after months of siege.
Overnight at Royal Hotel
Day 3 Band-e Ameer National Park
Visit to the blue lakes of Band-e-Amir. The lakes are separated by natural dams made of travertine, a mineral deposit. The name Band-e Amir, literally means "Commander's Dam," which is believed by some to be a reference to Ali, the first Imam of Muslims (to Shias) and the fourth Caliph of Islam (to Sunnis). This area is dominated by ethnic Hazaras, who make up around 23% of Afghanistan's population. Band-e Amir was to become Afghanistan's first National Park in the 1960s but this was delayed due to successive political crises and decades of war. In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site, and in 2009, it was finally declared as Afghanistan's first National Park. Since 2013 it has become a popular destination for both Afghan and international visitors. The Journey will continue to visit 63 meters Minaret of Jam, the second tallest ancient minaret in the world, coming behind only the Qutb Minar in Delhi.
Overnight at a Local GH in Ghur
Day 4 Visit to Minaret of Jam
The tower is covered in elaborate designs: patterns of pentagons, hexagons, and diamonds, and a Kufic inscription in turquoise tiles. The minaret, a feature of Islamic architecture used to provide a vantage point for the call to prayer, is located in the Ghur province of central Afghanistan, at the confluence of the Jam Rud and Hari Rud rivers. It was built in 1194 by the Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad and is composed of four cylindrical shafts made of fired bricks. The result is an impressive structure, rearing out of an otherwise desolate valley, made all the more intriguing to archaeologists
by the fact that the city that must once have surrounded as it is now buried.
Overnight at a Local GH in Ghur
Day 5 Drive back to Bamyan
Drive back to Bamyan.
Overnight at Royal Hotel
Day 6 Bamyan to Kabul and visit to Parwan Stupa
Your journey will take you north of Afghanistan, passing through the Hindukush ranges from Ghurband valley towards Parwan to see the amazing Buddhist Stupa from the 2nd century. You will then continue your journey towards Kabul. While in Kabul, we will show you the Shah Do Shamshira (the king with two swords) Mosque at the heart of Kabul city. This mosque was built by King Amanullah Khan in memory of the Arab King who forced the people of Kabul into Islam in the early 7th century with his two swords. After that, we will take you for an overall view of Kabul city at Bibi Mahro Hills.
Overnight at Safi Landmark hotel
Day 7 End of the trip (goodbye)
Depends of your flight timing. We will make sure to drop you on time to the airport and this will be end of the trip.
Tour Guide
There will be a local English-speaking guide accompanying you throughout the whole tour.
Accommodation
All accomodation is based on you having a private room in a standard, secure hotel or guest house. All the accomodation we use has armed 24/7 security.
Transportation
We use our own very experienced drivers and their well-maintained vehicles, for all your transfers and road trips. They will expertly navigate the often-challenging road conditions and traffic of Afghanistan and ensure you have a safe and comfortable journey.
Looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful and fascinating country!
Visa
We can send you a Letter of Invitation (LoI) from our company to help with your visa application. Though not strictly speaking a requirement for a tourist visa, most Afghan Embassies and Consulates will ask for this when you you make your application. We will also send you a copy of our Registered Licence as an Afghan Governement approved Tour Operator.
Security
We are member of Afghanistan NGO Security Organization (ANSO) that reports any security issues, as they happen, around Afghanistan. A text message will come to our phone immediately, should there be a security incident, and we can decide what to do and where to go in a second.