Afghanistan 12-day Highlights Tour to Kabul, Bamyan, Mazar, Herat and Kandahar
AT A GLANCE
This trip brings you across all of the major regions of Afghanistan using both domestic flight routes as well as Afghanistan’s highway system when necessary. This trip wastes little time and packs in a ton of places, sites, and activities to really show you a diverse side of this complicated country.
Starting from Mazar-e-Sharif and ending back in Kabul, this trip brings you first to the northern regions to visit the Blue Mosque, the Stupa of Rustam, and old Balkh, before you drive into the Hazarajat— the ethnic Hazara homeland. There, you will visit the Buddha Niches, stroll the lakeshores at Band-e-Amir National Park, before driving a short distance to Kabul. From there, you will fly to the western city of Herat, a gem of Persian culture before driving across the western desert to the Pashtun belt, exploring the city of Kandahar, the cultural homeland of the Pashtun people and birthplace of the Taliban movement. Finally, you’ll fly back north to Kabul to explore the Afghan capital before departing.
This itinerary is possible year-round.
DAILY ITINERARY
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You will be met by your guide at Mazar-e-Sharif Airport after clearing immigration. You will be transferred to your accommodation in the city center.
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Today you’ll explore the area around Mazar-e-Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan and home to the famous blue mosque.
You’ll begin the day driving out to ancient Balkh, the birthplace of Zoroaster— the founder of Zoroastrianism— as well as Rumi the legendary Persian poet. While in Balkh, you will visit the Haji Piyada Mosque, the Tomb of Rabia Balkhi, a semi-legendary figure of Persian literature, the Khoja Parsa Mosque, and Bala Hisar, the ancient citadel built by Alexander the Great when he destroyed the Kurush Empire and crossed Amu Darya in early 330.
In the afternoon, you will return to Mazar to visit the spectacular blue-tiled Mosque of Ali in Mazar-e-Sharif. Many locals believe this mosque is the site of the tomb of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.
Overnight at a local hotel in Mazar-e-Sharif.
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After an early breakfast, you’ll depart Mazar, heading south to the Stupa of Rustam (Takht-e-Rustam), located in Haibak district, Samangan province. The 1500-year-old complex contains a huge Buddhist stupa carved out of the bedrock, as well as a number of caves used as places of worship during Afghanistan’s Buddhist past.
After walking around the ruins, you’ll continue by road over the famous Salang Pass. What will certainly feel like never-ending switchbacks, this pass was built by the Soviets as a road link between Kabul and the north of the country (including easy access to the former Soviet Union).
After crossing the pass, you’ll continue through Ghorband to Bamyan, the heart and soul of the Hazarajat— Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara heartland and one of the most peaceful and progressive parts of the country.
Overnight at a local guesthouse in Bamyan.
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Today you will visit the Buddha Niches of Bamyan, where the great Buddha statues used to stand. The great Buddhas of Bamyan were two 6th-century monumental statues of standing Buddha carved into the side of a cliff. Much to the dismay of the rest of the world, they were destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban. However, remnants of the statues as well as wall paintings remain in some of the caves. You will then visit Shahr-e Gholghola— otherwise known as the City of Screams— a 13th-century city that was conquered by Gengis Khan after months of resistance. In the afternoon, we will visit the natural landscapes of the Darre Ajdaha Dragon Valley and walk around the Bamyan bazaar.
Overnight at a local guesthouse in Bamyan town.
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After breakfast, you’ll set off for the blue lakes of Band-e-Amir in Afghanistan’s first national park. The park consists of a series of six deep blue, lapis lazuli coloured lakes separated by natural dams made of travertine, a white 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 the Shia Muslims. This area is dominated by ethnic Hazaras, who make up around one-fifth of Afghanistan's population.
Here, you can walk around the lakes, hike up to several viewpoints around the area, go boating and visit the area’s many restaurants and shisha lounges set up for local tourists.
Overnight at a guesthouse in Bamyan.
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You’ll depart Bamian in the morning by road, traversing the Maidan Wardak route to Kabul. Formerly referred to as the “highway of death” due to the violence along the Maidan Wardak section of this road between the Taliban and government forces, it is now safe to travel openly and is the fastest way between Bamyan and Kabul, taking about 3 hours.
You can spend the afternoon exploring some of what Kabul has to offer. Some activities include a visit to the Chicken Street handicraft market or to Bibi Mahru hill for a sweeping panoramic view over the city.
Overnight at a hotel in Kabul.
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You’ll fly from Kabul to Herat in the far west of Afghanistan near the border with Iran in the morning.
Upon arrival, the first thing you’ll do is visit the Masjidi Jami, or Friday Mosque, built by the Ghurid ruler Ghiyas Ad-Din Ghori in 1,200. We will then tour the Herat tile factory. Before lunch, you can visit the Herat Citadel, which dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived in what is now Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela. Many empires have used it as a headquarters in the last 2,000 years, and it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. In the afternoon you will wander the Herat Bazaar and talk with locals.
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After breakfast, you will visit the Tomb of Goharshad and the Minarets of Herat, and the Musallah complex— the Mosque and Madrassa of Gawharshad. These architectural monuments were dynamited by officers of the British Indian Army in 1885 to prevent their use as a fortress if the Russian army tried to invade India; however, the tomb and minarets still remain standing today.
You will then visit the atmospheric shrine of Khoja Ansari at Gozar Gah, before going for a stroll around the Herat bazaar, one of the most lively old-style markets in Afghanistan and distinctly Persian in culture.
In the late afternoon, you can visit Herat’s most sacred site, the Friday Mosque, once again to soak in the atmosphere.
Overnight at the Bustan Hotel in Herat.
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After breakfast, you will begin the drive south into the Pashtun belt of Afghanistan. You will drive through the western desert along the Iranian border through Nimroz and Farah provinces of Afghanistan before dipping into Helmand and Kandahar.
This road was almost entirely impossible to drive until the fall of the former government to the Taliban, as it was almost entirely controlled by the militant group.
The road is a rarity in Afghanistan, in that it is entirely paved and in good condition, making the distance much more manageable. You’ll stop along the way to take photos and check out nomadic Kuchi settlements before reaching Kandahar city center. The entire drive takes about 7-8 hours.
Upon arrival in the city, you can visit the Kandahar bazaar, the Mosque of the Cloak, and the Shrine of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of modern Afghanistan. These two adjacent sites are the holiest and most sacred places in the city, representing the power of Islam along with the foundations of Pashtun identity and Afghanistan as a nation-state.
Overnight at a hotel in Kandahar.
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You’ll spend the entire day touring Kandahar city. Kandahar is the second-largest city in Afghanistan and the cultural home of the Pashtun people and the Taliban movement.
You can check out a few of the local sites, including the Kandahar Museum containing rarely seen pieces of art, the Shrine of Baba Wali, Chil Zena (forty steps) monument, the Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani, and the Sarphosa Bazar. We’ll also visit one of the most famous sites in Afghanistan, the Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammad. One of the holiest sites in Afghanistan, it contains what is said to be a cloak worn by Prophet Mohammad during his famous night journey. The cloak is locked away inside and has not been taken out since 1996 when Taliban leader Mullah Omar held it in his hands.
Overnight in Kandahar.
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After breakfast, you’ll head to Kandahar Airport for a quick return flight to Kabul, taking about 1 hour. Upon arrival, you can continue your exploration of Kabul city. You’ll visit the Gardens of Babur, the famous Kabul Bird Market, the Shah-e Doh Shamshira Mosque, the Sakhi Shrine, and the National Museum.
Overnight in Kabul.
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Your guide will drop you off at the airport according to your flight schedule. No planned activities.
PRICING
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1 traveller: $4630 USD per person
2 travellers: $2730 USD per person
3~6 travellers: $2370 USD per person
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Accommodation in local hotels and guesthouses (mid-range).
Three meals daily.
Travel permit letters.
Visa invitation letter.
Guide.
One-way domestic flights from Kabul to Herat and Kandahar to Kabul.
Private ground transportation with driver and petrol.
Entrance tickets per the itinerary.
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International flight tickets.
Afghan visa (must obtain abroad).
Personal spending.
Insurance.
Additional food and drinks.
Tips for local staff.
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Single supplement accommodation: $30 per person per night.
Hotel upgrades (speak with your guide to arrange in advance, costs are based on hotel pricing).
