SOVIET HERITAGE AND SILK ROAD ECHOES
APRIL 27 ⇾ MAY 05
SEPTEMBER 03 ⇾ SEPTEMBER 11
In addition to our regular group departures to Afghanistan, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to Afghanistan!
DAY 1 to DAY 2 – Kabul
Meet-and-greet at Kabul International Airport, transfer to our hotel of choice and introductory briefing about the country, the route and the set of rules to observe while travelling around the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
One-and-half-day of urban gallivanting around Kabul: Shah Do Shamshira Mosque, Andarabi Road, National Museum, Babur Gardens, Bird Market, Russian Cultural Centre, Kabul University, Ziarat-e Sakhi (Blue Mosque), the USSR-era mikrorayon neighbourhood, the Soviet-built open-air swimming pool, the exquisitely brutalist buildings of the Cinema Pamir and the Ministry of Telecommunications, and the fancily modernist Intercontinental Hotel.
Overnights in Kabul.
DAY 3 – Mazar-i-Sharif
Morning flight to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and guided tour around the magnificent blue-tiled mosque-cum-mausoleum of Hazrat Ali, the most important religious site in northern Afghanistan.
Afternoon short side trip out of Mazar to visit the ancient Silk Road town of Balkh, known as Bactria to the Greeks, the birthplace of both Zoroaster, the very founder of Zoroastrianism, and Rumi, the world-famous Persian poet.
Overnight in Mazar.
DAY 4 – SAMANGAN
We’ll leave Mazar early in the morning and foray into the neighbouring Samangan Province, where we’ll peruse the truly impressive Buddhist stupas dotting the area.
In the early afternoon we’ll then catch our flight back to Kabul to enjoy an evening stroll and a fancy dinner in the lively uptown neighbourhood of Shahr-e Naw.
Overnight in Kabul.
DAY 5 – Herat
Morning flight to Herat and full day entirely devoted to the third-largest city of Afghanistan, home to a multi-ethnic population of Tajiks, Pashtuns, Uzbeks, and Hazaras.
Highlights of your sojourn in Herat will include: the ancient Citadel, the mesmerisingly beautiful Friday Mosque, the evoking Tomb of Gowar Shad, the unreal-looking Masullah Minarets, the splendid shrine of Khoja Ansari at Gazar Gah, the Seljukid-era Malan Bridge, and the atmospheric central bazaar.
Overnight in Herat.
Bespoke Experiences • Visit to the legendary kamra-e-faoree (wooden box camera) photo studio in Kabul, traditional dinner with a local Hazara family in Bamyan, and – depending on the current event calendar – attendance at a buzkashi match in Mazar-i-Sharif.
DAY 6 – Bamyan
Domestic flight back to Kabul and overland transfer to Bamyan via the once restive Wardak province, an agricultural land of green fields and mud villages mainly inhabited by Sunni Pashtuns.
Conversely, Bamyan is the capital of Hazarajat, a historical region dominated by the Hazaras, a rather peaceful Turkic-Mongol people that make up around 23% of Afghanistan’s population and mostly follow the Shia branch of Islam.
Besides the routine stops for classic landscape pictures, we’ll make a few breaks along the scenic road to Bamyan to visit charming Shia villages, towering sand-coloured forts, and crumbling caravanserais dating back to the heydays of the Silk Road.
Once in Bamyan, we will visit the world-famous and sadly empty Buddha Niches, stroll around the Central Bazar, and then head to the photogenic ruins of Shahr-e Gholghola (City of Screams) and Shahr-e Zuhak (Red City).
Overnight in Bamyan.
DAY 7 – Band-e-Amir
Today we will drive to the sublimely gorgeous heaven on Earth that is Band-e-Amir, a series of six crystal-clear deep blue lakes separated by natural dams of travertine.
Band-e-Amir was to become Afghanistan’s first national park in the 1960s, but this was delayed due to political crises and the decades of wars, until finally, in 2004, Band-e-Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site; five years later, it became a protected national park, the very first of its kind in the country.
We’ll spend a few hours exploring Band-e-Amir and taking in its laid-back atmosphere, before heading back to Bamyan in the late afternoon with a final detour through the breathtaking landscapes of Darre-Ajdaha (Dragon Valley).
Overnight in Bamyan.
DAY 8 – SHEWAKI
After a relaxed breakfast in Bamyan, we’ll set off for the final leg of our Afghanistan tour, slowly clocking up the miles for our glorious return to Kabul.
Back in Kabul, we’ll first pay a visit to the stately Shewaki stupa just south of the capital and then crown the day with a grand dinner party in true Afghan fashion.
Overnight in Kabul.
DAY 9 – Farewell to Afghanistan
It’s time to say khuda hafiz and parting from the gentle and proud people of Afghanistan: we’ll take care of your transfer to Kabul International Airport and make sure you get on your flight back home or towards yet another fascinating destination in the region such as Pakistan or Uzbekistan.
End of the tour.
MINARET OF JAM EXTENSION – 4 DAYs | 1850 €
A once-in-a-lifetime adventure for those brave and tenacious enough to embark on the long overland journey to the Holy Grail of the travel community: the almost legendary Minaret of Jam, an extremely remote 65-metre tall minaret daring back to the late 12th century and famous for its intricate brick, stucco and glazed tile decoration, which consists of alternating bands of kufic and naskhi calligraphy, geometric patterns, and verses from the Qur'an.
Contact us to learn more about the content and the logistics of this unforgettable adventure.
KANDAHAR AND PASHTUNISTAN – 4 DAYs | 1250 €
Domestic flight from Kabul to the untamed southern capital of Afghanistan, the famed city of Kandahar, and four-day-three-night tour of the Afghan deep south, also known Pashtunistan, the heartland of the Pashtun people. Major stops, besides Kandahar itself, will include Lashkargah, the historical capital of Helmand Province, and Ghazni, the ancient Alexandria in Opiana, home to a vast array of awe-striking historical sights such as the old citadel, the Ghaznavid minarests, and the Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III.
Contact us to learn more about the details of this audacious side trip from Kabul.
2995 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in the region (car/minivan), domestic flights within Afghanistan, entrance fees for the attractions listed in the itinerary, English-speaking guiding and translation service, 24/7 in situ and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, meals, drinks and tips, visas if required, entrance to attractions not listed in the itinerary, insurance.
Afghanistan Tours*LEGAL DISCLAIMER – Soviet Tours works neither with nor for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban movement) nor any other government agencies of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban movement). Neither monetary transactions nor any kind of formal or informal communications are currently taking place (or have taken place in the past) between Soviet Tours and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban movement) or any of its branches or any other internationally sanctioned state or private entities within the territory of Afghanistan. The local guides we collaborate with are all freelancers and/or solo traders and – to our best knowledge – are not associated in any form with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban movement) or any of its branches or any other internationally sanctioned state or private entities within the territory Afghanistan.
Das Anbieten/Vermitteln/Veranstalten/Durchführen von Reiseleistungen nach/in Afghanistan stellt keinen Verstoß gegen bestehende EU/DE Sanktionen dar, da der reine Fremdenverkehr für touristische Zwecke – sofern es keine Zusammenarbeit mit sanktionierten Organisationen/Behörden besteht – eine der wenigen Sparten der afghanischen Wirtschaft ist, die von den besagten Sanktionen nicht betroffen wird.