SOVIET HERITAGE AND SILK ROAD MAGIC

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 self-styled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

  • Two-day urban exploration in and around Kabul: Shah Do Shamshira Mosque, Andarabi Road, National Museum, Babur Gardens, Bird Market, Russian Cultural Centre, Kabul University, the USSR-era mikrorayon neighbourhood, the Soviet-built open-air swimming pool, the exquisitely brutalist Kabul Tower, and the fancily modernist Intercontinental Hotel.

  • Overnights in Kabul.

DAY 3 to DAY 4 - Herat

  • Domestic flight to Herat and two days 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, and the atmospheric central bazaar.

  • Overnights in Herat.

DAY 5 TO DAY 6 - Mazar-i-Sharif

  • Domestic flight via Kabul to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and guided tour around the sublime blue-tiled tomb of Hazrat Ali, the most important religious site in Afghanistan.

  • On the following day we will take a 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.

  • If time permits, we will also foray into the neighbouring Samangan Province and tour the picturesque hill-top hamlets and remote Buddhist stupas dotting the area.

  • Overnights in Mazar.

Bespoke Experiences • Visit to a traditional kamra-e-faoree (wooden box camera) photo studio in Kabul and – depending on the current event calendar – attendance at a buzkashi match in Mazar-i-Sharif.

DAY 7 - Bamyan

  • Flight back to Kabul and overland transfer to Bamyan, the capital of the Hazarajat, a historical region dominated by the Hazaras, a Turkic-Mongol people that make up around 23% of Afghanistan’s population and mostly follow the Shia branch of Islam.

  • 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), a medieval town just outside Bamyan.

  • At sunset we will drive through the breathtaking landscapes of Darre-Ajdaha (Dragon valley), before eventually heading back to Bamyan for the night.

  • Overnight in Bamyan.

DAY 8 - Band-e-Amir

  • Today we will drive to the sublimely gorgeous blue lakes at Band-e-Amir, a series of six deep blue lakes separated by natural dams made 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 the entire day in Band-e-Amir and then head back to Bamyan in the late afternoon.

  • Overnight in Bamyan.

DAY 9 - Farewell to Afghanistan

  • After sharing a last Afghan meal together, we'll take care of your transfer back to the capital and onto Kabul International Airport.

  • Additional sightseeing and extra overnight in Kabul for those guests flying out of Afghanistan on the following day.

  • 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 side trip from Herat.

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 content and the logistics of this unforgettable side trip from Herat.

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 
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.