12-Day Afghanistan Sightseeing Tour with Bamyan and Mazar-e-Sharif

• Arrival at Kabul International Airport.
• Pick-up from the airport and drop-off at your hotel. We will spend some time settling in, changing money, and buying traditional clothes or an abaya. If time allows, we will also visit a few more sights.

• Full sightseeing in Kabul. We will visit the following places: Sakhi Shrine, also called the Blue Mosque of Kabul, which is a holy shrine for Shia, a minority group of Muslims in Afghanistan; King Amanullah Khan Palace; the Bird Market; and Babur Garden. Overnight in Kabul.

• We head to Bamyan early in the morning. Before arriving in Bamyan, we will visit Zuhak, also known as the Red City, on the way.
• After registering at the Department of Information and Culture, we will visit the following sights:
  • Buddha
  • Gholghola, also known as Scream City
  • The new city of Bamyan to interact with locals

Overnight in Bamyan.

• We head to Band-e-Amir, the first national park of Afghanistan. It is a lake believed to be the miracle of Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Hazrat e Ali. Overnight in Bamyan.

• We head back to Kabul. After arriving in Kabul, we will visit some more places in the city. Overnight in Kabul.

• Early in the morning, we head to Ghazni.
• We will first visit the Department of Information and Culture.
• Then we will visit the minarets of Bahram Shah from the Ghaznavid Empire period.
• After that, we visit the War Museum of Ghazni.
• In the afternoon, on our way back, we will visit the tomb of Sultan Mahmoud Ghaznavi and then head to Kabul.
• We will arrive back in Kabul in the evening. Overnight in Kabul.

• We head early in the morning to Parwan. After registering the permits, we will visit Buddha Stupa (Top Dara). This Buddhist shrine is believed to date back to 400 CE, during the Kushan Empire.
• Then we will visit Amanullah Khan Palace in Jabul Saraj.
• From the palace, we will continue our trip to another province of Afghanistan, where one of the most well-known jihadi leaders and warlords came from, who fought against the Taliban during their first government. This province is very famous for its breathtaking nature, mountains, and river.
• It is a wonderful place to visit and feel close to nature after visiting the big cities.
• After registering at the office, we will visit the tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the national hero and a well-known jihadi leader.
• In the afternoon, we head back to Kabul. Overnight in Kabul.

• Early in the morning, we will leave Kabul by bus for Mazar-e-Sharif.
• We will pass through the Salang Tunnel, which is about 3,000 m above sea level. We will travel through some of the most beautiful provinces of Afghanistan, full of natural beauty.
• We will arrive in Mazar-e-Sharif in the afternoon and spend a little time around the city.
• At sunset, we will visit the Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif, which is the perfect time to see the mosque. It is one of the holiest mosques in Afghanistan, where many Afghan people believe that the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad was reburied.
• We stay overnight in Mazar-e-Sharif.

• In the morning, we head to another province of Afghanistan that is famous for its Buddhist stupa, Takht e Rostam. The stupa is carved out of very rough stone in the ground. It is the place where Buddha's relics used to be kept.
• On our way back to Mazar-e-Sharif, we will visit Jahan Numa Palace and Tashqurghan Valley.
• We stay overnight in Mazar-e-Sharif.

• We start by registering at the Department of Information and Culture.
• We head to Balkh, one of the oldest cities in Afghanistan, where Alexander the Great laid out his headquarters.
• We visit Haji Piyadah Mosque, the first mosque built in Afghanistan by Arab warriors.
• Then we will visit the fortress and old city of Balkh, where Alexander the Great married his wife Rukhshana.
• We stay overnight in Mazar-e-Sharif.

• We take another bus back to Kabul.
• We will arrive back in Kabul in the afternoon.
• We visit Chicken Street, where you can buy souvenirs such as magnet flags, handicrafts, and antique jewelry.
• We stay overnight in Kabul.

• Transfer to the airport or border, and the tour will finish.