13 days trip: Mulberry Trip April 2021
Trip assumed to originate from Kabul Airport
No. Of people: Six
Date: April 2nd, 2021 – April 14th, 2021
Day 1 Friday, Kabul Arrival
Date: April 2nd, 2021
Arrival and security briefing at the hotel, after which we will visit the Kabul National Museum. It’s collection was once one of the most important in Central Asia, with over 100,000 items dating back several millennia. At the start of the civil war, in 1992, the museum was looted numerous times, resulting in the loss of 70% of the collection. Since 2007, a number of international organisations have helped the Afghan government recover more than 8,000 artefacts
Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse
Day 2 Saturday, Kabul-Bamyan
Date: April 3rd, 2021
Early in the morning we will head to Kabul Airport for our flight to Bamyan. From Bamyan airport, we will journey out 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. We will also journey out to Shahr-e Zuhak, also known as The Red City, the very beautiful and spectacularly-situated ruins, which were once home to 3,000 people. Genghis Khan also destroyed this ancient citadel, which was then the primary defence for the Bamyan Valley.
Overnight at Noorbandqala Hotel
Day 3 Sunday, Band-e-Ameer
Date: April 4th, 2021
Today we visit the six deep 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. We will journey back to our hotel in Bamyan for the night.
Overnight at Noorbandqala Hotel
Day 4 Monday, Bamyan and around
Date: April 5th, 2021
We will have some time today to visit the Bud Bacha (Little Buddha) in Kakrak Valley and the natural landscapes of the Darre Ajdaha (Dragon Valley). Locals believe that Ali, killed a dragon here and divided it into two pieces. There will be time after lunch to have a look around the Bamyan Bazaar, as well as photo opportunities at the best spots around town. We will return to the hotel in the evening for our final night in Bamyan.
Overnight at Noorbandqala Hotel
Day 5 Tuesday, Bamyan – Kabul / Herat
Date: April 6th, 2021
There will be an early flight back to Kabul where we will have breakfast. Then it will be the time to have a look around the famous bazaar in Chicken Street, a great place to pick up a souvenir. We will then head to the Western Cemetery which was a British military camp or “cantonment” and the site of the 1879 “Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment” in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The cemetery is home to many memorials and graves for the fallen western soldiers who have fought in various conflicts throughout the history of Kabul. It is looked after by an Afghan father and son. We will then catch our flight to Herat later in the afternoon.
Overnight at Kakh Hotel
Day 6 Wednesday, Herat and Around
Date: April 7th, 2021
First thing this morning we will visit the Masjidi Jami or Friday Mosque, originally built by the Ghurid ruler, Ghiyas ad-Din Ghori, in 1200AD (597 AH). After his death, the building was continued by his brother and successor Muhammad of Ghor. After falling into ruin and then being destroyed by an earthquake, the current mosque was completed in 1446AD. We will continue on to see the tile factory of Herat. After lunch we will tour the Herat citadel, which dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived in Afghanistan, after the Battle of Gaugamela. This battle was Alexander’s decisive battle in his invasion and conquest of the ancient Persian Achaeminid Empire. Many empires have since used it as their headquarters over the last 2,000 years, and it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Later we will look around the Herat Bazaar.
Overnight at Kakh Hotel
Day 7 Thursday, Herat –Kabul
Date: April 8th, 2021
This morning we will visit the tomb of Goharshad and the Minarets of Herat, part of what was originally a much larger complex: the Mosque and Madrassa of Gawharshad. Unfortunately, much of the complex was dynamited and destroyed by officers of the British Indian Army in 1885 to prevent it’s use as a fortress, as they feared a Russian invasion of India. But the tomb and minarets are thankfully still standing, and are amongst the most famous landmarks of Herat. In the afternoon we will guide you to the Guzargah Mosque and Puli Malaan, a fine old 22-arched bridge, believed to have been constructed by the Seljuks in the early 12th century. Locals believe it was built by two sisters, named Bibi Hur and Bibi Noor. We will fly to Kabul in the late afternoon.
Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse
Day 8 Friday, Kabul-Panjshir
Date: April 9th, 2021
Today we will journey to Panjshir and the tomb of Ahmad Shah Masood. Panjshir literally means "Five Lions", referring to the five Wali, literally “protectors”, the spiritual brothers who were believed to have lived in this valley. Local legend has it that the five brothers built a dam for Sultan Mahmud of Ghaznawi in the early 11th century. More recently, this area was the scene of the “Panjshir Offensives”, fought between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the occupying Soviet army, against the Mujahadin from 1980 to 1985. The valley again witnessed renewed fighting during the civil war in Afghanistan (1996-2001), this time between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, under the command of the, by now, national hero, Ahmad Shah Masood, the “Lion of Panjshir”. We will have lunch at the river bank here, before the journey back to Kabul.
Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse
Day 9 Saturday, Kabul - Mazar-e-Sharif
Date: April 10th, 2021
This morning we will visit an old turquoise-tiled mosque named Sakhi Shrine in the west of Kabul. This place is very sacred to Shia Muslims, who believe it to be the final resting-place of Hazrati Ali, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. We will then make the short trip out to visit Qargha Lake, a popular local scenic spot, before heading to the airport to catch the afternoon flight to Mazar-e-Sharif.
Overnight at Arsalan Hotel
Day 10 Sunday, Mazar-e-Sharif and Samangan
Date: April 11th, 2021
Today we will have a great road trip out to Samangan, where we will visit Takht-i Rustam (Haibak), literal meaning the throne of Rustam. Named after a king in Persian mythology, this hilltop settlement, dating from the third or fourth century, is a very well-known archaeological site in Afghanistan. The stupa and the adjacent caves and temples were hewn out of the solid rock by the Buddhist monks, who once lived here. The unique stupa is in the form of a mound and it is the earliest known site showing the evolution of Buddhist architecture in Afghanistan. We will travel back to our hotel late in the afternoon.
Overnight at Arsalan Hotel
Day 11 Monday, Mazar-e-Sharif –Balkh-Kabul
Date: April 12th, 2021
This morning we will travel out to the Charkent Valley, and the impressive “Genghis Khan Gate”. This gate has been the scene of many extraordinary events over hundreds of years. It’s striking situation has made it a site easily defended at times of invasion. It reputedly saved the lives of many at the time of Genghis Khan’s devastating invasion, and in more recent times thousands took refuge behind the gate, both from the invading Soviet army, and, in 1996, from the Taliban. In the afternoon we will return to Mazar-e-Sharef to visit the iconic Blue Mosque and the shrine of Hazrat Ali. This is one of the most famous, and most beautiful sacred sites in the Islamic world. The exquisitely-patterned decoration of the shrine, is set in an expansive white marble courtyard. Add the great flocks of white doves, and a dazzling blue sky, and you have one of the best photo locations in all of Central Asia.We will take an early evening flight back to Kabul.
Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse
Day 12 Tuesday, Kabul and around
Date: April 13th, 2021
This morning we will visit the Shah Do Shamshira (“The King with Two Swords”) Mosque in the heart of the city of Kabul. Built by King Amanullah Khan in memory of the arab king, who forced the people of Kabul to convert to Islam in 683AD, by wielding his two swords. In the afternoon, we will take a tour around the Gardens of Babur, a historic park that is also the last resting-place of the first Mughal emperor, Babur, who died in 1530. The gardens are thought to have been developed around 1528 when Babur gave orders for the construction of an “avenue garden,” described in some detail in his memoirs, the Baburnama. It is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in the whole city, and is very popular with locals as a place to picnic. Then we will take a trip up into Bibi Mahro Hills for a fabulous panorama of the ever-growing city of Kabul.
Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse
Day 13 Wednesday, Fly back (Good-bye)
Date: April 14th, 2021
After breakfast, we will drop you at the airport in plenty of time for your flight back home.
Note: If you do have an afternoon flight, there will be more time to explore Kabul, before going to the airport
Security:
We are member of Afghanistan NGO Security Organization (ANSO) that reports any security issues going around Afghanistan. A text message comes to our phone immediately if something happens and we can decide what to do and where to go in a second.
Visas:
We can send you a Letter of Invitation (LoI) to easily process your visa through our company. But, it is not a requirement for the tourist visa when you fill the form in the Afghanistan embassy. Most of the time they don’t even ask for a LoI.
Insurance:
For your travel insurance whilst in Afghanistan, contact any of the following High-Risk Destination/Activity Travel Insurance Providers:
Clements Travel Insurance https://www.clements.com/
New York International Group http://www.nyig.com/
Global Underwriters Travel Insurance https://www.globalunderwriters.com/
Global Rescue https://www.globalrescue.com/
First Allied (currently not offering services, should return soon) https://www.firstallied.co.uk/
Included in the trip: (All inclusive)
- All accommodations.
- English speaking local guide.
- Transportations.
- Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
- Drinks (water and soft drinks).
- Round trip flight tickets Kabul-Bamyan/ Kabul-Herat/ Kabul- Mazar-e-Sharif.
- All site entries.
- All pick-ups and drops.
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:
As your comfort and enjoyment of the journey is the first priority, we choose our vehicles and drivers based on local acceptance, road conditions and the length of journey.
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