9 days trip : Biking Tour in Bamyan

Trip assumed to originate from Kabul Airport

No. Of people: 10

Date: Sept. 18th, 2020 – Sept. 26th, 2020

Day 1 Wednesday, Kabul Arrival

Date: Sep. 18th, 2020 

Arrival and briefing at the hotel and then we will have time for Kabul National Museum. Its collection had earlier been one of the most important in Central Asia, with over 100,000 items dating back several millennia. With the start of the civil war in 1992, the museum was looted numerous times resulting in a loss of 70% of the 100,000 objects on display. Since 2007, a number of international organizations have helped to recover over 8,000 artefacts. 

Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse 

Day 2 Thursday, Kabul-Bamyan

Date: Sep. 19th, 2020

Early in the morning we will leave hotel to Kabul Airport aiming to fly to Bamyan and while in Bamyan we will have time to visit Buddha Niches. The Buddha’s of Bamyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the peaceful Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan and were dynamited and destroyed in Sepch 2001 by the Taliban. Shahr-e Gholghola also (City of Screams) is 13th century city in Bamyan, Afghanistan which was conquered by Gengis Khan after months of surrounding. The ruins still remain close to the Bamyan town and Shahr-e Zuhak also known as The Red City is an historic city ruins in Bamyan, Afghanistan which was once home to 3,000 people. This city used to be priSepy defence for the basin. 

Overnight at Noorbandqala Hotel 

Day 3 Friday, Bamyan to Dashti Ghojor (Bozorg Desert)

Date: Sep. 20th, 2020

Early in the morning will be leaving hotel with our pre prepared equipment aiming to hit the road to the unseen of Bamyan through Surkhdar valley towards Jim Qala and Jawpalal 45 Kms away from Bamyan center. You will be riding and seeing villages, locals farming, life, shepherds caring for their flocks, nomads in their tents, landscapes and sceneries continue like this mountain to mountain till Dashti Ghojor where we will camp overnight and see the life of people looking after their livestock 60 KMs away from Bamyan.

Altitude: 2500-3000

Day 4 Saturday, Dashti Ghojor to Band-e-Ameer

Date: Sep. 21st, 2020

The riding will continue to Gupruk and Pai Kutal villages till the blue lakes of Band-e-Amir, a series of six deep blue lakes 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 reference to Ali, the first Imam of Muslims (Shias) and the fourth Caliph of Islam (to Sunnis) and The 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 political crises and the decades of wars. In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site. In 2009, Band-e Amir was finally declared Afghanistan's first national park. As of 2013 tourists visit the Band-e Amir National Park every year and will be riding to each of the 5 dams in each by each. Will stay at a local house overnight.

Altitude: 2900 

Overnight at Noorbandqala Hotel 

Day 5 Sunday, Band-e-Ameer to Chaman-e-Yakawalang

Date: Sep. 22nd, 2020

We will wake up at 6:00am (depends on who wants to see the sunrise) to witness the sunrise at Band-e-Ameer and will take our time for the breakfast. Biking on the road will begin at 9:00am as we’ll be on the paved road at Ku-e-Kinak village continued to Firuz Bahar village till Nayak at the center of Yakawalang district. Lunch at a local restaurant and shop the materials needed for the upcoming days at Nayak Bazaar. The two hours riding continues in the afternoon till Chaman-e-Yakawalang a nice green village naturally decorated with enormous amount of lawns and threes and the bird sings in the evening. A local house is arranged for the overnight stay in Chaman.

Altitude: 3000

Day 6 Monday, Chaman-e-Yakawalang to Chehelburj

Date: Sep. 23rd, 2020

Riding to Chehelburj will pass through one of the most amazing part of the nature as Sazbdara (the Green valley) is on the way. Chehelburj or the forty towers fort was built during the Ghorid Dynasty in 12-13 centuries. The ruins are situated in the remote Yakawalang district. Today the 34 towers remain partially intact, rarely visited by foreigner and there has been no archeological or preservations work done. The ancient paintings are luckily still available at the windows of this brilliant 5-6th century architecture. Overnight at a local guesthouse by Aghakhan foundation.

Altitude: 2540

Day 7 Tuesday, Fishing at Chehilburj and drive back to Bamyan

Date: Sep. 24th, 2020

We will relax and fish at a natural dam at DarreChasht created by snow melt water from the region and the flowing wather from Band-e-Ameer. Our transportation is ready to drive us back to Bamyan in the afternoon.

Overnight at Noorbandqala in Bamyan

Elevation: 2500

Day 8 Tuesday, Flight from Bamyan to Kabul

Date: Sep. 25th, 2020

Visit to Shah Do Shamshira (the king with two swords) Mosque at the heart of Kabul city built by the King Amanullah khan in the memory of the Arab King who forced Kabul people in to Islam in the early 683 with his two swords. In the Afternoon, The Gardens of Babur, locally called Bagh-e Babur is a historic park in Kabul and also the last resting-place of the first Mughal emperor Babur. The gardens are thought to have been developed around 1528 when Babur gave orders for the construction of an ‘avenue garden’ in Kabul, described in some detail in his memoirs, the Baburnama. Then we will take you for an overall view of Kabul city at Bibi Mahro Hills.

Overnight at ASSA 3 Guesthouse

Day 9 Monday, Fly back (Good-bye)

Date: Sep. 26th, 2020

We will make sure to drop you at the airport on-time in order to make your flight back home.

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.

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 an Afghan English speaking guide for you during the whole trip.

Accommodation:

Comfort, location, character and historical interest is considered and it will be based on you having a private room.

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.