Bamiyan & the Lakes

Bamiyan Province

Bamiyan

Set at 2,500 metres in the central highlands, Bamiyan was once a great stop on the Silk Road. Its cliffs are honeycombed with monastic caves, and its valleys open onto farmland ringed by the Koh-i-Baba range.

Between the 3rd and 10th centuries Bamiyan flourished as a Buddhist centre where Indian, Persian and Hellenistic art met. The cultural landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Best time to visit: May to October

Highlights

• The Buddha niches and cliff caves
• Shahr-e Gholghola, the City of Screams
• Shahr-e Zuhak, the Red City
• Village walks among poplar groves

Bamiyan Province

Band-e Amir

Afghanistan's first national park is a chain of six deep-blue lakes separated by natural mineral dams, framed by ochre cliffs.

Formed over millennia by mineral-rich water, the lakes were declared a national park in 2009.

Best time to visit: June to September

Highlights

• Band-e Haibat, the largest lake
• Cliff-top viewpoints
• Shrine of Hazrat Ali
• Picnics with local families