Classic Afghanistan

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

Kabul Province

Kabul

Kabul sits in a bowl of mountains and has been a crossroads for over three thousand years. Its gardens, museums and old bazaars reveal a city of quiet beauty.

Mughal emperor Babur loved Kabul so much he asked to be buried here; his garden tomb still overlooks the city.

Best time to visit: April to October

Highlights

• Bagh-e Babur gardens
• National Museum of Afghanistan
• Murad Khani old quarter
• Bird Market and Chicken Street

Herat Province

Herat

Herat was a capital of art under the Timurids. Its blue-tiled mosque, citadel and minarets make it one of the great historic cities of Central Asia.

In the 15th century Queen Gawhar Shad and the court of Sultan Husayn Bayqara made Herat a centre of miniature painting and poetry.

Best time to visit: March to May, September to November

Highlights

• Friday Mosque (Masjid-i Jami)
• Herat Citadel
• Musalla minarets
• Glass-blowing workshops