AFGHANISTAN

Morning: transfer to Bamiyan, one of the most fascinating and richest regions of Afghanistan from a landscape and cultural point of view. In 2001 the 2 colossal Buddha statues of Bamiyan dating back to the 4th–5th century were destroyed: despite the loss of an invaluable artistic heritage, the large rock-cut niches where the Buddhas once stood remain an impressive sight

Afternoon: visit to the remains of Shahr-e Zuhak, a fortress that according to legend owes its red color to the blood shed by Genghis Khan’s armies during the siege of Bamiyan (hence the nickname “red city”). The same fate befell Shahr-e Gholghola, known as the City of Screams, destroyed by the Mongols despite its reputation as an impregnable fortress. Visit to Dara-e Ajdahar, the beautiful “valley of dragons,” with its spectacular fault in a stunning desert landscape

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Bamiyan

Morning: day dedicated to visiting Band-e Amir, the first, as well as one of the most spectacular national parks in Afghanistan: six lakes, in a burst of blues ranging from cobalt to lapis lazuli, are set among imposing travertine peaks, which act as true natural dams

Afternoon: continuation of the visit of the Band-e Amir lakes, from the towering cliff walls of Band-e Haibat to the incredible turquoise waters of Band-e Zulfiqar, passing through the lush shores of Band-e Pudina, a kind of oasis where the green of wild vegetation, the blue of the water and sky, and the pinkish ochre of the mountains create a wonderful play of colors. In the Band-e Amir park it will also be possible to meet small groups of Afghan tourists trying to live a normal life in a context of extreme instability such as Afghanistan in recent decades. Arrival at a homestay in Band-e Amir

Evening: dinner and overnight stay as guests of local families in Band-e Amir

DAY 6: departure in 4×4 for a long journey through the central valleys of wild Afghanistan, across remote, mountainous regions of rugged beauty. Our local guides will ensure a safe journey in private vehicles through these little-traveled areas of Afghanistan. After a day of intense overland travel, with possible visits to rural villages of central Afghanistan, arrival and overnight stay in Chaghcharan, hosted in local family homes

DAY 7: continuation of the overland itinerary towards Herat. Along the way, visit the magnificent minaret of Jam, the second tallest brick minaret in the world at 65 meters, dating back to the 12th/13th century. Entirely built of bricks and glazed tiles, it is famous for its intricate decoration of alternating bands of Kūfic and Naskh calligraphy, geometric designs, and verses from the Quran. Continuation of the itinerary, arrival in the evening in Herat and hotel check-in

Morning: full day dedicated to visiting Herat. Visit to the magnificent Friday Mosque, dating back to the 13th century, built on an ancient Zoroastrian temple, and to the Citadel of Herat, built on the Kuhandazh hill north of the old city, already present in the time of Alexander the Great, who conquered the city during his incredible campaigns in Central Asia

Afternoon: continuation of the visit of Herat, among chaotic bazaars and precious places of worship, such as the Guzargah mausoleum, which hosts the shrine of Khodja Abdullah Ansari. Visit to the Tomb of Gowhar Shad Begum, Persian queen and wife of Shah Rukh, Timurid emperor of Herat, and to the complex of minarets and madrasas of Musallah

Evening: dinner and evening in Herat

Morning: transfer to Herat airport for the flight to Kabul. Arrival in the capital of Afghanistan and hotel check-in

Afternoon: visit to the mine museum, which displays 51 of the 53 types of mines used in the 1980s conflict, and highlights the work carried out by the Afghanistan Mine Action and Rehabilitation Organization (OMAR). Free time in Chicken Street and at the Ka Faroshi bird market, which unfolds in a maze of small alleys filled with locals engaged in bargaining

Evening: dinner and evening in Kabul

Morning: morning flight from Kabul to Mazar and a day dedicated to visiting Mazar-i Sharif, in particular its heart, the shrine of Hazrat Ali, which rises magnificently right in the center of the city. Built in 1100, destroyed by Genghis Khan and rebuilt in 1481, the shrine is one of the most recognizable monuments in all of Afghanistan, thanks to its turquoise domes and finely decorated walls

Afternoon: afternoon dedicated to the visit of Balkh, a few kilometers west of Mazar-i Sharif, near which stood Bactra, the historic capital of Bactria and an important eastern outpost of the great Persian Empire, of which the ancient fortress ruins can still be admired today. Visit to the Khodja Parsa mausoleum, in the heart of the city, tomb of the same-named spiritual leader who lived in the 15th century. Return to the hotel in Mazar in the late afternoon

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Mazar-i Sharif

Morning: continuation of the overland journey, heading south from Mazar-i Sharif along the main road that connects northern Afghanistan to Kabul. Along the way, visit Takht-e Rostam, a stupa built in the 3rd–4th century, carved into the rock. After the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban, Takht-e Rostam remains the most important pre-Islamic site in the country

Afternoon: the overland journey continues at increasingly higher altitudes among the often snow-capped peaks of the Hindu Kush, up to the infamous Salang Tunnel: built by the Soviets in the 1960s, abandoned and partially destroyed during the Taliban rule of the 1990s, and later rebuilt in 2002, the Salang Tunnel is the backbone of the country’s communications and at the same time a “trap,” the scene of dark events, from multiple deadly avalanches to Mujahideen ambushes against the Soviets. Arrival in Kabul

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Kabul

Morning: early departure to Kabul airport. Connecting flight back to Italy, arrival on day 13… And see you on the next adventure!