AFGHANISTAN: WAKHAN CORRIDOR
Highlights
The encounter with the Wakhi people, who have lived in these mountains for millennia
The Little Pamir, the Afghan “Roof of the World”
A night in tents at Kirghiz nomadic shepherd villages
The mysterious charm of Kabul
Where we sleep
Hotels and guesthouses, tents
How we move around
Car/Minivan, 4×4 vehicles with local drivers
TYPE OF TRIP
Road trip on dirt or rough roads with a private driver, in an unstable territory not accustomed to tourism. Overnight stays are planned in guesthouses and tents with shared bathrooms, requiring adaptability. No particularly demanding trekking is included, but very long transfers are expected. For security reasons, the degree of autonomy in movements and visits is limited
For further information about our trips, please consult the FAQ section.
DAY 1: departure from Italy with connecting flights to Dushanbe. Depending on the flight schedule, overnight flight or overnight layover
DAY 2: arrival at Dushanbe International Airport, completion of entry formalities into the country and transfer to the hotel. Afternoon dedicated to the capital of Tajikistan, with a visit to Independence Square, the true beating heart of the city, home to the Parliament Palace and the famous Independence Monument, and to the Haji Yakub Mosque. Dinner and overnight stay in Dushanbe
Morning and afternoon: morning departure, destination? Afghanistan! Arrival at the border crossing, completion of visa procedures and entry into the country. Continuation of the long journey, arrival at the hotel in Kunduz for check-in and briefing on the travel itinerary and on the behavior to adopt within the country, with our local representatives
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Kunduz
Morning: breakfast and departure from Kunduz, the seventh most populous city in the country and once an important city of the ancient historical region of Bactria, an area considered the origin of Zoroastrianism and later a center of diffusion for Buddhism and Islam.
Afternoon: lunch stop and continuation of the journey eastward. Entry into Badakhshan Province, gradually ascending in altitude until reaching Fayzabad, which, with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, is the capital of this vast province, highlighting how sparsely populated this area of the country is. Registration and collection, at the provincial tourism offices, of the permits required to travel in this region of Afghanistan, and visit to the local bazaar
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Fayzabad
Morning: back on the road, still heading east, through the scenic valleys following the course of the Kokcha River. Arrival around lunchtime in the village of Ishkashim, on the banks of the Panj River, which marks the natural border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan
Afternoon: visit to the village of Ishkashim, at 2,600 meters above sea level, and its market; registration at the local tourism office and purchase of supplies for the following days in the Wakhan Corridor
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Ishkashim
Morning: this day marks the beginning of the journey into the Wakhan Corridor, following the course of the Amu Darya River and continuing along the border with Tajikistan; the spectacular landscape dominated by high mountains surrounding the valley offers wonderful scenery that changes continuously as the kilometers pass
Afternoon: stop along the route for lunch and continuation of the journey on dirt roads with several photographic stops at viewpoints and shrines. It will also be possible to observe the typical local fauna, spotting herds of yaks. Late afternoon arrival in the village of Panja, once the capital of the old Kingdom of Wakhan, where nearby stands the Hunting Residence of Zahir Shah, the last King of Afghanistan
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in the village of Panja
Mattina: colazione e lasciata Panja alle spalle, nuovamente in marcia sulle dure strade della Provincia di Badakhshan, lungo il Corridoio di Wakhan
Pomeriggio: breve stop per il pranzo lungo il percorso e prosecuzione del viaggio con soste fotografiche e presso villaggi locali abitati da persone di etnia Wakhi, un popolo persiano di origine tajika. I Wakhi, altrimenti chiamati Pamiri in Afghanistan, sono ismailiti, un ramo progressista dell’Islam sciita e seguaci dell’Aga Khan. Praticano l’agricoltura di montagna, la coltivazione di grano, orzo, patate, fagioli e piselli a valle, e l’allevamento di yak, pecore e capre su pascoli d’alta quota sopra i 4.000 metri durante l’estate, dove dormono in tende nomadi di pelliccia di yak. Arrivo nel tardo pomeriggio al piccolo villaggio di Sarhad-e Broghil a 3900 metri sul livello del mare, dove la valle progressivamente si restringe e le montagne sembrano avvicinarsi tra loro
Sera: cena e notte a Sarhad-e Broghil
Morning: morning departure, the journey delves deeper into the remote Wakhan Corridor, heading towards the Little Pamir, called by Afghans the roof of the world. Lunch stop along the way
Afternoon: along the route, visit to the domed tomb site of Bazai Gonbad and a viewpoint over the Wakhjir Pass, which at 4,923 meters connects Afghanistan with China. Late afternoon arrival in the Little Pamir, near a predominantly Kyrgyz village, where it will be possible to observe the ancestral nomadic lifestyle of the local population. There are no hotels or guesthouses here, and tents will be set up for the night
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in tents near a predominantly Kyrgyz village
Morning: day dedicated to exploring the lush valley of the Little Pamir, used by Kirghiz nomadic shepherds as grazing land for their herds during the summer period. It will feel like being in a timeless place
Afternoon: with snow-capped peaks rising over 5,000 meters in the background, visit to the glacial lake of Chaqmaqtin, formed thousands of years ago by melting ice at an altitude of 4,024 meters. Short trek in the surrounding area for wildlife spotting such as Marco Polo sheep, deer, yaks, and, with great luck, snow leopards
Evening: dinner and return to Sarhad-e-Broghel
Morning and afternoon: continuation of the journey towards Panja, with several stops along the way and possible completion of activities not carried out during previous days.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Panja
Morning and afternoon: wake up and departure from the Wakhan Corridor, leaving the remote landscapes behind to take the road leading towards a, albeit limited, form of urbanization. The final destination of the day will be Fayzabad.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Fayzabad
DAY 12: Today we drive from Faizabad to Kunduz along the Amu River, passing through beautiful villages and small towns. Overnight stay in Kunduz.
DAY 13: morning departure until reaching 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 at the hotel in the evening or possibly even at night
Morning and afternoon: morning flight from Kabul to Kandahar, the second largest city in Afghanistan, to immerse in its historically rich atmosphere. Visit to some of the main local sites, including the Kandahar Museum, which houses rare works of art, and the Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of modern Afghanistan.
Next, visit to the Sarposa Bazaar and the Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Muhammad, one of the holiest places in the country. Inside it is preserved what is believed to be a cloak worn by the Prophet during his famous night journey. The cloak has not been publicly displayed since 1996.
Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Kandahar
DAY 15: return to Kabul by plane and after lunch visit to the anti-personnel mine museum, the Sakhi shrine, and the Shah-e-Do Sham Shira mosque, which means “the king of the two swords”
DAY 16: walking tour along Chicken Street, which recalls the times when the city was an important hub for travel along the so-called “hippie trail” of the 1960s. Possibility to shop in one of the many stores along the street, rediscovering, after so much isolation, the chaotic and fascinating vibrancy of Kabul. Lunch in one of the restaurants not far from Chicken Street and subsequent transfer to the airport.
It is time to say goodbye to Afghanistan and to our fantastic local team. Departure flight from the country in the afternoon and… see you on the next adventure!
