I have read all travel blog about trip to Afghanistan and get conclusion that this country have security warning. But i don’t want to bring misconception about this opinion, since there are many place that can you visit safely in Afghanistan with right preparation, right time, and right itinerary.
So let’s begin the journey....
How to get to Afghanistan
a. By air
The flights to Afghanistan usually land in:
1. Kabul airport
2. Herat airport (now mainly from Iran and with Afghan and Iranian airlines)
3. Mazar-e-Sharif airport
4. Kandahar airport
There are many airlines that provide flights to Afghanistan in different solutions. From Europe and the US, you won’t find direct flights, and you will always have a stopover in hubs such as Istanbul, Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Some cheap flights to Afghanistan with companies such as Pegasus and FlyDubai, but usually with long layovers that will make the whole journey some 20-30 hours long. Turkish Airlines, too, travel to Afghanistan, providing shorter and more expensive flights.
Here is some airline that have destination to Afghanistan:
- Turkish Airlines operates flights from Istanbul to Kabul.
- Kam Air operates flights from several international destinations. These include Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Dushanbe (Tajikistan).
- Ariana Afghan Airlines operates flights from several international destinations, including Ankara (Turkey), Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Istanbul (Turkey), Moscow (Russia), and Urumqi (China).
b. By land
1. From Uzbekistan to Hayratan, Mazar Sharif
2. From Tajikistan to Shir Khan port in Kunduz Province and to Ishkashim port town to visit the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan Province. Once you arrive in Ishkashim town, you need a hand-written permit in addition to your Afghan visa to get to the Wakhan Corridor.
3. From Turkmenistan to Tourghondi port in Herat Province and Aqina port in Faryab Province
4. From Iran to Islam Qala port in Herat Province and to Zaranje port in Nimrooz Province
5. From Pakistan to Turkham port in Nangarhar Province, Espin Boldak port in Kandahar Province and Gholam Khan port in Khost Province.
Money and How it spend
There are ATMs in Afghanistan which take foreign cards. Fellow travellers have reported few or no issues withdrawing local currency (Afghanis). If you have easy access to Euros or US Dollars, exchanging both is easy. US Dollars could even be used interchangeably with Afghanis in some situations, for example as payment in restaurants, with change given in Afghanis. ATM’s sometime work in Kabul. Money exchangers can be found near most markets and hotels their rates are fair and they change Euro and USD.
In Afghanistan, there are five main companies providing Sim cards and 3G internet throughout the country: Etisalat, Roshan, Afghan Wireless, MTN, and Salam.
Sim cards are sold registered everywhere for as little as 60-100 Afs. If you are two people, we recommend an Etisalat and a Roshan because in places where one doesn’t work the other one does.
The prices for 3G internet
10 GBs of internet are 1100 Afghani;
3 GBs of internet, 600 Afs;
1 GB of internet, 275 Afs.
All the mentioned internet packages have one-month validation date. To make a call inside the country you will be charged 2-5 Afs per minute depending on which companies you are calling to. International calls are some 10-15 Afs unless you activate one of the international call offers.
You can find more information on www.roshan.af. and www.etisalat.af websites. You can buy your Sim card either in the waiting hall of Kabul Airport before to the Taxi station or in the city from many street vendors. Already registered Sim cards cost 50-100 Afs.
Average costs for Afghanistan
- Total per day: 3,858 Afs / €54 / $59
- Food and drinks per day: 400 – 700 Afs/ €5.55 – 9.70 / $6.15 – 10.80
- Accommodation per day: 1,300 – 2,000 Afs / €18 – 28/ $20 – 30
- Flight between cities: 3,250 – 7,150 Afs/ €45 – 99/ $50 – 110
- Taxi for a day trip: 1,300 – 3,250 Afs / €18 – 45 / $20 – 50
- Taxi around town: 1,00 – 3,00 Afs/ €1.35 – 4.15/ $1.55 – 4.60
- Entrance to tourist sights: 0 – 800 Afs / €0 – 11.10 / $0 – 12.30
Taxi fares from airport
From Herat airport to the city: 350-400 Afs
From Kabul airport to Shahr-e-Now: 200-250 Afs
From Mazar-e Sharif to the city: 250-300 Afs
From Bamyan Airport to the city: 200-250 Afs
Travel Itinerary
Day 1 – Start from Kabul
A trip to Kabul reveals an intense portrait of Afghanistan's past, present, and future. Step out of Kabul to go to Bagram and see Bagram Airfield , which is approximately 1h 10 min away. There's lots more to do: make a trip to Babur Tomb , explore the different monuments and memorials at Christian Cemetery , admire the landmark architecture of Darul Aman Palace , and explore the activities along Qargha Lake .
Place to visit in Kabul :
The Garden of Babur. “Bagh-e-Baburباغ بابر” was built in the 16th century and is the resting place of the Mughal emperor Babur. Many Kabul residents come to this park with their families to picnic under the shades of trees and on the greenery or for the afternoon tea.
Entrance admission fee: 150 Afghani
Cameras: Allowed, 100 extra Afghani admission fee
Timings:
Every day from morning to evening, mornings are recommended
How to get there
. By taxi, the fare is 150-200 Afghani from Shahr-e Now.
Koche-e-kah froshi “
کوچه
کاه
فروشی
کابل
”.
Literally, it means straw selling alley, even though there is hardly any
shop selling such goods. Instead, all shops are full of beautiful birds
sadly in cages. It is one of the historical allies of Kabul city connected
to Nadir Pashtun Road.
Timings.
Visit weekdays, on weekends (Fridays) most shops are closed.
How to get there
. By taxi, the fare is 100-150 from Shahr-e Now.
Chicken Street. “کوچه مرغ ها” also known as the antique selling street “کوچه انتیک فروش ی”. It is a relatively safe area located in the heart of Kabul where you will probably end up staying in a hotel (Shahr-e Now). The street is packed with Afghan handmade rugs, some traditional jewelry, gems, and stones. To spoil yourself with some Afghan jewelry and stones such as Lapis Lazuli, you can totally visit Chicken Street.
How to get there. If you are in Shahr-e Now, you can walk there, one end of the Chicken Street is right across the Gul Frooshi Road (Flower Street) and the other end is connected to the Ministry of Interior.
Paghman Valley “ دره پغمان ”. It’s located in Paghman District, some 25 kilometers from Shahr-e Now Kabul. Paghman valley is considered one of the major picnic spots for residents of Kabul and it gets pretty packed during weekends. The famous picture of Afghan women in mini-skirt in the 70s was taken right there in Paghman Garden. You can visit the Paghman Valley in the morning, and for lunch stop at Qargha Dam on your way back to Kabul.
How to get there. You need to go by taxi, the fare is around 400-500 Afghani from Shahr-e-Now.
Qargha Dam “ بند قرغه ”. Leave Paghman Valley early and on your way back to Kabul city stop at Qargha Dam. It’s a nice big lake where mostly people from Kabul come on the weekend with their families. There are nice restaurants both to eat and relax. Try Spozhmai Restaurant, it’s the best in the area.
Day 2 - Mazar-i-Sharif (From Kabul - By plane: 1h 15min/312kms, by land : 6h/434kms)
Surrounded by scenic mountains, Mazar-i-Sharif stands as one of the largest cities in the country. In January in Mazar-i-Sharif, expect temperatures between 11°C during the day and 1°C at night.
Things to do in Mazar-i-Sharif
· Shrine of Hazrat Ali, AKA the Blue Mosque
- Old Balkh (day trip)
· Samangan (day trip)
· Bazaars around the shrine
- Mausoleum of Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari
The blue mosque of Mazar-e Sharif is the main place to visit in the city. It’s known also as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, or as locals refer to it, Zeyarat Sakhi Jan. Mazar-e Sharif Blue Mosque is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Afghanistan. The architecture of the blue mosque is well preserved and the people are very friendly and welcoming. There are hundreds of white pigeons in the park of the mosque where you can go and buy some grains and they will come all over you. It’s a perfect spot to take some nice pictures because people from across the country gather to feed the birds.
The Blue Mosque
Blue mosque dress code:
No shorts for men but T-shirts are okay and women should dress modestly.
Women don’t have to wear Chador or Burqa but pants, long sleeve shirts,
Rosary/shawl and a dress to cover your hips is a must.
Note:
Non-Muslims are not allowed in the main building of the shrine but you can
have a good walk all around the building and enjoy the blue and white view
of sophisticated mosaic work.
Day 3 and 4 – Bamyan
For centuries a major Buddhist pilgrimage site, Bamyan now represents one of the most stable places in war-torn Afghanistan. You can explore the striking landscape of Band-e-Amir National Park . Band-e Amir is also Afghanistan’s first National Park. With 75000 hectares, this is a must see. There are six lakes along the valley next to each other with beautiful crystal clear blue water collected from rain and snow.
On your second day here, witness the site of a historic battle at Shahr-e-Zahak (Red City) and then steep yourself in history at Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley .
Day 5 – Herat
People call it city of knowledge and civilization and you might hear the local officials address it as Ancient Herat. After all, this province boasts thousands of years of history, before and after the invasion of Alexander the Great, up to the rule of Ekhamanshi Emperor. Even after decades of war, there are many things to do in Herat, crucial stop of the Silk Road and hub for artists and kings for centuries.
Sitting in a fertile river valley, the city of Herat has a diverse history spanning over 3,000 years. Start by contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Friday Mosque , then stroll the grounds of Gawhar Shad Madrasa and Mausoleum , then don't miss a visit to Khwaja Abd Allah Ansari Shrine , and finally make a trip to Herat Citadel .
The Herat Citadel
Things to do in Herat
- Jame Mosque (Friday Mosque)
- Herat Citadel
- Wander around the old city
- Mausoleum of Gowhar Shad
- Shrine of Gazar Gah
- Musalla Complex and minarets
- Pul-e-Malan arched bridge
Day 6 – Back to Kabul
That’s my first 6 days-travel itinerary in Afghanistan. I know there are many place to go there, so why don’t you suggest me to write other place in Afghanistan to put in your next travel itinerary? I’m also open for suggestion and critics for my travel itinerary.
You can send me comment on this post, email or follow me on instagram @aurora_corp
Blog Source :
https://www.chasingtheunexpected.com/travel-afghanistan/
https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/afghanistan-travel-guide/
http://www.anjci.com/2018/06/travelling-to-afghanistan.html
https://www.inspirock.com/trip/7-days-in-afghanistan-itinerary-in-january-a2f472e63-3f15-46fc-bade-ed7b8f126901/overview
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