Tours of Afghanistan

Afghanistan & Tajikistan: Wakhan Pamir Adventure

Tour Map of Afghanistan & Tajikistan: Wakhan Pamir Adventure

In Afghanistan’s distant north-eastern corner lies the Wakhan corridor. This narrow strip of land once formed the buffer zone between the British and Russian Empires and was of immense strategic importance during the 19th century Great Game. Today the area is inhabited predominantly by Wakhi herdsmen and is not only remote and peaceful, but is also blessed with some of the finest mountain scenery the world has to offer. From Dushanbe in Tajikistan, we will first travel into the Tajik Pamir to witness life here before heading to the Afghan border and into the Wakhan Valley. We will make our way slowly up the valley, visiting villages, taking some day walks and enjoying some traditional Afghan hospitality. We will stay in basic guesthouses throughout our time in Afghanistan as we discover the delights of this famed region. This is a trip right out there on the edge of civilisation: we will find no mobile reception, internet access or even electricity for the most part! What we will experience here though takes us back to another century when people lived in a very different way - unlike so many you hear about, this trip is a true adventure of a life time.

Melons and Grapes – Grand Afghan Tour

Each Autumn we run a trip to Afghanistan and we think it is the perfect time to visit. Summer can be blisteringly hot and winter icy cold. Spring has its charms, but for us Autumn is the best, and all because of the fruit. How a land that appears to be made entirely of bare rock can produce melons as large as beach balls and grapes bursting with juice is one of life’s great mysteries. This trip shows the best of Afghanistan with as much fresh fruit thrown in as you can eat. We start in Kabul before crossing the spine of the Hindu Kush through the Salang Pass to Mazar e Sharif to see the blue tiled shrine of Hazrat Ali and the remains of the once great Silk Road city of Balkh. Then we will move on to Bamian where we spend three days exploring the valleys, the Buddha niches and the lakes of Band e Amir. It is an area that allows us to experience what life is like in rural Afghanistan in safety. Finally we will take a short flight across the Hindu Kush to Herat, the most architecturally complete city in Afghanistan.

Afghan Explorer

Tour Map of Afghan Explorer

Afghanistan hardly needs introduction; just the name is enough to have most politicians panicking, journalists packing and travellers salivating with expectation. News, time and again over the centuries, has focused on this most extraordinary arid and mountainous country in middle-Asia and now, as always, its place at the heart of world affairs is as poignant as ever. Our Afghan Explorer tour takes you through the mountains and plains, following in the footsteps of Marco Polo. From Kabul and the foothills of the Hindu Kush, you will visit the extraordinary city of Herat, the famous mountain caves of Bamiyan, the breathtaking lakes at Band-e Amir, the historical northern towns of Mazar-e Sharif and Balkh as well as the famous Panjshir Valley. Afghanistan is undergoing tremendous change at the moment but for the vast majority of Afghans, daily life continues in much the same vein as it has for centuries and there will be ample opportunities to witness traditional lifestyles from farming and pottery-making to silk-weaving and daily prayer.

Ski Afghanistan – Bamian

Untamed Borders was the first company to run ski trips to Afghanistan. We will be back in 2016 for our 6th Afghan ski season, concentrating on skiing in the Bamian region of Central Afghanistan. Bamian now has a small ski rental shop set up by a local entrepreneur and has Afghan ski guides familiar with the mountains. This trip will be led by an internationally certified mountain guide assisted by local Afghan ski guides. Guests do not need any prior experience of ski touring and we know slopes suitable for all standards of skier. It is a chance to experience the incredible natural beauty of Afghanistan combined with skiing in one of the least visited regions in the world. We fly into Kabul and then we head to the beautiful and peaceful Bamian valley to ski in the Koh e Baba mountain range. We will also have time to visit the remains of the world’s largest standing Buddha statues that overlook the town and the ancient cities of Shah e Zohak and Shah e Golghola. Afghanistan is a country slowly recovering from years of violence and neglect but it has always been a magnet for the intrepid. The rugged landscape, the ancient history crossed with tough yet incredibly hospitable people is an intoxicating mix. The chance to truly blaze a tourist trail is a rare opportunity.