|
|
|
3 Days Kabul tour
 Day 1 Arrive from Islamabad or Dubai
Meet on arrival and transfer to hotel
Afternoon tour in Kabul, visit the mausoleum of Nadir Shah, which on a
hill above the stadium, Mausoleum offers a panoramic view of the Kabul River and the old
Kabul city. There is a clear view of the Bala Hissar, Kabul's
fortress, from here which stands about 1 Km away on another hilltop. Babur, founder of the
Mogul Empire in India, lived in the Bala Hissar in the 16th century, and wrote
poetry extolling its commanding view. The fortress was sacked by the British in
1880 during the second Anglo-Afghan war.
We then descend down to the renowned Chicken Street Bazaar where you can shop for all
kinds of Afghan handicrafts and carpets . You
will then be able to wander to the bookseller’s corner where you can visit the
Book Seller of Kabul, subject of the famous book by the same name.
 Day 2
Kabul tour
Early morning departure from your hotel to the back side of the Bala Hisar, where you
will take a hike over Kuh-e-Sher Darwaza (Mountain of the Lion’s Gate), which
takes you along the ancient city walls, providing for beautiful views of the
surrounding city, past the noon cannon, and down into Babur’s gardens. The hike
takes about three hours and is many travellers’ highlight during their time in
Kabul. Babur’s Garden has been recently restored by the authorities. The Mogul Emperor
Babar loved this
garden so much that he asked to be buried in it. After his death in Agra in 1530, his
body was returned here. Another of his wishes, that nothing should cover his
grave so that the rain and sun could beat upon it, was honored until the reign
of Nadir Shah, who built a small pavilion over it. Recently the gardens have
been restored to their former glory, following the 16th century layout as
faithfully as possible. The Gardens of Babur are once again a beautiful and
peaceful oasis in the centre of the city.
From the Babur’s Gardens, we descend into the old city and the Shor Bazaar. This
part of the city was heavily shelled during the 1990s, but between the ruins of
the surrounding buildings, the bazaar has sprung back to life and the streets
are full of oriental bustle. A visit to the bird market and madaii market are
highlights of our walking tour through the old city of Kabul. From there we
follow the Kabul River, stopping to see the Mausoleum of Timur Shah and the
two-storied Shahdo-Shamshira Mosque, then continuing to the ruins of Darulaman
Palace. Built by King Amanullah in 1923, Darulaman was intended to be the new
political centre of Kabul, but today the palace is an empty shell. To one side
is the Kabul Museum.
Once hailed as one of the most impressive collections in Asia; war, looting and
the Taliban have left the museum impoverished. Some of the stolen exhibits have
been recovered and fresh archeological finds are slowly rebuilding the
collection – there are some Greek/Bactrian and Buddhist artefacts worth seeing.
Day 3 Fly out to Islamabad or Dubai
Morning transfer to airport for flight to home.
|
