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.