Last Updated on: 27th April 2026, 10:48 am
Bamyan is one of Afghanistan’s most visually stunning and historically interesting provinces. From ancient Buddha niches carved into sandstone cliffs to ruined fortresses with mythical backstories, there’s no shortage of things to do in Bamyan. It’s no wonder why a majority of travelers who make it out to Afghanistan include it in their travel plans.
We’ve already covered the five locations featured below in more depth in separate dedicated articles. But this guide is for those still researching Bamyan and looking for an overview of what the region has to offer. We’ll also provide a suggested itinerary for spending 2-3 days in the province.
Note that Bamyan is both a city and a province, with the city sitting at around 2,500 meters above sea level. It can even be chilly in summer, but the sun is incredibly strong. And unless you’re accustomed to extreme cold, skip winter here entirely.
Bamyan Permits & Tickets
As with every Afghan province, you’ll need to obtain a permit from the local Ministry of Information & Culture office upon your arrival (this is in addition to the main permit obtained in Kabul). Note that these offices are always closed on Fridays, while they typically close at midday on Thursdays.
You’ll need a local permit first before obtaining the Bamyan combo ticket (600 AFN). Note that there are a lot more places pictured on the ticket than what is currently accessible. At the time of writing, the ticket offers access to three main sites: Shahr-e-Gholghola, the Buddhas of Bamyan, and Shahr-e-Zohak.
Though Band-e-Amir National Park is also pictured, the combo ticket is only valid for one day, and it would be impossible to include it. Instead, you can just buy a separate ticket at the park entrance for 410 AFN.
At the time of writing, you’ll need to start with Shahr-e-Gholghola first, as that’s the only location currently selling the combo tickets.
If you arrive in Bamyan late on Thursday or on a Friday, you’ll have to wait until Saturday to visit these sites. If that happens to you, consider visiting the Dragon Valley on a Friday instead, as that site is free to enter and unguarded. (See below for more info.)
In my case, I arrived in Bamyan on a Thursday afternoon. But fortunately, a hotel staff member took my papers to the office for me just before closing and returned with my Bamyan permit.
The Buddhas of Bamyan
Today, the name Bamyan is most associated with the Taliban’s infamous destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas in 2001.
In fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, any depiction of the human form is considered taboo, as it’s likened to idol worship.
During their first period of rule, the Taliban initially stressed the need to preserve Afghanistan’s ancient heritage. But they reversed course in early 2001, resulting in the infamous destruction of the large standing Buddhas.
Ironically, now that the Taliban is back in power, they’re earning revenue from visitors coming to see what remains of the Buddhas of Bamyan.
The massive Buddha sculptures may be gone, but Bamyan’s Buddha niches remain an important historical site with plenty to appreciate visually. That’s why it should still be considered one of the top things to do in Bamyan.
Buddhism first arrived here thanks to Ashoka of the Indian Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BC. Though the region was also heavily influenced by the Greek and Persian cultures, Buddhism became the dominant religion around the 2nd century AD during Kushan rule.
And it would remain Bamyan’s prominent religion until around the 8th century AD.
The massive Buddhas were likely carved here in the 6th century during Hephthalite rule. (Ironically, it was the Hephthalites who sacked the major Buddhist center of Taxila.)
The smaller of the two massive Buddha sculptures stands 38 meters high. It’s believed to be the older of the two, predating the larger one by several decades.
The walls and ceiling of the massive niche were once adorned with colorful murals showing influence from ancient Sogdia and the Chinese Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang.
There’s a lot more to this huge sandstone cliff than just the ancient Buddha images. Over the centuries, around 1,000 chapels and shrines were carved into the rock.
Many of the caves were decorated with mural paintings, though only fragments remain. Incredibly, the murals of Bamyan are actually the world’s oldest examples of oil paintings.
Today, the various chambers and caves of are accessible via a labyrinth of staircases and tunnels. Many of them are situated high up in the sandstone cliff and provide excellent views of the Bamyan Valley and the distant mountains.
Toward the western end of the cliff is what remains of the larger of the two main Buddha statues. Standing at around 55 m high, scaffolding has been installed within the niche to prevent a potential collapse.
While no longer apparent, the Bamyan Buddhas were influenced by earlier Gandhara sculpture. Bamyan lies just outside the historical Gandhara region, an area where the world’s first Buddha statues were sculpted in the 1st or 2nd centuries AD.
Shar-E-Zohak
Shahr-e-Zohak is about a 20-minute drive from central Bamyan, and you can expect to pay around 400 AFN for the roundtrip journey.
In ancient times, the fortress was situated along an entry point into the Bamyan Valley and played a key role in Silk Road trade.
It featured both a Lower and an Upper Citadel, and it’s a rather steep climb to make it to the very top. But along the way, you’ll pass by numerous ruined structures.
It was likely controlled by the Hephthalites from the 5th-9th centuries, followed by the Ghaznavids, and then the Ghorids.
The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, invaded the region in 1221. Upon arrival in Bamyan, Mutukhan – Genghis Khan’s grandson – was killed by an arrow while trying to invade Shahr-e-Zohak. He was just 15 years old.
Genghis Khan himself then arrived and sacked Shahr-e-Zohak. He was also determined to destroy Shahr-e-Gholghola, but that citadel proved impenetrable (more below).
Shahr-e-Zohak is a Persian name that doesn’t translate to ‘Red City.’ Rather, it means the ‘City of Zohak’ – or more commonly spelled in English as Zahhak, one of the main villains of Persian folklore.
Following his encounter with Ahriman – the Persian personification of evil – Zahhak had snakes living on both of his shoulders that needed to feast daily on human flesh. And as king, Zahhak demanded daily human sacrifices to satiate them.
His reign of terror then lasted for hundreds of years until he was eventually deposed and imprisoned by the hero Fereydun.
It’s unclear when or why the name Shahr-e-Zohak originated. But walking through the ruined fortress, surrounded by stunning yet barren, jagged mountains, the place feels strangely fitting for a ruler like Zahhak.
Shahr-e-Gholghola
Shahr-e-Gholghola can be reached in about 15-20 minutes on foot from central Bamyan. On the way, you’ll pass tranquil wheat and potato fields before spotting the ruined hilltop citadel in the distance.
At the time of writing, this is the only place where you can currently buy a Bamyan combo ticket, so you’ll need to start your explorations of central Bamyan here (see our itinerary below).
Shahr-e-Gholghola came to be in the late Sasanian period during the 6th century. And then following Buddhism’s decline in the 8th century, it served as Bamyan’s main center of Islam.
But how did it end up in such a sorry state?
In the 13th century, the local Ghorid leader’s daughter had been upset that her father married a princess of Ghazni. The Ghorids were longtime rivals of the Ghaznavids, and they’d taken over much of Ghazni’s territory to form the Ghorid Empire.
As mentioned above, the Mongols invaded the region in 1221, and Genghis Khan was determined to ravage Bamyan following the death of his grandson outside of Shahr-e-Zohak.
Genghis Khan failed to find his way into Shahr-e-Gholghola, however. But the leader’s daughter, still feeling betrayed, sent him a message. If he would take her hand in marriage and spare her own fortress, she would reveal the secret entrance of her father’s citadel, she told him.
The Mongol leader agreed.
And so the Mongols, upon finding the secret entrance, made their way in and killed everyone inside. Shahr-e-Gholghola is actually a more recent term which means the ‘City of Screams’ in reference to the brutal massacre which took place here.
Aside from Shahr-e-Gholghola’s historical significance, a top highlight for many will be enjoying the spectacular views of the Bamyan Valley in all directions (you can even see the Buddhas of Bamyan in the distance).
Aside from Shahr-e-Gholghola’s historical significance, a top highlight for many will be enjoying the spectacular views of the Bamyan Valley in all directions. You can even see the niches of the Buddhas of Bamyan in the distance.
Band-e-Amir National Park
Band-e-Amir lies about 75 km from Bamyan in the Hindu Kush mountain range, sitting at around 3,000 meters above sea level. Established as Afghanistan’s first national park in 2009, it covers 600 square kilometers and consists of six lakes created by natural travertine dams.
The water is filled with limestone and other minerals that give the lakes their trademark color. It’s especially striking when contrasted with the surrounding desert.
It takes around 1.5-2 hours to reach Band-e-Amir from central Bamyan, including multiple security checkpoints. Expect to pay around 1,800 AFN for a private day tour, while entrance to the park costs 410 AFN for foreigners at the time of writing.
Most visits to the park start at Band-e-Haibat, the most developed of Band-e-Amir’s lakes. It’s here that local visitors typically hang out and ride around on paddle boats before heading to lunch.
The stunning contrast between the deep blue lake and its surrounding desert scenery is seldom seen elsewhere in the world.
If you want to see additional lakes, you can find a walking path behind the shrine of Ali that sits beside Band-e-Haibat. While not quite a hike given the flat terrain, the walk to the final viewpoint and back should take around 90 minutes.
The trail will take you past the small Band-e Pudina and finally, Band-e-Zulfiqar, the park’s largest by area. It’s so massive, in fact, that it can feel like multiple lakes in one.
In addition to the mesmerizing deep blue hues, you’ll also see glimpses of turquoise along some of the shores. This is a result of the way the calcium carbonate in the water reflects the sunlight at shallower depths.
Visiting Band-e-Amir National Park is not only one of the top things to do in Bamyan, but in Afghanistan as a whole. And nobody who takes the trouble to visit this challenging country should miss it.
Dragon Valley
In a region known equally for beautiful geological formations and local legends, Bamyan’s Dragon Valley offers both. The narrow gorge is filled with white travertine formations, natural springs, and otherworldly rock shapes that legend attributes to a petrified dragon slain by Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law.
Dragon Valley sits just outside the village of Ajdahar, about 7 km west of central Bamyan. You should be able to arrange roundtrip transport from Bamyan’s central bazaar for around 500 AFN. The site itself is free to enter.
Shortly upon entering the area, you’ll encounter a hill with a large crack running through the middle. According to local legend, this is the back of an ancient petrified dragon.
The story goes that many centuries ago, a dragon terrorized the area. He subsisted on camels and local virgins, demanding regular sacrifices of each. But finally, a hero arrived to end the dragon’s reign of terror. This hero was none other than Ali.
According to legend, a fierce battle ensued, with Ali ultimately victorious. He stabbed the dragon with his double-tipped sword, the Zulfiqar. And upon defeat, the dragon became one with the earth.
Out from a hole in the rock pours a constant stream of water – believed to be the repentant dragon’s tears.
Geologically speaking, snow and rain from the surrounding Hindu Kush mountains have soaked through fractures and pores in the rock. Beneath the surface, the water dissolves underground limestone deposits, making it rich in calcium carbonate.
Eventually, the water hits harder, less permeable layers, forcing it to rise as natural springs like this one.
And as the water reaches the surface, carbon dioxide escapes, causing the calcium carbonate to precipitate into travertine. The lakes of Band-e-Amir were also created by travertine deposits, but Dragon Valley has taken on a very different form.
In any case, you don’t need to be a geology expert to enjoy the natural scenery and serenity of the place.
Most visitors will probably spend around an hour or so at Dragon Valley, as the area is smaller than it looks at first glance. You won’t find any trails here, but you can freely explore, taking in the unique shapes in colors from all different angles.
A Bamyan Sample Itinerary
As mentioned above, you will need to obtain a local permit for Bamyan province before either buying the Bamyan combo ticket or heading to Band-e-Amir National Park. Therefore, the day of the week you arrive matters.
For now, let’s assume that you’ll be arriving sometime between Saturday and Wednesday.
- Day 0: Arrive in Bamyan from Kabul and obtain your local permit from the Ministry of Information & Culture Office (closed from mid-day on Thursday until Saturday morning).
- Day 1: Start the day at Shahr-e-Gholghola and obtain your Bamyan combo ticket there. Then proceed to the Bamyan Buddha niches on foot. After resting at your hotel, arrange for a driver to take you to Shahr-e-Zohak in the late afternoon.
- Day 2: A visit to Band-e-Amir National Park with a driver arranged through your hotel. You should be back by midday or late afternoon, so if you only have two full days in Bamyan, you can squeeze in a visit to Dragon Valley on this day.
- Day 3: This day is for visiting Dragon Valley, though the excursion certainly doesn’t take up a full day – only a couple of hours. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the local market. Or, you can return to Kabul in the afternoon.
- Day 4: Return to Kabul. Since Bamyan, a region surrounded by mountains, lacks direct connections with most other provinces, most visitors will be heading back to Kabul and then elsewhere from there.
Note that the ‘Bamyan Terminal’ in Kabul also has shared taxis to Ghazni. Therefore, you can easily make it from Bamyan to Ghazni on the same day just by switching vehicles at that terminal. Just be sure to depart early. See our upcoming full Afghanistan itinerary for more info.
What if you arrive in Bamyan on a Thursday and are unable to obtain your local permit until Saturday? In that case, simply swap Day 1 with Day 3.
At the time of writing, Dragon Valley is a free site that lacks guards or ticket checks. Therefore, you should be able to make it there without anyone asking for your permit.
With that said, there’s always a chance that you could get asked to present it to a Taliban guard at a checkpoint during the short drive over.
Though some people online act as if something terrible might happen if you leave your hotel without a permit, that’s not really the case. At worst, you won’t be able to access certain sites.
If someone asks, simply show your main Kabul permit and explain that you’re waiting until Saturday to get your local one. You may be denied access to your destination, but it’s not as if you’re going to be detained if you’re behaving otherwise.
Additional Info
Given its location, most tourists are going to be visiting Bamyan from Kabul, and then returning to Kabul before moving on to another destination. Bamyan just doesn’t have many direct connections with other provinces.
Coming from Kabul, you’ll first want to head to the place called ‘Bamyan Terminal’ on Google Maps. (Also double-check with your hotel first to confirm.)
Getting to the terminal is a journey in its own right. It takes about 30-40 minutes from the Shar-e Naw district, and I paid 400 AFN to get there.
There aren’t any regular buses departing from this terminal – just shared taxis and minivans. Fortunately, the taxi driver who brought me also helped me negotiate with a shared taxi driver for Bamyan.
I paid 700 AFN to sit in the front seat for the journey to Bamyan. Note that in Afghanistan, you usually have to pay extra for the front seat, which I often did because I like placing my backpack in front of me. (If you’re female, you’ll probably have no choice but to sit in the front seat or perhaps even the trunk.)
As with shared taxis in other countries, the driver will only depart when full. I had to wait around an hour at the terminal, and we didn’t depart until around 11:00.
Without stopping, the drive to Bamyan should take around three hours, but we did stop for lunch along the way.
Finally, we made it to Bamyan Province, and I experienced a rather difficult security check shortly before town (not far from Shahr-e-Zohak).
The Taliban guards had me fill out a form with my basic info which was all in English. But for whatever reason, they kept asking the other passengers with me (some of whom I’d gotten to know a bit over lunch) if I was traveling with a translator or guide.
They seemed adamant that I was supposed to be accompanied by an official guide during my journey, even though this was NOT the rule in Afghanistan or Bamyan at the time of my visit.
They were quite grumpy about not being able to communicate with me, but at the same time, they didn’t have any specific questions for me that weren’t already on the form I filled out. Eventually, they let me (and my fellow passengers) go.
Bamyan is easily my favorite destination in Afghanistan, but the local Taliban in the province were by far the most stressful to deal with. (I’d have more strange encounters later on in my stay.)
Finally getting to town, the local Bamyan terminal is situated not far from the market. I was able to walk to my hotel, Noor Band Qala, in about ten minutes on foot.
I would highly recommend Noor Band Qala Hotel, which is where most foreigners seem to stay in Bamyan.
Note that outside of Kabul, you’re going to have a hard time finding accommodation on sites like Booking. So you’ll often have to reserve places in Afghanistan by contacting them on WhatsApp first (or sometimes just showing up).
At the time of writing, you can contact Noor Band Qala at +93 77 107 1854.
I paid 1500 AFN per night, which included a private bathroom and breakfast (only served from 6:00-8:00!). The staff were very helpful and connected me with reliable drivers to places like Shahr-e-Zohak and Band-e-Amir National Park. As mentioned above, they also helped me with the local permit.
I stayed in a number of hotels throughout Afghanistan for around 1500 AFN, but this was among the most spacious and clean for the price. They even have hot water.
The Wifi mostly worked well, but it wasn’t always consistent. So be sure to get a SIM card in Kabul that you can use as a hotspot.