Last Updated on: 21st April 2026, 01:33 pm
Before my visit to Band-e-Amir National Park, I suspected that a lot of the photos circulating online must have had their saturation heavily boosted. But now having seen the deep blue hue of the travertine lakes in person, I can confirm that things really do look like the photos.
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 which give the lakes their trademark color. And it’s especially striking when contrasted with the surrounding desert. Ideally, you’ll visit on a clear day, as direct sunlight only strengthens the hues.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering what you can expect during a visit to the park as a day trip from Bamyan city. For more info on reaching Bamyan and where to stay, be sure to check the end of the article.
Arriving at Band-e-Amir National Park
It takes around 1.5-2 hours to reach Band-e-Amir National Park from central Bamyan, including multiple security checkpoints (see below for more info on dealing with the Taliban of Bamyan Province).
I paid 1800 AFN for the day tour with a driver arranged by my hotel, Noor Band Qala. We departed at 8:30 in the morning and would eventually make it back in the late afternoon.
At the time of writing, entrance to the park costs 410 AFN for foreigners.
One of the most iconic views of Band-e-Amir can be seen before you even enter the park. From one of the highest points of the road, you can take in sweeping views of the valley and the lakes below.
But don’t expect any proper pullover or viewing platform. If you’ve been assigned a good driver, he should automatically stop the vehicle and tell you to get out. But if he doesn’t, just ask him to stop when you see the view pictured here from the window.
Unfortunately, in my case, I had to be very proactive and make multiple requests to my driver throughout the day. While he usually complied, he clearly would’ve been fine with me missing much of the park had I not said anything.
The road will eventually begin descending, and as you approach the main area, you’ll get to enjoy more views of the deep blue lakes from above.
Before my visit, I pictured us driving around all day from lake to lake. The total park does, in fact, cover around 600 km2, making it roughly the size of Utah’s Zion National Park.
So I was surprised when my driver parked in front of a cafe and said that it was our final stop. As we’ll cover shortly, however, I would indeed get to see all of the lakes.
From the cafe, we headed over to Band-e-Amir’s deepest lake, Band-e-Haibat. One of the first landmarks we passed by was a roaring waterfall gushing over the edge of the natural travertine dam that formed it.
This is one of the most photographed locations in the park, but I only ended up seeing it from afar.
As mentioned, it’s important to be proactive and tell your driver when you want to see something. I made the mistake here of not saying anything and then forgetting about the waterfall later.
On that note, it’s worth mentioning that I only hired a driver – not a guide.
From my experience in Afghanistan, drivers will pretty much always get out of their vehicles and accompany you for the day. I think this is probably due to a combination of local hospitality culture plus safety concerns (though Afghanistan is much safer now).
After a bit of walking, we made it to Band-e-Haibat, the park’s most famous lake by far. It’s here that local visitors typically like to hang out and ride around on paddle boats before heading to lunch.
I didn’t end up going out on one of the boats, but I was slightly amused seeing all of these cute and colorful duck boats in a country with a reputation as fearsome as Afghanistan.
I happened to be the only foreign visitor here at the time, and the locals took a great interest in me. I also met a photographer employed by the park who spoke excellent English, and he helped translate.
Just by the lake, meanwhile, is a shrine dedicated to Ali that’s something of a local Shia pilgrimage spot. And a staircase located next to it allows one to take in the views from a higher vantage point.
The contrast between the deep blue lakes and barren desert scenery is something seldom seen elsewhere in the world. I’ve enjoyed countless outdoor adventures in a wide variety of environments, but Band-e-Amir easily ranks up there with the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
My driver was likely hoping that I’d just be content with seeing Band-e-Haibat before heading over to his friend’s cafe for lunch. But thanks to some prior research, I had something else in mind.
The 'Hike' to More Lakes
I’d read something online about being able to visit some of the other lakes on foot, while the English-speaking photographer I was chatting with confirmed it was possible (and my driver somewhat reluctantly followed).
You can find the start of the path after walking up the steps behind the shrine of Ali. You then simply follow it along the edge of the lake.
Calling this a hike might not be the right word, as the terrain is almost entirely flat. It’s more of a pleasant out-and-back walk that should take about 90 minutes roundtrip.
While the walk will only pass two additional lakes after Band-e-Haibat, the final one – Band-e-Zulfiqar – is so massive that it can feel like multiple lakes in one.
Also note that at the time of writing, the trail I walked on is not featured on apps like Organic Maps/Maps.me or AllTrails. But the path described here is situated along the western side of the lakes and a bit east of the main road.
Apparently, the paths were established by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society during the previous Islamic Republic era.
Again, it’s hard to overstate the beauty of this place. In my opinion, it tops all of the natural attractions I saw while touring the former Soviet ‘stans’ further north (though there are surely some remarkable Kazakh landscapes that I’ve yet to see).
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.
By this point, we were still walking along Band-e-Haibat. And then just past it, the path took us through a dusty and barren plain. But it wouldn’t be long before we encountered the final two lakes.
We soon came across two lakes at once. While I’m not entirely certain, the small lake here is probably Band-e Pudina, or the ‘Dam of Mint.’
It was one of the only lakes that lacked the typical cobalt blue hue for which Band-e-Amir is famous. Rather, it was more of a teal color. And it was entirely surrounded by trees and grass, making this area really stand out amongst the tan desert terrain.
The blue lake next to it, meanwhile, is Band-e-Zulfiqar – the park’s largest by area. It’s named after the Zulfiqar, the double-tipped sword of Imam Ali.
Bamyan is a majority Shia province, and it’s Ali who Shias regard as the Prophet Muhammad’s true successor. Accordingly, numerous landmarks around the region are either named after him or have mythical backstories associated with him.
Interestingly, you’ll find additional travertine waterfalls at the edge of this lake. And this area is also fairly developed, with manmade structures and a pedestrian walkway near the water. But I was content with overlooking things from above.
Eventually, we reached a final viewpoint near the edge of the lake (the one marked on the Organic Maps app). And after taking in yet more spectacular views, it was time to turn around and head back the way we came.
Proceeding to the restaurant where the car was parked, we ate a delicious lunch of kebab and kabuli pulao. (While it may lack variety, Afghanistan hands down has the best food in Central Asia.)
Speaking of restaurants, there are plenty to choose from in the area, while there seemed to be quite a bit of development taking place at the time of my visit.
Before leaving, we did briefly stop to see two additional lakes located near the western part of the park. That brings the total I saw to five, but the sixth lake, Band-e Panir (‘Dam of Cheese’), is said to mostly be dried up in the summertime.
All in all, visiting Band-e-Amir National Park was one of my top experiences in Afghanistan, and nobody who takes the trouble to visit this challenging country should miss it.
But as spectacular as the park is now, one can only hope that more trails will be developed in the future.
Additional Info
While I’d have to say that Bamiyan was my favorite Afghan province, I found the local Taliban to be a pain to deal with compared to other parts of the country.
Tensions have always been high in Bamyan, as the Shia Hazaras that make up the majority of the province have historically been at odds with the Sunni Pashtun Taliban.
Furthermore, as recently as 2024, a terrorist attack (a shooting for which ISIS claimed responsibility) took place in Bamyan’s city’s central market. It left three Spanish tourists and three Afghans dead.
Despite these factors, I sometimes got the impression that the Bamyan Taliban deal with Western tourists as if they are the potential suspects.
Highway security checkpoints are commonplace throughout the entire country. But I found them to be rather excessive on the way to Band-e-Amir National Park, as I had to show my permits and passport no less than three times on the way over!
And upon arrival, just when I thought I could finally relax, a senior Taliban official – apparently enjoying some leisure time in the park – randomly stopped me and asked me to show my papers yet again!
This was actually the only time in Afghanistan when I was randomly asked to show papers while walking. I had multiple random encounters with senior Taliban members in Kabul, for example, and they were always cordial and friendly to me.
Important Note: Since the Taliban takeover of 2021, women have sometimes been denied access to Band-e-Amir National Park. The reasons aren’t entirely clear, while enforcement seems to be somewhat random. But I’ve heard that some female tourists try to depart extra early to get past the ticket gate before the staff show up at 8:00. Obviously, this is something you should ask about at your hotel before your visit.
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.
As mentioned above, Bamyan is easily my favorite destination in Afghanistan, but the local Taliban in the province were by far the most stressful to deal with.
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.
LEAVING BAMYAN: As discussed, regardless of where you’re headed next, you’ll likely have to first return to Kabul after your stay in Bamyan. So just follow the steps above in reverse.
But also note that the ‘Bamyan Terminal’ in Kabul mentioned above 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. See our upcoming Afghanistan itinerary for more info.
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.