Join a team heading to one of the world's most remote corners, to trek the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan.
A 21-day journey to visit the land of one of the world’s last and least visited nomadic cultures: the Kyrgyz of the Afghan Pamir. It begins in the Afghan capital Kabul, before venturing on a 3-day drive into the Hindu Kush Mountains, to our trek start point. Over 11-days you will pass through the Wakhan Corridor to the Afghan Pamir.
The middle section of this journey will be made by foot, as the group make its way to the summer grazing grounds of Chaqmaqtin. You’ll have the opportunity to encounter Kyrgyz and Wakhi nomads who graze their livestock here during the summer months. Along with this fascinating cultural experience, you will also see ancient tombs, Buddhist engravings and ancient Rock Petroglyphs, which live as a reminder of this once great section of the Silk Road. The journey will end with a few days driving back to the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Highlights:
- Arrive in Afghanistan and travel through the remote North of the country.
- Discover the culture of the Wakhi and the Kyrgyz nomads of this rarely visited corner of Central Asia.
- Explore deep into territory where few outsiders have ever been.
Why you'll love this adventure
- Follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo and Hsuan Tsang on this ancient silk route
- The trip offers a wonderful combination of physical challenge and cultural exploration
- Visit one of the most isolated places in the world
Dates
Itinerary
The itinerary for this trip - to trek the Wakhan - is an outline of what is to be achieved. Travel in such a remote region does not lend itself to tight schedules and September is a good time to visit. It is a little colder, but the rivers are much lower, so the chance of being delayed due to high water is much reduced. Please make an enquiry for the full itinerary.
What's included
- All accommodation
- All food outside the capital cities
- Breakfast in Tajikistan
- Breakfast in Kabul
- Transport/transfers
- International guide
- Local guides
- Local cook
- Tents and camping equipment
- Pack animals
- Permits to visit the Wakhan region
Not included
- Any necessary visas
- International flights
- Insurance
- Entrance fees
- Drinks
- Tips
- Lunch and dinner (unless specified)
Trip notes
Price
Min age
Accommodation
There is no uniform accommodation standard on the itinerary. The accommodation considerations include comfort, location, design, character, historical interest and whether the money spent will go into the pockets of the local community when choices are made of where to stay.
The accommodation will be based on two people sharing a room when it is available.
When in the Wakhan area guests will stay in single tents and in local guesthouses that sometimes only offer central communal areas to sleep in. Pamiri style communal homes are generally open-plan sleeping areas, though there are occasionally individual rooms for one or two people. At the start and end of the trip guests will stay in a hotel in Kabul.
Meals
Options will be limited outside of Kabul and once we are on the trek guests will only be able to eat what the team brings with them or barter for from the nomadic people. Meat, milk, bread, and salt tea are the bases of a typical meal in the Wakhan, however specific allergies or dietary requirements can be accommodated, if prior warning is given. Vegetarian and vegan diets can be catered for with enough notice.
Please feel free to bring your own energy bars/trekking snacks from home to supplement what is provided.
Who is this trip for?
- This trekking trip is designed to be physically engaging and provide a level of challenge for most people. As a general guideline, it’s recommend that you have some prior experience walking with a 10-15kg day pack for up to 8 hours per day, over 5 or more days through uneven & varied terrain (and weather); ranging from hard-packed earth, tussock grass, boulder fields, scree slopes, soft snow patches, and knee-deep rivers.
- Solo travellers
- Couples
- Friendship groups
Additional notes
Visas:
You will need an Afghan Tourist Visa for this trip. The operator will assist with advice on how best to obtain this visas as visa requirements vary from country to country.
Insurance:
The Wakhan and Afghan Pamir regions are both very remote areas in one of the least developed countries in the world. Please ensure that your insurance covers you both for visiting Afghanistan and for rescue in the Wakhan region of Afghanistan. If you have any questions about which insurance company to select please contact the operator.
Guides:
For this trip we use team leaders from the international operator who have experience of guiding in the Wakhan. In addition to these experienced leaders they will be working with local Wakhi guides and porters.
Security:
Trips to Afghanistan do create dangers all of their own and whilst it’s designed to provide as much freedom as possible, the operator must state that the tour leader has the final word with regards to changes in the itinerary for safety reasons. Whilst the route chosen passes through areas that the operator considers to be relatively stable things can change and they may have to alter the route or cancel sections of the trip at short notice.
Tour operator
Working with small groups of a maximum of 12 people and using specialist local guides throughout, their aim is to provide authentic and original experiences for all guests. This small number allows for greater security, flexibility and access to local people and places. Each set itinerary trip is individually designed to coincide with local events or to visit the area at the best time of year be it a ski festival or marathon event!
Enquire today
Trek the Wakhan in Afghanistan
Please complete the enquiry form above with as much detail as you can and we will send you all the trip information and connect you with the operator so you can make a booking directly.
If you have queries and questions about the trip include those in your form and we’ll personally reply to you within 24 hours.
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