Bamiyan Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Minibuses depart from the area around Mama Najaf hotel. Transport to Kabul (400Afg, nine to 11 hours), leaves around 4am to 5am, so it’s important to check what’s available the day before travel. Note that Kabul transport generally takes the southerly road via the Hajigak and Unai Passes, which at the time of research was not considered safe for travel for foreigners since it passes through restive Wardak Province. The northern road, via the Shibar Pass, is the more secure (and picturesque) option, but get up-to-date advice before travelling. Both roads are very poor quality – something of a political issue in the province.

Direct minibuses to Band-e Amir (150Afg, three hours) tend to be restricted to Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A large Millie bus also runs this route every Friday morning (40Afg, 3½ hours).

Heading west, minibuses travel most days to Yawkawlang (200Afg, five hours) according to demand, but transport beyond Yawkawlang is hard to find unless you’re prepared to hire your own vehicle. Snowfall and floods can make the road west from Bamiyan extremely difficult from November to as late as May.

There’s no public transport heading north from Bamiyan, making it easier (and quicker) to go to via Kabul and the Salang Tunnel. With your own transport, the direct road is slow and remote, albeit with good mountain views. From Bamiyan, take the Shibar Pass road and turn north where the road splits at Shikari. The road passes the ruined ramparts of Sar Khoshak (destroyed by Genghis Khan) and the entrance to the Ajar Valley at Doab before eventually turning east to follow the Surkhab river to Doshi, where the road joins the main Kabul–Mazar-e Sharif highway. Allow a day’s solid driving for this route. Should the Salang Tunnel be closed for maintenance, traffic is often diverted along this back road. If this happens, minibuses can take up to 36 hours to travel from Kabul to Mazar-e Sharif.

Vehicle hire in Bamiyan tends to cost around US$50 to US$100 for a half/full day for a 4WD.

Flights from Kabul with UNHAS or Pactec take around 25 minutes. It’s a dramatic approach by air, swooping down the length of the valley.