This guide will be structured in five main parts:

Introduction

28 Days | 2.330 km | 23.450 m

In preparation of this cycling adventure, I was reaching out to everyone whom I saw on Instagram who has been cycling in Afghanistan and everyone who was in the cycling WhatsApp groups. While I was able to gather some information, especially about the Wakhan and the little Pamir, I haven’t received any details. Also reaching out to one tour guide, as I thought about getting a transport [see Routes], was of no help [while being in Afghanistan, I got two contacts, I can recommend]. Therefore, I want to share all the information as of May 2026 on how to bikepack Afghanistan.

This being said, the situation and location of departments, etc., are changing quite frequently. Therefore, take it as a good starting point but expect changes over time – please use the comments to share updates, and I’ll incorporate them. I updated OSM and Google during my travels, so the points should be published by now.

I’ll focus on this Blog on the cycling/bikepacking part and how to manage the permits for independent travel. I want to highlight this blog for a more general overview and information HERE. All information is based on my research, experience, and knowledge. As I was initially planning to enter Afghanistan with 4 other cyclists and meet other cyclists in Afghanistan, I’ll use their information or information I got by talking to other people in my preparation for this blog.

Even though it shouldn’t matter, in Afganistan is does, everything is experienced by a male with a German passport, who doesn’t speak Farsi, Pashto or Dari and isn’t a Muslim.

How to travel Afganistan

Can you travel independently in Afghanistan in 2026? Officially: NO

Is it still possible? Yes

The main question will be if and how you’ll get the Travel Permit for the different Provinces.

Afghanistan Visa

Regardless of this, you’ll first need to obtain a Visa to enter Afghanistan. Generally speaking, there are three major ways.

1. E-Visa – only possible via Kabul International Airport
2. Visa via an Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Important: check if the embassy you’re applying to is recognized by the current Taliban Government [Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]. This is the way I took, and I applied in Oman, Muscat.
3. At the border/border town of Afghanistan. I met one person who got the Visa [tourist 30-day single entry] in Termez, Uzbekistan. It took 1 day and 2 appointments. Another person I met got the Visa at the Border to Tajikistan – it took 2h.

For further details on this general topic, please refer to Caravanistan or that blog post HERE.

Travel permits and more

Now the interesting part – the travel permits. Ask 10 different people, and you’ll get 10 different answers and experiences. That’s Afghanistan – a lot of bureaucracy and no structure and no coherent system. Travel permits are needed to travel in the different provinces of Afghanistan.

Officially, you need a permit for every province you plan to visit – you don’t need it if you only pass through a province.

Do they get checked? Well… it depends. If you go to the tourist attractions [Blue Mosque, Bamian, Bande-Amir, Wakhan,…], definitely yes. Besides this, normally not. That being said, mine got checked on the 2nd night in a hotel in Samargan by the Taliban. Some people have never been asked except for the tourist attractions.

You can get the travel permits at the “capital” of every province. At the “Afghan Tour” formerly at the “Ministry of Information and Culture”. In Kabul, you can get a travel permit that is valid for all provinces. But you can also get a travel permit valid for multiple provinces in other provinces’ “capitals,” e.g., Mazar-i-Sharif. The price is normally 1.000 AFN [16 USD] per province.

The normal travel permit

Generally speaking, there are three main options to obtain the travel permit:

1. Book a guided tour, and the agency will manage everything, and you’ll get a permit for the duration of the booked tour with the tour operator
2. Some tour agencies get you the travel permit for multiple provinces even if you don’t have a tour booked for an additional fee
3. Get the travel permit(s) yourself in one of the province “capitals” e.g. Mazar-i-Sharif or Kunduz.

I went with option 3 in Mazar-i-Sharif. I was hoping to get a travel permit for all provinces I want to visit [see Route], which include Balkh, Bamyan, Badakhshan, and Kunduz Province. Kunduz wasn’t necessary, but I thought it was a good idea, as this is the province where I’ll leave Afghanistan, and it turns out it was a good idea.

On Saturday morning, I went with another traveler to the Afghan Tour in Mazar-i-Sharif. The office is quite hidden in the compound, but located here – 36.7055756, 67.1028959 . The entrance is towards the roundabout. After waiting our turn, a group with a guide was in the office. The official said, “We need a guide to get the permit.” But he can offer that we take a guide for 1 day in Mazar-i-Sharif, and then we get the permit for all provinces we want and can travel independently. We agreed. We paid 1000 AFN [16 USD] per province and 3000 AFN [48 USD] per person for the guide for 1 day. I recommend having enough AFN with you, but you can also pay in USD, as there is also a Bank in the compound. After making the payments, we got the travel permits. The guide for the next 3 hours was the same person who was running the office. That’s how I got the permit.

To compare this with some other experiences. Other travelers after me did the same thing in Mazar-i-Sharif, but they didn’t have to pay the “1-day guide fee of 3000 AFN [48 USD]”. They just paid the 1000 AFN [16 USD] per province, and that’s it. Another person entering via Tajikistan to Kunduz got the Travel Permit for free, but the person couldn’t choose the provinces; it included Kunduz, Kabul, Bamian, and Balkh Province. Another person didn’t take any travel permits and only bought them at a given province if it was required, e.g., in Bamian for the Buddha or Bande-Amir. I would recommend going to Mazar-i-Sharif, get the permit for all provinces you need – and in the worst case, you have to pay the “1 day guide fee of 3000 AFN [48 USD]” – that being said. As you can already see, it’s a highly individual experience, and there is no consistency.

I would recommend making a few copies of this travel permit. With this, you are basically ready to explore Afghanistan. Just a reminder – if you want to visit the Buddhas or Bande-Amir in Bamian, you need to go to the Afghan Tour in Bamian to sign your permit if you already have it, or to buy it. Otherwise, entry will be denied. The location is here – 34.819756, 67.825454 .

This is what the travel permit looks like and what’s written on it:

But wait! Is this really everything and that easy!? If we exclude the Wakhan and little Pamir – Yes.

BUT if you want to travel into those regions, the real bureaucracy starts – and this part is actually the main reason for this blog post – as it was hell to figure it out.

Permits for the Wakhan

What is the current situation? You already have your Travel Permit, which includes the province of Badakhshan, in which the Wakhan and little Pamir are located. Your next stop has to be Faizabad.

In Faizabad, you’ll need to go to the Afgahn Tour – they have moved office and are now located here – 37.117924, 70.574165 . There, they will sign your Travel Permit and will issue an additional Travel Permit for the Badakhshan region. So now you’ll have two. The manager mentioned to me that there is apparently a rule that the Afghan Tour office of the province you last visited will take away your original Travel Permit and will give you a copy. Thankfully, I had Kunduz as my last province, so I could keep my original travel permit. That being said, I never heard about this rule, and you don’t have to give the travel permits away if you visit the Afgahn Tour in the last province you visit, according to my information. This process takes ~30min, and no further documents are needed.

The additional document you’ll receive looks like this:

Your next stop now has to be Baharak. This was a tricky one to figure out, and by now I know that this part is officially NOT required, but some checkpoints will ask along the way. This rule was brand new when I was there [a few weeks old] – by the time of writing, or when you visit, this could have already been changed. Regardless  –  what do we need? A personal letter from the Military Taliban Commander of the Badakhshan Province. For this, you have to go to this military compound located here – 36.979285, 70.877568 . You’ll not be allowed to enter, and you have to give them both permits. Travel Permit and Faizabad Travel Permit. After ~20 min, a soldier came back with the personal letter.

The letter looks like this:

After my journey, I texted with a tour guide for the region, whom I met in the Afghan Tour office in Faizabad, and gave the following information:

[…] previously, tourists did not need any letter from the commander in Baharak. I spoke with Afghan Tour Badakhshan about this issue. The company’s manager said that this commander has recently started giving permission letters to tourists in an unofficial and illegal way.He also said that they have shared this problem with higher authorities in order to solve it.

I would recommend getting the letter if you are not 100% certain that it’s no longer needed.

Your next stop will be Ishkashim. In my opinion, this is the least important document [I never got asked to show this], but it’s still needed officially. It’s from the NSIA – National Statistic and Information Authority. They have also moved office – they are now located on top of a hill right here – 36.709358, 71.563746 . You’ll need 2 passport photos [no high-quality ones required]. I didn’t have them, so after filling out a provided form and receiving the permit, we went into town and took 2 photos for 50 AFN. I have no idea about the opening hours, and you also have to be lucky that they have electricity during this moment – it was here – 36.706712, 71.572591.

The permit looks like this:

After this, you can continue to the entrance gate of the Wakhan. There you’ll have to pay the entrance fee. There you can only pay with 1x 50 USD bill [one single 50 USD bill – they don’t have change and they don’t accept smaller denominations], alternatively you have to pay 3500 AFN [56 USD]. An additional charge for the bicycle is 50 AFN. After that, you’ll get your Wakhan entry ticket. This gate and the office are located here – 36.684174, 71.641114 .

The ticket looks like this:

Your last mandatory stop will be in Khandud. There, the local commander wants a copy of all your documents. Therefore, you go to the copy shop located roughly here – 36.950793, 72.318306. I would recommend making 2 copies of everything – I came close to needing it. But for this part, you officially only need 1x copy of everything – it costs me 50 AFN. Then you have to go to the 2nd checkpoint, which is located in the village, and ask for the commander and hand over the copies. The checkpoint is located here – 36.951262, 72.318972 .

After that, you have made it! You have all permits, registrations, etc. You can now cycle! 🙂

PS – I turned around 10km before Lake Chakmaktyn. So for everything after this point or everything after the last checkpoint I encounter here – 37.144181, 74.012568 – towards the China border, I don’t have any experience/information.

Bikepacking routes

In preparation for my journey, I searched for all available routes I could gather online. You can download the overall network of routes and my route on a day-by-day base, which allows for more granular planning. The names of the routes I’ll use in the description are not the official names – I’ll use them for better readability. As I was focusing my trip on the north east of Afghanistan, there may be more options/data out there, but this will not be covered. I’ll also not describe the connecting street between those routes in detail. This is only done for the route I cycled in the – Day by Day breakdown.

Route overview map

Tipp: Open the side panel on the left and toggle the different routes.

• Download the whole map HERE
• Download my route HERE
• Add the map to Google Maps HERE
• Download mentioned PoI’s HERE

The canyon Route

This route was apparently first cycled by Max Roving [DE] in August 2025. You can read his blog post with the details HERE. I wanted to do the route in the southern direction, starting in Mazar-i-Sharif. While researching it in regard to safety, I decided in the end not to take the route. Why? ISIS-K. Another cyclist wanted to cycle this route before, and the Taliban and locals said it’s not safe. After Max Ryian [US] cycled the route in September/October 2025 and was held for 2 days by the Taliban at the same checkpoint [Tarkhuj – 35.501727, 66.506369] where Max was searched for a few hours [highly unusual as normal checkpoints take a few minutes]. Later, he met ISIS-K. During my research [March 2026], I asked the guides if the street is considered safe – they said they can’t guarantee it. I didn’t bother to ask the Taliban about the safety, as on the one hand, their knowledge about anything besides the exact rules and city they are in is basically zero, and they have a strong incentive to say it’s safe, as they would otherwise acknowledge that they don’t have control over the other extremist groups in Afghanistan, which they don’t. There was another group [US/CA] of cyclists who did the route in May 2026 – the checkpoint also took a few hours, and they needed to go to the intelligence office, but made it without problems.

To put this in a timeline:

• April 2025 – locals & Taliban said its not safe
• August 2025 – Max made it – with a few hours at the checkpoint
• September/Oktober 2025 – Ryian was helt by the Taliban and meet ISIS-K
• March 2026 – not 100% safe according to guides
• May 2026 – group made it without a few hours at the checkpoint and intelligence office but no problems

Use this information and the linked resources as they are not 100% explicit and do your own research. IMHO its a gamble – can everything go well – yes. Can it also go south – yes.

Sources

• IG post from Ryian
• Blog from Ryian
• Extremist groups in Afghanistan

The coal route

I was looking into other options to cycle from Mazar-i-Sharif to Bamian to have a nice loop. This route is located ~40km east of the canyon route. @MikeOkay did the road in a truck. I can highly recommend checking out his video HERE to get a sense of the road and the conditions. To make it short, it looks like absolute shit – a lot of traffic and incredibly bad road quality. That being said, I saw some new asphalt streets towards the south end of the route, and you can also see them on the satellite images – so maybe it will improve over time. I saw it from this point and then continued north – 34.805442, 67.362882.

The valley route

I got this route from @JakobTepler. It was, quality-wise, the worst road I encountered in Afghanistan. Therefore, it was incredibly beautiful and remote, so there is basically no traffic. The elevation gain is also very gradual, which makes it a great route towards Bamian, and it avoids the Salang Pass/Tunnel. As it’s a dirt road, you have to do it in dry conditions, and I would recommend waiting for at least 2 or 3 days after rain. It’s also way easier and more efficient, so cycle from Doshi to Bamian, then the other way around.

The remote Hindukush route

This route was apparently first cycled by a friend of mine I met in Uzbekistan and again in Afghanistan in May 2026, @Emiliano. It competes and possible surpasses the valley route in terms of difficulty—so very rough and steep terrain and limited supply. The first part coming from Band-e Amir is a dirt road but in okay condition until shortly before it merges onto the orange road near Sayghan here – 35.192768, 67.632948. Then the roads get better for about 5km before turning into very rough gravel and a dirt road in bad condition. The mountain pass before Ruy Doab, located here – 35.47624, 67.81524 , will be the biggest challenge. As it’s a dirt road, you have to do it in dry conditions, and I would recommend waiting for at least 1 or 2 days after rain. As the is also a real danger or rockfall during rain.

Anjoman Pass

This route was, AFAIK, first attempted by @ViktorZicho but needed to return as there was still too much snow – the pass is at el. 4413m. I thought about doing it after the Wakhan and little Pamir – but I didn’t even try due to time constraints and weather. You can check the snow coverage on daily satellite images via Copernicus HERE. If you plan to incorporate the pass in your route and you also want to do the Wakhan and little Pamir, then you need to make sure that you have the required permits, which you’ll need to get in Faizabad/Baharak – consider the direction and sequence of the towns you’ll cycle through in your planning.

Wakhan & litte Pamir

Definitely my scenic highlight besides Band-e Amir. The Wakhan starts in Ishkashim, and everything will be gravel. There is only one street, so you’ll backtrack everything – except you book a transport/hitchhike – more on that later. Generally, Afgahn Wireless is the best provider with a physical SIM card. Sadly, the last place with internet is Baharak. BUT if you want to stay connected in Ishkashim and in the Wakhan, get yourself a Tajikistan E-SIM as you’ll receive their signal in the Wakhan. The Wakhan part from Ishkashim to Ab Gach [37.0023561, 72.6980906] is, in parts, a nasty dirt road and gravel. Even if the absolute elevation change is only el. 200m you’ll make ~1200m. Now you have entered the little Pamir – the dirt road is a bit better but still contains nasty sections all the way to Sarhad-e Broghil – 37.001714, 73.448535 . There, the newly built dirt road starts, which makes everything after that phenomenal. You could theoretically cycle this road with a gravel bike – but not all the parts that came before. In terms of transportation, if you don’t want to backtrack, you can be lucky and maybe hop on one of the trucks – it worked 2x for me. Or you get a transport arranged via a guide – I have some recommendations at the end of the post. BUT – it will be very expensive. We are talking 300 USD from Ishkashim to Sarhad-e Broghil one way. See details in the Caravanistan report HERE. I would also highly recommend only doing this part during a good weather window and preparing for everything – food, camping, spare parts, etc. And don’t forget about the elevation – Lake Chakmaktyn is at 4100m, and the border to China is 4923m [Wakhijir Pass].

Day-by-Day breakdown

In the following part, I’ll break down every day of cycling. All rest days I took were due to bad weather and will be skipped, except day 2, as this day was used to obtain the permits. I’ll only focus on the parts that are important for the given section of the day. Therefore, no anecdotes or similar will be included.

The place where I stayed can be seen by looking at the end point of the GPS file for the given day.

I cyceled everything with a stiff MTB frame bike with a drop bar handlebar with 2.25″ tubeless tires and a system weight of 38 kg. I would say that a setup like this is the minimum when you want to do any off-road parts of my route. Everything with more suspension and wider tires will be more comfortable and better.

The nomenclature for the daily summary should be read as followed:

Day | KM cycled | elevation gain | active moving time | % paved – % unpaved [specification] | day corresponding to my GPX file

Day 1 | 101 km | 215m | 5h 00m | 100% paved | 316

Started in Termez very early. The border opens between 8am and 9am. Why? It happened to @JakobTepler that he started too late, and a few km in towards Mazar-i-Sharif, the Taliban took him back to the border because it was getting dark – so start as early as possible. It’s also important to check the weather, especially the wind. The street to Mazar-i-Sharif is open and in a desert. If the wind is coming from the wrong direction, it will be very hard to make it to Mazar-i-Sharif in one day. Bicycles are not allowed on the Uzbekistan side of the border, which means after you get your exit stamp, a small pickup truck will drive you to the middle of the bridge. From there, cycle to the Afghanistan immigration office. You can push your bike through the building. It was an easy, smooth process; the officials spoke great English. It took ~20min. If you want to buy anything before Mazar-i-Sharif, exchange some of your USD to AFN directly at the border, as it will be the last place before the exchange offices in Mazar-i-Sharif, and shops will not take USD. The rest is smooth cycling with little traffic except the last ~15km towards Mazar-i-Sharif, where it gets notably more. I stayed in the Rahat Guest House, which is pricey [2000 AFN] but was great for a first night and by far the best hotel I’ve stayed in Afghanistan – everything you expect – wifi, breakfast, help and information, clean large rooms, AC, multiple plugs, beds.

Day 3 | 118 km | 877m | 6h 30m | 100% paved | 318

The first 15km out of Mazar-i-Sharif had quite a bit of traffic. The pavement from the roundabout here – 36.791416, 67.390666, until Khulm was quite shitty. The rest of the day was nice, asphalt, little traffic, and scenic. Stayed in a Restaurant – Tolo restaurant – for 1000 AFN. Private room, private bathroom, and hot water, clean, no wifi, multiple plugs, no bed.

Day 4 | 126 km | 1007m | 6h 45m | 100% paved | 319

Good pavement continued with little traffic. Only around Puli Khumri is it a little hectic. There would also be a restaurant/hotel here – 35.936408, 68.719324. I stayed in a restaurant in Doshi for 400 AFN, no shower, no wifi, shared toilet, one plug, no bed.

Day 5 | 101 km | 1244m | 8h 27m | 10% paved – 90% nasty dirt road | 320

The worst road I encountered in Afghanistan. I would highly recommend cycling towards Bamian. You need a good weather window, as the dirt road will turn into hell otherwise. If there was rain the days before you arrive, I would recommend waiting 1 or 2 sunny days until everything is dry – the road is even in good conditions, hard enough. I had a 1.5-day weather window, which is why I pushed hard. The first 11km are paved, after that they are building a new road, which is gravel but fast going for another 8km. After that its dirt road. Sometimes fast rolling, sometimes shit. There is only limited supply available, but you’ll find small shops with snacks and drinks every few km, so this isn’t a problem. There is apparently one restaurant where you can also sleep in Dahani Shah Awlia – 35.479541, 68.303921, but I haven’t checked it out. Basically, no traffic. Stayed in a private room, extremely simple [the light “switch” was – twist the two wires together]. No shower, shared toilet, no wifi, no cellular connection, no plug, no bed for 300 AFN.

Day 6 | 79 km | 1307m | 6h 36m | 38% paved – 62% unpaved 23km nasty dirt road 30km good gravel | 321

The nasty dirt road continues and is now getting pretty steep. It will turn better at this point, 35.097535, 68.015037, and then gradually improve until you’re back on the asphalt street. Basically, no traffic. From there on it’s easy and fast rolling all the way to Bamian with very little traffic. I stayed at Hotel Noorband Qala for 1300 AFN, and it was a really good hotel. Private room with bathroom, wifi, multiple plugs, beds, breakfast [very simple].

Day 9 | 75 km | 1365m | 5h 43m | 75% paved – 25% unpaved good dirtroad | 324

Reminder to get your permit signed. If you didn’t have it, then you also have to buy it before you leave Bamian. With very little traffic and mostly good asphalt except the last 19km its easy riding. When you leave the main road, it will be a good dirt road. After paying the 1000 AFN entrance fee, you can visit the national park. There are also shops and bakeries, so you don’t need to bring supplies. I camped at the lake, a 10/10 place, but it requires a 50m hike by bike to get there. Another cyclist, a week later, was denied permission to camp there. So go stealth and late in the day.

Day 10 | 70 km | 667m | 4h 01m | 75% paved – 25% unpaved good dirt road / Hiking path | 325

I didn’t want to backtrack along the lakes, so I took the “hiking” path, which only requires 300m of total hike a bike. At the entrance fee house, I joined back on the same route I took the day before. Stayed at the same places as on day 6.

Day 11 | 160 km | 1238m | 7h 46m | 100% asphalt | 326

The best and most scenic asphalt street descent I did. The whole day is perfect asphalt. There was rain the day before, which led to some small streams to cross the street, and one bridge was closed, where I needed to use the bypass. Very little traffic until you join the main street coming from Kabul towards Kunduz. Stayed at a restaurant with no wifi, no shower, shared toilet, multiple plugs, and no bed for 300 AFN.

Day 13 | 102 km| 1899m | 7h 31m | 66% paved – 44% unpaved | 328

The Salang-Pass – check the weather. Due to the high altitude, it can be different on the other side. Even if no rain is forecasted, when the clouds are too low, everything will be wet and muddy anyway. Coming from the south, the first 34km are dirt road, then the final 10km, all the way to the other side of the tunnel, are perfect asphalt. Coming from the south, the tunnel has a slight elevation gain of ~40m. There is no ventilation in the tunnel, so wear at least a bandana, turn all the lights on, and maybe wear a high-vis vest. On the other side, the first 11km is a dirt road. After that, everything is perfect asphalt. There are multiple options to sleep on this downhill part. I stayed at the same place as on day 4. There will be constant truck traffic along the whole way.

Day 14 | 128 km | 541m | 5h 46m | 100% paved | 329

Backtracking part of day 4. At the junction where it splits off, the road is shitty for a few km before it gets better again. The traffic is okey and the street is fast rolling. I slept in a restaurant with no shower, shared toilet, no wifi, multiple plugs, and no beds. The Taliban paid for my room when they checked my documents. I think it would have been around ~400 AFN.

Day 15 | 25 km | 53m | 1h 15m | 100% asphalt | 330

Good asphalt towards Kunduz. More traffic the closer you get. Stayed in Kunduz Hotel, which was a bit pricey for what it is, but the location is great. Big compound with a nice and quiet garden compared to the city. You can wash your bike there. The mattress was basically concrete. Other than that, wifi, a big room with a bathroom, multiple plugs, AC, beds, good breakfast, and nice service for 1500 AFN.

Day 16 | 136 km | 1480m | 7h 12m | 100% paved | 331

A bit hectic until you are out of Kunduz. All good asphalt. Traffic was okay – except around Taloqan there it was crazy. Stayed in a restaurant with a private bathroom, warm water bucket shower, wifi, multiple plugs, and no bed for 1000 AFN.

Day 17 | 99 km | 1075m | 5h 16m | 100% paved | 332

Little traffic until you reach Faizabad. Good asphalt and fast rolling. Stayed at a restaurant, with wifi, shared toilet and shower, multiple plugs, beds for 1000 AFN.

Day 18 | 91 km | 1275m | 6h 15m | 90% asphalt 10% okey/nasty dirt road | 333

Little traffic to Baharak  after that, basically no traffic, perfect asphalt, incredible, beautiful, and fast to cycle. There are still some parts where there is no new asphalt, which are the 10% dirt road; it’s sprinkled into the route here and there. I camped.

Day 19 | 100 km | 1537m | 8h 00m | 80% asphalt until Ishkashim 20% dirt road after Ishkashim all okay/nasty dirt road | 334

Same as the day before. The way to Ishkashim is perfect asphalt with some dirt road parts. Ishkashim will be the last proper town to get all the supplies you want – so stock up! This would also be the place to wait for a good weather window, if needed. This will be the last asphalt for the next 540 km. After Ishkashim, the dirt road starts quite rough, but it will turn into an okay dirt road quite fast. As it was late, I camped next to a field not well hidden and got woken up at 8 AM by some kids. Basically, no traffic for the whole Wakhan and little Pamir.

Day 20 | 106 km | 1049m | 9h 04m | 100% dirt road | 335

Still good dirt road. There are some very small shops along the way. Do not rely on them – they can be open, they can be closed. In terms of stock, you’ll always get energy drinks and biscuits; everything else is a bonus. More variety and the last chance to stock up on snacks, drinks, etc., is in Khandud.

Day 21 | 95 km | 2035m | 12h 37m | 100% dirt road | 336

The dirt road in okay condition continues to Sarhad-e Broghil. This is the last “big” village. Apparently, there is a guest house with electric and there is also wifi at the place of construction workers. Don’t rely on anything of that. From here, the new roads towards the China border starts, and it’s a really nice gravel road. Still slow progress as the elevation is now starting to hit – the village is on 3300m asl., and the climbs are very steep, which leads to quite a bit of push-a-bike. Especially the two passes. I camped.

Day 22 | 56 km | 1226m | 8h 12m | 100% dirt road | 337

Same as the day before. At the junction where you decide to go to Lake Chakmaktyn or towards China, the road quality changes. If you go to the China border, the good gravel continues. If you go towards Lake Chakmaktyn, it will be an absolutely horrible dirt road. As a thunderstorm was visible above the lake, which wasn’t in my forecast, I decided to turn around. I got a lift from a truck, which isn’t in my GPX, therefore the gap. I camped around here – 37.0042093, 73.5973172.

Day 23 | 92 km | 757m | 9h 07m | 100% dirt road | 338

Got another lift in the morning to Sarhad-e Broghil. I camped.

Day 24 | 110km | 1109m | 11h 37m | 100% dirt road | 339

Got a lift in the evening from Ishkashim. As a thunderstorm hit, I slept in a house that is normally meant for truck drivers. No shower, shared toilet, no plugs, no wifi, no bed for 0 AFN.

Day 25 | 111km | 453m | 5h 47m | 90% asphalt 10% okey/nasty dirt road | 340

Back to Faizabad. As this is all the same way back, refer to the days before. Slept at the same restaurant as day 17.

Day 27 | 170km | 895m | 7h 55m | 100% paved | 342

Got a lift from Kishim to Taloqan. Stayed at the same hotel as day 15.

Day 28 | 126km | 517m | 6h 35m | 100% paved | 343

This day also includes 60km cycling in Tajikistan. Remember to exchange or spend your AFN. I heard you’re not allowed to bring more than 1000 AFN out of Afghanistan [I would not risk it]. They have checked my wallet, and I only had 30 AFN left – no problem. Remember the opening hours and the lunch break [12PM to 2PM] of the border. Leaving Afghanistan was easy and fast, ~10min. Immigration in Tajikistan was also fast – took ~20min and they only X-Rayed my bags. If you enter with an e-Visa, bring ~3 copies, and they should also put a stamp on them. In Tajikistan, the first checkpoint didn’t know anything about the E-Visa, and that it can also include the GBAO permit, which led to a discussion. After that, no problem. Sometimes they want a copy of your E-Visa – I never has this situation.

Was all of this really safe?

When we look at the numbers, even though they are from the afgahn Ministries, there have been 25.000 tourists since 2021 when the Taliban took control over Afghanistan. Since then, there have only been 3 tourist been killed in Bamian. This attack apparently did not target only tourists. It was a group doing a trip with this company, HERE the post.

Does it mean it’s safe? As mentioned before, the Taliban are still not in 100% control of the country, and there are still plenty of extremist groups that say, e.g., “that the Taliban are not extreme enough”. So there are still parts which I would consider not safe – e.g., the canyon route.

Besides this, Afghanistan is mentally extremely demanding, mainly due to constant attention and bureaucracy. There have also been multiple reports of people who have been held by the Taliban in “prison” for 1 or 2 days.

Most of the times compounds and not prison cells, and they “only” have been interrogated. There have also been reports that the secret police have visited tourists in their hotel room and checked all luggage, all images, phone, camera, etc.

Those are things that can happen, and the chances that one of those things happen to you aren’t low. So prepared for this.

For my own experiences. I haven’t had a single encounter of this kind during my 28 days in Afghanistan. I only had 3 notable situations, which I would deem all harmless.

1. I cyceled quite fast in the TT bars towards Kishim. I crossed a checkpoint, but they didn’t make any sign or say anything, which indicated to me that I need to stop. 1km later, a motorcycle came and said I have to come back. I went back, showed my passport and continued.
2. The Taliban at the checkpoint in Khandud was illiterate. I asked if I could continue – he said no. A kid came, he spoke English and I showed the documents – he translated. The Taliban then said I can go. 10km later, the local commander came on a motorcycle and said I have to go back and make copies of my documents. We discussed for ~30min and agreed I’ll do it on my way back from the little pamir.
3. The checkpoint at the junction of Lake Chakmaktyn and the road to the China Border. When I wanted to turn around, the commander wanted to see my documents [I was at the checkpoint 20 minutes earlier, and the soldiers said all O.K.]. He then wanted a copy of the letter from the commander which I didn’t had so he wantedthe original. Multiple people and I argued that this is not possible as I need the document. I said if he wants a copy, he should have a printer or take a picture with his phone. After ~30 minutes of arguing, I got the letter back, he took pictures, and I gave him a copy of my normal travel permit.

Other people who have been cycling a few weeks after me also had negative experiences with the Taliban checking all of their luggage, and then 3000 AFN were missing. Or people steal food from the bicycle while sleeping in a room. There are a ton of more things which are not “unsafe” but also not comfortable. You always have to be on your toes and think of all possible scenarios that could happen in a given situation.

That being said, all of them were able to continue their journey and weren’t harmed physically. Mentally, I think this can definitely impact someone, so if you don’t think confidently, you would be able to handle such a situation also without long-term effects [e.g., being in prison for 2 days] – do not travel to Afghanistan, especially independently.

Thank you! Honorable mentions

Even if I haven’t used a guide during my trip, I was in contact with a few as I initially wanted to book some transportation for the Whakan. They have helped me and given me some tips – without them, it would have been way more difficult. So if you look for a guide or you want to book a transportation if can highly recommend:

• Peace Hope Afghanistan Tours
• Adventure Wakhan

You’ll also come across another guide, let’s name him A. – I can’t recommend him at all. Incredible, unprofessional, unreliable, and no up-to-date information.

Also, a huge thanks to @JakobTepler, @Hauke, @Claudio, and @TomSteffens for all the information! ❤️

Cheers – I hope this guide was a little help for your planning! 🙂