Gardens and Minarets: Kabul & Herat — 4 days / 3 nights

Two of Afghanistan's great cities in four days, with the long road between them replaced by a one-hour flight: Kabul, the capital, and Herat, the Timurid city of tiles, poets and workshops near the Iranian border.

How long is the Gardens and Minarets tour, and what does it cost?

The Gardens and Minarets tour takes 4 days and 3 nights through Kabul and Herat and costs $600–$880 per person as a private tour with Al Hamid Tour and Travel. Where the price falls in that range depends on your group size and travel dates: send us both and we confirm it in writing.

Length

4 days and 3 nights

Price

$600–$880 per person

Route

Kabul → Herat

Where you sleep

Kabul 1 · Herat 2

Flights

Kabul–Herat and back: booked by us, paid separately

Best months

April to June and September to October

Starts and ends

Kabul

Where does the Gardens and Minarets tour go?

What do you do each day of the Gardens and Minarets tour?

1. Day 1Kabul

   Arrive in Kabul

   Airport pick-up, then Babur's Gardens and Murad Khani, the restored old city, where the Turquoise Mountain workshops teach calligraphy, woodwork and ceramics.

   Night in Kabul

2. Day 2Kabul → HeratBy air

   Fly west to Herat

   The National Museum in the morning, then about an hour's flight to Herat. In the late afternoon, Gazar Gah, the shrine of the poet Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, rebuilt in 1425.

   Night in Herat

3. Day 3Herat

   The Great Mosque and the citadel

   The Great Mosque, begun in 1200, and the workshop that still makes its tiles; the citadel above the old city; the covered bazaars around the Chahar Su; and the five leaning minarets of the Musalla.

   Night in Herat

4. Day 4Herat → KabulBy air

   Herat's glass and silk, and the flight back

   Glassblowers and silk weavers in the old city and the tomb of the poet Jami, then the flight back to Kabul for your connection.

   You fly home

How does the price of the Gardens and Minarets tour compare?

Ours: $600 to $880 per person, which is $150–$220 a day. Other operators that publish a price for a similar route charge $836–$1,324 for 4 days, or $209–$331 a day. Prices checked in October 2026.

What does the Gardens and Minarets tour price include?

An English-speaking guide who knows the region; private vehicle and driver, including airport transfers; hotels with breakfast, two people per room; help with the visa invitation letter and the provincial permits. Not included: international and domestic flights (we book and ticket both for you), lunch and dinner, and the visa fee.

When is the best time for the Gardens and Minarets tour?

Herat and Kabul are best from April to June and in September and October. Both are possible in winter, when Herat is cool and often sunny.

Gardens and Minarets: questions and answers

Which other multi-city tours could you take instead of the Gardens and Minarets tour?

Besides the Gardens and Minarets tour, we run five other multi-city tours: Buddhas and Blue Lakes (6 days, $900–$1,320); Three Capitals Road (5 days, $750–$1,100); Cliffs and Citadels (7 days, $1,050–$1,540); Hindu Kush Crossing (8 days, $1,200–$1,760); Heart of Asia Grand Tour (11 days, $1,650–$2,420). All are private and start in Kabul, and the stops can be changed to fit your days.