Herat 3-day itinerary

1. Stop 1

   The Friday Mosque

   More than 800 years old, full of life and incredibly beautiful. Be sure and seek out the craftsmen's shop behind the main entrance, where you can watch them cut tiles and lay out new pieces for the building.

2. Stop 2 · 10 min walk

   Herat Citadel

   On a hill to the west of the old city, with great views overlooking the city. It has reopened to visitors after being used by the military to store ammunition for a few years, and is under restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. It has an eerie deserted feel, and you're free to roam and climb around all you want. However, be a little careful as some of the paths are slightly precarious. The guards generally demand a US$5 entrance fee, though bargaining can get you in for less, or even for free.

3. Stop 3 · 4 min walk

   Herat National Museum

   Housed in the Citadel the Herat National Museum, the collection is showcases the history of the region. However, many pieces have been either lost or looted.

4. Stop 4 · 17 min walk

   Mousallah Complex

   Once a mosque, a medressa, and a mausoleum, all that remains is a single, precariously tethered minaret and the large domed tomb of Gowhar Shad, who commissioned the original complex. If you have time, wait for the keeper to come unlock the tomb, this might involve asking the guard to call, he will ask for a few dollars it's worth it to see the interior. At the very back of the park behind the mausoleum, part of a second minaret, part of the madrassa, can be found with a rusting tank parked nearby.

Eat · Thousand and One Nights: Rice, kebabs, shisha. Waiters are dwarves in bright blue shirts, black trousers, and striped waistcoats. While this may seem patronizing, the restaurant offers them decent jobs where they would otherwise be unemployed.

1. Stop 1

   Minarets of Sultan Baiqara

   The 4 minarets are all that remains of the medressa that he built. The new Iranian-built road cuts directly through them, two on each side. Most of the once beautiful blue tiling has vanished, though the floral outlines remain.

2. Stop 2 · 22 min walk

   Tomb of Jami

   Jami was a very famous 15th-century Sufi poet. His tomb is highly revered, and popular with local women. To get here, walk roughly a kilometre north from the Baiqara minarets along the main road. When you get to a junction with a large monument in the center, look out to the left and the large building that looks like a mosque is the one. Otherwise, there is a taxi stand near the junction.

3. Stop 3 · 74 min walk

   Gazar Gah

   A large and famous Sufi shrine of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, tiled in blue with Kufic calligraphy. His tomb is the large blue structure at the back. There is no entrance fee, but donations are appreciated.

4. Stop 4 · 24 min walk

   Takht-e Safar

   A very old and famous park near the mountain close to Gazar Gah.

Eat · Thousand and One Nights: Rice, kebabs, shisha. Waiters are dwarves in bright blue shirts, black trousers, and striped waistcoats. While this may seem patronizing, the restaurant offers them decent jobs where they would otherwise be unemployed.

1. Stop 1

   Military Museum

   An overwhelming collection of weapons and military equipment left behind after Afghanistan's numerous invasions. Upstairs is a display in memory of the Soviet invasion.

2. Stop 2

   Yu Aw Synagogue

   One of few preserved synagogues in Afghanistan.

Eat · Thousand and One Nights: Rice, kebabs, shisha. Waiters are dwarves in bright blue shirts, black trousers, and striped waistcoats. While this may seem patronizing, the restaurant offers them decent jobs where they would otherwise be unemployed.