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Band-e-Amir, the blue lakes of Afghanistan

The first time you come over the rise and see Band-e-Amir, it doesn’t look real. Six lakes of an impossible deep blue, sitting in a bone-dry landscape at nearly 3,000 metres.

It’s the kind of place people travel to Afghanistan for without quite believing it exists.

Why the water is that colour

The lakes are held in place by natural dams of travertine, a mineral stone that built up over thousands of years. That same mineral content, plus the depth and the sky, gives the water its astonishing blue.

The six lakes each have a name, with Band-e Haibat the largest.

Afghanistan’s first national park

Band-e-Amir became the country’s first national park in 2009. It’s a place of pilgrimage for Afghans as much as a natural wonder, so it’s treated with respect.

You can take a pedal boat out on the water, but swimming isn’t really done.

Good to know

• It’s about two hours from Bamyan by road, which is why we visit the two together.

• Most travellers come for the day, though it’s worth lingering for the light.

• Come between late spring and early autumn. By winter the lakes can freeze and access gets difficult.

See Band-e-Amir with us

We pair Band-e-Amir with Bamyan on our group tours, and we can build it into a private trip.

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Contacts

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Unique Afghanistan