This section covers the Northeastern portion of Afghanistan.

The historic region of Bactria spanned territory that included parts of northern Afghanistan — Kunduz was an important city — plus areas that are now in Uzbekistan or Tajikistan.

Regions

• Nuristan
• Wakhan Corridor
• Panjshir Valley

Official Provinces

• Badakhshan Province
• Baghlan Province
• Kunduz Province
• Nuristan Province
• Panjshir Province
• Takhar Province

Cities

• 1 Faizabad — a lovely town on the bank of Kokcha River. Nearby is the Lake Shewa, one of the sources of the Amu Darya

• 2 Kunduz — a town with large Uzbek and Tajik majorities, besieged by American and Afghan Special Forces in November 2001, during the War in Afghanistan.

Other destinations

• 1 Ai-Khanoum — a monumental Hellenistic city at the strategic confluence of the Oxus river and the Kokcha river, destroyed by the nomadic Yuezhi around 145 BC

• 2 Surkh Kotal (also called Sar-i Chashma) — the location of huge temples and statues made during the rule of the Kushans.

• Shamali Plain

Get in

3 Kunduz Airport, UND ^IATA. Flights from Fayzabad, Kabul by East Horizon Airlines and Kam Air

Stay safe

Travel to all areas of Northeast Afghanistan remains at high risk for ongoing military combat operations and insurgent attacks. On September 28, 2015, Taliban fighters attacked the city of Kunduz, causing government forces retreating outside of the city.