Wakhan National Park, Protected area in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan.
Wakhan National Park is a protected area in Badakhshan Province, covering high mountain valleys and plateaus between the Pamir and Hindu Kush ranges. The terrain shifts between alpine meadows, glacial valleys, and open grasslands surrounded by peaks that hold snow for most of the year.
The Wakhan Corridor was once a key passage on the Silk Road, linking Central Asia to China through high mountain passes. Traders, pilgrims, and travelers crossed this route for centuries, among them the Venetian explorer Marco Polo in the 13th century.
The Kyrgyz people who live in the high valleys still move with their herds through the mountain pastures according to the seasons. When you encounter them, you see round felt yurts set up and taken down as they follow the grazing calendar.
The park is very remote, and most travelers enter through Tajikistan or from Kabul, so planning well in advance is needed. The best time to visit is during the short summer window, when snow clears and the main routes become passable.
The Marco Polo sheep that roam this area carry some of the largest horns of any wild sheep in the world, with a span that can reach around 6 feet (1.9 meters). Their protection was one of the main reasons the national park was created in the first place.
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