THE BUDDHAS
It's best to get a local guide to show you around the Buddha statues. Stairs lead up to several balconies around where the Buddhas once stood. The Buddha statues were just one part of a 25-day wrecking spree. All along the hillside are cave chapels that once held statues and elaborate cave paintings. On the ground you can sometimes see bits of cave paintings that have been destroyed. Pieces of the larger Buddha are now covered with blue UNESCO tarps. Local officials insist that the UN preservation society has promised to rebuild the country's biggest tourist attraction. Given their previous work (such as Indonesia's Borobudur) it's likely this will be accomplished despite the difficulty of the task.
SHAHR-I-GHOLGHOLA
You'll see the remnants of this ancient city on your left as you enter Bamiyan. They stand on a large hill very close to town. It was destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1221. While there is a road leading up to the top of Gholghola, it is best viewed from a distance as the Russians placed landmines all over the site.
SHAHR-I-ZOHAK
This ancient city is on your left as you reach the checkpoint 17 kilometers from Bamiyan. It's on a high plateau and a soldier from the base at the bottom will probably escort you all the way up. At the top there are fantastic views and a small army post. While you can look at sections of the ancient ruins from along the path up, it's not safe to actually walk among the ruins due to all the landmines placed by the Russians.
HOTELS
The Folady Hotel in the center of town is where most people stay. In addition, there's a government guesthouse near the gate on the road to the caves. Solidarity (a non-government aid organization) also has a guesthouse.There are plans to build a large hotel and develop Bamiyan's tourist industry.
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