64°N64°S
Red Square illuminated at night in Moscow
Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan during blue hour
A panoramic view over Pyongyang from the Juche Tower
The cliffs and fields of the Bamyan Valley in Afghanistan

Field plan 06 · Reinstated · Conditions gate departure

Four
Frontiers.

Moscow and Kazan. A grand traverse of Iran. The broadest state-approved route through North Korea. A separate two-week Afghanistan leg.

StatusConditional / not currently bookable
60 days4 country modules10 · 24 · 12 · 14 days by legSwiss passport baseline
Moscow · Red Square · Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 ↗Isfahan · Naqsh-e Jahan · Zahra Gharaati · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pyongyang · Taedong River · Christophe95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Bamyan · Central highlands · Sgt. Ken Scar · Public domain ↗

01 · Planning status

Keep the ambition.
Respect the gates.

Four Frontiers is reinstated as a live expedition concept, not a confirmed departure. The itinerary maps the deepest lawful route that could be considered if entry, ethics, security and insurance align.

Swiss authorities currently advise against travel to Iran and Afghanistan, and against travel and non-urgent stays in Russia. North Korea remains closed to most travellers, with only limited state-controlled tourism. Consular help or medical evacuation may be severely limited—or impossible.

No dates. No deposits. No implied access.Any future route is limited to places legally open to foreign visitors and may be shortened, rerouted or cancelled without notice.

02 · Route atlas

One concept.
Four separate permissions.

This is not a continuous overland journey. Each country stands alone, with an independently verified entry and exit. Dashed lines represent conditional connections—not bookable transport.

planned country leg conditional connection principal field base
Schematic route from Moscow and Kazan through Iran, North Korea and AfghanistanFour separate travel modules connect Moscow and Kazan, an Iran traverse, a state-approved North Korea circuit and a two-week Afghanistan leg. International connections are conditional.01 Moscow01 Kazan02 Tehran02 Shiraz03 Pyongyang04 KabulRUSSIAIRANDPRKAFGHANISTANSCHEMATIC · NOT FOR NAVIGATIONN

03 · The field plan

Sixty days,
held loosely.

These day bands describe intent, not bookings. A failed gate removes the affected country; it never creates pressure to improvise an unlawful or unsafe crossing.

Leg01

Russia · 10 days

Moscow to Kazan

Current gateAdvice against travel / non-urgent stays

The opening leg remains deliberately narrow: five days in Moscow, the eastbound night train, three days in Kazan and one protected exit day. No military, border or permit-only areas enter the plan.

Moscow · overnight rail · Kazan · departure buffer
  1. Days 01–05Moscow

    Architecture, museums and the city on foot, with every visit screened for closures and photography restrictions.

  2. Day 06Rail east

    An overnight Moscow–Kazan train only if tickets, payment and registration can be lawfully arranged.

  3. Days 07–09Kazan

    The Kremlin, Tatar culture and the Volga—without treating a functioning city as an exotic frontier.

  4. Day 10Exit margin

    A full day held against flight, rail, border or communications disruption.

Leg02

Iran · 24 days

The Iran Grand Traverse

Current gateAdvice against travel · accessible regions only

“All of Iran” becomes the broadest lawful, insurable route through open tourist regions—not every province. Borders, security zones and sensitive military, nuclear or energy sites are excluded, whether or not they are marked.

Tehran · Caspian / Tabriz · Isfahan · Yazd · Kerman · Shiraz · southern islands
  1. Days 11–13Tehran & Alborz

    A slow arrival, museums and mountain-edge day trips only where local conditions permit.

  2. Days 14–17Caspian or Tabriz

    A four-day northern chapter chosen late; never both if the security margin is thin.

  3. Days 18–22Kashan & Isfahan

    Garden cities, historic houses, mosques and the central plateau by rail or licensed road transport.

  4. Days 23–27Yazd & Kerman

    Desert architecture and a Kaluts excursion only with current permits, weather and a verified local arrangement.

  5. Days 28–31Shiraz & Persepolis

    Poetry, gardens and Achaemenid history, subject to open sites and photography rules.

  6. Days 32–34Qeshm / Hormuz

    A southern finish only if the islands, flights and Gulf security picture are independently cleared.

Leg03

North Korea · 12 days

The state-approved circuit

Current gateNot currently bookable · state authorization required

“All of North Korea” can only mean every region an authorized state tour actually opens. Independent movement is impossible; the route, guide, gateway and even entry itself remain subject to DPRK approval and can change without notice.

Approved gateway · Pyongyang · west coast · mountains · any reopened eastern or northern corridor
  1. Days 35–38Pyongyang

    Four days inside the approved capital programme, with official guides and current photography rules.

  2. Days 39–40Western corridor

    Nampo or Kaesong only if placed on the authorized itinerary; no DMZ promise is made.

  3. Days 41–42Myohyangsan

    A mountain chapter if that region is open to the traveller’s nationality and tour.

  4. Days 43–45Reopened corridor

    Eastern or northern travel only if formally authorized; otherwise these days stay in the approved core route.

  5. Day 46Exit margin

    A protected day for state schedule changes, border interruption or a revised gateway.

Leg04

Afghanistan · 14 days

A separate two-week module

Current gateClosed gate · advice against every form of travel or stay

The requested two-week leg is preserved as a standalone module, not an Iran–Afghanistan land crossing. It cannot be offered under current conditions. A visa, guide or operator would not make the risks acceptable or guarantee evacuation.

Air entry · Kabul · Bamyan · Mazar / Balkh · Herat · verified air exit
  1. Days 47–49Kabul

    Arrival, assessment and a deliberately light programme; proceed beyond the city only after a fresh go/no-go.

  2. Days 50–53Bamyan & Band-e Amir

    Four days in the central highlands only if access, accommodation, medical support and road conditions are independently verified.

  3. Days 54–56Mazar & Balkh

    A northern chapter by an operationally cleared air connection—not a long exposed road transfer.

  4. Days 57–59Herat

    Three days for the old city and architecture only if the regional assessment still supports movement.

  5. Day 60Exit margin

    A protected final day with a verified air exit and a pre-agreed failure plan.

04 · Three frames from the route

Places first.
Frontiers second.

Qol Sharif Mosque within the Kazan Kremlin
01Kazan · Qol Sharif MosqueA. Savin · Free Art License ↗
Stone columns and reliefs at Persepolis in Iran
02Fars · PersepolisDiego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
A blue lake surrounded by mountains in Band-e Amir National Park
03Band-e Amir · Bamyan ProvinceAfghanistan Matters · CC BY 2.0 ↗
Moscow + Kazan

Two Russias, one rail line.

The metropolitan capital and the Tatar city on the Volga form a focused ten-day opening—deep enough to notice difference, short enough to protect the exit.

Iran Grand Traverse

A country, not a checklist.

Twenty-four days make space for plateau, desert, garden cities, Persian history and the southern islands, while accepting that whole regions may remain closed.

State-approved DPRK

The route is never mine alone.

Any meaningful journey has to acknowledge the limits plainly: official guides, prescribed movement, restricted images and a programme that can change without appeal.

Afghanistan · 14 days

The beauty does not cancel the risk.

Bamyan, Balkh and Herat remain in the concept because they matter—not because naming them makes access safe, ethical or currently responsible.

05 · Visas and entry

A visa opens a border.
It does not make it safe.

These notes assume an ordinary Swiss passport and were checked on 9 August 2026. Dual nationality, birthplace, profession, public profile and travel history can materially change eligibility and consular protection.

01 · Russia

Unified e-visa possible

An ordinary Swiss passport is currently eligible. The official rule allows one entry, 120-day visa validity and a maximum 30-day stay. Apply 86–4 days before entry; use only approved checkpoints and carry Russia-valid medical insurance.

Russian MFA e-visa rules ↗
02 · Iran

Full visa required

Switzerland is not on Iran’s published visa-waiver list. The online submission is only the first step and an interview or in-person application may follow. Passport validity must extend at least six months beyond travel.

Iranian MFA visa portal ↗
03 · North Korea

Visa + prior state approval

A visa alone is insufficient. Entry, gateway, itinerary and authorized operator must all be confirmed immediately before commitment. General entry remains closed to most travellers and no place named here is guaranteed.

Swiss representation information ↗
04 · Afghanistan

Visa route requires written confirmation

The de facto authorities publish a tourist visa, but documents issued by the Afghan mission in Switzerland after 30 July 2024 are described as invalid. A recognized mission and the operating carrier must confirm acceptance in writing.

Afghan MFA consular notice ↗
Before any application

Review citizenship ties and military obligations, government / defence / media / NGO / academic work, political activity, Israel and Ukraine travel history, medicines, cameras and communications equipment. Never misstate or omit material facts. Iran or DPRK travel can also remove eligibility for ESTA and require a U.S. visa.

06 · Security and viability

Conditions decide.
Not the calendar.

Status checked 9 August 2026 against official government sources. Advice and borders can change faster than a published page; every item is revalidated immediately before any commitment.

Russia · checked 18 May 2026

Advice against travel and non-urgent stays

FDFA cites an unpredictable war context, attacks, possible airport or border closure, arbitrary questioning or detention and tightly limited Swiss assistance.

Official advisory ↗
Iran · checked 29 May 2026

Advice against travel

FDFA warns of arbitrary detention, unpredictable escalation and limited or absent consular protection. Switzerland does not organize evacuation; departure remains the traveller’s responsibility.

Official advisory ↗
North Korea · checked 29 July 2026

General entry largely closed

Only state-organized guided travel is possible where entry reopens. Independent movement is impossible; detention risk, abrupt border closure and extremely limited medical care remain material.

Official advisory ↗
Afghanistan · checked 22 January 2026

Advice against every journey and stay

FDFA says Swiss assistance may be very difficult or impossible. Terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and sudden border or airport interruption can affect any part of the country.

Official advisory ↗

Funds committed

CHF 0until every country gate is cleared

Booking status

HOLDresearch only · no departure date

Six hard gates

No single guide, insurer or visa can clear them all.

01

Identity & eligibility

Passport, dual nationality, birthplace, work history, public activity, prior travel and equipment are reviewed before any application. Nothing is concealed from an authority.

02

Visas & route permission

Every visa, entry point, internal permit and exit document is in hand and independently rechecked before non-refundable commitments.

03

Sanctions-cleared money

Every airline, operator, hotel, guide, bank and payee is screened. Payments proceed only with written bank or SECO clearance where required.

04

Written insurance

The binder names all four countries, the full route and activities, with explicit treatment of government-advice, war, terrorism, kidnapping, evacuation and repatriation exclusions.

05

Security & exit plan

An independent professional assessment, licensed local arrangements, redundant communications and a verified exit plan are mandatory—but cannot eliminate detention, attack or evacuation risk.

06

Low-signature travel

No live dates, hotels, guides or transfer points are published. Posting is delayed; metadata and geotags are removed; travel devices carry minimal data and locals are protected.

Sanctions checks · official Swiss sources

Russia ↗Iran ↗North Korea ↗Taliban ↗
Departure condition

No module proceeds without valid visas, sanctions-cleared payments, written insurance that explicitly names the country and activities, a professional threat review, licensed local arrangements, a verified exit plan and a final personal go/no-go. Even then, detention, kidnapping, attack, border closure and failed evacuation cannot be eliminated.

The decision

No date yet.
The research stays live.

Four Frontiers is back in the journey log as a conditional field plan. The idea remains visible; the risks remain visible too. A closed gate ends a leg—never the duty to come home.

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