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Update April 12, 2024

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Afghanistan Travel Advisory

Travel advisory december 18, 2023, afghanistan - level 4: do not travel.

Updated with information on risk of wrongful detention

Do not travel to Afghanistan due to terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime.

Country Summary: In 2021, the Taliban took over Afghanistan and announced an “interim government” based in the capital, Kabul. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has suspended operations, and the U.S. government is not able to provide any emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan.

U.S. citizens should not travel to Afghanistan for any reason.

Multiple terrorist groups are active in country and U.S. citizens are targets of kidnapping and wrongful detentions. The Department has assessed that there is a risk of wrongful detention of U.S. citizens by the Taliban. The Taliban have harassed and detained aid and humanitarian workers. The activities of foreigners may be viewed with suspicion, and reasons for detention may be unclear. Even if you are registered with the appropriate authorities to conduct business, the risk of detention is high.  

The Taliban do not regularly permit the United States to conduct welfare checks on U.S. citizens in detention, including by phone. Detention can be lengthy and while in detention, U.S. citizens have limited or no access to medical attention and may be subject to physical abuse.

U.S. citizens in Afghanistan in need of routine consular services can contact any U.S. embassy or consulate outside of Afghanistan for assistance, although our ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited. To locate the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate outside of Afghanistan, click here .

U.S. citizens who are in Afghanistan are urged to depart immediately via commercial means if possible. U.S. citizens who are seeking U.S. government assistance to depart should email complete biographic details and contact information (email and phone number), as well as U.S. passport number, to [email protected] .

The Department of State will continue to provide information via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) , Embassy Kabul’s web page , Travel.State.Gov , Facebook , and Twitter/X .

If you choose to disregard the Travel Advisory and travel to Afghanistan:

• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter/X .
• Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas .
• Review your personal security plans.
• Be aware of your surroundings and local security developments at all times.
• Keep a low profile.
• Notify a trusted person of your travel and movement plans.
• Make contingency plans to leave when it is safe to do so that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
• Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security updates and ensure you can be located in an emergency. Read the  Country Security Report  For Afghanistan.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel. 

Travel Advisory Levels

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Must-see attractions in Kabul

Kabul Museum

The Kabul Museum was once one of the greatest museums in the world. Its exhibits, ranging from Hellenistic gold coins to Buddhist statuary and Islamic…

Bala Hissar & City Walls

The old seat of royal power, a fortress has stood on the site of the Bala Hissar since the 5th century AD, and quite possibly before. It sits at the foot…

Babur's Gardens

Laid out by the Mughal ruler Babur in the early 16th century, and the site of his tomb, these gardens are the loveliest spot in Kabul. At 11 hectares,…

The zoo is a popular place for Kabulis in need of recreation. Western animal lovers might find it more than a little depressing. Visitors are greeted…

Sultani Museum

This private museum in the same grounds as the National Gallery is something of a curiosity. It was set up in 2004 by Ahmad Shah Sultani, a gold trader…

Omar Land Mine Museum

This is a museum that only a country like Afghanistan could host. Run by the Organisation for Mine clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR), it acts as…

Mausoleum of Nadir Shah

King Nadir Shah was assassinated in 1933, the time-honoured way that most Afghan leaders meet their fate. His monumental tomb sits overlooking east Kabul…

European Cemetery

This cemetery was built in 1879 by the British army for the dead of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The cemetery contains around 150 graves. Most are from…

Ka Faroshi Bird Market

Entering Kabul’s bird market is like stepping back in time a hundred years, to a corner of the city untouched by war or modernisation. Also known as the…

National Archive

Holding over 15,000 documents, the National Archive is housed in a palace built at the end of the 19th century by Abdur Rahman Khan for his son. …

Shah-e Doh Shamshira Mosque

Called the 'Mosque of the King of Two Swords', the Shah-e Doh Shamshira Mosque on Kabul river must be one of the most unusual in Islam. Built in the 1920s…

Bibi Mahru Hill

Also called Teppe Bemaru, the low Bibi Mahru Hill overlooks Wazir Akbar Khan. It's popular with some expats living in the district for walking, and has…

National Gallery

The National Gallery contains a mix of historic pictures and paintings by modern Afghan artists. Like Kabul’s other cultural institutions, it didn’t…

Mausoleum of Timur Shah

Timur Shah was the first to make Kabul the capital of a unified kingdom. He died in 1793, but it was another 23 years before his mausoleum was built,…

Mausoleum of Abdur Rahman Khan

The tomb of the 'Iron Amir' sits in Zarnegar Park. Originally a palace, the building has a bulbous red dome atop a whitewashed drum, and fussy decorative…

Royal Palace Of Darulaman

The old Royal Palace Of Darulaman sits opposite the Kabul Museum. Built by Amanullah in the 1920s, in grand European style, the palace is now little more…

Ghazi Stadium

Kabul’s main stadium hosts football matches most Friday afternoons. In the winter months and at Nauroz there are occasional buzkashi matches.

Solo female travel anywhere and everywhere.

The Ultimate Guide to Travel in Afghanistan

Written in 2016, expanded after a second independent visit in late 2018, and updated in mid-2019 after local input, this is the most complete and up-to-date Afghanistan travel guide available online. Regularly updated based on the situation on the ground, and with input from local contacts. Brace yourself!

Grab yourself a cup of tea (you’ll be drinking a lot of  chai in Afghanistan), get comfortable, and prepare to read, ’cause this is a long one. Everything we learned during three weeks of independent travel in Afghanistan in October 2016, and two weeks of independent travel in Afghanistan in November 2018, is right here in our Afghanistan travel guide.

A Complete Afghanistan Travel Guide

• Latest update
• Realize this

Where is “safe” to travel in Afghanistan?

• Where to find more information
• Travel insurance
• Border crossings

Mazar-i-Sharif

Band-e-amir, wakhan corridor.

• Getting around Afghanistan
• Calling and internet
• What to wear
• Photography
• Women travel
• LGBTQ travel
• Average costs
• Money-saving

Read before you go

Afghanistan travel blogs, is afghanistan safe for travel in 2020.

Although the security situation is bad in many areas of the country, the places covered in this guide are relativly safe… for Afghan standards.

Always be careful— a false sense of security doesn’t mean a place is secure. The US and the Taliban are currently in the last phase of negotiating a peace deal between the two parties, after which the US army is supposed to leave Afghanistan. When this happens, there is a chance the Taliban will try to overrun the Afghan government. Keep an eye out on the news to follow the situation.

Realize this before traveling to Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a gorgeous country. It housed many religions and been the heart of many empires. Hospitality flows in Afghans’ blood, and the food is a mouthwatering mix of Persian, Central Asian, and South Asian influences. It’s easy to see why one would want to travel there.

But Afghanistan is a dangerous country for travel.   All governments strongly advise against travel to Afghanistan.

It has been for decades, and unfortunately, it probably will be for some time to come. If you choose to travel to Afghanistan, you choose to put yourself at risk .

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t go—just be aware of what you’re getting into. Afghanistan is not just a place to cross off your bucket list. It’s not the next step after your month of backpacking in Bali . It’s not a good place to take your first solo trip, regardless of gender.

We recommend that only experienced travelers head to Afghanistan, and even then, be careful.

As of early 2019, the Taliban, US, and the Afghan government are holding a series of peace talks to establish long-lasting peace in the region. Many of our Afghan friends are hopeful, but the Taliban often uses violence to improve its bargaining position. If you plan to travel to Afghanistan, make sure to inform yourself of the current situation.

“Safety” is relative in Afghanistan. Everything can change at the drop of a hat.

While we were there in 2016, Kunduz was captured by the Taliban… then recaptured by the government, all in the span of a few days. Be sure to research the current state of things when planning your trip—see the Safety section for more details.

The only officially “safe” place in Afghanistan is the Wakhan Corridor in the Pamirs, and even then, Taliban control is moving in that direction.

But in terms of  relatively safe places in Afghanistan, currently (as of July 2019) the following cities and neighboring areas are safe enough to travel to:

• Panjshir Valley

If you stick to the information provided in this Afghanistan travel guide, the above cities should be safe enough to visit.

The city of Kandahar is safe to travel to. However, the areas surrounding it are extremely dangerous. We don’t recommend going here unless you have contacts that speak Pashto who can accompany you while out and about.

Given Herat’s close proximity to Iran, Dari (Afghan Farsi) is the language of choice.

Language in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has two official languages: Dari (Afghan Farsi) and Pashto.

People will generally call Dari “Farsi”, though it’s slightly different from its Iranian counterpart. Dari is more commonly spoken in the north and west, while Pashto, the language of the Pashtun people, is spoken in the south and in the regions close to the Pakistan border. However, many Pashtuns also speak Dari.

English is not commonly spoken in Afghanistan outside of Kabul, and even there, it’s limited. It would behoove you to learn to read and pronounce Persian numerals , and ask basic questions  in Farsi/Dari such as “How much?” and “Where is…?”

Religion in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic, and Islam is practiced by 99% of its population . The majority of people follow Sunni Islam. A notable exception is the Hazara population, who are Shia. There are sectarian tensions between the two groups, and Hazara’s are often the target of attacks. It’s advised to steer clear of any religious gatherings, especially when large groups of Shia Muslims congregate (such as the Ashura commemorations). During our second visit, a bomb exploded at a Hazara demonstration near Shahr-e Now in Kabul, and a week later a large Shia gathering was attacked.

Most Afghans are very conservative, so make sure to dress and behave appropriately.

Currency in Afghanistan

Afghanistan operates in Afghanis. At the time of writing, USD$1 ≈ 78 Afs.

There are ATMs in the major cities, some of which dispense US dollars. However, they do occasionally run out of money. Bank Azizi and Afghan International Bank take international debit and credit cards and dispense both Afghani and USD. If you go to the ATM, it is better to take out Afs than to take out USD and convert them to Afs on the street. There is also an ATM at the airport where you can get USD and Afs.

However, it’s a good idea to bring in some large denomination US dollars. You can use them for large expenses such as guesthouses and hotels, and they’re easily changed wherever you go.

Where to find more Afghanistan travel information

You mean you want to find resources other than our Afghanistan travel guide? You traitor!

Nah, we kid. You should read as much as possible before you go, not just our Afghanistan travel guide! (Though ours is the best.)

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a gold mine of Afghanistan travel connects. Search for hosts in the cities you plan on visiting and send the more reputable ones (those with the most reviews from foreigners) a message. Plenty of them are happy to provide you with advice—they encounter travelers with questions more often than you think!

A friend we met via Couchsurfing in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Don’t restrict yourself to messaging hosts, though. Look through hosts’ references to find other travelers that have recently passed through. Why not send them a message asking for advice as well?

Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forums

A one-stop-shop when it comes to destination-specific questions, the Thorn Tree forums are a great place to ask questions and find recent information. Though the crowd is small in the Afghanistan section , there are some helpful souls amongst the naysayers, including some tour guides for the country.

Facebook groups

We joined two Facebook groups before leaving: Kabulians and Kabul Security Now . They’re filled with expats and locals that can answer some of the questions you might have. Don’t publicly post actual dates of your travels—instead, ask a vague question, or pick someone seemingly reputable and send them a message asking for advice.

Remember, however, that many expats live a vastly different life from travelers. Most foreign aid workers live with constant security, and their perspective might be biased or limited as a result.

We had a little battle with Afghan bacteria and ended up having to pay the clinic fees out of pocket. Don’t make the same mistake!

Travel insurance for Afghanistan

As you could’ve guessed, it’s not easy to find insurance companies willing to cover travel in Afghanistan. Despite the difficulty, it’s not a bad idea to get travel insurance when traveling through a third world war zone. Just sayin’.

There’s an incredibly thorough guide to insurance options for Afghanistan (and other war zone areas) on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree travel forums.

Our first taxi ride in Afghanistan, coming from the Uzbek border .

Getting to Afghanistan

Visas & permits for afghanistan and the wakhan corridor.

It’s notoriously difficult to get an Afghanistan visa in many countries. Some don’t even issue visas anymore, others demand a lot of waiting time.

We applied for our Afghanistan visa in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan , which used to be the easiest place to get an Afghan visa in Central Asia. However, since August 2017 the embassy in Bishkek doesn’t issue tourist visas anymore.

Right now, the best options to get a visa for Afghanistan are the Afghan embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate in Karachi, or the Afghan embassy in Dubai. It’s reportedly also possible to obtain an Afghan visa in Kuala Lumpur. Some embassies require an invitation letter. There are several people in the Kabulians Facebook group who can help you with this if necessary.

For reports from other embassies around the world, check out Caravanistan’s Afghan visa guide .

Permits for the Wakhan corridor

A permit is necessary for trekking in the Wakhan corridor, which can be obtained in Ishkashim, Afghanistan. More information can be found in  Caravanistan’s Afghan visa guide .

A border guard at the Uzbek-Afghan border crossing trying to wrap his head around a GoPro.

Border crossings in Afghanistan

If coming in by land, you have a limited number of options. At the time of writing, the only border crossings open to foreigners are:

• Uzbekistan – Afghanistan border crossing at Hairatan  – The crossing we used in 2016.
• Turkmenistan – Afghanistan border crossing at Torghundi – This information dates from 2011, so be cautious. If you plan on taking this crossing, talk to your Turkmenistan tour operator and your contacts in Herat for advice.
• Iran – Afghanistan border crossing – Buses from Mashhad head to the border  via Torbat-e Jam . It should be possible to get a (shared) taxi on the Afghan side. For more information, you can contact Vali of Vali’s Homestay in Mashhad , and your contacts in Herat.
• Tajikistan  – Afghanistan border crossing (Wakhan Corridor) – The most commonly used border crossing, “plenty” of tourists will hop over the border for a day or two to visit the Afghan border market .
• Pakistan – Afghanistan border crossing – The borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan are usually only open for Afghan’s and Pakistanis. However, there have been several reports of foreigners crossing the border to Pakistan from the Afghan side. However, at the time of writing, we do not recommend this unless you have high places contacts on both sides of the border.

Flying to Afghanistan

If you prefer to fly into Afghanistan, there are multiple international carriers (of varying quality) that operate flights into Afghanistan.

• Turkish Airlines operates flights from Istanbul to Kabul.
• Kam Air operates flights from several international destinations. These include Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Dushanbe (Tajikistan).
• Ariana Afghan Airlines operates flights from several international destinations, including Ankara (Turkey), Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Istanbul (Turkey), Moscow (Russia), and Urumqi (China).

Practical Afghanistan travel info

Places to visit in afghanistan.

The Sakhi shrine in Kabul, where dozens of Shias were killed in an attack on the holiday of Ashura in 2016.

The most common starting point for travel in Afghanistan. Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, is an intense introduction to the country. Expect concrete walls, barbed wire, police galore, and a tense atmosphere in many places. The center city is more like a big fortress than a city.

Concrete-chic.

But that’s not to put you off your appetite! You can just as easily find places filled with happy families picnicking, or groups of teens relaxing and smoking some hashish. The city is ringed by beautiful mountains blanketed by stepped houses and offers plenty of excellent panoramic views. Kabul has something for everyone, from old shrines and cramped bazaars to chic hotels and secret bars where you can find a rare drink (or three).

If you go to Kabul, realize that kidnappings are a problem, and it’s best to stay as low-key as possible.

Where to stay in Kabul

There are several budget and mid-range options in the Shahr-e Naw area of Kabul. This area is relatively safe and is home to the famous Chicken Street. We stayed in Salsal Guesthouse during both of our visits.

• Budget:   Salsal Guesthouse – $10/$20 for a single/double with breakfast and shared shower,
• Mid-range:   Omega Guest House – Low profile guesthouse
• High end:   Serena Hotel – $350/night, the best hotel in Kabul with security to match

Ka Faroshi bird market.

Things to do in Kabul

Kabul is an ancient city with many things to do. From wandering through the bird market and the old city to finding tranquil peace in Babur’s Mughal Garden, Kabul has the ability to stun and perplex. Below are some of our favorite places to visit in Kabul.

• Murad Khani – The old city of Kabul has partly been restored by Turquoise Mountain , and can be visited if you have the right contacts. Send them a mail for more information or try showing up for an impromptu tour.
• Shrine of Sakhi
• Gardens of Babur – A peaceful oasis in a chaotic city
• Bibi Mahro Hill (behind Wazir Akbar Khan) – views over the center city
• View from the T.V. tower hill
• Ka Feroshi bird market and surrounding bazaar
• Kabul Museum
• OMAR Landmine Museum
• Chicken Street – old tourist gift shops from the Hippy Trail days
• Shah-do-Shamshira Mosque
• Panjshir Valley (day trip) – Nature, destroyed tanks, Massoud’s tomb
• Istalif – a small town about 2 hours away from Kabul and an excellent day trip
• Paghman – a small valley about an hour out of Kabul, another great day trip.

There are also several trendy cafes in Kabul where the young urbanites of Kabul mingle and dream. These include The 14th, Slice Bakery, Afrah Cafe, Nosh Book Cafe, Kora, The Cupcake Cafe, and iCafe. These cafes can be found on Google Maps.

Note: The destroyed Darulaman palace , once a popular tourist stop, is now being renovated and is no longer visible nor accessible.

A military helicopter patrolling the skies.

Safety in Kabul

Kabul is probably the least safe city of the places you’ll visit in Afghanistan. Though that wasn’t always the case, in recent times Kabul has seen regular violence and a slurry of large attacks, most notably the attack on the American University.

Your biggest concern in Kabul is the high prevalence of kidnapping. Not necessarily by the Taliban, but by impoverished people looking for ransom money. To be safe, don’t tell people where you’re staying, be careful who you trust, and try not to roam too much after dark.

Being caught in some crossfire, though less likely, is another concern. To reduce your chances of the worst happening, avoid:

• Spending time near important governmental places such as embassies and ministries
• Getting stuck in traffic jams on main roads
• Large gatherings of people on the street, especially with lots of police
• Religious events, especially events held by minorities such as Shias

For constant updates on activities in Kabul (and to get a sense of how much really goes on there), join the Kabul Security Now Facebook group.

Protip: If you’re hungy at night but don’t want to leave your hotel, use the app ZootZoot . ZootZoot is the only food delivery app in Afghanistan and has a good selection of restaurants signed up.

A tank in the Panjshir Valley, only 2 hours away from Kabul by taxi.

Transportation in/out of Kabul

• Taxi to the Panjshir Valley:  We paid about $45 (3000 Afs) for a taxi to and from the Panjshir Valley, but we’ve heard it can be done for $40… or less. It’s about 100 km to the valley, and the drive takes 2-3 hours with checkpoint stops once you’re in the valley.
• Bus to Mazar-i-Sharif:  There is a bus between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul for around 600 Afs/person . Ask around to see if the route is safe before buying a ticket, and make sure to leave early so the bus arrives before dark. If you opt for this route, dress local and keep a low profile. The fewer people know there is a foreigner on the bus, the better. In November 2018 we were told that this route is relatively safe at the moment, but please exercise caution.
• Bus to Herat: W e highly recommend you do not take this route . It passes through regions controlled by the Taliban, and even Afghans prefer to fly. A Couchsurfing host said he does know foreigners who successfully made the trip, but he suspects they only made it because they could pass as Afghans. If you do take the bus, stay silent.
• Bus to Bamiyan:  Since flights are still not operating regularly, you have to take a bus to visit Bamiyan. Since the area between Kabul and Bamiyan sees occasional violence, it’s important to ask locals about the status of this area before going. If you opt to take the bus, make sure the driver is taking the Ghorband route, which is considered safe. The road through Wardak is not safe.
• Flights to Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, and Bamiyan: Ariana Afghan Airways flies to Kandahar and Herat. Kam Air flies to Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, and Bamiyan. Note that not all destinations are listed on the airline’s respective websites. It’s best to go to a ticket office for domestic bookings. One-way tickets are between $50 and $110, depending on the destination. Flights to Bamiyan are still not operating regularly.

The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque.

One of Afghanistan’s most liberal cities, you’ll see plenty of people walking around in modern, colorful clothes, and plenty of girls in only hijab , not burqa . Aside from the stunning Shrine of Ali and the bazaars, there’s not so much to see in Mazar’s city limits itself, but there are a couple of day trips throughout Balkh province that will definitely be worth your while.

Where to stay in Mazar-i-Sharif

Most accommodation options are clustered around the bazaar and are walking distance from the Shrine of Ali. There are also plenty of cheap eateries around. We stayed in Barg-e-Sabz Guesthouse when we visited.

• Budget: Barg-e-Sabz Guesthouse – $20 for a double with private shower and breakfast
• Mid-range: Barat Hotel – $30 for a single with shared toilet
• High end: Royal Oak Hotel (Renaissance Hotel) – $70 for a single with security

One of the many colorful shops in the bazaars around the shrine.

Things to do in Mazar-i-Sharif

The Shrine of Ali, better know as the Blue Mosque, is one of the highlights of any visits to Afghanistan. Besides that, there are several day trips that can be made from Mazar. For more inspiration, check out our photo essay on Mazar-i-Sharif .

• Shrine of Hazrat Ali, AKA the Blue Mosque
• Old Balkh (day trip)
• Samangan (day trip)
• Bazaars around the shrine
• Mausoleum of Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari

Kids playing on a swing set in Old Balkh.

Safety in Mazar-i-Sharif

Mazar-i-Sharif is Afghanistan’s safest major city. There are fewer problems with kidnapping here than anywhere else, and the Taliban doesn’t operate here often. That being said, there was an attack on the German consulate  in the center of Mazar, proving that even the “safest” places in Afghanistan are risky.

Blasts aside, it’s safe to walk around until about 8 or 9 at night, especially in the bazaar area where there are lots of police, but try not to stray too far from your guesthouse at night unless with a local.

Transportation in/out of Mazar-i-Sharif

• Taxi to Old Balkh:  A taxi for a day trip around the sights of Old Balkh cost us $20 . We stopped at 7 or 8 different places, and the guide didn’t speak English (but was kind and patient despite the fact that we were stoned for half of it). We organized the taxi with the help of Barg-e-Sabz Guesthouse.
• Bus to Kabul: There is a bus between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul for around 600 Afs/person . However, at the time of writing, civilian traffic was stopped on this route due to increased Taliban activity in the area. Ask around to see if the route is safe before buying a ticket, and make sure to leave early so the bus arrives before dark.
• Ticket to Herat: 8,000 Afs/person ($120) – Mondays and Thursdays
• Ticket to Kabul: 6,000 Afs/person ($90) – daily
• Prices may vary depending on the oil price and the safety situation in Afghanistan
• Taxi to Hairatan (Uzbekistan border crossing):  A taxi to the border was $15, but can be bargained down to $10 (780 Afs). See our Uzbekistan – Afghanistan border crossing  post for more details.

Herat’s Jama Masjid, or Friday Mosque.

Walking around in Herat is almost like walking around in Iran … one of the more conservative cities in Iran, that is. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a woman not wearing chador or burqa. But despite the dark dress, people in Herat are some of the friendliest you’ll meet, and the city is far from dull. Filled with colorful Persian mosques, ancient houses, and caravanserais, and surrounding an epic, recently restored citadel, Herat is one of Afghanistan’s prettiest cities.

Where to stay in Herat

Besides the guesthouses we mention below, Herat has a decent CouchSurfing scene for Afghan standards. There are several trusted hosts in Herat, so check it out if you’re so inclined.

• Northeast corner of Chawk-e-Golha, next to the Bank Milli. It’s famous, taxi drivers will know it.
• Badmurghan street, +93 (40) 221 946 or (40) 221 947, mobile +93 (0) 799 206 192 or +93 0700 436 622,  [email protected]
• High end:  Nazary 4 Star Hotel – Rooms for less than $150 a night, Herat’s most luxurious hotel

The recently restored Herat Citadel.

Things to do in Herat

Herat is full of ancient buildings and narrow alleyways to walk around in. We recommend taking at least two days to explore this city and the marvels it has to offer.

• Jame Mosque (Friday Mosque)
• Herat Citadel
• Wander around the old city
• Mausoleum of Gowhar Shad – Ask to be let inside!
• Shrine of Gazar Gah
• Musalla Complex and minarets – the grounds were closed when we visited in 2018 so ask around for a caretaker
• Pul-e-Malan arched bridge

The last standing minarets of the Musalla complex.

Safety in Herat

There is a lot of poverty in Herat, and drug use runs rampant. Herat is growing increasingly dangerous due to poverty, to the point that the police felt the need to let us know that we were not safe and needed to leave certain areas.

Kidnapping is your biggest concern here, so be cautious: don’t wander too late at night, try not to walk the same route every day, and don’t tell people where you’re staying unless you trust them. Try to blend in by wearing a local dress, though female travelers will inevitably get stares if they aren’t in chador or burqa .

If you need help with anything in Herat, the men working in the offices of the citadel are extremely friendly and have a good command of English. Meeting them on one of your first days in Herat can be very helpful. There are also several reputable Couchsurfers in Herat.

Transportation in/out of Herat

• Bus to Kabul: There is a bus to Kabul from Herat, but we highly recommend you do not take this route . It passes through regions controlled by the Taliban, and even Afghans prefer to fly over these regions. A Couchsurfing host said he does know foreigners that have successfully made the trip, but he suspects they only made it because they could pass as Afghans. If you do take the bus, stay silent so no one knows you’re foreign!
• Ticket to Mazar-i-Sharif: 8,000 Afs/person ($120), Mondays and Thursdays
• Ticket to Kabul:  7,000 Afs/person with Kam Air ($91), 6,000 Afs/person with Ariana Afghan Airlines ($80), daily

The caves around the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

After the tense, concrete jungle of Kabul, Bamiyan is literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air. A stunningly colorful town in the mountains near Kabul, Bamiyan was once home to thousands of Buddhist monks, and a critical point along several Silk Road trade routes. These days, it’s a haven for history buffs and hikers, and it’s even possible to ski or board during the winter!

It’s easy to spend several days in Bamiyan exploring all of its caves, fortresses, and natural areas. You can do so with ease, as Bamiyan is the safest place for foreigners to visit in “mainland” Afghanistan, and its Hazara population is one of the most hospitable in Afghanistan. Thanks to their growing tourism efforts , there are a decent number of people that can speak English, too.

Where to stay in Bamiyan

• Budget:  There are several “hostels” along the main bazaar street. This means sleeping on the floor in a room with… whoever else shows up! If a couple, this likely means sharing a room with big Afghan families. A spot in a room is 400 – 500 Afs/person .
• Across the street from the base of the large Buddha
• They’ll assume you want breakfast and dinner here too, for $10 per day/2 people. If you don’t want this, make sure to tell them.
• High end:  Highland Hotel – $70 – 90 for a standard room

The red walls of the Shahr-e-Zohak fortress.

Things to do in Bamiyan

Note that a ticket is required to visit certain sights in Bamiyan, which we have marked with an asterisk (*) below. A ticket is 300 Afs and is only valid for one day. The first 3 on the list can be seen in one day. If you ask, the ticketing office has a very informative pamphlet on Bamiyan and its sights.

• Buddha enclaves*
• Shahr-e-Zohak fortress*
• Shahr-e-Gholghola fortress*
• Chehel Situn caves*
• Dara-e-Azhdahar (Dragon Valley)
• Watch the sunset from over the big Buddha or Shahr-e-Gholghola
• Go skiing or boarding (winter)
• Visit Band-e-Amir (see below)
• Foladi ice caves

A shrine to Ali in Dara-e-Azdahar, the Dragon Valley.

Safety in Bamiyan

You can walk around in the evenings, stroll to nearby villages, and generally relax. Just be cautious when walking around in nature—the areas around Bamiyan were once heavily mined. Though most mines have since been removed, those that value their legs and/or lives would do good to stick to beaten paths.

Straight cruising on the surprisingly good roads near Bamiyan.

Transportation in/out of Bamiyan

Update 2018:  As of November 2018, flights between Kabul and Bamiyan are still sporadic. However, the road going through Ghorband is considered relativley safe. Make sure to talk to local contacts for before going overland.

• Flight days:   Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
• Kabul – Bamiyan: 7 AM, arrives 7:30
• Bamiyan – Kabul: 8 AM, arrives 8:30
• Taxi to Shahr-e-Zohak:  The fortress is about 18 kilometers from Bamiyan. A taxi there and back should be around 400 – 500 Afs . Official taxis can be found on the main bazaar street. Shared taxis are 150 Afs one way.
• Taxi to Dara-e-Azdahar:  About 7 kilometers away from Bamiyan, you can either walk (2-3 hours) or take a taxi. If you’re willing to walk a bit out of Bamiyan, you’ll eventually encounter unofficial shuttle/shared taxis driving up and down the road between Bamiyan and the village in Dara-e-Azdahar. We were picked up by one on our way back, and the several kilometer ride was only 20 Afs/person .
• Taxi to Band-e-Amir:  The lakes are about an hour’s drive away. We paid 1,500 Afs for a taxi for the day, and he took us to 3 of the 6 lakes (the third required a bit of persuasion). A shared taxi to Band-e-Amir is 250 Afs one way.

Oh hello gorgeous.

Quite possibly the bluest waters in the world, the 6 lakes of Band-e-Amir are absolutely stunning and a highlight of traveling in Afghanistan. The site of Afghanistan’s first—and only—National Park, they’re a popular summertime destination for Afghan tourists.

Services run around the lakes from March to mid-November. If you visit outside of summer, be sure to bring some extra layers—it gets chilly, especially at night! There was ice on the ground when we visited in October.

Where to stay in Band-e-Amir

• Camping:  There’s free public camping space, and public toilets are available throughout the village. However, locals have advised against camping here, as a few people got kidnapped several years ago.
• Budget:  The Dir Hotel/chaikhana near Band-e-Haibat, the most popular lake, offers a mat on the floor for 100 Afs .
• Sign for the property is on the left of the main road through the Band-e-Amir village

The famous swan paddle boats in Band-e-Haibat lake.

Things to do in Band-e-Amir

Sights are free, but you need to pay a 200 Afs park entrance fee when approaching the town.

• Walk around the lakes (… duh)
• Take a ride in the tacky swan paddle boats in Band-e-Haibat
• Bathe in the waters, which supposedly have healing powers; women can bathe in the small hut near the Band-e-Haibat waterfall
• Visit the shrine to Hazrat Ali

Safety in Band-e-Amir

Band-e-Amir, like Bamiyan, is safe. However, the mine issue still applies—stick to paths and marked areas.

A rather furry roadblock near Band-e-Amir.

Transportation in/out of Band-e-Amir

• Bus to Bamiyan:  According to Wikitravel , a minibus from Bamiyan to Band-e-Amir runs on Thursday afternoon and Friday mornings in the high season. Ask a local to verify this (and let us know if you find it!).
• Taxi to Bamiyan:  It’s best to arrange a taxi to take you from Bamiyan to Band-e-Amir and back. Ours was 1,500 Afs for a day trip (organized by the friendly owner of Caravanserai), but the price could go as high to 2,000 – 3,000 Afs . If you’re lucky you can also get a shared taxi for 250 Afs one way.

The former capital of the Durrani Empire is steeped in history and houses some of the most significant religious sites in Afghanistan. Founded by Alexander the Great, the city plays a significant role in the history of Afghanistan and was the first capital of the Afghan Empire under Ahmad Shah Durrani

Deemed too unsafe for travel until recently, the city itself is now reasonably safe. However, we highly recommend to make locals contacts before you go, as showing up by yourself is not recommended. Between Taliban activity in the surrounding areas and an almost overzealous security apparatus in the city, Kandahar is not a place you should navigate by yourself. Couchsurfing is your friend.

Where to stay in Kandahar

As we said above, you should have a local contact with whom you can stay, or who can make sleeping arrangements for you in Kandahar. Kandahar is not used to seeing foreign tourists, and most hotels or guest houses won’t allow you to stay.

However, if you can’t find anyone to host you, there are two options you can check out to stay in Kandahar

• Budget:  Armani Hotel –  Charges $22 for a double. You can email them for more info.
• Mid-range:  Continental Guest House – Costs $55 for a double and they have a pleasant courtyard.

Things to do in Kandahar

With so much history, there is a lot of ground to cover in Kandahar. Some of these places are a bit outside of the city, so it’s recommended you visit them with a local contact.

• Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet
• Mosque of the Hair of the Prophet
• Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani
• The 40 Steps (Chilzinia) – a security checkpoint was set up near the entrance when we were there, and our host said they would not let us in
• Mausoleum of Mirwas Khan Nika
• Orange Palace and Old Kandahar
• Shrine of Baba Wali Kandhari
• Sarphosa Bazar

Safety in Kandahar

The recently murdered police chief of Kandahar, sometimes referred to as torturer in chief , has done a lot to clean up the city, although as his nickname suggests, through brutal means. So the city itself is relatively safe, and there might be a stronger police presence here than even in Kabul. However, the surrounding areas are still filled with both Taliban and drug cultivators, so make sure to keep a low profile and dress locally.

Transportation in/out of Kandahar

The only viable way to get to Kandahar is by flying. The road between other major cities runs through Taliban controlled areas, and the road between Kabul and Kandahar leads through areas that have seen an increase in violence.

• Flights to Kabul:  Daily flights by both Kam Air (6,400 Afs/$85) and Ariana Airlines (5,400 Afs/$70).

The stunning Wakhan corridor is the only certifiably safe place in Afghanistan, and also the country’s most visited when it comes to foreign tourism. Far removed from the rest of the country, the little panhandle is filled with Kyrgyz and Wakhi people, who are different from the “mainland” Afghans.

It’s an incredibly remote area, to the point that some people in the region don’t even know that the Taliban exist . If it’s hiking and camping that you’re interested in, the Wakhan is the place for you. Note that it can only be accessed by crossing over from Tajikistan unless you’re interested in traveling through Taliban-controlled areas. (Hint: don’t.)

We didn’t go to the Wakhan ourselves, but since it’s a (relatively) popular destination, there are plenty of other resources about it on the internet! For more information, check out:

• Backpackingman’s guide to hiking in the Wakhan Corridor
• Expert Vagabond’s guide on how to travel Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor
• Caravanistan’s guide to the Wakhan Corridor
• End of the road, beginning of the journey

Getting around in Afghanistan

The grossly ubiquitous dried chicken sandwich served on all Kam Air flights.

Airlines in Afghanistan

Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines are Afghanistan’s two main carriers. Ariana is generally a little bit cheaper than Kam Air, but Kam Air has a better reputation.

Where to buy tickets

You’ll most likely be buying your tickets with cash, so stock up! Domestic tickets can be booked in person with your passport at a travel agency or airline office. Tickets can also be booked online. Try to book several days in advance, especially for Bamiyan (if flights resume), as tickets can sell out fast. International tickets can be purchased on whatever websites you normally use, although it pays to see what local operators charge.

Airports in Afghanistan

Airports in the country are layered in defenses, thanks to a history of attacks targeting airports. Be sure to arrive about two hours before flights, allowing time to go through the multiple levels of security. Each airport has several bag scans, body searches, and bomb-sniffing dogs.

Women have to go through a separate area for body searches. The women’s check is usually hidden behind a fluttering curtain off to the side.

Buses in Afghanistan

Long-distance buses.

The only known “safe” long-distance bus route foreigners can take is the Kabul – Mazar-i-Sharif bus. However, during our first visit the road was deemed unsafe for civilian travel. Check with a local to see if the road is safe for transportation while you’re there.

Inner-city buses

These buses can get cramped, but at around 5 – 10 Afs per ride, they’re cheap transport that can’t be beaten. They have set bus stops, though you can always try and hop off in-between. Generally, men sit in the front and women in the back, though couples can sit together in the middle.

Private taxis

Yellow (ish) taxis can be found in all of the major Afghan cities, and a handful outside of the city limits, too. There are no meters, but an inner-city ride can start at around 50 Afs , and should never be more than 200 Afs , though you might have to bargain hard at times. Always decide on a price upfront! Aim for 2/3 of the quoted price, unless it seems abnormally high.

In practice, any car willing to stop can be a taxi. It’s up to you to decide if you want to take the ride—for security reasons, it’s a bit safer to stick with the yellow cabs if you’re by yourself.

Calling and internet in Afghanistan

If you want to stay connected while in Afghanistan,  Roshan or Afghan Wireless (AWCC)  are your best bet for phone service.  MTN and Etisalat  are two other options. Wifi can be found in most hotels, though whether or not it works depends on Allah’s mood.

Sim cards can be purchased at any official carrier office. Bring your passport, and prepare to have fingerprints taken. Calling credit top-up/scratch cards can be purchased from vendors on the street, or in mobile stores. Note that street vendors only sell top-up for calling and SMS; you’ll have to go to a mobile store for data top-up.

We used MTN (because lazy, ignorant, and the store was right there) , and coverage was decent to good in all of the cities we visited, except Kandahar, where AWCC worked much better than MTN.

Prices for Roshan service

• Sim card and 25 Afs credit – 50 Afs
• 3GB /month data – 350 Afs
• More prices on the  Roshan website

Prices for Afghan Wireless

• 1GB /month data – 150 Afs ($2.30)
• 3GB /month data – 400 Afs ($6)
• More prices on the  Afghan Wireless website

Prices for MTN

• 2.5 GB /month data plan + sim card – 500 Afs
• 1 GB top-up – 350 Afs  (must be done at an official MTN store)

Everything else you need to know when traveling to Afghanistan

Culture in afghanistan.

Caution: cultural crossing ahead.

What to wear when traveling in Afghanistan

Dressing in local attire is essential for blending in and reducing the amount of attention you get. It’s also a great icebreaker when talking to Afghans! They’ll be super amused (and pleased) to see you in local garb.

For the boys

Most men in Afghanistan dress in loose, comfortable shalwar kameez,  also known as perahan tunban , which consists of a long shirt and baggy pants. The shirt and pants must be the same color, and it’s traditional to wear a vest, sportscoat, or Afghan scarf over it.

It’s possible to buy premade shalwar kameez , but for the best effect, pick up some fabric in a store and get one tailored. Fabric should cost around 300 – 800 Afs , and getting an outfit tailored around 300 – 400 Afs .

Getting measured for a shiny new shalwar kameez at a tailor in Bamiyan.

For full effect, don a pakol , the round, flat, woolen hats favored by Pashtuns. You can buy one for a couple of hundred Afghanis in bazaars.

Some other tourists trying to blend in with perehan tunban and pakol hats.

If you’re not interested in being comfortable (… but… why?) some men also wear western clothes, especially in Kabul. Jeans and a shirt are quite a common sight, and short sleeves are acceptable. Avoid shorts.

For the girls

As you could’ve guessed, clothing options are much more restricted for the ladies.

Women in Afghanistan must dress according to  hijab , Islamic modest dress. This means:

• Long sleeves. 3/4 length sleeves are passable, though not common everywhere.
• A long shirt/tunic/dress that covers your bum.
• Long pants or skirts. Skinny jeans are okay. Just don’t wear any shorts or short skirts.
• A headscarf. Head covering isn’t required by law, but if you don’t wear one, you  will be the only woman on the street without a head covering.
• Open shoes are okay, though your feet will get quite dusty! Know that it’s not very common to see trainers/sneakers on the streets, especially the colorful variety that are popular now. We suggest buying shoes once you get to Afghanistan to help you blend more.

Accessories

Flashy items such as fancy watches and expensive cameras can draw unwanted attention. Your best option is to buy a bag in a bazaar upon arrival and carry your camera in it.

Fancy hiking packs will also draw attention, but plenty of men carry around simple backpacks. Women usually carry generic leather bags, which can also be purchased in bazaars for a dime a dozen.

For more information, check out our guide on female travel in Afghanistan .

How to act in Afghanistan

If you’ve traveled in Iran, you’ll be familiar with the concept of  tarof , a form of politeness. A similar practice often occurs in Afghanistan.

People will often try to reject payment for their services or offer you something for free, whether it be a cup of tea or a taxi ride. Politely insist several times that you can’t accept it for free and want to pay—they’ll usually give in quite quickly.

If not, and you’re uncomfortable with accepting what they’ve provided for you, a handshake with some money in it will often be accepted. Gotta save face!

Photography in Afghanistan

Be wary when snapping photos in Afghanistan. A small camera can fly under the radar, but a big DSLR can attract (too much) attention! When taking photos, keep the following tips in mind:

• Ask before photographing anyone,  especially women. Just as you shouldn’t stare at women in burqa, you shouldn’t take photos of them willy-nilly and up close, either.
• Carry your camera in a bag. A camera advertises the fact that you have money, and that’s not good in a country as poverty-stricken as Afghanistan.
• Be subtle about taking photos. If people see you taking photos, they might crowd around you and ask to have their photo taken, or a photo with you instead. Crowds attract attention, and that’s the last thing you want as a foreigner.

For a more nuanced explanation, see Chasing the Unexpected’s guide to photographing Afghanistan while staying safe .

Gettin’ scandalous with rolled-up pants in Band-e-Amir.

Women travel in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman, and as such, traveling as a woman in Afghanistan requires a bit more consideration. We’ve put together a post on what it’s like to travel as a woman in Afghanistan , but for now, some quick tips:

• Always dress in hijab , Islamic modest dress.  See the what to wear section for more information.
• In restaurants, women and families eat in a separate area. This could be a whole separate seating area or a small area in the back separated by a curtain. You  can  sit in the men’s area, but you’ll get a lot of stares and will make people uncomfortable in small restaurants.
• Accept that if traveling with a guy, you’ll initially be ignored. Men will direct comments and questions to your male companion first, though if you’re persistent or they’re more liberal, they’ll start talking to you eventually.

LGBTQ travel in Afghanistan

We’re not gay, so we can’t give firsthand accounts. But, as you might have guessed, being gay is not okay in Afghan society. Men, however, are very intimate and touchy with each other, and you’ll see men holding hands often.

Same-sex couples, just be discreet and say you’re friends. No one will know unless you tell them… or start making out in public (not advised).

Getting a straight razor shave in Herat for less than $1. Not bad!

Financials in Afghanistan

Once you’re on the ground, Afghanistan isn’t particularly expensive—it’s on par with the rest of Central Asia. It’s flying that will strain your wallet, as a one-way ticket between cities will be somewhere around $100 despite a short flying time.

To get a more thorough idea of budget, check out our report on how much it costs to travel in Afghanistan .

Average costs for travel in Afghanistan

• Total per day:  3,858 Afs / €54 / $59
• Food and drinks per day:  400 – 700 Afs/ €5.55 – 9.70 / $6.15 – 10.80
• Accommodation per day:  1,300 – 2,000 Afs / €18 – 28/ $20 – 30

Note:  Prices for accommodation are per room. However, solo travelers can bargain for a discount.

• Flight between cities:  3,250 – 7,150 Afs/ €45 – 99/ $50 – 110
• Taxi for a day trip:  1,300 – 3,250 Afs / €18 – 45 / $20 – 50
• Taxi around town:  1,00 – 3,00 Afs/ €1.35 – 4.15/ $1.55 – 4.60
• Entrance to tourist sights: 0 – 800 Afs / €0 – 11.10 / $0 – 12.30

Money saving tips for Afghanistan

• Haggle at hotels . The price is very often flexible, and it’s not unheard of for hotels to mark up prices for foreigners. Make sure to practice your charming foreigner persona.
• Use Couchsurfing . It can be tricky to find someone to host you due to security issues, but it’s definitely possible.
• Aim for 70% of the quoted price for taxis. We found drivers in Afghanistan to be fair (most of the time). A host told us it’s offensive to counter with too low an offer, so don’t halve the price unless the driver is really ripping you off.

Picking up some noms after dark. Okay because we were with a local… right?

Safety in Afghanistan

Safety is the most essential part of travel in Afghanistan! Like we’ve said already, “safe” is relative, but there are some measures you can take to reduce the risk of anything happening to you.

Try to avoid walking around much after dark, unless accompanied by a local. More importantly, avoid traveling between cities after dark, as this is when the Taliban will set up unofficial checkpoints on the roads.

If you need something after dark and aren’t comfortable going outside, hotel and guesthouse workers will be happy to get things for you (often for a small fee).

Dress like a local

Anything helping you to blend is a good idea. It might seem fruitless, but Afghans are much more diverse in color than you might expect—even blondes can blend in Afghanistan! See the  What to wear section for tips on local dress.

Don’t wander around shouting in your local language—it advertises the fact that you’re foreign! Word travels fast in Afghanistan, and the fewer people realize there are foreigners wandering around, the better.

This holds especially true on local buses. If someone realizes there’s a foreigner on the bus, they could call ahead to a friend, who could arrange a mishap further down the road. People get money if they turn in others to the Taliban, so beware.

The police in Afghanistan are there to help, so cooperate, and if you need anything or see anything suspicious, let them know.

We had two run-ins with police/intelligence. They accosted us out of nowhere, didn’t speak any English, and were a bit aggressive at first, so we were on our guard. Turns out they just wanted to let us know that Afghanistan is dangerous and we should be careful!

Know your consulate

It’s always smart to know which embassy or consulate you can turn to in case of an emergency. If your country doesn’t have representation in Kabul, look for a neighbor or ally’s embassy.

List of diplomatic missions in Afghanistan

Health in Afghanistan

Food and water.

Hygiene is important in Afghan culture—you’ll see people washing their hands before and after every meal, and you should do the same!

The ever-ubiquitous Kabuli pulao. Delicious as it may be, prepare to OD on it!

… but this doesn’t mean everything is squeaky clean. Food-related illnesses are common in Afghanistan, so use your discretion around feeding time. Tap water is a big no-no, and avoid anything made with ice unless eating at higher-end or family establishments.

Vaccinations

Standard travel vaccines are recommended but not required. See this vaccination list from the CDC for more details.

There are plenty of small clinics to be found around the cities, but if looking for top quality medical treatment and/or someone that speaks English, Westex Medical Solutions  in Kabul caters to foreigners. They’re incredibly friendly, speak excellent English, and will give you a discount if you tell them you’re just a traveler, not an aid worker.

Note that their address has changed from what’s listed online—they’re now found on Sherpoor Road, Street 4 in the Wazir Khan district of Kabul.

News resources

For the best and most thorough news coverage of what’s going on in Afghanistan, use these sites:

• Azadi Radio (in Pashto and Dari)

And of course, don’t miss out on other international news sources:

• Al Jazeera Afghanistan

A tile maker chipping away at the Jame Mosque in Herat.

Further Afghanistan tourism resources

Tourist information.

• Official Bamyan tourism site
• Wikitravel Afghanistan
• Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg – A deep look into a curious and sad phenomenon in Afghanistan: girls dressing as boys to escape gender restrictions.
• An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan by Jason Elliot – An engrossing, well-written travelogue of observations by a man who visited Afghanistan in the 70s as a teenager, then 20 years later after learning Farsi.
• A Historical Guide to Afghanistan by Nancy Dupree – An oldie but a goodie, this is  the  authoritative guidebook for Afghanistan, with a thorough look at the country’s history.
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – The most famous work of fiction set in Afghanistan. A modern-day classic, you won’t be putting this one down until you’ve read it cover-to-cover.

Guidebooks for Afghanistan are painfully outdated. Still, things change slowly in Afghanistan, and guidebooks are handy for getting a bit of background and history about the places you’re seeing. If you choose to invest, remember not to take any prices at face value.

• A Historical Guide to Afghanistan by Nancy Dupree (It  is a guide, after all!)
• Afghanistan: The Ultimate Visual Travel Guide by Harry N. Abrams
• Lonely Planet Afghanistan

Here are some of our favorite travel blogs on Afghanistan. If you know of any more, send them on over!

• Don’t Stop Living  – Mazar-i-Sharif and surroundings
• Backpackingman – Wakhan Corridor

And there you have it, everything you need to know to travel in Afghanistan. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions.

Yay transparency! The book links in this guide are affiliate links. That means if you buy one of those books, we’ll make a small amount of money at no extra cost to you. Think of it as a way of saying thanks and helping us to run the blog!

• Central Asia

Alex Reynolds

74 thoughts on “ the ultimate guide to travel in afghanistan ”.

I admire your pioneer spirit , having an awesome holiday where hardly most people would go. It does seem like a very esoteric and mysterious place, also doesn’t seem like a death trap like most advisories want us to believe. My sister works for Medics Without Fronteers and they wanted her to go there , but we all reccomended against it. But looking at your blog it reassuring. Myself I have been to some unstable places such as Somaliland (business trip), where I have heard so many bad things about it, but I totally enjoyed my 3 months stay. Thanks again for posting this.

Very awesome work done by you. The Content written here is very informative. Thanks a lot for sharing it

Thank you for the informative overview.

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Travel in Afghanistan: The Ultimate Backpacker’s Guide

March 23, 2020.

Everything you need to know about travelling in Afghanistan. Where to visit, how to get around, safety, and more are covered in this comprehensive travel guide.

Wondering what it’s like to travel in Afghanistan? You’ve come to the right place.

I’ve spent over 5 weeks independently solo travelling all over the country – from the bazaars of Herat to the remote Wakhan Corridor. I absolutely adore Afghanistan and it’s people and would love for more travellers to be able to experience it for themselves.

In this Afghanistan travel guide, you’ll find all of the practical info you need to know about travel in Afghanistan. Let’s get right into it!

• 1 Why travel to Afghanistan?
• 2.1 Is Afghanistan safe?
• 2.2 Travel Insurance for Afghanistan
• 2.3 Money in Afghanistan
• 2.4 Languages of Afghanistan
• 3.1 How to get a visa for Afghanistan
• 3.2 Flying into Afghanistan
• 3.3 Overland into Afghanistan
• 4.2 Mazar-e-Sharif
• 4.4 Bamiyan
• 4.5 Wakhan Corridor
• 5 When to visit Afghanistan
• 6 Internet in Afghanistan
• 7 Female Travel in Afghanistan
• 8 Solo Travel in Afghanistan
• 9 How much does travel in Afghanistan cost?
• 10  Couchsurfing in Afghanistan
• 11 Resources for travel to Afghanistan
• 12 Afghanistan Travel Guide Wrap-up

Why travel to Afghanistan?

This is a question that I’ve been asked a lot, and I understand why.

Western media only portrays Afghanistan as a poor and war-torn nation. While they’re not wrong, Afghanistan is  so so so  much more than that.

Afghanistan is a land where cultures, languages, and people collide – it’s where the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and Central Asia blend together. When you visit Afghanistan, you’ll get to taste Persian food, hang out with Pashto speakers, and smoke hash with Uzbeks.

Afghanistan is also insanely beautiful . The Hindu Kush mountains run through the heart of the nation and offer scenery that you can’t find anywhere else. Further east in the Wakhan Corridor are some massive 7,000-meter peaks that tower above the villages at their feet.

I don’t recommend Afghanistan as a travel destination for everyone. It’s a challenging country to travel in, and it is not safe.

But if you’re up for it, then a visit to Afghanistan will be unforgettable. I promise.

Before you visit Afghanistan

Here are a few things that you need to know about Afghanistan before your visit.

Is Afghanistan safe?

This is probably one of the first things on your mind when you think about heading to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is  not a safe country – and it would be foolish for me to say otherwise. Large areas of Afghanistan are under Taliban control, which means that travelling there is basically suicidal.

Here are the places that are currently relatively safe to visit in Afghanistan:

• Kabul (including Panjshir)
• Mazar-e-Sharif (including Balkh and Samagan)

Wakhan Corridor

While it’s possible to visit these places somewhat safely, certain precautions still need to be taken. They’re certainly not as safe as destinations such as Europe or SEA, but they’re also not on the same level as Yemen.

When visiting the above destinations, your main risks are kidnapping, robbery, and random attacks (wrong place at the wrong time).

You’ll need to decide for yourself if your risk tolerance is high enough to visit Afghanistan. Travel to Afghanistan is not something I can recommend (at this time), although if you’re an experienced traveller, then it is possible.

Travel Insurance for Afghanistan

Travel insurance is extremely important if you’re going to visit Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, finding travel insurance that will cover Afghanistan is difficult. While I normally use World Nomads  when travelling, they don’t cover Afghanistan (understandably).

I’ve been searching for an insurance provider to recommend to my readers, but I haven’t found the ideal one yet. Check out this thread for some discussion on travel insurance in Afghanistan.

Money in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s official currency is the Afghani (AFN).

The current exchange rate is $1 = 76 Afghani as of March 2020. Check out XE.com for the latest rates.

US dollars are widely accepted in Afghanistan, and you’ll be able to find money changers all over the place. Money changers usually offer very fair rates to change USD to AFN, although be sure to bring crisp US bills.

Credit cards are basically useless in Afghanistan, outside of high-end hotels in Kabul. There are some ATMs in Kabul and other cities that accept foreign debit cards, but I wouldn’t count on the reliability of these things. Instead, try to bring enough USD to last your entire trip.

Languages of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a multilingual country, with it’s two official languages being Dari (Afghan Farsi) and Pashto.

In certain parts of the country, you’ll also find Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashai, Nuristani, Wakhi, and Kyrgyz being spoken.

English is hard to come by in Afghanistan, especially outside of Kabul. Learning basic Dari and carrying a phrasebook will be very helpful if you plan on travelling in Afghanistan.

People working in the tourism industry often have a basic grasp of English, especially guesthouse owners.

Travelling with a local is another good idea, as they’ll be able to help translate for you. There are quite a few locals on Couchsurfing who would be happy to take you around.

Getting to Afghanistan

Getting to Afghanistan can be a challenge. Tourist visas are hard to come by, and many land borders aren’t safe for foreigners.

Let’s go over what you need to know to get into Afghanistan:

How to get a visa for Afghanistan

All nationalities need a visa to visit Afghanistan, and getting a tourist visa is a challenge. Most Afghan embassies don’t want to issue tourist visas due to the security risks for travellers in Afghanistan.

If you are planning on visiting Afghanistan with a licensed tour operator, they’ll be able to provide you with an invitation letter. With an invitation letter, the Afghan embassy in your home country shouldn’t have any problem issuing your visa.

Things get complicated if you want to visit independently. Tour operators won’t issue an invitation letter if you aren’t travelling with them (understandable).

There are a couple of Afghan embassies that will issue tourist visas without an invitation letter. Currently, they are Khorog , Islamabad , Bishkek , Almaty . Requirements are constantly changing, and this list is only based on the latest information I have available.

I’ve had success in getting Afghan tourist visas in both Islamabad and Bishkek without a letter of invitation.

Afghan tourist visas are always valid for 30-days and are single-entry. They are valid for a 3-month period that is stated on the visa.

For more information, see my guide to getting an Afghanistan tourist visa. ( Coming Soon )

Flying into Afghanistan

Flying into Afghanistan is a good idea if you want to avoid an overland border crossing.

Afghanistan is reasonably well connected to nearby countries by air.

Kabul is the largest international airport, with daily flights from Istanbul, Dubai, Islamabad, and Delhi. There are also frequent flights from Tashkent, Dushanbe, Tehran, Jeddah, and Ankara.

Mazar-e-Sharif has flights to Istanbul, Delhi, and Moscow (once per week).

Herat has flights to Delhi, and Kandahar has flights to Delhi, Dubai, and Jeddah.

Overland into Afghanistan

There are a few different ways to travel overland into Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan to Afghanistan

The Hairatan border crossing between Termez and Mazar-e-Sharif is one of the safest Afghan border crossings.

Provided your visas are in order, this is a great way to enter Afghanistan overland.

Check out my guide to the Hairatan border crossing for more info.

Tajikistan to Afghanistan

Crossing from Tajikistan to the Afghan Wakhan Corridor at Ishkashim is safe and straightforward.

See my Wakhan Corridor guide for more info on this border crossing.

There is also a border crossing between Southern Tajikistan and Kunduz, but this border is  not safe right now.

Pakistan to Afghanistan

The Khyber Pass connecting Peshawar and Jalalabad is one of the most famous border crossings in the world.

Foreigners have successfully crossed this border, but it’s not recommended.

Here’s a report from someone who attempted to cross the Khyber Pass in 2018.

Iran to Afghanistan

It is possible to travel between Mashhad and Herat safely. After entering Afghanistan, a shared taxi should cost about 250 Afghani from the border to Herat.

Turkmenistan to Afghanistan

The border between Merv and Herat is reportedly open, although not so easy to cross. You’ll need to arrange a tour to Turkmenistan if you wish to enter this way, as it’s not possible to get a transit visa for Turkmenistan in/to Afghanistan (I tried).

Places to visit in Afghanistan

At the moment, it’s only possible to visit certain parts of Afghanistan. Here’s everything you need to know about travelling to the safe parts of Afghanistan.

Kabul is the heart of Afghanistan. As the nation’s capital, it’s been through a lot – over time it has hosted the British, Soviets, and most recently, the Americans.

Kabul sits at about 1,800 meters above sea level and is surrounded by the high Hindu Kush mountains on all sides.

The city is currently home to over 5 million people and is one of the world’s fastest-growing cities . Kabul is home to people from all over Afghanistan looking to work in the big city.

Things to do in Kabul

There’s of things to do in Kabul, here are some of the ones I recommend:

• Gardens of Babur – Laid out by the Mugal ruler Babur sometime in the 16th century, these beautiful gardens are the perfect way to escape the crowded streets of Kabul for some relaxation time. The entrance fee is 250 Afghani for foreigners.
• Kart-e-Sakhi – A beautiful Shia shrine and mosque that is full of locals in the afternoons (especially on Fridays).
• Shah-e-Doh Mosque – Another beautiful mosque in Kabul. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations when I was in the city.
• Darul Aman Palace – King Amanullah’s Palace. It was destroyed by the Taliban but has recently been restored to its former glory.

Where to stay in Kabul

• Salsal Guesthouse – A decent budget option in the center of town. No single rooms, but a double with a shared bathroom should cost 1000 Afghani. Not particularly clean.

Getting to Kabul

There are daily flights to Kabul from Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, and Kandahar. These will typically cost about $100 one-way and can be booked on fairly short notice.

Mazar-e-Sharif

Located in Northern Afghanistan near the border with Uzbekistan, Mazar-e-Sharif is Afghanistan’s fourth-largest city and a must-visit place if you’re planning on travelling to mainland Afghanistan.

Mazar-e-Sharif is most famous for its incredible Shrine of Hazrat Ali (or Blue Mosque). I ended up visiting the mosque on three different occasions, and I’d say it’s one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen.

Things to do in Mazar-e-Sharif

Here’s what I recommend doing if you make it to Mazar-e-Sharif:

• Shrine of Hazrat Ali – One of the most stunning buildings in the world. Visit in the late afternoon for the best lighting. Entry is free.
• Day trip to Old Balkh – Balkh was the former capital of the Bactrian Kingdom and has existed since as early as 500BC. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur, and Marco Polo all passed through this city that nowadays isn’t much more than a large ring of dirt.⁣ It’s fairly simple to visit Old Balkh as a day trip from Mazar-e-Sharif. However, the security situation in Balkh is unstable, so get in touch with some locals to find out the latest news before you go.
• Day trip to Samangan  – Another awesome day trip, Samangan was once a Buddhist kingdom and is filled with ancient Stupas and other Buddhist relics.
• Roam the bazaars – The bazaars surrounding the Shrine of Hazrat Ali are full of life, and a great place to pick up some local Afghan clothes to help you blend in.

Where to stay in Mazar-e-Sharif

I had a bit of trouble finding a budget place to stay in Mazar-e-Sharif. Barg-e-Sabs was mentioned online as the best budget option, but when I managed to find it there were a bunch of random people hanging out in the “lobby” and it didn’t seem as though it was operating as an official hotel anymore (no staff were there).

I checked out a few other places, so here’s what I found:

• Karwan Balk Guesthouse  – This is where I ended up staying. $25 a night for a nice single room on the 7th floor with a great view of the city and including breakfast. The staff were very friendly although didn’t speak any English.
• Barat Hotel  – Right next to the Blue Mosque, they wanted $40 a night for a single room and wouldn’t budge any lower. A good option if you want to stay in the center of town.

There are some great people on Couchsurfing in Mazar-e-Sharif, so be sure to see if you can find anyone to host you.

Getting to Mazar-e-Sharif

The easiest way to get to Mazar-e-Sharif is to use the Hairatan border crossing from Uzbekistan .

There are also daily flights between Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Overland travel between Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif via the Salang Pass is not advised . The security situation along this road changes rapidly, and even if it was safe 24 hours ago it could be under Taliban control now.

Herat another major city in Afghanistan located near the Iranian border. It’s a historically Persian city and has a very unique Persian-Afghan culture blend.

Wandering around Herat’s Old City feels like travelling back in time, and it’s Friday Mosque will leave even the most well-travelled in awe.

Things to do in Herat

• The Great Mosque of Herat  – Another one of Afghanistan’s stunning mosques. This building is absolutely beautiful, and you could spend hours roaming around and watching worshippers pray.
• Musalla Complex  – Once upon a time, this was the largest mosque in Herat. unfortunately, it was destroyed by the British in 1885 and today only five massive minarets remain.
• Herat Citadel  – A massive fortress that was recently restored. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon wandering around.

Where to stay in Herat

You’ve got a few different options for places to stay in Herat.

• Hotel Darya – This is where I ended up staying. $20 a night for a basic single room with a private bathroom. It is located right near the Grand Mosque and the staff were friendly.
• Marco Polo Hotel – A slightly more expensive option, rooms here will run you $40 to $50 a night for a single.

Getting to Herat

The only way to safely get to Herat from other parts of Afghanistan is by air. There are daily flights from Kabul on Kam Air for around $90.

The only alternative way to get to Herat is from Mashad, Iran – although you will still need to fly to get to anywhere else in Afghanistan.

Bamiyan is one of my favourite places I’ve ever been –  it’s a peaceful oasis located high in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains.⁣

I could have spent weeks exploring this place, there’s just so many picturesque villages and valleys filled with warm, hospitable people. I hope to be back soon to see more.⁣

When you are in Bamiyan, you’ll need to purchase a 300 Afghani entrance ticket which will allow you to enter most sights (other than Band-e-Amir which is a separate ticket). The main ticket can be purchased near the base of the largest Buddha.

Things to do in Bamiyan

• Band-e-Amir National Park – Band-e-Amir is Afghanistan’s crown jewel. It’s located at 3,000 meters above sea level about 1.5 hours outside of Bamiyan Town. Band-e-Amir is home to six gorgeous blue lakes and is perfect for photography. The entrance fee is 250 Afghani.
• Buddhas of Bamiyan – Probably the most famous sight in all of Afghanistan. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were tragically destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, but the remains are still a stunning sight to see. It’s hard to miss these when you visit Bamiyan, they can be seen from all over town.
• Shahr-e Gholghola – An imposing fortress was the location of the Ghorid Bamiyan’s final battle against the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan. Located in the center of Bamiyan town, you’ll be able to see it rising above as soon as you arrive.
• Shahr-e Zohak – This is another fortress, but it is located near the entrance to the Bamiyan Valley. It’s perched on cliffs high above the valley and is a great half-day trip from town.
• Dara-e Ajdahar – Also known as the Dragon Valley. Once upon a time, legend has it that Ali, the son of Prophet Mohammad, slew a dragon here. You can take a taxi here (or walk) from Bamiyan town and spend a couple of hours walking around taking in the views.

Where to stay in Bamiyan

Bamiyan has quite a few decent places to stay:

• Cheelhil Burg Hotel – This is where I stayed and I liked it! It’s located a bit far from the town center (closer to Ajdahar village), but is a nice place and is run by a friendly family. It costs 2000 Afghani per night for a double room ($26).
• Chaikhanas – These are your cheapest option. They’re scattered throughout the main bazaar and are basically just a room with cushions on the floor. They cost between 400 and 500 Afghani per night (~$6).
• Highland Hotel – A higher-end option, the Highland has a great view of the Bamiyan Valley and is run by a great guy. Prices are around $50 – 90 depending on the season and your negotiation skills.

Getting to Bamiyan

Getting to Bamiyan is a challenge because the road there passes through dangerous Taliban territory. Flying is a better option, although flights are sporadic.⁣

To learn more about travelling in Bamiyan, check out my detailed Bamiyan Travel Guide .

The Wakhan Corridor is far different from the Afghanistan that most people know. It is a remote and mountainous strip of land bordered by Tajikistan, Pakistan, and China. The Wakhan Corridor separates the Pamir and Karakorum mountains and is home to the source of the Amu Darya (Oxus).

It’s one of the safest parts of the country (only Bamiyan could be considered slightly safer) and is the perfect place for nature lovers who want to experience Afghanistan.

Things to do in the Wakhan Corridor

• Ishkashim Bazaar – If you’ve only got a bit of time then your best bet is to spend it in Ishkashim, checking out its bazaar and getting a feel for life in Afghanistan.
• Trekking – By far the most popular activity in the Wakhan Corridor is trekking, and if you’ve got a decent amount of time in the Wakhan then you definitely should go on a trek. Popular treks include the one to the Little Pamir or the one to Noshaq Base Camp.

Where to stay in the Wakhan Corridor

Accommodation in Wakhi villages in the Wakhan Corridor comes in the form of basic guesthouses that are usually run by the only English speakers in town.

When trekking to the Little Pamir, you’ll be required to do a bit of camping until you reach the Kyrgyz nomads who you can stay with.

Getting to the Wakhan Corridor

Currently, the only safe way to get to the Wakhan is via Tajikistan. You’ll need to cross the border at Ishkashim, a town 3 hours south of Khorog. Be sure to have a second Tajik visa for your return trip, otherwise, you’ll be stuck.

The road connecting Ishkashim with the rest of Afghanistan goes through Taliban territory and  is not safe for travel.

To learn more, check out my in-depth Wakhan Corridor travel and trekking guide .

When to visit Afghanistan

The best time to visit Afghanistan depends on which part of the country you want to visit. In general, spring and autumn are the best times of the year to visit, as cooler (but not freezing) temperatures cover most of the country.

Autumn is extra beautiful, as the grasses and trees all over the country turn beautiful shades of orange and yellow.

Summertime in mainland Afghanistan is  very hot – low elevation cities such as Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat can reach close to 50 degrees. I don’t advise visiting these places during the summer, as it will make your trip pretty uncomfortable. However, the Wakhan Corridor is a great summer destination due to its high altitude.

Winter covers Afghanistan in a blanket of snow, and temperatures will be very cold. I’ve seen photos from some of my Afghan friends, and the country does look beautiful at this time of year (although you better pack a decent jacket).

Internet in Afghanistan

Internet access in Afghanistan isn’t great.

In the mainland, you can pretty easily pick up a SIM card from one of the major telecoms with a few gigabytes of data for about 500 Afghani.

Unfortunately, I found that this internet rarely worked in Kabul due to huge amounts of people overloading the towers. Mobile data connection speeds tended to be higher in lesser-populated areas such as Bamiyan. Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif were somewhere in the middle.

There isn’t any way to buy an Afghan SIM card in the Wakhan Corridor, and there are no towers to provide you with a signal anyways. If you purchase a Tajik SIM before leaving Tajikistan, it’s possible to connect to the Tajik cell towers on the opposite side of the Wakhan Valley. See my Wakhan Corridor guide for more info on this.

WiFi is available in some cafes in Kabul, although it’s always extremely slow. In general, don’t count on doing much photo/video uploading while in Afghanistan – sending emails and browsing the web will work alright though.

Female Travel in Afghanistan

Female travel in Afghanistan comes with its own unique set of challenges on top of the ones that men experience.

Afghanistan is still an extremely religious and conservative country (although not quite on the level of Saudi Arabia ). Here are a few things you need to know:

• You should always wear a hijab – Most local women wear a full burqa, so it’s at least expected that you wear the more “moderate” hijab.
• If you’re travelling with a guy, you will be ignored – While it may seem disrespectful, Afghan men are actually attempting to show you respect by not interacting with you. This isn’t an issue when the local men are liberal and educated.
• Restaurants are segregated  – Every restaurant has a family and singles section, and the singles section is filled entirely with men. You can sit in either section, but be prepared for a lot of stares if you sit in the single section.

Solo Travel in Afghanistan

It’s totally possible to solo travel in Afghanistan. In fact, all five of my weeks in Afghanistan were solo (although I did go to Bamiyan with a friend from Kabul).

If you’re planning to travel solo, my best advice is to keep in touch with a family member or friend back home and always let them know what your plans for the day are (and check-in at the end of every day).

For certain things (overland travel, visiting Old Balkh), I recommend travelling with a local friend. Unless you speak Dari, it’s not a wise idea to be all alone in parts of rural Afghanistan where there is little government presence.

How much does travel in Afghanistan cost?

While Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world , it certainly isn’t one of the cheapest to travel to.

There is very little travel infrastructure in Afghanistan, and almost all of it is geared towards employees of NGOs. Overland travel is unsafe, so expensive flights are often the only option to get around.

Because of this, travel in Afghanistan tends to cost anywhere from $40 to $70 per day .

Here are some sample costs:

• Accommodation – $15-25 per day for a single or double room is the standard rate throughout Afghanistan. If you’re looking for a place with a lot of security, costs can increase to a couple hundred a night.
• Food – $5 – $15 per day. Local street food is very cheap, although there are nicer international restaurants in Kabul where you can spend a bit more.
• Taxis – You’ll need to use taxis to get around Kabul, as well as to/from the airport in other cities. A 15-minute ride in Kabul will usually cost around $4-6. You’ll need to negotiate.
• Flights – If you want to visit more than one city, you will need to take a domestic flight at some point. On most main routes (Kabul -Herat or Kabul – Mazar-e-Sharif), tickets are about $100 each way. Flights are one of the biggest expenses when travelling in Afghanistan.
• Entrance tickets – Usually fairly cheap. The most expensive ones are in Kabul, and these are usually around $3-4 for foreigners.
• Visas – Afghan visas cost anywhere from $80 to $250 depending on your nationality and where you apply. If visiting the Wakhan Corridor, add another $140 for two Tajikistan e-visas.

Remember, these costs are for independent travel in Afghanistan. If you choose to travel with a tour operator, you’ll likely have all these things included and only need to worry about the up-front cost.

 Couchsurfing in Afghanistan

Couchsurfing is a fantastic way to meet locals all over the world, and you should really try to use it when you’re in Afghanistan.

I met some amazing friends on it and they really helped answer any questions I had about their country. Afghanistan has an active Couchsurfing community and it’s one of the best places to find local insider knowledge about the latest situation in the country.

Resources for travel to Afghanistan

Before travelling to Afghanistan, I did a crap ton of research – and I highly suggest that you do too. You need to be prepared and understand what you’re getting yourself in to.

Here are some of my favourite resources for travel in Afghanistan (other than this guide, of course!):

• Lost With Purpose – My friend Alex has a wonderful guide on travel in Afghanistan and it helped me out a lot when I was planning my trip.
• UnchartedBackpacker – Steven has some great photos and info about Afghanistan.
• WikiVoyage – A ton of detailed info about visiting Afghanistan, although some is a bit out of date.
• Wakhan Corridor Guide – My travel guide to the Wakhan Corridor. Check it out for a bunch of information on travel & trekking in the Wakhan.

Afghanistan Travel Guide Wrap-up

I hope this post has helped you learn more about what it’s like to travel in Afghanistan! It’s an incredible country, and I only hope that one day the security situation improves enough so that more people get the chance to visit.

Feel free to ask me any questions about travelling in Afghanistan in the comments below.

Safe travels!

21-year old Canadian dude who loves to visit off-the-beaten-path places, climb tall mountains, and try delicious foods.

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2 thoughts on “ Travel in Afghanistan: The Ultimate Backpacker’s Guide ”

amazing !!!! it’s one of my dreams to travel to Afghanistan (one day!!!!!!) your blog is really amazing and your pictures are gorgeous too, great article 🙂

Thank you! Glad you like the blog 🙂

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Explore Kabul

Plan Your Trip to Kabul: Best of Kabul Tourism

Essential kabul.

Kabul Is Great For

Eat & drink.

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• Kabul Serena Hotel
• Park Star Hotel
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• The Baron - Kabul
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• Darul Aman Palace
• Qargha Lake
• Christian Cemetery
• Kabul Museum

Best places to visit in Kabul

Blog , Destinations - GoroadTrip - February 23, 2019

Afghanistan which is at the crossroads of the great civilizations of history has created a surprising variety of food, art, language, and tradition. This diversity is evident in all the cities of Afghanistan. Kabul the bustling capital of Afghanistan is proud of its heritage as the main commercial city between East and West. Today it is the central market in Afghanistan. Although Kabul has undergone major changes with modern buildings and heavy traffic, the bazaars and other monuments of the old town remain the center of life. Some of Kabul sightseeing spots are listed below:

1. Babur Gardens

Babur Gardens, locally known as Bagh-e Babur, is a historic park in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the final resting place of the first Mughal Emperor Babur. It is believed that the gardens were built around 1528 AD when Babur ordered the construction of a street garden in Kabul, which is described in detail in his Baburnama memoir ad considered one of Kabul sightseeing spots. The Mughal princes had the tradition of establishing recreational sites during their lifetime and choosing a place to be the final resting place. The area continued to be necessary for Babur’s successor, and Jehangir made a pilgrimage there in 1607 AD, ordering all Kabul gardens to be walled and a tombstone placed at his head.

2. Bala Hissar

Bala Hissar is an old fortress in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan and the essential Kabul sightseeing spots. The planned construction date is around the fifth century AD. Bala Hissar is located to the south of the modern city center at the end of the Cow e Sherdarwaza mountain. Initially, Bala Hissar was divided into two parts: the lower fortress, which houses the stables, the barracks and the three royal palaces, and the upper fortress (the royal fortress of Bala Hissar), where the armory and prison known as the infamous Black Well are located.

3. Darul Aman Palace

The Darul Aman Palace (also known as the Palace of Peace) is the ruins of a palace located about 16 kilometers from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan and main among Kabul sightseeing spots. It is a palace built in European style. On a hill behind the castle stands the Tajbeg Palace of the former Afghan queens.

4. Tajbeg Palace

The Tajbeg Palace or Tapa-e-Tajbeg is the ruin of a palace 10 km south of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan and the chief Kabul sightseeing spots. It is a few meters from Darul Aman Palace and was the palace of the Queen of Afghanistan.

5. Kabul Museum

The National Museum of Kabul is the National Archaeological Museum of Afghanistan in the capital, Kabul. It was founded in 1920 and is one of the principal Kabul sightseeing spots. The museum is located in a two-storied building in the historic city of Kabul. The Central Asian collection of more than 100,000 coins was looted in August and September 1996 under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Paghman is about 23 km from Kabul. Behind the Qargha Lake is the beautiful village of Paghman, 23 km away, between many streams. At the beginning of the century, it was the summer residence of King Amanullah Khan (1892-1960).

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Top Things to Do in Kabul, Afghanistan

Places to visit in kabul.

• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
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• Budget-friendly
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• Honeymoon spot
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Babur Tomb

2. Qargha Lake

3. Kabul Museum

4. Christian Cemetery

5. National Museum of Afghanistan

6. Darul Aman Palace

7. Shah-e Doh Shamshira Mosque

8. Babur Gardens Mosque

9. Pul-e Kheshti Mosque

10. Ziarat-e Sakhi

11. Id Gah Mosque

12. Kabul National Stadium

13. Bibi Mahroo Hill

14. Abdul Rahman Khan Mosque

15. Kabul City Center

16. just wish, 17. qalla-e-fatullah street.

18. Ganjina

19. Roshan Shopping Center

20. Kabul International Airport

21. iCue Snooker & Cafe

22. Afghanistan Unique Tours

23. RJ Travel Agency in Afghanistan

24. Untraversed travel

25. let's go afghanistan, 26. let's go afghanistan, 27. let's go afghanistan, 28. let's go afghanistan, 29. let's go afghanistan, 30. let's go afghanistan, what travellers are saying.

• Qargha Lake
• National Museum of Afghanistan
• Kabul Museum
• Darul Aman Palace

• How to travel to Afghanistan during Taliban rule (2024)

By Joan Torres 72 Comments Last updated on April 19, 2024

Wanna travel to Taliban Afghanistan with Against the Compass?

We have one tour scheduled next September, an overland adventure through the Central Highlands with Minaret of Jam

September 5th to 14th, 2024

The first time I traveled in Afghanistan was in June 2021, just when the US Army had begun to withdraw from the country, and shortly before the Taliban took it over.

With the new change of government, I decided to go back to see what it was like to travel in Afghanistan under new Taliban rule.

From a traveling perspective, a lot has changed in this country.

After visiting Afghanistan 5 times, traveling all across the country, during the 4 seasons, from Kandahar to the Wakhan Corridor, here’s the most updated and complete travel guide to Afghanistan, containing everything you need to know relating to safety, visas, permits, budget, top experiences, cultural facts, and more.

Check: 50 Photos that will show you the beauty of Afghanistan

In this Afghanistan travel blog you will find:

Table of Contents

• Can you travel there?
• Introduction
• Travel insurance
• Travel permits
• Dealing with Taliban
• Female Travel
• Independent Travel
• Best time to visit
• Top 5 Experiences
• Money and budget
• Getting around
• More Information

our recommended travel insurance for Afghanistan

IATI Insurance is one of the very few that covers travel in Afghanistan.

Can you travel to Afghanistan now?

Yes, today, anyone can go to Afghanistan.

In fact, Afghanistan has always been open for tourism, and visas have always been issued at the respective embassies.

When the Taliban came into power, only 2 or 3 embassies could issue you a tourist visa but today, the number of embassies increased significantly – more on that on the visa section .

Moreover, either because they want to whitewash their image, or because they need foreign currency, the new Taliban Government is welcoming foreign tourists, the only barrier being the ethical issues that such a trip may trigger on certain travelers.

Introduction: What’s going on in Afghanistan?

More than 40 years of conflict have turned Afghanistan into an actual war-torn country, starting in 1979, when tribal people rebelled against the Communist party, starting a war between the Soviet Union and the Mujahideen , which lasted until 1989.

The Soviets were defeated but then, Mujahideen warlords began to fight each other over power, impoverishing the country even more.

Fed up with all that warlordism and disappointed that Islamic law had not been enforced after the communists were kicked out, a former Mujahid founded a movement named Taliban in the city of Kandahar .

That man was Mullah Omar, the historical leader of the Taliban.

The Taliban quickly took over the whole Kandahar province and, by 1996, they controlled 90% of Afghanistan’s territory, including Kabul, ruling until 2001.

Then, the American Invasion came, initiating a war that ended with their withdrawal in 2021, an event that Taliban used to take over the country.

Afghanistan under Taliban rule is the situation you will witness if you travel today in Afghanistan.

🪪 How to get a visa for Taliban Afghanistan

Before the Taliban took over in 2021, you could get an Afghanistan visa at pretty much any embassy around the world but things have changed now, since there’s only a handful of embassies and consulates that can issue you with a valid visa:

The easiest embassies where to get an Afghan visa are:

• Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
• Islamabad ( Pakistan )
• Peshawar (Pakistan)
• Doha (Qatar)

Furthermore, travel reports suggest that the following embassies are also issuing tourist visas for Afghanistan but I don’t have any personal experience with it – reports are welcome in the comments section :

• Istanbul (Turkey)
• Tehran ( Iran )
• Abu Dhabi ( United Arab Emirates )
• Bishkek ( Kyrgyzstan )

And last, some embassies in Europe have also started issuing them in:

The easiest is to get your visa in your home country but if there is no active embassy in the country you reside, Dubai and Islamabad are the most convenient places, for the simple reason that you find there are daily flight connections with Kabul.

Visa on arrival (VOA) for Afghanistan

There is a way to get a VOA for Afghanistan and that is by crossing from Tajikistan at the Shir Khan border – this is the border that is closer to the Afghan city of Kunduz.

The visa on arrival has a cost of 150 USD and the whole paperwork takes a few hours.

From Kunduz, you can easily get to Mazar. This border however, is the most convenient one for those traveling to the Wakhan Corridor. In fact, this is the route we’ll take on our upcoming Wakhan Corridor Expedition .

Travel requirements for the Afghanistan visa

I’ve personally got my Afghan visa in Islamabad, Dubai and Madrid and generally speaking, these are always their requirements:

• 1-2 passport photos
• 1 passport copy
• 1 Pakistan visa copy (if you apply in Islamabad)
• 80-130 US dollars, depending on the urgency. Americans can pay up to 210 USD
• Letter of Invitation (LOI) + Company license of your sponsor – Optional

Read: How to travel to Pakistan

My personal experience applying for the Afghanistan visa

Islamabad: Showed up without an appointment. A visa costs 80 USD, but you can also pay an additional 50 USD to get your visa in less than 24 hours. In my case, I went to the embassy at 3:30pm and got it the next day around 2pm. If I had applied early in the morning, I could have got it on the same day in the afternoon. No LOI was needed.

Madrid: Showed up without an appointment. Paid €200 and got my visa in 1 hour. The non-urgent service takes 1 week and costs €120. You may mail them your docs as well. No LOI was needed.

Dubai: Showed up without an appointment. Paid 130 USD and got my visa in 3 hours. Travel reports suggest that sometimes, they do ask for the LOI.

The other embassies and consulates have similar rules, but visa fees may vary. Your reports on this matter are welcome in the comments section.

How long is the visa valid for?

The visa is single entry and it’s valid for 30 days within a 90-day period.

Which nationalities can go to Afghanistan?

All nationalities are eligible to apply for an Afghan visa at any of the previously shared embassies.

Can Americans travel to Afghanistan?

Yes, US citizens can also travel to Afghanistan without any sort of restriction.

Do you need a Letter of Invitation for your Afghan visa application?

Upon applying for your Afghan visa, they might ask who will be your sponsor in Afghanistan, but you can say that you don’t need one, that you are traveling alone, and it should be fine.

This rule applies in Islamabad and sometimes in Dubai as well, but in Dubai, some travel reports suggest that this hasn’t always been the case.

At the end of the day, in Afghanistan, rules aren’t written and more often than not, they depend on the respective authority’s mood.

🚑 Travel Insurance for Afghanistan

Most travel insurance companies don’t cover for travel in Afghanistan.

The one which does, however, is IATI Insurance .

• They have loads of different plans for all types of travelers
• Covers senior citizens too
• Readers of this blog can get an exclusive 5% discount .

⚠️ Is it safe to travel in Afghanistan with the Taliban?

From a safety perspective, there hasn’t been a better time to visit Afghanistan.

Let me explain why.

Visiting Afghanistan before the Taliban took over in 2021

Up to summer 2021, any trip to Afghanistan was potentially dangerous.

The country was ruled by a “democratic’” Government, but they were in an ongoing war with the Taliban, who controlled a significant part of Afghanistan.

Traveling in the Government-controlled areas was relatively OK but suicide bombings occurred every other day and violent crime in cities like Kabul were kind of a big deal.

On the other hand, Taliban-controlled areas were physically possible to visit but the chance of getting kidnapped was extremely high.

In summary, visiting Afghanistan was possible but you had to travel with an extra degree of caution and accept a certain amount of risk.

Read: Is Pakistan safe?

Traveling in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in 2021

Despite the humanitarian and economic crisis, the war is finally over in Afghanistan and the new rulers are trying to build a peaceful and legitimate Government – or pretending to at least – aiming at being recognized by the entire international community.

Taliban are not carrying out terrorist attacks any longer, kidnappings are a thing from the past, and violent crime seems to have disappeared from Kabul.

Is this thanks to the Taliban?

Well, that’s what they want you to believe but not really, it’s just that they are the ones in charge now, they aren’t fighting anymore and just wish to be a normal country, while attracting foreign investment.

Afghanistan is very safe today, one can really feel it because all the provinces are fully open and also because the Afghans you will meet along the way will keep repeating all the time, that Afghanistan is finally safe .

What about IS Khorasan?

You might find it hard to believe that the Islamic State is still alive and that they have become the number 1 enemy of the Taliban, claiming that Taliban are too soft and mere puppets of the West.

This branch of IS in Central Asia is called IS Khorasan and the Taliban are currently in a violent counterinsurgency struggle against them.

IS Khorasan has carried out several terrorist attacks under Taliban rule but it’s all been at a small scale and, as I mentioned several times, the likelihood of being caught in the middle of a suicide bombing is extremely low.

Nonetheless, remember that this isn’t Thailand, and that traveling in Afghanistan never comes without risk.

Permits for traveling in Afghanistan

For traveling around Afghanistan, you will need special permission from the Taliban.

If you are traveling on an organized tour, you don’t need to worry about anything because your local fixer will take care of that but independent travelers will have to get it for themselves which, in our experience, isn’t an easy thing to do.

By the way, remember that Against the Compass has several Afghanistan expeditions scheduled all year long.

Need to know about your permit for traveling around Afghanistan

Your travel permit must mention all the provinces you will visit in Afghanistan.

However, it should only mention those provinces you are planning to stay in, not those you are just passing through.

For example, if you want to visit Bamyan from Kabul, you will inevitably pass through Wardak province, but you don’t necessarily need a permit for that, because you’ll just be driving through.

You will have to pay 1000 AFN for each province you visit, which is around 12 USD.

This permit is absolutely needed, and many Taliban will ask for it at checkpoints.

Note: They will usually make you pay 1000 AFN per province you visit but sometimes, depending on the traveler, they don’t charge it. From what I heard, they usually don’t charge anything to female travelers.

How to get your travel permit for Afghanistan, a step-by-step guide

Warning: The following steps look pretty straightforward but, in our experience, rules keep changing and everyone seemed to give us different information. Getting inside the different offices and ministries was also pretty challenging, since the Taliban guarding the gates don’t speak a single word of English, and they never seemed to understand the purpose of our visit.

Step 1 – Go to the Ministry of Culture & Information

Location is here .

Here, you’ll need to get 2 signatures from 2 different authorities, which will take around 2 hours.

Once you get your 2 signatures, they will give you an address and a phone number.

In our case, each of the 2 authorities gave us completely different addresses, phone numbers and contact persons but only one of them picked up the phone.

Step 2 – Go to the Tourism Directory, aka Afghan Tour

This building was difficult to find, since there wasn’t any sign but only concrete walls around it.

Once you get in the building, you’ll be interviewed by a person, who will probably ask why you aren’t traveling with a guide or a translator.

For this conversation, it’s important to wear local clothes, be extremely polite and pretend that you know your way around the country.

We said we had good friends in Bamyan and Herat, that they would be our translators, which seemed to satisfy him.

He’ll also ask for the provinces you plan to visit and after the interview, you’ll speak to the highest authority from this department, the person responsible for signing your travel permit and giving the final OK.

Afghanistan travel tip: Remember that on Friday, the offices are closed.

How to register at the regional office

Once you get your general travel permit, you will also have to register at the regional Information & Culture Department of every province you visit.

For example, if you visit Kandahar, the first thing you should do before sightseeing is just showing up at the respective office to get the local permit, which you will get only if you show them the general travel permit you got in Kabul.

This local permit will allow you to visit freely all the sites within the province.

Where are these offices located?

• Herat is here
• Kandahar is here
• Bamyan is here
• Mazar is here

How to deal with the Taliban when you’re in Afghanistan

Taliban are everywhere and, as an independent traveler, you will have to interact with them at checkpoints or when trying to get your permits.

Here’s what you need to know about it.

Taliban are generally kind with foreigners

Believe it or not, most Taliban I spoke with were particularly nice and helpful.

They are mostly Pashtun, a group of people living across Pakistan and Afghanistan, known for being the most hospitable people on Earth, ruled by a code of conduct that dictates that guests should be protected with their own life if needed.

I personally believe that, on most occasions, their kindness is genuine but you also need to remember that Taliban wish to be recognized as a legit Government and that their extreme kindness could be part of that strategy.

Taking photos with Talib boys

Taliban are usually very keen to be photographed or to be in selfies, and they seem to enjoy it a lot, so don’t be shy and just ask.

Remember that you don’t need to like them, but at least pretend that you do

Look, I have no particular sympathy for the Taliban.

At the end of the day, we all know that their aim is imposing and forcing all Afghans to follow their fundamentalist Orthodox ideas of Islam.

However, if you want to travel around the country independently, you will need to play along with their game and if you are not willing to do that, perhaps you should travel in Afghanistan with a local guide, so your interactions with them will be minimum.

I am at a stage where I don’t really care to be judged by other travelers – or people reading this blog – so know that in Kabul, I did buy a Taliban flag, which I showed and waved at checkpoints when I found it convenient, just to make our journey a smooth one.

What’s the general opinion on Taliban?

It’s important to remember that Afghanistan is the most conservative country in the world (along with Yemen and way more than Saudi Arabia ) and whether we like it or not, many Afghans – and that includes many women too – haven’t seen their lives changed with the new Taliban rule and that reason is that they were already following those rules.

This is the reason why Taliban are supported by a massive part of the total population.

Moreover, there’s another significant segment of Afghans who, while they don’t necessarily agree with the Taliban agenda, accept them because they have brought stability and safety across the country.

Nonetheless, remember that not everyone supports them, especially Hazara people – a Shia minority – and that there are many Afghans who, while still conservative, are not happy with their extremist ideas, like banning women from higher education, for example.

💃 How to travel to Afghanistan as a women

What is the situation like for female travelers in Afghanistan?

If you are traveling with a man, it should be fine but solo female travelers will certainly have a different experience.

My friend and fellow traveler Emma Witters has traveled solo extensively across Afghanistan, including in provinces such as Helmand.

You can reach her at @emmawitters_

🛫 How to get to Afghanistan

Remember to get travel insurance for Afghanistan IATI Insurance is one of the very few that covers travel in Afghanistan 5% discount if purchasing via this link

How to travel to Afghanistan by air

Many international airlines that used to fly to Kabul like Turkish Airlines or Fly Emirates, have stopped operating in Afghanistan.

Today, you may fly to Kabul only with the Afghan-run airline of Kam Air and Fly Dubai .

Fly Dubai departs from Terminal 2 in DXB and Kam Air flights from both Islamabad and Dubai, but also occasional flights from Istanbul, Dushanbe, Taskent or Doha.

Just check flight schedules on their website.

How to travel to Afghanistan by land

Afghanistan shares a border with:

Pakistan : The Khyber Pass at Torkham is finally open but this is the most chaotic border I have ever crossed.

Iran : It’s fully operational. From the Iranian city of Mashhad, you can get into Herat. Many travelers have used this border in the past.

Turkmenistan : The border is open as long as you have valid visas but this is truly unexplored territory. I contacted a Turkmen fixer who told me that Turkmen visas are often denied if your idea is to enter or exit Afghanistan from Turkmenistan, but there’s a chance to get in.

Uzbekistan : You can get into Afghanistan from the city of Termez. Mazar-i-Sharif is the closest big city. Here you have the border crossing report .

China : Very deep into the Wakhan Corridor, at 4,923m above sea level, the Wakhir pass connects Afghanistan with China. The border is closed for foreigners and in any case, it’s just too remote to go.

Tajikistan : There are a few border crossings. Ishkashim used to be the most popular one but that one is closed now. Shir Khan, near Kunduz, is the one that is now open to foreign adventures.

👨 Independent travel in Afghanistan

Is independent travel allowed in Afghanistan?

Yes, it is, as long as you have a valid travel permit. Check the permit section of this post.

Is backpacking in Afghanistan difficult?

Well, it depends on your previous backpacking experience and where you want to go within Afghanistan but, to be honest, I didn’t find it more difficult than backpacking in Pakistan .

If you are planning to visit Mazar, Herat, Kabul or Bamyan, it shouldn’t be very difficult. There is plenty of local transportation or you can easily take a domestic flight.

My recommendation would be however, to save the name and location of your hotel because for security purposes, some hotels in Afghanistan have no signs, so they can be difficult to find.

Visiting rural areas, Kandahar province or traveling beyond Bamyan in Ghor province is a different story. Nobody speaks English, hotels are scarce (if any) and there’s little public transportation.

We did travel from Kabul to Herat through the Hindu Kush by public transportation. It was difficult but worth the adventure. Check the travel report.

🗺️ Tours for Afghanistan

Do you wish to join a tour in Afghanistan?

No problem.

In Against the Compass, we have several tours scheduled per year:

• May 15th to 24th, 2024. SOLD OUT
• Aug 18th to Sep 2nd, 2024. ( 1 spot left) APPLY NOW
• Sep 5th to 14th, 2024. APPLY NOW
• Oct 3rd to 12th, 2024 (Spanish). APPLY NOW
• Oct 15th to 24th, 2024. APPLY NOW

Our Afghanistan tours sell out extremely quickly, so do book them in advance.

⛅ Best time to visit Afghanistan

With different geographical areas, Afghanistan can be a year-round destination.

Traveling in Afghanistan season by season:

Traveling to Afghanistan in winter

In winter, many parts of Afghanistan are covered in snow, with temperatures reaching -20ºC in places like Bamyan or the Wakhan.

In my opinion, this is the prettiest season to visit Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, remember that winter doesn’t come with its own issues, and that roads and certain things may be blocked.

We did run one expedition during the heart of winter in Afghanistan, and it was great. Check our upcoming Afghan expeditions here .

Traveling to Afghanistan in spring & autumn

From a tourism perspective, spring and autumn are the best seasons for visiting Afghanistan, when the weather is pleasant across the whole country.

Nevertheless, it can be too early/late for trekking in the Wakhan Corridor.

In late spring or early autumn, it might already be too hot for Mazar or Kandahar. In fact, I visited them in May and the temperature was already at nearly 40ºC.

Traveling to Afghanistan in summer

In summer, cities like Herat, Mazar and Kandahar are hell ovens, with temperatures averaging over 40ºC.

Kabul is hot too but, because of the high altitude, it can be bearable for some.

Summer, nonetheless, is the best season for trekking along the Wakhan Corridor.

🛖 Top 5 experiences in Afghanistan

Some of the best things to do in Afghanistan are:

1. Strolling the streets of Old Kabul

The old city of Kabul is one of those places where there is always something to look at.

It’s chaotic, lively, bustling and its different bazaars are composed of labyrinthic lanes which are perfect for random rambling.

The bird market is perhaps the most acclaimed spot among travelers.

2. Trekking in Bamyan

Few places in Afghanistan feel as peaceful as Bamyan, a mountainous, remote region in central Afghanistan, home to a large ancient Buddhist heritage and some of the most epic, unspoiled mountains in the country.

If you like nature, it doesn’t get better than Bamyan.

3. Learning about the Taliban legacy in Kandahar

Kandahar is the former Taliban capital, where the Taliban movement started and also Mullah Omar’s home city.

It’s also the heartland of the Pashtun, a world apart from the rest of Afghanistan.

4. Visiting the Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif

This is one of the most imposingly beautiful mosques I have ever seen, dating from the 15th century, a reason by itself to travel all the way to Mazar.

5. Getting off the beaten track in rural Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s countryside offers some of the most unspoiled and authentic areas in the world, regions that have received very little exposure from the outside world, and are home to mesmerizing, lush valleys dotted with adobe-made villages and curious locals.

💰 Budget, money, and costs in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, their currency is called the Afghani (AFN) and approximately:

$1 = 80 AFN

Afghani or Afghan? Some people commit the funny mistake (including myself in the past) of referring to the people of Afghanistan as Afghani. It’s wrong. Afghani is their currency and the people are Afghans.

Exchanging money in Afghanistan

I always change money at one of the many stalls in Shahr-e Naw, in Kabul.

They accept both Euros and USD. They even accept Pakistani rupees, in case you have any left from your trip to Pakistan .

ATMs in Afghanistan

Surprisingly, ATMs in Afghanistan do accept international credit and debit cards.

Just look for Afghan International Bank. There are quite a few of them in Kabul, especially in Shahr-e Naw area.

Paying by card in Afghanistan

You might be able to withdraw money from an ATM but you can’t pay by card anywhere in Afghanistan, so do have cash for your trip.

How much does it cost to travel to Afghanistan?

Everyday life in Afghanistan is cheap but domestic flights and accommodation add up.

Here’s an overview of the most typical costs.

How much do food and drinks cost in Afghanistan?

• Breakfast in a local restaurant (usually consisting of eggs, bread and tea) – 100 AFS
• Local meal in a restaurant (usually palaw rice, kebab, etc) – 200-300 AFS
• Meal in a mid-range restaurant – 400-600 AFS

How much does transportation cost in Afghanistan?

• One-way domestic flight – 60-120 USD
• Taxi within cities – 50 AFN for short taxi rides. Up to 200-250 AFN for longer ones.
• Half-day taxi in Kabul – Once, I hired a driver in Kabul for the morning to take me to a bunch of different places I had in mind. He charged me 20 USD for that.
• Taxi from the airport to city center – 500 AFN in Kabul, 300-400 AFN in Herat or Mazar.
• One-way taxi to Bamyan – 75 USD
• Round-trip taxi ride to Panjshir – 50 USD
• Local bus within the city – 5 AFN

How much does accommodation cost in Afghanistan?

Here’s the thing.

Good, decent accommodation can get pricey.

Expect to pay anything between 30 USD and 50 USD for a room, a relatively basic one but clean and with security.

You can definitely find cheaper hotels but there won’t be any kind of security.

🛺 Getting around in Afghanistan: transportation

How to travel around afghanistan by public transportation.

Afghanistan has a good network of buses, minibuses and local shared taxis connecting towns and cities.

Experienced budget backpackers won’t find it difficult to move around the country.

Read: Overlanding from Kabul to Herat via Minaret of Jam by local transportation

How to travel around Afghanistan by plane

Taking a domestic flight is also a good option for traveling around Afghanistan.

You can book your tickets online on Kam Air .

There’s another local airline named Ariana . That’s the one I use for flying from Kandahar to Kabul.

Note that airlines in Afghanistan aren’t very reliable. They get delayed all the time, especially Ariana.

Note that all domestic flights go through Kabul, and that there’s no direct flight from Herat to Mazar, for example, or from Herat to Kandahar, but you need to go through Kabul.

Typically, all flights cost $60-$120 and, if you are already in Afghanistan, I strongly recommend booking it through a physical Kam Air office.

It happened to me once that after booking a flight with Kam Air online, the booking never went through, even though they did charge it from my card. Eventually, I had to go to an actual office to sort it out.

Airport security The level of security in all Afghanistan airports is absolutely insane, consisting of several security layers with body searches and bag scans. That’s why it’s recommended to be at the airport at least two hours before your departure time.

Facts about the country, the Afghans and their culture

The islamic emirate of afghanistan.

Something interesting to mention is that when the Taliban took over, the country officially changed its name from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan .

They also removed any sign of the official flag – the one with black, green, and red stripes and replaced it with the Talib-friendly white flag, today visible everywhere.

Afghanistan is multi-ethnic

Afghanistan is composed of several ethnicities, including Pashtuns (42%), Tajik (27%) and Hazara (9%).

Hazara are the Shia minority who have Mongolian features, Bamyan being their heartland.

There’s also a significant population of Uzbeks in Mazer-i-Sharif and around, who mostly came from Uzbekistan escaping the terror from former dictator Islam Karimov.

Dari is the main language, but Pashto is official too

Dari is a variation from Farsi, the language spoken in Iran.

Afghans and Iranians can understand each other without a problem.

Dari is the language used by the administration and it’s spoken by nearly 80% of the population.

Pashto is an official language too but it’s usually spoken only by the Pashtuns, who are the dominant ethnicity.

Language barrier can be a problem sometimes

When traveling in rural Afghanistan across the Hindu Kush, I found communicating with people to be extremely difficult, not only because of the language barrier but even sign language didn’t work, probably because they have had so little Western exposure, that their way of communication is just completely different.

Women in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is the most patriarchal country in the world, with or without the Taliban but, since the latter returned to power, women have lost even more freedom.

It’s not mandatory for women to wear the burqa, they can wear a hijab and they can walk alone in the streets but the Taliban have banned them from accessing higher education.

I actually discussed this particular topic with a Taliban sympathizer and he said that according to Prophet Mohammed, schools must be segregated by gender so there’s no actual room for women now but the new Government is doing their best to figure it out.

What I found truly unreal is that he was actually believing all that shit.

🍲 Afghan cuisine

Located at the heart of Central Asia , Afghan food is a mixture of flavors from Iran , Afghanistan, Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan .

It’s heavily meat-based to the extent that it can be a struggle for vegetarians venturing into more rural areas.

Their national dish is Kabuli palaw, consisting of rice fried in meat fat typically topped with carrots and raisins and essentially, the same as plov in Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan also has their own dumplings named mantu , typically filled with mutton and covered with yogurt and yellow lentils.

Ashak is the only vegetarian dish in Afghan cuisine, consisting of dumplings filled with leeks and other vegetables.

Is there any alcohol in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a dry country, as it was before the Taliban.

📚 Best books for traveling in Afghanistan

Kite runner – khaled hosseini.

An American bestseller in 2003, Kite runner narrates the story of two Afghan kids in Kabul, a rich boy and the son of his parent’s servants.

The book also gives endless insights of what life in Kabul and Afghanistan is like.

My Life with the Taliban – Abdul Salam Zaeef

This is the mind-blowing biography of a senior former member of the Taliban.

From growing up in conservative, rural Afghanistan to the years he spent in Guantanamo, this amazing book gives priceless insights into the Taliban movement from the inside.

Afghanistan Essential Guide to Customs & Culture – Culture Smart!

Cultural Smart! is a series of guidebooks that focus on the country’s culture, giving loads of information about local customs, cultural etiquette and stuff like that. The one on Afghanistan is great, with deep explanations of why Afghans are so hospitable.

Afghanistan travel guide – Lonely Planet

The travel guide to Afghanistan from Lonely Planet is outdated (2007) but still, is a great source of information on the country. It can be difficult to find a copy.

💻 Internet in Afghanistan

Is there wi-fi in afghanistan.

There’s kind of unreliable Wi-Fi in big cities but if you need it for work, it won’t be good enough.

Getting a SIM card in Afghanistan

To buy a SIM, you’ll have to go to one of the official branches, which tend to open from 8am to 4pm.

There are many mobile companies in Afghanistan, including: Afghan Telecom, Afghan Wirless, Etisalat, MTN, Roshan, and Salaam.

Apparently, each company is only good for certain provinces but everyone was telling us different things.

In the end, I bought MTN because they said it was the best one for all Afghanistan but it only worked in the big cities.

Note that there’s no 4G but only 3G or not even that.

Get a VPN for traveling in Afghanistan

You should always use a VPN when you travel, especially when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks.

Your connection will be much safer. Moreover, you will be able to access content which is typically censored in Afghanistan.

I recommend ExpressVPN – Extremely easy to use, fast and cheap. 

❗ More Information

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

All guides and articles for traveling in Afghanistan

• Visiting Kandahar
• Is Afghanistan safe?
• 50 Photos that will show you the beauty of Afghanistan
• Overlanding from Kabul to Herat via Minaret of Jam by local transportation

Travel guides to other countries in Central Asia

• Tajikistan Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Uzbekistan
• Travel Guide to Kazakhstan
• Pakistan Travel Guide
• Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide

You might also like our Haiti travel guide .

72 comments

Excelente tu guía como lo es usualmente. Hay otro blog de un argentino que dice que se puede sacar la visa también en Ankara por 30 dólares. Habrá que confirmarlo.

Thank you Joan for the clear information about Afghanistan. We also have visited Afghanistan before covid independantly. Ever since my partner wants to visit the minaret of Jam without any guide, just our two as you did.

Thanks so much, Joan, for this brilliant and comprehensive guide with so much up-to-date information.

Thanks for the great article, now I am planning to go there in march next year and now have a question because I want to well plan before go. If I get my visa in Islamabad and go to Afghanistan through Pakistan land border how could I get through taliban checkpoints to Kabul with no permit? Considering that I can only get the permits for the places I want to visit in Kabul? And is there reliable transportation if I just pop up in one of the land borders?

Hi Pedro, the Taliban permit is only needed for those provinces you’re actually stayihg, jot if you’re just going through.

There’s plenty of transportation from the border to Kabul.

Hi Pedro, the Taliban permit is only needed for those provinces you’re actually staying, jot if you’re just going through.

Hi, I have a question regarding visa. You are listing here the embassies in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, but in the other places of the internet I see that in these both countries there are actually only embassies of the previous Afghan government. Do you have more informations or experiences on that matter? Greetings

Hi there, travelers I know say they got it there recently with no hassle, that’s all I know

Thank you, Joan! This is the most useful guide on the web right now. I’ve shared it widely. Great work. I say the following, not to judge you Joan, but so that future readers can avoid misunderstanding: The article does have one major drawback. The claim that “TLB are supported by a massive part of the total population” is not true. TLB is an oppressive, dictatorial, awful government that is systematically harassing minorities; further crippling the economy of a desperately poor country; and simply destroying the futures of the 50% of citizens unlucky enough to be women. Afghans recognize this; while there is some support among ethnic Pashtuns, people are not happy being oppressed, like this article makes it sound. As a traveler community, it is important for us to avoid contributing to propaganda and legitimacy of oppressive regimes. Since Joan is running trips here, he likely can’t publish negativity about the TLB, and that is fine. As travelers let’s avoid getting believing the story TLB are trying to tell.

Thanks so much for your feedback and note, truly appreciated, and agree with your points!

Thanks for replying, I hope I will be able to check it out in September and give an update

I’m so glad to have stumbled upon this article! Reliable and updated information about traveling is really difficult to find. I’m originally from Afghanistan but I have a German passport- both my dad and I would like to come to Afghanistan with one of your tours. We both have Afghan names and my dad’s passport mentions he is born in Kabul. Would that be a problem? I’m a bit nervous they will treat us like locals, and not really with the privileges of being a ‘foreigner”. Have you ever had travelers in the same situation? Thanks a lot for your answer!

Hi there! It won’t be an issue, there are Afghan-Americans traveling to Afghanistan nowadays, and we’d be thrilled to have you guys. Our next expedition with available spots is in February 2024.

Wow that is so interesting! I am really interested in Central Asia. Kind regards from a german travel blogger, Meike

If I just flew to Kabul from Islamabad for 3 days would I need to apply for any permits.

If you only stay in Kabul, you don’t need any permit

Dear, Joan, really great website! Thanks! You mentioned, that you can get to Afghanistan from Iran, but can you get the visa in Iran? Take care! Jan

Hi Jan, I am not sure TBH, since I haven’t heard from travelers trying there

I would like to visit Afghanistan, but… is it morally fair? Does tourism legitimate the Taliban government?

Does tourism legitimate Cuba’s government or any other dictatorship?

This article is really informative. I’m a bit unclear about your trip to afghanistan in current times, as I heard it’s not open for tourists. Could you share more details about holidays, the visa process, etc.? It would greatly help me.

I don’t know. Sincerely I don’t. I ask myself the same question, and many other questions, every time I travel. But the situation in Afghanistan is unique in the world.

You can add Doha(Qatar) to the list of embassies that give a tourist visa

Thanks a lot for the update and yes, I had heard about it too

Hi Joan, this is a great article and I’m so happy to have found it. I last visited Afghanistan in 2012 but as you mentioned travel by land was barely possible then. I will be going back next year to travel solo. Do you know how the permit system works crossing from Uzbekistan? I will spend time in Mazar and Balkh but will not have been to Kabul to collect a permit, are permits available at all in Mazar?

Hi Shaun, this is a question for which there’s no possible answer… If you are within Mazar, there shouldn’t be an issue but after Mazar, I’d head back to Kabul to get my permit. If you say you’re on your way to Kabul, it should be fine.

Hiya thanks for the clear explanation really appreciate it. Anyway i am a revert Muslims for 10 years, i was wondering how i can go about in actually moving to Afghanistan for good? Would really really appreciate a reply thanks. Peace

Hi Luis, I can advise you on traveling to Afghanistan as a tourist but not on how to actually live there

Hello Joan Torres, what an awesomely informative post you wrote! I wonder, how frequent are intercity buses? Do they have buses from Kandahar to Herat? Thanks!

Hi Celementi, buses run pretty much the whole day but since Kandahar to Herat is a good 10 to 12-hour drive, I assume they leave in the morning

Hello. I went today for permits in kabul. They are free of charge. I got permits for 5 provinces. Cheers

Thanks for the feedback. However, we also this week got 22 permits for our 2 groups, and we had to pay… I believe depends on the boss’ mood?

Hello, this is all really helpful but I find a few things confusing about this guide.

– What is meant by “1 passport photo”? As in I bring one original photograph that has been used in my passport? I just don’t get this one, especially if I give my passport copy anyway(which has the photo in it).

– The guide says that the Pakistan border crossing is the most chaotic one while the Iran one is really good. But Iran doesn’t issue visas for Afghanistan, so how is this information relevant, unless you apply for both Pakistan and Iran visa, go to Pakistan, take the Afghanistan visa, then go to Iran to cross into Afghanistan?

– It means that they require you to bring one printed passport photo. The one from your visa copy doesn’t work. – You can get your visa in other countries, not only in Islamabad. Maybe some people get it in Dubai and then fly to Iran, who knows.

This is an amazing article! If I were to travel with a 14 year old son, would it be frowned on by the Taliban? Would it be just as safe? Do you often have kids/adolescents on your tours?

Hello, I’ve never had kids in my tours. Afghanistan is a great destination but I am not sure if it would be very suitable for a 14-year old kid.

Very intersting information,you share. Thank you.

I consider overlanding Afghanistan by own car from Iran either to Pakistan or Usbekistan in June 2024.

Can you recommend a trustworthy company to assist me?

What do you need assistance with? We are a trustworthy company who organized trips in Afghanistan: https://expeditions.againstthecompass.com/destinations/afghanistan/

Hey I’m very interested in going to Afghanistan. I’ve seen a number of YouTubers visiting Afghanistan recently. One thing I noticed, is that none of them are American. Are there U.S. citizens (non Afghan-American) who have successfully toured Afghanistan under the recent Taliban control?

Hi Brian, we’ve had many Americans in the group expeditions we organize: https://expeditions.againstthecompass.com/destinations/afghanistan/

Hey there! Great article! I’m doing a bicycle trip actually and thinking about going trough Afghanistan. With wild camping and so on… Is it possible to get a Visa for AFG in Theran? What about permits? Is it possible to get them in Herat or do I have to go to Kabul for them first?

Hi Sebastian, you should be able to get an Afghan visa in Tehran nowadays.

As per general permits, rules are not written in Afghanistan, so this is a tough question to answer. What I’d do is going to the respective office in Herat as first step, and try to get your permits from other provinces from there, while explaining that you can’t go to Kabul.

Keep us posted!

Hello, I’m sorry if this question has already been asked. Do you or anybody else know of any American women that have traveled to Afghanistan? I know many other “Western” women have but how about a woman traveling with a USA passport? Thank you very much.

Hi there, there’s been many women from all skins who’ve traveled in Afghanistan last year, both solo and in groups

Hi, thanks for your great work! But I’m a bit confused: Why are you saying Afghani Visa can only be taken from those 6 cities? What about the others?

Here one guy tells that he got his Visa at the Afghani Embassy in Teheran in October 2023: https://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2187&start=20

And if I look at the Website of the Afghani Embassy in Berlin they also give instruction how to get the Afghanistan Visa by them. Are they wrong?

Hi Simon, in Afghanistan, things are changing very fast… You can probably get it in Tehran now, as well as in Doha, Istanbul and a bunch of EU cities

I can’t seem to reply to a comment! This is a question for Joan and Shaun Metcalfe:

Shaun – did you manage to cross over the Uzbek-Afghan border? If so – did you obtain your travel permit in Mazar, or were you able to stay and continue travelling to Kabul by saying you were on your way there?

Joan – do you know if the embassy in Bishkek is issuing visas to non-residents? Their website specifies residents only, but I wondered if you or anyone else had any luck there!

Hello Josh, I don’t really know if they allow non-residents to apply, you’ll have to give it a chance!

Hi Joan, have you had any experience of travelling to the US and China with an Afghan visa and stamp in your passport? Do you get sent to secondary inspection or denied entry?

China is not a problem. For Afghanistan, with a EU passport, you won’t get your ETSA approved if you’ve been to Afghanistan. If you already have a USA visa, then it’s not an issue.

Hi! Was wondering whether my student visa application to the US will be denied if I have an afghanistan visa in my passport. Or, if I will get denied when I land into the US or UK with the afghan visa. I am a Malaysian citizen.

Thank you for making this blog post, really! This is literally the only accurate updated information you can find all in one place on the internet for Afghanistan. Excellent job making this and us in the travel community really appreciate this. You cannot find information like this that is easily readable anywhere else.

Thank you!!

Dears, does anybody know, how is it with getting double entry visa to Pakistan for getting Afghan visa in Peshawar and go to Kabul and back to Peshawar via Torkham.

Hey Joan, do you know if drones are allowed in Afghanistan?

Hi Owen, technicaklly they aren’t, but I’ve flown a drone in Afghanistan recently. Worst case scenario they’ll take it from you

Good article, thank you for the information. The Taliban consists of 99.9% pashtuns because their tribal code pashtunwali is pretty much the same as extreme, hard-line Islam. Hazara people being slaughtered and murdered by pashtuns for 150years since the English armed their pashtun puppet king Adbur Rahman Khan who to return the favour killed 60% of the Hazara population. Genocide that continues into modern days. No coincidence that most bomb blasts happen in Hazara areas. A quick glimpse into traditional persian/afghan culture will show you it’s colourful, artistic, poetic and full of music. Quite the opposite what the murderous regime called Taliban is enforcing at the moment. Most people go on with their every day life because finding enough food and feeding your family is a more immediate issue than who is on government. Anyway, the article has some great information thank you.

thanks for sharing your opinion, Daniel, big hug from Afghanistan!

The way you express your anger is extremely unprofessional. You not agreeing with their culture/religion or how they run things around would definitely not justify the way you give such comments about them! I feel sorry for them for being too kind to you.

Are you OK, man?

Hi, thank you for all useful articles. Please, do you have valid information about getting visa in Dubai or Abu Dhabi? Or is anyone here with the process of obtaining visa in these embassies? And I one more question, visa fee in Islamabad is still 80 USD? I got information about price 170 USD. Now little bit confused. Thank you for a reply. David

Visa in Islamabad is now 130 USD for most passports but could be up to 200 USD for Americans for example.

In Dubai, we just got it last week. You show up at the embassy and waiting time is around 1-2 hours. Things you need are: – 2 passport photos – passport copies – LOI + ID of your sponor – 130 USD for most passports, 210 USD for Americans. Price keeps changing though…

Thank you very much for your reply. Any recomendation how to get LOI? is it possible normally for example via coachsurfing or official travel agency neede? Thank you and good luck David

Hi David, only travel agency, but what do you need an LOI for? It’s not mandatory.

For those of you, that are concerned about legitimizing the Taliban government by traveling to Afghanistan, I would offer this. I asked myself the same question, but if there is one thing I have learned being a travel 1%er, what we bring to the world cannot be accomplished by any government policy, or any boycott of the special brand of love and acceptance we bring. Whatever money we spend and “accreditation” we give to a government our governments shun, is far offset by the mission. I’m bringing understanding, kindness, and a pure human experience.

thanks, Mike!

Hi Did you take the land border to return to Pakistan? And did you need the permit to cross the border? Thank you

I didn’t cross the border on my way to Pakistan but one of our customers did, and we had to issue her a permit

Hi again. So LOI + ID of your sponsor is not mandatory? Because you mentioned (things you need) when getting visa in Dubai…So please, how is it? David

Hi David, in Afghanistan, things are not written by the book, including in their embassies abroad, where different travelers have different experiences, especially when it comes to $ and the need for the LOI. Usually, LOI is not required but there’s been cases where they did. I am sorry that I can’t be more accurate, but this is how it works there.

Joan, it is OK, no worries. In the end I decided to obtain visa in Dubai. As you described, it takes a few hrs, doesn’t it? It is not necessary to make appointment in advance? Just come in the morning with all needed documents and later for collecting visa and passport? Again thanks for your useful advice…

Yes, that’s how it works

Hi Joan I don’t think it’s correct that you are painting the Taliban as peaceful leaders and they are trying to be positive because that is just not true. Yes the kidnappings are virtually inexistent, but violence against their people is increasing daily. They have just announced public stoning for women (not men) and have already been carrying out public floggings and executions. Women whose husbands have died have no way of being able to earn an income and are having to resort to measures such as drugging their children so they are sleepy and don’t cry out for food. Most people who will say they support the new regime will do so publicly because they are fearful of the repercussions of speaking out. Everyone has to make their own choice about where they travel but I would strongly encourage you to reconsider your wording about putting the Taliban in such a positive light. Certainly posing for photos with the Taliban should be strongly discouraged as this directly feeds into their propaganda. While it is true that there are many nations where is ethically questionable to go there surely one line that should not be crossed in the name of a good travel story is a nation announcing the public stoning of women?

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The Most up-to-date and Reliable Afghanistan Travel Guide – 2022 UPDATE

**2022 UPDATE – In August 2021, the Taliban insurgent group took over Afghanistan once again and is now running the government. This has led to even larger instability and a deeper economic crisis. Street crime has become a large and worrying issue and the terrorist group known as ISI-K has been carrying out attacks all over the country. Travellers are highly recommended to only seek advice and information from reliable sources or trustworthy locals should they want to visit Afghanistan in this particular moment of history. We strongly suggest you postpone your travel plans to better times as now it’s far too dangerous for tourists of every nationality .

Even though still a war zone, always more people have been wondering and inquiring about how to travel to Afghanistan. After our experience of travelling and living there, we wrote the most complete and reliable Afghanistan travel guide you can find online.

In this article, we strive to make it as easy as possible to plan such a difficult trip. We included tips on how to get to Afghanistan, Afghan visa requirements, what to pack for Afghanistan, important security measures, and when is the best time to book your flights to Afghanistan. Unlike occasional travellers to Afghanistan who don’t keep track and/or underestimate the danger of the situation, we are able to share more reliable information as my husband is an Afghan, lived there all his life and his family still lives in Herat. We regularly update the article with new developments on sensitive political happenings as well as safety and security issues.

Table of Contents

Overview of our up-to-date Afghanistan travel guide:

Discover the nitty-gritty of traveling, understand its magic and why it’s so addictive. ​ subscribe and get our updates and behind-the-scenes directly to your e-mail box, afghanistan tourism, is it even possible.

On April 19th 2017, the then Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, designated the Ministry of Tourism for the first time after decades, giving hope that the local government is finally making plans to work on Afghanistan tourism industry.

Admittedly, it did come as a surprise when so many people started showing curiosity about Afghanistan and are longing to visit despite the lack of security and the many historical sites that were destroyed in the last few decades of an ongoing war. If you are one of those curious people interested in visiting this country and want to know how to plan a trip to Afghanistan, keep reading this article as we will cover pretty much everything you need to know.

Unlike other countries you might have visited, the majority of Afghans are very conservative. They are the people who invented the Burqa, after all (the blue sack with little, thin bars to see the world through it that women started wearing a long time ago). Before I went to Afghanistan, I thought it was going to be similar to Iran at least in what concerned the dress code, but I quickly realised I was very wrong: Afghans are way more conservative. I had to buy different clothes to become invisible otherwise they stared at me as if I was an alien, and since I was going to live there for a few months I felt neither comfortable nor safe to attract so much attention as a foreigner.  I went to one of the markets in Herat and bought a long Afghan tunic and a  chador . The next day we went out and I felt completely invisible, no one noticed I was there.

Travelling to Afghanistan is no easy choice to make, and admittedly also not an easy trip to plan. This is why here we are providing you with as much information as we can.

READ MORE about the many mistakes I made while travelling in Afghanistan!

Where is Afghanistan located?

Afghanistan, 652.000 square kilometres in size and with a population of 30 million, is located in Asia. It has 2400 kilometres border with Pakistan, 930 kilometres border with Iran, 744 kilometres with Turkmenistan, 137 kilometres with Uzbekistan, 1200 kilometres with Tajikistan and 75 kilometres with China. The geographical position where Afghanistan is located is one of the main reasons why it has been constantly invaded and occupied throughout history.

Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces and has much to see, but due to the lack of security, there are only 6 provinces relatively safe for tourists. However, even within these six provinces, not everywhere is safe as Taliban and other armed groups are active, at present controlling some 60 percent of the whole country. This Afghanistan travel guide aims at giving you the information required for visiting those places we consider relatively “safe”.

Religion of Afghans

In Afghanistan, the main religion is Islam. With 99 percent of followers, 70 percent are Sunni and 25 percent Shia, while the remaining one percent are followers of other religions ( Sikh ).

So, the official religion in Afghanistan is Sunni (Hanafi). The majority of Shias are from the Hazara tribe and they live mainly in central Afghanistan, in provinces such as Bamiyan, Daikondi (also spelled Daykundi), Ghor and Ghazni. Throughout history, Hazaras proved to be the most peaceful tribe in Afghanistan, even though constantly persecuted.

Is it safe to travel to Afghanistan?

Not really, the country is still a war zone and got worse in the last two years since the foreign troops pulled out and Khorasan branch of ISIS announced its presence in the country. Although, if you take proper security precautions, you will be able to travel to a few provinces. Read on to see where is safe in Afghanistan to visit.

I have also been asked if Afghanistan is safe for solo female travellers. When I asked my husband he almost choked on his tea. His answer is a big, fat NO. We don’t recommend solo female travellers to travel to Afghanistan for safety reasons. It’s a male-oriented country and without a man, everything is harder. So, if you have the heart to visit the country, go with a male friend.

READ MORE: Check out our post entirely devoted to the   security situation in Afghanistan including tips to travel safely .

Flights to Afghanistan

There are many airlines that provide flights to Afghanistan in different solutions. From Europe and the US, you won’t find direct flights, and you will always have a stopover in hubs such as Istanbul, Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Some cheap flights to Afghanistan with companies such as Pegasus and FlyDubai, but usually with long layovers that will make the whole journey some 20-30 hours long. Turkish Airlines, too, travel to Afghanistan, providing shorter and more expensive flights.

Click on Kiwi comparison website for all the solutions and latest prices with the different airlines that provide flights to Afghanistan.

How to get to Afghanistan

Travel to afghanistan, your options by land (for security reasons, we recommend none of them).

1. From Uzbekistan to Hayratan, Mazar Sharif 2. From Tajikistan to Shir Khan port in Kunduz Province and to Ishkashim port town to visit the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan Province. Once you arrive in Ishkashim town, you need a hand-written permit in addition to your Afghan visa to get to the Wakhan Corridor. 3. From Turkmenistan to Tourghondi port in Herat Province and Aqina port in Faryab Province 4. From Iran to Islam Qala port in Herat Province and to Zaranje port in Nimrooz Province 5. From Pakistan to Turkham port in Nangarhar Province, Espin Boldak port in Kandahar Province and Gholam Khan port in Khost Province.

Travel to Afghanistan, your options by air (recommended)

There are international airports in a few Afghan cities, and this is the safest way to arrive in the country.

The flights to Afghanistan usually land in:

1. Kabul airport 2. Herat airport (now mainly from Iran and with Afghan and Iranian airlines) 3. Mazar-e-Sharif airport 4. Kandahar airport

As you can see there are many ways to travel to Afghanistan, both by land and air. What option you choose depends on where you are and where in Afghanistan you want to visit. For example, if you want to visit the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan, you can only enter from Tajikistan by land because there is no airport and the road from Kabul, Mazar Sharif or Kunduz is currently too dangerous, as the Taliban often establish their checkpoints and ask for everyone’s papers and check the passengers in search for government officials or security forces. For obvious reasons, foreigners would be at great risk.

Herat Province has a border with Iran at 110 kilometres west of Herat City and one with Turkmenistan, 110 kilometres north of the city. Balkh Province has a border with Uzbekistan connected with a bridge 80 kilometres north of Mazar-e-Sharif City. The borders of these two provinces are relatively safer and you have the options to enter Afghanistan through them, even though, as mentioned before, we don’t recommend arriving by land as some merchants were kidnapped on the highways and sometimes Taliban establish checkpoints on the main roads.

On arrival at Afghanistan airports, you need two photos, passport size. They will issue you an arrival/immigration card and you are due to carry it with you while in Afghanistan. Keep it until you leave the Afghan soil as they will ask for it when you leave the country.

How to apply for Afghan visa

2022 UPDATE – The below information on how to apply for an Afghan visa date back to before the Taliban took over the country. Right now, even though months have passed, Afghan embassies around the world are still not recognizing the Taliban central government nor they are in touch with their officials. Because of this situation, they are not issuing any visas and we don’t think the invitation letter system is still valid. Moreover, as the Taliban have started to kidnap foreigners once again, we donìt think it’s safe for a local to write an invitation letter for foreign tourists.

Like for every other country, you need to apply for a visa if you want to visit Afghanistan.

Kabul airport issues visas on arrival but ONLY to those who are officially invited by companies, or officials of other countries, but not tourists. To receive an Afghan tourist visa you first need to fill out the form that can be found on the Afghan foreign ministry and Afghan embassies websites.

Keep in mind that for tourists they can only issue a one-month visa but this can be extended up to three months in Afghanistan at the Interior Ministry office in Kabul or at police headquarters at the main cities of other provinces.

If you are not sure about the process and still have questions, contact the embassy directly, I found them very friendly and helpful.

Afghan visa requirements

To get your Afghan visa, these are the documents you need to take to the embassy:

• Visa form to fill out, you can download it from the website of the Afghan embassy you are referring to
• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• Two passport-size photos taken against a white background
• Copy of your national ID
• Visa fee. An Afghan tourist visa usually costs 100€ but prices vary depending on your nationality and country you are applying from.

Sometimes they ask for an invitation letter. If you need one, let us know and we will put you in touch with someone who can help. From the date of the visa issue, you have 3 months to enter the country with the visa.

What to pack for Afghanistan: Our tips for a basic Afghanistan packing list

Mosquito repellent and mosquito net.  I don’t believe you are going to need vaccines but it’s a good idea to carry a mosquito repellent and a mosquito net with you to prevent unwanted surprises. They are easy to use and come in handy especially in summer and fall.

Water purifier.  If you need to drink tap water, we strongly recommend you use a water purifier because the well water is not drinkable in many provinces due to digging a big number of toilet and wastewater wells too close that they contaminate each other. Drink only bottled water from shops, not from the street vendors. If you really can’t avoid drinking tap water, use a water purifier.

Comfortable shoes.  Infrastructure and roads are really bad, streets are dusty and dirty, so if you decide to travel to Afghanistan, we recommend you forget about elegance and fashion and pack a pair of covered comfortable shoes (preferably runners).

Modest clothes.  Women who travel to Afghanistan need to wear a long manto /tunic and a chador. A tunic like this one will do in pretty much every city, while in Herat to attract less attention a chador might be needed, you will decide by yourself if you feel uncomfortable. If you can’t find it in your country, you can buy one in any major Afghan city, but still, make sure you arrive with some pretty modest/conservative clothes otherwise you will be very easy to spot. Women also need a shawl or scarf to cover the head.

READ MORE: Check out my experiences of travelling and living in Afghanistan as a Western woman .

Sunscreen.  Sunblock is very much needed when traveling to Afghanistan, from spring to fall as it is very sunny and dry in most regions. Last year I was there end of the summer and fall and the sun was very strong, in Italy I don’t really use much sunscreen, but for Afghanistan I would even suggest a sunblock with SPF 50.

Hydrating lotion.  Afghanistan is not connected with any sea or ocean and is mainly mountainous and located at a very high altitude, so the weather is extremely dry. I knew it so I brought my hydrating lotion but after a couple of months there, I looked some 50 years older. OK, maybe that’s an overstatement, but it did take me quite a few weeks to get back to my original skin texture. Since during the day you are wearing the sunscreen, I suggest a rich and nourishing night cream .

Universal power plug adapter and the voltage converter.  In Afghanistan, the power sockets used are type C and F and the standard voltage is 220. So, when you travel to Afghanistan we recommend you have a universal power adapter and a voltage converter .

Activated charcoal.  In Afghanistan, if you are a little careful of what and where you eat, you are going to be fine and won’t have to spend hours vomiting your guts, unlike some other countries I have been to. Although, we still recommend you carry some activated charcoal  with you as it can help with nausea and food poisoning.

English-Farsi/Dari travel phrase book.  It’s not easy to find someone who can speak English and that is why we recommend this handy Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook & Dictionary with useful practical expressions to anyone who plans to travel to Afghanistan.

READ MORE: Our complete list of what to pack for Afghanistan

What language do they speak in Afghanistan?

In Afghanistan, there are many tribes, and each of them has its own language, although Tajiks and Pashtuns are the biggest ethnic groups. Pashtuns speak Pashtu and Tajiks speak Farsi/Dari but what makes Farsi the most spoken language in the country is that except for some Pashtuns the rest of the tribes such as Hazara, Uzbeki, Turkmani, etc. speak Farsi. Not many can speak English which is why among the tips on how to plan a trip to Afghanistan, learning some practical Farsi phrases and carrying a little English Farsi travel book is important.

READ MORE: Check out the articles we wrote with Farsi tips: How to ask for directions in Farsi language Here are some useful tips in Farsi language when ordering food

Afghan traditional clothes

Afghani dress for women can vary both in price and style. It depends on many factors, including which tribe the Afghani dress you choose belongs to. Afghan clothes for men are quite the same for all the tribes and can be bought already made or can be ordered from a tailor for your exact size. It takes a day or two before it’s ready, both the fabric and the tailor fee can cost around 15$ and usually the tailor sells also the fabric.

We recommend Shahr Now in Herat City for Afghan clothes gift shopping, you will find Afghan clothes and a pakol , typical Afghan hat. It’s something to consider as a gift or for yourself when you are in Afghanistan. After all, you don’t know when is the next time you will travel to Afghanistan.

What is the Afghan currency?

That is a very common question and I’m sure you won’t forget the Afghan currency.

The Afghan currency is the AFGHANI. 1 US$ converts into 96 Afghani, while 1 Euro is 109 Afghani (UPDATE November 2021).

I recommend you don’t carry too much cash as your ATM cards work in Afghanistan and you can withdraw 250$ per day from the ATM with a fee of 4 US $. If you need to exchange your Dollars for Afghani, you can do it at the airport when you land and in the bigger cities. In the city centre of all provinces, you will see the boys holding money and phone charges. Usually, they give a good exchange rate, but it’s best if you go with some local contacts.

Cash is the only way to pay in Afghanistan as shops don’t have a POS, so you can’t use your bank card.

Best time to visit Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a mountainous dry and windy country and has four seasons. Winters are very cold while summers are hot and dry. Lack of proper electricity and gas infrastructure makes cold winters and hot summers pretty unbearable. On top of that, women need to cover quite a lot, so in summer this becomes even harder.

This is why we recommend you visit Afghanistan in spring and fall when both the worst cold and heat are over.

From March to June (spring), the weather can range from 10 to 35 degrees Celsius. In summer the weather in Afghanistan can be 35-45 degrees °C. From September to December (fall), temperatures go from 10 degrees °C to 30 degrees Celsius. In winter the weather in Afghanistan often goes below zero, some -5 to -15 degrees °C.

The weather is harsh in most parts of Afghanistan and this is one of the reasons why Afghans age quickly.

READ MORE: Check out our tips on the dos and don’ts of travelling in Afghanistan .

Internet and Sim Cards in Afghanistan

When you travel to Afghanistan, you might want to use a local Sim card for both calls and internet, instead of paying extra international roaming charge.

In Afghanistan, there are five main companies providing Sim cards and 3G internet throughout the country: Etisalat, Roshan, Afghan Wireless, MTN, and Salam.

Sim cards are sold registered everywhere for as little as 60-100 Afs. If you are two people, we recommend an Etisalat and a Roshan because in places where one doesn’t work the other one does.

The prices for 3G internet

10 GBs of internet are 1100 Afghani; 3 GBs of internet, 600 Afs; 1 GB of internet, 275 Afs.

All the mentioned internet packages have one-month validation date. To make a call inside the country you will be charged 2-5 Afs per minute depending on which companies you are calling to. International calls are some 10-15 Afs unless you activate one of the international call offers.

You can find more information on www.roshan.af. and www.etisalat.af websites.

The Afghan government collects taxes from the citizens through phone Sim cards and automatically cuts 10% off the amount you add to the Sim. For example, if you top up 50 Afs, 5 Afs (10%) goes to the government, so you get only 45 Afs credit on your phone.

Where to buy Sim Card and top-up scratch cards

You can buy your Sim card either in the waiting hall of Kabul Airport before to the Taxi station or in the city from many street vendors. Already registered Sim cards cost 50-100 Afs.

Roshan customer service number is 333 and you will be asked to choose your preferred language (Farsi, Pashtu, and English).

Etisalat Customer service number is 888 and you will be asked to choose your preferred language (Farsi, Pashtu, and English). Press 3 for English.

Privacy and safety, protect your data

When you are out and away from home, you will use public WiFi, be it in hotels, bars or restaurants and that is why it’s important to keep your data safe from hackers. You can do so with a good anti-virus and VPN that encrypt your connections and keep valuable information such as passwords, bank account details and credit card info safe. Click here to find out the latest prices and information about VPN

Places to visit in Afghanistan:

With thousands of years of history, Afghanistan is rich in places to visit. A former region of the Persian empire and important stop along the silk roads, here are caravanserais, ancient bazaars, citadels and forts, palaces, royal gardens and obviously a stunning mountainous landscape.

Unfortunately, nearly four decades of uninterrupted war caused the destruction of many places, or even those that are still there can’t be accessed because either in areas still heavily controlled by Taliban and other armed groups, or turned into military posts by the Afghan Army.

Here we mention the places that are still safe to visit in Afghanistan. For some, we suggest you go with a local. If you don’t know one and need a reliable and trustworthy English-speaking guide, contact us and we will give you their details privately.

What to visit in Kabul, Afghanistan

One of the cities where you can sense the war the most is Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. Yet, this may be the reason why it’s impossible to travel to Afghanistan and not visit it.

The Garden of Babur. “Bagh-e-Baburباغ بابر” was built in the 16th century and is the resting place of the Mughal emperor Babur. Many Kabul residents come to this park with their families to picnic under the shades of trees and on the greenery or for the afternoon tea. Entrance admission fee: 150 Afghani Cameras: Allowed, 100 extra Afghani admission fee Timings: Every day from morning to evening, mornings are recommended How to get there . By taxi, the fare is 150-200 Afghani from Shahr-e Now.

Koche-e-kah froshi “کوچه کاه فروشی کابل”.  Literally, it means straw selling alley, even though there is hardly any shop selling such goods. Instead, all shops are full of beautiful birds sadly in cages. It is one of the historical allies of Kabul city connected to Nadir Pashtun Road. Timings.  Visit weekdays, on weekends (Fridays) most shops are closed. How to get there . By taxi, the fare is 100-150 from Shahr-e Now.

Note: If you visit this place, make sure you don’t show any money nor expensive photography gears as there are pickpockets.

Chicken Street. “کوچه مرغ ها” also known as the antique selling street “کوچه انتیک فروش ی”. It is a relatively safe area located in the heart of Kabul where you will probably end up staying in a hotel (Shahr-e Now). The street is packed with Afghan handmade rugs, some traditional jewelry, gems, and stones. To spoil yourself with some Afghan jewelry and stones such as Lapis Lazuli, you can totally visit Chicken Street. How to get there.  If you are in Shahr-e Now, you can walk there, one end of the Chicken Street is right across the Gul Frooshi Road (Flower Street) and the other end is connected to the Ministry of Interior.

Note: Use your bargaining skills, cut their initial price in half or even less, walk away and they will call you. You can always come back with a slightly higher price and will be able to buy it. I was able to buy a full set of beautiful blue Afghan Lapis Lazuli for 200 USD although I was initially told 300 USD.

Darul Aman Palace “قصر دارال امان”.  It’s under renovation and it was planned to be fully restored by 2019. For now, there is nothing but a ruined war-torn palace to see, hopefully, more to see soon. How to get there . By taxi, the fare is about 250 Afghani from Shahr-e Now.

Paghman Valley “دره پغمان”.  It’s located in Paghman District, some 25 kilometers from Shahr-e Now Kabul. Paghman valley is considered one of the major picnic spots for residents of Kabul and it gets pretty packed during weekends. The famous picture of Afghan women in mini-skirt in the 70s was taken right there in Paghman Garden. You can visit the Paghman Valley in the morning, and for lunch stop at Qargha Dam on your way back to Kabul. How to get there.  You need to go by taxi, the fare is around 400-500 Afghani from Shahr-e-Now.

Qargha Dam “بند قرغه”. Leave Paghman Valley early and on your way back to Kabul city stop at Qargha Dam. It’s a nice big lake where mostly people from Kabul come on the weekend with their families. There are nice restaurants both to eat and relax. Try Spozhmai Restaurant, it’s the best in the area.

Where to eat and drink in Kabul

Shahr-e Now in Kabul is your best option for finding different food than just rice and meat. There are many restaurants but we didn’t try them all which is why we recommend the four we tried. They are all on the same street and only in 2-5 minutes walking distance from each other.

Herat restaurant “هرات رستورانت”, the food is traditional Afghan and lovely, even though not many options are offered. Prices are good and it has a beautiful outdoor area with benches to have your meal and smoke a hookah. Address: Shahr-e-Now, on Sulh Road, 300 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e-Now.

Barg Continental restaurant “رستوانت برگ کانتیننتل”.  Here the food is delicious and there are many options, we tried both their buffet and normal menu and both were good. The buffet is 10 USD/650 Afghani per person. Address: Shahr-e Now, Sulh Road, 500 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e Now.

Turkish Family Restaurant and Cafe.  Located on the top floor of Majeed Mall, it serves both buffet and normal à la carte menu, and obviously tea and coffee. We found it a bit overpriced for their portions and quality. They have free WIFI. Address: Shahr-e Now, Sulh Road, 700 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e Now.

Slice Bakery: For coffee, espresso and other types of warm drinks and delicious pastries head to Slice Bakery, a westernized coffee shop with English speaking staff and really tasty. Address: Shahr-e Now, Sulh Road, 650 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e Now.

Khyber Shinwari: If you want fresh lamb or goat, by all means, go there. You can order which part of the animal you want, they will cut and cook it for you while you sit and have a glass of tea. A kilo of cooked meat with fresh bread and tea is 500 Afghani. Address: Shahr-e Now, Shinwari Street, 30 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e Now.

Boolani snacks:  You can find the best pumpkin and potato boolani in many bread bakery shops in Kabul, it makes a perfect snack for morning or evening. They are pretty big and for me, one was enough for dinner. You can find them either fried or baked, we preferred the baked ones as they were lighter, but also the fried are worth trying. They are truly delicious, make sure you don’t miss them. Address:  The bakery where we usually took boolani from was in Shahr-e Now, Sulh Road, 20 meters from Haji Yaghoob intersection “چهار راهی حاجی یعقوب” toward Park Shahr-e Now.

What to visit in Herat, Afghanistan

If you travel to Afghanistan for the first time, you can’t possibly miss the historical city of Herat.

People call it city of knowledge and civilization and you might hear the local officials address it as Ancient Herat. After all, this province boasts thousands of years of history, before and after the invasion of Alexander the Great, up to the rule of Ekhamanshi Emperor. Even after decades of war, there are many things to do in Herat, crucial stop of the Silk Road and hub for artists and kings for centuries.

Herat City enshrines many of Afghanistan’s tourist attractions, so you shouldn’t miss it.

READ MORE: To know more about what to do in Herat and get around the city, read our complete guide.

What to visit in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

The capital of Balkh Province, Mazar-e Sharif is a pretty safe city, so it’s definitely one of the things to visit if you decide to travel to Afghanistan.

The blue mosque of Mazar-e Sharif is the main place to visit in the city. It’s known also as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, or as locals refer to it, Zeyarat Sakhi Jan. Ali is the son in law of the Prophet Mohammad, and Shias consider him Mohammad’s successor. This belief is one of the reasons that divided the Muslim believers into the two main sects of Sunnis and Shias. Sunnis believe Ali was the fourth and final Khulafaih Rashedin (or Hazrat , like Imam but higher position).

Most Muslims agree that Hazrat-e-Ali was buried in Najaf Ashraf Iraq, but some Afghans claim he was brought to Afghanistan and is now buried in the Blue Mosque of Mazar-e Sharif. Some say that after the death of Ali they had to make some 40 graves in the region to confuse Ali’s enemies because they wanted to pull him out of the grave.

Mazar-e Sharif Blue Mosque is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Afghanistan. The architecture of the blue mosque is well preserved and the people are very friendly and welcoming. There are hundreds of white pigeons in the park of the mosque where you can go and buy some grains and they will come all over you. It’s a perfect spot to take some nice pictures because people from across the country gather to feed the birds.

When to visit the Blue Mosque

I recommend mornings as it’s less crowded and nicer for taking pictures. Avoid the noon prayer time (12-1:30) and Fridays because it’s packed. Shrine of Hazrat Ali admission fee:  Free Cameras: Allowed Blue mosque dress code: No shorts for men but T-shirts are okay and women should dress modestly. Women don’t have to wear Chador or Burqa but pants, long sleeve shirts, Rosary/shawl and a dress to cover your hips is a must. Note: Non-Muslims are not allowed in the main building of the shrine but you can have a good walk all around the building and enjoy the blue and white view of sophisticated mosaic work. Donations are very welcome.

Where to eat in Mazar-e-Sharif

Around the Shrine of Hazrat-e-Ali, there are many restaurants. We recommend Kefayat Turkish Restaurant ,  they offer nice Turkish and local food. A very relaxed and friendly environment to have your lunch or dinner. Address: Close to Kefayat Square “میدان کفایت”, by taxi the fare is some 80 Afghani.

What to visit in Bamyan, Afghanistan

UNESCO-listed Bamyan Valley is in its namesake province mainly inhabited by Hazara so very safe. Bamyan Province is pretty poor, badly connected with the national electrical system and only recently was provided with a public hospital.

Now this beautiful valley is one of the must-sees in Afghanistan as it offers a great view of the cultural and historical heritage of the area with both examples of Buddhist art and Islamic architecture.

Below are some of the things to do in Bamiyan Province.

Band-e Amir (Amir dam)

Some 80 kilometers northwest of the Bamyan province, Band-e Amir is also Afghanistan’s first National Park. With 75000 hectares, this is a must see. There are six lakes along the valley next to each other with beautiful crystal clear blue water collected from rain and snow.

In the national Park, there is the resting place (shrine) of some elders of the area, the locals consider the shrine holy and believe it’s where Hazrat Ali walked. Some locals also believe the water of Band e Amir cures diseases and sicknesses. They say the Berber king tried many times to close one end of the dam but always failed until Hazrat e Ali came and closed the dam with his sword “Shamshir Zolfaqar”. How to get to Band-e-Amir national park. You can go to Band-e-Amir with Taxi, its one hour drive from the city. The road from Bamiyan to Band-e Amir is in a good condition, for the most part. Visiting time.  You can go anytime, but if you go there in the summer, you can do some hiking around the lakes, men can also swim. We recommend visiting Band-e Amir in the morning.

Note: Hotels in Bamyan provide guides for your day out for some extra charge.

Remains of Buddha statues

The Buddha statues were destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban a few months before the U.S. invasion. The alcoves in which they were carved remain and Japan is trying to restore as much of the Buddha statues as possible. Around the Buddhas, there are many caves being used as homes by some locals. The local officials control the access to the road to the area.

The road on the west of Buddhas leads to Zahak City, also known Red City due to its rocks and valleys. They say in the 13th century, the city was demolished and all its residents were executed by Genghis Khan after his grandson was killed by the Red City guardians. There are many stories locals tell about this historical city. They say Zahak was the name of a powerful king who kept two snakes on his shoulders to protect him from his enemies, and he fed them with the human brain, so the locals had to bring one of the residents for his snakes from time to time until one of the snakes attacked the same king, Zahak, and ate his brain.

Where to eat in Bamyan

Bamyan restaurants are not impressive at all, use the restaurants of the hotels you stay in. They are your best options.

What to visit in Panjshir

To get to the valley of the Five Lions (apt transliteration from the Persian “panjshir”, پنجشیر), you need to book a taxi as you have to go past Parwan and Kapisa provinces. The Panjshir Valley has always been the only place Taliban never managed to set foot in, not even during the five years they were controlling the whole country from 1996 to 2001. This is the province and the resting place of Afghan commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Read more about Panjshir in the article we wrote after our experience in the valley of the Five Lions.

Where NOT to go in Afghanistan – 2022 UPDATE

Due to the extremely sensitive situation right now in Afghanistan, with the peace talks between the US and the Taliban armed group still going on, many provinces in Afghanistan are still unsafe to visit.

Fights between the Taliban and the Afghan forces are still fierce, so you want to avoid all the most sensitive places. The only provinces we deem safe at the moment are the ones mentioned above in our travel guide to Afghanistan. All other provinces are too dangerous at the moment. Notably, some places are very alluring and many people ask us what we think about travelling there. So now we share our opinion on the other cities in Afghanistan with a potential tourist future.

Kandahar city and province has a long history, a great artistic heritage and is incredibly fascinating. But it’s the strongest Taliban haven to date. It’s where the Taliban group originates from and where they still have a big presence and support. For as much as I want to go to Kandahar myself, we don’t recommend it.

Pretty much for the same reason, Kunduz is still a Taliban stronghold. Here, there are often fights between the terrorist group and the Afghan Army, fights that have caused thousands of victims also among civilians and thousands of displaced people. We discourage your from travelling to Kunduz.

Booking hotels in Afghanistan (plus our suggestions)

When you travel to Afghanistan you need to pick your hotels carefully among those that provide the basic services and proper security measures. The big hotels of the main cities usually have websites, so you can book your room online, while if you would rather stay in more affordable places, you can also book by going there personally. Just rent a taxi from the airport and show the driver the address of your hotel. Below are some of our hotel suggestions.

Our hotel recommendations in Kabul, Afghanistan

Golden Star.  It’s on Chahar Rahi Haji Yaghoob/Haji Yaghoob intersection in Shahr-e Now (چهار راهی حاجی یغوب). Their rates for a double bedroom are 60-70 USD per night.

Kabul Serena Hotel.  A beautiful 5-star resort with prices starting from 200 USD per night for a double bedroom. Modern amenities including sauna, in-house spa, outdoor pool and fitness center, 24h front desk, WIFI and flat-screen TV included.

Safi Landmark Hotel & Suites. Located in Kabul city center, Shahr-e Now, on top of a shopping mall. This is a very high-end hotel, great room service, heavy security measures and all the modern facilities.

Sarvistan hotel. If you are traveling on a budget, we recommend Sarvistan hotel on Shinwari Street (سرک شینواری), right next to the Shahr-e Now Park, 15-20$ per night for the double bed, basic facilities, breakfast, and WIFI included.

Hotel recommendations for Herat, Afghanistan

Nazari Hotel. A 4-star hotel on Cinema Square (چوک سینما, Chowk Cinema). Their rates range between 120 and 150 USD for a double bedroom per night.

Hotel Marco Polo. We recommend Hotel Marco Polo on Taher Fushanji Avenue, close to Darb-e-Khoshk. Their rates are 30-35 USD per night for a double bedroom.

Hotel recommendations for Bamyan, Afghanistan

Gholghola Hotel. It’s located in the city of Bamiyan, Foladi Road, and is considered a very good hotel. Their rate is some 70 USD per night per double bedroom, WIFI and breakfast included. They have their own restaurant. Their website is www.gholgholahotel.com.

Bamiyan Royal Hotel. It’s located in the city of Bamiyan close to Shahr-e Gholghola  and offers a beautiful view of the Buddha. Among their facilities are the airport pick-up and drop, room service, TV, WIFI, and breakfast. Their website is bamyanroyalhotel.com.

Hotel recommendations for Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

Kefayat Hotel.  It’s a little pricey, around 80-100 USD per night for a double bedroom, but the place is better than many cheap city hotels. Address: Close to Kefayat Square “میدان کفایت” above Kefayat supermarket.

Baran Imperatory Hotel. The hotel is not bad for Mazar-e Sharif standards and not far from the Shrine of Hazrat Ali. For prices and information, contact them directly. Address : Close to Alkozay square “چهار راهی الکوزی”. Website : www.baranhotel.com

For all hotels, feel free to bargain over the price if you think they give you too high rates.

Taxi fares from Afghanistan airports to the city

From Herat airport to the city: 500-600 Afs From Kabul airport to Shahr-e-Now: 300-400 Afs From Mazar-e Sharif to the city: 350-500 Afs From Bamyan Airport to the city: 250-350 Afs.

Individual tour guides in every city

When it comes to Afghanistan, you want someone reliable and trustworthy to be your guide. Email us and we will put you in contact with individual guides in the main cities of Afghanistan.

If you are planning to visit Herat and don’t speak Farsi, we highly recommend you hire a guide/interpreter to both show you around and translate for you. We can introduce you to a reliable and trustworthy local guide who will provide a full package for you. This will include:

• airport pick-up and drop-off
• private vehicle
• private apartment in the same building he lives and experience with a local family
• three homemade meals per day
• tea and season fruits in your apartment
• authorization letter to visit the historical sites
• use of local public baths (optional)
• sightseeing

The price is 100 USD per day. If you are interested contact us and we’ll give you his number.

Note: If you can’t book your hotels online, you can ask the guide to book it for you before you travel to Afghanistan (without advanced payment).

Book your tour in Afghanistan

We are aware that Afghanistan is not an easy travel destination. If you need more information or you want to get an organized tour of Afghanistan, contact us privately and we will arrange things for you and put you in touch with reliable tour companies.

Full itinerary of the Afghanistan tour

Day 1 : Pick up from Kabul Airport Stay in Kabul and visit: The Garden of Babur

Day 2 : Trip to the Panjshir Valley Visit the tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud and the high mountains of Hindukush.

Day 3 : Travel from Kabul to Bamyan Visit the Buddhas and Qolghola city

Day 4 : Second day in Bamyan, visit Band-e Amir Visit the city and experience local life

Day 5 : Travel to Kabul and from Kabul Airport travel to Mazar-e Sharif

Day 6 : Visit the Blue Mosque and the city

Day 7 : Travel to Herat by plane from Mazar-e Sharif Three days in Herat City visiting the many historical places and the bazaars.

Day 10 : Travel to Kabul and visit: Koche-e-kah froshi Chicken Street visit Darul Aman Palace Qargha Dam

Day 11 : Drop off at the Kabul International Airport.

What is included in the package:

Airport pick up and drop off English-Farsi speaking tour guide All domestic airfares All domestic land transportation by air-conditioned non-armor vehicles Accommodation in 3-star hotels with proper security standards and located in the city centers Sim cards with credits and 3G data. Breakfast All entry tickets to historical places Afghan clothes for men, Muntoo and Roosary for women

What is not included in the package:

Lunch and dinner Medical expenses International airfares

We take necessary security measures and would like to blend in with the society as much as possible. Therefore, we ask our male and female tourists for the sizes below to have Afghan clothes ready for them: Height from the shoulder to the knee Shoulder width Full arm length Bicep size Trouser height Waist size Neck size

Note: The provinces that are currently relatively safe and where we can organize tours for foreigners are: Herat Balkh (Mazar Sharif) Panjshir Bamyan Kabul

The organization will take care also of the necessary security measures. We are flexible and if you have a different travel itinerary or want armed guards and armor vehicles in Afghanistan, please let us know and we will evaluate your personal itinerary. For prices and availability, email us directly and we will give you more detailed information privately.

SAVE IT FOR LATER?

I'm Angela Corrias, an Italian journalist, photographer, and travel writer located in the heart of Italy's capital. Welcome to my website, your comprehensive source for your travels and expert guidance for crafting your dream travel experience.

Wonderful Abbasian House in Kashan Shows You Iran’s Private Life

Top 15 unmissable things to do in tehran, capital of iran, 73 thoughts on “the most up-to-date and reliable afghanistan travel guide – 2022 update”.

Hi Angela, thanks for putting all this information together. Afghanistan is been on my bucket list for such a long time… I am on a 6 months trip through Central Asia (currently in Pakistan) and I am still thinking whether to make it to Afghanistan or not…

So, if I enter from Uzbekistan… Is the route between Mazar e-Sarif – Kabul ”relatively” safe? Does it go through any Taliban area?

Hi Joan, the road between Hayratan port (where you will enter from Uzbekistan) to Mazar is “relatively” safe, meaning not too risky, some people do it, you might or might not find Taliban checkpoints, while the road from Mazar and Kabul is NOT safe at all, Taliban always establish hasty checkpoints and carry out searches making people getting off the buses. The road itself is dangerous, meaning not standard at all. From Mazar to Kabul flying is highly recommended. Everywhere in Afghanistan is risky, and traveling as a foreigner by bus increases the risk, I myself haven’t done it even though my husband is from Afghanistan and has traveled by bus many times without me. If you know a local you can trust, it’s better.

It’s not safe for foreigners to travel by road in afghanistan. It’s better if you travel by air between cities.

By car you cant travel in every places of Afghanistan, Because its not safe for foreigners in these days.

Thanks for sharing your traveling story in Afghanistan. I have done a cycling trip in Afghanistan in August 2016. I met amazing people with a big heart in Afghanistan, the sightseeings and the landscapes were incredible.

Angela this is so neat and helpful. I would love to visit one day. To see a different culture, in a different part of the world, as it slowly slowly slowly opens up and allows in a trickle of tourists. Being a dude I reckon it’d be a wee bit easier to get around but still, I accept the fact that I am an outsider and am always super respectful of laws and cultures. Especially in such a conservative country. Obviously a total 180 but I got accustomed to keeping knees and shoulders covered – as a guy of course ;) – during a recent trip to Qatar. Neat to live in a Muslim country for a month.

Thanks Ryan, one day you might have the occasion or just decide to go to Afghanistan, it’s a very exciting trip. Keep in mind that Qatar is waaaaay more relaxed, both for men and women…

Hey Angela, thanks so much for this informative and very honest post. I am a bit torn between nerve wracking or exciting,,,,maybe it’s a bit of both?

You nailed it, Carolin, it is a bit of both, very fascinating country but also nerve-wracking!

Hi Angela- just found your post randomly on Google and this is the most informative post I have ever read about travelling to Afghanistan. The country has been on my bucket list for so long.

I just wandering about the visa process for tourist; when they asked for invitation letter- so would you mind giving me some help on who I should contact to get one. And also, do we need to book flight and hotel in advance for the visa?

Many thanks and hope for your reply soon.

Hi Quy Bui, thanks for stopping by, I’m glad you found our guide useful. When I applied for my Afghan visa I was asked also the return ticket. Not the hotel because I was staying at my fiancé’s house. Also, I didn’t bring the invitation letter but my letter stating the reason why I was going and all the cities I was aiming to visit during my stay. They wanted also a local address and a local contact, this is why probably you will be asked for a hotel. Probably a local tour company can provide you with an invitation letter, but it’s better if you contact the Afghan embassy in your country and inquire with them directly about the process.

Thanks Angela for your information- it’s very useful. Sadly we dont have an Afghan embassy in Vietnam- they have one in Beijing which will process the request from Vietnam. Many thanks anyway :)

You can obtain a tourist visa in Iran without an invitation letter then cross the border to Afghanistan. I am heading there in March.

-from another Vietnamese :)

I suggest you always check with the embassy, it depends on the nationality and where you are entering from. Usually, they ask for a contact in Afghanistan when you apply for the visa. Also, they don’t give visa on arrival if you enter by land, you need to have it beforehand.

Great informative and trustworthy site. Hamed Sayed is one of the most honest trustworthy people I know and would recommend him and his knowledge without hesitation.

Thank you, Jacki. You are a smart friend and a great man who I had the honor of working with. Hopefully, our paths will cross again, until then keep safe and stay vigilant in Afghanistan. Cheers brother

Thank you for a very informative post! I have a question on electricity and internet stability in general. You have mentioned that it’s recommended to bring a power bank which I totally agree. However, how bad does it get? Would you say how many hours of electricity there are in cities like Kabul, Mazar Sharif and Bamyan? How about the internet, does it work properly in the cities above as well?

Thanks a lot! :)

Hi Stella, in Bamiyan they don’t have electricity, they use generators, so in the hotel, you should be fine because they use it 24/7 (in the good hotels), but other than that, in many places you might find no electricity. Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul have electricity, it can happen sometimes they cut it, but I didn’t find that was often. Internet comes and goes, it’s not super slow, we did manage to work online from Kabul. If you get a good hotel, they should have a good connection. We also found internet in some cafes in Kabul. Keep in mind that overall, the infrastructure is weak. Enjoy your trip!

Hi. What is the price for a 11day tour of Afghanistan? As this articule is almost 2 years old, is all security measurements the same now compared to when it was written?

Hey Hans, yes security-wise is still like this, which is not safe at all, especially for foreign tourists. There were clashes in Mazar-e Sharif recently but now situation is back to normal. For tours and prices we can give you the name of a tour company we know. Let me know if you are interested.

Hi Angela, thank you for take your time and bring us this useful information. I’m from Colombia and I’m planning to go to Afghanistan this June 2018, I’m trying to get updated information but is not possible. Do you know something about that? Thank you in advance.

My plan is cross the border from Iran

Hi Diego, the information you read on our guide is up-to-date. Terrorist activity is still present, so really stick to the areas we mention in the guide and travel by plane. I can give you the names of some local guides who know where they can take foreigners. It’s also safer to be with a trusted local if you can’t speak Dari. If you are crossing to Iran I guess you will be heading to Herat, but will you be alone? Not really safe, better to get into Afghanistan by plane.

Situations arent so good these days in Kabul, i would suggest to everyone not to plan coming here in next few months.

Hi could you send me the price of your Afghan tour? Just the normal standard one , without armoured vehicle etc.. Is it safe to visit the mineret of Djam? Thanks, Tony

i have a plan to take a cycling trip from Herat where i reside to Kabul, the way that i cross is fully Taliban controlled area. anyone know will i be safe ?/

I’m not sure I would risk it, but you are a resident, so you will probably know better?

Hi there, thanks for taking your time and providing useful information. I’m from Afghanistan and my wife is from USA. She wants to go with me back home and live there. I don’t know if there’s any way to get her afghani tazkeerah (citizenship id). Do you know anything about that or sponsorship? I know it’s very odd. Usually people are trying to get out of there.

Hi Hasan, as far as I know, they don’t release the tazkara to foreign citizens. Your wife can get a residence permit to be renewed every year or two years. At the Afghan embassy they can sure give you better information, I think you can also apply for visa exemption for your wife since she’s married to an Afghan, so she doesn’t need a visa every time you go.

Hello. I am interested on making a trip to Afghanistan and I would like to learn from the prices of the tour companies you work with. Thank you.

Hi Ico, I will email you privately to give you the contact information, they will tell you everything you need to know, including price, security measures and itinerary.

Hin Angela,

We just come back from a trip on Pamir highway in Tajikistan. My husband ( he is Afghan) and I missed to go to Afghanistan because our visa from German embassy was incorrect. So only my 3 sisters in law ( all afghan ) went to sultan ishkashim in Afghanistan after 38 years they left their home country. We was thinking to go back next year to go to Afghanistan from Tajikistan, but today I found your blog. It sounds very interesting. I would like to check out the possibilities to travel to Afghanistan next year. Looking forward to your answer. Have a great Sunday. Kindly regards Ilona

Hi Ilona, sorry to hear you couldn’t make it to Afghanistan. Which embassy gave you the wrong visa, the Afghan embassy in Germany? That’s very weird. Your husband should have the tazkara and Afghan passport, and as his wife, you should get the visa exemption. This is what we will be doing at the Afghan embassy in Rome before our next trip. Why don’t you ask them? Let me know what they say!

Hi Angela, Nice to hear from you so quick . Thanks a lot. It is a bit more difficult . We apply for Tajik visa in Germany for multiple entry visa and this was a nightmare – really. In the end we got it, but at the Afghan border in Iskashim we found out it was wrong. Nonody knows how we could enter the country at the airport . We had to go to MFA in Dushanbe to get a new visa to get out of Tajikistan – can you velieve it. It was an adventure trip. But we like Tajikistan a lot. The Afghan visa we got in Khorog was good and easy to get. But it was for nothing because of the wrong Tajik visa.

Family is going out now. Wishing you a great sunday. Ilona

This is very confusing, I don’t know why they made it so difficult. Probably next time you can just fly into Kabul with a simple Afghan visa you do in Germany. This is what I did from Rome and I had no problems.

Yes next time we wil do it like that. It was just a try to go from Tajikistan, because we was so close. Can you send me some contacts in Afghanistan for a guided tour. That would be great. Warm regards

Hi Ilona, I will email you with the contact details of a tour operator we trust.

Perfect thanks ….dear Angela

Hello Angela,

My name is Brandon Bell and I’m from the US. I appreciate your post, and felt like I could trust your insight/discernment. I have this subtle desire to travel to Afghan to photograph and connect with the hardships that many of the people face. I’ve photographed in Egypt and Kashmir India but understand that Afghan is a field of its own. I’d particularly like to go and spend time with the refugees in the country. Do you have any advice/perspective on that?

Please provide contact information to obtain cost and travel options to Afghanistan. At the moment, there would be three of us, two Americans and one Indian, all males. If possible, a side trip to Pakistan would be of interest. Hiw long of a trip would you recommend to experience the must-see areas (safe). Our plans would be to arrive in the sping 2019. Thanks for a reply. You have an informative website.

Hi Noel, I will send you a detailed email about this. Thanks.

Thank you for your insights and sharing, Angela. This and your blog on being a western woman here are simply awesome!

Can I possibly contact you directly to ask about travel?

Thank you ~

Hi Selina, sure thing, contact me any time :)

Hi Angela, your blog is wonderful !!! I’m a single u.s. female and plan on going to Afghanistan in March 2019, i would love to get good contacts in Afghanistan for a guided tour. I’ve been to Afghanistan on my trip overland to India in the 70’s…so I’m looking forward to this new trip…any info will be very welcome…

Hi Haya, thanks a lot for your comment. I will send you an email with more details.

I liked the post. Thinking about getting to know Afghanistan is one of the few countries I haven’t met. I’ve done several trips around the world. But I confess that one of the things that prevents me from visiting this country is precisely because the information I have is still a place with many wars and that makes me afraid to visit. One of the most amazing things I find is the buildings and temples of this country.

Thanks for the detailed and informative blog. I’m planning to visit Afghan in mid March’19 for about 2 weeks. Would like to know the contacts for discussing itinerary and pricing. Planning to visit Kabul, Panjshir, Herat, Mazar I Sharif, Bamiyan, Band-e-amir and Balkh. Thanks

Thanks Venkatesh, I will reply to you by email!

I am traveling to Uzbekistan in July. From there (Tashkent) I would like to get to Termez and cross the border into Afghanistan (Hairatan). I need an invitation letter for a visa application. Does anybody have any advice? How can I get one without buying a tour?

(Lovely website! Very useful! Thanks so much!)

Hi! Thank you for such a detailed post!

Can you please email me details and price of to travel to the places you recommend?

Replied by email!

I really enjoyed reading your blog on visiting Afghanistan. I’m planning to go between September-October of this year. Could you share your contacts/pricing for Herat, Mazar-e Sharif/Balkh, Kabul/Panjshir, and Bamyan/Band-e Amir if it’s not too much trouble? Thanks

Thanks for reading, Robert. I will be emailing you the details you asked for.

Your post is great! Thank you for sharing it 😊😊 Can you please share your guide information? I want to travel between kabul and bamiyan.

I will send you an email with the contact information :)

Great post and info, thank you! I want to just transit through Kabul airport (Dubai – Kabul – Dubai or Istanbul – Kabul – Dubai). At the Afghan consulate in New York they said that I don’t need a visa as long as I don’t leave the transit area, and if I want a visa I would have to submit a Letter of Invitation. I am worried that without a visa the airline might not allow me to board the plane to Kabul, and even if they do, it might be difficult to get a return boarding pass without checking in at Kabul airport, past immigration. Do you have any advice on this? Can you recommend a Kabul travel company that could issue a LOI? Thank you so much!

Hi Paul, if you are only in transit in Kabul, you are not going to do the check-in again because you are going to stay in the transit area. I wouldn’t know who can do an invitation letter if you are not actually taking the tour…

Can I get more info thank you

Hi Angela, thank you so much for your information about Afghanistan. I want to go to Afghanistan in September. Will you please bring me in contact with local travelagencies? Thank you in advance 🙏

Best, Frank

Sent you an email :)

Thank you for this article. I’d be interested to learn more about your contact’s tour service.

Thank you in advance!

Your post is great! Thank you for all this important and useful information. I was dreaming about travelling to Afghanistan since many years and I would love to give a try. Could you please share the contact of your guide? Grazie Nadia

Hi Angela, Just found your post and it is very informative. Thank you for the good read. When this Covid 19 matter is over i would like to go there. Can you recommend guides for those places for me to contact? Thank you. Baddrul

Hi there Angela,

Are these 11-day tours still available as of right now?

If so, I love to get more details about them! Would you be so kind as to e-mail me some more information?

Thank you so much!

Hi Matheus, at the moment our guides are not running any tours because the situation is very unstable and attacks keep increasing. Also, I’m not sure the government is issuing tourist visas.

Dear Angela, I have spent a lot of time in high mountains expedition looking for nature beauty, especially flowers and animals. Hindukush mts. is my dream. Would you be so kind as to inform me about eventuality to travel in safe regions (Bamyan etc.). and find me a reliable mountain guide? Thanks for response, Zdenek

Hey could you guys please get in touch. I am very interested in visiting and would love to find a English speaking tour guide

I am very interested in visiting Afghanistan this upcoming July/August and would love to take you up on your offer to put me in touch with a tour guide/translator or to book an 11 day trip. Please reache at this email. Thank you so much, McCabe

Are the govt issuing tourist visas, I am interested in a trip to Kabul

Hi James, we are not sure about this. At the moment the situation is a bit tricky because all foreign troops are pulling out of Afghanistan so we are waiting to see what happens. For everything visa-related, I suggest you get in touch with the Afghan embassy in your country.

I am looking to travel to Afghanistan in 2022. I was wondering if I could contact you with possibly obtaining an invite letter that you had mentioned in the blog? Also, do you recommend if one can go through the Couchsurfing option? Could that be used to apply for a Visit or Tourism visa?

Thank you so much for this information as it was very informative and a great read!

Best, Kayvon

This is a great travel guide. Could you share the contact information for the tour companies you mentioned? I’m hoping to visit later this year.

Hi Andy, all our guides have been evacuated after the Taliban took over. We don’t recommend traveling to Afghanistan at the moment so we don’t promote nor arrange any tour.

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Afghanistan

Warnings and insurance.

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). 

FCDO advises against all travel to Afghanistan

You should not travel to Afghanistan. The security situation is volatile. Travel throughout Afghanistan is extremely dangerous and border crossings may not be open.  

There is a heightened risk of British nationals being detained in Afghanistan. If you are a British national and you are detained in Afghanistan, you could face months or years of imprisonment. FCDO ’s ability to help you is extremely limited and support in person is not possible in Afghanistan.

For more details about the risks in Afghanistan, see Safety and security .

UK government support

Support for British nationals is severely limited in Afghanistan. There is no British Embassy in Afghanistan and we cannot give help in person in Afghanistan. If you are detained, the British government may not be informed.

FCDO cannot offer advice on the safety of travelling to any departure point within Afghanistan.

If you are a British national in Afghanistan and need help from the UK government, you can:

• call FCDO on 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
• submit an enquiry
• contact us on Twitter or Facebook

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel against FCDO advice, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance . Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. 

About FCDO travel advice

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Afghanistan Live Updates: The Taliban Tighten Their Grip On Kabul As Afghanistan's Government Disintegrates

Good afternoon.

The situation in Kabul is fluid and moving very fast. Here's the latest:

• Reaction from around the world is pouring in: Afghans abroad are watching in horror, worried about family and friends still in Afghanistan.
• Many international diplomats had been sent to the airport . The embassy has advised U.S. citizens to shelter in place as militants enter Afghanistan's capital.
• Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says a “coordinating council” is being formed to “ prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people and to better manage the affairs related to peace.”
• Women in Afghanistan are especially vulnerable to Taliban control. Here's how.

— The Morning Edition live blog team

Emily Alfin Johnson, Rachel Treisman, Nicole Hernandez, Nell Clark, James Doubek, Dave Mistich, Scott Neuman, Julian Ring and Emily Abshire

The Taliban Appears To Be In Control Of Afghanistan. Here's How The Day Unfolded

By Rachel Treisman

Scott Neuman

It's been a day of fast-moving developments in Afghanistan, with Taliban forces quickly closing in on Kabul and edging closer to control.

Afghanistan's president has left the country, and residents and diplomats are scrambling to leave — though Kabul's airport is now closed to commercial flights . The U.S. embassy has lowered its flag, and the Taliban said in a statement it is working to restore law and order.

The rapid Taliban takeover is raising questions on the ground and around the world: What happens next, and what's at stake ? How will women and girls fare ? What does this mean for the Biden administration ? How are other countries responding?

"The day's events were a dramatic coda to American's longest war," writes Scott Neuman. He explains how we got here, what's happening on the ground and where the situation may be headed.

Read the story here , and come back to npr.org for updates.

President Ghani Makes His First Public Comments Since Fleeing Afghanistan

By Dave Mistich

In his first public comments since fleeing Afghanistan Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani says he left to avoid further bloodshed. It was not immediately clear from where Ghani penned the message.

In a post made on a verified Facebook page , Ghani explained his reasons for fleeing Afghanistan Sunday after Taliban forces made their way into the capital city of Kabul.

“Today, I came across a hard choice; I should stand to face the armed Taliban who wanted to enter the palace or leave the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting and protecting the past twenty years,” Ghani wrote.

“In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out,” he continued.

Ghani said the insurgent forces — whose offensives accelerated in recent days leading to Sunday’s collapse of Kabul — are now responsible for “protecting the countrymen's honor, wealth and self-esteem.” In recent days, Ghani had been accused of ineffectual leadership and a lack of communication as Taliban offensives swept across the country and solidified their control.

“They are now facing a new historical test; either they will protect the name and honor of Afghanistan or they will prioritize other places and networks,” he said.

Ghani said that many people are in fear of an unknown future in the country. He called on the Taliban to make clear their plans for how the country will operate — namely, towards groups who were marginalized in an era under Taliban rule prior to 2001.

“It is necessary for Taliban to assure all the people, nations, different sectors, sisters and women of Afghanistan to win the legitimacy and the hearts of the people,” he said. “Make a clear plan to do and share it with the public.”

Meanwhile, the Al Jazeera television network has broadcast images of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace, the Arg, a highly secure compound in Kabul. A Taliban source, who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Taliban had entered the palace.

For U.S. Veterans Who Served In Afghanistan, A Day Of Confusion, Frustration And Grief

By Josie Fischels

Before U.S. troops have even fully departed the country, Afghanistan is poised to fall back to where it was 20 years ago — forced back under Taliban rule.

"It's tragic, it's numbing," Mike Jason, a retired Army colonel who served in Afghanistan, told NPR's Weekend Edition about watching the chaos unfold.

Jason has been communicating with the widows of his friends and colleagues from his time in Afghanistan. Like many other veterans who fought against the Taliban, the day is filled with confusion, frustration and grief.

"Was it all for nothing? Was it for the values that we champion in our institution, in the army? We try to find ways of answering and dealing with it and processing it while watching in real time. I don't think there is an answer," he said. "As quickly as the districts are falling or units are surrendering, we cannot possibly emotionally or spiritually process what we're watching and what we've been through over the last couple decades."

The first years of the war saw al-Qaida broken up and the Taliban government retreat. But the next phase of the war meant that service members were continually sent back to Afghanistan every time others were pulled out — the Taliban would rebound every time U.S. presence pulled away.

"We didn't fight a 20-year war, we fought 20 individual wars incoherently, kind of without a policy strategic direction."

Retired veteran Lance Cpl. William Bee, who ended his Afghanistan tours in 2010, says he believes he was able to help Afghans during his time there.

"The people whose lives we affected, I personally think we did them better, that they're better off for it," Bee told The Associated Press. "But I also wouldn't trade a handful of Afghan villages for one Marine."

According to a Brown University count, more than 2,400 American service members died in Afghanistan, along with more than 3,800 U.S. contractors, 66,000 members of Afghan security forces and 47,000 Afghan civilians.

Commercial Planes Are No Longer Flying Out Of Kabul's Airport

Tom Bowman, NPR's Pentagon correspondent, has this update:

A senior official confirms to #NPR that only military aircraft are now flying out of #Kabul airport, mostly the massive C-17s No commercial aircraft . State Dept in charge of getting people out. And what about the Afghans who worked for US? “We’ll take out who they tell us.” — Tom Bowman (@TBowmanNPR) August 15, 2021

British Prime Minister Johnson Urges Countries To Not Recognize The Taliban As Afghanistan’s Government

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says other countries should not recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan.

He acknowledged it was clear there would be a new administration in the country after Taliban fighters entered Kabul and Afghanistan’s president fled.

"We don't want anybody bilaterally recognizing the Taliban," he said in a Sunday interview, according to Reuters . "We want a united position amongst all the like-minded as far as we can get one." Johnson says he thinks the West should work together in trying to keep the nation from becoming a home to terrorist groups.

"Nobody wants Afghanistan once again to be a breeding ground for terror and we don't think it is in the interests of the people of Afghanistan that it should lapse back into that pre-2001 status," the prime minister said .

Members of the British Parliament will return from a summer holiday break Wednesday to debate the consequences of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the BBC reported .

The U.K. currently has about 150 to 170 personnel on the ground in Afghanistan, according to The Guardian , and says it has obligations to remove up to 4,000 Afghan personnel who have worked for Britain during its military campaign there. The British government said last week it would send an additional 600 military personnel to aid in the evacuations.

Biden Holds National Security Meeting On Afghanistan

By Arnie Seipel

This morning, the President and Vice President met with their national security team and senior officials to hear updates on the draw down of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, evacuations of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/U7IpK3Hyj8 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 15, 2021

President Biden met with national security officials by video conference this morning to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, the White House press office has informed reporters.

Biden remains at Camp David, where he has been since Friday.

There have been no further updates on the president’s schedule.

He addressed his views publicly in a written statement on Saturday, in which he said that approximately 5,000 U.S. troops were being sent to evacuate U.S., allied and Afghan partner personnel.

Here's analysis on what the latest in Afghanistan could mean for Biden politically.

Afghans In France Watch In Horror As The Taliban Enters Kabul

By Eleanor Beardsley

Afghans in the diaspora are devastated as they look on with horror as the Taliban encircles their country's capital of Kabul.

Zohra Yari Zohra Yari was given asylum in France in 2018 and is now earning a university degree in international humanitarian aid. She says it’s torture to watch what’s happening in her homeland where her mother, two brothers and two sisters remain.

" I cry the whole day," Yari said. "I can’t control myself. My body is in France — but my whole mentality is all in Afghanistan with my family with my friends with my country."

Yari, who is 29, says her family is dealing with a second wave of the Taliban. Her father was kidnapped in 2000 and they never saw him again. Today she says she's especially worried about her 14-year-old niece.

Cheleba Hachemi Cheleba Hachemi is a 47-year-old Afghan woman who is also a French citizen, and runs a network of girls' schools across her home country.

Hachemi came to France in 1984, when she was 11. She returned to Afghanistan in 2001 to become the first woman to serve in a free Afghan government.

She says there were several years of hope. But the last weeks have been harrowing as her teachers were being kidnapped and killed.

Hachemi says there will be worldwide repercussions to the U.S. and Europe abandoning Afghanistan.

Twenty years after coming to defeat the terrorists, the West is leaving. But this time, she says, "we’re giving them the keys."

Hachemi says they will build a new country that will be a laboratory for international terrorism. She calls that country "Terroristan."

Some 40,000 Afghan refugees were given asylum in the European Union last year according to official figures.

Indian Official Says Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan Is Bad News For New Delhi

A senior Indian official is expressing anxiousness following the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan.

The chief minister of the state of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, worries that the fall of the Afghan government could, ultimately, mean trouble for India.

“Afghanistan’s fall to #Taliban doesn’t augur well for our country,” Singh, who is also a military historian, wrote in a tweet. “It’ll strengthen the Sino-Pak nexus against India (China has already sought militia’s help on Uyghur). The signs are not at all good, we need to be extra vigilant now at all our borders.”

Conversely, Pakistan -- which has served for decades as a sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban -- has yet to comment publicly about Sunday's Taliban takeover in the country. It did not condemn the insurgent group in the prelude to its seizing power. Insurgent forces have frequently crossed Afghanistan’s porous eastern border with Pakistan and the group has long enjoyed tacit support or at least acquiescence from Islamabad.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the Taliban had informed his government that “as long as [President] Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government.”

France Moves Its Embassy In Kabul To The Airport, Deploys Troop Reinforcements

France is moving its embassy in Kabul to the airport in the face of the rapidly-degrading situation in Afghanistan.

The French foreign ministry also announced troop reinforcements to the United Arab Emirates to help evacuate French diplomats.

President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency defense meeting by video conference, and said in a statement that he is following the situation hour by hour and in close contact with European partners.

France had troops in Afghanistan until 2014, and has since taken in some 600 Afghans — and their families — who worked with the French military.

French politicians from across the spectrum are denouncing the West's abandonment of Afghanistan.

Mainstream conservative Xavier Bertrand called it a failure of the international community and a new terrorist threat.

Far right leader Marine Le Pen pointed to the inefficiency of the European Union.

"While those technocrats debate the sex of angels, fanatical Islamists are attempting to establish a caliphate which will put the whole world in grave danger," she tweeted .

Le Pen also warned of a massive wave of migration toward Europe.

Acting Ambassador Ross Wilson Evacuated To Kabul Airport

By Emily Alfin Johnson

Michele Kelemen

Associated Press sources are reporting the U.S. military is evacuating Charge d'affaires Ross Wilson, the acting ambassador to Afghanistan, from the embassy to the Kabul airport.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the U.S.'s pullout of Afghanistan on ABC’s This Week Sunday morning as the U.S. rushes to evacuate staff in the capital of Kabul.

The U.S. Underestimated The Taliban, A Former Top NATO Commander Says

As insurgents took control of Kabul on Sunday, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO said the U.S. and others had “underestimated the leadership and the will” of Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Speaking to NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday , Ret. Admiral James Stavridis said insurgent fighters have been clever and relentless — and have performed well in combat.

“Conversely, what we see on the other side is you can buy all the equipment in the world, but you can't purchase leadership or political will or, in particular, battlefield will,” Stavridis said. “And therefore, we see this ghosting of the Afghan army. It's quite heartbreaking.”

Stavridis says he believes NATO and U.S. forces failed by not creating an Afghan military in the same mold as their enemy — Taliban fighters who have demonstrated agility and independence in two decades of fighting.

“What I mean by that is lighter, faster — not reliant on the exquisite technologies, not reliant on endless air power — quick to move, well-led internally,” he said. “Instead, we created kind of a mini-me army, U.S. Army version. And when we pulled out, the support to [the Afghan security forces] collapsed.”

Stavridis also says he feels like progress had been made in Afghanistan for the first time “toward the end of the Trump administration” but said the insistence of the U.S. government to leave the country – in a deal hammered out by the Trump White House — spurred on the insurgency.

“Once the Taliban saw that we were absolutely determined to leave on a date-certain, their calculus changed. And I think that led to the cascade of events here,” Stavridis said.

Stavridis also blamed corruption within the central Afghan government as a reason for the swift takeover. Listen to the full conversation here .

The Security Situation At Kabul's Airport Is Quickly Deteriorating

By Nishant Dahiya

In an update posted on its website, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul says the security situation at the airport, where most diplomats were being evacuated to, is deteriorating.

“There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore we are instructing U.S. citizens to shelter in place,” the note says.

It goes on to explain steps people should take if they want to be repatriated out of Kabul.

Read it here .

Former President Hamid Karzai Says A Council Is Being Formed To 'Prevent Chaos'

In a series of tweets , former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he, head of the government’s negotiating team Abdullah Abdullah, and head of the Hezb-I-Islami party, and former warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, are forming a “coordinating council” to “prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people and to better manage the affairs related to peace.”

It’s not clear if this is a step towards an interim government, or a step towards handing power to the Taliban, or if this is a move negotiated with, and sanctioned by, the Taliban.

Karzai was Afghan leader from December 2001 till September 2014. By the time he left office, his relations with the U.S. were deeply strained.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his immediate team have left the country earlier today.

Women Are Especially Vulnerable To Taliban Control

Taliban control likely means a shakeup of Afghan society — and women are especially vulnerable.

Freshta Karim, founder and director of the Charmaghz mobile library, spoke to NPR from Kabul on Sunday. She describes a deadly silence there, "as if the music of people's lives has stopped, and they're just waiting for their uncertain future, for politicians to decide what will happen."

Listen to the conversation here , as helicopters whir in the background.

Karim says the Taliban's rapid takeover came as a shock, because it moved much faster than the Afghan or U.S. governments predicted. The Taliban have said they will allow women to have jobs and rights — but Karim says women see those rights as intrinsic, and the Taliban's language implies that they see themselves as superior.

A "War against women" is at the core of the group's ideology and identity, Karim says, and she's skeptical that will change.

In the 20 years since the Taliban was in power, Karim — who works closely with youth — says there's been flourishing of music, poetry and democracy. She notes that half of the population in Afghanistan is below 15 years old, and has grown up with liberal values: "Where will it take us back?"

She worries that the Taliban's takeover will impact the country's value system as well as its economy, especially if women aren't allowed to work.

Plus, an 17-year-old Afghan girl shares her fears .

What The Taliban's Advancement In Afghanistan Means For Biden

As NPR's Tamara Keith explains, the evacuation of U.S. personnel from Kabul calls to mind the iconic images of diplomats and civilians being airlifted from the U.S. embassy during the fall of Saigon in April 1975 .

At that point, according to Gallup, 60 percent of the American public considered it a mistake to have sent troops to Vietnam. Two months later, Gallup's measure of then-President Gerald Ford's approval had increased.

Flash forward several decades: Last month, 47% of respondents told Gallup that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake. Now, the Taliban is poised to take control of the country.

Last month, 47% of respondents told Gallup that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake. Now, Taliban forces are poised to take control of the country. @MaraLiasson breaks down what recent developments could mean politically for President Biden. https://t.co/6kd019kA33 pic.twitter.com/CuvsLg1WaY — NPR (@NPR) August 15, 2021

NPR's National Political Correspondent Mara Liasson walks us through what all of this means for President Biden politically. Listen to that conversation here or read excerpts below.

What does the public think? " The majority of Americans decided over 20 years and billions of dollars spent to train the Afghan forces with, it seems, very little result that this wasn't worth it. Two consecutive presidential administrations decided that leaving troops in Afghanistan was not in America's national security interest ... American voters have lost their stomach for foreign military interventions and especially long occupations over a very long period of time and there are a lot of questions remaining that will determine the political fallout for [Biden], for instance, will the Taliban give Al Qaeda a safe haven again and what happens now. "

What's are members of the U.S. government saying? " At least for the moment the elite reaction is really devastating. When you have Ryan Crocker, former ambassador to Afghanistan, saying, "I'm left with some grave questions in my mind about Biden's ability to lead our nation as commander in chief, to have read this so wrong or even worse to have understood what was likely to happen and not care." I mean that is just really devastating. Now at the same time, anecdotally, we hear reports from members of congress that they're just not getting calls about Afghanistan, even congressmen who represent large veteran populations."

What does this mean for Biden's approval rating? " Two things can be true at the same time: The public might not really care about what's happening there, on the other hand, he's the president of the United States while this is happening. Whenever America is humiliated or presides over something like what we're seeing now in Afghanistan it's bad for the current president, there's just no doubt about that. Now it's also true that Donald Trump did negotiate with the Taliban for a withdrawal as of May 1st, and it's possible that the Biden Administration concluded that the Taliban would have launched this attack anyway if the United States didn't pull out and then Biden would have had to put more troops in — more than the 2,500 he had at the time. So there was only escalation or withdrawal. But there will be a lot of questions about ... could the withdrawal have been handled better? Why did the United States and the Biden Administration so grossly underestimate the speed that the Taliban would move?"

17-Year-Old Afghan Girl Explains What's At Risk: 'I Lose Everything'

Morning Edition reporter and editor, HJ Mai has been looking into the impact of the U.S. withdrawal on the people of Afghanistan. Here's what one young woman told the New York Times ' Fatma Faizi:

When I talked with @nytimes journalist @FatmaFaizi about the U.S. decision to withdraw, she told me what a 17-year-old #Afghan girl told her. “It is not about the U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan. It is about my identity. And once they leave, I lose everything.” — HJ Mai (@HJ_Mai) August 15, 2021

Among the great successes over the last 20 years in Afghanistan has been the progress the country has made towards gender equity in education. Many fear those gains will be lost under Taliban control.

Secretary Of State Blinken Defends U.S. Pullout As Kabul Embassy Staff Evacuate

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan on ABC’s This Week Sunday morning as the U.S. rushes to evacuate staff in the capital of Kabul.

"We're relocating the men and women of our embassy to a location at the airport. It's why the president sent in a number of forces, to make sure that as we continue to draw down our diplomatic presence we do it in a safe and orderly fashion," he said.

Blinken deflected a follow-up question as to whether the evacuations meant the embassy was being shut down entirely. He also rejected comparing Sunday’s scene in Afghanistan to a frantic exodus from Vietnam in 1975.

"Let's take a step back. This is manifestly not Saigon," said Blinken, saying the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had succeeded in its primary goal, getting rid of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Other U.S. officials described the situation as more dire.

“The majority of staff is out” of the embassy in Kabul, according to one official who asked not to be named. The official told NPR: “we are operating at an alternate location. Flag is down. gunfire at airport.”

Why The Afghan National Army Couldn't Stop Taliban Forces

"Why are some soldiers in the Afghan National Army not fighting back?"

That's a question Monika Evstatieva, senior producer for NPR's Investigations Unit, has been asked multiple times this week. So she set out to provide some context in this 10-part Twitter thread , which covers causalities, training, corruption and more:

(1) Why are some soldiers in the Afghan National Army not fighting back? I have been asked this question repeatedly over the past week. Here is some background. First: Casualties and death rates. — Monika Evstatieva (@MEvstatieva) August 15, 2021

As The Taliban Close In On Kabul, The U.S. Embassy Steps Up Evacuations

For U.S. officials, the mission in Afghanistan is now focused on the urgent need to evacuate Americans and Afghans who have been working with the U.S. The pace of the operation and the resources involved remains unclear, despite thousands of U.S. troops being sent to Kabul this weekend as the collapse of the Afghan government appeared imminent.

“The majority of staff is out” of the Embassy in Kabul , according to one official who asked not to be named. The official writes, “we are operating at an alternate location. Flag is down. gunfire at airport.”

Until a few days ago, the focus had been on maintaining a sizable presence in the U.S. Embassy to assist the Afghan government. The U.S. was planning to keep about 650 troops in Kabul to protect both the embassy and the airport, which are separated by only a few miles.

But on Thursday, as Taliban advances in the countryside gained steam, the U.S. announced its embassy would be reduced to only a core staff. On Friday, NPR obtained a memo detailing emergency operations — including the destruction of computers, documents and other sensitive material. As of Sunday morning, smoke was reportedly rising near the U.S. Embassy.

"Capacity is not going to be a problem. We will be able to move thousands per day," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

There are reports of more than 4,000 at U.S. embassy, most of whom are Afghans.

The Taliban Enters Kabul

The Taliban have released a statement where they say that entered the capital to take care of the security situation in Kabul given that most Afghan forces have melted away. They say they are trying to maintain law and order in the city.

Eyewitnesses in Kabul tell NPR they can confirm that they can see Taliban fighters in the streets of the city.

A 'Core Mission' Embassy Staff Will Work From 'An Alternative Location'

By Michele Kelemen

Emily Alfin Johnson

Here's what we know:

“The majority of staff is out” of the Embassy in Kabul, according to one official who asked not to be named. The official writes “ we are operating at an alternate location. Flag is down. gunfire at airport.”

'This is not Saigon' Secretary of State Antony Blinken brushes off those who compare the scenes to the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war.

“ This is not Saigon. We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission. and that mission was to deal with the folks who attacked us on 9/11 and we succeeded in that mission” he told CNN’s State of the Union.

From the archives: Lessons From The U.S. Embassy In Saigon During The Vietnam War

He says the U.S. has told the Taliban that if they interfere with the U.S. withdrawal there will be a swift response.

The embassy used to be one of the largest in the world, but there was a draw down earlier in the year and now they are expected to take out everyone except for what they are calling the "core mission" that would be an ambassador and a few top aides. Those individuals will be based at the airport for a quick escape.

Before leaving an embassy — staffers have to get rid of classified documents and computer equipment.

What's the "core mission"? Not much frankly. The line all week from the State Department is that they will be there to support the Afghan government and help with the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the U.S. 

But while they've taken 1,200 of these Afghans and their families out to date, there are tens of thousands more who want/need to be evacuated. The military had been offering and said they could do it.  But now it looks too late. 

Afghans who worked with the U.S. fear retaliation now.  That's not just military but also aid groups and military.  They can now apply to come to the U.S. but they have to get out of the country on their own. 

USAID is erasing any records or social media posts etc. of Afghans who worked on U.S. aid programs.

What's State Antony Blinken doing? Working the phones. This morning he said the U.S. really had no other choice but to leave because of the deal that the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban.

He said the U.S. is going to keep in place a capacity to deal with any terrorist.

In Congressional hearings earlier this year — he was really downplaying a rapid Taliban advance ... and that was the line we were hearing really for the past couple of weeks too. That Afghan forces would be able to hold the line. But we've really just seen the afghan forces abandon their posts.

NATO keeping airport open. Russians have negotiated with the Taliban to keep the Russian embassy open.

This is a developing story. We'll keep you posted as we know more.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Has Left The Country

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his immediate team have left the country, according to various news reports. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the government’s negotiating team, and former chief executive officer of the country, also confirms in a video message that Ghani has left the country.

My message to the people of AFGHANISNAN, to the security forces and to the Taliban: https://t.co/MiFk0zaNRJ — Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) August 15, 2021

Ghani has been under enormous pressure to resign. The Taliban have asked for his resignation and demanded a transfer of power to an interim government. Listen to the story .

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.

A Taliban Takeover In Kabul Would Be The City's Fourth In 30 Years

Rachel Treisman

As NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre notes:

Kabul has a unique recent history. A Taliban takeover would be the fourth time in 30 years that the government has fallen by military force (1992, 1996, 2001, 2021). That said, the sitting government has always stepped down rather than fight to the bitter end. — Greg Myre (@gregmyre1) August 15, 2021

He offers us some more historical context as the day's developments play out:

• " Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul , in keeping with other Afghan leaders who've been forced out over the past 30 years. One who didn't make it out was Najibullah. The Taliban hanged him from a lamppost when they captured the city in 1996."
• "If the Taliban take full control and the fighting ends, it will be the first time Afghanistan has not been at war since 1978. That's right, 43 years of non-stop conflict ."

Check out Myre's Twitter account for more.

A Quarter-Million People Have Fled Their Homes As Violence In Afghanistan Escalates

By Deepa Shivaram

As violence intensifies in Afghanistan, United Nations leaders are warning of a massive humanitarian crisis in the country that is having a devastating impact on civilians, particularly women and children.

Since May, nearly 250,000 people have been forced from their homes; 80% of them are women and children , said Shabia Mantoo, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency.

The conflict "has accelerated much faster than we all anticipated and the situation has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe," World Food Programme spokesperson Tomson Phiri said .

➡️ Keep reading

Taliban Fighters Enter Kabul As Helicopters Land At U.S. Embassy

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of

the Afghan capital on Sunday and said they were awaiting a "peaceful

transfer" of the city after promising not to take it by force, but

panicked residents raced to the leave, with workers fleeing government

offices and helicopters landing at the U.S. Embassy.

In a nationwide offensive that has taken just over a week, the Taliban has

defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from wide

swaths of the country, even though they had some air support from the

U.S. military.

Here's Why Biden Is Sticking With The U.S. Exit From Afghanistan

By Franco Ordoñez

President Biden promised that the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan would not be a hasty rush to the exits.

It would be responsible, deliberate and safe.

But clearly he and his administration misjudged the speed with which the Afghan forces would collapse and the Taliban would take control.

"The jury is still out. But the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely," Biden said on July 8, but just a month later that appears to be exactly what's happening.

As fears rise of the Kabul government collapsing, Biden now has to send 3,000 troops back to Afghanistan on a temporary mission to help evacuate most of the American embassy in Kabul and Afghan civilians who supported the U.S.

The move has led to more questions about whether the United States was mistaken by withdrawing so quickly, but Biden said this week Afghans "must fight for themselves" as the U.S. military remains on track for a full withdrawal by the end of August.

Read the five reasons the U.S. is not likely to return to war in Afghanistan.

1. Voters are opposed to staying in Afghanistan 2. Returning would risk American casualties 3. Doubts more time would create a different outcome 4. The U.S. mission wouldn't be clear 5. Biden's focus is on domestic challenges — and China

4 Reasons A Taliban Takeover In Afghanistan Matters To The World

By Scott Neuman

Taliban fighters have entered Kabul after a nationwide offensive that took just over a week.

The speed of the radical religious movement's advance alarmed many inside and outside the country. The Taliban have gained a reputation, after all, for brutality and enforcement of a harsh brand of Islamic justice in the five years they ruled until being toppled by invading U.S.-led forces in 2001.

Click here to read four reasons why what's happening in Afghanistan matters far beyond its borders:

• Afghanistan will become a human rights problem
• A Taliban regime could again become a safe haven for extremists
• A Taliban-ruled Afghanistan might destabilize Pakistan
• China could gain a foothold in the region

The Best Time to Visit Kabul, Afghanistan for Weather, Safety, & Tourism

The best times to visit Kabul for ideal weather are

April 16th to June 17th

August 20th to october 28th.

based on average temperature and humidity from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Read below for more weather and travel details.

Kabul Travel Guide

Temperature.

• Perceived Temperature
• Rain and snow
• Humidity and wind
• The busiest and least popular months
• Overall travel experience by time of year

Other Kabul Travel Info

Weather in kabul.

Average temperatures in Kabul vary drastically. Considering humidity, temperatures feel cold for about half of the year and otherwise nice with a low chance of precipitation most of the year. The area is somewhat temperate — in the 41st percentile for pleasant weather — compared to tourist destinations worldwide. Weeks with ideal weather are listed above . If you’re looking for the very warmest time to visit Kabul, the hottest months are July, August, and then June. See average monthly temperatures below. The warmest time of year is generally late July where highs are regularly around 96.2°F (35.7°C) with temperatures rarely dropping below 69.7°F (20.9°C) at night.

Kabul Temperatures (Fahrenheit)

Kabul temperatures (celsius), “feels-like” temperatures.

The way we experience weather isn’t all about temperature. Higher temperatures affect us much more at higher humidity, and colder temperatures feel piercing with high winds. Our perceived temperatures factor in humidity and wind chill to better represent how hot or cold the day feels to a person.

Kabul Perceived Temperature (F)

Kabul perceived temperature (c), average kabul temperatures by month.

Daily highs (averaged for the month) usually give the best indication of the weather. A significantly lower mean and low generally just means it gets colder at night.

Show Fahrenheit

Show celsius, precipitation (rain or snow).

If dry weather is what you’re after, the months with the lowest chance of significant precipitation in Kabul are July, June, and then September. Note that we define “significant precipitation” as .1 inches or more in this section. The lowest chance of rain or snow occurs around early June. For example, on the week of June 4th there are no days of precipitation on average. By contrast, it’s most likely to rain or snow in early to mid March with an average of 3 days of significant precipitation the week of March 12th.

Chance of Precipitation

The graph below shows the % chance of rainy and snowy days in Kabul.

Snow on the Ground

The graph below shows the average snow on the ground in Kabul (in).

Average Rain and Snow by Month

Show inches, show centimeters, humidity and wind.

Kabul has some comfortably humid months, with some very dry months. The least humid month is June (11.2% relative humidity), and the most humid month is February (45.7%).

Wind in Kabul is usually extremely calm . The windiest month is June, followed by July and August. June’s average wind speed of around 4 knots (4.6 MPH or 7.3 KPH) is considered “a light breeze.” Maximum sustained winds (the highest speed for the day lasting more than a few moments) are at their highest in mid June where average top sustained speeds reach 10.1 knots, which is considered a gentle breeze.

Relative Humidity (%)

The graph below shows the average % humidity by month in Kabul.

The graph below shows wind speed (max and average) in knots.

Average Wind Speeds

Show wind speeds.

All wind speeds are in knots. 1 knot = 1.15 MPH or 1.85 KPH.

Show Relative Humidity by Month

Is it safe to travel to kabul.

Our best data indicates this area is generally not safe. As of Dec 04, 2023 there are very strong travel warnings for Afghanistan; avoid all travel. Check this page for any recent changes or regions to avoid: Travel Advice and Advisories . This advisory was last updated on Nov 10, 2023.

The Busiest and Least Crowded Months

The busiest month for tourism in Kabul, Afghanistan is December, followed by May and August. Prices for hotels and flights will be most expensive during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in advance. Tourists are unlikely to visit Kabul in February. Those willing to visit at these times will likely find it the least expensive month.

Estimated Tourism by Month

Most popular months to visit, overall kabul travel experience by season, spring (march through may).

Humidity and temperatures combine to make this season feel moderate. Highs range from 85.9°F (29.9°C) and 47.9°F (8.8°C) with far warmer temperatures in the later months. Rain is somewhat common with 4 to 8 days of significant precipitation per month. Spring is the second busiest for tourism, which makes it a good time for those looking for things to do.

Summer (June through August)

The middle-year months have very comfortable weather with high temperatures that are quite warm. These months see the least precipitation with 0 to 2 days of precipitation per month. June – August is the busiest season for tourism in Kabul, so lodging and other accommodations may cost more than usual.

Fall (September through November)

Fall daily highs range from 87.5°F (30.8°C) and 57.3°F (14.1°C), which will feel comfortable given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a normal amount: 2 to 3 days per month. Tourism is fairly slow during these months due to the weather, so hotels may be lower priced.

Winter (December through February)

Weather is too cold this time of year in Kabul to be enjoyable for warm weather travelers. The average high during this season is between 55.6°F (13.1°C) and 42.3°F (5.7°C). On average, it rains or snows a fair amount: 3 to 8 times per month. These times of year are the slowest with tourists.

Best Times to Travel › Jalalabad, Afghanistan › Kabul, Afghanistan

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Watch CBS News

2 congressmen secretly visited Kabul during evacuation efforts

By Caitlin Yilek

Updated on: August 25, 2021 / 6:53 PM EDT / CBS News

Two members of Congress secretly traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, as the U.S. evacuates tens of thousands of Americans and vulnerable Afghans after the country fell to the Taliban . 

Representatives Seth Moulton, a Democrat, and Republican Peter Meijer, both Iraq War veterans, made a stealth visit to the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Tuesday "to conduct oversight" on the evacuation, their offices said in a statement after they departed Afghanistan. 

"There is no place in the world right now where oversight matters more. We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand," the statement said. 

"We left on a plane with empty seats, seated in crew-only seats to ensure that nobody who needed a seat would lose one because of our presence," the statement added. 

Both lawmakers wanted President Joe Biden to extend his August 31 deadline of withdrawing all U.S. forces from Afghanistan and expressed doubt after their trip that the U.S. would be able to finish the evacuations in time. 

"After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won't get everyone out on time, even by September 11. Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban," they said. 

Mr. Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. is "on pace" to meet the deadline, but that also depends on the Taliban's cooperation in allowing access to the airport. 

Mr. Biden said the U.S. has evacuated more than 70,000 people since August 14. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they do not know how many Americans are in country, but vowed to get all Americans who want to leave Afghanistan out. 

Moulton and Meijer faced criticism from other government officials over the unauthorized trip.

"We can confirm that we advise against any Americans, whether elected or not, attempting to travel to Kabul right now," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said late Tuesday. "The focus must continue to be evacuating American citizens and our Afghan partners who fought alongside us for the last twenty years, and that is best left in the hands of our the Department of Defense and the State Department."

"It's selfish, irresponsible, and dangerous for our brave women and men on the ground. They will be occupying seats on their return to the U.S. that should be going to those in need," a U.S. official told CBS News.

A senior administration official also tells CBS News, "Whether intended or not, this is nothing but a distraction at a moment when time is key and every seat on planes leaves should be for someone trying to get out of Afghanistan."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged members of Congress not to travel to Afghanistan or the region, citing a request from the Defense Department and State Department. 

"Ensuring the safe and timely evacuation of individuals at risk requires the full focus and attention of the U.S. military and diplomatic teams on the ground in Afghanistan. Member travel to the Afghanistan and the surrounding countries would unnecessarily divert needed resources from the priority mission of safely and expeditiously evacuating America and Afghans at risk from Afghanistan," Pelosi wrote to lawmakers on Tuesday. 

During a press conference Wednesday, Pelosi said she learned about Moulton and Meijer's trip a "matter of hours" before it became public, but waited until they were airborne to make it known because "it would be dangerous for them."

"This is deadly serious," she told reporters. "We do not want members to go."

Pelosi said she does not believe the trip was a "good idea."

In a series of tweets , Moulton said he was deeply moved by the dedication of U.S. service members stationed at the Kabul airport. 

"The world has truly never seen anything like what America is doing in Kabul this week — deeply tragic and highly heroic. Fear and desperation at their worst; hope and humanity at their finest," he said. "Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in, but they represent the best in America. These men and women have been run ragged and are still running strong. Their empathy and dedication to duty are truly inspiring." 

Ed O'Keefe contributed reporting.

• Peter Meijer

Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at cbsnews.com and is based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

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Us expects to finalize new aukus trade exemptions in next 120 days.

The U.S. State Department said on Friday it fully expects to finalize new trade exemptions for the AUKUS defense project with Australia and Britain in the next 120 days, signaling a further delay in the move, but offering the prospect of a positive outcome in the project to counter China.

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2 lawmakers’ Kabul visit during evacuation angers Biden administration

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Two members of Congress are facing criticism and questions after their surprise visit to Afghanistan this week, which diverted resources from the U.S.’s chaotic withdrawal, enraged military leaders and led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to declare it not “a good idea.”

Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) flew in and out on charter aircraft and were on the ground at the Kabul airport for several hours before flying out on a military plane.

They billed their “secret” visit as an effort to conduct congressional oversight of the Biden administration’s handling of a rapidly deteriorating situation after the Taliban’s lightning takeover of the country.

But it stunned State Department and U.S. military personnel. They said the resources needed to protect the congressmen detracted from the evacuation effort and raised the possibility that the pair’s flight out meant other Americans or Afghans looking to flee the country before President Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal were deprived of seats.

“We are obviously not encouraging VIP visits to a very tense, dangerous and dynamic situation at that airport and inside Kabul generally,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday, adding, “they certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day.”

Airlines are helping in Afghanistan evacuations. How does that work?

The Biden administration has tapped U.S. air carriers to help in the evacuation of Afghanistan. Here’s how that works.

Aug. 25, 2021

The congressmen now face criticism for showboating as politicians — which they vehemently deny — while adding needless confusion to a dire situation. But they also tapped into a frustration of those who feel that standing by and doing nothing is also not an option.

For the record:

5:07 a.m. Aug. 25, 2021 A previous version of this story said that Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) serves on the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The two lawmakers are both military veterans, with backgrounds in the region. Moulton, a Marine who has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, served multiple tours in Iraq. Meijer was deployed as part of the Army Reserves and later worked in Afghanistan at a nongovernmental organization providing aid. Moulton serves on the House Armed Services Committee and Meijer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Their offices did not provide further comment Wednesday. But in a joint statement issued Tuesday night, Moulton and Meijer said they took seats that were already empty on their flight out and disputed suggestions they made the trip to “grandstand.”

“We came into this visit wanting, like most veterans, to push the president to extend the August 31st deadline,” their statement read “After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation firsthand, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, no matter what we do, we won’t get everyone out on time.”

Back home, however, their effort received a chilly reception.

“This is deadly serious. We do not want members to go,” Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said Wednesday, while warning other lawmakers against following suit. “It was not, in my view, a good idea.”

Striking a rare note of agreement, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) echoed Pelosi, saying his message to other lawmakers who want to visit Afghanistan is “not to go.”

Members of Congress who want to take such a trip typically need permission from committee chairs. Moulton did not consult in advance with the House Armed Services Committee, according to an aide familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. McCarthy said Meijer also did not seek permission.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was similarly not made aware of the trip. She said the guidance to lawmakers was the same as it was to all Americans.

Now in Congress, veterans of Afghanistan war avoid partisan politics, demand answers

Veterans in Congress are demanding clear evacuation plans and answers from the Biden Administration about how Afghanistan fell so quickly.

Aug. 24, 2021

“This is not the time to travel to Afghanistan,” she said.

Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, called the trip a distraction, and advised others against it, but added, “I understand the frustration.”

Rep. Sara Jacobs, a freshman California Democrat, was less sparing, tweeting, “Taking up space in a disaster zone for your own ego helps no one.”

Three officials familiar with the flight said that State Department, Pentagon and White House officials were furious about the incident because it was done without coordination with diplomats or military commanders directing the evacuation .

The U.S. military found out about the visit as the legislators’ aircraft was bound for Kabul, according to the officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.

One senior U.S. official said the administration saw the lawmakers’ visit as manifestly unhelpful, and several other officials said the trip was viewed as a distraction for troops and commanders at the airport who are racing against time to evacuate thousands of Americans, at-risk Afghans and others as quickly as possible.

The Pentagon has repeatedly expressed concerns about security threats in Kabul, including by the Islamic State militant group. When members of Congress have gone to war zones over the last two decades, their visits typically have been long planned and coordinated with officials on the ground in order to ensure their safety.

“The secretary, I think, would have appreciated the opportunity to have had a conversation before the visit took place,” said Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman.

More to Read

Lawmakers fault Defense Secretary Austin for a failure of leadership over his secret hospital stay

Feb. 29, 2024

Column: Take this Congress and shove it! Two fed-up lawmakers say why they’ve had enough

Nov. 28, 2023

Letters to the Editor: Is Biden unfairly blaming Trump for the Afghanistan disaster?

April 11, 2023

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Kabul airport bomber was an ISIS operative freed from prison by the Taliban

The man who detonated a bomb outside the Kabul airport in August 2021, killing 170 Afghans and 13 American service members , was an Islamic State operative who had been held in a coalition detention facility in Afghanistan but was freed by the Taliban, according to a new U.S. military review that has identified him for the first time.

Some service members who were at the airport that day claimed they had spotted the suicide bomber at the site and were ordered not to engage. But the review found that those service members had the wrong man in their sights, and the strike was not preventable.

“There was no opportunity to engage the bomber prior to the attack,” said a senior U.S. military official, who was involved in the supplemental review.

The bombing at Abbey Gate took place during the U.S. military’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan. Thousands of people had converged on the airport in a desperate effort to flee after the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country.

An initial Pentagon review released in February 2022 found that the attack was carried out by a lone suicide bomber and that it was not preventable. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, ordered the supplemental review last year after witnesses of the attack came forward with new information and allegations that they could have stopped it but were denied the chance to do so.

One of the most vocal witnesses was retired Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who lost an arm and a leg in the attack, and suffered damage to internal organs that resulted in roughly 50 surgeries. 

In testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2023, Vargas-Andrews said the Marines and others involved in the evacuation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack. Vargas-Andrews said he and others spotted a man who fit the description — a person who came to be known as “bald man in black.”

But the review — which included interviews with more than 50 service members directly involved in the evacuation, including a dozen who had not previously been interviewed — found that this man had no connection to the attack.

The actual bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, according to the U.S. military. A facial comparison analysis determined that al-Logari and the bald man in black could not be the same person, the review found. 

The team of military investigators reviewed photos and video taken of the scene before the attack and found no footage of al-Logari. He was determined to have arrived immediately before the blast and blended in with the massive crowd gathered outside the airport. 

The officials involved in the review said that given the density of the crowd, the U.S. military members at the scene did not have time to identify him.

A day after the attack, ISIS-K, an Islamic State offshoot based in Afghanistan, identified al-Logari as the bomber. The new review marks the first time U.S. officials have said they have independent confirmation. 

Al-Logari was among the thousands of militants released from Afghan prisons after the Taliban seized control of Kabul in mid-August 2021. But the officials involved in the review said U.S. intelligence determined that even if al-Logari had not been released from prison, the attack would likely have still been carried out because ISIS-K had other bombers ready and available.

Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Mosheh Gains is a Pentagon producer for NBC News.

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Review says Abbey Gate bombing wasn’t preventable

WASHINGTON (AP) — The suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed U.S. troops and Afghans in August 2021 was not preventable, and the “bald man in black” spotted by U.S. service members the morning of the attack was not the bomber, according to a new review by U.S. Central Command.

The findings. released Monday, refute assertions by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the would-be bomber but did not get approval. And, for the first time, the U.S. military is confirming that the bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had been in an Afghan prison but was released by the Taliban as the group took control of the country that summer.

The Abbey Gate bombing during the final chaotic days of the Afghanistan withdrawal killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, and wounded scores more. It triggered widespread debate and congressional criticism, fueled by emotional testimony from a Marine injured in the blast, who said snipers believe they saw the possible bomber but couldn’t get approval to take him out.

Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews told the House Foreign Affairs Committee last March that Marines and others aiding in the evacuation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack. Vargas-Andrews, who was injured in the blast but not interviewed in the initial investigation, said he and others saw a man matching the description and might have been able to stop the attack, but requests to take action were denied.

In a detailed briefing to a small number of reporters, members of the team that did the review released photos of the bald man identified by military snipers as a potential threat and compared it with photos of al-Logari. The team members, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public, described facial recognition and other analysis they used that they said confirmed those were not the same man.

“For the past two years, some service members have claimed that they had the bomber in their sights and they could have prevented the attack. We now know that is not correct,” said a team member.

They said they also showed the photo of the bald man to service members during the latest interviews, and that the troops again confirmed that was the suspicious man they had targeted.

The review notes that the bald man was first seen around 7 a.m. and that troops lost sight of him by 10 a.m. The bombing was more than seven hours later, and the U.S. says al-Logari didn’t get to Abbey Gate until “very shortly” before the blast took place. They declined to be more specific about the timing, saying details are classified.

Family members of those killed in the blast received similar briefings over the past two weekends and some are still unconvinced.

“For me, personally, we are still not clear. I believe Tyler saw what Tyler saw and he knows what he saw. And it was not the guy that they were claiming was the man in black,” Jim McCollum, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, told The Associated Press.

He said the team went into “pretty good detail, not trying to discredit Tyler, but effectively saying he was wrong. However, that ended up being as clear as mud to us.”

And Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, questioned the photo itself.

“They kept saying this is who Tyler Vargas-Andrews was looking at and we were thinking to ourselves, ‘well, that’s interesting. Why is this a picture of a picture from a Canon camera?’” he said. “To me it felt like they were trying to find the guy in those cameras that may have come close to looking like somebody of interest that they can try to sell to us.”

The families, however, also said they were relieved to get more details about their loved ones’ deaths, saying the initial briefings were not as good.

Schmitz said that Army Gen. Eric Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, was part of the latest briefing and apologized for how the families were treated during the initial probe. This time around officials were able to share with Schmitz for the first time exactly where his son was when the bomb went off and that he was unconscious almost immediately, and therefore did not feel the impact of the shrapnel that went through his left torso, hitting a primary artery.

“That to me was, first and foremost, the best news I could have gotten,” Schmitz said. “That gave me a little bit of closure that my son didn’t suffer, which made me feel really good.”

Team members said they also are planning to speak with the troops who were interviewed this time, to share the results of the report.

They said the review also could not completely rule out claims that militants did a test run of the bombing several days earlier. But after reviewing photos and other intelligence, the team concluded it was unlikely that three men seen carrying a large bag — which troops deemed suspicious — were doing a trial run.

More broadly, the team said the review brought some new details to light, including more discussion about the possible bombing test run. But they said overall it confirmed the findings of U.S. Central Command’s initial investigation into the bombing: that it was not preventable and that reports of threats prior to the bombing were too vague.

As an example, the new review noted that threat reports talked about a possible bomber with groomed hair, wearing loose clothes, and carrying a black bag. That description, the review said, could have matched anyone in the enormous crowd desperately trying to get into the airport.

The team said they conducted 52 interviews for the review — adding up to a total of 190 when the previous investigation is included. Service members were asked about 64 questions, and the sessions lasted between one hour and seven hours long.

A number of those questioned weren’t included in the original investigation, many because they were severely wounded in the attack. The new review was ordered last September by Kurilla, largely due to criticism of the initial investigation and assertions that the deadly assault could have been stopped.

Members of the team said the Islamic State group put out the bomber’s name on social media, but U.S. intelligence was later able to independently confirm that report.

U.S. Central Command’s initial investigation concluded in November 2021 that given the worsening security situation at the airport’s Abbey Gate as Afghans became increasingly desperate to flee, " the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees.”

Critics have slammed the Biden administration for the catastrophic evacuation, and they’ve complained that no one was held accountable for it. And while the U.S. was able to get more than 130,000 civilians out of the country during the panic after the Taliban took control of the government, there were horrifying images of desperate Afghans clinging to military aircraft as they lifted off.

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Pentagon Reviews Events Before Attack That Killed 13 U.S. Troops in Kabul

A team conducted new interviews to address lingering questions about the bombing in the final days of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

By Eric Schmitt

Reporting from Washington

A new Pentagon review of the events leading up to the bombing that killed 13 American service members at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021, has reaffirmed earlier findings that U.S. troops could not have prevented the deadly violence.

The review’s conclusions focus on the final days and hours at Abbey Gate before the attack, which also killed as many as 170 civilians. The review provides new details about the Islamic State bomber who carried out the suicide mission, including how he slipped into the crowds trying to evacuate the capital’s airport just moments before detonating explosives.

Some Marines who were at the gate have said they identified the suspected bomber — who became known to investigators as “Bald Man in Black” — in the crowds hours before the attack but were twice denied permission by their superiors to shoot him. But the review, building on a previous investigation made public in February 2022 , rejected those accusations.

The narrative of missed opportunities to avert tragedy has gained momentum over the past year among conservatives and has contributed to broader Republican criticisms of the Biden administration’s troop withdrawal and evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.

The bombing was a searing experience for the military after 20 years of war in Afghanistan. Thirteen flag-draped coffins were flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, and a succession of funerals were held across the country for the service members, most of them under the age of 25.

Military officials had stood by the conclusions of the earlier inquiry that a lone Islamic State suicide bomber carried out the attack and was not joined by accomplices firing into the crowd.

But under mounting political pressure to address disparities in the earlier review and the accounts of the Marines at the gate — which also included reports that the Islamic State had conducted a test run of the bombing — a team of Army and Marine Corps officers interviewed more than 50 people who were not interviewed the first time around.

One of the main issues was the identity of the bomber. Almost immediately after the attack, the Islamic State identified him as Abdul Rahman Al-Logari. U.S. and other Western intelligence analysts later pieced together evidence that led them to the same conclusion.

American officials at the time said that Mr. Logari was a former engineering student who was one of several thousand militants freed from at least two high-security prisons after the Taliban seized control of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021. The Taliban emptied the facilities indiscriminately, releasing not only their own imprisoned members but also fighters from ISIS Khorasan or ISIS-K, the terrorist organization’s Afghanistan branch and the Taliban’s nemesis.

Mr. Logari was not unknown to the Americans. In 2017, the C.I.A. tipped off Indian intelligence agents that he was plotting a suicide bombing in New Delhi, U.S. officials said. Indian authorities foiled the attack and turned Mr. Logari over to the C.I.A., which sent him to Afghanistan to serve time at the Parwan prison at Bagram Air Base. He remained there until he was freed amid the chaos after Kabul fell.

At the airport, investigators said, the bomber detonated a 20-pound explosive, probably carried in a backpack or vest, spraying 5-millimeter ball bearings in a tremendous blast that was captured in grainy video images shown to Pentagon reporters.

All this was known to the Marine and Army officials as they started their supplemental review last September. But they were assigned to address the lingering questions.

On the day of the bombing, Marines at the gate were given intelligence to be on the lookout for a man with groomed hair, wearing loose clothes and carrying a black bag of explosives. The review team determined, after additional interviews and assessing security camera footage and other photographs of the chaotic scene, that the description was not specific enough to meaningfully narrow the search.

But Marines at the gate came forward later to say that at about 7 a.m., they saw an individual matching the suicide bomber’s description. The Marines said that the man had engaged in suspicious behavior and that they had sent urgent warnings to leaders asking for permission to shoot. Twice their request was denied, they said.

The review team concluded that the Marines had conflated the intelligence reports with an earlier spotting of a man wearing beige clothes and carrying a black bag. The team also reviewed a photo taken of the suspect from one of the sniper team’s cameras.

The man in question did not actually match the description, the review team concluded. He was bald, wore black clothes and was not carrying a black bag. Moreover, photographs taken of Mr. Logari when he was in American custody did not match the photographs of the suspect, even after facial recognition software was used.

“Al-Logari and ‘Bald Man in Black’ received the strongest negative result,” concluded a slide from the supplemental review team’s findings that was briefed to reporters.

Moreover, the review team concluded, Mr. Logari did not arrive at Abbey Gate on Aug. 26 until “immediately before” the attack, minimizing his chances of being detected by the Marines.

The review team went through a similar process to discount the sightings of specific individuals whom Marines had suspected of carrying out a dry run of the eventual attack.

Members of the review team did not challenge the motives or dedication of the Marines who raised the vexing questions. But in the end, the review team concluded, the Marines were mistaken.

As traumatic as the bombing was, perhaps it is not surprising that the recollections and conclusions of Marines and soldiers that day, however sincere, were not supported by subsequent inquiries.

The findings of the original Army-led investigation in February 2022 contradicted initial reports by senior U.S. commanders that militants had fired into the crowd of people at the airport seeking to flee the Afghan capital and had caused some of the casualties.

The accounts of what unfolded immediately after the attack — from the Pentagon and people on the ground — changed several times. Defense Department officials initially said that nearby fighters from Islamic State Khorasan began firing weapons. That turned out not to be true.

Some people near the scene said the Marines had shot indiscriminately into the crowd, apparently believing they were under fire. That, too, according to the accounting by the military’s Central Command, turned out not to be true, although investigators said that British and American forces had fired warning shots in the air.

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

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US review finds August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport was unpreventable

Findings also detailed how a ‘bald man in black’ thought by service members to be the bomber was misidentified

The suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed US troops and Afghans in August 2021 was not preventable, and a “bald man in black” spotted by US service members on the morning of the attack was not the bomber, according to a new review by US Central Command.

The findings, released on Monday, refute assertions by some service members who believed they had a chance to take out the would-be bomber but did not get approval. And, for the first time, the USmilitary confirmed that the bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had been in an Afghan prison but was released by the Taliban as the group took control of the country that summer.

The Abbey Gate bombing during the final chaotic days of the Afghanistan withdrawal killed 13 US service members and 170 Afghans , and wounded scores more. It triggered widespread debate and congressional criticism, fueled by emotional testimony from a Marine injured in the blast, who said snipers believed they saw the possible bomber but could not get approval to take him out.

Former Marine Sgt Tyler Vargas-Andrews told the House foreign affairs committee last March that Marines and others aiding in the evacuation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack. Vargas-Andrews, who was injured in the blast but not interviewed in the initial investigation, said he and others saw a man matching the description and might have been able to stop the attack, but requests to take action were denied.

In a detailed briefing to a small number of reporters, members of the team that carried out the review released photos of the bald man identified by military snipers as a potential threat and compared them with photos of al-Logari. The team members described facial recognition and other analysis they used confirmed those were not the same man.

“For the past two years, some service members have claimed that they had the bomber in their sights and they could have prevented the attack. We now know that is not correct,” said a team member.

They said they also showed the photo of the bald man to service members during the latest interviews, and that the troops again confirmed that was the suspicious man they had targeted.

The review notes that the bald man was first seen around 7am and that troops lost sight of him by 10am. The bombing was more than seven hours later, and the US says al-Logari did not get to Abbey Gate until “very shortly” before the blast took place.

Family members of those killed in the blast received similar briefings over the past two weekends and some are still unconvinced.

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“For me, personally, we are still not clear. I believe Tyler saw what Tyler saw and he knows what he saw. And it was not the guy that they were claiming was the man in black,” Jim McCollum, the father of Marine Lance Cpl Rylee McCollum, told the Associated Press.

Critics have slammed the Biden administration for the catastrophic evacuation, and they have complained that no one was held accountable for it. And while the US was able to get more than 130,000 civilians out of the country during the panic after the Taliban took control of the government, there were horrifying images of desperate Afghans clinging to military aircraft as they lifted off.

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US military’s additional review into deadly Kabul airport attack concludes troops did not see bomber ahead of attack

A n additional review by the US military into the  deadly Abbey Gate bombing  during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, which aimed to clear up outstanding questions about the attack, has concluded that service members had not previously seen the suspected bomber ahead of the attack, but believed they had because of conflated intelligence reporting.

“Over the past two years, some service members have claimed that they had the bomber in their sights, and they could have prevented the attack,” one of the officials on the supplemental review team told reporters on Friday. “But we now know that is not correct.”

The bomber was identified as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, a member of ISIS-K. The terror group identified al-Logari as the bomber hours after the attack, but US officials had not yet publicly confirmed he carried out the attack. Officials also confirmed that al-Logari had been released by the Taliban from a prison near Kabul just days before the attack, which CNN previously reported .

The military will hope the new review clears up outstanding questions about the circumstances of the attack, particularly those from family members of the 13 US service members killed, some of whom have questioned the conclusions of the military’s original review, which was presented in 2022.

The supplemental review was officially announced by US Central Command in September last year, just days after families of the fallen troops demanded answers on the bombing during an  emotional congressional roundtable .

The review in part addressed public testimony by Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a Marine Corps sniper  who told Congress last year  that he saw a man who fit the description of the suicide bomber near Abbey Gate prior to the attack.

While the review team officials who briefed reporters never named Vargas-Andrews or any others who have spoken publicly about the bombing and the withdrawal, they denied parts of his public account, including that a man he saw prior to the attack was the bomber.

The Army and Marine officials who conducted the supplemental review told reporters on Friday that al-Logari arrived just hours before the deadly blast on August 26, 2021, that killed scores of civilians and 13 US service members — 11 Marines, one soldier, and a Navy corpsman.

Officials said that service members believed another man to be the bomber at the time. But the supplemental review compared a photo of the man with photos of al-Logari after US intelligence confirmed he was the bomber and found the “strongest negative possible rating” that the two people were the same.

The US had photos of al-Logari from his time in detention before he was released by the Taliban, officials said.

The supplemental review, which began in June of last year and was conducted by US Army Central, included 52 additional interviews on top of the more than 100 already conducted in the original US Central Command investigation, which was released in February 2022.

The new review ultimately did not change the findings from CENTCOM’s original investigation, which found, among other things, that the bombing was not preventable at a tactical level.

The review team officials said told they interviewed current and former service members — some of whom have since retired or left military service — across 24 different locations, taking officials as far as Okinawa, to conduct the interviews.

“I think it’s also very clear to us that as you talk to the different individuals, 190 total, every single one of them had a different perspective,” one of the review team members said. “And I think that’s very important to note. So our job during the investigation was to take all these different perspectives and put the pieces together from those different perspectives.”

‘Exhaustive’ review

A review team member told reporters the review was “exhaustive,” and answered the remaining questions about the bombing.

Officials said that a significant part of the confusion about what happened on August 26 stemmed from a conflation of actual intelligence reporting with what is known as spot reporting, which is when a service member would report something suspicious they’d observed to their command.

On August 25, two kinds of reports came through: an intelligence report and a spot report from Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The intelligence report offered a vague description of who to be on the lookout for — someone in loose clothes, with groomed hair and carrying a black bag of explosives.

The same day, Marines submitted a spot report of a military-aged male, wearing a “beige man dress” and carrying a black bag, walking with a child toward the North Gate of the airport.

By the morning of August 26, those reports had been conflated into one, officials said, leading the sniper team to request permission to engage a bald man wearing black clothing and a backpack, who they saw sitting with a teenager.

They were ultimately denied permission to engage, and lost sight of the man in the crowd. Seven hours later, the bomb detonated at Abbey Gate.

The officials rejected the idea that the sniper team and others spent too much time focusing on the wrong suspect, saying that service members at the gate were “vigilant at all times.”

“They identified the bald man in black around (7 a.m.), lost sight of him around 10am. The attack didn’t occur until seven and a half hours later. So it’s not as if they’re staring at one location and then a bombing happened at another location simultaneously, there are seven half hour time difference. So based on our assessment … they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. They identified a possible threat, they’re evaluating that threat, and they’re operating based on the information they had available to them at the time.”

The review team also denied claims that the sniper team’s battalion commander did not know the rules of engagement. They said the battalion commander visited the sniper tower in-person on the morning of August 26, where they pointed out to him the bald man in black that they believed to be a suspect.

The officials explained that the team believed the man to be suspicious because he appeared to have a “lack of interest in being evacuated” and was simply sitting and observing the evacuation.

The sniper team leader briefed their battalion commander on their concerns, and said that he was an “exact match for the description of the bomber,” a member of the review team said.

“Now what is said next between the snipers and the battalion commander in the tower is unclear, but any portrayal of these events showing the battalion commander did not understand the rules of engagement are just not supported by the evidence,” the review team member told reporters.

Among the other findings in the additional review was that it is unlikely there was an IED test-run ahead of the August 26 attack, but officials could not rule it out, and that leaders were “routinely present and engaged at all levels.” Officials also said Friday that the review affirmed that use of excessive force by the Taliban led to civilian deaths.

Ultimately, officials said the supplemental review reaffirmed that US troops on the ground during the withdrawal “believed that what they were doing mattered.”

“As we conducted the supplemental reviews, it became very clear to us that service members believed that what they were doing mattered, that it made a difference, and that it was important. And they remained undeterred, even with the increased threat reporting,” the review member said. “And though the new information did not change our Abbey Gate findings, it reaffirmed what we found two years ago, and I think it helped provide additional clarity.”

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