What to wear
- Men: long trousers and shirts with sleeves; no shorts. Afghan clothes, the long shirt and loose trousers (perahan tunban), are welcomed and practical.
- Women: a headscarf, a long loose top covering the arms and hips, and long trousers or a long skirt. Many foreign women wear an abaya or a long coat over their clothes.
Women travellers
- In practice a foreign woman cannot travel alone: travel with a guide.
- The rule that an Afghan woman needs a male relative (mahram) to travel is not formally applied to foreigners, but it varies from checkpoint to checkpoint.
- Afghan women have been barred from Band-e-Amir since August 2023, and from many parks and gardens. Foreign women have been let into some, such as Babur's Garden in Kabul. Ask before you go.
Photographs
- Ask before photographing anyone, and never photograph a woman without her permission.
- Never photograph officials, soldiers, checkpoints, airports, military sites or government buildings.
- The law also restricts pictures of living beings; be discreet with your camera in public.
What is not allowed
- Alcohol: none is sold, and you must not bring any. Do not bring pork.
- Music: playing music in public is restricted.
- Ramadan: do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight. See the Ramadan timetable for the dates.
- Nowruz is no longer an official holiday and public celebrations are restricted.
Mosques and shrines
Ask before you go in, take off your shoes, and avoid prayer times. Non-Muslims may not enter the inside of the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, though they can visit the courtyard.
Being a good guest
- Greet men with salaam and your right hand on your heart; a handshake if he offers one. Men should not offer to shake a woman's hand.
- Accept tea when it is offered. Refusing a host's food or tea outright can give offence.
- Eat and pass things with your right hand. Take off your shoes when you enter a home.
- Do not point the soles of your feet at anyone when you sit on the floor.
- Do not criticise anyone in public; honour matters, and disagreements are best kept private.
- Avoid talking politics with people you have just met.
The week
Friday is the weekly holiday. Offices are closed, and many also close on Thursday afternoon. Sites and ticket offices may close early on Fridays.
A few words of Dari or Pashto go a long way. See the phrases on the Visiting Afghanistan page.