Photo: Mahdi Ansel
Visiting Afghanistan
For foreign travellers, and Afghans coming home on a foreign passport: visas, safety, money, customs, where to go, and a few words of Dari and Pashto.
Before you go
Safety adviceGovernment warnings, the risks, and what travellers do
Visas and permitsThe e-visa, embassies, and the culture ministry's permit
Getting there and aroundFlights, borders, roads and checkpoints
Money, SIM cards and internetCash, costs, SIM cards and internet cuts
Customs, dress and etiquetteDress, women travellers, photos and being a guest
Health and what to packVaccines, water, altitude, insurance and packing
Where to go and what to doKabul, Bamyan, Herat, Mazar, Panjshir and far places
Where to go
Photo: Qasim Mirzaie
KabulBabur's Garden, Darul Aman Palace, the bird market and the old city
21°
Photo: Ali Azad
BamyanThe Buddha niches, the city of screams and the red city
14°
Photo: Wasim Mirzaie
Band-e-AmirBlue lakes behind natural dams of travertine
14°
Photo: Mehdi Khoshnejad
HeratThe Great Mosque, the citadel and saffron
23°
Photo: Qasim Mirzaie
Mazar-i-SharifThe Blue Mosque and its white pigeons
22°
Photo: Mirwais Mohammadi
PanjshirA green valley two hours north of Kabul
21°
When to go
BestApril to June, and September to November
SummerPleasant in Kabul and Bamyan; very hot in Herat, Kandahar and Mazar
WinterHigh roads close, and Band-e-Amir partly freezes
The WakhanJune to September only
A few words
In Dari and Pashto, with how to say them.
| Dari | Pashto | |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | السلام علیکمas-salaamu alaikum | السلام علیکمas-salaamu alaikum |
| How are you? | چطور هستید؟chetor hasted? | څنګه یاست؟tsanga yaast? |
| May you not be tired (a greeting) | مانده نباشیدmanda nabashed | ستړي مه شئstaray ma shai |
| Thank you | تشکرtashakor | مننهmanana |
| Yes / No | بلی / نهbale / na | هو / نهho / na |
| Please | لطفاًlotfan | مهرباني وکړئmehrabani wakrai |
| Excuse me, sorry | ببخشیدbebakhshed | بښنه غواړمbakhana ghwaram |
| How much is it? | قیمتش چند است؟qimatesh chand ast? | بیه یې څو ده؟baya ye tso da? |
| Where is ...? | ... کجاست؟... kujast? | ... چېرته دی؟... cherta dai? |
| I don't understand | نمیفهممnamefahmam | نه پوهېږمna pohezhem |
| Do you speak English? | انگلیسی یاد دارید؟inglisi yaad dared? | انګرېزي زده لرئ؟angrezi zda larai? |
| Water | آبaw | اوبهoba |
| It's delicious | مزهدار استmazadar ast | خوندور دیkhwandawar dai |
| Help! | کمک!komak! | مرسته!mrasta! |
| Hospital | شفاخانهshafakhana | روغتونroghtun |
| Goodbye | خدا حافظkhoda hafez | په مخه دې ښهpa makha de kha |
What to eat
Photo: Mohamed Olwy
The most famous restaurants in KabulKabul eats well. From clay teapots of lamb in the old city to kebab houses on Shahr-e Naw's Sulh Road and riverside tables in Paghman, these are the places…
Photo: Zb travel
Famous food across Afghanistan, city by cityEvery part of Afghanistan is proud of something on the plate: Herat's saffron and kichiri, Jalalabad's chapli kebab, Kandahar's pomegranates, Bamyan's potatoes…
Photo: Eliza Ari
Fourteen Afghan dishes everyone should knowAfghan food sits between Central Asia, Iran and South Asia, and takes something from each: rice like Persia, dumplings like the Silk Road, kebab and karahi like…
Checked today 08:31
The figures are live: the rate from Sarai Shahzada, the weather from Open-Meteo. Each guide gives its sources and the date it was checked, and is checked again every month. Things change fast; read your own government's advice before you travel.