Afghanistan destinations

Afghanistan destinations: where to go

Afghanistan stretches from the plains of the north to the deserts of the south, with the Hindu Kush in between. Start here to see how its cities and highlands fit together, and how official advice shapes every plan.

Central Afghanistan
Kabul
Afghanistan's high mountain capital, a city of Mughal gardens, crowded bazaars and centuries of history.
Read the guidePhoto: Olgamielnikiewicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Western Afghanistan
Herat
The cultural capital of the west, with a great tiled mosque, a towering citadel and Timurid minarets.
Read the guidePhoto: Marius Arnesen from Oslo, Norway, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Northern Afghanistan
Mazar-i-Sharif
Northern Afghanistan's main city, built around the dazzling Blue Mosque and close to ancient Balkh.
Read the guidePhoto: ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs Office from Kabul, Afghanistan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Central highlands
Bamiyan
A high green valley beneath sandstone cliffs, home to the empty Buddha niches and the gateway to Band-e Amir.
Read the guidePhoto: Alessandro Balsamo, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, via Wikimedia Commons
Central highlands
Band-e Amir
Afghanistan's first national park, a chain of deep blue lakes held back by natural walls of travertine.
Read the guidePhoto: AfghanistanMatters, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The capital

Nearly every trip begins in Kabul, the mountain capital with the main airport, Babur's Gardens, the National Museum and the bazaars of the old city.

The west

Herat, near the Iranian border, is the cultural jewel of the country, with its tiled Friday Mosque, restored citadel and Timurid minarets.

The north

Mazar-i-Sharif is built around the Blue Mosque and is the base for ancient Balkh and winter buzkashi.

The central highlands

Bamiyan is a high green valley beneath the empty Buddha niches, and Band-e Amir is the chain of blue lakes that forms the country's first national park.

How to combine them

A typical route of ten to fourteen days flies Kabul to Herat, Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif and back to Kabul, with Bamiyan and Band-e Amir added in summer. Domestic flights avoid many of the longest and riskiest roads. Governments advise against all travel to Afghanistan, and conditions change quickly, so check current advice for every region before you decide. Use the free trip planner to think through a route that fits your dates.

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