Kabul
Afghanistan · 1790 m
Description
Kabul sits at eighteen hundred metres in a bowl of bare mountains that the city has climbed halfway up, its houses stacked on the slopes of Asmai and Sher Darwaza. The Mughal emperor Babur asked to be buried here and his terraced garden above the river was rebuilt by the Aga Khan Trust after decades of ruin. The National Museum lost most of its collection to looting and got a great deal of it back. Chicken Street sold carpets and lapis to a generation of travellers. Kabul is the entry point for everything else in the country. Snow closes the mountain roads out of the city for much of the winter.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Bagh-e Babur, Babur's garden and tomb
- National Museum of Afghanistan
- Old city bazaars and Chicken Street
- Bird market of Ka Faroshi
- Id Gah and Shah-Do Shamshira mosques
- Sher Darwaza wall along the ridge
- Darul Aman Palace
- Kabul river and the money changers
- Lapis lazuli and carpet dealers
- Mandawi market and the bread ovens
- Paghman gardens west of the city(Day trip)
- Qargha reservoir at the edge of town(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- KBL