Last Updated on: 11th April 2026, 12:35 pm
Kabul doesn’t have the best day trip options compared with other Afghan cities like Mazar-i-Sharif. But if you’d like to escape the city without going too far, choose the place most locals go: Paghman. Located just about 20 km outside of the capital, Paghman is known for its mountain views, riverside restaurants, and the elaborate Paghman Palace and Gardens.
Is it the most exciting experience you can have in Afghanistan – or even Kabul? No. But it is indeed beautiful, and it offers a glimpse into how Kabulites like to spend their free time.
The best way to get to Paghman is to arrange a driver through your hotel. In my case, I paid around 2000 AFN with no time limit, and my driver also took me to Qargha Lake on the way.
For more information on reaching the city of Kabul and where to stay, be sure to check the end of the article.
Qargha Lake
Our first stop of the day was Qargha Lake, just outside the city of the same name. It’s located just about 16 km west of central Kabul.
In a country as stunningly beautiful as Afghanistan, this certainly isn’t one of the most impressive sites you’ll see in the country. But it gets a fair amount of visitors due to its proximity to the capital.
Qargha Lake is actually an artificial reservoir. First, the Qargha Dam was developed in the 1930s by kings Mohammad Nadir Shah and Mohammad Zahir Shah.
And then this reservoir was developed in the 1950s for the purpose of recreation. It covers an area of 12,000 acres, and even today, the road surrounding it is lined with street food carts.
It’s possible to rent a boat here, but otherwise, there’s not much to do besides sitting and looking out at the water. And of course, chatting with locals, who typically take a great interest in foreigners visiting their country.
Paghman
Next, we arrived in Paghman, a town with a population of around 120,000. And in the town center stands a memorial arch known as Taq-e Zafar, commissioned in 1929 by King Amanullah Khan, a Paghman native.
It commemorates the independence of Afghanistan following the Third Anglo-Afghan War which ended in 1919. And it was around this time that Paghman became a summer retreat for Kabul residents – especially the upper classes.
But during the Soviet–Afghan War, Paghman was ravaged, and even the Taq-e Zafar got destroyed. It wouldn’t be restored again until 2005 by the Karzai administration.
While Paghman Palace is located relatively close to the town center, we’d save it for later, and we first headed upward into the nearby mountains.
Located at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountain range, Paghman has long been one of the most popular places for Kabulites to escape the bustle of the city – and the heat in warmer months.
And you’ll find plenty of pavilions along the Paghman River where patrons can sit and eat food prepared by one of the numerous local restaurants.
Other than dining, there doesn’t seem like a whole lot to do in the area other than walk around. My driver and I explored some of the nearby mountain trails, finding an unusual dilapidated hut atop a hill.
And so we returned to the river area, walking alongside it for twenty minutes or so.
We even passed by a swimming pool. But perhaps because it was still spring, it, and many of the riverside pavilions, remained vacant.
We soon passed by a large assortment of hive boxes managed by local beekeepers. Paghman, as it turns out, is locally known for its honey.
I was actually starving and would’ve loved to have a meal here, but I had a lot less cash on me than I’d realized. And so I told my driver to just take me onward to Paghman Palace.
All in all, the mountainous area of Paghman may not be much to write home about, but it is worth visiting just to breathe in the cool mountain air.
Paghman Palace & Gardens
Similar to Darul Aman Palace in Kabul, Paghman Palace – also known as the Paghman Hill Castle – costs 500 AFN for foreigners to enter. But this structure was built nearly a century later in 2014 by the Karzai administration.
Upon arrival, we couldn’t find any way to reach the palace, as it was blocked by a large gate. But walking around, we found an opening over to the side. But as I was taking photos, a Taliban guard popped his head out of the window, telling us we weren’t supposed to be there!
So not only can you not tour the Paghman Palace, but you’re not even supposed to get up close to it – at least not during my visit.
Notably, since its inception, Paghman Palace was always meant to be accessible to the public, and it was created to host cultural festivals.
This is one elaborate structure of many in the Kabul area that the Taliban have inherited yet don’t seem quite sure what to do with. They are, at least, maintaining it.
So what is the 500 AFN charged for? The main attraction here – at least at the time of writing – is not so much the palace but the expansive gardens nearby.
As mentioned above, Paghman Palace was constructed in 2014. But the gardens outside are actually much older.
They were added in the 1920s during Amanullah Khan’s efforts to modernize the area and turn it into a summer retreat. And quite infamously at the time, he even mandated that visitors to the garden be dressed in Western attire!
This – along with other controversial reforms – ultimately led to a rebellion that deposed the king in 1929.
Ironically, present-day Afghanistan is probably the country with the fewest number of people dressed in Western clothing.
The gardens appear to have been inspired by traditional Persian gardens (Charbagh) built along a central axis in the form of a water channel. But its broad avenues also appear to have been inspired by European gardens.
Tragically, the garden was almost completely destroyed over the course of numerous wars throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Presumably, it was restored to its current state to coincide with the opening of Paghman Palace in the 2010s.
The Paghman Gardens are home to thousands of plant varieties, including poplar, pine and various fruit trees, along with a plethora of shrubs and seasonal flowers.
Clearly, the current Taliban government are taking the maintenance of the gardens seriously, and the place was spotless during my visit.
Off to one side of the gardens, you’ll also encounter a beautiful palace (or perhaps mosque?) with a unique stone tower (or perhaps minaret?).
It’s quite an elegant structure, but it was closed at the time of my visit, and it’s unclear when it was constructed or by whom.
Nearby, stone staircases line the hillside, flanked by additional gardens and large fountains. And from here, you can also get clear views of the surrounding mountains in the distance, making this one of Kabul Province’s most scenic spots.
Additional Info
Kabul is now connected with a number of international destinations by air, including Islamabad, Istanbul, Dubai, and a few others.
For those traveling by land, it’s also possible to get to Kabul in a day from Peshawar, Pakistan via the Torkham Border crossing. But it’s widely regarded as one of the world’s most chaotic crossings. And it also frequently closes.
I managed to cross it without major issues, but it was easily one of my wildest ever travel experiences. I can’t simply summarize it here. Stay tuned for a future article entirely dedicated to the crossing experience.
If you’ve entered Afghanistan via another land border (all of which are a lot less chaotic than Torkham), you should easily be able to find direct transport to Kabul in the form of ‘VIP buses’ (fancy coach buses) or shared taxis.
The main place to consider staying in Kabul is the Shar-e Naw district. Not only is the neighborhood centrally located, but it’s home to modern shopping malls and coffee shops, allowing for a soft landing for those just entering the country.
From my experience traveling all over Afghanistan, Kabul was the only city where I could simply book a hotel on Booking. (Though things are always changing.)
The one I chose was Kabul Abdal Guest House, though it doesn’t seem to be on Booking anymore at the time of writing. The location was excellent and the staff were really friendly, but the main downside was cleanliness. (Looking back, even when paying roughly the same price in most cities, my experiences with hotel cleanliness varied greatly in Afghanistan, ranging from filthy to impeccably clean.)
Afghanistan isn’t the most budget-friendly country in the region when compared to its neighbors. But the cheapest option in town is Afghan Arya Guest House & Tours. The reviews look great, and I probably would’ve chosen it had it been on Booking at the time of my visit.
Another one of the most popular options for budget travelers in Kabul is Afghania Guest House, which seems to have been around for a long time. Just note that the bathrooms there are shared.
For a slightly higher price, the Khyber Hotel is another highly-rated option in Shar-e Naw.
While I can’t speak about every hotel, it would be wise to expect weak and spotty Wifi wherever you are in Afghanistan. That’s why it’s a good idea to obtain a local SIM card to use as a hotspot when necessary.
If Kabul is your first destination in Afghanistan, you’re supposed to head to the Ministry of Information & Culture Office to obtain a permit for traveling around Kabul and around the country. (Note that this is separate from the visa you need in advance of your arrival.)
The government offices are open daily except Fridays, while they’ll also be closed on Islamic holidays. This schedule is something you need to anticipate in advance of your visit, as you may be denied entry to certain sites without your permit.
(Don’t expect to be randomly stopped while walking, though. I arrived on a Thursday evening and then walked through Kabul without a permit the next day with no issues. I finally got the permit on Saturday morning and nobody cared.)
The scheduling issue goes for pretty much every destination in Afghanistan, as you’ll be required to obtain additional local permits for each province that you stay in. But in regional offices, you’ll always have to show them your Kabul permit first.
Note that Google Maps can be unreliable when directing you to the government office. But you should find the main entrance to the fortified Taliban government compound near the shopping mall called Gulbahar Business Center (this is also a good place to get a SIM card).
This info is applicable if you’re doing things independently, however. Confusingly, I’m now reading reports of a guide being required to apply for permits in Kabul. Some people are saying it’s mandatory, while others are saying it’s not.
The situation is constantly changing for tourism in Afghanistan, so we’ll be listing everything in a single practical article and updating it when major changes occur.