Last Updated on: 26th May 2026, 12:11 am
Though you wouldn’t know it from reading government travel advisories, Afghanistan is now safer to visit than it has been in generations. That said, various challenges – including culture, infrastructure, and a confusing permit system – make Afghanistan a place that only hardened and experienced travelers should consider visiting. But those up for the challenge will be rewarded with gorgeous scenery, top-class historical sites, and friendly locals.
The following guide covers the essentials when it comes to planning your trip, including visas, border crossings, money, dress codes and more.
Is Afghanistan Safe?
This is obviously the big issue for anyone considering a visit to Afghanistan. For much of modern history, Afghanistan has been one of the world’s most war-torn countries. And it still often tops ‘Most Dangerous Countries’ lists.
But is the reputation still warranted? Throughout the Islamic Republic/US occupation period from 2001-2021, the main culprits people had to avoid were the Taliban. And now that the Taliban have retaken the country, it should be even more dangerous, right?
Well, no. In fact, the opposite has happened. Afghanistan is probably safer at the time of writing than it has been in many decades.
Since the Taliban are now the government/military/police/etc., they can put a lot of their focus on keeping things safe and stable. Their main enemy at the moment is a subgroup of ISIS called ISIS Khorasan (ISIS-K), but attacks from them are relatively rare.
The Taliban is currently welcoming foreign tourists of most nationalities (including Americans). And while their countless security checkpoints may be an annoyance to many, they’re one reason the country is much safer to visit now.
While I never visited during the previous era, Afghanistan also apparently used to have a problem with drugs and petty street crime. But with a strict crackdown on the drug trade, seeing addicts in the streets is now rare.
Despite all of this, most Western government still strongly advise against travel to Afghanistan. Personally, I think a lot of this has to do with saving face.
A tremendous amount of money was spent and many lives were lost fighting the Taliban, so it’s difficult for a country like the US to admit the country is safer now with them back in control.
This is not an endorsement of the Taliban, and the situation, of course, is very nuanced. But even the Taliban’s harshest critics that I met expressed relief that the country is probably safer now than it’s been in their lifetimes.
With that said, even if domestic terror threats, kidnappings, and petty crime are now rare, let’s cover some other issues to keep in mind.
GEOPOLITICAL CONFLICTS: At the time of writing, Afghanistan and Pakistan have sporadically been at war with each other, the reasons for which are too complicated to cover here. Things seem to mostly be running normally, however, with the exception of the Torkham Border.
Afghanistan, of course, is also a neighbor of Iran, though it doesn’t seem to have been particularly affected by the war there.
LACK OF EMBASSIES: Another serious concern when traveling to Afghanistan is the likely absence of your country’s embassy. So what are you to do if you lose your passport?
Honestly, I have no idea, and that’s a risk you’re going to have to consider. But given how you’ll need to take your passport everywhere with you and present it multiple times a day, most travelers aren’t going to misplace it.
LANDMINES: Given all the wars fought on Afghan soil, unexploded landmines remain a serious concern. That’s why you always need to stick to established trails and never wander off-path in rural areas. As beautiful as the country is, trekking is just too risky in most areas.
SCAMS: All in all, Afghans are very friendly and hospitable people. But at the same time, scams are not uncommon, so you can’t ever fully let your guard down – especially somewhere like Kandahar.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: For those who like to get travel insurance for peace of mind, it’s important to look carefully because a lot of companies won’t even cover Afghanistan. While I can’t speak from experience, I’ve seen SafetyWing Travel Insurance recommended by multiple people.
In summary, if you’re considering visiting Afghanistan, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself up-to-date on the current situation, as things could always change. I was following various Afghanistan-related Facebook groups for around a year before I even visited the country.
Can Women Visit Afghanistan?
As a man who traveled in Afghanistan, I can’t tell you exactly what it’s like to be there as a woman. But I do know that women are indeed allowed to travel in the country.
While I was there, I met a solo female traveler from South America, and also an organized female tour group with participants from various countries. Here’s an example of such a tour.
Basically, as long as female tourists cover their hair and dress modestly, they can travel around the country just as men do. Unfortunately, however, certain locations like Band-e-Amir National Park are sometimes off-limits for all female visitors.
Furthermore, in Afghan society, the sexes are generally separated in public. For example, on public transportation, a woman can’t sit next to a man she doesn’t know. (It’s very similar in Pakistan, so it’s not just a Taliban thing.)
Therefore, if there are no other female travelers to sit next to her, a female traveler may be asked to pay double on buses to cover the empty seat beside her. That’s just the way things are.
Unmarried couples should also avoid booking hotel rooms together, as the staff may check to confirm if you’re married or not.
Visas & Border Crossings
As of March 2026, Afghanistan has just introduced an e-Visa system. This means that you can avoid having to visit one of the relatively few countries that have an Afghan embassy. The current e-visa link is here.
Fortunately, a Letter of Invitation doesn’t seem to be necessary to apply for an e-visa. But the main caveat is that you currently cannot use an e-visa to enter by land – only via Kabul International Airport.
For those who’d prefer to enter by land, let’s talk about land border crossings and how to obtain a visa for each.
PAKISTAN: When coming from Pakistan, it’s possible to apply for a visa at the Afghan consulate in Peshawar and then cross the Torkham Border. While it’s one of the world’s most intense border crossings, it is indeed possible to make it from Peshawar to Kabul on the same day.
You can learn all about what to expect in our dedicated article. That border, however, has been closed recently due to the war between the two countries.
UZBEKISTAN: Coming from Uzbekistan, the border with Balkh Province (home to Mazar-i-Sharif) is known as the Hairatan Border. It’s just next to the Uzbek city of Termez, a worthy destination in its own right.
While in the past, visitors hoping to enter Afghanistan from Uzbekistan would need to first apply for a visa in Tashkent, there’s now apparently an Afghan consulate in Termez. It even seems possible to obtain a visa on the same day.
I crossed the Hairatan border when leaving Afghanistan, and it was much calmer and more laidback compared with the chaos of Torkham.
TAJIKISTAN: Another popular border is the Shir Khan border with Tajikistan. It’s close to the Tajik town of Panj-e Payon which is about 3-4 hours south of Dushanbe. The closest city on the Afghan side, meanwhile, is Kunduz – a little over an hour away.
Despite being relatively isolated geographically, this is the only border at which travelers have been able to obtain visas on arrival. While I have no experience with this border, you should be able to find numerous firsthand accounts online.
IRAN: Travelers entering from Iran will cross at the Islam Qala-Taybad border checkpoint. The nearest city on the Iranian side is Mashhad, with the closest Afghan city being Herat.
I met several travelers who entered Afghanistan from Iran and obtained their visas at the consulate in Mashhad, which was apparently a pretty smooth and straightforward experience.
This was before the Israeli-US-led war on Iran, however. And if you’re American, British, or Canadian, obtaining a tourist visa for Iran can actually be a lot more challenging than getting an Afghan visa!
TURKMENISTAN?: I have yet to hear or read about a traveler entering Afghanistan from Turkmenistan – yet another country that’s probably more difficult to visit than Afghanistan itself.
Travel Permits & Guides
Even though I visited Afghanistan in 2025, things have already changed a lot regarding permits. And at the time of writing, it seems like certain rules are changing from week to week.
First of all, let’s briefly summarize how things used to be – both during the Islamic Republic era and during the initial years of ‘Taliban 2.0.’
Basically, visitors entering the country would have to go to the main Ministry of Information & Culture office in Kabul (or Mazar-i-Sharif for those entering there). There, they’d inform the staff of every province in the country they intended to visit.
They would then receive a special permit printed out in either Dari or Pashto (I’m not sure which) which would serve as the ‘master permit’ for the country.
The travelers would then repeat the process in each new province by visiting the local Ministry of Information & Culture. After showing the master permit from Kabul, they’d get an additional local permit which would be necessary to show for access to certain historical sites, and also at some security checkpoints.
As of 2026, the process seems to be the same in principle. However, the government has created a new department known as the ‘Afghan Tour Directorate’ which is now in charge of administering travel permits.
The main difference now is that the Afghan Tour Directorate now requires travelers to hire licensed guides first before getting the permit. This is a huge deal, because it effectively makes independent travel in Afghanistan impossible as of 2026.
Unfortunately, there’s no official website that clearly states the rules. Oftentimes, the only way to obtain updated info is to read through various Afghanistan-related Facebook groups. But even there, many people provide contradictory information.
If you were already planning to tour the country with a guide, then nothing really changes. But what if you were hoping to explore on your own?
Some people online have mentioned hiring a guide for Kabul just to get the initial permit, then ditching the guide to travel in other provinces independently. But I have no way of knowing if that’s actually possible or even legal.
It seems like visitors still need to obtain local permits from the provincial Afghan Tour offices, and it’s unclear if that’s possible without a guide.
The main point here is that things are always changing, and no single website is going to have all of the answers. But we’ll update this article accordingly once the new rules become clearer.
As for hiring a guide, there are many of them lurking on the Facebook groups. Be careful of what they tell you, however, as some are less concerned with providing accurate information and more interested in obtaining clients.
If you don’t mind joining a group tour, companies like Untamed Borders, Let’s Go Afghanistan, and Young Pioneer Tours are all offering tours at the moment. And of course, they’ll handle all the permits for you.
Money Matters
To the surprise of many travelers, even after the Taliban takeover of 2021, foreigners can withdraw money from certain Afghan ATMs with no issues.
The main ATMs to look out for are those of AIB & Afghan United Bank, which you can often find at shopping malls. Just note that there’s a hefty 7% service charge for each withdrawal.
Just in case, it would also be wise to bring USD in cash. You’ll find money changers in different parts of Kabul and other cities who offer decent rates.
Credit cards don’t seem to work in Afghanistan, though I never actually tried.
If, for whatever reason, you find yourself without cash and can’t get money from the ATMs, you could try sending money to yourself online via Western Union. That was one of my backup options that I thankfully never had to resort to.
SIM Cards & Internet
Generally speaking, the Wifi in Afghanistan is terrible. You can, however, get a pretty decent and stable connection with a local SIM card. It would be wise to pay for enough data so that you can comfortably use it as a hotspot if your hotel Wifi goes down.
There are a few different companies to choose from, but my SIM card from Roshan worked quite well throughout my travels. Obtaining it was straightforward, and I just had to show my passport as in any other country.
You can generally find telecom stores in shopping malls in major cities. Keep in mind that more exist than what Google Maps will tell you.
My Roshan SIM card worked fine in most cities around the country, though it didn’t always work well depending on the position of my hotel room. Sometimes I had to request a room change just for that reason.
On the topic of internet, I didn’t encounter any banned websites during my time in Afghanistan. Though I wasn’t exactly trying to test the limits, basic websites I use on a day-to-day basis, along with messaging apps, worked just fine – even without a VPN.
I did also try a couple of VPNs, and unlike neighboring Uzbekistan, they all worked smoothly in my experience.
I do suspect that the Taliban will probably ban various websites in the future, but perhaps currently lack the technical know-how.
What to Wear
As one of the world’s most conservative countries, it’s generally advisable for tourists to dress like the locals. While you will see some Afghans walking around in t-shirts and jeans in Kabul, in most other cities, Western clothing is pretty much non-existent.
The only people I saw outside of Kabul in Western clothing were Iranian tourists. But they could get away with it due to speaking the language and blending in otherwise.
The local form of dress for men is called the Shalwar Kameez. Note that if you’re coming directly from Pakistan, the men there wear the same type of clothing. So if you purchase a Shalwar Kameez in Pakistan, it won’t look out of place to wear the same one in Afghanistan.
In either country, you can purchase one for roughly $20 USD a piece. And you can either buy a premade one or get one tailor-made.
As for women, contrary to what a lot of people might imagine, they’re not required to cover their faces. Most local women do not, though some choose to.
(As the Taliban don’t allow photography of local women in any form, there’s a lot of fake news out there regarding the actual situation.)
There doesn’t seem to be a universal form of dress for women like there is for men in Afghanistan. Just avoid showing too much skin and be sure to keep your hair covered. There are plenty of accounts by female bloggers who’ve visited Afghanistan, so you can surely learn more detailed info from them.
Getting Around the Country
As mentioned, I traveled the country independently before the recent rule change. If you’re forced to have a guide with you, he’ll likely be making decisions and arrangements regarding transport. Nevertheless, I’ll cover the different methods that I experienced.
Within cities, there are no ridesharing apps of any kind, so you’ll just have to get around in taxis the old-fashioned way. Notably, taxis throughout the entire country all have the same white-and-powder-blue color scheme.
When it comes to getting between cities by land, the two main options are coach buses or shared taxis. For certain routes, such as between Kabul and Bamyan, only shared taxis may exist. But for other routes, such as Kabul to Kandahar or Kandahar to Herat, you can ride in fancy coach buses known as VIP Buses.
Regarding shared taxis, they can be convenient because you don’t need to purchase any tickets in advance. However, expect to wait around a lot in the terminal, as the cars will only depart when completely full.
Also bear in mind that front-seat passengers will be required to pay a bit extra. And when it comes to shared taxis in general, you’ll often have to haggle or speak to different drivers to get the best price.
Afghanistan also has two domestic airlines: Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines. I don’t have experience with either, but lots of travelers use them to get to and from Herat. They mostly seem to be safe and reliable, but their prices seem considerably higher than those of domestic airlines in nearby countries.
Booking Hotels
If you’re a veteran traveler, Afghanistan will bring back memories of the days before online bookings became the norm. This can be both good and bad.
Aside from Kabul, there don’t seem to be any other cities with hotels listed on Booking at the time of writing. So you have two options: contact places in advance via WhatsApp, or simply show up and ask if they have a room.
Throughout my travels, I tried both methods and things generally worked out fine. But in either case, you’ll have to haggle a bit for the best deal.
You can find specific recommendations, along with the prices I paid, mentioned in our individual Afghanistan travel guides or in our overall Afghanistan travel Itinerary.
Otherwise, a great resource is the Afghanistan Travel Experience Forum, where travelers discuss hotels and what they paid for them.
While some things are indeed quite cheap in Afghanistan, I found hotels to be rather overpriced – at least when compared with neighboring countries.
But even when paying roughly the same price per night, the quality of the hotels can really vary from city to city. I generally paid from around 1500-2000 AFN (roughly $20-30 USD) per night throughout my travels.
Note that not every hotel in Afghanistan will accept foreign travelers, though a lot do. Also keep in mind that it’s not allowed to Couchsurf or stay with locals as a foreigner in Afghanistan.
Most locals are not aware of this rule and may invite you to stay at their place, but it’s best to avoid doing so unless you can be very discreet.
Video & Photography
Contrary to what some might think, taking photos and videos is generally fine throughout the country. I even asked at the Ministry of Information & Culture Office to make sure, and they said there’d be no problem.
But there are two main rules: Don’t photograph women in public, and don’t photograph any type of government, military, or police-related building.
Of course, you also just have to use basic common sense and don’t do anything that might cause a public disturbance or make locals uncomfortable.
I’m not sure of the specific rules regarding drones, but flying one in cities would be a bad idea, as you’d inevitably fly over some kind of military building.
Local Food
Simply put, Afghan food is delicious. The cuisine is similar to that of the former Soviet ‘stans’ further north, but I found it far superior in terms of flavor, texture, and value for money.
Afghan cuisine seems comprised of three main dishes: kebab (meat on skewers), kabuli pulao (a mix of rice, meat, and caramelized carrots and raisins), and bamya (an okra dish). By default, meals at Afghan restaurants usually come with bread and tea included. The bread, in fact, will be your main ‘utensil.’
I was a bit surprised to see that heavy meals like kebabs are eaten regardless of the hour, from early morning to late at night.
But kabuli pulao usually disappears from the menu at many restaurants past 2:00 pm. The reason is that they make one big pot in the morning and just serve it until it runs out. So you might sometimes be stuck eating kebab multiple times a day.
I often went to ordinary local restaurants and I could typically get a meal for 200-300 AFN (about 3-4.50 $USD). Considering the huge portion sizes, I would often find myself with little appetite for dinner.
Vegetarians will struggle in Afghanistan, with bamya being the only common vegetarian dish as far as I’m aware. And in regard to international food, you’ll struggle to find any outside of Kabul.
Is Music Really Banned?
The Taliban has infamously banned music from being played in public. You certainly won’t see any live music performances, and also don’t expect any music to be played at shops.
As an avid music lover myself, I ironically found this refreshing sometimes, as I prefer silence over loud music I don’t enjoy.
Afghans do still listen to music, however. They just either use earphones when out in public, or listen in their cars. And when passing a Taliban checkpoint, drivers will just temporarily mute the song before turning it up again.
During my time in Kabul, I visited a certain Turkish restaurant in a shopping mall several times. And each time that I went, they were constantly playing music videos from around the Arab world. So the rules aren’t always that strictly enforced.
There is one type of music that’s allowed, however. It’s a certain type of Islamic prayer music that’s pure a cappella. But the vocals have both heavy autotune and reverb applied. I’ve only ever heard these types of recordings in Afghanistan.
During my day trip to Old Balkh, where I was required to be accompanied by an armed Taliban guard the entire time, he was playing auto-tuned prayer music from his phone speakers. But at one point, it was interrupted by an advert featuring a funky slap-bass riff! He quickly skipped through it, as my driver and I glanced at each other and pretended not to notice.
Other Random Observations
THE AFGHAN WEEKEND: The Afghan weekend is really just one day: Friday. But many things shut down early on Thursdays as well. Therefore, if you need to visit any government offices, be sure to plan ahead accordingly and always be mindful of the day of the week.
MOSQUES: One thing that surprised me in Afghanistan was the fact that non-Muslim foreigners are generally prohibited from entering mosques. This is in contrast to pretty much every other Islamic country I’ve visited. I was allowed, however, inside some shrines dedicated to Sufi saints.
CAFFEINE: Afghans generally don’t drink coffee, but they love energy drinks. In fact, I’ve never seen energy drinks so popular and widely consumed as I have in Afghanistan. They have a ton of local brands, and most of the billboards around the cities seem to be advertising one or the other.
SHOES: See a carpet, take off your shoes. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a restaurant, an office, or even inside a bus – no shoes on carpet! After a couple of days, this will become second nature.
