Kabul
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan.
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is within the jurisdiction of Kabul District and has an estimated population of 5,333,284 people. Located in the eastern half of the country, forming part of the Kabul Province, the city is administratively divided into five zones and 22 municipal districts. The current mayor of the city is Mawlawi Abdul Rashid.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Kabul
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Kabul University
Kabul University is a university located in Kabul province, Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd District of the capital Kabul near the Ministry of Higher Education.
4.7 km · university in Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 02National Museum of Afghanistan
The National Museum of Afghanistan is located across the small street from the Darul Aman Palace in the Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan. It was once considered to be one of the world's finest museums.
8.4 km · museum · Wikipedia - 03Gardens of Babur
The Gardens of Babur, is a historic site in District 5 of Kabul, Afghanistan. It is located in the Guzargah neighborhood, with the Sher Darwaza mountain being to the east, Chihil Sutun to the south, and the Kabul Zoo to the northwest.
3 km · park in Kabul, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 04Arg
The Arg is the presidential palace of Afghanistan, located in Kabul. Since the 2021 abolition of the Afghan presidency by the Taliban, it has served as the meeting place of the Cabinet of Afghanistan.
200 m · presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 05Ghazi Stadium
Ghazi Stadium, also known as Kabul Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located southeast of the Shahr-e Naw neighborhood in Kabul, Afghanistan, across from Chaman-e-Hozori and Eidgah Mosque. The stadium is mainly used for local football training and matches.
1.6 km · stadium · Wikipedia - 06Bala Hissar
Bala Hissar was an ancient fortress located in the south of the old city of Kabul, Afghanistan. The estimated date of construction is around the 5th century AD. Bala Hissar sits to the south of the modern city centre at the tail end of the Kuh-e-Shēr Darwāzah mountain.
2.5 km · fort in Kabul, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 07Pul-e Khishti Mosque
The Pul-e Khishti Mosque is the largest mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. Located in the center of old Kabul, the Pul-e Khishti Mosque can be identified by its large blue dome.
1.1 km · mosque in Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 08Abdul Rahman Mosque
The Abdul Rahman Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque of Kabul, is a Sunni Congregational mosque, located in the central commercial area of Deh Afghanan, in Kabul, Afghanistan. One of the largest mosques in Afghanistan, it is located in one of Kabul's central commercial areas called Deh Afghanan, near the Pashtunistan Square, Zarnegar Park, near the once popular Plaza Hotel.
600 m · mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 09Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
The Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque, is a yellow two-story mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. The mosque is situated in District 2, on Andarabi Road, just off the Kabul River and the Shah-Do Shamshira bridge in the center of the city.
1.2 km · mosque in Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 10Tajbeg Palace
Tajbeg Palace, also called the Queen's Palace, during the rule of the Kingdom of Afghanistan is one of the palaces in the popular Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan. The stately mansion is located about 16 km southwest from the city's center.
9.8 km · palace in Kabul, Afghanistan · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Despite its long history, Kabul is rather short on historical sights. Centuries of warfare and decades of urban sprawl have taken their toll. Most contemporary attractions are disappointingly lackluster, poorly maintained, and surprisingly expensive. The city is more compelling around Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque and the Mandawi Bazaar, offering a glimpse of old Kabul amid a maze of crowded lanes and bustling markets.
From Wikivoyage: Kabul, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
- 01Kabul Golf Club
Closed down in 1978 by the Soviet Union, it reopened in 2004 after a 25-year hiatus.
- 02Ariana Cinema
Primarily shows Bollywood or trashy action flicks, and the occasional American blockbuster.
- 03Amani High School
- 04Ghazi Stadium
Just past the stadium is the mine museum as well as a road up the hill where you will find hundreds of Afghan men and boys flying kites on holidays.
- 05Kabul National Cricket Stadium
Home of the Afghan cricket team.
From Wikivoyage: Kabul, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Food is a definite bright spot of Kabul, as it is cheap, delicious, and safe – except for street food, which is only cheap and delicious. Best not to risk the latter unless you've lived in Afghanistan a while. Restaurants open and close with surprising frequency, so it is a good idea to check whether a place is still operating before heading out.
- 01Andkhoi Bastan Turkmen Restaurant
Shahid Road (in front of Etisalat Main Office),.
- 02Ansari Kunduz Kabab
Ahmad Zahir Road and Kolula Pushta Road,.
- 03Biryani House
The special chicken biryani is excellent.
- 04Bolani
Offers bolanis only (Afghan stuffed flatbread).
- 05Chicking
Sulh Road (inside Majid Mall),.
From Wikivoyage: Kabul, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Kabul
- Airports
- Kabul (KBL), 5 km · Bacha Khan (PEW), 223 km
- Stations
- Kabul International Airport, 5.5 km
- Mazar-i-Sharif → Kabul306 km · quickest by air, 3h 54m · $130–200
- Kandahar → Kabul457 km · quickest by air, 4h 37m · $170–250
- Guzara → Kabul658 km · quickest by air, 5h 6m · $210–300
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Kabul
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Kabul. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inCoaches from reputable companies are reasonably modern and comfortable, although rather slow compared to shared taxis.
- Get inMinibuses and shared taxis arrive and depart from six official locations around the city.
- Get inShared taxis and most minibuses leave when full rather than on fixed schedules.
- Get inShared taxis have no particular appearance of their own – they look the same as city taxis (i.e.
- Get inIf you'd prefer this, try to discern the going per-seat rate for shared taxis to your destination, multiply it by the number of seats, and then negotiate a discount.
From Wikivoyage: Kabul, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01536 km
- 02570 km
- 03641 km
- 04772 km
- 05833 km
If you know how people move in Kabul – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Kabul
- Kabul Districtdistrict of Kabul Province, Afghanistan2.8 km
- Shewakivillage in Kabul Province, Afghanistan9.1 km
- Dashte Barchihuman settlement in Afghanistan8.4 km
- Wazir Akbar Khānneighborhood in Kabul, Afghanistan1.3 km
- Darulamanneighborhood of Kabul in Kabul Province, Afghanistan8.6 km