Afghanistan / د افغانستان اسلامي امارت / امارت اسلامی افغانستان – Let’s explore here
Afghanistan is a stunning, mainly mountainous, landlocked country in central Asia. Its capital, Kabul, is one of the highest capitals in the world, at 5,873ft (1,790m) above sea level. It has a very long, rich and troubled history. In former times it was a major trading and stopping point for those on the Silk Road. Its neighbours include China, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.
About the same size as France, Afghanistan is mostly mountainous, dominated by the Hindu Kush mountain range, part of the Himalayas. The highest point is Mount Noshaq, in the east of the country, on the border with Pakistan, at 24,580 ft (7,492m) above sea level.
What currency do they use in Afghanistan?
In Afghanistan they use the Afghan afghani. There is currently a ban on the use of foreign currencies. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted, if at all. Traveller’s cheques are not accepted at banks. There are some ATMs in cities, although many do not accept foreign issued cards..
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Afghanistan?
They speak Dari (also known as Farsi or Afghan Persian) and Pashto in Afghanistan. Many also speak Hazaragi, Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, and Pashayi. English is not widely spoken.
What time zone is Afghanistan in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Afghanistan?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
What’s it like to drive in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan receives heavy snow during the winter in the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, so careful planning is required at this time.
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
Current travels
Due to the land border issue in Azerbaijan (see our blog), it’s unsure whether we will visit the Stans in the short term. It may be that we visit them from the other direction (i.e. from China), once we’ve travelled up through the Americas. As such, we do not have an itinerary for visiting Afghanistan. When we do though, hopefully it will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂
Is wild camping legal in Afghanistan?
Yes, wild camping is fine in Afghanistan.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!