Kabul

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Introduction

Afghanistan

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Kabul (Persian: کابل) is the capital and largest city in Afghanistan and has about 3 million inhabitants. It is located in the central eastern part of the country in a valley at an altitude of about 1800 meters, with the nearby Hindu Kush mountains towering above the city in the distance. It is believed that the city has been inhabited since at least 3500 years and nowadays it is the economical and cultural heart of the country. Although the city saw relatively many travellers before the Soviet invasion during the late seventies, since then number have declined significantly. Nowadays, few travellers make it to this ancient city but the adventurous people who travel overland from Pakistan are rewarded with some great experience, albeit not very safe due to unexpected bomb attacks which can happen everywhere. The National Museum and the narrow alleys filled with bazaars are the main features of Kabul.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• Kabul Museum - Visit one of the best collections of any central Asian museum at this national museum. With over 100,000 items that date back several thousands of years there is plenty to learn here.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Kabul's climate is harsh, with hot and dry summers and sometimes bitterly cold winters. Average summer temperatures are well above 30 degrees Celcius during the day in most of the country, but drop to around 15 degrees or a little more at night in places at higher altitude like Kabul. The short winter lasts from December to February with temperatures during the day a few degrees above zero, but averaging around -8 degrees Celcius in Kabul in January for example. Records of 40 in summer and -21 in winter have been recorded in the capital. Summers are dry while March and April sees most of the rain.

Getting there

By Plane

Kabul International Airport (KBL) receives the most international flights and Ariana Afghan Airlines is the national airline serving destinations like Ankara, Delhi, Dubai, Dushanbe, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Islamabad, Istanbul Atatürk, Tehran and Ürümqi.

Pakistan International Airlines flies to and from Islamabad. Kam Air operates flights to and from Almaty, Dushanbe, Delhi, Mashad, Kuwait, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Shrjah. Few other airlines serve Kabul but London will have connections by Safi Airways in the near future when things have cleared up a bit in the country.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post