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Afghanistan travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Band-e Amir National Park
Band-e Amir National Park. Photo: USAID, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
7h 30mflight from London
Afghanicurrency
Visa neededfor UK passports
Type C, Fplugs

Turquoise lakes and ancient history; FCDO advises against travel

Don't miss

  1. Band-e Amir
  2. Bamiyan
  3. Herat
Good forHistory & ruinsMountains & hiking

Best time to visit Afghanistan from the UK

The UK government advises against all travel here. Check the FCDO advice below before making any plans.

The UK FCDO advises against all travel.

-0.6 C-1°J0.7 C1°F6.8 C7°M12.1 C12°A16.6 C17°M20.7 C21°J23 C23°J21.9 C22°A17.9 C18°S12.5 C12°O6.6 C7°N2 C2°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Kabul, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Kabul for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Warmest: July (23°C) · coolest: January (-1°C)A 24°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
-0.60.76.812.116.620.72321.917.912.56.62

Festivals and events

  • Nowruz Mar · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 7h 30m
Distance
5,731 km
Main airport
KBL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Practical info and travel guidance

AfghaniCapital: Kabul
Type C, F · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
119
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against all travelYour travel insurance may not cover you.
  • VisaVisa needed in advanceApply in advance
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersIllegal, and the death penalty is possibleRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
  • Women travellersStrict laws and dress codes affect womenRead the FCDO advice before you go.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Afghanistan, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 30 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Afghanistan before you book and again before you go.

Open Afghanistan on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.