Backbacking in Afghanistan – Budget and Planning

Best time to visit:

From mid-March to end of May, the September to October. Avoid Ramadan.

Budget:

Travelling to Afghanistan isn’t cheap. To get there from Islamabad in Pakistan or Dubai, it costs around $200 one way. To get to other cities in Afghanistan, you need to fly. It costs around $200 for going to Bamiyan and back. And $100 more if you plan to go to Herat (where you can go to Iran).

In my case, without couchsurfing my daily cost was about $40 per day there. ($30 full-board accommodation, $10 for travelling and other cost) So you are basically looking at a minimum $600 for 3 days in Kabul including flights, visa, food and accommodation.

If you are visiting Bamiyan, your budget will boost up by $500 (as you’ll need to stay for 3 nights there and there’s no couchsurfing) Or if you are also visiting Herat or Mazir-e-Sharif and leaving Afghanistan from there, you can probably do it in the same budget of $600 because you save from not taking the return flight to Pakistan or Dubai. So in this case, taking all costs in consideration, the average cost per day in Afghanistan is $100. If excluding international flights and visa, it is about $40.

Planning:

Major cities to see: Kabul, Bamiyan, Herat or Mazir-e-Sharif Trip length: 7-10 days Avoid arriving Afghanistan on Thursday or Friday, as that’s their weekend. Arrive on Saturday in Kabul, stay for 2 nights. Fly to Bamiyan on Monday, stay for 3 nights. Return Kabul on Thursday. Stay in Kabul for 2 nights. Fly to Herat or Mazir Sharif on Saturday. Stay for 2 nights. Go to Iran or Uzbekistan or fly back to Kabul.    

Visa:

Easier than what I thought! It costs $80 for all nationalities (except Pakistani). And you get it in the next afternoon. I got mine from the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad, Pakistan. Their office hour is between 10-11am. Though the counselor waited for me till noon. They only accept US currency (no rupees!)

Getting There

Flight:

It cost me $400 for Islamabad-Kabul return ticket via PIA (Pakistan International Airline). They fly on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. However avoid it at all cost as they still fly with turboprop… Try Safi http://safiairways.com They fly on Thursday and Sunday at slightly cheaper cost. And they have a better aircraft for this route.

Bus:

I thought it was impossible to go to Afghanistan through Peshawar, Pakistan by land. However I think it depends on your gender, your appearance and your nationality. Take a taxi from Islamabad to Peshawar, then from Peshawar to the border. If you convince the immigration to let you through, grab another taxi from there to Kabul which takes 4 hours (so I heard).

Getting Around:

Call Trust Taxi, they speak English, so they charge in USD. 0797424250 But it’s best you let your hotel arrange a pickup for you. It’s possible and easy to get a local taxi on the street, and they cost 50% of the Trust Taxi. (But Trust Taxi’s vehichle is Toyota Corolla..)

Just write down the agreed price on a piece of paper before you get in the taxi. It makes your communication clearer. You might be able to bargain too!  

Getting to Other cities:

Go every place by air. Every leg is about $100 (so $200 return) Bamiyan: East Horizon http://flyeasthorizon.com flies ther on Monday and Thursday only (Find a local travel agency to get you tickets. Bring cash) Herat: Safi http://safiairways.com, Kam https://www.kamair.com Mazir-e-sharif: Safi, Kam  

Currency:

Money exchange is everywhere in Shar-e-now Park and Wazir Akbar Khan area. The exchange rate is about 57 AFN to 1 USD. Western Union is available. (But expensive if you want to send money abroad from Afghanistan)

Accommodation:

Please consider Couchsurfing. If you can’t find a host, well, I’ve checked Salsal Guesthouse which is listed on wikitravel.com. Well, what can I say… $30 for a dirty double room. No kitchen (chai is available). And I didn’t see any guest staying there… plus the guest house is located on Zarghona Maidan, that’s the main road and probably the busiest road next to the city’s central park- Shar-e-now Park. They had no guard or high walls which seem to be necessary in Kabul. So I don’t think this is where foreigners should stay.

Attractions in Kabul:

I visited British Cemetry, Darul Aman Palace, National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul Zoo and Women’s Park, Sheraton Hotel, and Macroryan II. And in the Shar-e-now Park Area, I checked out Majeed Mall, Chicken Street, Flower Street and Finest Supermarket.

I did not go to Qargha Lake, Babur Garden or Paghman. Kabul isn’t a destination for sightseeing, you go there to experience what it is like to be there. So there’s no point to rush all these attractions in 1 day (which you can, technically). I did not go to Herat, Bamiyan or Mazir-e-Sharif either.

Safety Issue:

For precaution, I only went out during the day and not at night. Nobody seemed to mind me, although people did look at me as they could tell I was a foreigner. Yet there are many expats there, who are probably better targets than you. So local taxis worked for me just as fine. I will elaborate more on this.

What to Wear:

For guys, just don’t wear shorts. For ladies, take a scarf wherever you go. You don’t need to be in a burqa (the blue thing). However it shows you are a respectable woman by not revealing your arms or hair. Although I felt Afghanistan was changing, people did not mind so much when my scarf accidentally fell from my head for some time without me knowing it.

Religious Issue:

I wasn’t asked if I was Christian. I found Afghans friendly towards foreigners, or let’s say ‘more chilled’ towards foreigners. And I don’t think anybody (immigration officer, taxi driver, shopkeeper etc) asked me what my religions was. I was more often asked if I was from China, and how old I was, That’s all!