Kabul Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Kabul is the main gateway to Afghanistan, and has the country’s only international airport .

Ariana has daily connections to Herat (3200Afg, one hour), as well as three times a week to Mazar-e Sharif (2500Afg, 30 minutes), Faizabad (2500Afg, one hour) and Kandahar (2200Afg, 30 minutes). In theory there are also flights on at least a weekly basis to Shiberghan, Kunduz and Maimana, but Ariana couldn’t vouch for these when asked.

Kam Air flies daily to Herat (3250Afg, one hour), and Mazar-e Sharif (2500Afg, 30 minutes). Services to Kandahar and Faizabad were being mooted as we went to press. As with all domestic flights in Afghanistan, schedules can be extremely flexible.

Land

Bus & minibus

Several terminals serve Kabul, in reality little more than massed ranks of vehicles with drivers shouting out the destinations. There are no timetables – vehicles depart as soon as they’re full. If you do have to wait, there’s always somewhere to get tea or juice and a plate of kebabs.

Minibuses to Jalalabad (200Afg, three hours) and the Pakistan border at Torkham (300Afg, 4½ hours) leave Begrami Motor Park on the outskirts of Kabul on the Jalalabad Rd (150Afg by taxi from Shahr-e Nau). A few vehicles also leave early just after dawn from Pul-e Mahmoud Khan, close to the Id Gah Mosque, but note that all transport coming to Kabul from the east terminates at Begrami, and isn’t allowed into central Kabul for security reasons. The fastest way to get to the border is to hire a taxi outright for 2500Afg.

Transport heading north through the Salang Tunnel departs from Serai Shomali Transport Depot, a 20-minute taxi ride to the Khair Khana district on the edge of Kabul. Minibuses from here travel to Mazar-e Sharif (500Afg, eight hours), Pul-e Khumri (200Afg, four hours), Samangan (300Afg, five hours), Kunduz (400Afg, 10 hours), and Faizabad (800Afg, 1½ days). Serai Shomali is also the place for more local transport to Istalif (30Afg, 1½ hours), Paghman (30Afg, 30 minutes) and Charikar (40Afg, 30 minutes).

To travel to Bamiyan, catch a minibus from Kote Sangi (sometimes called Pul-e Socta) in west Kabul (400Afg, nine to 11 hours). Transport from here usually takes the southern route through the Hajigak and Unai Passes – investigate security information before considering this route. At the time of writing the northern route via Shibar was preferred for security reasons. This may mean hiring a vehicle outright, or paying a supplement to the driver to use the alternate route.

Kote Sangi is also the terminal for minibuses south to Ghazni, Kandahar and on to Herat, but this road is extremely dangerous for foreigners and we strongly advise against it.

Prices and times given here are for 16-seater HiAce minibuses. Smaller TownAces fill up (and leave) quicker, and are slightly more expensive. Faster shared taxis also depart from the same terminals, and cost up to a third more. It’s not possible to arrange seats in advance. Long distance transport can start leaving from 5am or before, so arrive early.

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Air

Airline offices

AirArabia (079 9700 095; www.airarabia.com; Charahi Ansari)

Ariana Afghan Airlines (020 2100 271, domestic flights 020 2301 339; www.flyariana.com; Street 10, Wazir Akbar Khan)

AzerbaijanAirlines (070 296914; Charahi Ansari)

ICRC Air Operations (International Committee of the Red Cross; 070 285948; kabul.kab@icrc.org; Charahi Haji Yaqub)

Indian Airlines (079 9308 303; www.indian-airlines.nic.in; Interior Ministry Rd) Inside Anaar travel agent.

IranAsseman Airlines (079 9324 006; www.iaa.ir; Street 10, Wazir Akbar Khan)

Kam Air (020 2301 753; www.flykamair.com, Kabul Business Centre, Shahr-e Nau)

Pactec (070 282679/079 9300 837; bookingkbl@pactec.net; Street 15, Right Lane 1, House 12, Wazir Akbar Khan)

PIA (020 2203500; www.piac.com.pk; btwn Streets 10 & 15, Wazir Akbar Khan)

UNHAS (United Nations Humanitarian Air Service; 070 284070/282559; kabul.unhas@wfp.org; WFP Compound, btwn Charahi Zambak & Charahi Ariana, Shahr-e Nau) UNHAS uses the UNAMA terminal at Kabul airport for all its domestic flights plus the Islamabad and Dushanbe flights. Kabul-Dubai flights depart from the main international terminal.

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