Kandahar Province · Afghanistan
Kandahar travel guide
Kandahar is a city in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, home to about 614,000 people.
- Best months
- March, April, October and November
- Nearest airport
- KDH18 km · Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport
- Currency
- AFNafghani
- Time zone
- Asia/Kabul
- Language
- Arabic, Balochi, Dari
About
About Kandahar
Kandahar is a city in southern Afghanistan, serving as the capital and largest city of Kandahar Province. It is within the jurisdiction of Kandahar District and has an estimated population of 732,629 settled residents.
Kandahār or Qandahār (Pashto: کندهار; Persian: قندهار) is one of the largest of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces and is located in the southern region of the country. The province connects with Pakistan's Balochistan province through the Spin Boldak-Chaman border crossing. The city of Kandahar was the capital of Afghanistan prior to 1776. It is an economic and political hub of Afghanistan and has always played a major role in the nation's history.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kandahar
See
- Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammad
- Chil Zena
- Kandahar Museum
- Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani
- Shrine of Hassan Abdal
- Shrine of Mirwais Khan Hotak
- Dahla Dam
Do
There are many outdoor places to swim in Kandahar. There are no alligators in Kandahar but various types of snakes, scorpions and spiders do exist. The people of Kandahar traditionally enjoy family picnic trips. This sometimes involves driving to other districts of the province, usually where their farms are located.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Kandahar
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| د کندهار هوټل | 2.2 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Kandahar
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kandahar are March, April, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; January is the wettest, with about 47 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Kandahar: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport (KDH), about 18 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
To get around the city visitors can use taxis or rent a vehicle, which usually comes with a reliable driver but special arrangements can be made to exclude the driver. The basic requirement for such special rental is insurance for the vehicle.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
KDH · Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kandahar
Eat
There are a growing number of restaurants. Most of them serve Afghan cuisine. The popular items include roasted chicken, mutton, lamb, and beef, along with rice dishes, cooked vegetables, and plenty of fresh fruits. Fast food places that serve pizzas, burgers and other sandwiches are also growing. The best street food in Kandahar is fried fish and samosas along with several styles of freshly-baked local bread.
Drink
Selling alcohol is illegal in Afghanistan, but this rule is not strictly enforced like in Saudi Arabia. Smoking hashish (marijuana) is common in Afghanistan, and it does not lead to an arrest.
Stay safe
See the warning on the Afghanistan article for information on the security situation. Kandahar has been one of the safer cities in southern Afghanistan, especially its Aino Mina section located in the east and closer to the main airport. The most advanced hospital is in Aino Mina, which opened in April 2019. Blending with the locals is a good way to prevent unnecessary attention. Residents of Kandahar are friendly and hospitable, but some of those from other places who are staying in the city may not be. Kandahar residents treat foreign tourists as special diplomats. Many residents of Kandahar also have family and friends who are citizens of countries in Europe, Oceania and North America.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Kandahar: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Kandahar?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Kandahar are March, April, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; January is the wettest, with about 47 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Kandahar?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport (KDH), about 18 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Kandahar?
afghani (AFN).
Nearby
Destinations near Kandahar
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.