Stand at the edge of the Old City Wall above Babur Gardens in the late afternoon and the whole bowl of Kabul opens below you: flat-roofed houses packed into the valley, the Kabul River cutting through the middle, and the mountains that ring the city turning gold before the light goes. It is the single best introduction to a place that rewards slow, careful wandering rather than a checklist of monuments.
Kabul suits travellers who are comfortable with a city that is more compelling in its bazaars and back lanes than in its formal sights. Centuries of warfare and decades of urban sprawl have taken their toll, and many contemporary attractions are poorly maintained and surprisingly expensive. The city is at its most interesting around Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque and the Mandawi Bazaar, where you get a glimpse of old Kabul amid crowded lanes and bustling markets.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, the practical details that come with them, and how to string the best of them into a single day.
Top things to do in Kabul
1. Old City Wall
The wall runs west to east from Babur Gardens over to Bala Hissar, roughly 3 km, and is still in pretty good condition. Walking along it offers rewarding views over the city, and it is the most reliable way to get a sense of Kabul's shape.
Start from Babur Gardens, because you may not find the wall if you begin at Bala Hissar fort. Ask staff at Babur Gardens for directions and security advice, and consider walking along the wall and then turning back, since according to locals the mountains are not safe.
2. Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
This historic mosque was built during the reign of Amanullah Khan in the 1920s. Its Italian decorative stucco makes it quite unique compared to other mosques in the region.
It sits in the part of the city that is most worth your time, so combine it with a walk through the lanes around the Mandawi Bazaar rather than treating it as a standalone stop.
3. Mandawi Bazaar
The bazaar is the anchor of old Kabul, a maze of crowded lanes and bustling markets. It is where the city feels most alive and where the surrounding area, rather than any single monument, makes the strongest impression.
Tucked away among the chaos are a couple of unusual markets, including the gun market and the bird market, which you can visit while you are already here.
4. Bird market (Ka Faroshi)
A centuries-old alleyway lined with cages filled with songbirds, fighting birds, and the occasional sickly bunny. Branching corridors lead to dilapidated courtyards where chickens are slaughtered by hand with a quick twist of the neck.
This is not for animal lovers or the fainthearted, and you will most likely be looking rather than buying. It is inside the Mandawi Bazaar area, so pair it with the bazaar and the gun market in one visit.
5. Gun market
Guns, guns and more guns, mostly rifles, and oddly, sewing machines. The dealers are happy to let you pose with the guns and take photos, so don't be shy.
Like the bird market, it is tucked away among the chaos of the Mandawi Bazaar, which makes it an easy addition to the same outing.
6. National Museum of Afghanistan
The museum once housed one of the greatest collections of Central Asian artifacts in the world, and a large percentage of that collection was looted in the 1990s. Many early Buddhist treasures were destroyed at the same time as the Bamiyan Buddhas, and looted items still turn up around the world at auctions. It is open once again with far more modest, but still impressive, displays of early Buddhist and Islamic artifacts.
It sits several miles from downtown, across from Darulaman Palace, so combine the two in a single trip south. It opens 10:00–16:00 on weekdays and 09:00–noon on Fridays; entrance is AFN 100, or AFN 200 with a camera.
7. Darul Aman Palace
Built as King Amanullah's Palace in the 1920s at the end of Daral Aman Rd, south of the city, it has been destroyed and rebuilt a few times over. By 2019, restoration works had been largely completed on the palace, which suffered massive damage during the 1990s civil war.
It is next to the Kabul Museum, making it the natural companion to the National Museum of Afghanistan. Expect to be asked for 500 Afs if you believe the guards.
8. National Gallery of Afghanistan
A beautiful gallery in a charming old-Kabul house that has been carefully restored, on Asamayi Watt. The collection used to have 820 paintings and portraits but half have been looted or destroyed, and the director said the Taliban destroyed 210 portraits. Most of what remains is European and Afghan landscapes, portraits of famous Afghan writers and kings, and a portrait of the French writer Victor Hugo. It is well worth making the effort to see.
It opens roughly 08:00 to 16:00, closed Fridays, and you may struggle to be allowed in on Thursday afternoons. Entrance is 250 Afs. The Sultani Gallery is attached, but its opening hours are a mystery.
9. Sakhi Shrine (Blue Mosque)
In Karte Sakhi, the building is decorated with glazed tiles in a neo-Safavid Persian style and bears many inscriptions, including dedicatory texts, Qur'anic excerpts, prayers, Hadith and poetry. It is believed to mark the spot where the cloak of Muhammad was kept on its way to its present location in the Shrine of the Cloak in Kandahar.
The tilework is the reason to come, so give yourself time to look closely at the inscriptions rather than passing through quickly.
10. Id Gah Mosque
The second largest mosque in Kabul but considered the cardinal mosque in Afghanistan. It has been the scene of festivals and ceremonies, and was where Amanullah Khan announced Afghanistan's independence on 19 August 1919.
It is a working religious site of national significance, so plan your visit around prayer times and behave accordingly.
11. Bagh-e Babur (Gardens of Babur)
The gardens surround the tomb of the first Mughal Emperor Babur. Though he had wished to be buried here, he was originally buried in Agra and later moved to this spot. Historically, the gardens have been visited by Afghans for picnics and lazy afternoons, and there is a swimming pool, a small mosque for prayers and a small museum among other things.
As of 2026, the tomb is padlocked and the gardens aren't really worth the steep entrance price: 10 Afs for locals, 350 Afs for foreigners, and an extra 150 Afs for a camera. If you do come, it is also the recommended starting point for the Old City Wall walk.
12. Bagh-e Bala
Built in the late 19th century, it served as a summer palace for Amir Abdur Rahman. Much of the original interior has been preserved, and the area around the palace has become a large park.
It is under renovation as of 2026 and is free, though this may change when renovations are completed.
13. Mausoleum of Nadir Shah and Zahir Shah
At Teppe Maranjan, this is the site where King Nadir Shah and his son, Zahir Shah, are buried. It was restored in 2012 after being damaged during the wars.
Expect a steep 350 Afs for foreigners.
14. Lake Qargha
About 9 km from the city, it is described as Kabul's lake district. It makes a change of scene from the streets and bazaars of the centre.
If you are heading out this way, note that the Kabul Golf Club is on Qargha Rd, so the two can be combined in one trip.
15. Kabul Golf Club
Closed down in 1978 by the Soviet Union, it reopened in 2004 after a 25-year hiatus. This 9-hole course bills itself as "extreme golf with an attitude".
It is on Qargha Rd, so pair it with Lake Qargha. Greens fees are 750 Afs or US$15 for 9 or 18 holes.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Bagh-e Babur, where you can ask the staff for directions and security advice before setting out. From there, walk the Old City Wall, which runs west to east towards Bala Hissar, and turn back when you have had your fill of the views over the city.
Afternoon: Head into old Kabul around Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque and the Mandawi Bazaar, and spend the middle of the day in the crowded lanes. While you are in the bazaar, look for the bird market (Ka Faroshi) and the gun market tucked away among the stalls.
Evening: Finish at the National Gallery of Afghanistan on Asamayi Watt, which is well worth the effort, but remember it is closed Fridays and you may struggle to be allowed in on Thursday afternoons.
Frequently asked questions
When is the National Museum of Afghanistan open?
It opens 10:00–16:00 on weekdays and 09:00–noon on Fridays. Entrance is AFN 100, or AFN 200 with a camera.
Is Bagh-e Babur worth the entrance price?
As of 2026, the tomb is padlocked and the gardens aren't really worth the steep entrance price of 350 Afs for foreigners, plus 150 Afs for a camera. Locals pay 10 Afs.
Can I visit Bala Hissar?
No. The ancient fortress, first constructed in the 5th century AD, is closed to visitors as of 2026.
Which part of the city is most worth walking?
The area around Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque and the Mandawi Bazaar, which offers a glimpse of old Kabul amid a maze of crowded lanes and bustling markets.
Work out which of these fit your days, check the current situation for the sites that are closed or under renovation, and start planning your trip to Kabul.