Getting Around Mazar-e Sharif
Mazar-e Sharif is the largest city in northern Afghanistan and the capital of Balkh Province, and it has long drawn visitors because of its famous shrines and its Islamic and Hellenistic archaeological sites. The city's best-known landmark is the Shrine of Ali, also called the Blue Mosque, whose blue-tiled sanctuary and mosque sit in the center of the city. As a visitor, most of your movement will be between the center, the shrine, and the airport, and the practical options are straightforward.
Rail, Metro and Trams
There is no metro, tram, or urban rail network to use in Mazar-e Sharif. Getting around the city is done by road, on foot, or by taxi and tuk-tuk.
Taxis and Tuk-Tuks
Taxis are plentiful and are the most practical way for a visitor to move around town. Agree on a price before you set off, since fares are negotiated rather than metered. Tuk-tuks, known locally as Zaranj, are also plentiful and are even cheaper than taxis. For short hops around the center, these are the easiest options to flag down.
Buses and Public Transport
Mazar-e Sharif is linked by road with Hairatan to the north, Kunduz to the east, Aybak to the southeast, Bamyan to the south, and Sheberghan to the west, and long-distance buses connect the city with other parts of the country. From Kabul, the journey by road takes roughly eight to ten hours, or as long as twelve, via the Salang Pass; the road has been improved and is passable in a normal car. Mercedes buses leave Kabul in the early morning and arrive in Mazar in the afternoon, while a nightly bus leaves in the evening and arrives in the morning. A taxi from the bus station to the center is inexpensive. It is also possible to reach the city by bus from Sheberghan and Kunduz. The back road from Herat via Maimana is a very rough three-day journey requiring a 4WD vehicle with back-country preparation, and it is no longer considered safe.
Walking
The city is compact and largely built up, which makes walking a reasonable way to cover the central area around the shrine and nearby sights. Note that Mazar-e Sharif has been regarded as one of the more dangerous cities in the country, so it is worth planning your movements carefully and keeping to areas you know.
Arriving by Air
Mazar-e Sharif International Airport (MZR) lies east of the city, a journey of about fifteen minutes by taxi. Kam Air flies from Kabul and also flies intermittently from Istanbul, Turkey, and Ariana flies from Kabul. Once you land, a taxi is the way into town.
Arriving from Uzbekistan
If you are coming overland from Termez in Uzbekistan, take a Yandex to the border crossing on the Uzbek side, and be careful not to accidentally enter the free-trade zone on the east side of the highway, which will waste a lot of time. After being stamped out following a thorough search by Uzbek customs, take a taxi to the middle of the Friendship Bridge, or walk. After crossing the bridge and being stamped in, take a shared taxi to Mazar or a private taxi. Most nationalities can pick up an Afghanistan visa the same day at the Afghan Consulate in Termez.
Permits and Practical Notes
As of 2026, visiting the Blue Mosque and travelling to any province in Afghanistan requires the purchase of permits, including a permit for Balkh Province even though you are already there. Permits are arranged at the Tourism Office, located behind the prominent Melli Bank building: enter the grounds through the guard station, circle the bank building counter-clockwise to the garden at its rear, and the Tourism Office building is on your right at the back of the garden. Permits for each province cost AFN 1000. You must leave the office with a slip of paper and pay the fee to one of the Melli Bank cashiers; be wary when paying, as cashiers have a habit of "misplacing" the money already paid and demanding it again. After visiting various desks at the bank, you take a receipt back to the tourism office, where your permits are normally filled out together on a single sheet of paper.
In practice, officials may demand a bribe to receive your permits, using the claim that you are "required to have a guide for Mazar-e Sharif" and only for Mazar-e Sharif. You do not need a guide for Mazar-e Sharif. The bribe demanded may be as high as US$100; you should not pay that, and it is possible to negotiate the amount down considerably. If you already have your permits in hand, you could try leaving the office. You can avoid the guide by saying you will come back later for your "tour" — the guide is useless and will demand more money as a tip — and then leave and visit the Blue Mosque without one.