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Top Tourist Places to Visit in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Asia

Kunduz is a city located in Kunduz Province in Afghanistan surrounded by Mazari Sharif in west, Kabul towards south and Tajikistan in the north. Kunduz is sited on the Hind Kush Mountain Ranges at a height of 1283 feet above sea level. Kunduz coordinates with 36.44’ degree North Latitude and 68.52’ degree East Longitude.

 

Meaning & History of Kunduz:

It is said that Kunduz name was derived from Persian word kuhan which means ancient fort. Until 1960 Kunduz was the capital city of Qataqan which later became a part of Kunduz Province. During 3^rd century A.D. Buddhism known to be flourished in this region and it was under the rule of Timurid dynasty for quite some time. Kunduz turned out to be one of the richest provinces during the rule of Sher Khan Nasher in early 20^th century. Kunduz also came under the Taliban regime during early 20^th century until the place was liberated by US armed forces who were successful in putting an end to Taliban rule.

 

Tourist attractions in and around Kunduz:

Kunduz is well known for its mosques that are built as per Mughal style of architecture. Kunduz is also renowned for parks which provide tranquil atmosphere most ideal for picnics and weekend retreats. Another notable feature for the tourists available in Kunduz is that they can enjoy a ride in colorful decorated horse carriage. Kunduz is also famous for shopping items like Persian carpets, clothes and embroidery related work.

Other nearest tourist attractions near Kunduz is Kabul which is 335 kms away from Kunduz. Tourists can visit the following places listed below in Kabul:

• Minar-i- Istiqlal
• Id Gah Mosque
• Mausoleum of Timur Shah
• Bala Hissar Fort
• Minaret of Chakari
• Kabul City Center
• Kabul Golf Club
• Kabul Zoo
• OMAR Mine Museum
• Paghman Gardens
• Bagh-e- Babur Park
• Bagli Bala Park
• Bibi Mahro Park
• Lake Qargha
• Mausoleum of Zahir Shah & Nadir Shah
• National Gallery of Afghanistan
• National Museum of Afghanistan
• Darul Aman Palace
• Tomb of Babur

 

Cuisines, culture and people in Kunduz:

The tourists can look forward for some fantastic and tasty dining experience in Kunduz. One can taste the Afghan delicacies like mutton kabab, lamb kabab, beef roll, naan, soup, chicken kurma, lamb grill, lamb chops etc. The food served has a spicy flavor and the tourists can have their taste buds on fire when they taste some of the authentic Afghan cuisines.

 

Weather in Kunduz:

Kunduz experiences very subtropical hot weather conditions during summer that starts from mid May and lasts till late September. Kunduz receives very scanty rainfall as most of the region is covered by barren land and desert. Winters remain pleasant and cool in Kunduz and this is the most suitable time for the tourists to visit the place as the maximum temperature ranges around mid 30 degrees and minimum temperature drops to low of 10 degrees.

 Connectivity to Kunduz in Afghanistan:

Kunduz is well connected by road and air mode of transport. Frequent bus services are available from Kunduz towards Kabul, Kandhahar, Khost and other important cities. There are also plans to establish rail network between Kunduz and Kabul in the near future. Kunduz is also served by an airport which caters to charter and military aircrafts and the major nearest airport is Kabul International Airport sited 335 kms away from Kunduz where several daily domestic and international flights arrive and depart to various international destinations.

 

Hotels in Kunduz:

Kunduz hosts some good hotels offering decent and standard accommodation facilities to the tourists. The rates and the tariffs of the hotels differ from one to another and they vary from 1 star club to 5 star category. Some of the latest amenities provided by the hotels include, breakfast, spa, sauna, Turkish steam bath, 24 hrs help desk, supply of newspaper, lifts, elevators, escalators, medical shops, doctors on call, mini bar in every rooms, Wi-Fi connectivity etc. List of hotels in Kabul approx 335 kms from Kunduz is as follows:

• Le Monde Guest House
• Hotel The Baron
• Hotel Diana Inn
• Hotel InterContinental
• Hotel Kabul Serena
• Hotel Safi Landmark
• Hotel Mustafa
• Hotel Heetal Plaza
• Hotel Capital Inn
• Hotel Park Star
• Hotel Maple Leaf Inn

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Khwahan, Afghanistan, Asia

Khwahan is situated in Badakhshan Province in north-east Afghanistan on the banks of river Panja bound by Khuldusk and Darwaz. Khwahan is known for their mud forts and coordinates with 37.53’ degree North Latitude and 70.13’ degree East Longitude.

 

Tourist attractions in and around Khwahan:

Since Khwahan does not have much tourist attractions, the information is gathered from Kabul. Some of the places to visit in Kabul are:

• OMAR Mine Museum
• Paghman Gardens
• Bagh-e- Babur Park
• Bagli Bala Park
• Bibi Mahro Park
• Lake Qargha
• Mausoleum of Zahir Shah & Nadir Shah
• National Gallery of Afghanistan
• National Museum of Afghanistan
• Darul Aman Palace
• Tomb of Babur
• Minar-i- Istiqlal
• Id Gah Mosque
• Mausoleum of Timur Shah
• Bala Hissar Fort
• Minaret of Chakari
• Kabul City Center
• Kabul Golf Club
• Kabul Zoo

 

Weather in Khwahan:

Khwahan faces very arid subtropical weather conditions all round the year. Summers start from early May and lasts till mid September followed by winter which starts from early October and continues till late February. The best time to visit Khwahan for the tourists is from October to February where the climate remains cool, pleasant and favorable. Summers are very hot and sultry with hot desert air blowing across the place during this point of time, making it most unbearable and unfavorable for the tourists.

 How to reach Khwahan in Afghanistan?

Khwahan is well connected by roadways and airways as abundant bus services are available from Khwahan to Kandhahar, Khost, Gardez and Kabul at regular intervals. The nearest airport is Darwaz Airport located 86 kms away from Khwahan. There are also proposals to connect Khwahan with Kabul via rail link. Local town buses, autos, rickshaws and taxis form the basic mode of local transport in Khwahan.

 

Hotels in Khwahan:

Khwahan consists of some best hotels in town offering world class accommodation facilities to the tourists coming to this place from across the globe. The tourists are requested to book well in advance prior to visiting the city through online booking facility option available with such hotels present in Khwahan. Hotels in Khwahan provide hosts of services and undertake package tours, doctors on call, 24 hrs help desk center, rooms with bar attached, safety deposit lockers for storing all valuable goods and items, snack bar, sun terraces, special diet menus on request, Turkish steam bath, efficient room service, spa and sauna, packed lunch options, ironing services, baby sitting, free broadband facilities, hot & cold water bath options etc. Here is the list of hotels in Kabul which is the nearest city located near Khwahan:

• Hotel Heetal Plaza
• Hotel Capital Inn
• Hotel Park Star
• Hotel Maple Leaf Inn
• Le Monde Guest House
• Hotel The Baron
• Hotel Diana Inn
• Hotel InterContinental
• Hotel Kabul Serena
• Hotel Safi Landmark
• Hotel Mustafa

Khost Tourist Places to Visit in Khost, Afghanistan, Asia

Khost is a city located in Khost province in eastern part of Afghanistan situated at an altitude of 3300 feet above sea level. The city is approx 150 kms from capital city Kabul and about 100 kms from Gardez. Khost is very well known for Khost Unversity and its coordination lies at 33.16’ degree North Latitude and 69.55’ degree East Longitude.

 Places to visit in and near Khost:

• Khost Mosque
• Khost University

Since Khost is located about 150 kms from Kabul, tourists can also visit Kabul which has some prominent places of interest like:

 

Band-e-Amir:

Band-e- Amir is known for their chunk of five lakes which in other terms is also called as lake of jewels. These are naturally formed lakes and color of the water in the lakes is deep blue. It is one of the most popular tourist spot in Afghanistan.

 

Kabul Museum:

The museum holds one of the prolific landmarks in city of Kabul which has enriched collections of many statues, paintings, artifacts, prehistoric coins, manuscripts and weapons belonging to Kushan Empire and Buddhism which are kept for public display. The museum attracts many national as well as international tourists from all parts of the country.

 

Minaret of Jam:

This is one of the magnificent built minars which is listed by UNESCO in its world heritage list. This minaret is also called as Minaret of Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad bin Sam and lies on the banks of river Hari Rud.

 

Panjshir Valley:

Panjshir Valley is known for its natural beauty and scenic landscapes surrounded by lush greenery, mountain cliffs, rivers and deep valleys. Panjshir Valley is located near the Hind Kush Mountain Ranges and is approx 150 kms from Kabul. It is considered to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Afghanistan.

 

Tora Bora:

Tora Bora is known for their caves situated atop the White Mountains locally called as Safed Koh about 50 kms away from Khyber Pass.

 

Balkh:

Balkh is very well known for its mosque and historic monuments that has a shrine of Hazrat Ali, also called as mosque of nine cupolas. The shrines are known for their splendid Mughal architecture work and a crafted inscription visited by thousands of devotes and tourists all round the year.

 

Bamiyan:

Bamiyan is known for the two tallest statues of Lord Buddha measuring 38 meters and 53 meters which are carved out of hills was a well known tourist spot in this part of the city. Bamiyan is also famous for its forts and monuments.

 

Culture and cuisine in Khost:

Khost is well known for its lip smacking dishes and delicacies prepared by the locals. Some of the local delights include rice pulao, qabli pulao, kababs, mutton kurmas, chicken kurmas, grilled chicken etc.

 

Accessibility to Khost in Afghanistan:

Khost is well connected by road and air modes of transport as it is well served by Khost-Kabul Highway. Khost is about 100 kms from city of Gardez about 150 kms from capital city Kabul. Direct air-conditioned Benz buses are available from Khost to Kandhahar, Kabul and Gardez at frequent intervals. The nearest airport is Kabul International Airport located 150 kms away from Khost where many domestic and international airlines operate to many countries on daily basis.

 

Staying options in Khost:

Khost has some good hotels and guest houses to welcome the tourists and outsiders visiting the place from time to time. The hotels provide all the latest modern amenities for a wonderful and memorable stay for the visitors. The tourists can book the hotels well in advance through online booking prior to visiting the place. The hotels have some of the finest facilities and options for the tourists like they undertake travel bookings, offer daily laundry services, dry cleaning, 24 hrs front desk, provide newspaper and magazines for reference, family rooms, lifts and elevators, soundproof rooms, airport shuttle and back, luggage rooms, broadband connectivity with Wi-Fi etc. Here is the list of hotels in Kabul which is approx 150 kms from Khost.

• Hotel Inter Continental
• Hotel Kabul Serena
• Hotel Safi Landmark
• Hotel Mustafa
• Hotel Heetal Plaza
• Hotel Capital Inn
• Hotel Park Star
• Hotel Maple Leaf Inn
• Le Monde Guest House
• Hotel The Baron
• Hotel Diana Inn

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kandhahar, Afghanistan, Asia

Kandhahar is the second largest city coming in Kandhahar province towards south of Afghanistan lying at an altitude of 3310 feet above sea level. Kandhahar lies close to river Arghandab and is well known for wool, cotton, silk, dry fruits and tobacco. Kandhahar is bound by Lashkar Gah, Herat in west, Ghazni and Kabul towards northeast and Tarinkot towards north and Quetta in Pakistan in south. It coordinates with 31.37’ degree North Latitude and 65.43’ degree East Longitude.

 

History of Kandhahar:

Alexander the Great ruled Kandhahar during 330 B.C. and became a part of Kabul Shahi between 565 A.D to 879 A.D. Kandhahar was rule by Seleucid dynasty during return of Alexander the Great and was later ruled by Chandragupta Maurya who introduced Buddhism to this region around 305 B.C. Aryans came to this place during 1700 A.D. and was ruling the city for some time followed by Safavids who ruled the place from 1510 A.D to 1709 A.D. Kandhahar saw the arrival of Mughals in 1501 A.D. followed by Timurids, Kurts, Ghaznivads and Saffarids who ruled this city from time to time. Kandhahar also came under Hotaki dynasty from 1709 A.D to 1738 A.D. and currently is a part of Islamic Republic from 2001 onwards till date.

 

Places of interest in and near Kandhahar:

• Kandhahar Museum
• Tomb of Ahmed Shah Durrani
• Chilzina a rock cut chamber
• Kandhahar Airport
• Mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak
• Shrine of Baba Wali
• Arghandab River
• Governor’s Mansion
• Kandhahar University
• Kandhahar Park
• Kokaran Park
• Baghi Pul Park

 

Culture, shopping and Food in Kandhahar:

The city of Kandhahar is rich in culture as Pashtuns form the majority of the population followed by Tajiks, Hazaras, Baloch and Uzbeks who form the other chunk of population respectively. The locals of Kandhahar mostly prefer non-veg dishes like mutton kurma, chicken kurma, biryani and menus prepared out of rice. Kandhahar is well known for shopping which has many indoor shopping centers and malls selling various items, products.

 

Climate in Kandhahar:

Kandhahar experiences subtropical climatic conditions and summers start in mid of May and last till late September followed by month of autumn from October to late November. Winters begin from December and continue till early February where the nights remain cool and chilly and at times the minimum temperature exceeds below -25 degrees.

Connectivity to Kandhahar in Afghanistan:

Kandhahar is well connected by road and air modes of transport. It is linked to Kabul and Herat by National Highways. Many Benz buses also ply from Kandhahar to Kabul, Herat and other important cities at regular intervals. Kandhahar is also networked by airways as many domestic and international airlines to various destinations operate from Kandhahar Airport. Besides taxis, autos and cabs form the basic modes of local transport.

 

Hotels in Kandhahar:

Kandhahar has some very good hotels providing good accommodation facilities to the tourists. The hotels show all the hospitality and warmth towards the tourists who have taken accommodation in such hotels. Tourists can book hotels for short stay as well as long term stay and they can select a hotel as per their choice, requirements and budget. They can also book hotels well in advance prior to visiting the place. List of some of the hotels located in Kandhahar are:

• Hotel Continental Guest House
• Hotel Armani
• Hotel Kabul Darwaza
• Hotel Le Kandhahar