Women at Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as Blue Mosque, in Mazar-e Sharif
Photographer: Stephane Victor

When Lonely Planet was hitting the Asia overland trail in the 1970s, Afghanistan was known for its dramatic mountain scenery and the unparalleled hospitality of its people. At the turn of the 21st century the country was more synonymous with war and terrorism, the picture of a failed state. The fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 and the subsequent reconstruction attempts have done much to address this view, but in early 2007 Afghanistan’s future remained on a knife-edge.

Weather
Afghanistan has a four distinct seasons. There’s fine weather in spring (March to May) and the country blooms, but rain and melting snow can make many roads difficult to traverse. Summers (June to August) can be blisteringly hot everywhere except the mountains – Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad and Kandahar all swelter, but Kabul, Bamiyan and Faizabad enjoy pleasant, cool nights. Sandstorms at this time can affect air travel. Autumn (September to November) is one of the best times to visit with pleasant dry weather, and plenty of delicious Afghan fruit. From the end of November, winter sets in, and snow is common across much of the country. Travel in the mountains is particularly tricky at this time, with some remote regions cut off from transport links completely.

When to go
Assuming that the political climate allows you to make a trip, the most pleasant time to explore Afghanistan is spring or autumn, in particular April to early June and September through October. In spring, north Afghanistan turns from dusty ochre to bright green, as the desert and hills spring into life and are studded with blooms of flowers. Autumn is harvest time and brings the best of the Afghan fruit – melons from the north, grapes from the Shomali Plain and fat pomegranates from Kandahar.

Summers can be blisteringly hot at lower altitudes, with cities like Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad and Kandahar sweltering in temperatures topping 40°C. The mountains mitigate this heatwave, and Kabul, Bamiyan and Faizabad are all more manageable at this time, and their altitude blesses them with deliciously cooler nights. June to September is the best time to head to the higher mountains – much of Badakhshan (including the Wakhan Corridor) is inaccessible for the rest of the year due to snow. The white stuff can also make crossing central Afghanistan to the Minaret of Jam extremely difficult outside these months, as roads and high passes close for the winter. Even the Salang Pass, the main artery between north and south Afghanistan, experiences avalanches and blockages a few times every winter.
Winter is harsh across the country barring the extreme south, with temperatures sitting below zero and heavy snow in Kabul and elsewhere. The spring melt can bring trouble of its own, with frequent floods washing out poorly maintained roads.

At the end of winter, everyone looks forward to Nauroz on 21 March, the Afghan New Year celebrations. This can be a joyous time to visit the country, and one of the best times to see the national sport, buzkashi. Conversely, the month-long fast of Ramazan (Ramadan) can be a trying time to be on the road, as restaurants and teahouses are closed during the day, and frequently shut up shop for the entire month.