What are the most spectacular roads in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a landlocked country, located on the Iranian Plateau, at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Despite its natural wonders, right now is better to avoid all travel to Afghanistan, due to terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and crime.

The country is 652,864 km2 (252,072 sq mi), and bordered by 6 countries: Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. We advise against all travel to and within Afghanistan. Border crossing points may be closed without notice, especially during increased border tensions or concerns about increased risk of a terrorist attack. There are Taliban checkpoints on roads throughout the country and in Kabul.

Despite the risks, the country features many spectacular roads, some of them among the most challenging in the world, on a landscape characterized by rugged mountains, vast deserts, and fertile valleys. Navigating the Kabul-Jalalabad Highway is a difficult drive in Taliban territory following the Kabul River Gorge for 64 kilometers (40 mi). This two-lane highway runs through 600-meter-high cliffs. Salang Pass is a mountain pass at 3,878m (12,723ft) on the boundary between Parwan and Baghlan provinces. Back to war times, Highway 1 is the Afghan Highway to Hell. And the hostile and toxic Salang Tunnel sits at 3,400m (11,154ft) above sea level, with limited lighting, inadequate ventilation, and marred by potholes.

Kotal-e Tamazan is a high mountain pass reaching an elevation of 2,413m (7,916ft) above sea level, situated on the provincial border of Urozgan and Daykundi in central Afghanistan. The pass is a critical logistical point on the National Highway 39 (NH39), a 56 km unpaved corridor connecting Gizab and Nili.

Kotal-e Shatu is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.405m (11,171ft) above sea level, located in Bamyan Province, in Afghanistan. The security situation in the country remains extremely volatile.

Kotal-e Unak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.056m (10,026ft) above the sea level, located in Daykundi Province, in the central part of Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Shah Mansoor is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.638m (11,935ft) above the sea level, located in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. It's one of the highest roads in the country.

Kotal-e Lashkar Rah is a high-altitude mountain pass at an elevation of 2,934m (9,625ft) above sea level, located in the Ghor Province of central Afghanistan. Technically, the pass is a critical sector of the Asian Highway 77 (AH77), a trans-national route connecting Jabal Saraj with Mary, Turkmenistan. Despite its international designation, this 115 km segment remains largely unpaved, demanding a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle to manage the extreme isolation and unpredictable surface conditions.

Pereval Torbulak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.885m (9,465ft) above the sea level, located in Ghor Province, in central Afghanistan.

At an elevation of 3,202m (10,505ft) above sea level, Kotal-e Darwazah (also known as Sangarkish Pass) is a high mountain crossing in the Daykondi Province of central Afghanistan. The route is part of the V 220902 road, a critical but primitive link through the rugged mountainous terrain of the region.

Sabz Chob is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.917m (9,570ft) above the sea level, located in Jaghori District in Ghazni Province of Afghanistan.

Pereval Yamagak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.481m (8,139ft) above the sea level, located in central Afghanistan.

The Kotal-e Isparman (Isparman Pass) is the heart of an extremely challenging high mountain route that includes three closely situated passes in the Farah province of Afghanistan. Although Isparman Pass itself reaches 2,706 meters (8,877 ft), the road’s highest point is nearby at Darah-ye Chashmah-ye Malaki (2,716m). This unpaved road demands maximum driver preparation due to its extreme remoteness and degraded infrastructure.

Kotal-e Gardish is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.058m (10,032ft) above the sea level, located in Ashtarlay District of Daykundi Province in Afghanistan.

Reaching an elevation of 3,362m (11,030ft) above sea level, Kotal-e Aq Rabat is a high mountain pass located in the Sayghan District of the Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. Situated in the central highlands, the pass is a critical unpaved link for regional transit, crossing a rugged and arid landscape typical of the Hindu Kush foothills.

Kotal-e Nowjok is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.722m (8,930ft) above sea level, located in the Daykundi Province of Afghanistan.

Reaching an elevation of 3,544m (11,627ft) above sea level, Kotal-e Mianah (also known as Mianah Pass) is a high mountain crossing located in the Bamyan Province of central Afghanistan. This long-distance mountain track is one of the most isolated and demanding drives in the region, crossing the rugged heart of the Hindu Kush mountains.

Kotal-e Nargis is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,134m (10,282ft) above sea level, located in the province of Wilāyat-e Bāmyān, Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Bagak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,516m (11,535ft) above sea level, located in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Surkh is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.980m (6,496ft) above sea level, located in the Farah province of Afghanistan.

Kōtal-e Zardālū is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.669m (8,756ft) above sea level, straddling Jaghori and Qarabagh districts of Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Kajak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.830m (9,284ft) above sea level, located in the Daykundi Province of Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Khuni is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,891m (6,204ft) above sea level, located in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Narai Kandao is a mountain pass at an elevation of 645m (2,116ft) above sea level, located in eastern Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central and South Asia, historically crucial as a major connection point along the Silk Road. It is bordered by Iran (west), Pakistan (south and east), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (north), and China (northeast).

Koh-e Nihalah is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,980m (9,776ft) above sea level, located in the Samangan Province of Afghanistan. Situated in the rugged northeastern part of the country, this peak is a significant geographical landmark within the Hindu Kush mountain range, roughly 160 km northwest of Kabul.

Kotal-e Shewa is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.705m (8,874ft) above sea level, located in Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan.

Kotal-e Kurang is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.363m (11,033ft) above sea level, located in Badakhshan Province, in Afghanistan.

Qarah Kōtal is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.063m (10,049ft) above sea level, located in Samangan Province in Afghanistan. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. The traveller is also responsible for his or her own personal safety.

The A77 is a daunting high-mountain road located in central Afghanistan, crossing through the Maidan Wardak and Bamiyan provinces. Spanning 135 km (84 miles) of unpaved terrain, this remote track summits two major mountain passes—Kōtal-e Nāwêr and Kōtal-e Mullā Ya‘qūb—offering a true backcountry driving experience along the river valleys of the Hindu Kush.

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