When to Visit Kabul

January in Kabul means winter is fully established. Daytime highs hover around 4°C (40°F) and nights frequently dip to -7°C (19°F) or below, cold enough that any exposed skin feels it within minutes. Snow is possible and the city can look beautiful under a dusting, though roads become unpredictable.

February is the coldest and wettest month combined, with a high of just 5°C (41°F) and lows around -5°C (23°F), and a rainfall total of around 61 mm that often falls as sleet or wet snow. The Hindu Kush above the city is typically white to lower elevations.

March marks the turn, though it is tentative. Highs climb to 12°C (54°F) and lows sit right at freezing at 0°C (33°F), and the 69 mm of rain arrives as proper spring showers rather than winter sleet. The first green begins on the hillsides.

April is Kabul's peak rainfall month at 71 mm and its most photogenic: highs reach 19°C (66°F), lows a much more bearable 6°C (42°F), and the landscape goes green. The light is soft and the air still carries a freshness.

May is a transitional favourite, as highs reach 24°C (75°F) and the rain drops sharply to around 23 mm. Evenings at 8°C (47°F) still call for a jacket but afternoons are warm and pleasant. This tends to be the most comfortable all-round month for outdoor activity.

June signals the arrival of the dry season, with highs climbing to 30°C (86°F) and virtually no rain to speak of. Nights cool to 12°C (54°F), making them comfortable. But midday heat demands respect. The landscape begins to dry and brown.

July is the hottest month, with highs of 32°C (89°F) and lows around 15°C (59°F). There is almost no rainfall, just a trace of 5 mm, and the sky tends to be an intense, unbroken blue. The heat is dry rather than humid, which makes it more bearable than it sounds, though shade becomes important after about ten in the morning.

August shares July's heat profile almost exactly, with the same 32°C (89°F) high and a lows of 14°C (57°F), and just 3 mm of rain. If anything the landscape looks drier and dustier than July.

September brings the first real relief, with highs easing to 28°C (83°F) and nights cooling noticeably to 9°C (48°F). Rainfall is minimal at 3 mm but the air tends to feel fresher than it has in months. This is when the light starts to turn golden in the late afternoon.

October is probably the most quietly pleasant month in Kabul if the security situation permits. Highs reach 22°C (72°F) and lows drop to 3°C (39°F), so the days are warm and sunny while the evenings are cold. The mountains surrounding the city tend to catch early snow on their upper reaches.

November accelerates the cooling, with highs of 15°C (59°F) that feel markedly different from October once the wind picks up, and lows dropping to -1°C (29°F). About 18 mm of rain returns, often arriving in grey spells that can last a day or two.

December drops Kabul into full winter. Daytime peaks at 8°C (46°F). Nights sink to -4°C (25°F). Only 23 mm of rain or snow falls. Dusk arrives early. By month's end the peaks above town glow solid white.