When Kabul is freezing, Jalalabad is warm and green. Subtropical orchards of orange and lemon, a dramatic mountain highway, the Kunar River and the gateway to Pakistan's Khyber Pass — Afghanistan's most climate-blessed city.
In short (TL;DR)
Jalalabad is a warm, low-lying city in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, on the road between Kabul and the Khyber Pass. Set among citrus and palm groves along the Kabul River, it is a popular winter escape from the cold capital. Its gardens, bazaars, and nearby shrines are the main draws. The best time to visit is October to March.
Jalalabad at a glance — Quick Facts
Last updated: July 2026
Jalalabad occupies a geographic position unlike any other major Afghan city. Sitting at just 570 metres above sea level in the Nangarhar Valley — a sharp descent from Kabul's 1,800-metre plateau — it inhabits a climate zone that feels almost tropical compared to the rest of Afghanistan. While Kabul shivers under frost and snow from November to March, Jalalabad basks in 20°C sunshine. The valley floor is covered in orange, lemon, mandarin, banana and sugarcane plantations that supply markets across the country. In winter, Kabuli families load their cars and drive the mountain highway just to sit in the warmth and eat fresh citrus fruit.
The city sits at the confluence of the Kabul and Kunar Rivers, where the mountains that rise dramatically to the west give way to a broad flat valley extending east toward the Pakistan border. The Khyber Pass corridor — one of the most historically significant trade and invasion routes in history — begins effectively at Jalalabad's eastern edge. Torkham Gate, the main border crossing, is just 65 kilometres away. Every conqueror who came from the east to the west in this part of Asia — Mauryan armies, Greek phalanxes, Mughal caravans, British expeditionary forces — passed through this valley.
Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar Province and Afghanistan's fourth-largest city, with a population of around 350,000. It is predominantly Pashtun — a relaxed, sociable city with a distinctive character shaped by its warm climate and its position as the commercial bridge between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The bazaars are lively, the food is excellent (Jalalabad's lamb kebabs and rice dishes have a strong reputation), and the pace of life is noticeably more languid than Kabul's altitude-sharpened energy.
For travellers, Jalalabad offers a genuinely different experience to the highland cities — a lower, warmer, greener perspective on Afghanistan that most visitors never encounter. Combined with the extraordinary drive from Kabul, it makes for one of the most memorable day trips or short overnight excursions in the country.
Even if Jalalabad itself were unremarkable, the road to get there would justify the trip. The Kabul–Jalalabad Highway is one of the most dramatic mountain roads in Asia — a descent of nearly 1,800 metres over approximately 60 kilometres, threading through tight switchbacks and sheer gorges as it drops from the cold Kabul plateau to the subtropical valley below.
The road follows the Kabul River gorge through the Surobi district, clinging to cliff faces above a river that changes colour from grey-green to vivid turquoise as the altitude drops. At certain points the gorge narrows to a slot barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass, with rock walls rising vertically hundreds of metres on either side. Then, dramatically, the gorge opens and the valley spreads out below — suddenly warm, hazy and green, a different country from the cold plateau you left an hour before.
The drive takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic and stops. Go Kabul drivers know the road well and can stop at viewpoints where the gorge and valley views are most spectacular. On a clear day in winter, the contrast between the snow-dusted mountains above and the subtropical green of the valley below is visually extraordinary.
The orchards surrounding Jalalabad are one of Afghanistan's most productive agricultural zones and one of its most pleasant landscapes to walk through. Orange, lemon, mandarin and grapefruit trees line the roads and fill the valley floor for kilometres in every direction. Banana palms and sugarcane add to the subtropical character. From November to February the trees are heavy with ripe fruit and the air carries a permanent citrus scent. Roadside stalls sell bags of fresh-picked oranges for almost nothing. Go Kabul can arrange visits to working orchard farms where you can see the harvest process and meet farming families. It is one of the most unexpectedly sensory experiences Afghanistan offers.
The Kunar River flows through and around Jalalabad, broad and fast from the mountains of Nuristan and Kunar Province. Tree-lined riverside areas are popular with local families for picnicking and relaxation — the Afghan equivalent of a riverside park. In the cooler months the riverbanks are green and pleasant. Fishermen work the shallows, and the sound of the river provides a constant backdrop to the city. A late afternoon walk along the Kunar is one of the simplest and most enjoyable things to do in Jalalabad.
Eight kilometres south of Jalalabad, the site of Hadda was once one of the most important Buddhist centres in the ancient world. Travellers and pilgrims described it in the 4th and 5th centuries as containing hundreds of stupas and monasteries decorated with extraordinary Gandharan sculpture — the unique art form that blended Greek and Buddhist visual traditions. The Afghan archaeologist who excavated Hadda in the 1920s found thousands of stucco Buddha heads, bodhisattva figures and narrative reliefs. The site was badly damaged during the conflicts of recent decades, and the sculptures are mostly in museums, but the landscape itself — a flat area of mounds and stupa bases stretching across the valley floor — retains a contemplative quality and is worth visiting with an informed guide.
The 65-kilometre drive east from Jalalabad to the Torkham Gate border crossing with Pakistan is historically one of the most significant roads in Asia. This is the Afghan end of the Khyber Pass corridor — the narrow mountain route that was for millennia the primary gateway between the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Armies, merchants, pilgrims, poets and adventurers all passed this way. The road passes through fertile valley floor before entering the hills near the border. Torkham itself is a busy commercial crossing with a permanent flow of trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians moving goods and people between the two countries. Whether or not you are crossing into Pakistan, the drive is historically resonant and the border area provides a fascinating window onto the commercial relationship between the two countries.
Jalalabad's climate is the inverse of Kabul's. Visit in winter, not summer.
Excellent. Temperatures 22–28°C, the citrus harvest begins, pomegranates from Surkhroad district at peak. Clear skies and comfortable conditions. The valley is at its most productive and colourful.
The best time. While Kabul freezes, Jalalabad enjoys 18–22°C days. Citrus trees are full of ripe fruit, the air smells of orange blossom, and the contrast with the snow-capped mountains above is spectacular.
Still pleasant — 25–30°C. The orchards blossom. Begin to warm toward summer. A good window for the Hadda site visit and orchard walks before the heat builds.
Genuinely uncomfortable. Temperatures reach 40–45°C and humidity from the valley vegetation makes it feel hotter. Not recommended for most visitors. Those who must visit should do so only in early morning.
Jalalabad is approximately 150 kilometres east of Kabul on the Kabul–Jalalabad Highway — a drive of 2.5 to 3 hours by private car. The highway is paved and in reasonable condition, though the mountain section involves tight bends and occasionally slow traffic behind trucks. Go Kabul provides comfortable private vehicles with experienced drivers who know the road well.
Jalalabad can be visited as a day trip from Kabul — the drive each way is long but the day is manageable with an early start. An overnight stay is more comfortable and allows you to experience the city in the evening when the bazaars are lively and the riverside areas fill with families. Go Kabul can arrange guesthouse accommodation in Jalalabad for overnight itineraries.
Jalalabad also serves as the staging point for visits to Nuristan Province — the remote Hindu Kush region to the north. Travellers planning Nuristan expeditions should plan to spend at least one night in Jalalabad as part of their logistics.
Go Kabul Tip
Leave Kabul early — by 7am — to arrive in Jalalabad before noon. Spend the warmest part of the day in the orchards or at a riverside restaurant, then visit Hadda in the late afternoon when the light is low. The drive back to Kabul at dusk, watching the valley disappear behind you as you climb back into the mountains, is unforgettable.
Private transport on the spectacular mountain highway. Orchard visits, riverside meals and local guides who know the valley. Book your Jalalabad day trip or overnight from Kabul.
More of eastern and central Afghanistan to explore.