Pakistan to Afghanistan by Road: Torkham Border to Jalalabad (My Honest Experience)
Sargodha to Islamabad, Peshawar and the Torkham border, then 4–5 days in Jalalabad. The kind people, the hard moments, and why I turned back instead of going on to Kabul and Iran.
By Hafiz Tayyab · 8 October 2026 · 2 min read
The route
- SargodhatoIslamabad
- IslamabadtoPeshawar
- PeshawartoTorkham
- TorkhamtoJalalabadBorder crossing
Torkham border
Security checks and an unexpected bribe situation.
Qabili pulao
With giant tandoori naan and dry-fruit mango juice.
Jalalabad nights
Busy night markets and floor-seating hotels.
After my first Umrah, I wanted to see somewhere most people only see on the news. In the summer of 2023 I set off for Afghanistan, by road, with a camera and a very loose plan.
The road to Torkham
The route was simple on paper:
- Sargodha → Islamabad
- Islamabad → Peshawar
- Peshawar → Torkham border
- Torkham → Jalalabad
I used local buses. The border is where it got real: queues, security checks and, at one point, an unexpected bribe situation. Nothing about crossing at Torkham feels routine the first time.
Jalalabad: 4 to 5 days
I only went as far as Jalalabad, and stayed there for four or five days. It's busy, loud and full of life, especially at night.
What I remember most:
- Night markets packed with people well after dark.
- Hotels with floor seating, the traditional Afghan way of eating and resting.
- Qabili pulao, giant tandoori naans and fresh dry-fruit mango juice.
And the people. Ordinary Afghans were warm and welcoming. I spoke with members of the Taliban too, and they were polite and decent with me.
A sentence I still remember
Not every conversation was easy. An old man told me, half joking, something I've never forgotten: when they see a Punjabi drinking water, they feel like drinking his blood.
He laughed after saying it. I did too, a little nervously. It showed me how much history and feeling sits between our two peoples, and how much of it is passed down in jokes like that.
Why I turned back
My real plan was bigger. My Iran visa had been approved, and I wanted to go Jalalabad → Kabul → Mazar-i-Sharif and cross into Iran overland.
Then I came across a vlog from The Pak Tracker channel saying he had been held in Afghanistan for about four months, apparently just because of his camera. I was there for exactly the same reason: to film.
I got nervous. I decided the vlog wasn't worth that risk, and I came back the same way: Torkham → Peshawar → Islamabad → Sargodha. I never used the Iran visa.
Tips if you're thinking of going
- Keep the plan short. Jalalabad alone is a big experience.
- Be careful with your camera. Ask before filming people and checkpoints.
- Carry cash and keep small notes handy at the border.
- Tell someone at home your route and check in daily.
Watch the full journey above, and see how a very different trip came next: Umrah with my brother and a month in Baku.
Questions people ask
How do you go from Pakistan to Afghanistan by road?
The route Hafiz Tayyab took was Islamabad to Peshawar and then to the Torkham border crossing, and on to Jalalabad by road.
How long did he stay in Afghanistan?
About 4 to 5 days, all in Jalalabad.
Why didn't he go to Kabul?
His plan was Jalalabad, Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and on to Iran (his Iran visa was approved). After hearing that another Pakistani vlogger had been detained over his camera, he decided it wasn't worth the risk and came back through Torkham.
What food should you try in Jalalabad?
Qabili pulao, the huge tandoori naans and the dry-fruit mango juice.
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