Balkh: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Balkh is a city of 114,883 people in Afghanistan, 348 m (1,142 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport (MZR), 29 km (18 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Balkh runs from about 9 h 42 min a day in late December to 14 h 44 min in late June (computed for 36.76° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Balkh is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport (MZR), 29 km (18 mi) from the centre, whose 10,437-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Termez Airport (TMJ, 70 km).
Flights to Balkh: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Balkh · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kabul, 322 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Dushanbe, 258 km (Tajikistan)
- Samarkand, 322 km (Uzbekistan)
- Mazār-e Sharīf, 20 km — tours
- Bukhara, 398 km (Uzbekistan)
- Qarshi, 253 km (Uzbekistan)
- Istaravshan, 396 km (Tajikistan)
- Türkmenabat, 389 km (Turkmenistan)
- Kŭlob, 286 km (Tajikistan)
- Tirmiz, 62 km (Uzbekistan)
Twin towns and sister cities: Samarkand.
Common questions
Which airport serves Balkh?
Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport (MZR), 29 km (18 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Balkh?
About 114,883 people live in Balkh (GeoNames).
What time zone is Balkh in?
Asia/Kabul, currently UTC+4:30.
What currency is used in Balkh?
The Afghani (AFN). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Balkh?
Kabul (322 km), Dushanbe (258 km), Samarkand (322 km), Mazār-e Sharīf (20 km), Bukhara (398 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.