- Guides are not necessary for travel in Afghanistan even though some guides will try to tell you otherwise. You may hire a guide or a translator to help facilitate communication if you wish.
- Guides are not necessary for obtaining permits. If you hire a local guide upon arrival in a province, you can have the guide’s name put on the province specific permit. This makes the guide responsible for you in that province.
- If a guide obtains permits in Kabul for you, the guide’s name will appear on the permit. You can later change this if you decide to hire another guide or go independently when you register in each province, but it’s an extra step to take. The guide might also be questioned if he does not accompany you to other provinces and would have to explain why he’s not with you.
- Generally if you wish to maintain the most flexibility, it’s best to obtain permits independently and add guides wherever you hire them. This way you’re not making anyone responsible for you without needing to and you’re also not paying for their time unnecessarily.