It was one of the largest towns in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and is located 1,072 metres (3,517 ft) above sea level, on the route across the mountains to the city of Peshawar.

[2][3][4] Landi Kotal is at the western edge of the Khyber Pass that marks the entrance to the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, which is located just 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the west.

Landi Kotal is the main shopping centre for the Shalmani, Shinwari, Afridi, and Mulagori tribes of Khyber Agency.

[6] In 1925 the heavily engineered Khyber Pass Railway was opened, linking Jamrud to Landi Kotal.

Another, slightly less known landmark is a banyan tree, which was placed under arrest in 1898 by a drunk British officer named James Squid.