German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Afghanistan Monday on an unannounced trip to visit German troops, DPA reported.
She was to meet soldiers at a base in Mazar-e Sharif, the capital of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, to learn about their operations.
Merkel had planned to fly into Kunduz province, also in the north, but bad weather prevented the landing.
The chancellor last visited Afghanistan in December 2010.
Fifty-two German military personnel have been killed in more than a decade of involvement in Afghanistan.
The German deployment started with 1,200 troops in 2002. The current figure is around 4,800 and was due to fall to 4,400 by early 2013.
International troops are due to withdraw by 2014 and hand over security responsibility to Afghan forces.
It is Merkel's fourth time in Afghanistan after visits in 2007, 2009 and 2010.