My name is Caitlin and I have been a tour leader at YPT for three years. One of the highlights of my career has been leading 3 of our Women’s Only Tour to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been a country I have loved for many years, having a history of collaboration and fundraising during my time at University and making some online friends from the country. However, nothing has compared to traveling to Afghanistan.
At the time of writing, I have been traveling to Afghanistan multiple times a year – leading mixed or women’s only tours and have also begun learning the most spoken language in the country (Dari). Afghanistan indeed has a special place in my heart, a sentence which I know resonates with many people who travel to the country.
Below are some of my thoughts about traveling to Afghanistan, particularly on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan.
Table of Contents
Is Travel To Afghanistan Ethical?
This depends almost entirely on your intention. Many people will say that going to Afghanistan means you support the Taliban. While the $124 USD visa fee and some taxes from your tour will go towards the government, travel to any country doesn’t necessarily mean you support its government.
If you are interested in learning about the Afghan culture, experiencing the surreal nature and assisting where you can, traveling to Afghanistan may be exactly the destination for you.
When traveling to a place, I always like to look at the general opinion of the population. Do they want tourists? Do people react warmly to guests?
Afghans are known for their extreme hospitality, something that has not been destroyed by decades of conflict, or eroded with tough circumstances such as sanctions, natural disasters and poverty. As a muslim, I understand the sentiment: we believe guests are a gift from God. It is a sentence you will hear in many muslim majority countries.
What About The Lives Of Women?
The new rules in place limit the freedom of women significantly. Women are allowed to work in certain fields (on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan, you will see women working in family sections at restaurants, in security and border operations, as artists, Doctors and nurses and more). Women no longer can work in the government, in salons and many other places. Some women have resorted to taking online courses or have found online employment to give themselves an income.
On our women’s only tour, it is possible to visit some incredible women. While we keep our visits rather private for safety reasons, our itinerary is packed with women-only activities!
Unfortunately, women are also not permitted to be registered tour guides. While we hope in the future women can return as registered guides to meet the needs of foreign female travellers, especially on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan, we continue our tours, including as many women as we can within the limitations we face.
While many critics will often say traveling to Afghanistan is harmful, reducing engagement is too. Sanctions are in part to blame for the economic situation – and cutting off Afghan women from the rest of the world is not helpful.
There are many organisations, platforms and spokeswomen talking about these issues and there are many great Afghan voices in the diaspora and in the country who are advocating for a better future for Afghanistan and its women.
Is Afghanistan Dangerous As A Woman?
Something that is immediately obvious from your first visit to Afghanistan is that many rules that apply for local women do not stretch as far to international tourists. Foreign tourists have the privilege of making faux pas without recourse or action.
Sometimes foreign women are bound to the same laws as local women (for example, both local and foreign women are currently not allowed to enter the Sakhi Shrine in Kabul), but for the most part, foreign women can receive permission to visit places that local women may not be permitted to. This becomes very evident on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan.
This is a pill hard to swallow – especially at religious sites where women attempt to make pilgrimage or pray in front of a particular shrine but they are denied entry. Viewing this is an essential part of recognising how travel to Afghanistan is bitter sweet – heartbreaking, but necessary to see.
In general, safety is indeed something to consider before traveling to Afghanistan. Many countries list Afghanistan as a ‘Do not travel’ country on the travel advice page. We recommend taking your country’s advice into consideration before deciding to travel on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan – or any of our Afghanistan tours.
Do Women Have To Wear The Burqa?
The burqa, the famous head and face covering that includes mesh over the eyes is not mandatory. While many online images in the media will show an image of Afghan women represented by the light blue burqa, in many cities you will barely see it. In Kabul, Bamiyan, Herat and Mazar E Sharif, many women do not wear the burqa at all. All cover their hair with a shawl or headscarf, some cover their face with a face mask or niqab, but many dress casually in an abaya and scarf.
Of course, it depends on the area. If you travel to more remote villages, the number of women wearing the burqa increases significantly.
As a tourist on our women’s only tour to Afghanistan, you just need to cover your hair. We highly recommend wearing an abaya too – to blend in with the local women. On our mixed tours, we encourage the men to buy a local Shami Kameez to blend in – something that becomes a very nice souvenir to take home.
Is The Situation Improving?
While social rules can be strict in Afghanistan, whether or not they are implemented on the daily level depends on who and where you are. Sometimes there are crackdowns and pressure from security to follow legislation, whereas other times you feel as though the situation may be improving. Almost every trip my mind changes on how the situation is unfolding – probably because it is indeed constantly changing! Most women who join our women’s only tour to Afghanistan leave with different opinions and views.
Should You Travel to Afghanistan?
Almost no Afghan tour goes exactly according to plan – sometimes denial into places are unavoidable or the notorious airlines decide to cancel flights. If you are up for a unique adventure, where things can change, and you can recognise that Afghanistan does not yet have a strong tourism infrastructure, Afghanistan may be high on your list. Our women’s only tour to Afghanistan might be right for you!
Traveling to Afghanistan has changed my life in ways I never would have expected. It has awarded me better reflective skills, where I can reflect on my own beliefs, privileges and morals. Meeting Afghans who have gone through so much heartache, but still live authentically kind has been inspiring. Meeting young girls who have a lot of hope about the future of Afghanistan has made me grateful for all the choices and ease I have had in my own life.
Many Afghan voices are excluded from the tourism conversation about Afghanistan. One of my girl friends living in Kabul had the following to say about tourism:
“I personally feel happy when foreign tourists visit Afghanistan. Beyond the economic benefits, tourism allows people from different countries to discover a side of Afghanistan that many have never seen. Too often, Afghanistan is known only through news about conflict, but it is also a country with a rich history, breathtaking landscapes, diverse cultures, and warm hospitality. When visitors experience our country firsthand, they help share a more balanced and authentic image of Afghanistan with the world. I believe tourism can help build understanding between people, challenge stereotypes, and showcase the beauty and resilience of the Afghan people.” – N
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