Afghanistan has fascinated traveller for years – but due to the recent developments, travel to this country was not easy. But, today, travellers are making inroads into this country again. A dear friend and “women only” tour operator Diana does tours in Afghanistan (women only of course!) and I managed to persuade her to write a guest post!
Here is the real story by Diana (a.k.a The Globetrotting Detective). You can follow her social media or contact her for the next tour!
Afghanistan is a traveller’s dream
After spending months traveling across Afghanistan as a woman and organizing women-only tours there, I can confidently say that traveling as a woman gives you access to unique experiences that most visitors will never have.
During my journeys across Afghanistan, I had the opportunity to talk to Afghan women, learn about their lives, meet inspiring Afghan women I never imagined I would meet, and visit women-only spaces, such as women-run businesses and initiatives.
Afghanistan receives very little tourism. Because of that, many women-run businesses, art galleries, and workshops rarely receive visitors, especially not international visitors.
Believe me, they are incredibly happy when we visit them. Time and time again, they tell me, “Please bring more women to meet us.” Afghan women want the world to see how they live, work, and run their businesses.
If you decide to travel to Afghanistan and meet Afghan women by visiting these women-only spaces, you’ll not only have unforgettable experiences, but you’ll also directly contribute to the success of these women-run businesses and create opportunities for other women.
If you ever travel to Afghanistan as a woman, these are 10 experiences you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
I’ve experienced each of them with the women who joined my women-only tours to Afghanistan, and now I’d love to share them with you.
Top 10 Experiences to have
1. Explore women-run art galleries and meet female Afghan artists
One of the most inspiring experiences is visiting art galleries where Afghan female artists learn, create, exhibit, and sell their work.
Some of these galleries are owned and managed by women, providing a safe space where female artists can develop their talents despite the many challenges they face.
Besides admiring beautiful paintings and handicrafts, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the artists, hear their stories, and support their work by purchasing their artwork.
We visited women-run art galleries in both Kabul and Herat. I’m honestly not an art person and I rarely visit art galleries when I travel. However, these galleries made me appreciate art in a way I never had before.
Many of the paintings tell powerful stories about women in Afghanistan. Even if you’re not into art, I genuinely believe you’ll love these art galleries because of the stories these paintings tell and because of the inspiring women you’ll meet there.
2. Learn to prepare tradition Afghan food with women in Bamyan
One of the most memorable experiences in Bamyan is learning from Afghan women how to prepare traditional Afghan food, such as mantu, in a women-only park.
Women are banned from public parks in Afghanistan, but they are allowed to gather in women-only parks, where they meet for various social activities.
As a foreign visitor, you can join them as they teach you how to prepare one of Afghanistan’s most famous dishes.
Besides learning how to prepare one of Afghanistan’s most famous dishes, you can spend time chatting, laughing, and getting to know local women in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
3. Meet female Principal, teachers and doctors at a local high school
Visiting a local high school in Mazar-e-Sharif was one of the most eye-opening experiences I had in Afghanistan.
Here you can meet the students, a female principal, female teachers, and a female doctor, giving you a completely different perspective on Afghanistan than what many people expect.
You can learn a great deal about how these women are able to continue working under the Taliban government and what their daily lives are like as working women in Afghanistan.
This is a great opportunity to ask questions openly, hear their personal stories, and gain a much deeper understanding of the challenges they face every day.
4. Shop and have lunch at the Women’s park in Mazar-e-Sharif
Mazar-e-Sharif is home to a women-only park where local women gather to relax, socialize, and run small businesses. Here you can browse stalls run by local women selling handmade products, jewelry, clothes, and local food while supporting women entrepreneurs.
You should definitely have lunch here. We had the best mantu in all of Afghanistan at one of the food stalls, freshly homemade by local women, and it remains one of my favorite meals from the entire trip.
5. Meet female artists at the Herat Citadel
The Herat Citadel is one of Afghanistan’s most impressive historical landmarks, but there is another hidden gem that many visitors completely overlook.
After entering the citadel’s gate, but before entering the citadel itself, look to the right. You don’t even need to buy an entrance ticket to access this area.
Here you’ll find a number of small handicraft shops, including several run by female artists.
This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Afghan women who learn traditional crafts, create beautiful handmade products, and sell their work. They’ll happily show you their work, explain their creation, and, if you wish, you can support them by purchasing one of their handmade products.
6. Discover a women-run soap workshop
Hidden inside an apartment in a family home in Herat is a small women-run soap workshop.
This is where the women produce natural handmade soaps, oils, and other products, and where they present and sell them to visitors.
Visiting the workshop offers a fascinating insight into how the women make their products, manage their business, and overcome the challenges of running it as female entrepreneurs. If you like what you see, you can also buy their products directly from them.
I absolutely loved their products and still use them both at home and while traveling. They are also wonderful souvenirs and gifts for family and friends.
7. Visit a women-run tailoring factory
We visited a women-run tailoring factory in Herat, where the owner showed us around the workshop and explained how the business operates.
One of the biggest surprises for me was learning that there are actually many women-run tailoring businesses across Afghanistan. She explained how she built and now manages her factory despite the many challenges she has faced, both as a female entrepreneur and as a business owner in the tailoring industry.
We also learned how the workshop operates on a daily basis and how it provides employment opportunities for women from disadvantaged backgrounds.
At the end of our visit, she had one simple message:
“Please tell your friends to come and visit us. Tell the world about us. We want people to see how Afghan women strive.”
8. Enjoy a meal or a coffee at a Women’s cafe
One of the best ways to support Afghan women while visiting the country is by stopping at a women’s café.
At the moment, women’s cafés operate in Kabul, while those in Herat have unfortunately been closed by the morality police.
This is not the first time it has happened, so hopefully the closure is only temporary and they will be able to reopen in the future.
These cafés receive very few customers, so your visit can make a real difference. But it’s not only about supporting women-run businesses. You can also enjoy delicious Afghan food or a cup of coffee in a welcoming atmosphere and meet local Afghan women.
I can assure you that spending time in one of these cafés will become one of the highlights of your trip.
9. Experience the children’s circus
MMCC Global is an organization that operates children’s circuses across Afghanistan. During our trip, we visited one of its centers in Herat, where children and young people learn circus skills, music, theatre, and many other creative activities.
During our visit, we watched the young performers in action and learned more about the organization’s work and its positive impact on the local community.
They were incredibly happy to welcome us, perform for us, and proudly show us their talents. It was a wonderful opportunity to experience a different side of Afghanistan and meet children who are developing their talents through this inspiring project.
10. Travel with a team of women
Many of the experiences described in this article are only possible when you travel with a team of women and local female guides.
They open doors that would otherwise remain closed, introducing you to women-only spaces, female entrepreneurs, artists, teachers, and many other inspiring Afghan women that most travelers never get the chance to meet.
All of the experiences described in this article are included in my 13-day women-only tours to Afghanistan, which I organize every spring and autumn together with local female guides.
Our goal is not only to show you Afghanistan’s incredible history and landscapes, but also to introduce you to the inspiring women behind these businesses, schools, workshops, cafés, and community projects.
If you’d like to experience Afghanistan through the eyes of its women, I’d love to welcome you on one of my tours.
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