Afghanistan for Women
Kabul → Bamiyan → Ghazni → Kabul → Herat → Kabul
Duration8 Days / 7 Nights
From$2,800/person
Group SizeUp to 8 people
About This Tour
This is our women only Afghanistan tour — eight days designed exclusively for women, with a licensed female Afghan English-speaking guide from the moment you land in Kabul to the moment you depart. The route runs Kabul → Bamiyan → Ghazni → Kabul → Herat → Kabul, with eight fixed departures a year and a maximum of eight travellers. The itinerary enters spaces that mixed groups cannot: women-only family kitchens in the Hazara villages around Bamiyan, the charma duzi silk-thread embroidery cooperatives, a Herat cooking class held in a women-only kitchen for Herati saffron rice, and the tailoring ateliers where embroidered silk dresses are still made by hand. Cultural sites include the Buddha niches, Band-e Amir's six lakes, the Ghaznavid minarets, and the twelve-minaret Masjid-i Jami in Herat. $2,800 per person all-inclusive, single supplement $400. Includes Kabul–Herat domestic flights, four-star hotels throughout, the female guide team, all entrance fees and permits. Solo female travellers welcome — every departure has shipped at full capacity.
Tour Details
| Product ID | DRY-GRP-W8 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
| Type | Group tour — fixed departure dates |
| Group Size | Maximum 8 participants |
| Route | Kabul → Bamiyan → Ghazni → Kabul → Herat → Kabul |
| Domestic Flights | KBL→HEA and HEA→KBL included |
| Hotels | Khyber Hotel, Kabul · Bamyan Royal Hotel, Bamiyan · Sadaf Hotel, Herat |
| Best Season | Spring (Mar–May) and Autumn (Sep–Nov) |
Important Notes
All dinners on Days 1, 6 are women-only. Day 4 is a long drive day (7–8 hours Bamiyan–Ghazni–Kabul). Day 7 Herat activities are departure-dependent — confirmed at the time of booking based on flight schedule.
All dinners on Days 1, 6 are women-only. Day 4 is a long drive day (7–8 hours Bamiyan–Ghazni–Kabul). Day 7 Herat activities are departure-dependent — confirmed at the time of booking based on flight schedule.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
1
Day 1 — Arrival in Kabul
Kabul sits at 1,800 metres in a valley ringed by the Hindu Kush, continuously inhabited for at least 3,500 years. Kah Faroshi — its name means straw seller — was once the commercial artery of the Silk Road and remains one of the most atmospheric markets in the city. Timur Shah Durrani moved the Afghan capital here from Kandahar in 1776; his mausoleum, built in the Persian style, still stands at the centre of the city he chose. Your group leader and female guide join you for a private welcome dinner.
2
Day 2 — Kabul to Bamiyan
The Bamiyan Valley sat at the crossroads of the Silk Road for over a thousand years. Shahr-e Gholghola — City of Screams — was the Hazara citadel destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1221; local legend says the screams of the dying were heard for days. The two giant Buddha niches, carved between the 5th and 7th centuries CE, held statues of 55 and 38 metres until their destruction in March 2001. The valley is the heartland of the Hazara people, who have lived here for at least 700 years.
3
Day 3 — Bamiyan Community Day
Hazara embroidery — known as charma duzi — is one of the most distinctive textile traditions in Afghanistan, using bold geometric patterns in silk thread on dark velvet. The craft has been passed from mother to daughter for generations and is one of the main sources of income for women in the valley. The English school, founded by Hussain Naveed and featured in VICE magazine in 2022, teaches English and digital skills to young Hazaras who have few other educational opportunities.
4
Day 4 — Bamiyan → Ghazni → Kabul
⚠ Long drive day — approximately 7–8 hours total including the Ghazni visit. Early departure from Bamiyan required.
Ghazni was the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire (977–1186 CE), at its peak one of the most powerful dynasties of the Islamic world, ruling from eastern Iran to northern India. The two surviving minarets are all that remains of a mosque contemporaries described as the most beautiful in the Islamic world. The Military Open Air Museum displays Soviet-era tanks and aircraft abandoned after the 1989 withdrawal — a stark contrast with the Ghaznavid monuments a short walk away.
5
Day 5 — Kabul to Herat
Herat’s Great Mosque, the Masjid-e Jami, was first built in the 12th century and has been enlarged and rebuilt continuously since. Its twelve minarets and the intricate geometric tilework of its facade represent the apex of Timurid decorative art. The Citadel — Qala Ikhtyaruddin — has dominated the city for over 3,000 years and was used as a military barracks until 2005, when it was handed to the Archaeological Institute of Afghanistan for restoration.
6
Day 6 — Herat Women’s Experiences
Herat has long been the cultural capital of Afghanistan and its women have historically occupied a more public role in civic and artistic life than in other cities. The traditional Herati kitchen is famous for its rice dishes and saffron use — Afghanistan is one of the world’s largest saffron producers and the Herat region is its heartland. The tailoring quarter near the old bazaar specialises in the embroidered silk dresses and velvet cloaks that are specific to Herati women’s dress.
7
Day 7 — Herat to Kabul
The shrine at Gazurgah holds the tomb of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari (1006–1088), one of the great Sufi mystics and poets of the Islamic world. The complex was completed by the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh in the early 15th century and remains an active pilgrimage site visited by women and men separately on different days. Wazir Akbar Khan Hill gives the best panoramic view over Kabul and the surrounding mountains at golden hour.
8
Day 8 — Kabul and Departure
Shewaki Buddhist Stupa is a Kushan-period monument from the 2nd to 4th centuries CE, one of the few Buddhist sites near Kabul. Bagh-e Babur was laid out by the founder of the Mughal Empire before 1530 — one of the oldest surviving Mughal gardens in the world and Babur’s chosen burial site. His open marble tomb is still here. International connections from Kabul include Dubai (flydubai), Doha (Qatar Airways), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), and Abu Dhabi (Air Arabia).
✓ Included
- Airport meet and greet on Day 1
- Hotel and airport transfers throughout
- All accommodation in shared twin/double room with private bathroom
- Full-time licensed female Afghan guide throughout
- Private vehicle with driver and fuel
- Breakfast and lunch every day
- Women-only welcome dinner (Day 1)
- Female-only local family house lunch in Bamiyan (Day 3)
- Female-only farewell dinner in Herat (Day 6)
- Entry tickets and photo permits
- Government taxes and tourist permits
- Domestic flights KBL→HEA and HEA→KBL (Days 5 and 7)
- Hazara clothing-making and embroidery workshop (Day 3)
- Afghan cooking class in women-only kitchen, Herat (Day 6)
- Women’s tailoring workshop and fabric consultation, Herat (Day 6)
- Letter of Invitation for Afghanistan visa — free, within 48 hours of booking
✗ Not Included
- International flights to and from Kabul
- Afghanistan visa fee
- Travel insurance (required — IATI Travel Insurance covers Afghanistan)
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Cost of custom Afghan clothing commissioned in Herat (paid directly to the tailor)
- Single supplement — $400 per person
Route Map
── Overland route
- ✈ - Flight
Tour Price
$2,800
per person · all-inclusive ground price
Solo supplement (own room): +$400 per person
Includes accommodation, guide, transport, flights where shown, entry tickets, meals as listed. International flights not included.
Departure Dates
No upcoming departures scheduled. Enquire about a private departure on your preferred dates.
Book Your Place
Select a departure date and send us your details. Our Kabul team replies within 12 hours, every day. No payment required at this stage.
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