Welcome break: tourists flock to explore Afghanistan’s hidden treasures

Welcome break: tourists at Mazar-e-Sharif (Dylan Harris)

Renewed interest in Afghanistan as a travel destination

“It’s completely blown me away,” said Dylan Harris, founder of Lupine Travel. “It’s the last place I expected to sell so well.”

The destination: Afghanistan, a country that the UK Foreign Office warns is “extremely dangerous”.

Mr Harris told The Independent: “Unbelievably this year, Afghanistan is our most popular destination.”

A shift in perception on safety

The Wigan-based extreme travel firm previously operated trips to Afghanistan, but dropped the country when the Taliban took over in 2021.

“We expected it to be up to a decade or more before it would be safe enough to travel there,” Mr Harris said.

“But it turned out in the end that it’s actually safer to travel there now than it was before because the people who we were trying to avoid before are the people in charge.

“One of my staff members went over in September to do the initial research trip. That went well. Last month, we put three trips on sale for next year. They sold out immediately.

“Now we’ve got eight trips next year and they’ve all completely sold out.

“There was always demand for it prior to the Taliban [takeover], but I think a lot of people were worried about safety. Whereas now, people aren’t as concerned about the safety issue.

“The only thing: there’s a lot more red tape than there used to be. So every time we move from one city to the next, it’s a case of getting all the paperwork checked out.”

Discovering Afghanistan’s hidden treasures

All eight tours for next year are sold out, with two tours available for 2025. The price of £2,250 covers 10 days of travel, taking in various remarkable destinations:

Kabul – the capital
Herat – the historic city
Bamiyan – the site of the destroyed Buddha statues
Band-e-Amir National Park
Mazar-e-Sharif – a city in the Hindu Kush
Balkh – religious sites
Witnessing a traditional game of buzkashi

Note that flights are not included and typically involve travel via Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or Istanbul.

Warnings and contingency plans

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Afghanistan due to the ongoing high threat of terrorist attacks and the extreme danger throughout the country. The FCDO specifically warns about the risk of detention of British nationals and the limitation of consular assistance.

Standard travel insurance policies issued in the UK are not valid in countries to which the FCDO advises against travel.

Ethical considerations

The Independent raised the ethical issue of supporting a regime that is internationally vilified by traveling to Afghanistan.

Mr Harris responded: “It’s always an ongoing issue with a lot of the destinations we work with. We don’t work directly with the Taliban. Obviously, the Afghan embassies need to issue the visas. But the most important thing is: we get over there, we meet the local people.

“We don’t have any interaction with the Taliban. We’re meeting people who are really happy to see foreign faces coming back over and supporting hotels, supporting the local economy.”

Special considerations for female visitors

Female visitors may face restrictions in certain areas, as demonstrated by the ban on visiting a National Park near Bamiyan. However, alternative activities are being organized to ensure a fulfilling experience for all travelers.