Afghanistan Tour Operator — Darya Expeditions, Licensed in Kabul

Afghanistan tour operator. Licensed. Afghan-owned. On the ground.

Darya Expeditions is registered with the Ministry of Information & Culture — Licence ATO-00573. Founded in Kabul by two Afghan brothers from Bamiyan. Every tour we run is led by someone who was born here.

Licence ATO-00573 Reg No 00309 TIN 9027292250 AFGTO member Kabul office — Pul-e-Surkh

Built in Bamiyan. Run from Kabul.

Hussain Naveed and Hassan Jan Naveed grew up in the Bamiyan Valley. They lost their parents young and built their lives through education — as students, then as teachers, then as founders of a private education centre in the Hazarajat region.

That education centre, built from nothing, has served over 300 students — most of them girls and young women — under Taliban rule. When the Taliban returned in 2021 and closed girls' schools across the country, Hussain negotiated directly with local Taliban officials to keep his centre open. He is still teaching today.

Hussain and Hassan founded Darya Expeditions. The name comes from the Dari word for river — darya — a reference to the country's lifeblood: the Amu Darya, the Helmand, the Panjshir. The logic behind the company was simple: no one can show you Afghanistan better than people who have spent their entire lives here.

The credentials

Ministry licensed

Travel & Tours Licence ATO-00573, issued by the Ministry of Information & Culture, Directorate of Tourism. Reg No. 00309.

Kabul office

Registered address: Pul-e-Surkh, Kabul. A permanent physical presence in Afghanistan — not a virtual address or a foreign reseller arrangement.

Afghan-owned

Owned entirely by Afghan nationals. President Hussain Naveed and Vice President Hassan Jan Naveed are the founders and directors. No foreign holding company.

Founder-led from day one

We have run every Darya tour ourselves. Every departure since has been completed safely — group tours on fixed dates, private tours on any dates you choose.

The founders

Hussain Naveed — President

Born in the Bamiyan Valley, Hussain grew up through three decades of conflict. He graduated university against the odds, became an English teacher, and in 2021 — the year everyone was leaving — opened a private education centre in the Hazarajat region. Taliban family members attended his classes. Girls enrolled when no government school would take them. The centre is still running today.

Hassan Naveed — Vice President

Hassan grew up in the same household, through the same losses, through the same Bamiyan. Where Hussain built the education centre, Hassan built the operational infrastructure — the Kabul logistics, the northern routes, the checkpoint relationships, the ground transport network that Darya runs on. He speaks Dari, Pashto, and English, and has driven or escorted tours across every province Darya operates in.

Inside Afghanistan's Secret Schools for Girls — VICE

Documented by VICE World News

In August 2022, VICE World News travelled to Afghanistan specifically to document Hussain's work. The article — "Inside Afghanistan's Secret Schools for Girls" — ran globally and became one of the most-read pieces VICE published that year on Afghanistan.

He founded Darya Expeditions to do for tourism what he had done for education: build something Afghan-owned, Afghan-run, and built to last.

Read the VICE profile

Two brothers. One company. Every tour led by Afghans.

Darya is not a Western operator with an Afghan subcontractor. It is not a Dubai LLC reselling a Kabul operation. It is an Afghan company, registered in Kabul, owned by Afghans, with Afghan guides on every departure. When you book with Darya, the people taking your money are the same people taking you around the country.

Browse tours

How we work

1 · You enquire

Start a chat with our assistant or fill the booking form — your dates, group size, and which tour interests you. We reply within 12 hours, every day.

2 · We confirm and quote

We hold your dates and send a fixed quote — the exact itinerary, hotels, domestic flights, and total price. No hidden costs added later.

3 · Letter of Invitation in 48h

Once you confirm, we issue your LOI from our Kabul office within 48 hours — use it to apply for your Afghanistan visa at any Afghan embassy worldwide.

4 · 30% deposit

Deposit on confirmation, balance on arrival in Kabul. Bank transfer, Wise, or card via N-Genius.

5 · We meet you at the airport

Our driver and guide meet you at Kabul International Airport with your name on a card. Tour begins.

Legal & licensing

Darya Expeditions — registered name Darya-e-Ba Shuko Travel & Tour Co — holds Travel & Tours Licence ATO-00573, issued by the Ministry of Information & Culture, Deputy of Tourism, Finance & Administrator, Directorate of Tourism.

Registration No: 00309 · TIN: 9027292250 · Registered address: Pul-e-Surkh, Kabul, Afghanistan.

This licence is the legal requirement to operate as a tour company in Afghanistan. It is renewed annually with the Ministry. Our permits are current. Our guides carry operator documentation at every checkpoint.

Darya Expeditions licence — Afghan Ministry of Information & Culture

What we offer

Private Tours

Any start date, 1–25 travellers, your pace — with a licensed Afghan guide throughout.

Monthly Group Tours

Fixed departures across 2026–27. Max 10 travellers, founder-led, all-inclusive.

Day Trips from Kabul

Panjshir Valley, Mes Aynak, Jalalabad and Ghazni — structured one-day routes from the capital.

About Us