Intrepid's women's only tours include Pakistan, Nepal in 2023

Intrepid's Women's Expeditions, which launched in 2018, are a collection of tours led entirely by female leaders. They aim to break down barriers for female travellers, debunk misconceptions about gender norms and celebrate the similarities and differences of women around the globe.

The 12-Day Pakistan Women's Expedition (priced from $5275), will depart on September 17 from Lahore, Pakistan.

Travellers will have the opportunity of experiencing one of the country's few female-only salons in the ancient town of Gulmit, which provides women with hijabs a safe and respectful place to get their haircut. They will also discover Pakistan's under-estimated natural beauty, with the country holding the second highest record of mountains over 8000 metres, just after Nepal. Travellers will join a local female leader on a journey through the Hunza Valley, discovering the communities and landscapes of the Hallowed Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountains.

Intrepid Pakistani Tour Leader Aneeqa Ali, is the founder of The Mad Hatters, a female-led travel company. Intrepid has partnered with Aneeqa to help provide more opportunities for female tour leaders in Pakistan and through this expedition, Aneeqa hopes more women in the world will come to discover Pakistan's beauty and rich culture while supporting local female-owned businesses.

Intrepid is also debuting a 13-day Nepal Women's Expedition this year, priced from $2295. Travellers will enjoy a five-day hike in the breathtaking Annapurna Mountain range, accompanied by an all-female crew of guides and porters.

They will learn about the challenges of local Buddhist nuns in an all-female monastery contradicting custom patriarchal traditions, and meet an NGO working to abolish the practice of Chhaupadi, the illegal but socially common tradition of banning women from homes, schools and temples during their menstrual cycle.

They will also enjoy traditional Nepalese dishes at a MoMo cooking class with Ms. Dolma and experience a homestay in Madi Valley where local women are working to alleviate the impact of human activity on surrounding wildlife and nature.

The Intrepid Women's Expeditions range will feature four other trips this year, each one carefully designed to support employment opportunities for women while expanding the possibilities of female travel. They will be in Morocco, India, Jordan and Iran.

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