Nepal: Women's Expedition

13 Days | Experience the natural beauty and culture of Nepal from a female perspective.

5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews submitted.
Women's Expedition
From
NZD $2,585
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With inspiring cultural experiences and days spent trekking in the Himalayas, this women’s only expedition will give you a unique insight into the diverse lives of Nepalese women. Meet a range of female trailblazers, from chefs at a social enterprise to women campaigning to end menstruation discrimination to your all-female crew of mountain guides and porters. Listen to personal stories shared by locals and spend time reconnecting with nature at a female-run village homestay on the fringes of Chitwan National Park, which is helping to conserve wildlife in the area. Connect with Buddhist nuns as you get an inside look at an all-female nunnery challenging patriarchal traditions. Listen, connect and be inspired on this 13-day female-run adventure.

Trip overview

Map of Nepal: Women's Expedition including Nepal
Start
Kathmandu, Nepal
Finish
Kathmandu, Nepal
Theme
Women's Expedition
Destinations
Nepal
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 12
Trip code
HNSW
We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, find out more about our climate commitments and carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Enjoy a five-day hike in the incredible Annapurnas, wholly supported by an all-female crew of leaders, guides, assistants and porters.
  • Get to know the locals during a homestay in Madi Valley that’s run by women who are working to alleviate human impact on the surrounding wilderness and wildlife.
  • Visit an NGO working to abolish the practice of Chhaupadi, the illegal but socially common practice of forbidding women to enter their homes, kitchens, schools and temples during their menstrual cycle as they're beleived to be rendered temporarily impure.
  • Learn how to create traditional dishes while supporting a unique social enterprise that has changed the lives of disadvantaged women, and learn the secrets to creating the perfect MoMo during a cooking class at a Tibetan refugee camp.
  • Swap stories and learn about the lives of local Buddhist nuns as you visit an all-female monastery challenging patriarchal Buddhist traditions.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Seven Women. Donations help them empower marginalised women in Nepal by providing cooking lessons, skills training and educational classes.

Is this trip right for you?
  • While far less challenging than Everest Base Camp, you will still need a high level of fitness for the trekking portion of this trip, as you will be walking for between five to seven hours per day. You will ascend and descend uneven ancient stone steps for much of the trek. We recommend using hiking poles which you can bring or purchase for very low costs in country.
  • While you’re trekking, you’ll be provided with a duffel bag that a female porter will carry. Your porter can carry up to 8 kilograms per traveller and any other luggage can be left in Pokhara to collect at the end of the trek.
  • While on a map we aren't travelling particularly far, the reality of road travel in Nepal is that things always take longer than you expect. Some roads will be bumpy, dusty, or even unexpectedly blocked requiring reroutes and plenty of patience – but that’s all part of the adventure. To make the most of your time in Nepal, we take domestic flights when we have long distances to cross.
  • Accommodation in some destinations may vary in standard and facilities and on occasion hot water may be limited. In more remote parts of Nepal, eating at the hotel restaurant may be practical rather than heading out for optional meals.
  • While we would love to open up these unique experiences to all our travellers regardless of gender, it’s simply not yet possible to do so while operating in a socially responsible and culturally sensitive manner. If you want to travel to Nepal on a similar itinerary, check out some other itineraries or consider booking a private group tour.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024

Map of Nepal: Women's Expedition including Nepal

Inclusions

Meals

7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (4 nights), Guesthouse (2 nights), Homestay (5 nights), Jungle Resort (1 night)

Activities
  • Kathmandu - Welcome dinner
  • Kathmandu - Cooking class at Seven Women
  • Khachoe Ghakyil Ling - Kapan Nunnery Visit
  • Pokhara - Annapurna Homestay Trek (5 days/4 nights)
  • Ghandruk - Guided Village Tour
  • Ghandruk - Gurung Women Cultural Dance
  • Pokhara - Yes Helping Hands Handicrafts
  • Pokhara - Orientation Walk
  • Pokhara - Tibetan community visit with momo lunch
  • Pokhara - Phewa Tal Lake boat trip
  • Pokhara - Peace Pagoda
  • Pokhara - International Mountain Museum
  • Madi Valley - Cultural performance
  • Madi Valley - Cooking class
  • Chitwan NP - Jeep safari
  • Chitwan NP - Village tour
  • Chitwan NP - Tharu village visit
  • Kathmandu - Days for Girls NGO Visit
  • Kathmandu - Durbar Square
  • Kathmandu - Dinner at The Village Cafe
  • Kirtipur - Newari Traditional Manicure
Add on activities
  • Kathmandu - Spiritual Nepal Experience Urban Adventure - USD68
  • Kathmandu - Rickshaw Night Explorer Urban Adventure - USD55
  • Kathmandu - Everest Scenic Flight - USD240
  • Chitwan - Bird watching walk - Free

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A Single Supplement to have your own room is available to purchase and is valid for all nights on the trip except for those spent in teahouses (Days 3-6).
2. Please bring 2 passport size photographs for your trekking permit.
3. Between June and August, it is monsoon season in Nepal. If you do choose to travel during this time, please note that you will encounter wet conditions, obscured views, and an extra leech or two. During the monsoon, there is a chance that your itinerary may be adjusted pending water levels in rivers. Don't forget to pack rain proof jackets and trousers. Please see alternative monsoon season itinerary in the weather section of these notes.
4. Please be aware that in the event of an emergency evacuation, Intrepid does not have control over which helicopter service may be used. Some helicopters are not in regular use with Intrepid and have not passed our internal safety auditing.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Stefanie · Traveled November 2023
My female-lead and all female participant trip through Nepal with Intrepid left me speechless, inspired, empowered and all together completely resettled and balanced. I especially appreciate the social responsibility Intrepid demonstrated in the curation of the trip's iternary. It was wonderful to be able to get to know many local women, - their culture, lifes, hopes and worries.
Review submitted 17 Nov 2023

Ella · Traveled November 2023
Excellent trip. We were properly immersed into the culture and beauty of Nepal. I walk away from this experience with many fond memories. The group was lovely and Srishti, our tour guide, went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and safety.
Review submitted 18 Nov 2023

Debbie · Traveled October 2023
If you are a woman travelling solo, I totally recommend this trip! It’s great to be with a group of likeminded woman and enjoy so much of what Nepal offers, trekking, Nepalese culture, women’s causes, cooking classes,, Chitwan National Park, Pokhara and Katmandu. This is a must do!
Review submitted 22 Oct 2023

Constantina · Traveled September 2023
This tour is excellent and I highly recommend it. The trekking is wonderful and the landscape is beautiful. The tea houses were welcoming and had lots of delicious food. My guide was Srishti who is incredibly inspiring and is a superb tour guide. I am the first person to have done this itinerary and I am really impressed with what it offers. The nunnery experience felt really special and it was great being able to ask so many questions to the women I met along the way. Loved it! Hope to see Nepal again very soon. Thank you!!
Review submitted 07 Oct 2023
Nepal: Women's Expedition
From
NZD $2,585