Intrepid Travel, the world's largest B-Corp-certified travel company, is expanding its range of women-only trips for International Women's Day 2023, including its first ever Women's Expedition in Pakistan.

Intrepid's Women's Expeditions, which first launched in 2018, are a collection of tours led entirely by female leaders that aim to break down barriers for female travellers, debunk misconceptions about gender norms, and offer an insight into the traditions, daily lives and challenges of women around the globe.

Headlining the new trips for 2023 is the 12-Day Pakistan Women's Expedition (from £3,040pp), which will have its first departure on September 17 from Lahore, Pakistan.

Travellers will learn what life looks like for both women living in Pakistan's vibrant capital Islamabad and in the remote communities of the Hunza Valley.

Led by a Pakistani guide with deep connection to local communities, groups will spend time with pioneering women who are working to empower their communities through local projects including carpet-weaving, cooking classes, and cafes. They'll also experience a female only salon, owned by a local woman and run out of her home in Gulmit, a small village in the Hunza Valley surrounded by mountains and glaciers.

ntrepid's tour leader Aneeqa Ali, who has helped lead the development of this tour, has witnessed the global misrepresentation of Pakistan and the lack of female inclusion in her home country's tourism efforts. “Even the most adventurous travellers who have been all over the world don't know much about Pakistan. When travellers want to visit, women in particular want a female tour guide because of the news they've heard about Pakistan, but if you look at Pakistan's tourism industry, it's like a world of men,” said Ali. “I've faced these challenges firsthand and thought 'Why not be the change you want to see in the world?'”

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

Alongside the Pakistan Expedition, Intrepid is also debuting a Nepal Women's Expedition, which will run for the first time this year. The Intrepid Women's Expeditions range will feature six trips in 2023, each one carefully designed to support employment opportunities for women.

Highlights include:

Nepal Women's Expedition (NEW): (13 days, from £1,320pp)
Intrepid travellers will enjoy a five-day hike in the breathtaking Annapurna Mountain range, accompanied by an all-female crew of guides and porters. Travellers 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.

Morocco Women's Expedition: (8 days, from £756pp)
Travellers will make their way through the ancient medina of Marrakech, getting lost in the labyrinth of pathways, shops and riads, before enjoying a home-cooked meal with Zineb, a local Marrakech woman and chef. Travellers will also be welcomed with open arms into the homes of Amazigh families for a traditional Moroccan feast, see how an artist co-op is empowering female rug-weavers in small villages, take in the verdant beauty of the far-flung M'goun Valley, and enjoy the singing and dancing of Moroccan women in small village ceremonies. 

India Women's Expedition: (12 days, from £1,035pp)
In India, Intrepid groups will travel by public transport in the female-only carriage of the Delhi Metro and explore the colorful bazaars and architectural delights of Old Delhi. They will head out into the remote dunes of the Thar Desert to spend a night under the stars with traditional food and dance performances by the local women – while the men go off and cook dinner. They will also take a city tour on board the eye-catching pink rickshaws of Pink City Rickshaw Co, a non-profit that supports female livelihood in India. 

Jordan Women's Expedition: (8 days, from £1,433pp)
On Intrepid's eight-day Jordan Women's Expedition, travellers have the unique opportunity of developing a deeper understanding of Middle Eastern women, learning the art and significance of henna to Bedouin women, celebrating sisterhood at a female-run cooking school dedicated to tradition, floating in the Dead Sea at a female-only beach, and enjoying tea and chit chat with a renowned female matchmaker to learn about the customs of marriage and relationships in Jordan.

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ABOUT INTREPID TRAVEL        
Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world's most amazing places for more than 30 years. The company's mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel. The company offers more than 1,150 trips on every continent and every is designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of destination management companies in 26 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally renowned as a leader in responsible travel, in 2018 the carbon-neutral business became the world's largest travel company to be certified B-Corp. Intrepid Travel is the first tour operator with near-term science-based climate targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative, and its not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised more than $12 million for more than 135 partners around the world. For further information download the company's 2021 Integrated Annual Report and follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.