Nepal: Women's Expedition

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal. Your Women’s Expedition begins in Kathmandu with a welcome meeting at 2 pm at your hotel. After, join your leader and fellow travellers for an included dinner at a local restaurant, where you can dig into local flavours and try Nepali favourites like momos and dal bhat. The dinner also includes a traditional dance performance to end the evening. If you arrive early, maybe check out the many shops and cafes in the Thamel (the city’s main tourist district) or visit some of Kathmandu’s most sacred sites on the Kathmandu: Spiritual Nepal Experience Urban Adventure.

Wake early and head to Kapan’s Khachoe Ghakyil Ling – a Buddhist nunnery on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The nunnery's mission is to provide a safe place for women who want to dedicate their lives to the Buddha's teachings. This unique experience offers insight into their daily lives and how they’re challenging patriarchal Buddhist traditions. After, take on a cooking class at Sungava Nepal – an organisation that provides socioeconomic support to marginalised women through skills training, income generation and other education programs. While the initiative started with just seven participants, it has since educated, trained and employed over 5000 women. Learn how to make delicious local dishes and hear how the women here have overcome discrimination and turned their lives around. Tuck into your creations before returning to Kathmandu to spend the afternoon at your leisure.

Today you’ll take a 30-minute flight to the city of Pokhara – set in a beautiful valley overlooked by the Annapurna Mountains. The flight offers views of the Himalaya range to the north on a clear day, so keep your camera handy. Join your leader for a quick orientation walk, then head to a Tibetan refugee settlement for a special momo cooking class. The class is hosted by a woman born and raised in the camp – her parents fled Tibet during the China invasion and raised her here along with her siblings. Swap stories and be inspired by how she overcame her adversities. After, you’ll visit Yes Helping Hands Handicrafts, where people with disabilities are trained in traditional handloom weaving, dyeing and knitting. Your accommodation tonight is at 3 Sisters Guesthouse – owned by three sisters who work to promote and empower socially disadvantaged women through adventure tourism. They provide skills-based training programs and employment opportunities to encourage women to become independent.

Transfer by private vehicle to Birethanti, where you’ll meet your all-female crew of assistant guides and porters and begin your five-day trek. Today’s route takes you through rural villages, rice paddies and terraced fields. You can expect the first part of this trek to be relatively flat and easy-going, but after you reach Tikhedhunga, be prepared to get your blood pumping as you climb hundreds of stone steps to Ulleri. Go at a nice steady pace and take plenty of rest stops to take in the amazing views along the way. When you arrive at Ulleri (2070 m), settle into your first teahouse of the trek and maybe get your first peek of the Annapurna Range if the skies are clear.

Ghorepani sits at a cool 2860 m above sea level, so you can expect to get your heart rate pumping on today’s exciting uphill climb. You’ll pass traditional homes and teahouses along a path that winds up and down hills before rewarding you with views of Annapurna South halfway along the trek. Meander through thicker wooded areas filled with towering bamboo plants and blooming trees. Then, venture beyond Banthanti (2300 m) through a moss-coated jungle before reaching Nangathanti (2520 m), where you’ll continue your journey to Ghorepani and enjoy a well-deserved rest this evening.

Sunrise enthusiasts rejoice – today, you’ll rise early for a pre-dawn hike up Poon Hill to enjoy the sunrise over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna Range. On a clear day, it offers 180-degree views of giant snow-clad peaks. You'll then head back to your teahouse for breakfast before lacing up your boots for today’s trek to Tadapani (2630 m). Expect more magnificent views to frame your hike as you continue north along the ridgeline with the Annapurna Range stretching along the east and west. You’ll follow a forested ridge that serves up views of the mountains in both directions. Descend along a muddy slope before reaching a small settlement and forested gorge. From here, head toward the mountain village of Tadapani to put your feet up for the evening.

Wake up with relief, knowing that today's trail is shorter and easier than you’ve become accustomed to over the last few days. You’ll take in the sunrise from Tadapani and then hike to Ghandruk (2000 m). The route from Tadapani to Ghandruk is tranquil and blooms with wildflowers in spring. After reaching Ghandruk, enjoy a well-earned lunch and then explore this traditional stone house village on a guided tour to learn about the Gurung culture here. This evening, you’ll be treated to a cultural performance of traditional Gurung folk song and dance by a group of women from the community.