This tour operator just launched a women’s only trip to Saudi Arabia
Intrepid Travel has introduced a 12-day Saudi Arabia Women’s Expedition, designed to offer an authentic and transformative travel experience while empowering women and supporting female-owned businesses in the destination.
The tour will be exclusively led by female leaders and guides, aiming to showcase a different side of the country beyond the luxury resorts and high-end offerings.
Starting in Riyadh and finishing in Jeddah, groups will stay in a female-owned boutique hotel, heritage property and desert camp, directly supporting a total of nine female-owned and operated businesses.
Five departures available
A limited run of five departures, each with a maximum of 12 travellers, will start on 26 November 2024. The 12-day trip will start at $7,975CAD.
Highlights include:
- Visit Madinah – the second holiest site in Islam, after Mecca – with a local female guide. Non-Muslims have recently been allowed to visit the holy site up to the perimeter
- Take a sunrise visit to the Nabataean site of Hegra, the southern capital of the Nabataean kingdom, guided by a local ‘rawee’ or storyteller
- Take a bullet train to Jeddah and explore Al Balad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Saudi’s first female guide
- Head to a female-owned, female-only salon for a spot of pampering. Chat to the locals and learn how these types of businesses have created opportunities for the women who live here
- Meet two sisters running a local citrus farm near Alula, sample their produce and have lunch under the trees
- Visit an abeya shop to learn how women are modernising this staple piece
- Jump on a boat and cruise the Red Sea, snorkel, swim, and enjoy a barbeque lunch before ending the day on a private female only beach.
For more information, visit intrepidtravel.com.
