Description

Group Size: Depends
Tour Grading: Challenging
Activity: Adventure, Trekking, Hiking and Heritage
Sights: Kathmandu, Pokhara, Blue Sheep, Kali Gandaki, views of Mt. Annapurna, Thorung Peak, Nilgiri, Chulu West, Tukuche Peak, Dhaulagiri, Lamzung Himal, Jomsom, Barge monastery, and hot springs in Tatopani.
Best Season: April, May, August, September and October
Trip Route: Kathmandu, Chame, Upper Pisang, Manang, Ledar, Thorong Phedi, Muktinath Temple, Jomsom, Tatopani, and Pokhara.

Once in a lifetime, it is worth doing this trek, which is rated one of the best treks in the world and takes you across stunning views from the villages of Nepalese ethnic groups to the Tibetan Lamas. Do not miss out on the pristine, crystal clear lakes but turbulent rivers through deep gorges, hot springs, and world-renowned mountain peaks.
This trek will guide you to the heart of the high mountains of Nepal, Thrung Pass (at 5,416 m), at the highest altitude and indeed the very climax of this trip.

One should be fully acclimatized to take up this mighty and panoramic trek.

Trip Highlights

• Experience the world’s most famous trek.
• Marshyandhi and Kali Gandaki River Valley
• Natural hot springs at Tatopani
• Kathmandu Heritage Sites, Pokhara Sights.

Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, our representative will assist you with your transfer to the hotel. Afternoon, take a tour of the capital city of Nepal by visiting the temple of the Living Goddess, Durbar Squares with its array of temples and Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Travel up to the 2000-year-old Swayambhunath (monkey) temple, set high on a hill with commanding views of Kathmandu Valley.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 2: Kathmandu

Explore Kathmandu
Early this morning, enjoy the thrill of an exhilarating one-hour mountain flight (optional with extra charge) journey to view the dramatic Himalayas and glorious Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. Back on the ground, spend the rest of the day exploring the valley. Visit Pashupatinath temple and watch devotees take ritual dips in the holy Bagmati river, the cremation ground near the temple.
Next, take a tour of Bouddhanath Stupa and enjoy a panoramic view of Kathmandu. Late in the afternoon, drive 14 kilometers east to visit the ancient city of Bhaktapur, the third major town in the valley. Enjoy the cobblestone streets free of traffic and visit Lion Gate, the five-story Nyatopola temple, and the Palace of 55 windows.
overnight: Hotel

Day 3: Drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar (760 m)

Early in the morning, after breakfast, we take a local bus to Besishar, which takes about 6-7 hours (190 km). The route passes out of the valley along the picturesque Trishuli River to Besisahar, situated along the Marsyangdi River. Throughout your ride, you will see amazing terraced farms, beautiful villages, and gorgeous Ganesh and Manaslu snow peaks.
Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 4: Drive From Besisahar (760 m) to Chame (2,710 m)

We take a local bus to Chame. The bus route passes through several jungles and terrace farms along the Marsyangdi River. We will be passing through the peaceful Jagat Bazaar and stopping briefly at Dharapani (1860 m) to register our permit. Dharapani is the main entry point for the Annapurna Trek. Then, we continue our bus ride until we reach Chame.
Chame has a busy bazaar and rejuvenating hot springs along the Marsyangdi River, where we can relax. From Chame, you can witness the fantastic views of Annapurna II (7,937 m) and Lamjung Himal (6,932 m) up the valley, and if you look back, you will be able to see Manaslu (8,154 m) and Peak 29 (7,833 m)
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 5: Trek to Upper Pisang (3,300 m)

Our actual steps on the trail start in Chame. First, we walk through a steep and narrow valley to catch the views of Paungda Danda Rock face, a curved rock face rising 1500m from the river. Along with Paungda Danda Rock, you will also get clear views of Annapurna II in the south and Pisang Peak in the northeast. Then we descend to the Manang Valley floor to reach Pisang, the destination for this day.
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 6: Trek to Manang (3,540 m)

This day we continue our trek on the upper trails of Pisang via Geru. We chose this trail as it offers the outstanding northern faces of Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna, Tilicho, and Pisang Peak. As we ascend, you will feel the air turn cold, dry, and harsh. This trail will take you through several Tibetan-style settlements, from where you will get a chance to explore Buddhist culture before reaching Manang. In Manang, we will pay a short visit to Barge Monastery, the largest monastery in Manang.
Overnight in hotel.

Day 7: Trek to Ledar (4,200 m) via Yak Kharka (4,050 m)

The fifth day on our trail is challenging as we will be gaining an elevation of more than 500 meters. We first make our way to Tanki Manang (upper Manang Village). At Tanki Manang, you can see stone-built houses with flat roofs, and as you move ahead, you will realize that you are nowhere near any other settlements. The place is desolate. As you continue further, you will reach a tiny village called Gunsang, and shortly after, you will arrive at a peaceful meadow known as Yak Kharka. The path to Yak Kharka might have been challenging, but from Yak Kharka, the trail to Ledar is easy. We will spend our night at Ledar.
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 8: Trek to Thorong Phedi (4,525 m)

Today's trek will be a short one—3 to 4 hours, as it also helps the acclimatization process. We leave Ledar behind and continue our walk, which takes us across the Jorsang River (4310 m) and to Phedi (4525 m). Phedi is a Nepali word for the foot of the hill.
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 9: Trek to Muktinath Temple (3,760 m) via Thorong La High Pass (5,416 m)

The most challenging part of the trip lies on our seventh day, as we will be crossing Thorong La Pass, one of the highest passes in the world and the highest point of this trek. We wake up very early at 3 am to face this challenge and push ourselves against icy air and rough high-altitude trails, but the views from the pass are worth it.
From the Thorong La Pass, on your north, you will see a panorama of majestic Himalayan peaks extending to Tibet, and as you turn back, you can see the Annapurna massifs. After enjoying the views from the Thorong La Pass, we descend to Muktinath.
The descent is quite steep and will take between 3 and 4 hours. Muktinath is sacred for both Hindus and Buddhists; the Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means Hundred Waters. Muktinath Temple has 108 water sprouts, with icy-cold water flowing from Kali Gandaki. Moreover, you can also see the eternal flame that has been burning there for more than 2,000 years.
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 10: Drive to Jomsom (2,720 m) and then to Tatopani (1200 m)

On our eighth day, we take public transport from Muktinath. The road heads down the valley to Jomsom. We will soon find ourselves at the bottom of the Kali Gandaki River valley and in Jomsom, the district headquarters of Mustang. Jomsom's bustling marketplace provides a great change from the scenic farms and rural villages we had previously visited. We will stop and rest for a while in Jomsom and catch a local bus to Tatopani.
Our journey passes along the deepest gorge in the world, and it will take us from the arid, high-elevation terrain to the lowlands with lush jungles and farmlands. Throughout your bus journey, you get to enjoy the great views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan ranges until we finally reach Tatopani. At Tatopani, we can take a dip in the nearby hot springs before settling in for the night. (Tatopani means hot water in Nepali.)
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Included

Day 11: Drive to Pokhara (850 m)

We wake up early and take local transport to Pokhara. Your journey will take roughly seven hours, and before reaching Pokhara, take a tour of the beautiful town of Beni Bazaar.
Pokhara is a tourist paradise with almost all the amenities you would ever require. We encourage you to explore Pokhara and arrange dinner for yourself. It must have been a long time since you missed your best food.
Overnight in the hotel:
Meals: breakfast and lunch.

Day 12: Drive to Kathmandu (1,350 m )

Early morning return to Kathmandu on a tourist bus. The 200-kilometer route first goes along the Marsyangdi River and then the Trishuli River while letting you enjoy the natural scenery and farmlands. The bus makes one last climb, and you will be back in Kathmandu. We hope that you had a memorable journey.
Overnight in the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 13: Departure

After an early morning breakfast, depending on the flight schedule, drive to Kathmandu International Airport for departure to the onward destination and bid farewell.