Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

- 14 Days

Our journey in Nepal begins today. A Himalayan Glacier representative will be waiting for us at the airport. He/she will then drop us off at our hotel where we can take a rest. In the evening we can enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. During the dinner we can enjoy Nepalese cuisine which will introduce us to the country’s food culture.

We tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites today. These sites highlight Nepal’s cultural and religious heritages. Our first stop will be Kathmandu Durbar Square which showcases Kathmandu’s rich architectural prowess during the Malla dynasty (c1201–1769),and then Swayambhunath Stupa which tourists commonly refer to as the ‘Monkey Temple’ owing to a large number of the monkey population in the vicinity. Next is Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus all over the world followed by the Buddhist shrine of Boudhanath which is one of the largest stupas in the world. Lastly, in the late afternoon we visit Himalayan Glacier’s office for a brief orientation on our trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We fly to Pokhara early in the morning. As soon as we land in Pokhara, we notice the spectacular Himalayan vista the city is adorned with. We can see Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhare, the five peaks of Annapurna and others. From Pokhara, we drive to Naya Pul and start the trek. We walk through a valley forest, cross the Bhurundi Khola (river) before reaching Tikhedhunga Village. The Ulleri Hill with thousands of steps and boulders that continually go upward will really prove a test of our stamina. We reach Ulleri by late afternoon. Overnight in Ulleri.

After breakfast, we ascend to the Ghorepani village via stone stairs. As we are ascending we admire the spectacular scenery as Annapurna South looms large, coming and going from our view.  We pass waterfalls, tiny villages, and several tea-houses before reaching Ghorepani. We stop at the higher part of the Ghorepani village that offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains including Annapurna South and Nilgiri mountains. The village has small shops that sell local products such as handbags and crafts. The village also has good wi-fi. Overnight in Ghorepani.

We get up early in the morning to reach Poon Hill just in time to see the sunrise over the Himalayas. Poon Hill is the most popular destination to enjoy close up views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges and enjoy the sunrise from these majestic mountains. From Poon Hill, we also get incredible views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains. After enjoying a cup of coffee, we trek back to Ghorepani. We have breakfast here then walk towards the east and climb a ridge. Our trail descends through rhododendron forests and waterfalls before we reach Tadapani. Overnight in Tadapani.

The trail starts off with a descent through a large rhododendron forest. The forest trail ends and our trail opens up to beautifully terraced fields. We walk uphill for around 5 km and pass waterfalls and reach a suspension bridge. Suspension bridges are very common in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. A few more miles of uphill and downhill trekking and we reach our destination for today, Chhomrong. It is a beautiful village right below the giant Annapurna massive. Overnight in Chhomrong.

We leave Chhomrong and walk on quite a number of stone steps before reaching the Chhomrong Khola. We cross a suspension bridge over the river and begin an uphill climb to Sinuwa. Our trail passes through a beautiful forest to Kuldihar. From here we embark on an easy descent to Bamboo. Overnight in Bamboo.

We pass through a bamboo forest which is damp and cold. We then walk uphill on a trail which is sometimes steep.  It is only after reaching Himalaya Hotel that the forest opens up and we are out in the sun again with astounding views of the glacial river below. It is a steep climb up through a much drier forest before reaching Hinku Cave. From here our trail descends to a river before ascending to Deurali. From here, we can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding hills and Mt. Dhaulagiri. We notice that the vegetation has become sparse allowing magical views of the valley, the river below and cliffs adorned with waterfalls. Overnight in Deurali.

We follow the valley trail in a steady climb. The trail sticks to a rocky cliff and is sometimes steep. We walk on a somewhat flat path for a while before ascending to Machhapurchre Base Camp. From here we get excellent views of Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gandharvachuli and Gangapurna mountains. We then turn left and begin ascending gently to the Annapurna Base Camp. During our ascent we can admire spectacular views of the Himalayan panorama. Walking further we reach the base camp of Mt. Annapurna and it is amazing. We are surrounded by magnificent peaks and the only way into this area is through the gorge we just hiked. Overnight at Annapurna Base Camp.

From Annapurna Base Camp our trail rapidly descends past the Machhapuchhre Base camp, Deurali, Himalayan Hotel and Doban and finally to Bamboo where we spend the night. Today’s trek is downhill so it shouldn’t be very difficult. Overnight in Bamboo.

We retrace our step back to Chhomrong where we stop for lunch. From Chomrong it is a steep descent down to the Modi Khola valley. The stone steps to Chhomrong are equally tricky as they were before. The trail then descends to Jhinu Danda, where we will be resting for the night. On the way, we enjoy our walking through rain forests and farms. After reaching Jhinu Danda, we can spend the rest of the afternoon taking a rest and relaxing. Overnight in Jhinu Danda.

We leave Jhinu Danda and enjoy the beautiful hill landscape of western Nepal on our way to Naya Pul. We have lunch on the way. The actual trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary and back ends today. We  board our vehicle to Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.

*If the road construction connecting Jhinu Danda to Naya Pul is complete, driving from Jhinu Danda to Pokhara could be another option.

We fly to Kathmandu in the morning. After landing at the airport, we will be dropped off at our hotel in the city. We can spend the day taking the much needed rest or catch up on some last minute shopping.  Either way, we mark the end of our successful trip with a farewell dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier where we can share our experiences of the trek before flying back home the next day. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our trip to Nepal ends today. We will be dropped off at the airport by a company representative 3 hours before the scheduled flight.