Annapurna Sanctuary Trek  - 14 Days

On arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier who will escort us till our hotel. After checking in, we take rest or visit Himalayan Glacier’s office. We may also stroll on the streets of Thamel, a tourist hub in Kathmandu for some souvenir shopping. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. For dinner, you will be served excellent authentic Nepalese cuisine, which will introduce you to the Nepalese food culture. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites including the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath) and Buddhist shrine (Bouddhanath) which is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, there will be a pre-trip discussion where we can meet our trek leader and other team members. Himalayan Glacier briefs us regarding our trek as well as provides us an opportunity to ask any questions we may have regarding our upcoming adventure. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We take an early morning flight to Pokhara and enjoy amazing views of the Himalayas; opt to sit on the right side of the plane. On arrival in Pokhara, we are rewarded with magnificent views of the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhre, the five peaks of Annapurna and several others. After a short rest, we drive to Hile, which is our trailhead. We pass through sub-tropical valley forests, sometimes on the carved trail on the side of the cliff. After lunch, we cross the Bhurungdi Khola via a bridge to the village of Tikhedhunga. 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 afternoon. Overnight in Ulleri.

After breakfast, we make our way ascending towards Ghorepani. The name Ghorepani in Nepali means ‘horse-water’ due to it being an important campsite for traders before it became a trekker’s stop. Ghorepani is an interesting place with small shops and stalls for selling local products and crafts. The town has two parts: one in a saddle and the other a few hundred feet lower. We stop at the higher part of the Ghorepani village that offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains including Annapurna South and Nilgiri mountains. Since Ghorepani lies quite higher than our previous stop, we begin to feel the chilly weather especially in the evenings. Overnight in Ghorepani.

Today is a big day for us, so we make an early morning climb along the steep trail to Poon Hill viewpoint (3,210m/10,529ft.) to witness the most amazing sunrise views over the Himalayas. Poon Hill is the most popular trekking destination of the Annapurna region. It is also a great vantage point to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains, including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. After spending some time taking pictures and having coffee, tea or hot chocolate, we return to Ghorepani for breakfast. Then we head east and climb a nearby ridge. We descend through rhododendron forests, pass by spectacular waterfalls along the way and reach Tadapani to spend the night. 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 on a steady climb after our breakfast. The trail sticks to a rocky cliff and is sometimes steep. We walk on a somewhat flat path for a while before ascending to Machhapuchhre 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 get to admire spectacular views of the Himalayan panorama. Walking further, we reach the astounding base camp of Mt. Annapurna. We are surrounded by magnificent peaks and the only way into this area is through the gorge we just hiked. Overnight in 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.

After breakfast today, we leave Jhinu Danda and enjoy the final leg of the hike on the beautiful hill landscapes of western Nepal. On reaching Matque, we will begin our drive back to Pokhara on a private vehicle. It will take us around 2 hours to reach the city of lakes. We have lunch on the way. The actual trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary and back ends today. On reaching Pokhara, we check in at our hotel and rest for a while. In the afternoon, we will set out for a half-day sightseeing tour of Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.

In the afternoon, we catch a flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Don’t miss out to sit on the left side of the plane to see some amazing views of the Himalayas. On arrival in Kathmandu, we check in at our designated hotel. We enjoy the remaining day in leisure or catch up on some last-minute shopping or explore any landmarks, which we might have missed during our first day in Kathmandu. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! A Himalayan Glacier representative will escort us to the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. If you wish to extend your stay in Nepal and make up your mind to partake some other activities, then Himalayan Glacier will be more than happy to make all arrangements for you. Ciao!