On a clear day, flying to Kathmandu via Nepal’s northern border is a thrilling and unforgettable experience because you get to see the stunning, expansive panorama of the snow-capped Annapurna mountain range. Your hotel will be escorted to by the Nepali support staff when they receive you at the airport.

Being the historical and cultural center of Nepal, Kathmandu is a favorite travel destination for adventurers, trekkers, and tourists. The city displays a beautiful fusion of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and Western influence. Its two principal nearby cities, Patan and Bhaktapur, are extremely important in terms of history, culture, and religion. A half-day guided trip will see the well-known and largest Hindu shrine PASUPATHINATH, the town’s largest Buddhist pagoda BOUDHANATH, the palace with 55 windows from the 15th century, and SOYAMBHUNATH. A trip orientation meeting will be held in the evening.

It takes us six hours to travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara over the bumpy route that runs alongside the Marsyangdi River to Dumre.

On the outskirts of the village, we make a right turn while walking alongside the canal. The track then descends a steep terrain to reach Pam Khola. To go to the settlement of Denauti, we climb after crossing a brook. The red-walled cottages in the village are remarkable. The track then continues to meander through rice paddies and subtropical forests before we finally descend to the banks of the Marsyangdi Khola. We eventually enter the Gurung settlement of Khudi after 3 hours of traveling. We decide on a fantastic camping spot.

We leave Khudi and ascend the Marsyangdi Valley in a northerly direction. Along the way, we get to enjoy leisurely sightseeing of the Annapurna mountain ranges’ incredible tapestry. The walk crosses a suspension bridge before continuing through terraced rice fields with stunning views of Manaslu and a cascading waterfall. As we continue to ascent, we see Ngadi village’s numerous shops and teahouses. After a quick break, we leave Ngadi and make our way via some difficult trails to Bahundanda. Bahundanda, which means “Brahmin hill” in English, is a region where Brahmins are overwhelmingly prevalent. Our day’s worth of hiking comes to an end there.

From Bahundanda, a steep path descends through rice terraces and crosses a stream at the base of a tiny waterfall. Before arriving at the community of Hani Gaon, it climbs once more and makes its way across the slope high above the river. We descend the twisting mountain trail via Syange and along the river for a while as the Marsyangdi valley ahead assumes a sharp V-shape. The road is then dug into the sheer cliff face 200–300 meters above the riverbed as the track begins to rise sharply. We eventually make our way down to the stone community of Jagat, which is perched on a shelf that protrudes into the treacherous Marsyangdi valley. Beyond the village, we set up tent in the fields.

The trail from Jagat descends until it almost reaches the river and then continues through lush forest. Further climbing leads to a sharp cliff facing the riverbank. On the way, Chyamje appears amid picturesque waterfalls and the majestic Annapurna mountain range. After crossing a suspension bridge, we climbed steeply towards the slippery and demanding road to Sattale. Following rocky paths, we descended a grassy bank to Tal, where we found hotels and tea rooms decorated with warmth and hospitality. But as we moved away from Tal, the road became rough and winding. We then approached the wooded village of Karte. Walking along the cliff covered with many waterfalls, we finally reached Dharapani after crossing a suspension bridge. We camped at Dharapani for the night.

We wound our way around a narrow field from the village, Dudh Khola, which rises on the south face of Manaslu, then Marsyangdi turned left. Going through winding trails, we accumulated an exciting Annapurna trekking experience. Annapurna II was clearly visible as we reached Bagarchhap, a Bhote village with prayer flags fluttering in the wind. As we continued climbing through pine and oak forests, we passed Dhanakyu before reaching a roaring waterfall. Further on, Marsyangdi Khola enters a gorge and the trail follows a rock-strewn path. We can stop for a moment to enjoy the splendor of picturesque Manaslu. At the end of the slope, we followed the path between Ratamron’s beautiful rhododendrons and then continued up a slightly steep path, crossing a stream before entering the pine forest. We then entered the pristine village of Kotho, from where we could get the most mesmerizing view of Annapurna II. Continuing further, the path will reach a large white gate with a rotting iron roof that is the entrance to Chame. Chame is the administrative headquarters of Manang district. There is electricity, wireless stations, schools, shops, clinics, post offices, police checkpoints, hotels, motels and banks in Chame. Hot springs are the main attraction of this place. .

After enjoying the splendor of Lamjung Himal [6893 m] glowing in the morning sunlight, we headed towards Pisang. On the way, we crossed a large suspension bridge along the mystical Marsyangdi and reached the houses and guesthouses on the north side of the river. Hiking routes through barley fields lead to Teleku at an altitude of 2775 meters. Leaving the undulating passes, we entered an attractive apple orchard and near a bridge at an altitude of 2840 meters. Crossing the bridge, a clean and beautiful village of Bratang appears in sight. History tells that Bratang was a settlement of the Khampa people. A stone memorial to a Japanese climber was built here. Leaving the wooded village, the valley changes from a V shape to a gentle U shape, spreading before us the majestic view of the Annapurna mountain range. Further on, we continued following steep, gravel roads south and crossed a long suspension bridge at 3040 metres. From this vantage point on the bridge, we can see the Paungda Danda Rock more than 1,500 meters above the river. On our route, we can capture splendid views of Annapurna II to the east and Pisang Peak to the northeast. We then crossed a bridge and entered the village below Pisang.

We ascend the Chegaji Khola Valley toward Chulu East Base Camp after leaving the main track above the town of Pisang. We arrive at the small hamlet of Julu, which is located on the west bank of the river, after a mild climb through sporadic chortens, scrub juniper, and stunted pines. We picked a suitable campground with mesmerizing views of the great Himalayan peaks.

We take full advantage of it on this day. We get the rest we need to restore our sense of adventure and improve our health. After unwinding, we can even see Julu village to learn more about its cultural environment. The magnificent views of nature are also available to us.

Leaving Julu, the trail crosses the Cheggi Khola and gradually ascends the west bank. Walking for more than an hour, the road facing a valley, we came across a wooden house surrounded by apple trees. We now have a beautiful view of the side valley stretching west of Chulu. At the end of the valley, a 500-foot cliff blocks the way, providing a breathtaking view of waterfalls cascading down the cliff. The road became steeper and wound through a small meadow. On the way, we passed through pastures of goats and yaks. Day by day, we got closer and closer to Yak Khare. Finally, we headed to Yak Khare for a leisurely lunch. We set up camp on a site overlooking numerous snow-capped peaks.

We continue on the trail as it winds through rocky fields until it comes to a handy depression where the meadow disappears into rock and scree. The base camp then becomes visible. As far as our eyes can see, the Annapurna range is visible from a height above.

We stop trekking for a day so that we can fully acclimatize. This allows us time to organize and arrange our hiking equipment.

After being well acclimatized, we went up to the high camp and rested there on top of the last moraine of the Chulu glacier. The road to the high camp follows steep slopes and snow. Resting at high camp, we spent a lot of time relaxing and preparing equipment and strategies for the next day. Two days were spent ascending Chulu East. On the day we hiked Chulu East, we set off early across the undulating glacier as the trail had icy slopes. As we climbed, several peaks appeared on our route. Finally, we ran off the mountain toward a small snow dome with slopes falling on all sides. At this point our high camp shrinks to the size of a toy town and climbing to such heights makes us feel like we are sitting on top of the world. After climbing to the top of Chulu East and celebrating this glorious victory, we walked along the slope to the high camp. After refreshments and rest, we headed back to the camping base. For those who do not want to climb Chulu East, they can simply stroll up to the base camp to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Annapurnas and explore more around the base camp.

Returning to the main route, we move towards Manang’s direction. We keep walking across the cultivated fields, and eventually the settlement of Bryaga with its magnificent monastery comes into view. We see divine views of the Annapurna range on our climb down to Manang, including Gangapurna (7455m) and Tilicho Peak (7134m). For the night, we set up camp in one of the hospitable Manang people’s fortified villages. Over 500 flat-roofed homes make up the unique medieval town of Manang.

We gently ascent to a ridge, then drop to the Marsyangdi’s headwaters, where we walk across a covered wooden bridge while taking in stunning views of Manaslu, the Annapurnas, Tilicho Peak, and the Great Barrier. To get to Letdar for lunch, we travel up the Jarsang Khola in the northwest, passing through juniper and alpine grasses. We go from Letdar along the Jarsang Khola’s east bank before crossing over on a covered bridge. To reach Thorung Phedi, a lone stone structure perched amidst nearly vertical cliffs, the trail ascends scree slopes high above the river.

We cross Thorung La [5416m] as early in the morning as possible. The trail is clearly marked but becomes steeper as it continues. The rocky trail eases after 4 hours of constantly ascending, and we soon come across chorten and prayer flags along the mountain pass. We get to a height from which the Kali Gandaki valley and the untainted hills of Mustang may be seen in all their magnificence. We make our descent to Muktinath amidst the atmosphere of Himalayan splendour. We may have beautiful views of Dhaulagiri from Muktinath. The grassy slopes eventually replace the moraines, and then it is a nice trek up the Jhong Khola Valley to Muktinath. Hindus see Muktinath as a significant place of worship. It is well known for its temple and shrines.

From Muktinath, we move in the direction of Jomsom. The trail initially passes across arid land in the same geographic and climatic region as Tibet before descending through the breathtaking Kali Gandaki valley. We first travel through the Tibetan-style villages of Jharkot and Khingar before largely following the valley level to Jomsom. We are rewarded with stunning vistas of both Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri along the way. A sizable town called Jomsom is spread out along both banks of the Kali Gandaki River. The last night of our trek is spent in Jomsom.

We fly to Pokhara in the early morning hours. It offers breathtaking views of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountains as it soars over the Kali Gandaki Gorge. After that, we board a plane for Kathmandu.

We will drive you to the airport so you may catch your journey home with our Nepalese support staff. (Or stay longer for shorter activities like a game drive in a national park, rafting, Tibet tours, or mountain biking, for example).