Khopra Ridge Trek

On this day, you will be given all the necessary guidance and time for the preparation of the trek. Copies of your travel documents, like your insurance copies, will be collected by us. At around 9 in the morning, the sightseeing tour will start of Kathmandu valley, and the tour will mainly maunder around the cultural heritage sites Kathmandu valley has to offer, all listed under the World Heritage List by UNESCO. The highlight is of course The Kathmandu Durbar Square, adorned with old opulent palaces of Nepal’s glorious monarchial days, The Kumari Mandir- the temple of The Living Goddess, and much magnificent architectural sublimity. Then we will circumbulate the Swyambhunath Temple and the Bouddhanath Stupa, all majestic with religious tenor. The Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most religiously reverent temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and we can observe the cremation ritual of the Hindu people by the bank of the holy river Bagmati. After the tour, we will be heading back to the hotel. Overnight at Hotel, breakfast included.

After breakfast, you shall be driven to Pokhara, the second largest city of Nepal. The drive will present you with the opportunity to see the wonderful landscape of terraced farmlands- green and wet with the sowing of rice and barley by the farmers, the frisky rush of the meandering rivers by the highway and the isolated valleys low-lying among the gargantuan hills and rocky gorges. The journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes about 6 hours, and upon arrival at Pokhara, we shall check into a hotel, which the city has an abundance of. In the evening, you shall be able to enjoy the respite of a beautiful boat-ride at Fewa Lake and on a clear day, you can see the lucid reflection of Mount Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna Range on the crystalline surface of water. Overnight Hotel, breakfast in included.

After breakfast at around 07:30 m, you shall be driven to Nayapul (42km from Pokhara) for about an hour via the village of Lumle. The drive offers sights of the terrain that is beautiful and is brimming with terraced farmlands and a lush growth of alpine vegetations. Upon reaching Nayapul, you will start your trek to Ghandruk.  Following the trail alongside the Modi Khola, you will continue to walk up to the village of Ghandruk lying at an altitude of 1920 meters. Famous for recruiting Gorkha soldiers for both the British and the Indian army, the Ghandruk villages a mountain village inhabited by ethnic Gurung people. The houses on Ghandruk are of traditional design among newer constructions. Amazing and gorgeous views of the Annapurna south, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre mountain peaks can be seen from here. You can also have a visit to the Gurung Museum here as well. Overnight stay at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

From the village of Ghandruk, you will continue your journey upwards through Deurali and then travel through the forests rich with the bloom of rhododendron flowers. Trudging over a small pass, you will reach the settlement of Tadapani. The trekking trail is beautiful and you will get sights of the natural tranquility presented to you on the trail. The blossoming of the rhododendron flowers is verdant in the springtime and the trekking trail is ornamented with the flower’s florescent canopy. Overnight at the guesthouse at Tadapani, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

As you leave Tadapani today, you will be leaving the main trail to traverse on an off-beaten path. The path goes through a more remote area of the Annapurna region. The trek offers a lovely travel through lush rhododendron and oak forests. It is originally used by villagers from Ghandruk to take their buffaloes, sheep and goats to higher pasturelands in the summer months. The trail ascends through the tree line and continues to a ridge to Deurali, a small pass. Following further up to Bayeli Kharka, you would be looking at majestic views of Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167m), the seventh highest mountain in the world. Overnight at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

This section of the trail occurs on a grassy slope and you would be traversing through pasturelands rich with the growth of foliages. Along the way, you can have a look at many herders’ huts and see animals that are a crossbreed between cows and yaks, called Dzos. They tend to graze peacefully on the grasslands. Look out for colorful Danphe pheasants, the national bird of Nepal, on the grassy ridges high above the trail. You may also have a glimpse of Himalayan Thars as well. Overnight at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Today, you will have a steady ascent from the Upper Chistibung lodge and go through alpine meadows and pasturelands. As you continue on the trail, you will see the tip of the Annapurna South emerge in the distance. That means that you are getting close to Khopra Ridge. Once you arrive there, the full panorama of the mountains is gorgeously revealed. The peaks of Mount Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, fang and Annapurna South can be seen in all their glory. After lunch, it is worth going for a short walk down Khopra Ridge to a viewpoint overlooking the Kali Gandaki gorge far below. It presents an astounding sight. Overnight at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

You will visit the sapphire Kaire Lake today, where views of the Fang Mountain and surrounding peaks are magnificent. It is a long walk up to Kaire Lake and often takes several hours going forth to the lake and returning back. You can also opt for a half day walk from Khopra as well, if you do not feel like making an arduous journey that takes more time. Overnight stay at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

It takes approximately an hour to descend back up to Upper Chistibung where you will stop for a drink and a short respite. Carrying further along, you will be going to the Swanta village today. Along the way, views of Mount Dhaulagiri provide a serene ambiance to the trekking trail and the Himalayan backdrop is brilliant to look at. The terraced farmlands and traditional houses give the landscape as a dainty picturesque sublimity. Once you arrive at the Swanta village, you can have a visit at the Swanta primary school as well if you want. Overnight stay at the guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

An hour or so after leaving the Swanta village, you will join the main trail to Ghorepani and Poon Hill Trekking. Here, you can encounter more trekkers, a contrast to the quite isolate trekking trail to the Khopra Ridge. After Ghorepani, you will descend through rhododendron forests to the settlement of Ulleri. Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Ulleri, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

This is the last day of trekking where you will walk to Nayapul. From there, you will then have a drive back to Pokhara. Arriving at Pokhara, you can opt for a quiet and peaceful boat-ride on the Fewa Lake as well or go out for exploring the city if you have time.  Overnight at hotel, breakfast included.

From Pokhara, we shall drive back to Kathmandu, the journey filled with the ever diverse landscape and changing topography. Overnight at Hotel, breakfast included.

A representative from Nepal Hiking Team shall take you to the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. You will bid farewell to the stupendous turn of affairs, filled with memories and wonderful stories to tell. Breakfast included.