This 12 day trip will take you to visit the historical and cultural places in Kathmandu, and also trek to Ghorepani and Poon Hill which is one of the best short trekking routes in Nepal.
Getting to Kathmandu is an exciting and memorable experience, the panoramic view of the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains can be immediately seen upon your arrival. The Nepalese capital is situated in a large valley at 1340 m of altitude. At the airport, there will be our staff waiting for you. You will transfer to the hotel for check-in. After taking a rest, you will visit the cultural heritage sites in the city: You will be visiting Durbar Square in Kathmandu and walk back to Thamel, through the most authentic Indra Chowk and Ason Chowk of Kathmandu, accompanied by a guide.
Overnight Stay: Hotel Manang/Marshyangdi
The 2nd day will be dedicated to visiting historical and cultural places inside the Kathmandu with a guide. You will be visiting four major places - Buddhist monastery of Boudhanath, Hindu temple of Pashupatinath which is a Hindu ceremony site, Patan Durbar Square and Monkey Temple.
Overnight Stay: Hotel Manang/Marshyangdi
After breakfast, you will be heading towards Pokhara which is situated 205 kilometers in western part from Kathmandu. Pokhara is a tourist hub in Nepal and will take about 6 to 7 hours by private car. On the way you can enjoy the view of green hill landscape and river view along with mountain views of Mt. Manaslu and Ganesh Himal (if the weather is clear) and also old Newari town called Bandipur. After you reach in Pokhara, you will check into the hotel and go around the lakeside to see the Phewa Lake. You will be able to do many water activities in the Lake such as boating and kayaking
Overnight Stay: Hotel Lake Front or Similar
From today onwards, you will start trekking for five days until you reach Pokhara. The Ghorepani Trek via Poon Hill and Ghandruk village is one of the most popular short treks in Nepal. This trek will give you access to one of the beautiful classic viewpoint in Poon Hill, before passing through the heritage of beautiful Ghandruk Village.
First, you will be driving to Nayapul which is 47 km far from Pokhara, and the drive will take about 1 hours. The trek is a bit easier as you will be hiking through the bank of Burungdi Khola, and the beautiful sight of lowland rice fields and several settlements. You will be walking up to the valley of Hile (1495 m) and Tikhedhunga (1525 m), where you will be having lunch. After lunch, you will be again trekking for 2 hours via several stone steps which will eventually take you to Ulleri.
Overnight at the tea house.
Today, you will begin your journey towards Ghorepani. Today’s trek is easier compared to the previous day. You will be starting your trek after breakfast. You pleasant trekking will begin through rhododendron and oak forests. The scenery will give you the energy to continue up the steps as you immerse yourself in the walk. After a few hours and with several breaks, you will be reaching Ghorepani. Upper Ghorepani where you will be staying on this trip, offers fantastic views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayas.
Overnight Stay: Guesthouse or Tea House
Today, early morning, you will be ascending to Poon Hill (3210 m) which is one of the scenic panoramic Mountain Viewpoints in Nepal. You will be walking 45 minutes through the rhododendron forests which will lead you to the grassy top of Poon Hill. This brilliant viewpoint offers a beautiful view of the sunrise over the high Himalayas. From here, you will also be able to see 180° panoramic Mountain View of Dhaulagiri range to Annapurna range, along with Lamjung Himal and other Himalaya ranges. After watching the sunrise, you will be descending down to Ghorepani for breakfast. After breakfast, you will be continuing your trek, and the trail goes along the ridges of rhododendron and pine forest to Tadapani through dense forest and several ups and downs. Along the way, you may get chance to see blackface monkeys, birds, and other animals.
Overnight Stay: Tea House
After breakfast, you will trek down to Ghandruk via rhododendron forest for 3 hours. Majority of the people here belong to the ethnic group “Gurung”. You will be able to experience the culture, tradition and living style of the Gurung people. Everything over here is very rural and traditional. You will be able to experience a different peaceful environment here than that of hustle and bustle city life. This place is also famous for the beautiful view of Mount Machhapuchhre and Annapurna. If you have some spare time, you can also visit the Old Gurung Museum.
Overnight Stay Ghandruk, Room with attached toilet.
After a memorable stay in Ghandruk Village, today you will be trekking towards Nayapul. The trail continues to descend steeply until you reach Kimche Village, which takes about 1 and half hours trek. It is situated near to paddy rice field, via beautiful Gurung village and scenery of mountains behind it. Also, you will be seeing rice field, view of Fish Tail, Annapurna, and Himchuli. Then, you will start your trek again and descent down to Nayapul village which takes 3 and half hours. After reaching Nayapul, you will be having your lunch. After lunch, you will be driving back to Pokhara for 1 hours.
Overnight: Hotel Lake Front or Similar
Today, you will be heading towards Chitwan, which is 86 km far away from Pokhara. The journey will take about 4 – 6 hours’ drive. When you reach in Chitwan, you will check in Maruni Sanctuary Lodge.
Overnight: Maruni Sanctuary Lodge
Today, you will be spending your time in Chitwan. There are lots of activities that you can do over here. You can visit the Chitwan National Park, which is a world heritage listed property. It is one of the best national parks for viewing wildlife in Asia. You will get a chance to see one-horned rhinos, deer, monkey and some of the more than 500 species birds. If you get lucky, then you can also spot leopard and Bengal tiger. Some of the highlighted activities that can be found here are – Elephant Riding/Safari, Bath with Elephant, Bish Hajaar Tal Trip and Jungle Walk in National Park.
Overnight: Maruni Sanctuary Lodge
Today, you will be driving back to Kathmandu which will take about 4 hours. Upon arriving in Kathmandu and taking rest for a while, you will move in the beautiful town of Bhaktapur, where you will visit the famous Durbar Square and you can admire the famous palace with 55 windows built in 1754, the Sunko Dhoka and beautiful Hindu temples.
Overnight: Hotel Bhadgaon
Your safety is of paramount concern while traveling with Himalayan Trailfinder. Please note that your leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary; However, as this is adventure travel in remote mountain regions, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions, the health condition of a member, unexpected natural disasters etc, can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.
