Welcome to Nepal Kathmandu(1300m)

Flying into Kathmandu, you'll have views of the Himalaya and of the terraced fields and hillsides, below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you and drive you to your hotel.

After you've settled in, you'll have time to explore the city. Recommended sights to see on your first day include Kathmanduís Durbar Square and its narrow alleyways teeming with small shops, ancient temples, and local restaurants, and also Swayambhunath temple, where you can watch the sunset over the valley and the Himalaya to your north.

The tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to chose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.

Explore Kathmandu

SwayambhunathThe temple complex of Swayambhunath

Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not too chaotic. It's a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a chai overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares.

After breakfast, there are then a number of ways you can spend your day given the numerous famous sights around the Kathmandu Valley. You can use this as a free day or we can provide a local English-speaking guide who knows the city well and can explain the history and significance of the sights .

Drive to Jagat(1300m)

Leave Kathmandu early and drive first to Besisahar. After lunch, change to a four-wheel drive vehicle for the rugged journey to Jagat. The road can be almost as challenging for passengers as for drivers, but it is incredibly scenic! It travels along the old Annapurna Circuit trek route, through amazing gorges and past stunning waterfalls. Arrive in Jagat in time for dinner.

Trek to Tal(1700m)

Walking distance of about 5 hours from Jagat to Tal, we enter Manang district from Tal; passing through fields of corn, barley and potatoes, and then through forests of bamboo and rhododendrons, itís a cool hike at the lower elevations. On the way is the village namely Tal. Tal lies on a flat plain next to the sandy beach and river at the base of a large waterfall.

Trek to Bagarchhap(2160m)

First we will cross a wide, flat valley. The trail then climbs a stone stairway bringing us to 1860m after which we will encounter another stairway. The journey continues with slight inclines and descents to Dharapani at 1890m. There we find a stone entrance Chorten typical of the Tibetan influenced villages from here northwards. We then visit the Bagarchhap at 2160m. from here we can see Annapurna II and Manasalu

Trek to Koto(2500m)

After hot breakfast at the lodge the trail slightly climbs up to Danaque from where you will enjoy the view of Mt.Manaslu. There are two ways to get in to the next village but we will take you through the higher route which has an excellent view of mountains and passing through the old village of Tyanja. Then easy walk through the pine forest to Koto for Overnight.

Trek to Meta(3230)

Leaving the village of Meta behindLeaving the village of Meta behind.

Start the day early, as there is a lot of distance to cover. Cross the river and enter the Nar & Phu valleys. Towns on the nearby Annapurna Circuit are relatively well developed, but this is not the case in these valleys.

Todayís trekking route passes through beautiful woods, past small cave shelters and pilgrimsí resting places. Emerging from a narrow canyon, the trail passes under a wide waterfall, from which point the woods become thinner and the vistas wider. The last stretch into Meta involves climbing a steep hill, from which there are amazing views of some of the giant snowy peaks in the area.

Meta lies on a big open plain and consists of a few lodges, which are simple but clean and offer good meals.

Trek to Upper Chyaku(3720m)

Nar and Phu valley are also known as Buddhist valley where can see numerous Buddhist sites, above Meta village can encounter colorful Buddhist areas like Chhorten, Gomba, Monastery and Mani wall. After leaving Meta we notice lower route leading to Naar village but we follow the upper trail to Phu village. The route to Phugaon mixed up with flat, gentle and strenuous up on the ridge with viewing magnificent mountain range like Annapurna range, Pisang peak, and several other peaks. A dramatical nature scenery change throughout the hike day. The picturesque villages have Tibetan flavor culture. Often arrive Phu village, the Himlung Himal appear above the large mountain village and glacier. Maximum villagers are Buddhist and practicing Buddhism in Tashi Lhakhang Gompa, the biggest monastery in the village.

Trek to Phu village(4050m)

Terraced fields of the Nar Phu Valley

Trekking out of Meta, some of the unique, colorful Tibetan Buddhist chortens that Nar and Phu are famous for begin to appear in sight. The trail meanders along the ridge with a good view of the magnificent Nar Phedi Monastery, where you will stay in a few daysí time. After another ninety minutes hiking through scenic canyons and gorges, youíll reach a monolith that guards the steep trail up to Phu.

From here, you can get your first view of the three villages in the area as well as the old ìdzongî (Tibetan-style fortress) and the remains of two ruined forts, impressively situated atop the flatlands before the village. Just before crossing the bridge into Phu, a line of wonderful chortens color the landscape.

After a rest and refreshments, take a short walk up to the famous Tashi Lhakhang Gompa to pay respects to Lama Karma Sonam Rimpoche who came to Nepal with the Dalai Lama in 1959.

Exploring Phu

Cliffside trails around Phu

Due to the high altitude, itís good to spend an acclimatization day in Phu. Explore the tiny alleyways of the town or hike up to Himlung Himal base camp. Phu itself is an interesting village, and a day is well spent sitting with the villagers as they spin their yak and sheep wool, pound mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or go about their other daily chores.

For an extra challenge, the hike up to Himlung Himal base camp takes you through a glacial valley. The 7,125 m. peak was recently opened for climbing. On the trail up you will see herds of blue sheep skillfully clambering up the steep cliffs. The return trip takes about four to five hours.

Trek to Nar Phedi (3,490m)

Trekkers on the way to NarTrekkers on the way to Nar

Retrace the route back down towards Meta, but turn off at the Nar Phedi monastery, which will be your accommodation for the night. In fact, the monastery is all that Nar Phedi consists of!

The rooms are neat and clean and the nuns are extremely welcoming. Join them in the kitchen and watch them prepare dinner on a modest fireplace. At 5 pm they usually do a puja (blessing), which you are welcome to witness. There is a small donation box in the monastery where you can leave a contribution for the maintenance of this beautiful and friendly place.

Trek to Nar Village(4120)

Local woman in Nar PhuLocal woman in Nar Phu

Today is a very gentle day. Climb out of Nar Phedi and follow a winding path up a hill towards Nar. Pass a line of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped chortens on the way into the ancient village. Arrive in the town around lunch time. Even though Nar is not far from the main Annapurna trail, it is rarely visited by trekkers and is about as picturesque as it gets.

Nar is bit more social and lively than Phu, and during the day you may find the village ësquareí teeming with chatting women with their back-strap looms weaving wool fabric for rugs and blankets. With a few new teahouses built on the outskirts of Nar, you can stay in a comfortable lodge with an extensive menu.

Trek to Ngawal via the Kang La Pass (5,320m)

The views from the Kang La Pass

Today is a long day, so get up before sunrise and head towards the Kang La Pass, which leads back onto the popular Annapurna Circuit. It is not a difficult pass, but it can be a long day as the effects of altitude will be felt. Once on top of the pass, you can enjoy an amazing view over Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak. The trail down starts off steep, but if you enjoy scree running you can have some fun! Stop for lunch on a plateau overlooking the peak, then continue towards Ngawal.

Ngawal, on the upper Pisang route of the Annapurna Circuit, is certainly very different from the ancient villages just visited. The lodges are big, the menus much more comprehensive and there will be Wifi and phone signals in most lodges.

Trek to Manang village(3540)

After breakfast the trail slowly climbs up to through valley with pine and juniper forest to the Tibetan-styled village of Bryaga (3,500m). Here we will see houses stacked one atop the other, each with an open veranda formed by a neighborís rooftop and the gomba (monastery), perched on a high crag overlooking the village. Then we continue through very arid countryside, dominated by weird cliffs of yellow rock, eroded into dramatic pillars alongside the trail to reach todayís destination - the Manang village. Here shops are unexpectedly well stocked with all sorts of things.

Rest Day In Manang Village

Manang valley, one of the biggest villages along the Annapurna circuit trek is a beautiful village sitting below the Gangapurna and Annapurna III Mountain on the trans-himalayan zone of Manang district. A wall of Annapurna range towards it southern side to a rocky terrain and Tibetan mountains on the northern side, Manang valley lies along the banks of the Marsyangdi river. Also known as Nyeshyang village or upper Manang, the village is blended with old traditional mud houses to modern hotels and even cinema halls. The morning view from the window of almost every hotel offers a magnificent view of Gangapurna Mountain and its glacier and the Gangapurna Lake from the hotels along the side of the Marsyangdi River. The dry rocky terrain somewhat resembling to Mustang, yet differs slightly with lush green forests in Manang valley. Chortens along the small alley prayer flags and monasteries below the glistening snow of Annapurna range, the view of Manang valley is extremely pleasing. One of the major villages along the Annapurna circuit trek, Manang valley situated at 3540 meters is the last homely place before the trekker taking in the arduous task of trekking towards the Thorang La pass. Manang valley is also the gateway to Lake Tilicho, one of the highest fresh water lakes in the world.

Manang village, hike to Ice Lake

Ice Lake Manang is one of the most beautiful places in Nepal. It is known as khicotal in Nepal. Ice lake Manang is the place with a magnificent view of mountains such as Manaslu region mountains, Annapurna second, Annapurna fourth, Annapurna third, Gangapurna, Tare Kang, Khansari Kang, Tilicho, Chulu east and Far the East as well as Pisang peak. All those snowcapped mountains are beautiful, and, seeing all of them at once and so closely is breathtaking. You will feel like those mountains right next to you close from your heart. Mountains surround ice lake on all of its sides, and it looked wherever looked we saw mountains some small unknown mountains.

The stupa on the ice lake just in front of Annapurna Mountain shows the cultural values. Mystical energy is what you feel because of that stupa. It is a beautiful and peaceful environment with nature blessing. All of your tiredness will be driven away after observing the eye-catching mountains. When we visited there, the fatigue of ours cause of the 6-hour walk all vanished when we had the first look at the mountains.

Even though the route was tough to walk you, will be mesmerized by the outer surrounding and scenery. Itís like pain in the knee and gain in the eye. You will have to work hard to climb high. However, it will be worth walking after watching the majestic mountains. Most people think and donít trek on the way to Muktinath and Annapurna because of the steeps road and hard trail. Thus, it may be unaware of many people the hidden beauty of Manage village. Trekking to Manang village is thrilling and exciting. The mesmerizing view of the ice lake will surely melt your heart. Thus visiting ice lake will be the main matter of suggestions for those who love traveling and avid trekkers.

Manang village, hike to Milarepa Cave

Milarepa CaveMilarepa Cave

Among the many sidetrips in this region, Milarepa cave is one of the most famous. This side trip (over a 2 hours hike from east of Bhraka) is very well one of the most exciting places, not only because of the scenery visible from the cave but also the story behind it. An eccentric Tibetan poet named Milarepa is said to have meditated in this cave somewhere during the 11th century whilst his journey in the Himalayas. Milarepa meditated and lived solely on stinging nettle that is said to have transformed his whole body green. One will be surprised to see stinging nettles still growing outside the cave. If you see Milarepaís illustration in any book or papers then that depiction most probably will be in the color green. The story goes that a hunter named Kera Gumpa Dorje was hunting deer with his dog. After seeing a deer, both the hunter and the dog started chasing the deer which after a while sought refuge behind the meditating Milarepa. The poet refused to hand over the deer and the hunter refused to leave without killing it. After a long discussion, Milarepaís magical influence caught on and the hunter gave up hunting and became Milarepaís disciple. You can still see the bow of the hunter hanging on the cliff above the cave.

Drive to Besishahar

Today after having breakfast, we are driving to Besishahar by Jeep. It will take more than 7 to 8 hours so we stop for lunch on the way to Besishahar. Today we stay at Besishahar.

Drive to Bandipur

After breakfast ,we are heading to Bandipur by jeep. It will take about 3 hours.

Midway on the day-long drive between Kathmandu and Pokhara lies the hilltop settlement of Bandipur, a Newar town with its age-old flavor still intact. Climb through pristine forests on the historical trail at Dumre Bazaar to a town that has hardly changed. Well preserved Bandipur today invites travelers to experience its unique offerings: rich hill culture, mountain views, and hiking.

Unlike most trading posts in the Nepal hills, Bandipur has retained its age-old cultural attributes - temples, shrines, sacred caves, innumerable festivals, and a Newari architecture that harks back to the Kathmandu Valley of old.

Located on a wide saddle at a height of 1,030 m the surrounding hills of Bandipur are ideal for hiking along trails that take you through tribal villages, verdant forests, and hilltop shrines that once doubled as fortresses.

Following the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1768 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, many of the valley's Newar inhabitants fanned out to establish trading posts in the hills.  Some traders made their way to Bandipur, from where they began to meet the needs of an increasingly mercantile British India and the Himalayan hinterland.

An obscure mountain village was transformed into a bustling commercial center, and Bandipur became a funneling point where all trails from central Nepal (and Tibet to the north) converged to head southward, crossing the great Narayani River and the Chitwan jungle to reach the Indian railhead of Narkatia Ganj.

In the 1800s, this bazaar town grew in wealth and importance.  Traders came from Tibet with musk pods, mountain herbs, animal skins, and horses. Calico, tobacco, glassware, and kerosene came in from British India.  However, when Nepal opened her doors to the world in the 1950s, Pokhara with its airfield began to gain importance, and in 1972 the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway by-passed Bandipur.

However, when Nepal opened her doors to the world in the 1950s, Pokhara with its airfield began to gain importance, and in 1972 the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway by-passed Bandipur altogether.

But, the road's alignment was a blessing in disguise - while many Newar hill towns lost their distinctiveness after joining the highway grid, Bandipur retained its originality.  Because Bandipur's merchant class had built sturdily, their buildings have stood firm and are used today once more to house shops, cafes and lodgings.

The place names around Bandipur indicate that Magars, whose chieftains ruled numerous principalities of today's central Nepal, originally inhabited the surrounding region, known as Tanahun. When Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha set out to expand his dominion, Tanahun was a powerful adversary that was overcome only after a hard battle. 

Majority of the current residents are originally traders from Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley who made their way to Bandipur and settled here. While the Newars are predominant in Bandipur, the Magar and Gurung ethnic groups inhabit the hillsides growing rice, millet, corn and mustard on terrace fields.

Drive to kathmandu(1300m)

Today we are heading back to kathmandu.It will take about 5 to 6 hours.

Farewell to Kathmandu

It's time to say farewell to Nepal. Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a city stroll, and/or souvenir shopping. A representative will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the airport for your return flight home. It's good to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure.