On arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will complete all necessary immigration formalities followed by baggage collection from the designated area in the airport. As you exit, one of the representatives from Aid Journeys, with a placard, will officially welcome you and escort you to your pre-assigned hotel. At the hotel, you may stretch out your legs and relax for few hours from the possible jet lag that you might have experienced after a long flight. Those who are anxious and want to hit the streets right away, may stroll around Thamel and do a bit of shopping or hire gears and equipment for the upcoming trip. Overnight in Kathmandu.
After a good night‟s rest, you will be woken up with a morning call, if you desire, followed by a warm bed tea. Once you finish your breakfast, there will be a guided tour to some of the most historical and spiritual landmarks of the city, all of them being recognized as UNESCO world heritage sites. You will visit the most revered and holy Hindu temple complex of Pashupatinath, and one of the largest stupas in the world - a Buddhist shrine at Bouddhanath. You will also take a tour to Patan, the city of artisans. There you will visit the historical Patan Durbar Square and delight in the architectural wonders of the Malla era. Other attractions in Patan are the Mahaboudhha temple, the Kumbeshwor temple, Krishna temple and the Golden temple. On completion of the sightseeing, you will return to your hotel and either take rest or stroll around the bustling Thamel town. Overnight in Kathmandu.
The drive to Jagat begins after an early breakfast this morning. Driving along the Prithvi Highway, you will reach Dumre. From here you will leave the highway, and the road bifurcates along a rough road through the Marshyangdi River and crossing the Besi Sahar. The approximately 8-10 hours, you will reach Jagat.
Upon breakfast, you will begin your trek slowly descending towards the river and a gentle climb through a lush forest. A series of ups and downs for about an hour through beautiful tropical forests will lead you to Chyamje village amidst the glorious backdrop of the towering Annapurna. From here, it is a gentle downhill walk to the river, and after crossing a suspension bridge, it is a steep climb to Sattale. This segment of the steep climb is slippery as well as physically challenging. Following the succession of rock-strewn trails and undulating path, you will climb the twisted way to the top of a hill, from where it is a moderate descend to a grassy riverbed that finally leads to Tal village. At Tal, you will get to see beautiful waterfalls, few hotels, and teahouses. Some trekkers use this village for an overnight stay. After lunch at Tal, you will continue through the rugged and winding path and the valley narrows as you approach the steeply forested village of Karte. Beyond this small village, the trail meanders along the waterfalls and cliffs. Then crossing a suspension bridge at Lower Dharapani, it is a short ascend before you reach the Upper Dharapani village right after the stone Mani wall. Overnight in Dharapani. Day 08: Trek to Nar Phu valley first camp (2740m/8990ft): 6 hours trek.
After your breakfast in Dharapani, you will move northward towards the less traveled trekking route passing through the beautiful river, Dudh Khola originating from the south face of Manaslu. Arriving at the Bhutia village of Bagarchhap crammed with colorful flags fluttering in the breeze, you will get magnificent views of Annapurna II. Then the climb continues through pine and oak forests passing through the Danaque village. The steep incline ends for a while, and you follow a leveled trail through bravura rhododendrons crossing a stream and then into a dense pine forest. As your path leads you through beautiful pine forests and rocky trails, you will arrive at a small village of Koto from where you again get the opportunity to look straight up at the glorious Annapurna II. In the late afternoon, you will witness the beautiful orange hue of the sun illuminating the massive Annapurna as you leave the Annapurna Circuit crossing a suspension bridge across the Marshyangdi River and entering the Nar Phu Valley. From the bank of the Nar Phu River, you will make a small ascend to the first camping site where you will sleep overnight.
The trail you will be covering today is unlike the tracks you had been treading around Annapurna, where you will walk on small jungle paths for most of the day in the Nar Phu valley. After an undulating route for a while, you will make a short steep ascent of Choto village. There are some natural hot springs just before a suspension bridge at an altitude of 3090m, from where the walking trail is exposed above the Nar Phu Khola. The trail that follows is a path carved out on the hills, which keeps the adrenaline in you pumping until you reach the campsite at Sinhenge Dharamsala. Overnight camping in Sinhenge Dharamsala.
The day kicks off with steep climbs crossing the Methang River up on winding paths to the green meadows. The Methang village is packed with numerous small as well as significant chortens and offers marvelous views of Kang Guru. You will get to observe beautiful streams and passing through the pastures; you will also see Nar, the blue sheep from which the valley derived its name, grazing in these pastures. Leaving behind the abandoned village of Methang, your trail will get challenging here onwards. One path leads to the base camp of Kang Guru, and the next track leads to another abandoned village, Junan where the trail is quite easy and leveled out. Continuing further, you have to trek through glacial gravels with plenty of waterfalls sprouting from the cliffs. Crossing a row of chortens with after a steady uphill climb, you will reach a flat area of Chaku village, which has a population of about 150 inhabitants. Overnight camping in Chaku.
Your day begins after breakfast through isolated chortens, prayer flags and birch trees with a tough, sharp climb to another abandoned village of Khyang, where a beautiful long Mani wall is positioned. Khyang village is used as a settlement by the Phu villagers to escape the harsh winter weathers. Continuing on a miraculous rock-strewn trail carved on a cliff above the river, then descending to its riverbed, your path moves ahead past Mani Chortens following the riverbed. You will then ascend to Phuohi Yalgoe entrance, which is the gateway to the Phu Valley, the most brilliant village perched on a hill. From this point, hiking for another hour, you will cross the Phu River to begin an uphill climb to the Phu village passing through mysterious caves. Overnight camping in Phu Village.
The day is set aside for acclimatization whereby you are advised to rest and get acclimatized with higher altitudes to prepare for the onward journey. It isn‟t worth on a long trek to Phu until you absorb yourself in the natural splendor and culture of the village, the Hidden Valley with ethnic groups like Lamas, Gurungs, and Ghaleys. An outsized Buddhist monastery is located in the middle of the village. You will have ample time to explore the Phu village and nearby surroundings. An excursion to Lhakhang Monastery, which is an old Buddhist Monastery supposed to be the last monastery built by Karma Rinpoche. A short hike to the Himlung Himal Base Camp is another option to utilize your acclimatization day. Overnight camping in Phu Village.
Retracing the same step past the Chaku Village, today your journey will continue to the neighboring Nar village. Crossing Chaku village after two hours of brisk walk, you will cross the twin bridges across the river canyon to reach Nar Phedi. The trail today descends passing several streams and Buddhist stupas. At Nar Phedi, you will find quite some Buddhist monasteries to visit that are coupled with astonishing views of the Pisang Peak. It is another few minutes of walk to the 500- years old Sadik Chorten from your campsite. Overnight camping in Nar Phedi.
Trekking from Nar Phedi to Nar village will be a steep ascent for a couple of hours. Kang Guru Peak becomes visible as you approach the village. Nar village is comparatively more prominent than the Phu village, and you won‟t miss the fantastic sight of ten chortens aligned in a row as you approach Nar Village. Curving around the ridges, the trail leads you to a small rocky village of Nar, squatting on a natural bowl. After lunch at the village, you will continue with a long but moderate climb through the lateral moraines of Temdenzon River to arrive at Kang La Phedi. You may spend an hour or so to explore the Nar village before making a two hours ascent to your overnight camping site. Overnight in Kang La Phedi.
Today is yet another challenging day with a long trail that extensively requires 6 – 7 hours of walking in undulating paths. However, you will be rewarded with some magnificent views of the colossal Annapurna massif and the Pisang Peak as you ascent the ridges. Today you have to cross the Kang La Pass at a high altitude of 5322 meters. En route, you will cross beautiful frozen lakes, a chorten and panoramic vistas of high mountain peaks along with an exciting convoy of yaks on the slimy trail. From the Kang La Pass, it is a steep descent for over an hour from where the path becomes grassy and easy to tread on, finally leading to Ngawal. You will find few restaurants and lodges in this tranquil village with beautiful Mani walls and chortens strewn with colorful prayer flags. From Ngawal, your trek takes the left route down the valley until you arrive at Munje. Overnight camping in Munje.
It is a relatively shorter trekking day today from the village of Munje to Manang. After breakfast, you continue the trek through cultivated barley and buckwheat fields to arrive at Braga village. The village is known to house a famous monastery with an extensive collection of statues, thangkas, and manuscripts that are more than 500 years old. Plenty of large chortens and Mani walls accompanied by the tall Himalayan peaks including the Annapurna Ranges, Gangapurna and Tilicho can be witnessed as you will begin ascending towards Manang. Manang is a plateau with flat-roofed houses and alleyways and the jewel of the Annapurna Circuit. Overnight in Manang.
Trekking from Manang to Letdar with high spirits, the trail climbs from Manang town, and the Manaslu peak makes its appearance at the far end of the valley for the last time on this trek. You will reach the village of Tengi, past the tree line and surrounded by magnificent peaks of the Annapurna Ranges and Hiunchuli. The trek gradually becomes more challenging as the air begins to thin and it is advised to hike at the slow pace and frequent rests. You will now enter the valley of Jarsang Khola and continue further to Gunsang, a small village with flat-roofed mud-built houses. Gunsang is the last permanently inhabited village in the valley, and the communities you see further are all temporary camps targeted for trekkers. The route after Gunsang levels and enters into pastures and small forests. You may witness barberry and juniper forests and walk past picturesque meadows; you may also catch sight of grazing yaks or horses. The final climb on this segment to Letdar could be lethargic and requires a lot of energy. Continuing the undulating path and crossing the vast stream, you will follow a trail till a small settlement with rich pasture at Letdar. Overnight in Letdar.
Climbing steeply from Letdar, passing a herd of yaks, and some great views of Annapurna III and Gangapurna, you will tread on the narrow valley with steep slopes on both sides. The area from Letdar to Thorung Phedi has a surreal beauty with multi-colored hills. After climbing for a while, the trail suddenly drops to the river, where you will cross a wooden bridge. From here the trail again meanders steeply up the other bank to a small teahouse. Then you will come across a landslide- prone area, which you are advised to cross as quickly and carefully as possible. With a gentle descend at the later part of your trek; you will enter Thorung Phedi, which is just a beautiful rock strewn meadow. Overnight in Thorung Phedi.
Today‟s walk is the most exhilarating trek throughout the trip, and you will wake up quite early to begin gaining heights and reach the highest pass in the world, Thorung La Pass at 5416 meters. Immediately after leaving Thorung Phedi, the trail becomes steep, but it is a well efined and easy-to-track path as it has been used by the local yak herders and mule trains since hundreds of years. After about four hours of the steep and relentless climb, you will reach a point with prayer flags and a small chorten, and a building on the top of a hill. This is a teahouse at the top of the pass. From the top, the views of the majestic snow-capped mountains, hills of Mustang and the Kali Gandaki Valley, the deepest gorge in the world, are simply awe-inspiring. After spending about half an hour on photo sessions, you will retrace and descend gently, as downhill walk seems more demanding on your knees. The downhill trek to Mustang is a tiring journey; nevertheless, it is highly compensated with excellent views of the Dhaulagiri Ranges. Walking along the Jhong River Valley, you will finally reach Muktinath, a famous pilgrimage for both the Hindus and Buddhist. Overnight in Muktinath.
Since Muktinath to Jomsom is barely a few hours walk, you will have plenty of time in the Muktinath area this morning. After visiting the temples and a brief sightseeing spree in Muktinath, your trail will lead you to the village of Ranipauwa. Descending the spectacular Kali Gandaki valley, you will passthe villages of Jharkot and Khingar, which are decorated with distinctive Tibetan structural designs. At Jharkot there is a monastery and many Buddhist caves for you to explore. Moving from beautiful meadows, streams and fruit gardens, walking past Kagbeni, you will follow the valley floor to reach the district headquarter of the Mustang district, Jomsom. Tremendous views of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri mountain peaks can be glimpsed throughout today‟s walking trail. Overnight in Jomsom.
This day, you will embark on an early morning scenic flight from Jomsom to Pokhara along the Kali Gandaki Valley providing majestic views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Ranges. On arrival at Pokhara airport, you will drive to Pokhara Hotel and rest. After rest, you can have sightseeing in Pokhara
After Breakfast: You will drive to Kathmandu from Pokhara and it takes 6.5-7 hrs to reach Kathmandu. In the evening time you can relax at Hotel or can also roam around the area
Today is the day your holidays in Nepal has come to an end, and you will be flying back home with ample memories of the experiences you‟ve had in the Himalayas. A representative from Aid Journeys will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport well ahead of your scheduled flight for your onward journey. With plenty of time onboard, you may plan your next trip in the Himalayan realms of Nepal. For those willing to stay back and extend your holidays, Aid Journeys will be glad to plan your trip according to your craving.
