Annapurna Inner Circuit Trek

Today we explore Kathmandu on an organized sightseeing tour. There are all altogether 10 UNESCO sites in Nepal and you will be amazed to find seven (7) of these sites still exist in the Kathmandu Valley alone within a mere radius of 20km. Your tour will include a visit to the Bouddhanath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world and Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country. Here we will see Hindu holy men (sadhus) and pilgrims performing ritual bathing, and occasionally, funeral pyres burning on the ghats. Your early afternoon will be free to relax in the hotel garden or visit Thamel for some curious shopping. You will be given your trek departure orientation in the afternoon by our senior guide.

We will catch the early morning flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. During the 20 – minutes flight, one can get close-up views of Annapurna and other mountains. Upon arrival at the Pokhara airport, we will be transferred to a hotel near the Lakeside. After refreshment, we will set out to explore Pokhara. Places of interest are Davis Falls, KI Singh Bridge. Mountaineering Museum, Seti Gorge, Mahendra Cave and Gupteswor Cave. Overnight in Pokhara.

After having an early breakfast, we will drive towards Nayapul. The journey will take an hour from Pokhara. We will begin our trek from Nayapul, along the bank of the peaceful Modi River. Approximately after a 30-minutes trek, we will reach Birethanti village. Birethanti is a scenic village housing abundant of tea shops and guest houses. We will move eastwards to Ulleri along the edge of Burungdi River. On the way to Ulleri (2073m), we will pass through the valleys of Hile and Tikhedhunga (1525 m) which is a large Magar village.

This morning, we will make a slow ascend to Ghorepani going on a steep uphill stone-steps climb for about 2 hours. The route is scenic with views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre Mountains in the backdrop. On the way, we will pass sub-alpine forest of rhododendron to reach Deurali which greets us with views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South and other mountains. Following the old Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade Route, we will reach the Magar village of Ghorepani. We will enjoy the views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna range and stay overnight in Ghorepani.

Early morning call before dawn to catch and witness the famous and awesome sun rise. Poon hill is the famous hill station in Pokhara. This short hike to the hill station located at 3194m will take an hour. Here, we will enjoy the sunrise view over Annapurna. At Poon hill we can also marvel at the scenic views of surrounding mountains including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Fishtail and other peaks. After spending quality time in Poon hill, we will descend to Ghorepani for breakfast. Thereafter, we will trek for approximately 6 hours through rhododendron forests to Tadapani via Banthanti where we will stay overnight.

We will follow the relatively easy trail from Tadapani to Jhinu Danda. On the way from Tadapani, we will arrive at Bhaisi Kharka while enjoying the view of Machhapucchre Mountain and continue through the forest to Ghandruk village which is one of the largest Gurung village in the region. From Ghandruk, we will descend further through the steep trail to Kimrong River. We will cross the River over a suspension bridge and continue to trek for about thirty minutes to reach Jhinu Danda.

A short walk from Jhinu Danda will transport us to the natural hot spring known as Tato Pani. Soaking in this refreshing hot spring is considered great for natural skin treatment. After lunch, a further descend and crossing the Modi River over a suspension bridge is a sensational experience where we can view honey bee hives dangling on the cliff. We will take an uphill climb to Landruk which is a pleasant mountain village.

Located along the route to Annapurna Base Camp, Landruk is the Gurung village which is famous for its honey hunting festival. After an early breakfast, we will leave Landruk village by an escalating path uphill through rhododendron and oak forest for few hours to reach the top of the ridge that promised scenic views of the Annapurna Mountain Range. Moving further on stone steps, we will arrive at the Australian Camp which is surrounded with great views of sunset over the mountains. Overnight in Australian Camp.

From Australian Camp, we will follow the descending path through rhododendron forest.Tracing the stone staircases, we will descend to Kande. Annapurna Inner Circuit Trek ends at Kande. Upon arrival in Phedi, we take a 1 hour drive back to Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara.

We will return to Kathmandu, a city separated from Pokhara by 200km. Prithvi Highway links Pokhara with Kathmandu. It takes 6 hrs to reach Kathmandu from Pokhara by road. You will be transferred to the hotel where you will have a well-deserved and pleasant stay.

Free and easy day to spend, perhaps doing shopping or rest at hotel’s beautiful court-yard. At eventide, we will relish a farewell dinner to celebrate your successful completion of the ‘Annapurna Inner Circuit Trek.’ While enjoying our supper, we will also be entertained to a scintillating cultural dance performed by the local belles
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you would like to extend your stay. Kindly email us for more details on extensions.

Thank you for joining us on this trek and it has been a pleasure getting to know you during this time. We hope this venture has enriched your experience with happy memories. Keep in touch and hope to hear from you soon. Bon voyage for a safe and pleasant trip home.