Luxury Annapurna Trek

Grading: 3-4 (Moderate)

Duration for treks of this grade stretches up to two (2) weeks. Trails generally go above 2000 meters and on a daily basis, you can expect to be walking for about 5 – 7 hours. The perfect setting for an introduction to moderate & challenging trekking in Nepal. Activity level/physical rating is slightly harder than leisure and involves occasional difficult days. Expect ups and downs as well for there will be hills to climb as well and the well-known ‘Nepali flat’ – a little bit up and a little bit down.

No previous experience of trekking is required but you should be moderately fit and must enjoy walking and adaptable to high altitude conditions. Having previous experience is definitely beneficial but it is not a must to participate in this trip. All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully in this trip. We strongly advise you to prepare yourself for the trip at least 3 months prior to your trip date by doing regular exercises, going on hiking, running or gym. The fitter you are, the more enjoyable you will find the experience of trekking.

All meals are included during the trek from Day 03 to Day 10. We will provide three meals a day (B, L, D) during the trek and in Pokhara. The menus in the teahouses are varied, ranging from traditional Nepalese dhal bhat, Momo (Dumpling) to pizza and apple pie. During the trek, Breakfast and Dinner will be served at the lodge where you stay and Lunch will be along the way.

If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know in advance and we will be sure to pass your message to your guide. For a gluten-free diet, we highly recommend you bring extra foods, especially for breakfast as your options for breakfast will be limited. In Kathmandu, only breakfast will be provided to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where what and with whom to eat for lunch and dinner.

We offer hot-boiled water for drinking purposes on our treks to minimize the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles. Please remember to bring a reusable water bottle or Thermos that can withstand hot water, and feel free to ask our guides to refill it during meal times, particularly at breakfast and dinner.

While bottled water is available at lodges, prices may range from USD 1 to USD 3 as we ascend in altitude. Alternatively, you can bring water purification tablets or a filtration device for your convenience.

Kathmandu: 
In Kathmandu, we stay at Hotel Marriott or a similar category. Located in the vibrant city centre, near shopping, dining and attractions, Marriott Kathmandu Hotel offers modern design, 5-star service and deluxe amenities. Breakfast will be provided in the hotel and your accommodation will be on twin sharing basis and if you would like to have a single room, upon request you are required to pay a single supplement price as stated in the trip costing. Regardless of whether you’re coming back from the mountains or touching base from the airport, Marriott Kathmandu offers an unrivalled experience with its luxurious facilities.

Pokhara: 
In Pokhara, we stay at Temple Tree Resort or a similar category. Located near the lakeside area, the hotel offers a swimming pool, spa and cosy rooms.

On Trek:
Our luxury treks are accommodated in the Mountain Lodges of Nepal in the Annapurna region. These luxurious hotels provide indulgent comfort, high-quality cuisine and very warm Nepalese hospitality to weary trekkers.

Single supplement:
A Single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room and it will cost USD 250 per person. A single supplement is only available in Kathmandu and Pokhara. On the trek at these luxury lodges, there is a limited amount of rooms available and during busy months it could be impossible to arrange private rooms.

Our emphasis is always on maintaining the small group so that it will be easy to coordinate and cooperate with each other. Our group size is small and we only take up to 12 pax in one group. If you opt to join our ‘fixed departure trip’, you are likely to be joining people from different countries of any age group except minors. The size of the group varies, the minimum no of persons required to operate the trip is 2 and the maximum is 12 people.

Daily wake-up calls will be between 6.00 am to 7.00 am while on the trek. The wake-up time and breakfast time will be decided the night before during the briefing time. The timetable for each day will entirely depend on your walking duration for that particular day.

After a hearty breakfast, we set off on the day’s walk. Before breakfast, you are required to pack your duffel bag as it will be loaded by the porter while you are having your breakfast. After 2-3 hours of walking, we stop for lunch mid-day. The afternoon’s walk is generally shorter and we usually arrive at our destination in time for afternoon tea. The rest of the afternoon can be spent exploring the village, washing your clothes or simply relaxing with a good book. On some days, we will arrive at our destination by lunchtime and the entire afternoon will be free. After dinner, the evening will often be spent playing cards and reliving the day’s adventures, before heading off to bed for a well-earned sleep.

It’s mandatory and highly recommended to get travel insurance before embarking on any adventurous trips in Nepal. We advise all our clients to get travel insurance that covers emergency helicopter evacuation that may be needed in case of the occurrence of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) or any other reasons in high altitudes where there are no other means of transportation available. It is advisable to review carefully the insurance and its coverages before making the final decision. Carry proof of your insurance with you on the holiday and leave a copy next to your kin. You must ensure that your insurance provides an adequate level of protection and covers you for the activities involved.

More information: Travel Insurance

Each client will receive an individual duffel bag for packing their gear. Our duffel bags have an approximate capacity of 80 liters, and we kindly ask clients to ensure that their duffel bag weight remains under 15 kgs. The baggage allowance for Nepal’s domestic airlines is a total of 15 kg (10 kgs for the duffel bag and 5 kgs for the backpack) but we can offer additional baggage allowance. We request clients to keep the duffel bag weight under 15 kgs due to porter weight restrictions, allowing maximum of 30 kgs weight per porter.

During the trek, clients are required to carry only a day pack containing essentials such as a water bottle, camera, sunscreen, spare jacket, etc. This light load ensures a more enjoyable trekking experience. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will provide clients with a duffel bag, and any additional luggage or items not needed during the trek can be left at the hotel in Kathmandu.

We possess a deep passion for alpine adventure & the outdoors, and with the small professional group we have on board, we’ve notched up experience that spans almost 3 decades on some of the most isolated trails and highest peaks. We take great pride in calling ourselves a ‘high-altitude adventure specialist’ and all this is due to our diverse and qualified team of guides. Most of our guides were born in these parts & have relatives living in other parts of the regions where they were born in.

Your trip will be led by a qualified guide with 1 porter for every 2 participants and 1 assistant guide for every 3 participants.

Trip Style

Our trips are available on both fixed departure and private basis. If you are looking for a group to join this trip please check our departures section for availability, dates and price. If you would like to travel independently, or with your friends, families & colleagues you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient timeframe for any number of people.

If you want to do something that is not included in our trip list, we are ready to tailor a trip to suit your exact requirements. In short, we will make every effort to get you on the trip you want, when you want.

The best seasons to trek to the Annapurna region are Autumn (from October to the end of November) and Spring (mid-March until mid-May). Temperatures will drop as you ascend higher every day. The nights are cold (between 5 to 10 Degrees Celsius) and the days are sunny and hot (between 15C to 20C).  Mornings are usually clear, with clouds building up in the afternoon and disappearing at night.

Read more about the best time: https://highlandexpeditions.com/best-time-to-visit-nepal/

Passport: All foreign visitors to Nepal must possess a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity beyond their planned departure date.

Visa: Nepal visa can be obtained on arrival at Kathmandu airport (Tribhuvan International Airport) or you can obtain Nepal visa prior to your arrival through the Nepalese embassies, diplomatic missions and consulates near your location. Nepal Visa is also issued at the entry points if you are entering Nepal by land.

Visa Fees: Nepal visa fees are listed below as per the duration.

Multiple entry 15 days – US$ 30 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 30 days – US$ 50 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 90 days – US$ 125 or equivalent convertible currency

Important Note: It is always advisable to verify the visa requirements upon booking your trip. Visa requirements may vary depending on where you are from and its also recommended to check the transit country requirements as well.

While we share this information in good faith, it is crucial for you to independently verify it and acknowledge that you bear full responsibility for your visa requirements.

Point of Arrival:
Your point of arrival should be Tribhuvan International Airport  located in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Meeting Instructions:
Your meeting point is at Kathmandu’s airport, Tribhuvan International Airport. Upon arrival at Kathmandu’s Airport, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), kindly pay your visa fee and proceed to immigration to apply for VOA (Visa On Arrival), customs clearing and then collect your luggage. Outside the arrival hall, please look out for our team member holding a placard stating ‘Highland Expeditions ’ and you will be escorted to your hotel for checking in.

Airport Pickup and Drop:
We will provide airport pickup and drop-off according to your flight schedule. Your airport transfers are organized based on the flight information you provide to us. If there is a change in your flight schedule, please inform us promptly, and we will adjust the transfers accordingly. Upon arrival, please be on the lookout for our team member holding a placard that reads ‘Highland Expeditions’ in the arrival area. You will be greeted and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Similarly, for your departure, we will take you to the airport in accordance with your flight schedule.

Emergency Contact for Airport Transfers: +9779860763929 (Dawa Sherpa)

The gear listed below is recommended for Luxury Annapurna Trek. We encourage you to get all the equipment listed below for the trip and kindly ensure you check and try every piece of equipment. You can also buy or hire the same in Thamel,Kathmandu as they are available in the many trekking shops from branded to local manufacturers in Kathmandu.

Head gears:

• Sunhat
• Warm hat (should cover head & ear comfortably)
• Buff X 1
• Sunglasses (High-quality, UV-blocking sunglasses with good all-around protection)
• Headlamp with spare batteries (200-300 lumens output)

Upper Body:

• Thermal or fleece base layer top X 2
• Short Sleeve Trekking shirts X 2
• Full Sleeve trekking shirts X 1
• Soft-shell jacket/fleece jacket X 1
• Light down jacket X 1
• Hardshell jacket with a hood X 1
• Insulated Down Jacket (provided by us at request)

Lower body:

• Thermal or fleece base layer bottom X 2
• Trekking trousers/pants X 2
• Warm trekking trousers X 1
• Hardshell pants (Non-insulated and waterproof)                                                                                                

Underwear:

• 4 pairs of underwear (synthetic or wool fabrics only)
• 2 Sports Bra for women

Footwear:

• Waterproof Hiking Boots (GoreTex and Good Tread)
• Hiking socks X 3 pairs medium to heavy (synthetic and wool)
• Camp shoes to wear at the teahouse

Handwear:

• Softshell/Medium weight gloves X 1

Gears / Personal equipment:

• Daypack 30-35 litres with rain cover
• Waterproof Duffel bag (provided by us at request)
• One-litre capacity water bottle X 2 (Nalgene & Thermos)
• Trekking poles
• Camera with charger or spare batteries
• Personal snacks and energy bars (you can buy them during the trek too)
• Laundry bag to keep the dirty clothes
• Padlock (Optional)
• Ear plugs
• Rain Poncho
• Large plastic bags to keep the clothes dry
• Extra clothes to wear in Kathmandu when you come back from the trek.
• Sandals

Toiletries and hygiene

• Quick-drying towel
• Small face towel
• Toothbrush &Toothpaste
• Face mask
• Water treatment tools or tablets (Recommended: Aquatabs)
• Soap and Shampoo/Dry shampoo (Smaller bottle)
• Face and body moisturizer
• Sunscreen SPF30+ and Lip balm SPF 30+
• Hand sanitiser/Antiseptic wipes
• Hygiene products
• Basic first aid kit (Pepto Bismol, Cipro (500mg tablets), Metronidazole, Hydration salts, Eye drops, Azithromycin (250mg tablets), Diamox (250mg tablets, approx. 20 total), and variety of standard painkillers including Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc)

Documents

• Passport with visa and validity of 6 months after your trip completion
• 2 copies of passport-size photos (For sim card and travel purposes)
• Credit cards in case of emergencies
• Driving ID or any other ID in case of loss of your passport
• Travel Insurance and Flight tickets