14-Day Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Poon Hill and Kathmandu

• Arrive in Kathmandu and stay for the night.

Overnight at a hotel. No meals included.

Indulge in sightseeing as you visit the places listed below:

• Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River. Though you are not allowed to go inside the temple, as it is strictly for Hindus only, you can clearly see the temple and the activities from the eastern bank of the Bagmati River. It is a square, two-tiered pagoda temple built on a single-tier plinth and is famous all over the world.

• Boudhanath Stupa: Boudhanath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu. It was built in the 5th century, with four pairs of eyes of Lord Buddha in the four cardinal directions keeping an eternal watch over the people and their doings. You will find Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet going around the stupa, spinning the prayer wheels.

• Patan Durbar Square: Visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the royal residential quarter of Bhupatindra Malla.

• Take a bus to Pokhara at around 7:30 am.

• Admire the beautiful valley set on the banks of Phewa Lake. Pokhara is also known for its panoramic views of Annapurna and Machapuchare (shaped like a fishtail) in the north, Dhaulagiri in the west, and Lamjung Himal.

• Spend the night at a hotel.

• Begin your trek at Nayapul after an hour's drive by private vehicle from Pokhara.

• After a short 15-minute walk along the banks of the Modi Khola, reach Birethanti (1,015 m), a large village with many shops and teahouses.

• From there, the trail continues through the village and follows the north bank of the Bhurungdi Khola.

• Notice how the trail climbs steadily up the side of the valley to Hille at 1,495 m before reaching Tikhedunga at 1,570 m.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Move on towards the steep climb to Ulleri, a large Magar village at an altitude of 2,070 m.

• The trail ascends more gently from this point, through fine forests of oak and rhododendron, towards Banthanti at 2,250 m.

• Trek towards Nangethanti at 2,460 m. After an hour's walk, arrive at Ghorepani (2,840 m).

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Make an early start for an hour-long hike to Poon Hill at an elevation of 3,210 m.

• Enjoy a spectacular sunrise, as this vantage point provides an unobstructed view of the sunrise over the high Himalayas.

• Spend about an hour there before returning to Ghorepani, where you will have a hot breakfast.

• Climb along ridges and through pine and rhododendron forests towards Deurali (2,960 m).

• After that, descend to Banthanti, then turn off to Tadapani.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Start with a steep downhill walk through rhododendron forests as you leave Tadapani.

• Descend through the forests and, as the trail eases up, reach Gurjung, a village of the Gurung people.

• From here, take an easy walk to Chomrong at an elevation of 2,140 m.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Descend to Chomrong Khola and then continue climbing to Khuldighar at 2,380 m, where there used to be an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area) check post.

• Notice a clearing in the forest a little further on, from which the route travels very steeply down a rock bank, then levels out, running through thickets of bamboo at the bottom of the gorge, always keeping to the west side of the river.

• Walk through bamboo and rhododendron forests to the Himalayan Hotel.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Build your endurance as the trail climbs past Hinko Cave, Deurali, and then Machapuchare Base Camp, which is not really a base camp since climbing Mt. Machapuchare is not permitted.

• Take a two-hour trek from Machapuchare Base Camp to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at an elevation of 4,130 m.

• There, enjoy unobstructed views of the mountain scenery, which is truly spectacular.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Follow the same trail down today, dropping by 1,700 m to the bank of the Modi Khola at Bamboo (2,345 m).

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• Follow the same trail until Chomrong.

• Notice how the trail continues through rhododendron and bamboo fields.

• From Chomrong, watch the trail descend very steeply to Jhinu, where you can bathe in natural hot springs.

Overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

• From Jhinu, walk along the right side of the Modi Khola for 4.5 hours to Birethanti, which can be considered one of the best and most relaxing walks of the entire trek.

• Reach Nayapul and take an hour's drive back to Pokhara.

• After checking into the hotel, walk to Fewa Lake for a boating trip to Barahi Temple.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast and lunch included.

• Drive back to Kathmandu in the morning.

• Head out for a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances.

Overnight at a hotel. Breakfast and farewell dinner included.

• Depart for home.

Breakfast included.