22-Day Nepal Trekking Tour with Round Annapurna and Poon Hill

• Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel in Kathmandu. 

• Before dinner, we can possibly have a small climb. 

Ascent: 0 m; Descent: 0 m

Overnight stay in a hotel.

• Visit the historic old city of Kathmandu. 

Around the old king palace(Hanuman Dhoka), there are dozens of Hindu temples with carved wooden beams made of brown-black Sal Tree. 

• Pass the largest and oldest temple in the city, the Taleju Pagoda.

• Take a trip to Swayambunath after lunch. 

The Stupa is the largest sanctuary of the Newar Buddhists and located on a hill above the Kathmandu Valley.  

• See a beautiful view of the Kathmandu Valley. 
• Attend a Buddhist ceremony. 

• Drive to Patan City with your Nepal tour guide. 

• Visit the royal city of Patan.

Patan is the cradle of arts, crafts and the centre of Newar architecture. The main buildings are grouped around the Mangal Durbar, the heart of the city, the heart of the magnificent royal palace.

• See the pagodas, crowned by statues of columns, the facade of the Royal Palace and other temples and Monasteries, as the Maha-buddha ( Temple of 1000 Buddhas ) and the 5-storey pagoda- Hindu Kumbeshvar.

Overnight at the hotel, (B)

Ascent: 0 m; Descent: 0 m

Overnight stay in a hotel. [B]

• Cross the 1,500 m high Thankot Pass on our 6 to 7 hours bus drive in the minibus/private car (200 km).
• Drive down to Trishuli Valley with many beautiful landscape and rivers. 

The sometimes bumpy, sometimes extensive modern road follows the popular rafting river below through constantly changing the scenery of Mugling. 

• Follow the Marsyandi Khola Valley on a gravel track to the starting point of the trek. 
• See Annapurnas and Manaslu regions from far distances till Besi Sahar if there is good weather. 
• Start the Trek, walk on the western shore of Marsyandi Khola valley. 
• Walk through Khuldi Village to Bhulbhule and refer to the sleeping rooms in a lodge.

Time: 3h

Time: 6-7h; Climb: 200 m; Descent: 0 m

Overnight stay at a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Gain an impression of the rural life of the Gurung people on our route through small villages and terraced fields. 
• Often there are wide views of the glittering snow peaks of Annapurna and Manaslu Himal. 
• Come to the site Ngadi, cross the tributary of the Ngadi Khola (900 m) and then walk up to the village Bahundanda (1,250 m). 

Between Manaslu and Annapurna, the Marsyandi a very deep river shows the trail. 

• Continue north on Syange and walk to Jagat (1,200 m), a wooded hillside.

Walking time: 7h; Ascent: 510m; Descent: 200m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Go further upstream.

The more obvious characteristics of the Buddhist culture of this group, for example, the stone-built houses with their flat roofs. The vegetation is less tropical. In the valley, go through the deeply entrenched canyon. Oak forests surround us, we see bubbling waterfalls on both sides of the valley. 

Between the village and Chamje, our goal is Dharapani (1,900 m), we cross the river several times.

Ascent: 850m, Descent: 150m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Hold on the left bank of Marsyandi come through mixed forests and past fields orchards, cross streams, and fields through small settlements.

On it goes from the village Latamarang (2,450 m) to 2,650 m high administrative.

Walking time: 6h

Ascent: 900 m; Descent: 150 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Switch to the right side of the valley and walk on through Bharatang (2,900 m) from Chame.

Again on the left bank, it goes through sparse spruce and pine jungle and sometimes steep climb. 

• After a steep climb, we are out of the narrow valley to Pisang village (about 3,300), which opens a wonderful view of the imposing silhouette of the summit Annapurna II and Pisang Peak (6,091 m).

Walking time: 5h; Ascent: 750m, descent: 150m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

Now, the valley narrows into a gorge. 

• Follow the path on the eastern side of the river, hiking through the beautiful forest and a green pond. 

Then, it goes up steeply after Ghyaru. 

• Follow a mountain for 2 hours with magnificent views of the Annapurna Himal up to the traditional village Ngawal. Among us is a plateau( the runway), Hongdae (3,350m) where sheep and goat herds grazing. The descent leads to Mungji, where we have our last bridge over the Marsyandi.

• About the settlement Braga (3,450 m), walk to the administrative centre of Manang (3,500 m), a pretty mountain village with narrow streets and tightly packed flat roof houses. It is situated above a glacier lake, by the melting waters of the Gangapurna and Annapurna III. Here, spend two nights.

Time: 6-7h, Ascend: 800m; Descent: 300m 

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Morning, again go to Braga and visit there about 500 years old monastery, which is one of the oldest in the region and several gompas can be seen. Whoever wants to, can climb up the slope next to the huge ice wall of the Annapurna, and the rest can go back to Manang for rest. 
• On the way back to Manang again, comfortably explore the surrounding area.

Time: 2h; Ascent: 200m, descent: 200m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Soon after passing Manang, we come to the high valley. 

Our path leads north in the valley to Thorong La. Willow bushes and shrub juniper dominate the route through the alpine landscape.

• Walk to the hamlet Yak Kharka summer settlements, where we are at an approximately 4,000 m altitude in a simple lodge accommodation.

Time: 4h; Ascent: 550m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• After the last village Churi Lattar (4,150 m), walk through high altitude way to Thorong Phedi (4,450 m), the last, before the simple accommodation at Thorong La. 

Before our "king stage" to Thorong La, have a half-day to relax.

Time: 4h; Ascent: 450m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

The strenuous part of the tour is imminent: the crossing of the Thorong La. 

• Long stage to cope with Muktinath.
• The trail switchbacks to climb over rocky terrain to a large lateral. 

For centuries, this way is used by the locals on foot and on horseback. It is very important to go slowly and steadily. May be aggravated by the magnitude and impact of possible snowfall. 

• Depending on your condition, height adjustment and weather, we need 4-6 hours for the 1000 m in altitude before we are on the stone pyramids and fluttering prayer flags decorated Pass (5,416 m) are visible. 

In good weather, we can see a magnificent panorama. On both sides of the pass enthrone 6,000m there are snow mountains. 

The descent is first leisurely, then a steep downhill. 

• After stopping at a Tea House place, we walk slowly down to the high valley and walk through the green valley floor to Muktinath (3,700 m). 

Approximately 1,700 m of altitude is downhill and takes 3 to 4 hours to Muktinath from the pass, Muktinath is a famous place of pilgrimage. Where Buddha met God Shiva.

Time: 10-12h; Ascent: 1000 m; Descent: 1700 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

In the morning, when the sun illuminates the sanctuary and warms, it offers the best opportunity to visit the shrine, where many pilgrims (Hindus and Buddhists) come from Nepal and India. 

• Back in the village, walk down to Jharkot. On the opposite side lie the ruins of Dzong, the former capital of this region. 
• In the Valley of the Jhong Khola, we come in about 3 hours to Kagbeni (2,800 m) above the Kali Gandaki. 

A dramatic Gompa, stone houses and dark, winding streets mark the medieval village. In good weather illuminate the snow-capped peaks of the Nilgiri and Tilicho group and the Pyramid of Dhaulagiri can be seen.

Time: 3-12h; Descent: 900 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Walk through the Kali Gandaki river, which is the old caravan way, the way is very windy, to our administrative centre Jomsom. 
• Reach after 4 to 5 hours to the stately village Marpha (2,650 m). Around it, people grow grains on irrigated terraces and grow fruit trees with juicy apples. Particularly striking are the flat roof houses built together. The life of the Tibetan Thakali plays mostly from the inner courtyards. The often decorated with woodcarving buildings also offer protection against the fierce winds through the narrow valley of the Kali Gandaki. 
• Enter the Thakali village, the commercial centre of Tukuche, in about 2 hours. 

Walking time: 6h; Descent: 350 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Walk down the valley to Larjung, from where we can see a beautiful view of the steep walls of Dhaulagiri in the west and the Nilgiri in the East. 
• Walk down slowly after Larjung as we cross the Kali Gandaki on bridges to Kalopani (2,500 m). Passing villages, we walk down into the deep valley of the Kali Gandaki. This river has turned to a bottleneck at the site Ghasa (approx. 2,000 m) over 6,000 m deep between only 35 km apart Dhaulagiri and Annapurna entrench.

Walking time: 6h; Descent: 600 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Today we walk mostly steep down and passing through a small valley, reaching at Dana. 
• After lunch, we go through the bank of a river to the village Tatopani, 1,200m. The town owes its name to the nearby hot springs, Tatopani.

Walking time: 5h; Ascent: 120 m; Descent: 920 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Today, we leave the deepest gorge on earth and the Kali Gandaki River. 
• We go to the side of the Ghar Khola. 

Our route passes through cultivated land, and through small villages like Ghara, Sikha, and Chitre. 

• Reach the village of Ghorepani (2,870 m).

Time: 8 hours, Ascent: 1700 m; Descent: 0 m

Overnight stay at a lodge. [B,L,D]

• Witness the sunrise on Poonhill(3200m) which takes 45 minutes. A magnificent panoramic view includes the Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and the Manaslu group.
• Climb steeply up to Deorali (3,100 m) after breakfast. After here take the narrow trails in the rhododendron and bamboo jungle to Banthanti 
• Go again down through the jungle to Tadapani (2,720 m) after lunch. 
• Walk steeply down to Ghandrung (2,000 m).

Walking time: 6 -7hrs; Ascent: 650 m, descent: 1240 m

Overnight stay in a lodge. [B,L,D]

The scattered village, a popular stop is located in the face of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchare. 

• Go through the large Gurung village, Ghandruk.
• Descend on the western slope of the Modi Khola (river) valley and reach Khimche (1,600 m), the valley floor. Soon we are in the refined and flowery village Birethanti (1,000 m). 
• Cross the steel bridge over the roaring Modi Khola river that takes to the Road in Nayapul.
• Drive to Pokhara by crossing Khre pass(1700m) late in the afternoon. If the time allows, we can have a celebration at the lakeside.

Walking time: 5h; Ascent: 0 m; Descent: 920 m

Overnight stay in a hotel. [B,L,D]

• Drive 7 to 8 hrs back to Kathmandu(210 km) or on your choice, fly to Kathmandu (20 min.)

Overnight stay in a hotel. [B]

• After breakfast drive to Bhaktapur City.

A unique feature is, its well-preserved in the ’70s restored medieval town. 

• Admire the Hindu temple in the Durbar Square with painted wood carvings and stone animals and protect the gilded entrance portal of the royal palace.
• Come to the place with the tallest pagoda of Nepal, the Nyatapola. Here nearby is the pottery square which attracts millions of tourists
• Visit the east of the city, to Dattatreya Square. 
• See the old priest houses with finest wood carvings and many more museums. 
• Visit Pashupatinath on the side of the holy Bagmati River. For Hindus, this is the holiest place in Nepal. Faithful pilgrimage from India even to this memorial for the god Shiva, who in his incarnation as Lord of the wildlife is revered. 

The pagoda-style temple built in the main is only accessible to Hindus, but from the outside looking at the huge gold bull, Nandi is possible. 

From a panoramic terrace overlooking the whole area, with its temples, shrines, death body ceremony and temples and platform on the banks of the Bagmati, where pilgrims perform the ritual acts.

• Go to Bodnath, the religious centre of the Tibetans living in Nepal. The Stupa is one of the biggest Stupa in the world. You can see praying wheels, Pilgrims providing plenty of atmospheres. 
• Look at the richly decorated earlier gompa that lies in the west of the Stupa, in which a superior- statue of Maitreya Buddha is enthroned. (B)

Today, if you have a flight in the afternoon or evening, there is a possibility of flying to the Himalayan Mountain.

• Transfer to Airport (B) for departure.