Nepal: Walking in the Himalayas

Your local leader will meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport to transfer you to your hotel where you’ll have free time to relax before dinner. If you’re arriving independently, your local leader will meet you in the hotel lobby at 6pm. 

Our first full day begins with a guided walking tour of Patan. We’ll explore the maze-like alleys and hidden courtyards of this fascinating area, rounding off in Patan Durbar Square – a UNESCO World Heritage site. After the tour we’ll experience a Nepali cooking class where you’ll learn how to create a range of delicious dishes that we’ll dine on for dinner.  

After an early start, we’ll set off in a private transfer to the lakeside city of Pokhara – the gateway to the Mardi Himal trek. While the journey will take approximately 7-8 hours it’s a beautiful route with much to see along the way. Once settled into our hotel, should time allow, there’ll be a boat ride across Phewa Lake followed by a short two-hour hike up to the Peace Pagoda for stunning views of the Annapurna massif, Phewa Lake, and Pokhara itself.  We will then take a private bus back to the hotel, where you are free to explore and have dinner at a restaurant of your choice.  

Distance: approx. 4 miles (6 km) 

Ascent: 1,310ft (400m) 

Today marks the start of our journey along the Mardi Himal, a lesser-travelled trail east of Annapurna base camp that ascends to heights of over 3,500m above sea level. Rising early, we’ll drive to the trail head at Khande and begin our trek with a steep ascent through the jungle. Passing through typical Nepalese villages we’ll enjoy a lunch stop at Australian Camp where on a clear day there are excellent views over the Annapurna mountain range. We’ll then follow a slight incline until we reach Pitam Deurali and our accommodation for the evening - an authentic Nepalese teahouse.  

Distance: approx. 5.5 miles (8.5 km) 

Ascent: 1,560ft (475m) 

Descent: 250ft (75m)

Our next stop is Forest Camp. It’s uphill walking through thick jungle for most of the day but we’ll enjoy beautiful views of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. We’ll take it slowly and steadily, ensuring there is time to take in the scenery. With luck, we may catch a glimpse of some of the region’s abundant wildlife, such as deer, monkeys, and many species of rare birds. We’ll reach Forest Camp and our teahouse accommodation for the night by afternoon. 

Distance: approx. 3 miles (5 km) 

Ascent: 1,550ft (470m) 

We’ll cover a short distance but with a steep climb today. Hiking through ancient rhododendron and juniper forest, we’ll reach a plateau where we’ll be rewarded with incredible scenery centred around Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Mountain). We’ll have lunch at Low Camp before a sharp uphill ascent leads us to our teahouse in Badal Dada. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish.

Distance: approx. 2.5 miles (4 km) 

Ascent: 2,000ft (610m) 

Another short distance but across gentler terrain today. Weather permitting, we will have good views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna, Tare Kang, and Khangsar along the way. There’ll be a stop at High Camp for lunch followed by an afternoon of rest, ready for an early start the next morning.   

Distance: approx. 5 miles (8 km) 

Ascent: 1,150ft (350m) 

Descent: 1,150ft (350m) 

The early wake-up call will be worth it today. After a quick breakfast, we’ll embark on a torchlight trek to an elevation of 4,200m for the chance to see the sunrise over the mighty Himalayas. Watch as a new day dawns over the peak of Mardi Himal and if the weather is clear we’ll also get up close views of Annapurna I (8,091m), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna, Tare Kang, Khangsar, Annapurna III, and Machhapuchhre.  Once the sun is up, we’ll head back down to our teahouse to warm up, rest, and prepare for our last full-day trekking. 

Distance: approx. 6 miles (10 km) 

Descent: 5,560ft (1,695m) 

Trekking poles are advisable today as we make the long, steep descent back to Low Camp. After lunch, we’ll head southeast from the ridge through dense forest towards the Mardi Khola and Siding Village – our final stop on the trek. Once we reach Siding it’s time to celebrate our achievement and enjoy a final evening with our team of porters before parting ways in the morning.  

Travel by jeep back to Pokhara and the afternoon offers free time to explore, relax, or take advantage of the facilities in the hotel.   

Heading south, we’ll travel to the lush jungles of Chitwan National Park where we can experience a range of jungle activities. Seek out rhinos, crocodiles, and elusive Bengal tigers during a 4x4 safari, glide downriver in a wooden canoe, and keep your eyes peeled for herds of elephants and rare birds on a jungle walk. 

Today we will continue with our jungle safari activities, heading deeper into the national park and hopefully getting even closer to Nepal’s amazing wildlife.  

Departing Chitwan we’ll return to Kathmandu where we will head to the northeast of the city for a guided tour of two UNESCO-listed sites. Pashupatinath is Nepal’s most important Hindu temple but also one of the most important Shiva temples on the Indian subcontinent. Boudhanath is the religious and cultural centre for Nepal’s considerable population of Tibetan exiles and is home to one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. Upon completing our tours we’ll enjoy our last meal together at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Boudhanath Stupa.  

After breakfast, we return to Tribhuvan International Airport for our flight home.