May 2nd; Day 1
Arrive in Kathmandu, It will be a culture shock, if you have never been there before. The little shops on the street filled with crowds, traffic and dust are fascinating. We will pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel at Thamel, Kathmandu. I strongly suggest you to visit HANUMAN DHOKA DURBAR which is within walking distance. You can also buy the necessary gear and some supplies here in Ktm, and everything is available here, from sleeping bags to granola bars. We will meet for dinner, and you will test THAKALI KHANA, a delicious traditional Nepali dinner. Your dinner and hotel accommodations are included in the package, but not the snacks and drinks.
May 3rd; Day 2
We will meet for breakfast at 7AM. Today you will get to know the historical aspect of Kathmandu, people, culture, temples, Hindu and Buddhist 15th and 16th century architecture and god and goddess of Hindu culture. We will visit BOUDDHANATH STUPA after breakfast. It was first built in 600 AD; it will give some insight about the merger of Hindu and Buddhist culture and religion. Our next stop will be BHAKTAPUR, it is an opportunity to witness NEWARI culture and their way of living, it is a fascinating place to visit and try some local cuisine. The third and last stop for today will be PATAN DURBAR SQUARE, we will visit a museum there, it will give you an understanding of how people lived in Kathmandu in the past, and we will wrap up our day with a dinner in Patan. Your breakfast, dinner and hotel accommodations are included in the package, but not the lunch, snacks, drinks and museum fees.
May 4th; Day 3
We will meet for breakfast at 6AM, after breakfast we will head to HUGDI along the TRISHULI River. It is about 80KM south of Kathmandu and takes about 3 hrs by bus. You will see breathtaking scenery right after we leave Ktm. The mountainous landscapes in the middle part of Nepal are home to many different villages with different faces. Once we arrive in HUGDI, we will stretch our legs, grab a light lunch and start our first day of trekking (about 5 hrs.) By the end of the day we will arrive at HATTIBANG. We will dine here tonight and spend the night in this hilly village among local people in local mud houses. All three meals, bus travel and lodging are included, but not snack and drinks.
May 5th; Day 4
We will meet at 7AM for breakfast and tour HATTIBANG, perhaps visit a local elementary school, and around 9AM we will start our day long trek to SIRAICHULI. Along the way we will encounter some local, native people, beautiful hills, and maybe see some exotic birds and monkeys. After 3 or 4 hrs walk we will stop by at DINGLANG village to eat a locally prepared lunch. We will catch a breath and head to our final destination SIRAICHULI (1350m). Once we arrive at SIRAICHULI, we might have an opportunity to see a cultural program. We will eat our DAL BHAAT & TARAKARI, a local dinner, and finish the day. All three meals and local lodging included.
May 6th: Day 5:
We will meet at 6AM for breakfast and witness one of the most beautiful sunrises here at SIRAICHULI. It is an amazing spectacle of nature to witness the sun peaking out from behind the tallest mountains of the western part of Nepal, it changes the colors of the sky as nature begins a new day. We will walk through the dense jungle of CHITWAN observing local culture and people. Our final destination today is UPPARDANG GADI (about 1500m). In Nepalese, UPPARDANG GADI means "fort on the top of a hill". We will stop in a MAGAR village for our lunch and reach GADI to see the equally spectacular sunset as the perfect bookend to our day. All three meals and local lodging included.
May 7th; Day 6
We will meet for breakfast at 6AM, visit a local elementary school in the morning and head down the last hill of CHITWAN to reach SHAKTIKHOR by midday. We will walk along a local stream, passing through a PARZA settlement. After four hours, we will take a break at SHAKTIKHOR and eat our PARZA style lunch. Now, we are at the very southern part of Nepal. This region borders Northern India, so we will begin to see THARU and INDIAN settlements here in CHITWAN. Our final destination today is SHAURAHA, CHITWAN or Royal CHITWAN National Park. We will take a bus from SHAKTIKHOR to SHAURAHA and spend the night at Royal CHITWAN National Park. Here you will find some western style restaurants and pubs, and you will be on your own for dinner tonight. Choose the meal that you like and just relax. Breakfast, lunch and guest house lodging included.
May 8th; Day 7
Today we will take a break from walking. We meet at 7AM for breakfast and then go for an elephant ride. After the elephant ride we will catch a bus to POKHARA. It is one of the most beautiful places in Nepal where many trekking routes begin. On a clear day, one can see the entire western Himalayan range from here. We will see some beautiful landscapes of the western part of Nepal during our bus ride. We will stop for lunch and then arrive at POKHARA by the end of the day. All three meals, bus travel and lodging included, but not snacks and drinks.
May 9th; Day 8
After breakfast at 7AM, we will drive to NayaPul (New bridge), and trek to Tikhe Dhunga(1495m/4905ft).
After an hour drive to NayaPul we then commence our trek to Birethanti, a large and prosperous town beside the Modi River. We head up the main trail to Sudami where we climb gradually up the side of the valley, reaching Hile (1495m) before pushing on to Tirkhe Dhunga. From here the trail crosses a stream and then ascends a steep stone staircase to the large Magar village at Ulleri (2070m). It is a half day walk; the trail, villages and people are different here then Chitwan. Now, we are in western part of Nepal. All three meals, bus travel and local lodging included.
May 10th; Day 9
Tirkhe Dhunga to Ghorepani (2850m)
Today we will enjoy a more leisurely walk through rhododendron and oak forests and across streams before making a short, final climb to Nangethanti. We will see some old Magar and Gurung settlement along the way. From Nangethanti we head up to Ghorepani (2850m), it is a pleasant walk. Weather is perfect during this time of the year. All three meals and local lodging included.
May 11th; Day 10
Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Tadapani (2520m/8268ft).
An early start and an hour hiking to Poon Hill (3195m) leads us to a brilliant spectacle, this vantage point provides an unobstructed view of the sunrise over the high Himalayas. After spending about an hour on the hillside, we come back to Ghorepani, have a hot breakfast, and start walking to Tadapani. From Ghorepani the trail climbs along ridges and through pine and rhododendron forests to Deurali (2960m). We descend to reach Banthanti, before winding our way to Tadapani (2540m). All three meals and local lodging included.
May 12th; Day 11:
Tadapani to Ghandrung
We will journey downhill and observe a cornucopia of breath-taking views of the Annapurna Mountains before taking a somewhat-steep drop at Kimche (1630m) where you will rest for a moment before pressing on to Chane. Next, walk along a flag-filled path which slides through the Gurung-inhabited village of Ghandrung. We will visit the Annapurna conservation office and museum, as well as take time to explore the village. All three meals and local lodging included.
May 13th; Day 12
Ghaundrung to Pokhara via Pothana(1910m/6266ft) and Phedi (910m/2986ft)
Our last day of trekking take us through the village of Pothana (2110m) before reaching Phedi (950m). On arrival in Phedi, mid morning, our bus meets us before driving to Pokhara where our trek ends. We will spend a night in Pokhara. You can find almost anything here in Pokhara. We are all on our own for Dinner tonight, it gives us an opportunity to take a little break from the group and enjoy some quiet time. This is the end of our trek. We will head to Kathmandu tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch and bus travel included.
May 14th; Day 13
We will meet one last time for breakfast and catch a flight from Pokhara to Ktm. Breakfast, flight to Kathmandu and lodging in Kathmandu included. You are all on your own from this point; you can choose to hang out in Kathmandu for few more days or fly back home on the 15th of May.
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