We will welcome you at the international airport and guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to get you settled into your hotel.

In the afternoon (depending on your arrival time) we can take you on a bazaar walk exploring the secret alleys and courtyards of old Kathmandu that most visitors don’t get to experience.

We begin by walking into the old city and exploring the small alleyways, myriad of hidden temples belonging to both Hinduism and Buddhism (in some cases, both!) and make our way through local bazaars of fruit, vegetables, spices and stunning wares made of brass, bronze and copper. Not only exotic produce, but a fascinating mix of people are everywhere; along with the brightly clad locals of the Kathmandu Valley, you’re likely to see ‘Gurkhas’, Sherpa women in their striped aprons, traders from India, and sadhus – Hindu holy men – perhaps on pilgrimage to one of the many temples and shrines of the valley. (Note: this is a walking tour) Overnight in Kathmandu.

After breakfast today, we embark on a full day of sightseeing to get to know the incredible Kathmandu Valley. Your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and you will be chauffeured by private vehicle to three out of an incredible seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

First you will visit the Swoyambhunath Temple. Also known as the Monkey Temple for the many resident monkeys that scamper around the myriad of small shrines and temples, this ancient Buddhist Stupa is perched on a hilltop overlooking the valley and is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. From here you will proceed to Patan, also known as Lalitpur, the city of fine arts. Patan is one of the three ancient cities of the Kathmandu Valley and the Patan Durbar Square showcases stunningly preserved temples and palace complexes.

Your final exploration today takes you to Pashupatinath temple, one of the holiest temples in the Hindu religion. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the three main gods in Hinduism, as his birthplace. Situated on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, Pashupatinath is the main cremation site for Hindus in the Kathmandu Valley, with cremation ghats lining the Bagmati River below the temple. It is such an important. Overnight in Kathmandu.

This morning our trekking guide will meet us at the hotel reception and we drive to Chyamche, on the Annapurna Circuit trail. We have a long, but stunning drive out of the Kathmandu valley and along the Trisuli River to Mugling where one road goes to the southern plains and one goes into the hills of central Nepal. We follow the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway to Dumre and then turn off again to follow the road along the Marsyangdi River to Besishahar. This used to be the starting point for the Annapurna Circuit and has many teahouses and facilities. From here we continue on a rougher road up to Chyamche, with total driving time being approximately 8/9 hours, depending on the road conditions. Overnight in Chyamche.

Our day begins with the rocky trail following the Marsyandi Rivers steadily uphill to Tal at (1,675m), the first village in the Manang district. We make a trail verse crossing a wide, at valley. The journey continues up and down to Dharapani at (1,890m). A stone entrance chorten typical of the Tibetan in influenced in villages. Upon reaching Bagarchhap at (2,160m) the typical at roofed stone houses of local Tibetans design along with the village surrounded by apple Orchards and maize fields. Overnight in Bagarchhap.

Another hearty tea house breakfast and we head on up the valley, passing a stunning waterfall on our way into Temang Besi. We continue uphill on a rough trail through magnificent forest to Lattemarang and then continue on a gently rising path, crossing a stream before entering a pine forest. We then cut across a loose hillside to the hamlet of Kotho from where we can look straight up at nearby Annapurna II – a sight convincing us that we are deep in the Himalayan mountains! From here the trail climbs through a and pine forest to Chame where there are government of offices, shops, and hotels. Chame is the administrative headquarters for the Manang district. Overnight in Chame.

From Chame the route will get quitter with fewer cars and people, the scenery gets better with snow peaks, small glaciers, river, pine forest etc. Bhartang is a beautiful place, basically one fancy hotel, a couple of local houses and a big apple farm, the place is surrounded by apple plantation. From Bhartang you will be walking uphill to Dhikur Pokhari. You can stay here or continue to Manang. After Dhikur Pokhari the route splits; one continues on the Lower Pisang, another one goes uphill to Upper Pisang. It is better to walk through Upper Pisang since the route is located higher than Lower Pisang and offers better views. Overnight in Upper Pisang.

There are two trails on north and south of the Marsyangdi Khola that meets at Mungji. The southern route via the road at Hongde (3,420m) involves less climbing. The northern route, on the other hand, provides mountain views on the upper trail via Ghyaru and Ngawal (3,660m). This route is better and will aid your acclimatization. You’ll continue from Mungji (3,500m). After a short steep climb you will reach Manang where you can spend a night. Overnight in Manang.

We have an important rest and acclimatisation day today before crossing the Thorung La. There are optional day walks such as crossing the river to see the tremendous ice-fall coming down from the Annapurnas, or climbing high above the village for a full panorama of the Annapurna range and the Manang Valley. There is also a Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) aid post in the village which makes an interesting visit. Overnight in Manang.

After acclimatising at Manang we continue our on the trail bound for the stunning Tilicho Lake. From Manang we head out through the western gates and then follow the path down to the river. After crossing the Khangsar Khola on the bridge below Khangsar we ascend the slope to the village, a village still in the old Tibetan style and which is also known as the ‘last village of Nepal’. Overnight in Khangsar Village.

This morning you’ll continue on from Khangsar on a large, recently built path past a Gompa (monastery) and on up towards a high ridge. You’ll reach an intersection of the new trail and the old trail – and will take the new trail and climb to a high crest before descending on switch backs carved out through the scree slopes. You’ll reach a side valley and, crossing the little stream at the bottom, you’ll come to a building known as Tilicho Base Camp. Overnight in Tilicho Base Camp.

We get an early start this morning as we have a great but long day hike ahead of us. It is about 3/4 hours to the Tilicho Lake, a stunning body of bright turquoise water, claimed to be the highest lake in the world. We are hiking through the high alpine landscape, with plenty of bare rock and snow and it is so incredible to come apon the vibrant colour of the lake in this less than colourful landscape! How long we spend at the lake is determined by how long it took us to walk there and our energy levels; we don’t want to leave it too late to return to Base Camp. Overnight in Tilicho Base Camp.

Returning from Base camp you can keep high and follow a track (400m) or so above Khangsar village passing through the ruins of old Khangsar and follow an unmarked trail which will lead you around and down to cross the river on an old log bridge between Gumsang and Yak Kharka. Overnight in Yak Kharka.

Leaving Yak Kharka, we climb gradually to a ridge before descending to the headwaters of the Marsyangdi and crossing via a covered wooden bridge. After a short ascent up the mountain path on the right bank, we follow a narrow trail across an unstable scree slope and then descend to Thorung Phedi. It’s not a long day but it’s not advisable to sleep any higher tonight, before attempting the pass tomorrow. If you are feeling good then you could continue on to High Camp – this is not usually advisable but as you have been up to Tilicho Base Camp you have added ‘acclimatisation points’ and could sleep at High Camp tonight – it will make the pass day tomorrow quite a bit shorter and give you more time at Muktinath to explore this sacred shrine. Overnight in Thorong High Camp.

We have an early start today for our crossing of Thorung La (5,416m). The trail becomes steep immediately on leaving but as this trail has been used by local people for hundreds of years the path is well defined. The gradient then eases and after around 4 hours of steady climbing we reach the chorten and prayer flags of the pass. The views are dramatic to say the least, from the snow-covered mountains above, to the head of the Kali Gandaki valley below and the brown and purple hills of Mustang which are spread out before us. The descent to Muktinath is a knee pounding (1,600m) but it’s compensated for with excellent views of Dhaulagiri. Eventually the moraines give way to grassy slopes before a pleasant walk along the Jhong Khola Valley to Muktinath and its shrines and temple. Overnight in Muktinath.

We now begin the descent down the dramatic Kali Gandaki Gorge, through this arid country in the same geographical and climatic zone as Tibet. Instead of going the classic way down to Kagbeni and then down the windy valley to Jomsom (a lot of which now follows the road) we will go via Lupra village (3,310m). This not only gets us off the road, but we can also see the monastery of Samasim (Bonpo Monastery) that is located in Lupra. This is the only village in the Annapurna Region where you will find and can gain such an insight into the ancient Bon religion. From here we descend to Jomsom, sprawled along both banks of the Kali Gandaki and from where we have fine views of the Nilgiri peaks. Overnight in Jomsom.

Today we have one of the most stunning mountain flights in the world! We bid farewell to the crew and to the high arid landscape of the mountains and fly down the deepest gorge in the world to the lush greenery of Pokhara. All the colours will dazzle you as we get out of the plane, as will the change in temperature and humidity! The rest of the day is free to relax or to explore this charming lakeside town. Overnight in Pokhara.

Pokhara has an abundance of things to do, regardless of whether you are in an adventurous or relaxed frame of mind: you can go for a leisurely boat ride on the lake; take a 2 hour return walk up to the World Peace Pagoda with its incredible views to the Himalayas; visit one of the Tibetan refugee villages that dot the area, where Tibetan carpets and other handicrafts are available; hire a bike and cycle along the lakeside; you can try your hand at tandem paraglide with a professional pilot, an ultralight flight, or even take a ride on the new zipline! Of course it is also lovely to just relax and take in the surroundings in one of the many lakeside cafes. Lunch and dinner are free to choose the food of your choice – we will give some good recommendations for great restaurants/cafes on Lakeside. Overnight in Pokhara.

After breakfast today we’ll escort you to the domestic airport for your return flight to Kathmandu, where you’ll have the rest of the day to relax or explore, at your pleasure. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today is your last day in Kathmandu and is an opportunity to do all the bits and pieces you thought of doing over the past few weeks including any last-minute shopping, returning to places that you enjoyed or didn’t get a chance to visit before your trek. Do let us know if would like help organising anything for today. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After a great breakfast at your hotel, you are free until it is time for us to transfer you to the airport in time for your flight home. We bid farewell for now and until next time!