Short Annapurna trek

A 25-minute flight, 2-hour drive and 2-hour trek.

Leisurely wake up, breakfast, and a short drive to the airport to board a flight to Pokhara. A 25-minute scenic flight to Pokhara Arrive in Pokhara, and departure by road for about an hour until reaching Birethanti, located about 42km away. Birethanti is a small town created as a commercial point several centuries ago for the salt trade caravans between Nepal and Tibet along the Mustang route (Tibet-Nepal border). This place was one of the merchants’ main points for overnight stops. It also has a beautiful view of Mount Fishtail. Unfortunately, in recent days there has been a hydropower project under construction, and the road has crossed this village towards Hile and Ghandruk, which undermines the charm and importance of this village.

Until the very recent year, all trekking over this valley started and ended here. But this day, we drive another hour to Hile, a small town. The road mainly goes up to Hile through a pleasant narrow valley, demonstrating the natural sceneries of village life and giving an idea of most Nepalese living in the country’s rural areas.

Reach Hile, leave our vehicle, walk for about 30 minutes, and stop for lunch at Tikhe Dunga, where most trekkers to or from Ghorepani rest. After about 2 hours of relaxation and a hearty lunch, we do the second phase of the trek, which is only an hour and a half hours walk to Ulleri. It is a village of Poon Magars, one of the ethnic groups of Nepal. Mount Annapurna South and Hium Chuli are again in a scene from Ulleri. Overnight at Tea Houses/Lodge. (D.-A.-C.)

5-hrs trek

After breakfast, we begin the second day’s walk through a forest full of rhododendrons and pine. Ghorepani village lies on a saddle of a hill at an elevation of 2874m. It is one of the famous destinations of short trekkers for its exceptional Panorama of Mount Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, Fishtail, Nilgiri and many other small peaks along with the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range.

• Overnight at Tea Houses/Lodge, full board.

This day we go to the Poon Hill viewpoint. Early in the morning, before breakfast, take a short walk to the Poonhill lookout to enjoy the sunrise. The trip starts around 5 in the morning to reach the viewpoint in about 45 minutes. It is worth the lost sleep. When walking up, the eastern horizon lightens, and the stars disappear above and behind the dazzling Annapurnas. The views from there are indescribable.

After about half an hour on the lookout, we walk back to the lodge for a hearty breakfast and enjoy the rest of the day reading, painting, photographing or whatever you want.

Both sunrise and sunset, from Poon hill, are truly breath taking so one might consider whether to repeat the trip also in the evening for sunset view! Stay in a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

• Overnight at Tea Houses/Lodge, full board.

5 hrs de trek.

We take breakfast and start trek to Tadapani. The first part of trek requires a gentle climbing through a hill ridge which provide a fine Panorama of Dhaulagiri range, Nilgiri and Annapurna to the northwest and northeast and a deep valley to the south. Finally, we arrive to a Hill Saddle called Deurali with two tea houses. We probably make a tea-stop and enjoy a direct descent to Banthanti, a warm place for lunch, under a sheer cliff. From Banthanti we make a level traverse through seemingly rain forest and arrive to Tadapani, a good viewpoint to enjoy the panorama of Annapurna South, Hiumchuli and Fishtail. Morning is especially beutiful with sunrise colours.

• Overnight at Tea Houses/Lodge, full board.

Early wakeup fo enjoy the sunrise colours from your lodge. Take a leisurely breakfast and start the last day trek. Tadapani to Ghandruk is two hours walk. From Tadapani, the trail goes down continuously to Ghandruk, with views of Mount Fishtail and Annapurna South. Ghandruk is a village of Gurung people, one of the ethnic groups of Nepal, having their dialect, culture, dresses and lifestyle. Ghandruk is one of the famous destinations for trekkers for its beautiful view of the mountains and easy access from Kathmandu and Pokhara. For many, this village is the starting point of Khopra, Ghorepani or the Annapurna sanctuary Trek and, consequently, the trek’s ending point, as there is a road to Pokhara.

Stop at Ghandruk for lunch and visit the village and the Gurung Museum. In the afternoon take one and half hour drive to Pokhara.

• Overnight at Tea Houses/Lodge, full board.

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer 13-kilometres to Pumdikot, a strategic hill with an ancient fort in ruins and recently converted into a Shiva temple; it is a beautiful viewpoint. The views of Annapurna, Pokhara and the peace stupa are beyond description. From Pumdikot, we take a scenic drive to Peace Stupa, enjoying magnificent views of Phewa Lake, the Himalayas, Pokhara City and its surroundings. The Peace Stupa site is equally beautiful, with splendid views.

The World Peace Stupa stands gloriously on a hill saddle above Phewa Lake and Pokhara City from where you get panoramic views of Phewa Lake, the city of Pokhara and Mount Annapurna and Lamjung (on a clear day). A Peace Stupa is a Buddhist monument to inspire peace in all races and creeds and to help unite them in their quest for world peace. Most of them were built since World War II under the direction of Nichidatsu Fujii (1885-1985), a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji Buddhist Order. In 1947, he started the construction of peace pagodas as world peace shrines, and in the year 2000, there were eighty Peace Pagodas built around the world between Europe, Asia and the United States.

Enjoy the landscapes of the site, visit the stupa, explore, go down to the lake shore, cross the lake by little boat, have a late lunch and visit the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara, where we will see and better understand the history of the mountain and mountaineering on the highest peaks in the world. We will understand the importance of the Himalayas of Nepal and the benefits that the Himalayas give to the millions of people and their natural habitat. After the visit, return to the shore of the lake for free time.

• Accommodation in Hotel Temple Tree, a 4-star hotel, breakfast included.

Early in the morning, we take a short drive to Sarangkot viewpoint to view the best panoramas that Pokhara City offers. The views from the top of Sarangkot offer a 360-degree panorama, including the Phewa Lake, Pokhara city and its surroundings, rimmed by grand snow-capped Himalayas and rolling hills as far as we can see. Then return to your hotel and have breakfast. Finally, in continuity, drive to the airport for a 25-minutes flight to Kathmandu.

Get landed at Kathmandu airport, greeted by the Happy Feet Mountaineers representative, and drive to your hotel in Thamel, which may take 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the traffic. The rest of the afternoon is free.

• Accommodation in Hotel Shanker, a 4-star hotel, breakfast included.

Breakfast and a full day of visits to Kathmandu, starting with Pashupatinath Temple. A pagoda temple with gilt roofs, carved with silver doors dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated at the bank of the holy Bagmati River, and regarded as among the most sacred temples of the Hindu religion, Pashupatinath is the focus of pilgrimages culminating in the day of Shiva Ratri  (the marriage anniversary of Lord Shiva and the goddess Parvati). Pashupati is also the cremation ground in the ghats (cremation group) along the bank of River Bagmati, where the recently deceased Hindus of the Valley get cremated.

After the visit, we take a 13 kilometres drive to Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu. Its original name is, Bhadgaon, or the village of Devotees is one of the living museums of Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur is filled with the 55-windowed Royal Palace, the Palace of the Kumari, the temple of Taleju, the temple of Pashupati, the main square of Taumadhi Tole, Nyatapola Temple (the most imposing the tallest such architecture in all of Nepal), the temple of Akash Bhairab (the second most important temple of Bhadgaon), the Dha Hateya and the Square of the Potters. UNESCO recognises Bhaktapur as a World Heritage Site.

In the evening, visit the Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist shrine in South Asia. This ancient Chorten was built in the 5th century A.D. by King Manadeva. Three terraces lead up through water, fire and air segments to the pinnacle, symbolic of space and the highest spiritual attainment. The whole is surrounded by a circle of shops that form a small Tibet. Lord Buddha’s four pairs of eyes flash vividly into the cardinal directions, radiating the message of Mahayana Buddhism, known as Lamaism in Sikkim, Ladakh, Bhutan and Tibet.

• Accommodation in Hotel Shanker, a 4-star hotel, breakfast included.

Breakfast and the rest of the day are leisure on your own. The Representative of Happy Feet Nepal will arrive at your hotel with transport three hours before your departure flight time. Get escorted from the hotel to the International Departure Terminal, see off formalities, and go through the immigration and departure.

• Breakfast included.