Annapurna & Everest in Style

Day 1 - Fly London to Kathmandu

Depart London on your overnight flight to Kathmandu.

Overnight: In flight

Day 2 - Arrive Kathmandu. Group transfer to hotel.

On arrival you will be met and transferred to Dwarika's Hotel. This wonderful hotel is quite a local institution and is a great favourite with all our clients. It is built in local Nepalese palace style and features many architectural relics rescued from palaces and temples in the valley as well as Nepalese furniture, carvings and statues. The hotel has a pleasant courtyard garden with a swimming pool, a bar and a couple of excellent restaurants. The Toran Restaurant serves very good continental, Indian and Nepalese food while the flagship Krishnarpan Restaurant is a superb restaurant where you can enjoy a multi-course menu of real Nepalese food served in traditional style and surroundings.

Overnight: Dwarika's Hotel, Kathmandu

Day 3 - Fly to Pokhara in the Annapurna region. Trek to Sanctuary Lodge, Birethanti, 1,015m/3,330ft - 4 hours.

This morning you will be transferred to Kathmandu's domestic airport for the short flight to Pokhara, 827m/2,730ft, Nepal's second city. This is an exciting flight in its own right, passing over the terraced Himalayan foothills, with views of the great Himalayan range to the north.

On arrival you will meet your guide and will have a quick trek briefing before you board your transport to drive the short way to the starting point of your trek. Firstly you travel along the fertile Seti River valley and then the road climbs to a ridge top to arrive at the village of Lumle, 1,494m/4,900ft, which you reach in about an hour from Pokhara. Your Annapurna trek starts here. You set off along a well-paved path, with views of the mountains to the north and the expanse of the Pokhara valley down to your left, climbing gently up past terraced fields to reach the little village of Chandrakot at 1,555m/5,100ft, after one hour. This is a good place to take a break, sitting on the shaded terrace of the Mountain View Café, enjoying the spectacular panorama of the valley below. It is a place to eat your packed lunch. (Note: this packed lunch is provided to give flexibility in case your flight from Kathmandu is delayed, which does happen occasionally.) In Chandrakot you may get to meet the ex-Gurkha owner and hear about his military exploits and those of his father, who won the Military Cross in World War One.

From Chandrakot your path drops steeply down towards the Modi Valley, through sparse forests, passing occasional rhododendron or tall stands of bamboo and crossing agricultural terraces. It is all very peaceful with the calls of birds echoing from the surrounding hillsides. After another hour you come to the charming village of Tamijung, 1,371m/4,500ft. Here the houses have intricately carved wooden eaves and window frames and you may see unusual cylindrical beehives suspended on the sides of the houses, awaiting the time when the bees will be smoked out and the honey extracted. The fertile terraces around the village support a variety of crops, including maize, as well as orchards of orange and banana trees. Your path continues down to where you cross the grey-green waters of the Modi River by a cable bridge.

Then it is a gentle walk to the Sanctuary Lodge. The lodge is set on a spur overlooking the River Modi. It has a comfortable central lounge and dining area with a reference library. On arrival you will have the afternoon to relax in the lodge's attractive gardens with its darting birds and extravagantly-coloured butterflies or you might take an optional guided afternoon walk to the nearby village of Birethanti with its paved streets, riverside cafes and waterfall. Later, after a three-course supper around the large dining table it's off to bed, lulled to sleep by the rushing waters of the Modi River.

Overnight: Sanctuary Lodge, Birethanti

Day 4 - Trek to Himalaya Lodge, Ghandruk, 2,012m/6,600ft - 5-6 hours.

After a good breakfast you leave the lodge and walk briefly back along the Modi River valley before beginning the climb to Ghandruk. This is a long climb but you may take your time and there will always be interesting things to see along the way. Before departure from Sanctuary Lodge you will be given snacks such as a sandwich, fruit and chocolate to keep you going on your walk and you will then have a more substantial late lunch of hot soup and fried rice when you arrive at the lodge in Ghandruk.

Steep steps lead across fertile terraces and up into forests of rhododendron and oak. All around are the friendly people of the foothills, tilling the fields with their buffalo-drawn ploughs and you will share your path with their cattle and flocks of goats. From the trail you have splendid views across the terraces to the River Modi far below. Walking through villages gives a fascinating glimpse of Nepalese life with families using traditional tools to pound corn, weave cloth, re-thatch their roofs and build neat dry-stone walls. After three hours, you pass through the village of Kimche, 1,554m/5,100ft, where you will have a spectacular view showing you the impressive height you have gained since leaving the river bank.

You continue on your way to Ghandruk with several level sections where you can look down over the terraces and villages far below, as hawks swoop and soar on the air currents rising from the valley. After two more hours you reach Ghandruk's welcoming arch and a final climb up through the village streets brings you to the Himalaya Lodge. Sitting on the lodge's terraced lawn, encircled by mountains and with a refreshing glass of lemonade in your hand, you can congratulate yourself on achieving this steep day's climb.

The Himalaya Lodge is constructed around a 19th century Gurung village house and has a dining room and an area where you can relax around an open fireplace. There is a pleasant wing with a veranda where the bedrooms are found. Here, all around, you will find clues to the connections of Gandruk village with the Gurkha people and soldiers.

Overnight: Himalaya Lodge, Ghandruk

Day 5 - Trek to Landruk, 1,565m/5,415ft - 3-4 hours.

After watching the sunrise illuminate the surrounding peaks, including Annapurna South and Machhapuchare, you enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the lodge lawn and then start your day's trek, crossing the valley to the village of Landruk which you see across and slightly below the level where you are now. Leaving Ghandruk, the trail descends steeply through terraces to the banks of the Modi River. Here, you'll be at the base of the cliffs where the famed honey hunters of Nepal climb on ropes to collect the honey. You then cross the Modi Khola by a sturdy suspension bridge from where you start a climb up switch backs and steps to reach the village of Landruk. From Landruk you will have more glorious views of the Annapurna range.

Today's walk is about 4 hours and you arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. In the afternoon your guide will take you to explore around this interesting mountain village.

Overnight: Bee Lodge, Landruk

Day 6 - Trek to Majgaun, 1,400m/4,620ft - 4 hours.

Today's walk from Landruk to Majgaun snakes along the valley through small untouched villages, through farm land, terraces and forest with some rugged sections, and across three rivers that all descend down to the Modi Khola below.

The start is gentle with the sounds of birds chirping and far away cockerels cock-a-doodling as you pass. You pass through villages where very few trekkers pass by and it is untouched on this side of the valley. After around an hour and a half you do inevitably have some steps and a section of steep descent leading down to a small river and bridge. Ascending again to around your previous level the path levels out and you can enjoy the stunning views. A little while later there is another steep descent to another small river. After you have ascended again the path becomes easy and gently winds round the hillside. Your last river crossing is on a sturdy suspension bridge which leads you onto the path into Majgaun.

If you are staying at Gurung Lodge there is a quite steep walk up above the main village. If going to Mala Lodge you continue around and through the village. Both lodges have commanding views down the valley and, if the weather is still clear, towards Annapurna South.

After this very enjoyable walk you will be greeted by the lovely lodge staff, with a glass of still lemonade, and soon after will be served a hearty lunch, making it all the more worthwhile. In the afternoon you can visit the Himalayan cottage museum in the upper village about 30 minutes walk away.

Overnight: Gurung Lodge or Mala Lodge, Majgaun

Day 7 - Trek to Damphus, 1,700m/5,577ft - 3-3½ hours. Continue to the roadhead - 1½ hours. Drive to Pokhara.

After breakfast, you say farewell to the ever-attentive lodge staff. Your path climbs steeply on well-placed steps, up through forests of oak, rhododendron, silver birch and silk-cotton, with stone-built porter stops (chautara) at convenient intervals for a welcome rest. There is a mass of bird life to look out for, as well as incredible views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Lamjung. After about an hour, the path begins to level out and you continue more gently upwards, through shady woods and past grassy banks of gentian violets. Eventually, you reach the busy village of Pothana at 1,981m/6,500ft, with its guest houses, restaurants and sellers of Tibetan silverware and other souvenirs. You then descend to the village of Damphus. You will have lunch in Damphus at the Basanta Lodge and enjoy some last close-up views of the Annapurna range.

After lunch you start the final long descent to the Pokhara Valley road, passing through steeply terraced fields to reach the road at Ghattekhola at 1,006m/3,330ft, where a vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Pokhara. The one-hour journey takes you past a patchwork of rice fields, with farmers working with buffaloes, surrounded by flocks of egrets.

You will be taken directly to your hotel where you will have the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight: Barahi Hotel or Similar, Pokhara

Day 8 - Fly to Kathmandu. Afternoon at leisure.

This morning you will be transferred to Pokhara airport and will fly back to Kathmandu. You will be met at the domestic terminal and transferred to Dwarika's Hotel. You then have the afternoon at leisure, either to enjoy the facilities of the hotel and prepare for the next section of your adventure or perhaps to take in a bit of sightseeing. The important temple of Pashupatinath is just a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Here you may see Kathmandu's historic cremation ghats set on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River and the major temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Alternatively, also a short distance from the hotel, you might visit the ancient Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath, visited by pilgrims from Tibet and all over the Indian subcontinent.

Overnight: Dwarika's Hotel, Kathmandu

Day 9 - Drive to Manthali - approximately 4 hours.

Today you will make the drive from Kathmandu to the small town of Manthali which is conveniently located close to Ramechap Airstrip. The drive takes around 4 hours (traffic dependant) and you will wind your way through the Nepalese countryside before reaching the town and your hotel for the night.

Overnight: Freedom Resort Or Similar, Manthali

Day 10 - Transfer to Ramechap. Fly to Lukla in the Everest region, 2,743m/8,999ft. Trek to Monjo, 2,835m/9,301ft - 5-6 hours.

Today you will be transferred to the airport at Ramechap to fly up to the Everest region to continue your adventure. The flight from to Lukla and the landing at the small mountain airstrip is something you will be talking about for many years to come. The scenery is fantastic, and as you fly up the vast valleys towards Lukla, the giants of the world appear on the horizon.

After landing, you may have a cup of tea in one of the lodges in Lukla before starting the trek. You descend from Lukla to the village of Chaurikharka in the valley of the Dudh Kosi and then onward up the valley and it is about two hours to the village of Phakding, 2,652m/8,701ft, where you will probably stop for lunch. You will immediately find differences between here and the Annapurna region. Firstly you will notice the altitude and may feel a little breathless. Then you will see that the valley already has more of an Alpine feel with different crops to those grown in the Annapurna region, with potatoes instead of rice, and different trees and bushes lining the path. The trail you walk on this first day is the main trail up to Namche Bazaar. Along the way you will encounter porters, sherpas, trekkers and the local beast of burden, the dzo (a yak-cow crossbreed). You are now in a Buddhist region and you will pass mani walls where stones carved and painted with prayers and sacred symbols are piled up.

From Phakding the path continues up the valley past isolated lodges and the small hamlets of Ghat, 2,490m/8,169ft and Chuthrawa, 2,591m/8,501ft. Before you get to Monjo there will be time for tea at Benkar, a lovely lodge in a wild spot. Images you will remember for the day will include the sight of porters with their heavy loads, the sound of many different languages, bird calls, prayer flags, colourful tea houses, dramatic scenery and passing weary trekkers, making their way back to Lukla.

Overnight: Luxury Lodge

Day 11 - Trek to Namche Bazaar, 3,445m/11,303ft - 3-4 hours.

This will physically be one of the harder days of the trip so take it slowly. You will leave Monjo and continue to the park gates of the Sagarmartha National Park at Jorsale where you have to complete entry formalities. You then walk on alongside the river to arrive at the confluence of the Imja Drangka and the Nangpo Drangpo, which combine to form the Dudh Khosi. Crossing the river on a high suspension bridge over a spectacular chasm you start the steep climb to Namche. Near the halfway point of the climb, if the sky is clear, your first views of Everest and Lhotse come into sight. You then continue the climb, less steeply now, until you reach the outlying houses of Namche. Namche is the largest and most prosperous village in the Khumbu. Thamserku, 6,618m/21,712ft and Kwangde, 6,224m/20,420ft, loom to the east and west and the sacred mountain Khumbila, 5,707m/18,724ft, dominates the skyline behind the village. The steep, narrow streets at its centre are a mixture of traditional and modern, with Sherpa houses and lodges mingling with cafes, handicraft shops, and shops selling or renting trekking and climbing equipment, foodstuffs and vegetables, tennis shoes and Tibetan boots. Don't be surprised if, after the exertion of the climb and the rise in elevation, you feel a little tired and head-achey. You will no doubt feel better after a cup of tea and a rest.

Overnight: Namche Hotel Or Sherpaland

Day 12 - Trek to Tashinga, 3,360m/11,024ft - 2 hours.

You will be at a higher altitude in Namche than you have been so far on this trip so today is a fairly easy day with just a short trek of less than two hours to Tashinga, a small hamlet lying on the classic route towards Everest. First you have a steep pull up out of the village to reach the Sagarmatha Park HQ and the National Park Museum, set on the hill above Namche. The museum is well worth a visit and from here there are also your first panoramic views of Everest and Ama Dablam - a spectacular spot. You then take a wonderful high trail which winds round the hillside high above the river. From this airy trail you have fabulous views of the mountains across the valley, principally Thamserkhu and Kang Taiga. The trail then drops toward the river, passing the path coming down from the village of Khumjung, to reach your lodge at Tashinga. You may spend the afternoon relaxing in the beautiful gardens and enjoying the views.

Overnight: Luxury Lodge

Day 13 - Trek to Thyangboche, 3,863m /12,674ft and return to Tashinga - 3-4 hours.

Looking across the valley from the Tashinga Lodge you will be able to see the path sloping diagonally up towards the famous monastery of Thyangboche. To reach it you first have to descend to the river. This takes between 30 minutes to one hour, descending steeply in a series of zig-zags to the Dudh Kosi River where you cross a suspension bridge in the lee of a gigantic overhanging cliff, 3,200m/10,499ft. A little further on is a small hamlet, Phunki Tenga, remarkable for its series of water-driven prayer wheels. You could stop here for a cup of tea. It is then 2-3 hours from Phunki to reach the monastery at a slow and steady pace, stopping occasionally to look at the views or to bird watch. At first you climb steeply up on zig zags through a pine forest, mercifully in the shade, and then emerge to walk up a more gentle sloping path which rises like a ramp to the monastery itself. Emerging at the top, there is a large welcome gateway and a huge chorten which you pass before you get your first sight of the gompa. The setting of Thyangboche Monastery is nothing short of magical, with the most amazing mountain views. Thyangboche's former temple was in fact burnt down only a few years ago and was re-built largely through the efforts of the Sir Edmund Hillary Trust. There is a very good visitors' centre and you should have time to sit down inside the temple for afternoon prayers, where conch horns are blown, drums are beaten and the monks chant prayers in the main prayer hall. Visitors are welcome but are expected to sit quietly on the right hand side of the temple and a small donation is appreciated! Sadly, it will then be time to leave and return down the trail to the bridge and back up through the forest to your lodge in Tashinga.

Overnight: Luxury Lodge

Day 14 - Trek to Monjo Lodge - 4 hours.

Leaving Tashinga you climb to Kangzhuma and then you return to Namche, again enjoying the fabulous views. If your group is feeling energetic you might break your journey to visit Khumjung village with its ancient gompa or take in the views from the Everest View Hotel. You may discuss this option with your guide. You descend into Namche for lunch. After lunch you start the knee crunching descent back down to the valley. The warmer climate will offer a good opportunity to shed a layer or two and breathe the oxygen rich air! You continue down the Dudh Kosi valley for a short way past the checkpoint at Jorsale and on to Monjo.

Overnight: Luxury Lodge

Day 15 - Trek via Gumila Monastery to Lukla, 2,743m/8,999ft - 5 hours.

Today you will trek back to Lukla. Many people head towards Lukla with a heavy heart, knowing they are coming to the end of an exceptional journey. Memories of your trip will help you up the deceptively long, final climb into Lukla. You pass through the village of Phakding where you will have a chance to view the monastery at Gumila above Phakding. Within the monastery reside 12-15 monks from the Gelukpa Sect; it is also a Buddhist teaching monastery. It takes about 30-45 minutes to reach the monastery from the main trekking route. From here you will retrace your steps back to Lukla, to your lodge for the night.

Overnight: Luxury Lodge

Day 16 - Fly to Ramechap. Drive to Kathmandu.

This morning you will take the small fixed wing flight back to Ramechap, to be met on arrival and transferred back to Kathmandu, for some well-earned relaxation at Dwarika's

Please note that flights into and out of Lukla are sometimes delayed due to weather conditions; be reassured that our staff in Lukla and in Kathmandu will be doing everything possible to minimise the inconvenience caused if this happens. Your patience in the trying circumstances which can occur, will be greatly appreciated.

Overnight: Dwarika's Hotel, Kathmandu

Day 17 - Morning sightseeing tour of Kathmandu. Time at leisure. Transfer to airport and depart Nepal.

In the morning you will have an included half day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, led by an English speaking guide, visiting the Monkey Temple at Swayambhunath and Kathmandu Durbar Square. In the afternoon, there is time to take a taxi to visit the old city of Bhaktapur a few miles to the east of Kathmandu or just to relax at the hotel and reflect on your trip.

In the afternoon there will be a group transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to London.

Day 18 - Arrive London.