Trip Dossier

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu [1300m]

you will just find it wonderful flying into Kathmandu on a day that’s crystal clear. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole connection of memorable experiences that stay with you for a real long time. An escort and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The representative will help you check into your reserved hotel. At the hotel, you will be oriented about your daily activities. It’s your first overnight in the city of temples, the most in the world.

Day 2: Free at your own leisure

After your first night in Kathmandu, you will be well informed on arrival about what to do in your next free day.

The choice is yours: either you can stroll around the nearby market on your own or you can opt for a half/full day guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu at places of interest. The cost for this extra tour is not added in the trek cost and you have to pay extra depending on the places you choose to visit. This extra tour gives you deep insights into Nepal’s iconic monuments that have been recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites.  Sansui Treks will give you an orientation on your program & you will also get the opportunity to ask us any questions you may have regarding our upcoming adventure. When this is done, you might find time to shop around the city in the evening time if you need any gears for the trek. Overnight at your hotel

Day 3: We hop a flight to Pokhara [823m] and drive to Nayapul, trek to Ulleri [2000m] – 3-4hrs

It takes around 30 minutes to fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu. While flying to Pokhara, you can enjoy the wonderful views of glistening mountain ranges and stunning landscapes below you. You will be met at Pokhara airport by your trekking crew. A short drive of about 45 minutes brings you to a trailhead at Birethanti, a bustling village of lodges, shops and houses. You commence your trek with a gradual ascent along the left bank of the Bhurungdi Khola. You then move away from the river and follow a trail along the upper edge of terraced fields through Hille to Tirkhedungha. After this, you cross a stream beyond the village and then drop down to the suspension bridge over the Bhurungdi Khola. Then you climb a long, steep and seemingly endless stone staircase, which eventually leads you to the village of Ulleri. At this scenic village, there are fine views of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 4: Trek to Ghorepani [2775m] – 6-7 hrs

On ascending along a route that brings you to a forest, you will find Annapurna South, hidden by a ridge. Beyond Banthanti, there are magnificent forests of oak and rhododendron. After crossing several crystal-clear mountain streams, you arrive at the village of Nangathanti. After a few hours of trekking through the forest, you enter Ghorepani. Ghorepani literally means "horse water" and is a popular watering spot for mules, which have plied this route for centuries from Pokhara to Jomsom and beyond. A short hike takes you to a small pass and further to the village of Deurali. To get you acclimatized with your surroundings, you rest at Ghorepani. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 5: Trek to Tatopani [1190m] – 5-6 hrs

The views of the sunrise is ideal from the point of Poon Hill. After breakfast, you descend to Tatopani through the rhododendron forest amidst magnificent natural vistas. As you near Chitre, you experience breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri range. The path then leads through terraced fields to Sikha, a Magar village clustered on a ridge. You continue descending, gradually at first and then more steeply to cross the Ghar Khola. After a short climb, you hike across the Kali Gandaki on a large suspension bridge and from here onwards, it is only a short distance upstream to Tatopani. Tatopani derives its name from the hot springs near the river below the village. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 6: Trek to Ghasa [2000m] – 5-6 hrs

You now go by the trail that ascends gently up the Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest in the world, towards the village of Dana, which is surrounded by beautiful orange groves. En route, you see the local folks selling baskets of oranges. Further down the road is the small hamlet of Rupse, where a thundering waterfall cascades down beside the trail, exposing its naked beauty. Further-a-foot, the trail enters the steepest and narrowest section of the gorge. You will come across a layered stone path well-constructed and wide. As the rock cliff ends, you head towards Ghasa, an old-world Thakali village. You can see several flat-roofed Tibetan style houses in Ghasa. [Walk approx 5-6 hours]. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 7: Trek to Larjung [2560m] – 4-5 hrs

After breakfast you trek from Ghasa towards Larjung. Few hours of descents soon follow other rock-strewn ascents through forests of fir, cypress and juniper along the riverbanks of the Kali Gandaki. As soon as you reach Larjung, you cannot but literally marvel at the architectural grandeur of this small town; tunnels, narrow alleyways and houses built in traditional style presents an interesting sight for snapshots of this unique village on the mountains. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 8: Trek to Jomsom [2713m] – 5-6 hrs

From Larjung, the trail follows the wide valley of the Kali Gandaki, passing through Khobang and Tukuche. As we hike the walks, we keep seeing narrow alleyways and houses built around enclosed courtyards as a buffer against the unpredictable winds of the Kali Gandaki gorge. The trail further meanders through stonewalled orchards. Soon, you come across a stone gate that marks the entrance to Marpha. You also spot several white-walled houses. Marpha has a well-maintained drainage system and is highly popular for its local apple brandy. After a lunch in Marpha, you now hit the trail towards Jomsom. As you approach your destination, the landscape becomes increasingly arid and eye-catching with its mixture of browns, yellows and grays that contrast with the white snowcapped peaks of Tilicho and Nilgiri. Overnight in a Tea House

Day 9: Trek to Muktinath [3710m] – 5-6 hrs

After breakfast, you continue your trek along a path that is a vast gravel riverbed of the Kali Gandaki. You come across a stream and fertile vegetation. On crossing a small ridge to Chhancha Lhumba at 2730 meters, you continue heading towards Muktinath with Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri attracting your sights as you ascend to Khingar (3200 meters). More meadows, streams and lush vegetation can be seen along the trail as it paves your way to Jharkot (3500 meters). You encounter the ruins of the Dzong and the serene villages of Purang and Changur. As you trek past mule stables and steep barren hillside, you enter Ranipauwa. Pilgrims & hikers have, for years, been using Ranipauwa as an ideal haven for rest. On trekking further, you finally enter Muktinath. Temples and religious shrines are some of the major attractions of this holy site. Pilgrims flock to the Buddhist gompa and pagoda-style temple of Lord Vishnu.  Muktinath is a prime pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. 

Day 10:  Trek to Jomsom [2713m] – 4-5 hrs

As you leave Muktinath behind, you start retracing your steps to Jomsom glimpsing once again at the majestic views of Nilgiri. You bunk out for the night in Jomsom. At eventide, you celebrate the completion of your trek with your hardworking crew, whom you have come to know so well over the last 9 days. 

Day 11: Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara and drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu 

You catch an early morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. From Pokhara you drive to Kathmandu. The flight is for about 30 minutes and the drive takes approx 6-7 hours. Meals included: 1 breakfast with tea/coffee
 
Day 12: Depart Kathmandu for home sweet home – Farewell Buddies!

On reaching Kathmandu, Your day is free to do some souvenir shopping, sightseeing or any other personal activities that suit your conveniences; until your departure. Our representative will transfer you to the airport for your flight home. This will be a trip that you will remember for some time to come. Meals included: 1 breakfast with tea/coffee

Trip Information

Accommodation

A TH [Teahouse Lodge] is a term used for sleeping in teahouse lodges on the trails. These teahouses are pretty basic but provide all the comforts that you would expect when hiking in remote conditions, they are cosy and warm – you’d like the homely environment. We crash out in single rooms wherever available, but often times we sometimes have to adapt to sleeping out in dormitory type rooms for a night. Generally, it’s just a bed with a pillow and blankets. It’s a matter of choice, if you want, you bring your own ‘Air pillow’ and freak out anyways, this is adventure in the wild…the rougher it gets the better. We accommodate our trek groups in local lodges available each day. Our porters hike ahead of us to book the required rooms for the group (rooms cannot be booked in advance). Please note, that some of them are very basic and a spirit of adventure is the call of the day. It is cheaper to stay in lodges rather than organizing a camping trek.

We have a pool of hotels in Kathmandu under 3 Star categories which we provide to clients in connection with this itinerary, unless it is mentioned otherwise or clients have a special choice. You can check on the description of such hotels through our website. Accommodation is never a problem, the choice exclusively yours.
 

Dining

At ‘Incentive Holidays’ – its zero tolerance on cutting of cost when it comes down to feeding our trekking guests, because we know how tough it is on the trails; we ensure that the lodges provide three tasty, bountiful and nutritious meals daily with a variety of local and Western dishes. To start the day, breakfast is ‘king size’ [the first meal of the day] consisting of a choice of porridge, muesli and cereals followed by omelet, fried or scrambled eggs with chapattis or bread. Lunch is generally a selection of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta and traditional breads.

After a lengthy gritty day on the trail, dinner is a hearty 3 course meal - soup, followed by a variety of vegetables, meat, rice and pasta dishes completed with a simple dessert. Don’t be surprised if the delectable ‘apple pie’ lands on your plate, it’s literally ‘yummy’’, even better than the ones you come across in Thamel. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are also provided at all meals. We use as much fresh produce as possible and special diets are regularly catered for. The local trek leaders are able to maintain very tight controls on health and hygiene in the kitchen with respect to general cleanliness and food preparation and also within the group with respect to personal hygiene. This has allowed us to maintain extremely high standards of health over many years of planning treks - and good health is vital to an enjoyable and successful trek and climb. All foods are well cooked and vegetables are treated by potassium permanganate or iodine. Boiled water is served for drinking. Antiseptic soaps and potassium or iodine treated water are provided for washing. Special dietary requirements can always be catered for. ‘Gluttony is a sin’ but there are no restrictions on the grub we serve to our guests on the mountains; we leave it up to our trekking guests who are the best judge of their own appetites…Bon Appétit!!

Cost Inclusion / Exclusion

Cost Inclusion

• 3N Hotel accommodation on twin sharing basis at KTM                 
• 8N accommodation at a normal lodge/ home stay during trekking 
• One English speaking guide 
• Porter (1Porter for 2Pax)
• 3 meals (Breakfast, Lunch & dinner) everyday during Trekking 
• National park fees
• TIMS
• Domestic flight ticket ( KTM-PKR-JOM-PKR)
• Airport pick up and drop International
• All ground transfer as per itinerary (PKR-KTM by Tourist coach or Micro bus)

Cost Exclusion

• International Air Fare
• Domestic Air Fare
• Entrance Fees
• Daily Meals (Lunch & Dinner) during Kathmandu
• Tips to Guide & Driver
• Bar Expense
• Telephone, Laundry and Internet
• Personnel Insurance
• Emergency Evacuation
• All other personal expenses
• Nepal visa fees 

Popular Sightseeing places in Kathmandu:

• Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• Patan Durbar Square
• Pashupatinath Temple
• Boudhanath Stupa
• Swayambhunath Stupa

Half day sightseeing includes visit two of these places and full day sightseeing includes three of these places inside the ring-road of Kathmandu. Besides the above mentioned places, the charges will apply depending on the distance accordingly.

Travel Date

The best time to visit for a trip of this kind would be in the Spring and Autumn.  It is wonderful duringthis time of the year when an overall beauties of the landscapes found in these trips are so distinct & stunning, due to clear weather pattern & sunny blue skies. Our program could be changed to accommodate individual group choices and preferences in order to give you proper holidays that become signature ventures for a lifetime.