Introduction

The Annapurna range is the heart and soul of trekking on Nepal. It has magnificant mountain scenery, lush jungles, friendly people, and nice accommodations. This is the classic route that invented trekking in the Himalaya, with a few twists to bring us in closer contact with the mountains and people. We include three days sightseeing in the culturally rich Kathmandu Valley and a stay on beautiful Phewa Lake in Pokhara before we start the trek. The trek starts in the heavily terraced foothills of the Annapurnas and winds ever higher through quaint hill towns, pristine rhododendron jungle, bamboo jungle, rich alpine vegetation, and finally snow, to one of the most incredible panoramas on earth at Annapurna Base Camp (ABC). From ABC the Himalaya will surround us on all sides, with Annapurna South (7219m, 23678ft) to the southwest, Annapurna (8091m, 26538ft) to the northwest, Khangsar Kang (7465m, 24485ft), Tarke Kang (7193m, 23415ft), Gangapurna (7485m, 24550ft), and Annapurna III (7856m, 24950ft) to our north and northeast, and the awesome Machhapuchre ('fishtail peak', 6993m, 22940ft) to the southeast. We include an extra day at ABC for the adventurous to hike to higher ground for even more stunning views, including a possible dayhike to the foot of a glacier. Nowhere else are such incredibly diverse village life and ecosystems so close to the high peaks of the Himalaya. Join us for this Himalayan classic!

ITINERARY

Map of Trekking Region

Day 1-2 Fly to Kathmandu. Leave your hometown and fly to Kathmandu.

Day 3 Arrive in Kathmandu. We will meet you outside the customs and immigration area at the airport and escort you to the hotel. Your first experiences in Nepal will be somewhat overwhelming as we drive through Nepal's bustling capital city to the hotel. Kathmandu is a stimulating mix of medieval and modern. You can explore the markets in the afternoon and we will meet for dinner for our first meal in Nepal.

Day 4 Explore Kathmandu. Kathmandu is one of three former medieval city-states in the Valley, along with Bhaktapur and Patan. Our half-day morning sightseeing tour will include key sights around the Kathmandu Valley such as Bhaktapur, the Hindu shrines at Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River, and the large Buddhist stupa at Bodhnath, center of the Tibetan Buddhist culture in Kathmandu. In the afternoon, Kathmandu is yours to explore. By western standards, the city is intimate. You can visit the many interesting sights, shrines, and markets, or stroll in Kathmandu's fascinating Asan Tole bazaar. Don't miss Durbar Square, Thamel, Swayambhunath (the "Monkey Temple," overlooking the entire Valley; go at sunrise or sunset!) and the King's Palace. You could also hire a driver to take you to the nearby ancient city of Patan.

Day 5 We depart early for the 5.5-hour drive to Pokhara (825m, 2700ft.), 208 miles west of Kathmandu. This road is newly paved and is now one of the finest in Nepal! Immediately, we head up as we climb out of the Kathmandu valley, only to quickly descend again to the Trisuli River, which we follow upstream to its junction with the Marsyandi River. We follow the Marsyandi gently up through heavily terraced fields and small hill towns to the Seti Gandiki River that takes us directly into Pokhara. Pokhara is Nepal's second largest city yet remains quite intimate and beautiful. As we approach the city, there are wonderful views to the north across the hills and Phewa Tal (lake) to the white peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. This drive will take most of the morning, leaving much of the afternoon for a relaxing boat ride on Phewa Lake, shopping in the markets and shops, or just relaxing with a drink on the shores of the lake.

Day 6 Begin trek. After breakfast we hand over our bags to our staff to be packed into wicker baskets for transport and we drive into the hills north of Pokhara for 1.5-2 hours to the small roadside town of Phedi (1130m, 3700ft). From Phedi it is a gentle two-hour climb through terraced fields to the beautiful town of Dhampus (1645m, 5400ft.) where we will eat lunch. Dhampus offers fine views of the entire Annapurna range and we get our first views of many of the peaks that will dominate our landscape for the next few days. It is another 1.5 to 2 hours to Pothana (1900m, 6240ft), our final resting spot for the day. Pothana is a typical small hill town that sits atop a ridgeline. Just beyond the town is a small pass that offers spectacular sunset views over the mountains above and terraced fields below.

Day 7 From Pothana we will follow the ridge through rhododendron and oak forest for 2 hours before we drop down into the Modi Khola valley, which we will follow into the heart of the Annapurnas. Another 3 hours gentle walk, contouring the hillsides, to our final destination of Landrung (1550m, 5090ft). Today is a wonderfully relaxing walk through beautiful forests and small villages. Landrung is a moderate sized Gurung village perched on the hillside with great views of the surrounding valley and mountians. We will have enough time to relax in the evening and watch the local village life and soak up the magnificent scenery.

Day 8 From Landrung we continue down to the Modi Khola river and walk along its bank for 2 hours before reaching the riverside town of Nayapul for a break before starting the steep ascent up the other side. We will ascend slowly, as we have most of the day still left, and rest often for the great views up the surrounding valleys. It will take us another 3 hours to reach Chomrong, our final destination for the day. Chomrong is the last permanent town before we head up towards Annapurna Base Camp and we will probably begin to see more trekkers heading up. It is a quite large town, spread out down the slope for half a kilometer or more with incredible views of Machhapuchre ('fishtail peak', 6993m, 22940ft) and Hiunchuli (6441m, 21126 ft).

Day 9-10 --Trek to Doban (2430 m.) (6 hrs) - Deorali (3000 m.) (6-7 hrs)

Day 11 --Trek to Annapurna Base Camp (4000 m.) (5-6 hrs)

Day 12 --Excursion around Annapurna Base Camp

Day 13 --Return trek to Himalaya Hotel (2700 m.) (5-6 hrs)

Day 14 --Trek to Chomrong (5-6 hrs)

Day 15 --Trek to Ghandruk (1950 m.) (5-6 hrs9.

Day 16 --Trek to Pothana (1530 m.) (6-7 hrs)

Day 17 --Trek end at Phedi and return drive to Pokhara. Overnight in camp or lodge at Lake Side

Day 18 --Fly to Kathmandu; afternoon to explore Kathmandu

Day 19-20 --Depart Kathmandu. Arrive home