Annapurna Panorama Trek takes you right into the heart of the Annapurna Himalayas exploring the remote villages in luxury and style.

Mode of Trekking (Organized Camping Trek)
12 Days Trip
8 Days Trek, 4 nights in Hotel
Introductory

For several decades or even centuries this area has been home to herdsmen and honey hunters and the tradition has still been kept alive. The major ethnic group living here are Gurungs who are well known not only for their unique culture and tradition but also for joining the British Gurkha troops as well as the Indian army. The other local people in this area are Brahamins, Chettris, Newars, Tamangs and Kamis. What makes the trek so fascinating is the diversity of terrain. From the beautiful Begnas lake our trail wanders past lovely farmlands, river bank,dense sub-tropical forest, traditional villages and low alpine forest where beatuful rhododendrons would be in full bloom in spring. The views on the trail and from our campsites of the Annapurna massif, the sacred Macchapucchere (Fish Tail) and Manaslu is simply mesmerizing.

ITINERARY

Day 1. In Kathmandu
Arrive Kathmandu. Your group leader or the office representative from Alps in Nepal will meet you at the airport and will transfer you to Hotel Yak and Yeti. Remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Arrangements will be made for the distribution of your kit bag and down jacket at 5 pm.
Welcome dinner is organized at 6:30 pm in one of the traditional Nepali restaurants and this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the fellow group members before the trip.

Day 2. In Kathmandu
In the morning we explore Kathmandu on an organized sightseeing tour visiting Boudhanath and Pusupathi Nath, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world and the most famous Hindu temple in the country. The early afternoon is free to relax in the spacious hotel garden or you may wish to visit Thamel for any last-minute shopping before the trek. In the afternoon you will be supplied with trek departure information.

Day 3. Lower Tal Besi (2240 ft.)
In the morning we fly to Pokhara from Kathmandu. The 25 minutes flight is quite scenic as it offers a wonderful view of the mountain ranges in whose foot hills we would be trekking soon. After we land at the Pokhara airstrip, we drive to Lower Tal Besi. It is only ten minutes walk to our campsite where we get off the vehicle. (drive from Pokhara airport to lower Tal Besi - 2hrs.)

Day 4. Karputar (1360 ft.)
We leave our campsite in the morning following the valley floor of Rupa Tal passing some villages on the way. Keep your eyes open for the monkeys and birds including the white throated kingfisher which looks very colourful on flight. We reach a busy little town of Upper Tal Besi where we cross the river on a bridge. The trail forks to the right through a village and climbs up the steps to join the dirt road. I is gradual uphill all the way to Sarka Baas where we stop for lunch. We leave the road from here and go downhill following a narrow trail through the chestnut forest and a stream.Later on, we follow the sal and schima forest. We get to the bank of Pastey khola. There are small villages on the way. We cross the Madi river on a metal suspension bridge and finally get to Karputar. We camp beside the river.

Day 5. Nalma Phedi (1780 ft.)
As we leave the busy town of Karputar we start following the bank of Mirdim river. Today we see the local fishermen in the river trying to catch trouts. The locals are discouraged to use blastings and electricution to catch fish in order to conserve the rare species. The water level of the river in monsoon is much higher so so people have to take an alternative route during that time. We break for lunch on the way in a beautiful spot beside the river. While our kitchen team are preparing a delicious meal for us, you can swim in the river or just deep your feet which is very cool and relaxing.We resume our walk and get to a small Sarki (cobbler) settlement from where we climb up the sal forest and get down to cross the Midim river on a suspension bridge. Our campsite is just below the bridge in the river bank.

Day 6. Nalma (3400 ft.)
It is a steep climb on the steps but the shade from sal forest makes it less exerting. There are many chautaras or resting places along the trail every now and again where we stop for drinking water and to catch our breath. As we climb up we can hear the river in the bottom of the valley and beautiful bird songs in the forest We reach a small Gurung village called Purjuni which is our lunch stop. The walk is less steep from here untill the main village of Nalma. Our camp is above that near the high school so the last 20 minutes or half an hour after the village to our camp is quite steep. But the hard day is compensated by the breathtaking view of the mountains from there.

Day 7. Baglung Pani (5240 ft.)
We set off following the steep uphill. The trail goes past shima and rhododendron forest.Behind us we can see the trail coming to Nalma and the river valley we followed the previous day. After climbing up steadily for an hour and half or two we reach a dirt road which leads to Besisahar which is an administrative centre of Lamjung district and also the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit trek.We leave the road after a while and head for Baglung Pani, our camp.We follow the forest wlking on the ridge which offers a very good view of the mountains. Down below on our right, we can see Besisahar.We go past few memorials of the Gurungs from where we head downhill and traverse the hill to get to our campsite which is on top of a small hill above the village and school.

Day 8. Ghanpokhara (6750 ft.)
We follow the dirt road going gentle downhill in the beginning passing few villages on the way. Later on we follow the trail heading steep uphill to Ghalegaon where there is an ACAP checkpoint. It is a traditional Gurung village and the houses are built beautifully with slate roofs mud- smeared walls. Corrugated iron is getting more popular now a days for building roofs. Almost every houses keep bees and the locals are well known for honey hunting. After we leave the village we follow the stone paved trail leading us to alder forest. The trail is levelled all the way to our camp in the middle of the alder forest near the local health post. In the afternoon or evening we go to explore the main village of Ghanpokhara and return to our camp to overnight.

Day 9. Khudi (2591 ft.)
We retrace the trail to Ghanpokhara which splits into two shortly. The left one leads to Bhujung and the right to Khudi where we are going. We start descending following the farmlands and later on go downhill on the steps through a dense alder forest. We climb down steadily for few hours and get to a village with terraces of paddy fields called Bhache. The valley below us is Ghanpokhara Besi. We carry on downhill following the steps which can be hard on the knees so walking poles might come handy. Just before we hit the bottom, we stop for lunch. We follow the dirt road after that all the way to Khudi which is a Tamang settlement. Our camp is beside the Khudi River, in the middle of trees.

Day 10. Kathmandu (4400 ft.)
We cross the river on a suspension bridge where a van would be waiting for us on the other side. We drive back to Kathmandu.

Day 11. Kathmandu
Kathmandu at leisure. Enjoy the big gardens at your hotel or enjoy the shopping.

Day 12. Trip concludes (Unless further plans are made)
After breakfast we transfer you to the airport for your flight home.

NEPAL EXTENSIONS

There are a variety of interesting extensions you might choose to add on either before or after your trek. These options include:

Chitwan National Park:
It provides excellent opportunities to view the rare species such as sloth bear, bison, rhinoceros, leopard and the exclusive tiger. Early morning jungle walks and safaris on elephant back are amongst the most popular activities. The jungle lodge can be reached from Kathmandu either by air or by private vehicle.

White Water Rafting:
On the Trisuli or Seti Rivers.

Mount Everest Scenic Flight:
An hour flight departs Kathmandu early morning and provides spectacular views of Mount Everest and the surrounding mountains.

Cultural Tour:
Nepal boasts a rich cultural diversity, and it is well worth exploring. The Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal is a dream-world for many and reality for some. Once experienced they can never be forgotten, never dismissed from memory whether ones experience of them is visiting age-old Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries and royal palaces with amazing sculptures, paintings, legends and living rituals. Nepal is not only regarded as "Shangri-la" for adventurers but a scenic revelation and an educational in itself to all visitors. Once seen they become a part of you, habit-forming and intrusive. We have put our best effort to incorporate all cultural delights as well as natural beauty that Nepal has to offer, which you can chose depending on your time availability.

Bhutan:
A five day cultural visit to Paro, Thimpu and Punakha.

Tibet:
A four day visit to Lhasa the capital city of Tibet.

Please contact the Alps in Nepal office if you plan to extend your trip and let us know in advance.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Expert Leadership
Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. We have a very good selection of local leaders who are professionally trained and are among the most experienced in Nepal. Who better to look after you than your professional local leader, who speaks the language and knows the culture, intimately? The following people regularly lead this trek: 

SANJAY GURUNG: Sanjay is an experienced trek leader who has been in this profession for last fifteen years. Besides trekking all over Nepal he has also led several trips to India and Tibet. His profound knowledge and easy going personality make him an ideal choice to lead treks for Alps in Nepal.
 
PETER CHETTRI: Peter holds a very good sense of humour and adventurous spirit which has made him an asset to the company. He was born in Nepal and brought up in Sikkim. As a graduate in Arts, he has a good command over both spoken and written English. He has been leading treks with Alps in Nepal for four years. He has done a first aid training specialised in Acute Mountain Sickness. His excellent leadership has always earned a good reputation to the company. 
 
ASHIM SUBBA: Ashim is a travel enthusiast who has always been keen on adventure. He went to the University in Calcutta and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce. Apart from being fluent in Nepali and English, he also speaks Japanese and has been involved in trekking for last two years. He has completed the first aid training including high altitude medicine. His expertness as a leader is one of the keys to our success.

Why Alps in Nepal is your first choice for Adventure
Alps in Nepal, combines the best of international standards with the deep knowledge of local experts. It offers you services and an experience that surpass those offered by the large international companies; with the reliability that local outfits lack. With over 15 years of experience we have successfully organized tours and treks for several thousand patrons who can testify the unique class of service we offer. Please feel free to ask us about the selection of your trip or for any further information.