USD 1,150 / person
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Govinda Niraula
Trekking Expert
15+ years of experience
Inquiry by Email
info@vajraadventure.com
Tour Overview
People Interested
50
Location
Annapurna
Durations
15 Days
Trip Grade
medium
Max Group Size
1-20
Best Time
Fall and Spring
Max Elevation
4300
Trip Code
VA-126
Itinerary
You could be already in Kathmandu or you may be arriving on this very day and whatever it is we welcome you to Nepal! Thank you for choosing Mardi Himal and Khopra Ridge Loop with budget trekking. On this first day we transfer you to your hotel/hostel. You will not do much except observing the ambiance around you and get acquainted with the country.
Accommodation
Hotel in Kathmandu ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
No Meals Included
This is an important day because today is the day when you will meet with your guide. The guide or one of our team members will brief you about the trek about more or less everything you need to know. After briefing we would thoroughly go through the trekking gear that we have. Furthermore, if there is anything that is not according to the trekking standard we will do last minute shopping of the trekking gears. On the other hand one of our backend office staff will get busy preparing required permits and logistics.
Accommodation
Hotel in Kathmandu ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
Breakfast only
On this day need to be up and running by 6:00 a.m. in the morning. Once ready and bags packed, we will head towards tourist Bus Park at Thamel and board a tourist bus to Pokhara. The bus ride will take around 7 hours through curvy roads of hilly terrain with couple of breaks in between for snacks and lunch. The drive to Pokhara on one of the major highways is exhilarating with beautiful views of never leaving tributaries, lush green hills and roadside settlements.
Accommodation
Hotel in Pokhara ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
Breakfast only
The drive from Pokhara to Kande usually takes around 45 minutes in private vehicle and 1 and half hours on a bus (public). Kande is a small hilltop town nearby Pokhara - Baglung highway. The drive through the scenic road, through the lush green hills and along the seti river is beautiful. The view of mountains and Pokhara valley from Nau danda, on the way to Kande is splendid. Once we reach Kande we begin to ascent through the forest of rhododendron and red sandalwood. Another 45 minutes of gradual ascend and descent in slow pace we reach Australian base camp. The views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and the fishtail is highly acclaimed. From here we descent through the same sandalwood forest for 15 minutes to Pothana and further 45 minutes to Pitam Deurali. Overnight in Deurali.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
You again run into the forest you had left behind the previous day. Playing hide and seek with the sky and the mountains. Tentatively, you will be walking around 4 - 5 hours with normal pace and with multiple breaks in between. The only thing that you would seen in between this trail is a small tea shop. Hence, you will eat your breakfast and reach Forest camp for lunch. There are 3 basic tea houses in Forest camp. Few with dining hall and few with just kitchen. The bathroom in one of the the teahouses is modern and squat pans in other. Overnight in Forest camp.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
Deurali onwards the Mardi Himal trek officially begins and it takes 6- 7 hours until Low camp. The views of Dhaulagiri and Manaslu is very beautiful in this final section of the trek, if the weather is on the brighter side.We begin out of forest camp by climbing gradually for around 45 minutes to rest camp. From rest camp it is a gradient ascent but however the trails are not demanding. Majority of today’s walk is through the dense forest of Rhododendron. Towards the end of the day’s trek and when close to low camp, the trail becomes flat and the forest opens to a meadow land. You will first come across low camp where awaits the magnificent views of Himalayas. You will walk furthermore to the beautiful High camp. Overnight in High Camp.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
It takes around 3 to 4 hours on this day in order to reach the viewpoint and return back at High Camp. The high camp has no food and accommodation option, which is why we pack our food to the vantage point. Except for some sections where the trail shoots up the trail is not very demanding. In one section of the trail where the trail is exposed to a steep fall on the both end, it is recommended to be extremely careful. The views once we reach the top is world class. If we are blessed by the mother nature and the weather remains clear we would be able to spot Annapurna I 8091m, Annapurna south 7219m, Himchuli 6441m, Baraha Shikhar (Fang) 7647m, Tent peak 5695m, Singu Chuli 6501m, Gangapurna 7454m, Gandharba chuli 6248m, little summit of Annapurna III 7555m, Machhapuchre (Mt. fishtail) 6993m and Mardi Himal 5553m. Towards the south we can see as far as Pokhara including MBC (Machhapuchre Base Camp), Deurali, Dovan, Sinuwa, Chhomrong, Ghandruk. After spending some time on the top we return back to High Camp. We take the same route on our way back and all the way to low Camp. This section includes the view of Annapurna base camp trail. From low camp the trail is downhill all the way to Badal Danda. This place receives its name from the terrific cloud formation and views seen in the valley below. The walk is through dense subtropical forest and the chances of spotting wildlife is a high possibility. It takes tentatively 5-6 hours to reach Badal Danda. Overnight in Baadal Danda.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
From Badal Danda you will trace your way back to Low camp and further to Forest camp. From forest camp the trail branches to Landruk. Initially you will walk inside the forest but quickly the forest opens to villages. It takes around an hour to reach Landruk from Forest camp. Overnight in Forest camp.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
From Badal Danda you begin on the same trail until Pothana and then the trail branches off and lowers. It still is a roller coaster ride, meaning the trail ascents and descents. In between Pothana and Landruk you will come across traditional houses dwelled by the locals. Usually Landruk is a stopover destination for most of the trekkers but we head to the biggest village in the loop namely Ghandruk. Ghandruk is a pure Gurung village and their culture is reflected by the houses that they live in and the activities they carry out on everyday basis. You can also visit the Gurung museum located in the village. After exploring the village, we will head towards the less touristy Bhaisi Kharka. Bhaisi Kharka is a grassland where people graze their cattle. Overnight in Bhaisi Kharka
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
After spending a night in this small rest area surrounded by the forest of Rhododendron, we move ahead towards Tadapani. Around 250 meters of uphill and we are in another beautiful village of Tadapani. From here our trail branches off from the regular trail to Khopra. Out from Bhaisi or out from Tadapani, you mostly walk through jungle and the forest of Rhododendron. In spring, you can enjoy the views of mountains in the backdrop with beautiful views of Rhododendron blossom of pink, red and white colour. The trail is mostly uphill from here and looks almost like that of riverbed. In between, it is very rare to come across any village or even trekkers in influx. Overnight in Dobato.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
The day’s walk is easier than the days earlier. You will not directly march towards your final destination of the day but you would take a small detour to Mulde Peak. A small peak at an elevation of 3637 m, is an excellent viewpoint. Once spending sometime watching stunning mountain panorama we walk towards Khopra. The trail gets much flatter and the walk gets much easier once the forest opens up to a ridge with beautiful views of the mountains. After crossing the first ridge we further climb uphill until another ridge and then we finally arrive Khopra. overnight in Khopra.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
On this day, we begin as early as 5:30 in the morning. We need to pack our lunch and also chocolates and energy bars. There are no teahouses in between and we will have to reach the lake and return to Khopra on the same day. Khayar lake lies on the foot of Annapurna south and is made of the glacial deposits of the same mountain. Khayar is a sacred lake and is flocked by Pilgrims at various occasions throughout the rituals to perform rituals. The trek is long, and is also uphill and since you will be walking beyond 3500 mark, you will also likely feel slow. The view however is magnificent and keeps changing after every bend. Towards the lake the trek becomes more steep and it is important to become cautious. Once we explore the lake, we will head back to Khopra and call it a night.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
This is the final day of Khopra ridge trek on foot and majority of today’s walk is gradual downhill. We walk through the lush green subtropical forest all the way to the banks of Kali Gandaki river until we reach Tatopani. We walk for almost 5 hours before we reach our destination of the day. The views of valleys and river is very beautiful but the views of the mountain is close to none on this day. We call it a day at Tatopani and enjoy the natural hot spring and revitalize our bones and muscles. Overnight at Tatopani.
Accommodation
Local Teahouse ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
3 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch and dinner or any one item from the menu.)
The bus journey starts as early as 7 and 8 am to the latest. The first couple of hours on the bus is bumpy. Once you arrive at Beni, you will have to transfer to another vehicle. You guide will arrange everything. The bus from Beni takes around 4-5 hours. The road is narrow but is black topped and much better than the first half. Once in Pokhara your guide will transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Pokhara.
Accommodation
Hotel in Pokhara ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
2 times meals during the trek (staple meal of Daal Bhat for lunch or any one item from the menu.)
The bus ride takes around 7 hours to Kathmandu. The bus traverses through beautiful lush green hills and views of mountains (only in season). Once we reach Kathmandu we transfer you to your accommodation and hence officially come to the end of Khopra Ridge trek.
Accommodation
Hotel in Kathmandu ( 1 Night)
Meals Included
Breakfast only