Annapurna Panorama

Friday. Welcome to Nepal. Upon arrival at Kathmandu Airport you'll be met and transferred to your hotel where you will receive a welcome drink and a briefing about your trip.

Today we explore the Kathmandu Valley, starting with the Buddhist Stupa of Bodhnath which is a fabulous example of Buddhist temple architecture and a great place to observe Buddhist life and culture. Our next stop is the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal's cultural gem which has maintained its traditional way of life and is famous for its pottery. We visit Bhaktapur's incredible Durbar Square and try our hand at pottery making in Pottery Square. Our final stop of the day is Patan Durbar Square, home to more than 50 temples and shrines. This evening we enjoy dinner and a cultural Nepali dance performance. (B/D)

Kathmandu – Chitwan. On day 3 we travel by road to Chitwan National Park, arriving in time for lunch. Chitwan is hailed as one of Asia's finest game parks, home to more than 500 species including the endangered one horned rhino and the elusive Bengal tiger.

Over the next two days we enjoy a selection of activities offered by the lodge including a jeep safari, hoping to encounter the one horned rhino, various types of deer, boar, monkey, leopard and if we're very fortunate the Bengal tiger. Other activities at the lodge include a local village walk and nature walks in the jungle, a scenic dugout canoe ride down the Rapti River, bird watching and a visit to the Crocodile Breeding Centre. We'll also watch a traditional Tharu dance performance one evening with dinner. (Bx2/Lx2/Dx2)

Chitwan National Park – Pokhara. Today we travel on to scenic Pokhara. Pokhara is the gateway to the magnificent Annapurna Range, which boasts five mountains over 7200m and has one of the Himalayas most distinctive mountains - Machapuchare with its unique ‘fishtail' peak. The local people believe Machapuchare is sacred to the god Shiva and therefore is off limits to climbing. Arriving in the afternoon, there's time to relax and perhaps take a stroll around the lakeside market. (B)

Pokhara – Nayapul - Ulleri. We meet our trekking guide and porters at the hotel this morning and drive to Nayapul (1070m). From here we travel by jeep to Hile where we begin our Annapurna trek. The picturesque trail climbs steadily and as we climb, the tops of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli begin to merge from behind the hills. We continue trekking to Ulleri, where we spend the first night of our trek in a lodge. (B/L/D)

Ulleri – Ghorepani. From Ulleri, the trail climbs gently through pastures and cultivated fields. The fields soon give way to deep forest as the trail climbs to Banthanti where we stop for our lunch. Beyond the village of Banthanti, there are magnificent oak and rhododendron forest. From here, Ghorepani is reached in about 3 hours, after passing some sparkling clear streams and tea shops. (B/L/D)

Ghorepani – Tadapani. An early morning trek up Poon Hill provides spectacular unobstructed views of the High Himalayas. After enjoying the mountain scenery we return to Ghorepani for breakfast before continuing our trek. Our trail climbs a stone staircase until we reach the ridge where we'll then trek downhill to the village of Banthanti for a lunch break. From Banthanti the trail starts climbing, leaving the high mountain forests behind and entering a field of cane. The trail then climbs steeply again before reaching our base for the night. (B/L/D)

Tadapani – Chomorung. Our trek today starts with a steep downhill walk through the forest before the trail eases as we reach Gurjung, the village of the Gurung people. From here its an easy walk to Chomorung. (B/L/D)

Chomorung – Ghandruk. Today our trail heads gradually downhill to Kimyo Khola. Crossing the river we start our ascent to Ghandruk, a beautiful village which is also inhabited by the Gurung tribal people. (B/L/D)

Ghandruk – Nayapul – Pokhara. After breakfast we begin the final leg of our trek. We descend steeply on flag stone steps, then continue through forests and a landslide area. The trail is downhill for about two hours until we reach Shyauli Bazaar. From here we continue our gentle descent; walking along the river bank and passing terraced fields and stopping for lunch in Birethati village, en route to Nayapul. Here we meet our waiting vehicle and drive back to Pokhara. After hotel check in, relax and spend the rest of the day at leisure. (B/L)

Pokhara – Kathmandu. Fly back to Kathmandu this morning and in the afternoon we explore more of the city. After visiting the beautiful Swayambhunath stupa, we walk to Kathmandu Durbar Square, which is home to more than 50 stunning temples and shrines. We'll also enjoy a rickshaw ride through the bustling back streets of the city which is a great way to observe the everyday life of the locals. (B)

Wednesday. Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport.

An optional Everest scenic flight is offered on the morning of day 2 or day 13 (subject to availability) so if you'd like to book this please ensure that you onward flight on day 13 does not depart before midday. (B)