Panchase Trek - 9 Days

Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu!

As you fly into Kathmandu, you'll have beautiful views over the city, the Himalaya, and of the terraced fields below. After going through customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you and guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to get you settled into your hotel.

Once you've settled in, head out and explore the city. Durbar Square is a great place to start your exploration, where you'll walk through narrow alleyways teeming with small shops, ancient temples, and local restaurants. If you want to stretch your legs, Swayambhunath, the white stupa rising above the valley, is the perfect spot to catch the sunset over the valley.

In the evening, the tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to chose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.

Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara

After breakfast, you'll be picked up and driven by private transfer to the domestic airport for your flight (30 minutes) to Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city.

This is a stunning half-hour flight along the Himalayan range, where four of the world’s fourteen giant mountains over 8000m can be seen; Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu, and Shishapangma. Your specialist can help you get a seat on the right-hand side of the plane for views of the Himalayas en-route.

Upon landing, you'll be picked up and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore, select from one of the tours below, or just relax by the lake. Pokhara has plenty of great cafés, restaurants, funky shops, and yoga studios that cater to expats and adventure travelers.

Day 3: Boat across Phewa Lake, Trek to Bhumdi (1520 m)

From Pokhara, you'll take a short boat trip across Phewa Lake to the start of your trek. The first climb through the forest will take you up to the steps leading to the World Peace Pagoda. This Buddhist stupa is one of over 80 Peace Pagodas worldwide, built in an attempt to unite people from all over the world and promote world peace. From here, you'll have stunning views of the Himalaya, Phewa Lake, and the city below.

Then, you'll continue down through the forest on small walking trails before climbing back up to join an open jeep trail snaking around the hill which will take you through the village of Lukum Swara. The final climb takes you up to the village of Bhumdi, home to Gurung and Brahman people, where you will spend the night.
 
Trekking Time: Approx 3 hours (10 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Day 4: Trek from Bhumdi to Bhanjyang (6,775 ft / 2065 m)

After a short early morning climb, the path continues through a beautiful forest where you'll see the mountains peeking out between the trees.

Today is a great day for nature-lovers, as the path winds through a diversity of trees and plants and you can hear the birds above—you may even catch a glimpse of a monkey! Emerging from the trees briefly at Thulunchour, you then continue through the forest until the path joins a dirt road, from which you can see panoramic views of the mountains. These include the Annapurnas, Lamjung, Gangapurna, and Machhapuchhare (Fishtail) as well as three peaks over 8,000m: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu, in the distance.

Continuing along the jeep trail takes you gently uphill to Bhanjyang, home to Gurung and Brahman villagers.

Trekking time: 4 hours (10.5 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Day 5: Trek from Bhanjyang to Bhadaure (5,479 ft / 1670 m)

This morning, you'll climb the stone steps up to Panchase peak at almost 2,500m, the highest point of your trek. Here, you will again be rewarded with views over the Himalaya. (If you get an extra early start, you can ascend all the way to the peak for sunrise.)

After taking in your surroundings, you'll descend down the far side of the hill. It's a gentle walk to your campsite, with regular views of the mountains above and villages below. The campsite is situated just above the town of Bhadaure, where you can experience a mix of cultures as there is a range of residents including Gurung, Kami, and Brahman.

Trekking time: 3 hours (7.5 km)

Day 6: Trek from Bhadaure to Australian Camp (2058 m)

From Bhadaure, you'll have a short climb to Australian Camp. Along the way, you can see the magnificent views of the Annapurna Range and Machapuchare.

Trekking time: 2 hours 
Accommodation: Teahouse

Day 7: Trek from Australian Camp to Hemja, Drive to Pokhara

Enjoy your final breakfast in the mountains set against the stunning backdrop of the Annapurna Himalaya. You then have two trail options this morning:

1) You can either hike down the jeep trail which is a gradual 2-3 hour descent to the road-head, passing through one lovely village on the way where you can stop for a cup of Nepali tea.

2) Or, you can take the ridgeline trail which has some beautiful, forested sections and you even come across a fascinating local shrine to the Naga (snake gods) in a more shamanistic tradition.

 You will then be met by your transport and make your way back into Pokhara.

Trekking time: 2-3 hours

Day 8: Fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu

After breakfast, you may have time to do more sightseeing, relax, or check out one of the Pokhara's coffee shops. About 1.5 hours before your flight, you'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the domestic airport to catch your flight back to Kathmandu.

In Kathmandu, you'll be transferred to your hotel and can enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure. Explore Kathmandu's streets on foot, bicycle, or rickshaw, perhaps shopping for souvenirs or seeing anything you may have missed at the beginning of your trip.

In the evening, choose from a selection of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes in Kathmandu.

Day 9: Depart Kathmandu

It's time to say farewell to Nepal. Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a city stroll, and/or souvenir shopping. A representative will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the airport for your return flight home. It's good to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure.