Annapurna Family Trek

Enjoy your first views of the Himalayas on a spectacular morning flight to Kathmandu. Our staff greets you and helps you settle into your hotel. In Kathmandu, and throughout your trip, we encourage you to interact with local people either through your guide as interpreter, or through participation in the activities that are all around you. While you explore, your staff gets all your food supplies and logistical requirements in order for your trek. Meals are on your own, though your guide will be able to offer suggestions for places to eat. They are also available for shopping and equipment rental advice.

Spend the day exploring this beautiful city: visit the colorful temples of Swayambhunath (monkey temple) and Boddhanath and take a walking or rickshaw tour of the Old Bazaar. You will see life going on as it has for hundreds of years against a background of sacred peaks, terraced hillsides, and an exotic culture.

Fly to Pokhara, where you will join the staff and some of their family members. Travel by jeep from the airport to the trailhead, camping at a site with a beautiful view of Annapurna.

Get an early start on your trek to allow for rest stops and cross-cultural interaction along the way. Our trail is at low to medium altitudes. Although there may be frost some nights, we expect temperatures to mostly be in the 60s and 70s -- perfect trekking weather! Hike to a Tibetan refugee camp at Hyangja, where you can sample Tibetan food, bargain for curios, and learn a little about Tibetan culture. The local children here will be just as curious about your children as yours are about them, and they will enjoy learning about each other. (2 hours trekking)

It is an easy hike to Suiket, after which you will climb the ridge above the Yangri Khola Valley. You will then pass through Hyengjakot and Dhital, and the staff will set up camp near Dhampus. Here, the 6,000' elevation ensures you will enjoy incredible mountain views as you relax. (4.5 hours trekking)

After climbing to a 7000' pass, descend to the Gurung village of Landrung. Beautifully situated above the Modi Khola river, you will have the opportunity to visit a school here. This is an easy walk, and there will be time in the afternoon for additional exploration. Again, you will have a wonderful mountain panorama before you at your campsite. (6 hours trekking)

After crossing the river, a set of stone stairs leads you into the maze of alleyways and terraces of Ghandrung, one of the most beautiful communities in this area. From here, you have an excellent view of Annapurna South. Camp at the outskirts of the village and spend the afternoon meeting local people. While the trail is steep, the actual distance is only a few miles. (5 hours trekking)

Follow a well-kept trail wrapping around the Modi Khola valley to Mohariya. Descend through fields and forests to Birethanti, on the banks of the Modi Khola. This is an excellent opportunity to observe Nepali agricultural activities in the terraced fields. (5.5 hours trekking)

Climb to the village of Chandrakot, perched high above the convergence of two gorges. Here, you re-join a major foot route linking central and western Nepal. Religious pilgrims, robust porters carrying every imaginable commodity, and Tibetan pony caravans are all common sights. Follow the ridge to a British-sponsored agricultural station. Your descent will bring you to Yarsa, where you camp in full view of the Annapurna Range. (5 hours trekking)

Continue along the ridge to a temple site with perhaps the most breathtaking panoramic view of your journey. At this point, you are far above the villages, and the meadows invite you to relax, watch soaring eagles, and explore the ridge tops. (6 hours trekking)

Descend the ridge and follow a little known route down the upper reaches of Phewa Lake. It is a long descent, and after reaching the lakeside, you will take a boat to your waterfront campsite, which rests near a grove of giant sacred Boddhi trees. (7 hours trekking)

Return to Pokhara and take a late morning flight to Kathmandu. (3 hours trekking)

Today is a contingency day in case your flight is delayed in Pokhara. Otherwise, it's an open day for shopping and seeing the things that just didn't fit in your schedule on arrival in Nepal.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight, or continue your journey in Asia with one of our unique extensions.