Holy Himalaya (ABC)

A 1 hour drive takes us to Nayapul ~ the starting point of our trek. We follow the river and then slowly ascend through rice fields to Hille (1430m) and stop for the night.

We start our day with a steep ascent to Ulleri (2000m) where we get our first view of the Himalayas. We then continue through forests of Rhododendron until we reach our destination - Ghorepani (2855m).

Our day begins with an early climb to the summit of Poon Hill (3200m) to watch the sun rise across a magnificent Himalayan panorama. After breakfast in Ghorepani, we follow a long trail through rhododendron forests to Deurali. We then walk through an impressive river gorge with a chance to see Langur monkeys. Today's destination is Tadapani (2680m).

We walk through a shaded forest trail steeply down to the river (1900m), followed by an up and down walk through terraced fields of maize and potatoes to Chomrong (2170m), the last permanent settlement in the valley. From here we have fantastic views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhare.

This day we walk for 6 hours to Bamboo (2310 m) – the trail takes us through beautiful bamboo and rhododendron forests.

A 4 hour walk takes us to Deurali (3230 m) which is a good stop for acclimatization before heading to Machhapuchhre base camp and Annapurna base camp.

Slowly but surely we climb up to Annapurna Base Camp at 4130m. From the terrace of our lodge we can experience the immensity of the mountains.

Here we enjoy the magnificent view of the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre. We then descend for 6 hours to Bamboo (2310m).

We re-trace our steps until Chomrong where we take a steep trail down to Jhinudanda (1780 m) Here we can enjoy relaxing in the hot springs.

We cross the Modi Khola river and follow the trail to the famous Gurung village of Ghandruk (1950 m). In the afternoon, we visit the ACAP visitor centre and the Gurung Cultural Museum.

We descend to the river, cross over and climb up the opposite side to reach the village of Landruk. From here we have an easy stroll to Tolka (1700 m).

Today we leave the mountains behind us. A 6-hour hike and a 45-minute drive takes us back to the relaxing Lakeside of Pokhara.