Day Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu!

Flying into Kathmandu, you'll have views over the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to your hotel.

Once you've settled in, head out and explore the city. Kathmandu 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.
Overnight: Kathmandu

Day Day 2: Explore Kathmandu

Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not too chaotic. It's a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a chai overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares.

After breakfast, there are then a number of ways you can spend your day given the numerous famous sights around the Kathmandu Valley. You can use this as a free day or we can provide a local English-speaking guide who knows the city well and can explain the history and significance of the sights (along with a private jeep to take you around).

Overnight: Kathmandu

Day Day 3: Drive from Kathmandu to Koto (8,530 feet / 2,600 m)

After an early breakfast in Kathmandu, a private car will pick you up and drive you to Besisahar. You'll have lunch here and then change to a four-wheel drive vehicle in order to prepare for the rugged journey to Koto. The road can be almost as challenging for passengers as for drivers, but it is incredibly scenic!

You'll travel along the old Annapurna Circuit trek route, through amazing gorges and past stunning waterfalls. Arrive in the village of Koto in time for dinner.

Driving time: 8-9 hours (147 miles / 237 km)
Overnight: Koto
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 4: Trek from Koto to Meta (11,680 feet / 3560 m)

After breakfast in Koto, you'll start the day early as there is a lot of ground to cover. First, you'll cross the river and enter the Nar & Phu valleys. Unlike towns on the nearby Annapurna Circuit, this area is not as developed and offers plenty of vistas for nature lovers. The walk through the spectacular narrow valley is one of the most beautiful on the trek with a mixture of beautiful oak, rhododendron, and bamboo forests, as well as sheer cliffs and a series of suspension bridges as you cross back and forth ascending up the valley.

Emerging from a narrow canyon, you'll make your way under a wide waterfall where the forest becomes thinner and the expanse wider. The last stretch into Meta involves climbing a steep hill, where there are amazing views of some of the giant snowy peaks in the distance. This is a small village with a few clean teahouses for trekkers.

Trekking time: 7-8 hours (12 miles / 20 km)
Overnight: Meta
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 5: Trek from Meta to Phu (13,386 feet / 4080 m)

After breakfast in Meta, you'll trek out of the village and begin to notice some of the unique, colorful Tibetan Buddhist stupas that make Nar and Phu famous. The trail meanders along the ridge with great views of the Phu alley and the magnificent Nar Phedi monastery. After more hiking through scenic canyons and gorges—and crossing various suspension bridges over different streams—you’ll reach a monolith that guards the steep trail up to Phu.

From here, you can get your first view of the three villages in the area as well as an old dzong (Tibetan-style fortress) and the remains of two ruined forts, impressively situated above the flatlands. Just before crossing the bridge into Phu, a line of more wonderful stupas will appear in the landscape.

After a rest and snack, take a short walk up to the famous Tashi Lhakhang Gompa to pay respects to Lama Karma Sonam Rimpoche who came to Nepal with the Dalai Lama in 1959.

Trekking time: 7-8 hours (6 miles / 9.7 km)
Overnight: Phu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 6: Acclimatization day in Phu (13,386 feet / 4080 m)

Due to the high altitude, it’s smart to spend an acclimatization day in Phu. You can wake up and have a relaxing breakfast while enjoying the views. Take time to explore tiny alleyways of this interesting village; sit with the locals as they spin their yak and sheep wool, pound mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or tend to other daily chores.

For a physical challenge, take the hike up to Himlung Himal base camp through a glacial valley (4-5 hours round-trip). This 23,375 foot (7,125 m) peak was recently opened for climbing. On the trail to the base, you will see herds of blue sheep skillfully clambering up the steep cliffs.
Overnight: Phu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 7: Trek from Phu to Nar Phedi (11,450 feet / 3490 m)

Wake up in Phu and have breakfast before retracing the route back down towards Meta. This time, though, you'll turn off at the Nar Phedi monastery, which will be your accommodation for the night. In fact, the monastery is all that Nar Phedi consists of!

The rooms are neat and clean and the nuns are extremely welcoming. Join them in the kitchen and watch as they prepare dinner on a modest fireplace. In the late afternoon, there is a puja (blessing), which you are welcome to watch. Keep an eye out for the small donation box in the monastery where you can leave a contribution to the maintenance of this beautiful and friendly place.

Trekking time: 4-5 hours (9 miles / 14.5 km)
Overnight: Nar Phedi
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 8: Trek from Nar Phedi to Nar (13,484 feet / 4110 m)

Today is an easy trek day. You'll have breakfast at Nar Phedi and then climb out of the area through Nar Valley, crossing a suspension bridge over the Labse River, and then following a winding path up a hill towards Nar. Pass a line of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped stupas on the way into the ancient village. Arrive in the town around lunchtime. Even though Nar is not far from the main Annapurna trail, it is rarely visited by trekkers and is about as picturesque as it gets.

Nar will likely feel a bit more social and lively than Phu, and during the day you may find the village hub teeming with chatting women wearing their back-strap looms, weaving wool fabric for rugs and blankets.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours (2.5 miles / 4 km)
Overnight: Nar
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 9: Trek from Nar to Ngawal (17,192 feet / 5240 m) via the Kang La Pass (5,240m)

Today is a long day, so it's best to get up before sunrise and head towards the Kang La Pass, which leads back onto the popular Annapurna Circuit. It is not a difficult pass, but it can be a long day as the effects of altitude will be felt. Once on top of the pass, you can enjoy an amazing view over Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak. The trail downward starts off steep, but if you enjoy scree running you can have some fun! Stop for lunch on a plateau overlooking the peak, then continue towards Ngawal.

Ngawal, on the upper Pisang route of the Annapurna Circuit, is certainly different from the ancient villages you just visited. The lodges are bigger, the menus much more comprehensive, and there will be wi-fi and phone signals in most lodges.

Trekking time: 8-9 hours (10 miles / 16 km)
Overnight: Ngawal
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 10: Trek from Ngawal to Pisang, Drive to Besisahar (8,179 feet / 2,493 m)

Today, you'll have breakfast in Ngawal and then trek your last few hours to Pisang to catch your transfer. Notice the temperature getting warmer and scenery getting greener as you descend more than 6,500 feet (2,000 m) from the pass. This trail is wide and comfortable and passes a beautiful lake just outside Pisang.

When you arrive, stop for a snack and (if there's time) climb up to the temple in Upper Pisang before you take a four-wheel drive back to Besisahar—a small town on the bank of the Marsyangdi River.

Trekking time: 3 hours (4.5 miles / 7 km)
Overnight: Besisahar
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day Day 11: Drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu

Have breakfast in Besisahar and then begin your private transfer back to Kathmandu along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway towards Dumre and then the capital (about a six-hour drive).

Upon arrival, you'll be dropped off at your hotel and will be able to 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.

Other ideas include rewarding your muscles after the trek with a massage service at Seeing Hands (services are offered from the visually impaired), or the more upscale Kinjalla Spa. You can also take an early evening yoga class at Pranamaya Yoga, with two locations in Thamel and Patan.

In the evening, choose from a selection of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes in Kathmandu.
Overnight: Kathmandu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day Day 12: Depart Kathmandu

It's time to say farewell to Nepal. Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a final stroll through the narrow alleys and temples, and some final souvenir shopping. A driver will be waiting for you at your hotel to take you to the airport for your return flight home. It's best to be at the airport at least two hours prior to departure.