Ascend the Stunning Khopra Ridge

The next morning, after breakfast, you will depart for a full-day sightseeing trip of Kathmandu Valley. You can see the historic Pashupatinath Temple and Swyambhunath Temple, which are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The largest Buddhist Stupa at Boudhanath, as well as the magnificent artwork and historical architecture of Kathmandu Durbar Square, depict ancient Nepalese culture and are highlights of our guided trip.

Patan City will enchant you with its renowned beautiful arts and ancient architecture. When you return to your hotel, you will have time to explore the surrounding neighborhood, eat dinner, and perhaps take a leisurely stroll down the famous streets. Finally, the day closes with an authentic Nepalese dinner at Nepali Cultural Restaurant.

Today, we travel to Pokhara by elegant tourist bus, passing through the picturesque Nepalese countryside, including Muglin, Gorkha-Manakamana, Pokhara-Prithvi Narayan Chowk, the bus station, and the lakeside of Pokhara. These countrysides feature a variety of plants, verdant forests, rivers, tight, congested, roundabout roads, and stunning green hills. You can also fly to Pokhara.

To get to Tadapani from Ghandruk, walk along the narrow path that runs through the village. The trail here consists of steps carved into the rocks. After 20 minutes of climbing these steps, you’ll arrive at the first viewpoint. This is the “Lovely View Point.” From here, you can see Mt Annapurna South, Mt Himchuli, Mt Ganga Purna, Mt Annapurna III, and Mt Machapuchare (fishtail). As you walk forward, these mountains will remain on your right.

As you continue on the trail, you will encounter a woodland trail dominated by a variety of large trees. Soon, you hear the faint sound of a waterfall in the distance. The dense canopy of trees above, along with the damp air from the moving stream, provides a refreshing relief. There are also rhododendron trees here. If you are trekking here in April, you will notice large red blossoms on these.

Follow the wooded trail until you get to a tiny bridge. From here, you can see the source of the stream clearly. Take a break to refill your water bottles. The next stage is around 45 minutes of severe elevation. As you ascend up the little waterfall, you’ll arrive at Bhaisi Kharka, a small village in Nepal’s far western region. This is 5 kilometres from Ghandruk.

The remainder of the day’s journey will take you along comparable but denser woodland routes. Rhododendrons predominate here. If you’re used to seeing shorter trees in the Indian Himalayas, these are exceptionally tall. In certain spots, the branches of the trees interweave on top to form a gateway for the trail ahead. Another two hours of walking gets you to Tadapani’s tea houses. Have lunch here. Finish the day with a stunning sunset view of Mt. Machapuchare.

To get to Tadapani from Ghandruk, walk along the narrow path that runs through the village. The trail here consists of steps carved into the rocks. After 20 minutes of climbing these steps, you’ll arrive at the first viewpoint. This is the “Lovely View Point.” From here, you can see Mt Annapurna South, Mt Himchuli, Mt Ganga Purna, Mt Annapurna III, and Mt Machapuchare (fishtail). As you walk forward, these mountains will remain on your right.

As you continue on the trail, you will encounter a woodland trail dominated by a variety of large trees. Soon, you hear the faint sound of a waterfall in the distance. The dense canopy of trees above, along with the damp air from the moving stream, provides a refreshing relief. There are also rhododendron trees here. If you are trekking here in April, you will notice large red blossoms on these.

Follow the wooded trail until you get to a tiny bridge. From here, you can see the source of the stream clearly. Take a break to refill your water bottles. The next stage is around 45 minutes of severe elevation. As you climb up along the small waterfall, you will reach Bhaisi Kharka, a small village in the far western region of Nepal. This is 5 kilometres from Ghandruk.

The remainder of the day’s journey will take you along comparable but denser woodland routes. Rhododendrons predominate here. If you’re used to seeing shorter trees in the Indian Himalayas, these are exceptionally tall. In certain spots, the branches of the trees interweave on top to form a gateway for the trail ahead. Another two hours of walking gets you to Tadapani’s tea houses. Have lunch here. End the day with a stunning sunset view of Mt. Machapuchare.

Our next destination is Bayeli Kharka. We’ll start our adventure early in the morning. The walk begins with a gradual uphill climb. We’ll continue going down a moderate slope until we reach a tiny pass. The walk through the open countryside provides the most spectacular views of the Annapurna Massif. Then we’ll descend through the rhododendron woodland to an open area known as Bayeli Kharka. We will spend the night in a lodge. We will enjoy a beautiful glimpse of Dhauligiri Himal from here. We’ll spend the night here today.

We’ll go through a woodland, up a little steep trail, and through various fields before arriving at Upper Chistibung, the people’s summer hamlet. We’ll have the most attractive scene from here, too. We will stay at a tiny community lodge, mingle with the locals, and spend the night at a nearby teahouse.

Today will be our most significant day. We’ll trek up to the Khopra Danda/Ridge. We’ll start with a gradual rise. Then we’ll head through the forest. This is a popular region for wildlife. This region is known for its Himalayan Thar and Lophophorous. We shall continue to ascend. The trail provides an excellent view of the neighboring mountains, including Annapurna South and Nilgiri. The Khopra Danda is a small mountain village situated high above the Kali Gandaki Valley. The Khopra Community is a well-known secret village where we will be spending the night.

This will be an exploratory day. We will hike to Khayar Lake, which is located at an elevation of 4500 meters above sea level. We will walk constantly for around 9-10 hours. This section is physically difficult. So, only do it when you are physically and mentally healthy. There is no teahouse at Khayar Lake. It is a well-known Hindu Pilgrim. There is a fair on the festival of Janai Purnima. This region boasts an incredible diversity of sceneries. If you are unable to embark on this climb, there is Thanti, which is a much gentler hike that takes only approximately 6-7 hours. We will spend the night in Khopra Danda.

Today’s hike begins with a ridge walk that dips into the woodland. The trail leading up to Chhistibang is the same one you followed to reach Khopra Ridge. After two hours of relentless downhill, you arrive in Chhistibang. At Chhistibang, the route separates. The one on the left leads back to Dobato. Avoid this and take the trail to the right, which leads to Swanta and then Ghorepani.

From Chhistibang, you will travel through dense woodland, which is very different from the first two days of forest pathways. The most common trees here are oaks, followed by bamboo.Three more hours of hiking along this wooded track will lead you to the settlement of Swanta. There is a lot of agricultural land here, but very little tea houses. The tea house in near a basketball court. Enjoy the rest of the day by enjoying Swanta’s peaceful village life.

We’ll start our journey back to Ulleri village today. We will descend past villages and farmland before crossing the suspension bridge and heading to Ulleri. The trek offers stunning views of Annapurna South, Himchuli, Machhapuchhre, and the Dhaulagiri Massif. We’ll stop in a few popular places before heading to Ulleri for the night.

Our destination for today is Pokhara. We shall start our walk towards Nayapul from Ulleri. We’ll climb down the valley following the trail that passes through Birethati. We will next retrace our steps down the valley, crossing the suspension bridge over Modi Khola, and ascend to Nayapul. We will bike from Nayapul to the Pokhara hotel. We’ll spend the night in Pokhara sipping chilled martinis. Evening life in Pokhara is fantastic.

Our representative of Gravity Expedition will accompany you to Tribhuvan International Airport as you prepare to board your flight back home. While you travel home, you can start thinking about your next adventure here in Nepal, and rest assured that Gravity Expedition will be there to provide excellent service for your future endeavors.