24-Day Nar Phu Hidden Village Expedition

In the early morning, you'll drive to Besisahar which is situated nearly 165 kilometres west of Kathmandu through the Trading Village at Dumre at 820 metres. It is a very scenic six-hour drive with plenty of opportunities to stop and take pictures along the way. Upon arrival, you'll check-in and relax at your guesthouse.

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Your first day’s trekking introduces you to the diverse cultural elements of Nepal and you pass by many typical local houses and the faces of varied ethnic tribes exchanging greetings (Namaste) as you pass. You will share the trail with mule caravans that transport supplies to the remote villages. The route makes its way through subtropical forests and the rice terraces of Sera. The trail moves gently upwards to Bahundanda at 1300 metres. It will be seven hours of trekking in total.

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You'll start the day by descending on a steep slippery trail past amphitheatre-shaped rice terraces. The rest of today’s trek will have you pass the river a few times and you will see a few waterfalls as well. As you near the village of Jagat, you will have a steep 200-metre climb to a trail that has been blasted out of the rock face. 15 minutes below this village, you can visit another small hot spring. From Jagat, you'll climb up to Chamje. It will be a total of six hours of trekking.

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Today, you will do the 940-metre ascent to Bagarchap through bamboo and rhododendron forests, on a trail high above the river bank. You will pass the village of Tal at 1700 metres which lies at the foot of a large waterfall. All old villages from here to Kagbeni have these arches and they become more elaborate and picturesque as the Tibetan influence becomes stronger. The trail slowly climbs from here on through a forest to Bagarchhap. You'll be trekking for a total of seven hours.

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Continuing to climb through forests of pine and oak, you'll pass through Danagyu before coming to a thundering waterfall, where you turn left and head up the high trail to Koto. After an hour of lovely, open forests, you'll reach a clearing at the top of the trail and a charming Tibetan teahouse where you will stop for a break. Pausing for breath, you can look back for views of Manaslu before continuing on to Koto.

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This morning, you'll head out early, as you have a long and somewhat difficult day before you. Just past the check post, you'll cross the river leading to the Nar Phu valleys, and hike up through beautiful woods above the Phu Khola (river). The route takes you through some beautiful woods and past several small shelters (caves) and a pilgrims’ ‘Dharamsala’. A stunning start for the Nar Phu trek! You'll camp at the Dharamsala, a lovely campsite.

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A steep climb up the valley along a small, scenic river brings you finally to high pastures on a 3,200 metres plateau. You'll pass by the scenic kharka of Meta, 3560 metres, a non-permanent winter settlement of Nar, where you will probably share the trail with a few yaks! This morning is one of the loveliest walks in the Himalayas. The mountains around you are utterly spectacular. Many more ups and downs take you to tonight’s campsite at Kyang, on a plateau high above the river.

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Dropping steeply down to the river, you trek for a while along the river bank. Today, you really start to see some of the unique, colourful chortens for which Nar and Phu are famous. You have to rock-hop carefully across a small glacial stream before reaching a larger one with a bridge. Just before the bridge to Phu, a line of wonderful chortens colour the landscape and lead the way to the main village of Phu, perched high up on a hill, amphitheatre style.

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Having spent quite a few days getting to Phu, you will spend an extra day in the area to enjoy it. You'll meet the local Phu residents and do some exploring up the wide valley systems above you.

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Back through Phu gate, you descend to the river, and retrace your steps back to Junam karka, a lovely spot as any for your campsite for the evening. Your guide will tell you how, in 2003, they camped with some Phu residents (all but one woman) on their way back up to Phu with huge loads of planks from the nearby forests, and the evening was filled with Tibetan, or Manangi songs, smoky shelters and that unique Tibetan laughter.

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Set off on another classic Himalayan trekking day, as you trek down to the old bridge spanning a deep, contoured and narrow gorge (cameras out for this crossing), and then all the way back up again. It’s a good thing the scenery is so stunning. Below you sit Gyalbu Kumbu, built in 1650, and Satte Gompa, both empty. You finally reach the Nar gates at the top of the hill, and pass by more wonderfully painted chortens and a large tiered chorten before being rewarded with sublime views of Nar.

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It is a good day to try some local buckwheat pancakes or ‘diro’. Depending on the condition of the group, we will either spend the night at Nar, or leave early in the afternoon for a two-hour easy walk up the valley towards the pass, and camp just below the access trail to the pass by the river.

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The Kang La is not a difficult pass in good conditions. The Kang La, at 5240 metres, is an absolutely spectacular pass looking over Annapurna II, Gangapurna, Tilicho peak, the peaks surrounding Tilicho and the airport at Thongde. The trail down initially is steep; scree jumping seems to be the easiest option for the descent. After resting sore knees and shaky legs, you'll lunch on a plateau overlooking the peaks, and then continue to contour to the left towards Ngawal.

Today, you'll start the day with a two-hour walk through open forest to Braga, an old Tibetan-style village of about 150 partially deserted houses. Then, you'll come across an arid countryside, dominated by weird cliffs of yellow rock, eroded into dramatic pillars alongside the trail to reach the day’s destination, the village of Manang where you get to refuel on your supplies.

Today, you'll trek from Manang to Ledar (4245 metres) which takes 4.5 hours. Trekking slowly upwards to Thorung La, you will leave the large trees behind and see the vegetation consisting mainly of junipers and alpine grass and a few meadows where horses and yaks are found grazing. Blue sheep can also be seen grazing on the steep slopes of Yak kharka. You arrive at Letdar an hour after passing through Yak kharka.

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Today, you'll trek from Letdar to Thorung Phedi/high camp (4450 metres) which takes 3-4 hours. You get used to the altitude before crossing the highest point in the trek. From Letdar you continue to climb along the east bank of the Jarang Khola to Thorung Phedi, a rock-strewn meadow surrounded by vertical cliffs at 4420 metres. Blue sheep and snow leopards can sometimes be spotted in this region while the sight of lammergeyers and Himalayan griffons circling above is quite common.

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Crossing over an altitude of 5416 metres could be difficult due to strong winds otherwise the highly trodden trail is very easy to follow as it has been used for hundreds of years to bring sheep and yaks in and out of Manang. It takes around 4-6 hours to reach the pass from Thorung Phedi. From here, you start a long descent of about 1600 metres with outstanding views of Dhaulagiri mountain until you reach Muktinath temple.

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This morning, you'll trek along a wonderful trail through more Mustangi villages, where you will feast on delicious apples and see the traditional back-loom weaving techniques being practised by the local women. The scenery is truly wonderful – soft light, patchworks of fields, peaks overhead, villagers out ploughing the fields, horses tethered next to the houses, apple trees providing texture to the landscape. After a steep descent, you'll reach the atmospheric oasis of Kagbeni.

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Today, you might take an alternative route to Jomsom down the west side of the river depending on the conditions of the trail, and the attentiveness of the check post guards (this is also officially in upper Mustang, but not strictly enforced).

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This morning you have to be an early bird to catch your flight. You'll fly out from Jomsom to Pokhara today. Upon arrival, you'll be whisked to your hotel and after checking in, you'll have an entire day to explore Pokhara city. You can go around with your guide to explore the city or explore on your own, whichever you wish. After all your trekking, it's the perfect opportunity to have a massage.

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After breakfast, you'll have a little more time in Pokhara to do some shopping before you leave. You'll be transferred to the airport for your 25-minute flight to Kathmandu. From here, you'll be taken to your hotel and then you'll have the rest of the day free to spend as you wish. The designated tourist hub of Kathmandu, Thamel is a quarter of the city that is alive, thriving and filled with everything from shopping essentials to quaint hole-in-the-wall bars that are begging to be enjoyed.

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Today, you'll spend a day exploring Kathmandu including a drive to several UNESCO World Heritage sites by private car, including Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swoyambhu Nath stupa. There's lots to see in this city and accompanied by a local guide, you'll explore it in the best way possible.