ANNAPURNA PANORAMA AND RIVER- MOUNTAIN AND RIVER – 11 DAYS

The carefully designed itinerary of twelve days combines the thrill of white water rafting with the breathtaking experience of viewing mountain panorama from Poon Hill viewpoint.

After the sightseeing tour in Kathmandu Valley we start the adventure with a scenic 25 minutes flight to Pokhara, Nepal’s second most popular tourist destination nestled beneath the snow-crested Annapurna Massif.

From Pokhara we reach the Poon Hill viewpoint (3210m) after a three days trek for the spectacular Himalayan panorama extending from Dhaulagiri to Annapurna and Machhapuchhre.

After being back from trek we drive to Damauli for two and half hours from Pokhara for the start of the rafting experience in Seti River, originating at the southeast slopes of Machhapuchhre Mountain and flows to south.

The Seti River passes through stunning jungle scenery, green hills and valleys. It is an excellent river for bird-watchers and those interested in the abundance of nature found on this trip.

This normally gentle river has plenty of small and straightforward rapids. During the monsoon months the intensity of the rapids increases and attracts a radically different set of rafters.

The Seti is an ideal trip for those wanting to experience some of the stunning river scenery in Nepal without the intensity of complex or challenging rapids. It is also very well suited for family trips and this relatively small volume, blue and warm water, is a ‘warm up’ river for intermediate kayakers.

Day 1 Arrival KATHMANDU (1300m/4265ft)

Arrive at Kathmandu International Airport where you will be warmly welcomed by our representative and check in to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore this historic and vibrant city.Meals: NO

Day 2 Acclimatize KATHMANDU

After breakfast we depart the hotel for a full-day  sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, the “city of glory.” We visit Durbar (Palace) Square, the epicenter of religious and cultural life, an area filled with old temples and historical significance with old glorious Newari architecture. Some of the sights include Kal Bhairav, Hanuman Dhoka, Taleju Temple, Kasthamandap and Kumari Ghar; home to the Living Goddess. Afterwards we visit Swoyambhunath Stupa, said to be one of the oldest Buddhist stupas in the world, which is majestically set high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu Valley. We proceed towards Pashupatinath Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This massive temple complex sits alongside the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the courtyard of the temple, whereas tourists can see the temple from the eastern side of the Bagmati River.  Later we visit Boudhanath, a Buddhist Stupa said to be one of the largest in the world. This massive structure stands tall with four pairs of eyes each facing the four cardinal directions, watching for righteous behavior of mankind and for human prosperity.Meals: Breakfast, Welcome Dinner

Day 3 Fly to POKHARA (884m/2900ft)

After morning breakfast in the hotel, we take a 25 minutes flight from Kathmandu  Airport to Pokhara. In Pokhara you have the leisure day today.Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 Drive to NAYAPUL (1070m/3511ft); Trek to TIKHEDHUNGA (1540m/5053ft)

After breakfast we drive 41km/25 miles to Nayapul for the start of our  trek. A steep trail from Nayapul directs us down to a bridge over a small stream to get to Birethanti, a large and prosperous village. From Birethanti we take the left branch of the trail on the west side of the bridge at the ACAP Checkpost where we need to show ACAP permit and TIMS Card. Following the trail through main streets of Birethanti, winding through bamboo forests and past a large waterfall and swimming hole we reach Sudami beyond a pasture used by caravans. We climb steadily up the side of the valley to reach Hille and about 15 minutes above Hille is the Tikhedhunga.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Trek to GHOREPANI (2750m/9023ft)

This is a 4-6 hours trek which starts crossing the Tikhedhunga Khola on a suspension bridge, then drops and crosses the Bhurungdi Khola on a large bridge at 1520m. The trail climbs very steeply on a stone staircase that is said to have more than 3300 steps which continue to the large Magar village of Ulleri (2080m) and climbing gently through the pastures and cultivated fields the trail makes its way to deep forests to reach a hamlet of Banthanti. Crossing the magnificent oak and rhododendron forests the trail passes through two sparkling clear streams, a small ridge and another stream before making final climb to another Magar village of Nangathanti (2460m). About an hour past this village we reach Ghorepani where we can see eight different species of Nepal’s national flower rhododendron in the hillsides below Ghorepani.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Trek to POON HILL (3210m/10532ft); back to GHOREPANI

After about an hours climb in the morning we reach Poon Hill which is a viewpoint for the spectacular Himalayan panorama extending from Dhaulagiri to Annapurna to Machhapuchhre; that stretches from Dhaulagiri I ( 8167m) and Tukuche (6920m) to Nilgiri (6940m), Annapurna South, Annapurna I (8091m), Hiunchuli (6441m) and Tarke  Kang (7193m). We return back to Ghorepani for the night stay.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 Trek back NAYAPU; Drive to POKHARA

Retracing the way up we trek down to Tikhedhunga and onwards to Nayapul from where we drive back to Pokhara. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Drive to DAMAULI; Raft to SARANG GHAT

We drive two and half hours to Damauli. After the rafts are rigged we will set off down the Seti River. We spend all the time within its forested canyon. The reach vegetation we see is a remnant of the vast forested area, which once covered the middle hills of Nepal. Traveling by rafts is a perfect way to view undisturbed wildlife and bird watching. When we stop for lunch we have time to explore, photograph, swim or relax. Later in the afternoon we encounter a small but technical rapid of Sarang Ghat. The Sarang Ghat village is a colorful middle hill village occupied by the two ethnic groups, Gurungs and Magars. For the night stay we set up a camp below the village on the left bank of Seti River.Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Raft to GAIGHAT

We flat upto Gaighat which is the take out point of the Seti River Rafting. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 Drive back to KATHMANDU

From Devghat  we drive back to Kathmandu and drop to the hotel. This is a leisure day which can be utilized buying gifts and souvenirs for your friends and family. In the evening you will be invited to join FAREWELL reviewing great photos and share experiences of the trip.Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Day 11 Fly back HOME or extend your HOLIDAYS

If you prefer to stay longer, you can consult us for short tours such as game drive at National parks, rafting, mountain biking, Tibet, India or Bhutan tours etc.