Overview
Sometimes there just isn’t a lot of time to do trekking in the mountains. Sometimes, you may just want to do a pleasant, family trek that will bring you close to the mountains for some awesome views. If this fits your plans, then the Ghandruk Circuit Family Lodge Trek!
This ten day experience includes only five days of actual trekking. The rest of the time is sightseeing in Nepal, with an excellent opportunity to acquire a taste of what this country has to offer in a short period of time. Ghandruk is a stone village and home of the mighty Gurung people who have filled the ranks of the famous Gurkha soldiers over the centuries. There are rhododendron forests to walk through, and incredible vistas that overlook all of the snowcapped peaks of the Annapurna Mountains.
But along the way, you’ll get a chance to enjoy the culture of both Kathmandu and the incredibly beautiful lakeside mountain city of Pokhara. This trip takes you over stone steps that have been laid by the local people in the mountains in order to make their “highway” more easily passable. There are no roads to Ghandruk, so everything comes to the village by either foot or donkey.
Some of the mountain views include the snowcapped peaks of Annapurna South (7,219 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Hiun Chuli (6,441 m), Annapurna III (7,555 m) and Gandarba Chuli (6,246 m.) But along the way are great waterfalls, canyons, rhododendron and pine forests as well as local culture and villages.
This is a moderate grade trek, ideal for people of all abilities. Don’t worry about taking children or if you move kind of slow – this is the perfect trek for you to do so.
Itinerary
Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport where you will be met by your representative of Vertical Expedition. You will be escorted toyour hotel where there are complimentary welcome drinks and a short briefing with plenty of time to relax from your flight.
Your day will be spent visiting several of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is a great day to get a feel of the culture, spirituality and the beauty of the famed Kathmandu Valley. The Valley is larger than the country of Singapore and is known for its temples, shopping and great hospitality.
It’s a short flight (just 35 minutes) from Kathmandu to Pokhara, but what a view! This flight literally flies the backbone of the mighty Himalayas as you look down at the snowcapped peaks. You will see the ranges of Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and finally the peaks of the Annapurna Massif. Once you land, you will check into your hotel and then be able to do some sightseeing around Pokhara. The city is beautiful, as it is located on the shores of a mountain lake. There’s plenty to see and do in Pokhara.
This is the first day of trekking. Your journey will take you by private vehicle to your starting point at the village of Rimche via Nayapul. Pokhara is 820 m above sea level, and your day will take you upward to the village of Ghandruk at 1940 meters. It is about a 2 – 3 hour trek to this historic village. It is home of the Gurung people, and the village has a wonderful view of the snowcapped peaks. The Gurung people are famous for their hospitality and they will welcome you like family. While in Ghandruk, there will be time to visit the local museum to learn more about the local culture as well as to visit an ancient Buddhist monastery that serves as the spiritual center of the people of this village.
This day will be a full day of trekking as you leave the picturesque village of Ghandruk and make your way to your next destination: Chhumrong Village. Situated at 2,170 m, this will be the highest point on your trek. There are several small villages along the way with water mills that you will pass by as you continue to get glimpses of the mighty snowcapped peaks of the Annapurna Mountains. Once you pass through the village of Kimrung Khola, you will descend down the mountain through forest of oak trees until reaching the river, crossing on a suspension bridge. The trail levels out as you now trek to another Gurung village: Chhumrong. This village offers some incredible views of the snowcapped peaks which will be a delight to see.
The morning leaves the picturesque village of Chhumrong and moves its way down a steep trail for about 1 ½ hours until you reach the hot springs at Jhinu Danda. Here we can stop and bathe in these wonderfully hot waters. We will follow the stream out along the trail, taking about an hour to reach New Bridge. Here enjoy a pleasant lunch before moving on and crossing the Modi Khola, then passing waterfalls and several hanging bridges until arrival and Landruk Village. This area is known for its wild honey and you will spot a number of active, hanging bee hives in the rock walls. We will overnight in a lodge at Landruk (elev. 1565 m)
This is the final day of trekking as we make our way to the Gurung village of Dhampus. This village offers some wonderful views of the mountains. Here you can sit and take tea on a stone plaza while overlooking the mountains. The view from the village is most inspiring, and you won’t want to leave. The trail from Landruk zigzags down the mountain where you will have lunch at the village of Deurali. From there, it is stone steps as you continue onto today’s destination: Dhampus. We will overnight in a lodge there. The elevation of Dhampus is 1650 m. Trekking time is 5 to 6 hours.
It is an easy trek from Dhampus to the village of Phedi where we will meet our vehicle for a short drive back to Pokhara. The trek is stone steps and makes for an easy day. It takes around two hours to make the downhill trek before returning to Pokhara where we will spend the night. There will be time to do a little sightseeing in the evening, or just enjoying the nightlife in Lakeside Location at Pokhara.
It’s a return flight to Kathmandu, following the backbone of the mighty Himalayas. The flight is short, between 25 and 35 minutes when you finally arrive in Kathmandu. Use the rest of the day to enjoy the Valley. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening where you will get a chance to enjoy local dancing, food and culture.
All good things must come to an end, and your trip to Nepal is no exception. Before leaving, why not talk to your representative at Vertical Expedition about returning to Nepal for your next holiday. The vast majority of people make a return trip to Nepal because they are impressed by not only the beauty, but also the local people. Vertical Expedition offers trips into neighboring Tibet, Bhutan and India. Be sure to discuss your interests and plans with them today.
Trip Information
- All airport/hotel transfers
- 3 nights in 3-Star Hotel in Kathmandu
- 2 nights in 3-Star Hotel in Pokhara
- During the trek, double occupancy in tea houses/local lodges is all that is available.
- All accommodations and meals during the trek.
- One day of guided sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley, along with tour guide and entrance fees.
- Domestic flights (Kathmandu to Pokhara and back)
- An experienced, English speaking trekking leader/guide. All guides, porters and Sherpas are government licensed and experienced. There will be one porter provided for two trekkers to carry luggage. Your fees cover their salaries, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging. We take good care of our trekking guides, Sherpas and porters, as well as giving them additional training that is not required by the Government of Nepal.
- Vertical Expedition will provide free of charge a sleeping bag, duffle bag, t-shirt and trekking map (sleeping bags & duffle bags are to be returned after trip completion.)
- Farewell Dinner along with one cultural show.
- A comprehensive medical kit
- All government and local taxes
- Nepal Visa (bring US currency along with four passport size photographs. You can buy visa upon arrival at airport.)
- International airline ticket to and from Nepal.
- Excess luggage charge
- Personal clothing and gear
- Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara (and also in the case of early return from the mountains that the scheduled itinerary.)
- Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara because of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the mountains (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary.
- Travel and rescue insurance
- Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, hot shower in mountains, etc.)
- Cost raised by cancellation, landslide, weather, political unrest and illness will not be our responsibility as these are factors out of our control.
- Tips for driver, guide and porters.
Extras
FAQS
What will be the crew and group size during this trip?
For this trek there will be one team leader/guide. We also provide an assistant leader (1 assistant per six trekkers), and Sherpa porters for carrying luggage (usual compliment is one porter for two trekkers). This arrangement ensures that anybody in the group gets sick, the trip can still go ahead as planned. Vertical Expedition can run this trek for any size group, but the maximum size is 12 people in order to make it a pleasant and enjoyable trip. However, if you would like to have a larger group, Vertical Expedition can make the appropriate arrangements as well.
Where will you be staying during the trip?
All accommodations for Ghandruk Circuit Family Lodge Trek are on twin sharing basis with inclusive trip costs and are chosen based on standard hygiene, standard of service and food, location and more. There are two styles of accommodations during the trip. We will spend three nights in 3-Star Hotels in Kathmandu and and two nights in Pokhara. For the remaining four nights, we will stay at local tea houses or local lodges. Some of these places have shared toilets and washing facilities. Solo travelers may share a room with someone of the same sex, or if requested, we can arrange for a private room for an additional fee, which will be available only during the trekking. However, please understand that in some remote places single rooms might not be feasible, even if the extra fee is paid. These are remote villages that we are dealing with. We at Vertical Expedition will do all we can to make your trip as pleasant and enjoyable as possible.
What Will Be the Meals Arrangements During This Trip?
During the trek, we can enjoy typical Nepali food, different ethnic cuisines as well as all types of international cuisine (Tibetan, Continental, Italian, Indian, etc.) from pizza and chips to apple pie. We can even enjoy hot chocolates, variety of breads, drinks and snacks. Breakfast will be served from the tea house or lodge menu where we spend our night. Lunch will be served on the way to our destination and usually along the trail. Dinner and breakfast will be served at the tea houses where we will spend the night. Note that at the tea houses and lodges, the food is good, although the menus will be limited. A farewell dinner with cultural show and breakfast will be served in our stay in Kathmandu as well as breakfast served in Pokhara.
