If it’s a clear day when you are flying into Kathmandu, then your tour begins right from the skies itself. The sights from the windows of our jet shows us glimmering snow-capped mountain peaks spread out down below us, giving us the first thrills of our just begun vacation, sparking off a whole reaction of unforgettable experiences that stay with us for some time to come. As soon as your plane hits the tarmac of Tribhuwan International Airport, Mountain Sherpa Trekking and Expeditions office representative and driver will be on standby to meet and greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The rep will help you check into your designated hotel, and after going to our rooms and refreshing ourselves we will be briefed about our daily activities. The rest of your time is free to move around the neighborhood and get familiar with your surroundings. In the evening we will meet our senior trek guide who will brief the group about details related to our trek. Your first overnight in the ancient city of temples, probably the most in the world. Breakfast

Our trek personnel will arrive at your hotel at 7am in the morning to pick you up. After a 7-hour lovely scenic drive (185 km) from Kathmandu, we reach Besishar. On arrival at Besisahar we will witness some stunning snow-capped mountain panorama of the Lamjung Himal. Overnight at a guesthouse - B. L,D

We do a 1-2 hours drive down to Syange, our start point for the trek. We then get set for our trek to Chamje. The trail drops steeply to Syange at 1,070m from Bahundanda. On the way, we can see a large waterfall (season permitting). After crossing the Marsyangdi River on an airy suspension bridge, we follow the river to the stone village of Jagat before climbing through lush forest to Chamje at 1,410m. Overnight at a lodge – B. L. D

After breakfast, our day begins through a pretty rough trail following the Marsyangdi Rivers steadily uphill to Tal at 1,675m, the first village in Manang district. We do a traverse crossing a wide, flat valley. The journey continues up and down to Dharapani at 1,890m where we come across a stone entrance chorten typical of Tibetan influenced villages. Upon reaching Bagarchhap at 2,160m the typical flat roofed stone houses of local Tibetans can be seen along with the village surrounded by apple orchards and maize fields. Overnight at our lodge – B. L. D

After b/fast today, it’s an enjoyable walk as we continue to climb through forests of pine and oak. We pass through Dhanakyu before coming to a thundering waterfall with clean gushing water. Further on, the Marshyangdi Khola enters a gorge and the path consists of steep stone steps. Pausing for breath, we can look back at the grand views of Manaslu. When the steep incline ends we follow a path amid magnificent rhododendrons to Ratamron and then continue on a gently rising path, crossing a stream before entering a pine forest. We then cut across a loose hillside to the hamlet of Kotho from where we can look straight up at nearby Annapurna II - a sight that tell us we are deep in the Himalayan mountains. From here the trail climbs through a fir and pine forest to Chame. Chame is the administrative headquarter of the Manang district. There are government offices, shops, and hotels found here. This is only a half day trek. Overnight lodge – B. L. D

After a delicious b/fast, we see Lamjung Himal at (6893m) gleaming in the morning sun, and with this lovely sight, we set off for Pisang. The mountain disappears as we climb the path up the valley, passing a huge apple orchard. We continue through a fir and pine forest, climbing to a high, rocky area, as the opposite bank becomes an impassable cliff. From this point the valley becomes extremely steep-sided as we follow the path to Bratang. In earlier years, this area was the military station for troops who fought against the Khampa tribal revolutionaries.

The dilapidated buildings are the only reminders of that era. A short climb from the village brings us to a rock-strewn area where we cross a wooden bridge and follow a high, winding path, before crossing back to the right bank again. We now walk through a pine forest and as the forest ends, the valley changes from a V-shape to a gentle U-shape, opening up a wonderful landscape before us. We can see the east peak of Annapurna II as well as Pisang Peak to the north-east. Trudging along, we come to a long mani stone wall by a bridge and the lower village of Pisang. A steep, narrow path through a very dense forest will bring us to the dramatic curved rock face, rising 1500m from the river. As the trail opens up we are surrounded by majestic Himalayan Peaks. Overnight in Pisang – B. L. D

From Pisang, today we enter the upper Manang region, where we will notice a contrast with the landscape and vegetation. The cold, dry climate creates a much rougher environment. We also get to experience amazing views of the towering Himalayan Peaks that surround us. Overnight in Manang – B. L. D

We spend a day acclimatizing in Manang. This is essential for the body because we’ve got some tough heights to overcome in the days ahead. The whole day we spend doing some fine day walks and viewing the splendid sights around the village. Towards the end of the day, we return to our accommodation for a night's rest. Overnight at our lodge - B. L. D

Continue from Manang on a broad route, passing a Gompa (monastery). The path on the way goes through a recently constructed trail up towards a high ridge. There is an intersection in-between. One way sticks to the altitude, traversing the slopes towards a place where the valley is narrow; the other goes on to ascend towards the line of the ridge. The former is the old path, and is pretty tough as it goes on really steep screed; the latter is the new path that takes a totally different course. We cling on to the new path, reach a high crest, and descend on switch backs carved out through the screed slopes to a side valley of the main valley. At its bottom is a brook. On the other side of it is a building known as the Tilicho Base Camp at an elevation of 4,200m. Overnight stay in Lodge – B. L. D

After a cup of coffee, we set out on our journey which starts early in the morning at around 6am as we try to avoid the strong winds. From the Base camp to the Tilicho lake takes another 3-4 hours. Tilicho Lake is a chilly arid place in the afternoon and is said to be the highest lake in the world. After we spend some time around Tilicho Lake we set up Camp by the side of this serene lovely lake, a wonderful sight to behold. Overnight in our camps – B. L. D

An ideal place with an ideal environment to haul up for some much needed rest, but we don’t remain idle. We do some exploration of this wonderful area and simply enjoy the beauty of this gorgeous lake. We could also catch up on some reading by this lake or write about our experiences so far…an ideal setting. Overnight in our camps – B. L. D

Our trek to the Eastern pass is a pretty tricky affair; the terrain hereabouts is very strenuous. To get to the western pass, we need to cross through a frozen lake. If it’s not frozen, then we have to go by three watersheds. All of the three watersheds lie above 5,000m/16,404ft in elevation. The most challenging part of the journey is when we set out for the Mesokanto La. Overnight in our camps – B. L. D

The path to Mesokanto La pass is riddled with steep slopes and downhill hikes until you reach Mesokanto Pass. The trail is pretty narrow as we trek over its icy path. The amazing views of the Annapurna range, Tilicho peak, Dhaulagiri along with ten other peaks literally take our senses and feelings by storm. Crossing this pass is an achievement after all. We camp overnight at Bakhra goat by the Mesokanto Pass. B. L. D

After a good night’s sleep and a great b/fast, we start our day with a descent down the dramatic Kali Gandaki valley through a parched region which lies in the same geographical and climatic zone as Tibet. After passing through Jharkot and Khingar, villages with characteristic Tibetan architecture, we follow the valley floor most of the way to Jomsom and are rewarded with fabulous views of both Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri. Jomsom is a large town sprawled along both the banks of the Kali Gandaki River. We bunk out at our lodge for the night in ancient Jomsom. B. L. D.

Today we wrap up our trek with a flight back to the city of lakes - Pokhara. After reaching Pokhara, we check into our hotel, refresh with some drinks and snack, maybe even have a bath; and then proceed for a half day guided tour that will include visiting some beautiful places like David’s water fall, Tibetan refugee settlement camp and Gupteshwar cave in a private vehicle with a professional guide. We also do some boating on the tranquil Fewa Lake. We then will have a relaxing afternoon where we can simply chill out with some cold beers. Overnight at the hotel – Breakfast

This is more or less a contingency day we keep in hand in the event of a delay in flights from Jomsom to Pokhara, which sometimes happens; so, if this doesn’t happen, then it’s good. It’s your free day to do whatever you wish, at your cool pace that suits your convenience. You could simply use this day for some shopping of souvenirs or penning a few postcards to the loved ones at home. It’s your day anyways. Breakfast

After a good night’s sleep and enjoying a hearty b/fast, we proceed to the airport for our flight to Kathmandu. On touching down at the local terminal, we get onto our waiting vehicle and head down to our hotel where we check in, sort out our luggage, rest a bit and then proceed for a half day historical tour of Basantapur Durbar Square. Recorded by UNESCO as a cultural World Heritage site, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a bunch of medieval temples, palaces, courtyards and streets that date back to the 12th and 18th centuries. within this square we will find Hanumandhoka Palace Museum, Taleju Temple, Kumari Ghar (House of the Living Goddess), Kasthamandap and other temples and buildings as old as the city itself; from here we head for a tour of the famous Boudhanath Stupa {said to be the largest in the world) and a major centre of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu. The stupa is designed to be like a giant mandala (a representation of the Buddhist cosmos).

We next drive down to Swayambhunath {popularly known as Monkey Temple} “Swayambhu” means “self-created” and refers to the myth that the hill sprung up suddenly from a great lake that once covered Kathmandu Valley. On conclusion of our tour we head back to our hotel and the rest of your day is free to do your own things. Breakfast

After b/fast, our rep and office vehicle will be on standby at our hotel to transfer us to the airport for our connecting flight home. Serving you was a wonderful joy and pleasure, we at Mountain Sherpa Trekkingwill cherish the bonds of our relationship created over the time you spent with us and we thank you for choosing us as your travel partner and for visiting this amazing country Nepal. We are sure that trekking in this beautiful region of the Annapurnas will give you lifetime memories of a vacation well enjoyed. Sayonara friends! Till we meet again. Breakfast