Himalayan Express, Nepal
11 - 21 September 2019,
11 days
11 days
The best trip for whose who visits Nepal first time
Adventure with the guru of the region - photographer Tanya Sharapova.
On this trip, we will participate in dozens of adventures and unforgettable activities in Nepal, be ready for that! We will make five days trekking in the Himalayas (no worries - no need to carry heavy backpack), we will go boating on the Phewa lake, will swim with a view at the snowy Himalayan peaks, will do paragliding and fly on small plane above the peaks, we will visit the Peace Pagoda at the sunrise, will to the ancient monasteries of Kathmandu, will try the most delicious lassi in the city, we will walk at narrow streets of the ancient cities of Patan and Bhaktapur, we will pay a visit to the Buddhist healer, will check the place where the movie "Doctor Strange" was shoot, will learn how to paint Tibetan drawings Tanka, will drink in the oldest bar of Kathmandu, we will buy antiquities, singing bowls, hats made of yak wool in tiny shops of Kathmandu, will relax near swimming pool in Pokhara, will die in hedonistic pleasures and surely we will fall in love with Nepal forever!
On this trip, we will participate in dozens of adventures and unforgettable activities in Nepal, be ready for that! We will make five days trekking in the Himalayas (no worries - no need to carry heavy backpack), we will go boating on the Phewa lake, will swim with a view at the snowy Himalayan peaks, will do paragliding and fly on small plane above the peaks, we will visit the Peace Pagoda at the sunrise, will to the ancient monasteries of Kathmandu, will try the most delicious lassi in the city, we will walk at narrow streets of the ancient cities of Patan and Bhaktapur, we will pay a visit to the Buddhist healer, will check the place where the movie "Doctor Strange" was shoot, will learn how to paint Tibetan drawings Tanka, will drink in the oldest bar of Kathmandu, we will buy antiquities, singing bowls, hats made of yak wool in tiny shops of Kathmandu, will relax near swimming pool in Pokhara, will die in hedonistic pleasures and surely we will fall in love with Nepal forever!
Price - 1450$
- The price includes:
- Local air flight Pokhara - Kathmandu
- All accommodation: in Kathmandu, in Pokhara and on trek (on trek we live in lodges - Nepalese guesthouses and homestay. There will be no tents!).
- All necessary paperwork and permits (ACAP and TIMS, please bring three passport size photographs)
- Welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants in Kathmandu
- Breakfasts in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Airport pick-up and drop-off by private vehicle
- Transfer to Pokhara by private vehicle, as well as to Kande, and from Ghandruk.
- Accompanying with experienced English-speaking Nepalese guide for the whole trek
- Mountain porters for the entire trek - 12,5 kg per person. We walk with small backpacks with only the most necessary things.
- Boating on Lake Phewa in Pokhara
- Photography of our adventures and advice about shooting in the Himalayas from me, National Geographic Russia photographer, Tanya Sharapova
- Trekking Duffle
- Consultation on preparation and equipment
- First Aid kit
- Not included ≈720$ :
- International airfare
- Meals on trek (15-20$ per day)
- Medical insurance
- Nepalese visa upon arrival (25$)
- Tips for trekking staff (50$)
The price includes:
- Local air flight Pokhara - Kathmandu
- All accommodation: in Kathmandu, in Pokhara and on trek (on trek we live in lodges - Nepalese guesthouses and homestay. There will be no tents!).
- All necessary paperwork and permits (ACAP and TIMS, please bring three passport size photographs)
- Welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants in Kathmandu
- Breakfasts in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Airport pick-up and drop-off by private vehicle
- Transfer to Pokhara by private vehicle, as well as to Kande, and from Ghandruk.
- Accompanying with experienced English-speaking Nepalese guide for the whole trek
- Mountain porters for the entire trek - 12,5 kg per person. We walk with small backpacks with only the most necessary things.
- Boating on Lake Phewa in Pokhara
- Photography of our adventures and advice about shooting in the Himalayas from me, National Geographic Russia photographer, Tanya Sharapova
- Trekking Duffle
- Consultation on preparation and equipment
- First Aid kit
Not included: ≈720$ :
- International airfare
- Meals on trek (15-20$ per day)
- Medical insurance
- Nepalese visa upon arrival (25$)
- Tips for trekking staff (50$)
What to expect?
-
Will it be diffficult?Any healthy person can do that. Exceptions for the people with weight and heart problems. And what is quite important is to understand that we going to do trekking - that means going up in the mountains and then down. -
How many people will be in a group?It will be a maximum of 10 people. It is the optimal number of people for warm friendly team, not boring and not too noisy. -
What will be the weather?The weather will vary from +25 to 0 degrees celsius. In the daytime we go in T-shirts and shorts, in the evening after sunset we put on warm jackets. -
What should I take with myself?You will have a detailed list of necessary things that we take with us. Also I will send you a video in which I show things and explain what is needed for. -
Where we will stay and eat during trek?We will stay and eat at the lodges, special houses built for the trekkers. In lodges, they have even menus with traditional Nepali dishes and even with pizza and pasta.
Full itinerary:
Day 1
Early arrival in Kathmandu. Completion of all permits, purchase of necessary equipment, visiting the Kopan Monastery or the Pashupatinath Temple Complex.
Day 2
Drive by private minibus to Pokhara, then change to jeeps and drive to Kande village. After that, we will hike 2 hours along rice fields and hills to our first overnight stay in the village of Austrian Camp (2060 m). Where we will see the fantastic view at the snow peaks of Dhaulagiri ( 8167 m), Annapurna South (7219 m), Hinchuli (6441 m) and Machapuchare (6998 m) mountains.
Day 3
Austrian Camp (2060m) - Forest Camp (2550m). We hike through fairytale forest, with giant trees fleeced with moss and rhododendrons in bloom, then we reach the lodge in Forest Camp. 4 hours hike.
Day 4
Forest Camp (2550m) - High camp (3900m). We trek along the ridge to a high-altitude camp along the picturesque hills, a gift for a long way will be panoramic views of the snowy peaks, Mount Machapuchare (6998 m) will be incredibly close, the scale of the mountains and their beauty above all expectations. 5 hours hike.
Day 5
High Camp (3550m) - Base Camp Mardi Himal (4500m) - Landruk (1600m). It would be the hardest day of our trekking and the most memorable one. We will trek to the Base Camp of Mardi Himal peak at the attitude 4,500 meters. We will hang colored Buddhist prayer flags in honor of the ascent, take pictures and return to the high-altitude camp. After having early lunch at High Camp we will continue going down to the Landruk village.
Day 6
Landruk (1600m) - Djinu Dandu (1780m) . Sunrise in Landruk is something magical - the singing of birds, fresh air, the locals just wake up, and the snowy peaks are like on the TV screen on the National Geographic channel. After sunrise with cup of masala tea we will have breakfast and will start hiking to the hot springs place - the village Djinu Dandu. 3,5 hours hike.
Day 7
Djinu Dandu (1780m) - Ghandruk (1940m) We go along the green hills and rice fields to my favorite village in this region. Time flows smoothly and slowly, the stone houses of gurungs (Nepalese nationality) stand each other tightly, corn cobs hang under the roofs of houses, colored Buddhist prayer flags are everywhere, music plays on the city patch. We will stay in Ghandruk village in the lodge with the view of the mountains. Next day early in the morning we get up to make a photo masterpieces - snow tops, and before them lies a fairy-tale village. 5 hours hike.
Day 8
Ghandruk - Pokhara. The trekking part of our adventure is finished and we going on private jeeps to the lovely city on a lake - Pokhara. In the evening we celebrate our climbing the Mardi Himal base camp! Transfer on jeeps - 2 hours.
Day 9
That's the relaxation day - swimming a hotel pool, boating on a Lake Fewa, walking along the lake and eating delicious food in local restaurants and cafes. If you feel like you need more adrenaline, you can do paragliding!
Days 10-11
We will fly back to Kathmandu on a small local plane, which has only 14 seats. The flight will be only 25 minutes, 25 minutes of the pure joy of flying above rice terraces and Himalayan peaks. The same day we will visit Patan and Bhaktapur old cities near Kathmandu. And in the evening will celebrate the end of our adventure in the oldest bar of Kathmandu. The next day - departure day.
Testimonials:
That trip was a beauty that opens eyes, absolutely unbelievable. Most of the time I felt like a happy spaniel with a tongue out. And we were very lucky with the team - it just does not happen that all strangers are so super as a team on a journey that is comfortable, supportive and positive.
Now I want to do trekking in the Himalayas again and again. Thank you, Tanya Sharapova, for this miracle, for opening a new world, for an amazingly cool team, for a new sense of myself. It was one of the most beautiful, divinely beautiful, places in the world that I saw, it was one of the coolest trips in my life.
Wild untouched nature and beautiful mountains, the opportunity to be at the same time alone and with the company of lovely pleasant people. Tanya showed us amazing places in the Himalayas! Now I can not imagine myself lying on the beach for two weeks! Thank you for this adventure that completely changed my understanding of vacations.
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