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The Khopra Ridge Trek is a seldom-traveled route wind through the Nepalese Himalayas, and midway into the Annapurna range. Along this route, you’ll explore towering peaks like Annapurnas, Fishtail Mountain, Dhaulagiri mountain, and so on. Go on an adventure of a lifetime amidst fresh air, mountains, meadows, and the Nepalese culture.
Khopra Ridge Trek is a lesser-known route in Annapurna which offers impressive views of snowy Himalayan ranges. Trekking is a great way to explore the beauty of our country and experience Nepali culture. The trail is best suited for seasoned hikers and trekkers, with the highest elevation above 4650 meters. It’s an amazing route that can be taken as one of the best alternatives to the busy and populated Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek.
Khopra Ridge Trek is situated in the northwest of Pokhara, Nepal. It’s an approximately 1-week long trekking trail with stunning views of Himalayan ranges and the Annapurna range in particular. The trek goes through lush pine and oak forests and up to ridges higher than 4,500 meters. We also get a chance to visit Khayer Lake on this journey.
Tour Highlights
No of People | Price |
---|---|
01 Person | USD 1072 / per person |
02 – 05 Person | USD 721 / per person |
06 – 09 Person | USD 667 / per person |
10 Person Above | USD 630 / per person |
Welcome to the city of temples and the country of the Himalayas. Our airport representative will be waiting for your arrival with a name card written your name. We will transfer you to the hotel. We will introduce you to the tour leader and have a short meeting about the tour.
We will take breakfast at our hotel and catch our bus to Pokhara. This is approximately 8 hours drive through the beautiful hillsides, the towering Himalayas and thundering rivers, and pilgrimages alongside the road. In the evening, we will be visiting the lakeside area if time permits.
It is recommended to fly to Pokhara if you are looking for a comfortable way of traveling. It’s about 20-25 minutes of flight.
We will take an approximately 1-hour drive to Nayapul; the trek starting and ending point of this trail. It will be a scenic drive with beautiful views of Annapurna and Lamjung Himalayan ranges. The road passes through green hills, rice paddies, thundering Seti river, and numerous small settlements.
Although we almost ascend for the whole day, the trail is fairly easy. We will cross various small villages like Matathanti, Ramghai, Sudame, Hile and Tikhedhunga before we cross a stream and climb steep uphill trail to reach Tikhedhunga. Time permitting, we will have a free evening to rest and relax.
We will follow gentle ascending through beautiful Rhododendron and Oak forests. We will stop in the Nangethanti for lunch which is situated in the middle of the forests.
One of the main attractions of our trek; Ghorepani is a beautiful village with panoramic views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan ranges. Ghorepani will serve us with stunning views of the Himalayas are served.
We will visit Poon Hill before sunrise for 360 panoramic views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan ranges. The golden rays over the Himalayas look fascinating. Poon Hill is a stunning viewpoint where more than 400 trekkers visit every day during the main season. From here we will be enjoying close views of numerous peaks including Dhaulagiri I, II, III, IV, V, Dhampus Peak, Nilgiri, Barahsikhar, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Fishtail, etc.
Upon returning to Ghorepani village, we will catch a warm breakfast and then start heading towards Dhan Kharka village. Only community-run lodges are available in this place. A small and beautiful village with smiling faces. It’s going to be a beautiful day with immense views of the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri mountains throughout the walk.
An easy and beautiful day walk to Khopra Ridge is here. It’s approximately 5KM long and takes about 3 hours of leisurely walk. We will take our lunch and make a short hike to a small lake which takes about 2 hours to reach and return. Enjoy breathtaking mountain views throughout the day.
A great and scenic walk is here. Khayer Lake also known as the Baraha Lake has a huge significance for Hindu and Buddist people. During the day of Jani Purnima (usually in July or August), pilgrimages visit this sacred lake to sacrifice animals and dip into this holy lake as it is believed that doing so will make one free from the sins he / she has made. It is also believed that sacrificing the animals on the name of the god will fulfill one’s dreams.
Take a hot breakfast in Khopra Community Lodge and then we will make our way to Dobato. En route, we will stop in Bayeli Kharka for the lunch. It’s possible to spot the endangered Red Panda on a lucky day. The farmers and Yak herders have also spotted leopards occasionally. Enjoy walking on this beautiful day with amazing views of Himalayan snowy peaks just next to us.
We will make a short walk to Muldhai (aka Mulde) view point before returning back to our lodge and enjoy warm breakfast. The viewpoint offers tremendous Himalayan views. Then we will descend to Tadapani where we will meet the famous Ghorepani Poon Hill Trail. We will descend further down to Ghandruk, one of the very famous villages in Nepal.
Ghandruk is known as the home of Gurkha warriors. Time permitting, one can visit the community museum to experience local cultures, traditions and hospitality.
The trail is mostly downhill and flat on this day. On the first part, we will be walking through stone steps before reaching Syauli Bazaar. From here we will start walking on dirt motor road passing Chimrong and Birenthanti before we reach Nayapul. We will take a private transport from Nayapul to Pokhara.
We will follow the same highway through beautiful rivers, hills and small Nepalese settlements. The drive will take about 8 hours to drop us in Kathmandu. Form the tourist bus park you will be transferred to the hotel. In the evening you can explore the town probably buying souvenirs for friends and family members.
We will drive you to the airport approximately 3 hours before your flight time. The airport is small and has only 1 terminal. It’s time to say goodbye until we meet again!
Meals and Accommodation: Khopra Ridge Trek is a community-run / community-promoted trekking route. Only a limited number of locally run lodges/homestays are available above Ghorepani village hence the availability of meals is limited. Even though the trail between Nayapul to Ghorepani and Tadapani to Nayapul has numerous lodges, the main section of the trek (between Ghorepani and Tadapani) will be basic in terms of meals and accommodation.
The meals on the trek will be mostly locally prepared using local ingredients most of the time however Kathmandu and Pokhara offer a wide selection of meals in basic to high standard luxury lounges. On the trek, the number of meal items will be limited to a small number and the tastes might not be similar to the actual item; pizza may not taste like pizza.
Best Season for the Trek: Spring and autumn are considered better for Khopra Ridge Trekking. The best time to trek is usually during the dry season, from September to early December and early March to early June. In the winter and spring, there is a chance of snow on some of the high-altitude passes, while rainfall can make parts of the trail impassable in monsoon even though the trek can be done in the monsoon / rainy season. Autumn ensures a clear and dry high-mountain pass with a good chance of a clear view of towering Himalayan peaks.
The best months for Khopra Community Trek are March, April, May, early June, September, October, November, and December. The Spring Season begins in March and runs until May, while the Fall season runs from September through November. The main reason for having a narrow window is that the mountains on each side of the valley will be filled with snow and ice and can prove treacherous for trekkers. The trek is doable throughout the year (in fact it’s popular all over the year) however during monsoon season, it may not be a great idea to visit this area. Monsoon season is only recommended if you do not have holidays in other months.
The prices are different based on the number of people traveling together. The larger the group size, the lower the price will be. For example, the price for 1 person will be higher than the price per person based on 2 people. Similarly, comparing to the prices per person for 2 – 5 people traveling together will be higher than the prices per person for 6 – 9 people traveling together. However, the prices you will see at the time of the booking will be final regardless of price changes in the future.
We accept all major currencies such as USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, SGD, MYR, GBP, THB, CHF, JPY, HKD, etc. Credit card payments are accepted only in USD. We also accept bank transfers, direct remittance services (Western Union, Moneygram), etc.
March to early June, and September to December are considered the best months for this trek. Even though Khopra Ridge Trail can be visited throughout the year, the monsoon season (Mid June – early September) is recommended only if you are unable to manage vacations in other months.
The trek has free cancellation 60 days before departure. Any cancellations received within 60 days of departure will incur 15% cancellation fees of the total tour price.
We will be eating and sleeping in the lodges for the whole trek (Day 3 to Day 10 lunch). Generally, rice, noodles, pasta, vegetables, curry, potatoes, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, etc. are available. Meat is available in a few places and it’s highly recommended to avoid it due to hygiene reasons.
The lodges will have twin sharing rooms. In most cases, we will provide you a private room or twin sharing rooms however in rare cases you may need to share the rooms with other travelers (especially if you are traveling alone).
Usually, a person with previous multiday hiking experiences is welcome to join our treks. If you do not have previous hiking experiences but still if you are able to walk for 6-7 hours every day, then we are happy to take you on board. The route can be tried by novice travelers even though a couple of days are quite hard compared to most other days.
Yes, you can do this trek with kids above 10 years old. The trek is not suitable for kids below 10. Make sure your kid is active and fit to join the adventure, we also recommend adding 1/2 additional days to make it more comfortable.
We have very experienced guides at the company. We have guides experienced for at least 7 years to 22 years. All our guides are the Ministry of Tourism trained and licensed by the Nepal Government.
An amazing tour operated by Himalayan Leisure in April 2023. We are delighted with our experience. Highly recommended for Nepal visitors.
Upendra and his team is outstanding, highly recommended.