Accommodation: Kathmandu Guest House

Today is Kathmandu sightseeing — Pashupatinath, Bhaktapur, and Boudhanath — with our local guide, who’s part of our team and knows this city better than almost anyone. We take our time at each site. This isn’t a checklist day.

Pashupatinath. A Hindu cremation site on the holy Bagmati River, and one of the most atmospheric places you’ll visit in Nepal. Ancient rituals around death and cremation still take place here exactly as they have for centuries. It’s confronting for some, moving for others — either way, it’s honest, and it’s real.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square. A cluster of pagoda and shikhara-style temples, mostly dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses, grouped around a 55-window palace of brick and wood. It’s one of the most beautiful architectural showcases in the whole valley. Golden effigies of past kings sit atop stone monoliths, guardian deities watch from their sanctuaries, and intricate wood carving covers every strut, lintel, gateway, and window. It genuinely feels like walking through a living museum.

Boudhanath. The Boudha Stupa dominates the skyline here — one of the largest stupas in the world. Following the influx of Tibetan refugees, over fifty gompas (Tibetan monasteries) have been built around it, giving the area a distinctly Tibetan Buddhist feel within Kathmandu. Boudhanath has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and later in the journey we’ll come back here at sunset — timed so the light catches the stupa itself while the sun sets behind you.

Tonight, we come together as a group for dinner at the hotel — a chance to swap first impressions of Kathmandu before we head to Pokhara.

Inclusions: Breakfast, transport and entry fees for all sites, group dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Barahi

Today’s the day the mountains show up properly. We take a short but spectacular flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara — and if the skies are clear, this is often the first real, jaw-dropping view of the Himalayas guests get on the whole journey. Keep your camera close.

On arrival, we transfer to Hotel Barahi, conveniently located in Pokhara, close to the lake and everything Lakeside has to offer. Pokhara has a completely different feel to Kathmandu — quieter, slower, built around the water and the mountains beyond. This is where the pace of the journey really starts to shift.

Inclusions: Breakfast, airport transfers

Accommodation: Pumdikot Mountain Lodge (1,500m)

A leisurely morning in Pokhara — no rush, no early start. Enjoy breakfast, pack up, and take the morning at your own pace. Enjoy lunch at your own leisure and choice before we depart.

Mid-afternoon, we head up to the ridgeline by vehicle, a short and scenic drive before reaching our accommodation at Pumdikot. Settle into the lodge, take in the surroundings, and get your bearings before a short evening stroll to watch the sunset — one of the best introductions to mountain views you’ll get on the whole journey.

Inclusions: Breakfast, dinner, transportation, guided walk

Accommodation: Pumdikot Mountain Lodge (1,500m)

A day built entirely around choice. Today you have the option of a guided walk down to the massive Shiva statue — around 1.5 hours — with the choice of walking back or taking a taxi. Or, if you’d rather skip the walk altogether, taxi both ways is just as valid a way to spend the day. There’s no wrong answer here.

The afternoon is yours to relax at the lodge — read, nap, sit with the view, whatever suits.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Dhampus Eco Lodge (1,650m)

After a leisurely breakfast, we set off on a short trek — around 1.5 hours — to the Peace Stupa. Walk the circuit around it in silent meditation, one of the quieter, more reflective moments of the whole journey. If you’d rather not walk, transportation is available to meet us there.

From the Peace Stupa, we take our transport onward to Dhampus, stopping for lunch along the way.

Late afternoon, we settle into our lodge — peaceful and genuinely isolated amongst the Annapurna foothills, a proper sense of being away from it all.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Dhampus Eco Lodge (1,650m)

After breakfast, we set off for Australia Camp (2,000m) — the highest point of our journey, and still comfortably within our 500-metre buffer below any risk of altitude sickness.

The trail is up and down, a mix of stone stairs and jungle paths, with a good bit of effort required in places. Around three hours return — but the views from the top make every step worth it.

We stop for a cuppa at Australia Camp before heading back down to Dhampus for lunch.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Dhampus Eco Lodge (1,650m)

After breakfast, we head out on today’s trek to Pothana (2,000m) — again well within our altitude buffer. The trail is up and down on a mix of paths, and we arrive in time for a cuppa and lunch in the delightful village of Pothana.

Before lunch, there’s an optional walk up to a stunning viewpoint — take it if you’ve got the legs for it, or save your energy and enjoy the village at your own pace.

We return to the lodge in good time for a late afternoon nap — or whatever your version of a nap is.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Mon Village (1,500m)

Mid-morning, we descend by vehicle to the outskirts of Gauchok. From here you’ve got a choice — a gentle 2-hour trek into the village, or a straight drive if you’d rather skip the walk today.

Once we arrive, there’s time to settle into our accommodation at Mon Village before we head out for a sunset stroll ahead of dinner at the guesthouse.

Gauchok is spread out and gentle — fairly flat trekking, though you’ll still want to watch your footing. The village is known for its milk production, and in the evening you’ll often see villagers making their way to the collection centre with the day’s milk. It’s a small, everyday scene, but one most travellers never get to see.

Gauchok holds a special place for us at Focus Tours. It’s Rami’s birthplace, and his extended family still live here. The welcome we get is genuine — not staged for visitors, just the warmth of people happy to have Rami home and happy to share it with the guests he brings with him.

Inclusions: Breakfast, dinner, transportation to Gauchok, guided afternoon trek or sunset stroll

Accommodation: Mon Village (1,500m)

Leaving mid-morning, we walk out through cultivated fields to a delightful waterfall — around 2.5 hours return, an easy, scenic amble rather than a hard walk. If we’re lucky, Rami’s son might join us on the walk — keen to practice his English and learn the ropes of becoming a guide himself one day.

The afternoon is yours. Relax at the lodge, try your hand at milking a cow, read your book, or simply sit and watch the villagers go about their daily chores. Some of the best moments of this journey happen in exactly this kind of unstructured time.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Mon Village (1,500m)

Leaving mid-morning, we walk out through cultivated fields to a delightful waterfall — around 2.5 hours return, an easy, scenic amble rather than a hard walk. If we’re lucky, Rami’s son might join us on the walk — keen to practice his English and learn the ropes of becoming a guide himself one day.

The afternoon is yours. Relax at the lodge, try your hand at milking a cow, read your book, or simply sit and watch the villagers go about their daily chores. Some of the best moments of this journey happen in exactly this kind of unstructured time.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Mon Village (1,500m)

After breakfast, we trek past the northern end of the village to Macchapuchre Village, taking in farming terraces and mountain scenery along the way. We stop for a cuppa before heading back to Mon Village for a late lunch — around three hours return, at an easy pace throughout.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, guided trek

Accommodation: Hotel Barahi

An early wander into the rice fields for our final mountain sunrise — a quiet, reflective way to close out our time in the hills.

Mid-morning, we reluctantly say our goodbyes to the mountains and to Rami’s family, before transferring back to Pokhara.

Inclusions: Breakfast, guided trek, transportation

Accommodation: Hotel Barahi

Mid-morning, we head out for a relaxing canoe ride on Phewa Lake — quiet, unhurried, and a proper chance to soak in the mountains reflected on the water.

The afternoon is free to enjoy the cafes and restaurants around Lakeside, at your own pace. Shop, relax, wander, or simply sit with a coffee and watch the world go by.

Inclusions: Breakfast, canoe ride on Phewa Lake

Accommodation: Hotel Barahi

Mid-morning, we’re taken from the hotel to the cable car for the ride up to Sarangkot, where the mountains greet you properly one more time — one of the best viewpoints of the whole journey.

The rest of the day is free. Shop, relax, and enjoy delightful Lakeside at your own pace, before we come together for our farewell dinner tonight.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch, cable car entry, transportation

Accommodation: Kathmandu Guest House

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before our mid-morning flight back to Kathmandu — a chance to catch the mountains one last time from the air.

Tonight, we come together for a proper farewell dinner in Kathmandu, celebrating the journey and everyone who’s shared it.

Inclusions: Breakfast, airport transfers (Pokhara and Kathmandu), farewell dinner in Kathmandu

A free day to roam the ancient streets of Kathmandu at your own leisure — last-minute shopping, a final coffee in Thamel, or simply soaking up the city one more time before you fly home.

You’ll be taken to Kathmandu International Airport by Rami or Jim, closing out the journey the same way it began — with a familiar, friendly face.

Inclusions: Breakfast, transfers to Kathmandu International Airport