Khopra Ridge Trek

The very first day of the Khopra Ridge Trek sees you arrive at the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. This city is vibrant, bustling, and full of interesting things at every corner. As your flight gets closer to Kathmandu, you will be able to see a bunch of different peaks standing high in the north. After you have landed at the airport, the officials will guide you to the immigration section, where you are expected to have your tourist visa approved.

You can apply for a tourist visa online from the official site set up by the Government of Nepal. For this, you will have to fill out a digital application, pay your visa fees accordingly, and provide a digital copy of all the documents they require. You can also simply arrive at the airport and make the most of our “visa on arrival” system, which provides easy access to international tourists.

The procedure is the same as the online application; you fill out the application form, pay your fees at the banking counter, and provide all the required documents. While the online application takes around 2 business days to process, the “visa on arrival” process takes around 1 hour.

After a restful night in Kathmandu, we will not be wasting any more time and get on a bus to Pokhara, following a leisurely breakfast. The distance to be covered is slightly over 200 km, which takes about 7 to 8 hours of bus ride. It takes so long because it’s only a two-lane highway, the road is windy, and the condition of the highway is way below average. You are in for a bumpy ride alongside the Trishuli River.

Starting the ride, we will first get out of the Kathmandu valley via a winding road that leads us to Naubise. Up to this point, we will be on the Tribhuwan Highway; reaching Naubise will take us down the Prithvi Highway, which connects Pokhara and Kathmandu. Along the highway, you will get to see the Trishuli River on your right, terrace farmlands, and some interesting settlements in the middle of nowhere.

It will take us about 8 hours to get there, it might be more if the traffic flow is heavy. After we get there, we will first drop you off at your hotel, where you can freshen up before strolling around the beautiful city of Pokhara. Remember that you have a whole trek to finish; do not get too lost in the vibrant nightlife of Pokhara.

It’s a 1.5-hour drive from Pokhara to Nayapul. This tiny town is the center of trade and commerce in the region, and also the starting point of many trekking destinations within the Annapurna region. After reaching Nayapul, we will gather our luggage and waste no time getting started. Glory Adventure’s strong porters will carry your heavy stuff so you can focus on the trek and the scenes of the Annapurna region.

The trek starts on a dusty trail that takes us to Birethanti village. At Birethanti, 1025 meters above sea level, we will have our permits checked, which is the first checkpoint of the Khopra Ridge Trek. We will continue the trek following the Bhurungdi River upstream. We will soon reach Tikhedhunga after passing by several tiny settlements and terrace farmlands. This is a great place to rest, and so we will.

Continuing the trek, we will get on the final push to Ulleri. This section is probably the toughest of the Khopra Ridge Trek since we will be climbing over 3000 steps to get to Ulleri. It’s a very physically demanding trek, so we will be taking a lot of short breaks in between.

Day 4 of the Khopra Ridge Trek starts at 2070 meters above sea level at the Magar village of Ulleri. Leaving the village, we will walk down the narrow stone-paved streets and gently ascend to the village of Banthanti. This village is located at 2250 meters and requires climbing a few sections of stone steps and a gravel road. The village offers only a couple of tea houses and lodges, since it is not a major stop.

After a bit of rest, we will continue the trek and ascend a forested path to reach Nangethanti. This 2460-meter-high village is where our lunch will be served. Following our meal, we are now on the last part of today’s trek. We will continue the ascent, pass a forest, and arrive at the Magar village of Ghorepani.

Today’s trek will have us cover almost 10 km of distance over 4 to 5 hours of trek, depending on the pace of the group. By the end of the day, we will have gained around 800 meters of elevation, arriving at 2874 meters above sea level.

Today is a climactic day of the Khopra Ridge Trek as we will take you to see a majestic Himalayan sunrise from the top of Poonhill viewpoint. The day starts at around 4:30 in the morning, and we will freshen up a little and climb the hill viewpoint, which takes about 45 minutes. At the top, you will experience a glorious sunrise view along with the scenes of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayan range. It’s truly a scene that you will remember for years; words can not justify the beauty of it.

After spending some time there, we will get back down to Ghorepani. Our breakfast will be served there, and we will move out shortly afterwards. From Ghorepani, we will move towards Duerali Pass, reaching 3090 meters above sea level. We then trek along a ridgeline with views of the Annapurna mountains. Going through multiple ups and downs, we will finally reach Dobato.

The total distance we will cover today is 12.5 km, making this the longest trekking day of the Khopra Ridge Trek, having us on the road for 6 to 7 hours. Our elevation gain of the day is 546 meters, taking us to the final elevation of 3420 meters above sea level.

Today, we have an optional hike choice. If you are up for it, we can take you on a morning hike to Muldai viewpoint, located at 3637 meters above sea level. From there, you will get to see a great view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalayan range. This is an optional hike because we understand that not everyone wants to go on an early morning hike after an exhausting, long trekking day.

Leaving Dobato, we will first get to Bayeli Kharka, reaching 2975 meters. The trail is gently ascending, taking us through a forest of rhododendron and a few grasslands where cattle graze. Bayeli Kharka is itself a meadow where you will find many cattle and shepherds. From there, we will descend about 500 meters to get to Upper Chistinbung village. This is a seasonal settlement, meaning people only live there during the warmer months and migrate to a lower region during the winter.

We will have our lunch there before moving on to the last section of today’s trek. We now have to ascend over 700 meters along a narrow ridgeline to get to Khopra Danda (3660 m). This is a difficult ascent, but the views of the Annapurna valley and peaks motivate us to climb higher. Today’s total distance is almost 11 km, gaining us about 240 meters of elevation, and requiring 6 to 7 hours of trekking.

Today’s trek begins early in the morning as we make our way through a ridge, accompanied by a wide scene of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayan ranges. The trekking experience will be a bit different today since there are no tea houses or eateries along the route. So, we will be packing up our lunch.

Leaving Khopra Danda, the trail gently ascends, taking us on a path that has seen very few travelers. This narrow path turns barren as we get closer to Khayer Lake, with rocky grounds and sparse shrubs. The Khayer Lake is a sacred lake, considered to be holy in the Hindu mythology. So, make sure that you do not do anything to challenge this belief.

It’s a beautiful lake sitting at 4460 meters above sea level, gaining us 800 meters of elevation. After spending some time at the lake, we will trace our steps back to Khopra Danda. The total distance we will cover today is 13 km, which requires around 8 hours of trekking.

Today is the first day of descent on the Khopra Ridge Trek itinerary. The trek begins with a downhill ridgeline following the Khopra Danda ridge with views of the entire Annapurna Himalayan range as our backdrop. We will head towards Chistibung, retracing our steps with sightings of yaks grazing on the open meadows.

We will descend about 650 meters to get to Upper Chistibung village. This is the last village before we arrive at Swanta village. The path is forested with occasional tiny settlements along the way. Our total distance of the day is about 10 km, and the elevation loss of the day is 1440 meters. We will be on the road for 5 to 6 hours and end the day in Swanta village, reaching 2214 meters.

Today is the last trekking day of the Khopra Ridge Trek. For our last day in the hills of Annapurna, we will start the day at the Magar village of Swanta. There’s a cheese factory in the village, which is a joint effort of the local community. The trek starts with a descent that leads us to Chitra village. The path leading there is forested and offers occasional scenes of the Annapurna valley.

Reaching Chitre brings us down to 2390 meters of elevation. We will stop here for a bit, give some much-needed rest to our legs, and continue the descent to Tatopani village. The trail now turns steep as we cross forests and the Kali Gandaki river many times over, hanging bridges.

Today’s trekking distance spans over 14 km and loses us 1024 meters of elevation. We will be trekking for 5 to 6 hours in total and end the day at Tatopani, reaching 1190 meters above sea level. Thus, the trekking days of this trek have come to an end.

Day 10 of the Khopra Ridge Trek takes us back to the beautiful city of Pokhara. The drive starts with a dirt track descent alongside the Kali Gandaki River. The road is narrow, full of rocks, and landslide-prone in the monsoon season. Driving down this road takes us to Beni in about 1.5 to 3 hours, covering about 18 km.

Next up, we will cover 78 km to get to Pokhara; this section will take about 4 hours to complete. Reaching Beni has brought us to a smoother tarmac highway, and the ride is comfy compared to the bumpy and rocky roads earlier. We will pass Baglung, Ghatte Khola, and Hemja to arrive at Pokhara. In total, it will take us about 6 to 7 hours to drive from Tatopani to Pokhara.

The next day, we will be heading straight to Kathmandu on a comfortable tourist bus ride. This 200-km-long ride will take you along the Trishuli River and offer you scenes of hills and rivers along the way. Once we reach Kathmandu, you will be dropped off at your accommodation for the night, where you will spend your last night in Nepal.

Day 12 is the ultimate day of the Khopra Ridge Trek. After a short farewell ceremony, one of our reps will escort you to the international airport at your earliest convenience as per the flight schedule.