khopre danda Trek.

A short scenic drive leads you to the trailhead, where the trek begins through stone stairways, terraced fields, and traditional villages. The route gradually climbs through rhododendron forests and Gurung settlements, offering stunning views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre before reaching Ghandruk, one of the most beautiful villages in the region.

The trail ascends steeply out of Ghandruk into dense forests filled with rhododendron, oak, and pine trees. The path is quiet and remote, with occasional clearings offering panoramic views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. As you climb higher, the landscape becomes more alpine, eventually reaching Bayeli Kharka, a peaceful grazing area with open mountain views.

Today’s trail follows a high ridge with dramatic drop-offs and breathtaking Himalayan panoramas. You walk through open alpine terrain with views of Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, and Nilgiri peaks. The climb is steady but rewarding as you reach Khopra Danda, a stunning ridge-top viewpoint offering one of the best sunset and sunrise locations in the region.

Sunrise from the Khopra ridge is the highlight of this trek: Dhaulagiri stands almost directly opposite across the Kali Gandaki gorge, with Annapurna South, Nilgiri and Tukuche catching the first light along the ridge. After breakfast the trail drops steeply off the ridge, losing nearly 1,400 metres through grazing pastures and then rhododendron and oak forest. Lower down the path runs through terraced farmland to Swanta, a small Magar village known for its cheese, apple orchards and community lodges, where the pace of life is noticeably slower.

A quieter approach to Ghorepani than the main trail. The route drops from Swanta to cross the Chitre Khola, then climbs steadily through dense rhododendron forest, spectacular in spring when the whole hillside is in flower, to join the Annapurna trail at Chitre. From there it is a gentle walk along the ridge to Ghorepani, a village of blue-roofed lodges set in a saddle at 2,874m with views west to Dhaulagiri. The afternoon is free to rest before the early start for Poon Hill, and the lodges here are built around wood stoves.

An early start in the dark for the hour’s climb to Poon Hill, the most famous sunrise viewpoint in Nepal, where the light comes up across Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre in turn. After breakfast back in Ghorepani the long descent begins, down the stone staircase to Ulleri and on through Tikhedhunga and the forest to the river at Birethanti. From the roadhead a vehicle takes you to Pokhara in about two hours, where the afternoon is free by the lake with a hot shower and a good meal.

The last day of your journey, leaving the Annapurna ranges and Pokhara behind. The drive back to Kathmandu follows the Prithvi Highway east along the Trishuli River, winding through river valleys, terraced hills, small towns and rural settlements of central Nepal, with stops for tea and lunch on the way. The mountain flight is a quicker alternative at under half an hour if your schedule is tight. On arrival in Kathmandu you are transferred to your hotel, with the rest of the day free for shopping in Thamel or your onward plans.