Trekking in Nepal

A 16-day botanical walk from Basantapur to Tumlingtar along the Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale ridge in east Nepal's Koshi hills, topping out around 3,200 m on Milke Danda. Expect rhododendron forest in bloom — Rhododendron arboreum among them — and mid-hill cloud forest, not megafauna. Small group (min 4), naturalist-led, walking through Basantapur, Chauki, Gupha Pokhari, Milke Danda, and Khandbari.

A trans-Himalayan expedition of 18 days into the Nar Phu valley behind the Annapurna massif, tracking snow leopard (Panthera uncia, IUCN Vulnerable) and its blue sheep prey (Pseudois nayaur). Naturalist-led, with a community wildlife tracker on every expedition. Nar Phu is a restricted area; passes here sit above 5,000 m. Sightings are not guaranteed — come for the landscape, treat the cat as a bonus.

A walk-in birding trek through Langtang National Park, north of Kathmandu, with habitats running from riverside creeks to alpine pass. Park records list 380 bird species, ten of them globally threatened. The route names Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii) on the Langtang Khola and crosses to Gosainkunda. Naturalist-led, locally-owned teahouses, IPPG-aligned porters.

Mohare Danda is an 11-day trip from Kathmandu with six days walking through Magar villages in Myagdi, topping out at 3,300 m on Mohare Hill for an Annapurna–Dhaulagiri panorama. Expect rhododendron forest, terraced millet and buckwheat, and community-owned lodges in Bas Kharka, Nangi, Mohare, Danda Kharka, and Tikot — a quieter ridge west of Poon Hill.

Khopra Ridge is a 17-day walk from Galeshwor, west of Pokhara, to the alpine bowl of Khayer Lake (4,600 m), with a ridge night at Khopra (3,660 m) facing Dhaulagiri I across the Kali Gandaki gorge. Expect oak and rhododendron forest, seven Magar villages, and community-owned lodges on every trekking night — the long, quiet alternative to the Annapurna Base Camp queues.

A 14-day journey into Upper Mustang — the trans-Himalayan kingdom of Lo, closed to foreigners until 1992 and still a designated restricted area. Walk through eroded red and ochre canyons to Lo Manthang, the 600-year-old walled capital, with two days inside the city to explore the royal palace, three monasteries, and the surrounding Sky Caves of Mustang.

A short, accessible 7-day trek to the foot of Mardi Himal (5,587 m) and a 4,500-metre viewpoint directly under Machhapuchhre's south face. Walk up through rhododendron forest, sleep on a high ridge in mountain teahouses, and stand inside the Annapurna amphitheatre — without the 12-day commitment of ABC or the altitude risk of EBC. The best short trek in Nepal.

A 20-day circuit around Mount Manaslu (8,163 m), the world's eighth-highest peak and one of Nepal's most remote restricted-area treks. Cross the Larkya La pass at 5,106 m, walk into Tibetan-border villages at Sama Gaon and Samdo, and trek a route that only opened to foreigners in 1992. Less crowded than Everest BC, more demanding than Annapurna BC, deeper culturally than either.

A 17-day off-the-beaten-path trek through the Magar villages of the Annapurna foothills to the panoramic ridges of Mohare Danda and Khopra (3,660 m), with an optional climb to the sacred Khayer Lake at 4,600 m. Sleep in community-owned lodges, eat food grown on the farms you walk past, and trek a trail you'll likely have to yourself.

Walk through rhododendron forest and Gurung villages to the natural amphitheatre at the foot of Annapurna I — the world's tenth-highest mountain. Twelve days from Kathmandu, with a sunrise from Poon Hill, two nights inside the Sanctuary, and a hot-spring soak at Jhinu Danda on the way out. Lower than Everest Base Camp, equally beautiful, and the perfect first Himalayan trek.

Walk to the foot of the world's highest mountain on Nepal's most iconic trail. Over 17 days, you'll cross suspension bridges above the Dudh Koshi, sleep in Sherpa teahouses, watch Ama Dablam catch the morning light from Tengboche, and stand at 5,364 m on the Khumbu Glacier — Everest Base Camp itself. Guided by local Sherpa-trained leaders, with full acclimatisation built in.