Annapurna Trails & Chitwan - Premium Adventure

Explore the landscapes, wildlife and culture of Nepal on foot and with extra comfort

The lovely lakeside town of Pokhara and the Annapurna foothills to the north hold the most beautiful mountain scenery in Nepal. Rice terraces and rhododendron forests lead the eye to the timeless peaks of Machupuchare, also known as Fishtail Mountain, and the high Annapurnas. Our six-day trek takes us through the prettiest villages in the region, including Birethanti, Landruk, Majgoan and Gangruk, and we stay in five lovely mountain lodges, built in the local style, but with the creature comforts not normally found on Himalayan treks.

Moving on to the tropical lowlands, we’ll stay in boutique eco-cottages at Barahi Lodge in Chitwan, which are sandwiched between the jungle and the Rapti River. Glimpse wildlife from the infinity pool, spot birdlife and crocodiles as you ride a traditional dugout canoe, and encounter the endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros on a jeep safari. Return to Kathmandu to round off your adventure.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here. 

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• The mountain lodges are a source of local employment, sell locally made handicrafts, carry out cleaning campaigns in the village and contribute towards school building and improving the water supply.
• Barahi Jungle Lodge does a lot to support the local community; funds have been provided for infrastructure at the village school, tents provided to flood victims in 2017 and a weekly river cleaning campaign is carried out. Much of the food at the lodge is locally grown.
• The use of a local leader and trekking support staff (guides, porters/yak herders) means our customers will be well informed about local traditions and cultural and social sensitivities.
• It was not until 2005 that the ancient tradition of ‘chhaupadi’ (banishing menstruating women and girls to huts or sheds during their period) was made illegal in Nepal. In rural parts of the country, menstruation is still a taboo subject. Since 2018, Exodus has supported the Freedom Kitbag Project, providing reusable sanitary wear and education in reproductive health to many hundreds of women and to their wider communities.
• Exodus has had a deep connection with Nepal since the 1980’s and over the years has supported, and continues to support many Himalayan Community Projects, including an elderly person’s home, the High Altitude Workers Welfare Association, providing solar cookers, smokeless stoves and running medical camps in hard to reach communities, to name but a few.

Places

• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us and the eBioAtlas.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

• Barahi Jungle Lodge is reforesting 12 hectares of land which were previously damaged through overgrazing.
•  A vegetarian diet is common in Nepal, especially in the mountains where eating meat is not generally recommended due to hygiene concerns and a lack of refrigeration facilities. The staple diet is dal baht, which comes in various forms but generally includes lentil dal, vegetable curry, and rice.
• The mountain lodges use solar power as much as possible.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you. When trekking – biodegradable soap, shampoo, and toilet paper are recommended. Keep to paths to reduce damage to plants & disturbances to wildlife.
• Plastic waste reduction: Avoid using plastic bottles or buying mineral water and instead use refillable water bottles wherever possible. Buy boiled water or carry water purification treatment (we recommend a SteriPEN or similar type of handheld UV water purifier).
• Try to buy locally made handicrafts but be wary of items made from wild animals eg. shahtoosh shawls made from endangered Tibetan antelope.
• If while packing, you find a spare bit of space in your bag then you may be interested in donating to one of our projects. Exodus supports a Porter Clothing Bank in Kathmandu and also distributes clothing to villages and schools.

Cultural respect:

• The Nepalese greeting is ‘namasté – with hands held in front of the face, the higher they are held, the more respect it exudes. Men will shake hands with men but not with women.
• Walk in a clockwise direction around temples or monuments. Ask permission before entering places of worship and remove your shoes. Leave leather behind before entering Hindu temples.
• Pointing your feet (the least sacred body part) at people or religious places or pointing or beckoning with a single finger is considered impolite.
• Displays of affection should be kept at bay, and loose-fitting clothing that covers legs and shoulders is advisable, especially when visiting homes, monasteries or temples.
• Do it like the locals! The left hand is associated with toilet duties, so eat, wipe your mouth, pass food, give and receive with your right hand. Only handle your own food and drink.
• Ask before you capture people on camera. Exchanging a few words or gestures beforehand can go a long way. Offering (and actually sending) a copy via post is a great way to benefit both parties!

Is this trip for you?

This trip is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.  

The lodges used on this Premium Adventure offer the highest level of comfort in the Himalaya and are luxurious compared to the teahouses. The trekking is a good introduction to Himalayan trekking and has been graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate), with six days walking and full porterage throughout, so you need only carry a daypack.

In the Annapurna region, many of the trails consist of stone steps. A fairly decent level of fitness is required, as there are quite a few steep uphill walks and some quite long descents (two – three hours). Altitude is not a factor on this trip as the maximum height you will reach is 6,415ft (2,000m) with an average of 4,265ft (1,300m). There are three to five hours of walking on most days.

Exodus has more than 30 years’ experience organising treks in Nepal and our experienced English-speaking local leaders receive regular training and are qualified in first aid.

Nepal Flight Safety

Many of our treks in Nepal use domestic flights to reach the trekking areas.  The mountainous Nepalese terrain is subject to changeable weather, which makes flying conditions complex and challenging, and unfortunately there are significantly more incidents here than in other countries, including fatalities.  The EU highlighted the poor safety record in Nepal in 2013 by including all Nepalese-registered airlines on the EU banned list, which prevents them from flying in EU airspace. While no Nepalese-registered airlines currently fly within the EU, the EU instigated this ban to highlight the risk of flying in Nepal to EU citizens.  These airlines are unlikely to be members of any internationally recognised safety audit systems and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Nepal does not operate to the same standards as those of Western nations.

Flying within Nepal is therefore a known risk, and we strongly encourage you to consider this carefully before booking. We suggest you refer to the following sources:

• • The current travel advice for Nepal issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
  • The Air Safety Network entry for Nepal

In response to concerns over this safety record, Exodus arranges for independent air-safety auditors to visit Nepal annually to assess the suitability of the available carriers. We then restrict our use to only those approved as part of this audit. In emergency situations, we will need to use helicopters, so we also have a list of approved helicopter carriers.  Should concerns arise regarding the safety of an airline on our approved list, we will remove the carrier from the list immediately, and it would only be reinstated once our air-safety auditors are confident that the airline meets acceptable safety standards.

We appreciate that you may have concerns about flying within Nepal, so we ask that you please consider all the information above when deciding to book this holiday.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. However, recommended vaccinations include polio, tetanus, diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis A.

The risk of malaria is present in certain regions only (such as Chitwan); you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. The risk is highest in the low lying southern ‘terai’ districts bordering India.

A yellow fever certificate is only required if travelling from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or for travellers having transited for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of transmission.

Dengue fever is a known risk in Nepal. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available; therefore, the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. There was a dengue outbreak in September 2022 with a number of cases recorded in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley. We therefore recommend you take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites such as wearing full length trousers, long sleeves and applying insect repellent during the day as well as at dawn and dusk.

Altitude is not a factor of consideration on this trip as all activities take place below 6,560ft (2,000m).

Ticks are known to be present in this region and can carry Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis and other diseases. Please take care to protect yourself. You can read more about ticks here.

Visa

Nepal

You can obtain your visa in advance or on arrival. The Immigration Department of Nepal has suspended visas on arrival for certain nationalities – please check if this applies to you with your nearest embassy or consulate.

Visa in advance

Apply for this through your local consulate or embassy. Further details on this option can be found here:

• For UK passport holders: https://uk.nepalembassy.gov.np/visa/
• For US passport holders: https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/tourist-visa/
• For Canadian passport holders: https://ca.nepalembassy.gov.np/tourist-visa-application/

When applying for your visa in advance, the Nepalese government has an online application system (see links above for more info), but it is currently only accepting payments through Nepalese payment channels. Once the online form is completed, the applicant is required to print out the form and either send it, together with the passport, to the embassy, or attend in person.

Visa on arrival

1. When you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, there will be three lines. If you have already secured your visa, go straight to the Immigration line. If not:
   Fill in a tourist visa form at the electronic kiosks. After inserting your passport, the machine will automatically fill out an application form, take an electronic photograph of you and print a paper slip. If the machine won’t read your passport, complete the details manually using the touchscreen. We recommend taking a passport photo with you just in case.
   Top tip: This process can be completed through the online immigration portal (click ‘Visa On-Arrival’) within 14-days prior to arrival in Kathmandu, helping you to avoid lengthy queues at the kiosks when you come through immigration – ensure you print and bring the confirmation with you. If you have completed your visa on arrival form in advance, go directly to the visa fees counters with your printed confirmation and skip the kiosk queues.
2. Proceed to the visa fees collection counter and pay the visa fee (in cash, if possible). Make sure to keep the receipt. Card payments are not always possible, so paying in cash is easiest, most currencies are accepted but US dollars are preferred.
3. Go to the relevant immigration desk and present your tourist visa form, payment receipt and passport to obtain your 15-, 30- or 90-day visa stamp. Please check you have been given the correct visa duration.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, eight lunches and eight dinners are included.

The five Mountain Lodges of Nepal (MLN) and Barahi Jungle Lodge in Chitwan are on a full-board basis. Accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara is on a bed and breakfast basis. Please allow approximately 4,000 – 5,400 rupees (US$30-US$40) per day for meals not included in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Dhal bhat is the staple diet in Nepal and comes in many different forms but generally comprises curried lentil dhal and meat or vegetables, rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos; a Nepalese dumpling, fried or steamed, filled with meat or vegetables.

Meals in the lodges range from traditional Nepalese food to Chinese and Western dishes. The food served is of good quality and is usually buffet style. You will be provided with safe drinking water whilst on trek and in Chitwan.

Weather

The main trekking season in Nepal is from October to mid-May when daytime temperatures at most altitudes are generally comfortable for walking, the sky is clear much of the time, and rain and snow are occasional occurrences. Daytime temperatures will vary from 15C to 30C (59F to 86F).

Different seasons offer different advantages for trekking.

Mid-September to November: This is the main trekking season in Nepal. Daytime temperatures will be up to approximately 25C (77F). Skies are usually clear, although more so in the morning and days on trek are sunny and mild with clear mountain views. Nights will be colder with temperatures dropping to about 5C (41F).

December to end of February: Despite the cooler conditions, this is an ideal time to trek in Nepal. For this particular trip December is the best month to go to this area as the skies are usually very clear, the days are sunny, and the mountain views are at their best. Early mornings and evenings are cold with temperatures down about 5C but once the sun is out days are pleasant and sunny with temperatures up to 22ºC. The trails are much less busy at the time of year. Chitwan will be cold in the early mornings and evenings but pleasantly warm in the daytime.

March to May: Both day and night temperatures will be warmer in general but haze will often build up in the afternoons and there can be rain. It is very hot in Chitwan and temperatures rise to 30C (86F) and above in Chitwan and in Kathmandu. On trek the days will be hot (up to 25C/77F). Nights will be a bit cooler. Flowers bloom in this season and this is one of the reasons people chose to trek at this time. The Annapurna region is famous for its rhododendrons at this time.

Please remember that in any mountain area the weather is never wholly predictable; you should be prepared and equipped to deal with any differences in weather beyond the conditions described above. Waterproof jacket and backpack cover are recommended when travelling at any time of the year.