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.

Sustainability and Impact

At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.

As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.

• Learn more about our Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan, including our commitment to rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller

• Read about the work of the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation.

• Find out how you can travel more sustainably here.

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/

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.