Panchase Trek

Welcome to Kathmandu, a city of the temple. Meet our representative at the terminal. You will easily spot them, as they will be carrying a placard with your name in it. They will help with the rest of the formalities and drive you to your hotel in a private vehicle. It will be barely half an hour ride featuring the beautiful ancient city wrapped into modernity.

You will be staying in a nice and cozy hotel. If you arrive in the daytime, you can visit our office for a briefing about the upcoming trek and get familiar with your teammates. In the evening, you may stroll around the colorful city, Thamel. Have dinner before heading back to the hotel.

Many travelers visit Kathmandu every year for its cultural, historical and natural splendor. The ancient city that stands on the glorious history is further enhanced by a large number of ancient structures. Not just big complexes but small alleys also have a lot of stories to share. However, due to the time constraint, we won’t be able to explore every corner of this beautiful city. Thus, today we will discover some of the most prominent ancient sites including Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Pashupatinath Temple, and Bouddha Stupa.

Kathmandu Durbar Square: The historic landmark, Kathmandu Durbar Square reflects ancient Newari architecture, culture, and lifestyle. The old royal palace, popular shrines, temples, and ancient houses adorn the beautiful complex. Some major structure includes Taleju temple, Mahendreswara temple, Maru Ganesh, Kotilingeshwara Mahadev, Bhagwati Temple, Kal Bhairav, Saraswati Temple, Jagannath Temple, Octagonal Krishna Temple, Mahadev Temple, and Shiva Parvati Temple among others. Most of the temples in the complex are built in pagoda style enhanced by the extensively carved exteriors. Most of these carving depicts erotic arts. Another major attraction of the complex is Kumari Ghar. It is a place where the living goddess ‘Kumari’ resides.

Swayambhunath Stupa: Swayambhunath Stupa is an ancient landmark perched on the top of the hill. Popularly
known as a monkey temple, the complex is surrounded by popular shrines, statues, temples, ponds, monasteries and vantage points. The beautiful complex is filled with devotees worshipping in shrines, local vendors selling handicrafts and visitors throughout the day. The ancient monuments like a massive gold-plated Vajra, Buddha statue, Tibetan paintings, a statue of the sleeping Buddha statue and Harati temple, enhance the complex. During the festival like Buddha Purnima and loshar, it welcomes thousands of devotees. It is a perfect spot
to get an aerial view of Kathmandu City.

Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the most significant religious site for Nepali and Indian Hindus. A number of rituals and holy ceremonies are held every year. The two main festivals celebrated at Pashupatinath are Teej and Shivaratri. Shiva Temple, a magnificent monument with an extensively carved exterior further enhanced by beautifully carved four silver doors is the major highlight of the complex. The temple is set on the bank of the Bagmati River. The inner complex consists of several pagoda-style temples and
shrines including Budhanilkantha shrine, 184 Sivalinga shrine, Kirtimukha Bhairava shrine, Hanuman shrine, Unmatta Bhairava Temple, Surya Narayan Temple, Vasuki Nath Temple, etc. The outer complex contains Virat Swaroop temple, Guhyeshwari Temple, Ram Mandir, 12 Jyotirlinga, and Pandra Shivalaya.

Bouddhanath: Around 10 to 15 minutes of drive through small cities will take us to the stupa. One of Asia’s largest stupa standing on the mandala styled platform is believed to be constructed in the 5th century AD. Since then, the complex has been renovated multiple times. Despite set in the middle of the busy city, the complex gives peaceful vibes, and we will feel the serenity as soon as we enter the complex. The massive stupa enhanced by prayer flags, statues and flowers will leave you awestruck. Stroll around the stupa, check out the local and Tibetan vendors selling handicrafts, souvenirs, accessories, clothes, incense and so on. High-end restaurants, coffee
shops, and cafes encircle the plaza.

Wake up early, pack your bags, have breakfast and hop into the private vehicle. It’s a long but interesting drive. Today, you will get a glimpse of life outside the Kathmandu Valley. A drive for around an hour will take us out of this bustling valley. Follow an infamous downhill road for another hour. Though the road can be a little scary, the sceneries it offers are unparalleled. The road from Naubise is carved by the Trishul River.

Thus, we will drive alongside the raging river for most of the day. Beautiful villages, terraced farms, small streams and sparsely populated forests alongside the road make this tiring journey exciting. It will take us around seven hours to reach Pokhara. We will check into the hotel, freshen up then head out to explore the city of lakes. We will spend the evening hanging out in nearby places.

We will wake up early in the morning, have a luscious breakfast, and pack our belongings then head to Fewa Lake. The enchanting lake in the middle of a lush hill reflecting the shadow of gigantic mountains offers a short but thrilling boat ride. We will pass across the Barahi temple built in the middle of the lake to reach the trailhead. From here it is a steep climb into a dense forest to Shanti Stupa. Along with a few small shrines, we can see some stone staircases on the way. It will take us around one and half an hour to reach the stupa. Built-in Anadu hill as a
symbol of peace, the stupa was inaugurated in 1999. From the stupa, we will get an amazing bird’s-eye view of Pokhara City, Fewa Lake and a panoramic vista of Annapurna Range. We will stroll around the complex for a while, snap pictures, enjoy the view then continue our journey to Bumdi.

We will continue walking down the colorful forest then ascend for a while and follow the trail leading to Lukum Swara. A short walk from here will take us to Bumdi. Brahman and Gurung people reside in this area. Enjoy a luscious local meal before taking a rest.

The second day of the trek begins with an easy walk on the flat land. After half an hour of a walk, we will come across our first descend through the dense rhododendron forest. Follow the trail leading to the village called Bhanjyang. From here we will ascend until another village and then follow a downhill leading to Patle, a beautiful settlement. Today’s trek offers us a panoramic vista of multiple mountains including Manaslu, Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, Machhapucchare, Gangapurna, and Lamjung.

Finally, the D-day has arrived. It’s a time to explore our ultimate destination, Panchase Peak. With the help of moonlight and headlamp or torch, we will navigate the steep trail leading to the Panchase hill. Climb the stone steps and walk across the graveled path to reach the top. It will take around one hour to get to the hill. Enjoy the enchanting view of the sun rising over the sparkling mountains. After spending some time here enjoying a delicious breakfast, we will head to Bhadaure. The trail to Bhadaure passes through a beautiful forest offering amazing views of mountains, and snow peaks.

The last day of the trek begins early in the morning. Savor the delicious breakfast then follow the downhill trail leading to the dirt road. Basically, a jeep trail is sculpted through several villages. At Naudanda, a private vehicle will pick us. We will spend a cozy night in a star hotel in Pokhara.

After an eventful day, it's time to head back to Kathmandu. Wake up early, have breakfast then head out to explore Pokhara city. After strolling for around an hour, we will head back then hop into the vehicle for an onward journey. The seven hours’ drive on the Pritihivi Highway passing though villages and settlements including Shuklagandaki, Chhang, Jamune Bhanjyang, Byas, Abui Khaireni, Kurlingtar, Benighat, Gajuri, Baireni, Malekhu, and Naubise gives us a glimpse of village life. Upon reaching Kathmandu, we will drive you to your hotel. Spend the rest of the time taking the rest or exploring the nearby city.

(Note: If you want to explore the beautiful Pokhara city, we can extend the trip by one or two
days.)

The adventurous holiday has come to an end. After early morning breakfast, you may wander around Thamel to buy souvenirs for your loved ones. Pack your belongings and get ready to head to the airport. Let us know your flight time; we will escort you to the airport three hours before your flight.