Secret Retreat Yoga Trekking

Itinerary

• 01Namaste, welcome to Nepal Your arrival at Kathmandu airport where you will be met by an AIT representative and transfer to your hotel. In the late afternoon, your driver will take you to our office for a briefing.
  
  Meals: ****
  
• 02Sightseeing of Kathmandu & food safari Culture and food are on the program today! Cuisine is culture; it is part of the customs, history and traditions of a people. You will alternate between visits to monuments, local markets and sampling the favorite snacks of local people.
  
  Today, a guide who will introduce you not only to the history of the monuments but also the city’s past will accompany you.
  
  Visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal consecrated to Lord Shiva. The original core dates back to the 6th century AD and is known for its architecture in the shape of a pagoda. This place, also known as Little Benares, is located along the Bagmati River; here every day funeral ceremonies take place with the corpses being burned on pyres before the scattering of the ashes on the Bagmati River.
  
  Afterwards visit the huge Boudhanath Stupa, the most important Buddhist cultural center in Kathmandu since numerous refugees from Tibet have stopped there, creating more than 50 Gompas (Tibetan monasteries). Since 1979, Boudhanath has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  In the afternoon, visit another important Buddhist center, the stupa of Swayambhunath, known as the monkey temple because of the high number of monkeys living inside. This ancient religious complex is located atop a hill to the west in the Kathmandu Valley, and from here there are beautiful views of the city and the valley that surrounds it.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  Accommodation: Baber Mahal Vilas
  
• 03Fly to Pokhara* & trek to Birethanti (1100 m) Today you will fly to Pokhara to start your trek. Travel by private vehicle to Lumle, from where you will reach Ker & Downey’s beautiful Sanctuary Lodge. The lodge is located on a promontory that juts into the Modi River and enjoys a magnificent view of the sacred Fishtail Mountain (Machhapuchhre)
  
  Walking time: 1h30
  
  * We try to limit domestic flights as much as possible, unfortunately travel times are very long in Nepal. To offset the carbon footprint of your flights, we are committed to funding tree planting.
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  Accommodation: Sanctuary Lodge
  
• 04Trek to Ghandruk, a Gurung Village (1940 m) After breakfast hike through the surrounding farms before exiting the valley and ascending to the peaks of the Himalayas. The trail passes through terraced rice fields, hamlets and forests with impressive views of the surrounding valley before ascending to Ghandruk. You’ll spend the afternoon exploring this bustling village, with its narrow lanes, whitewashed slate-roofed houses and traditionally carved windows.
  
  Walking time: 5-6 hours
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  Accommodation: Himalayan Lodge
  
• 05Trek to Landruk (1565m) From Ghandruk, the trail descends steeply through green fields to the Modi River. You will find yourself at the foot of the cliffs from which the famous honey hunters of Nepal climb to collect honey. You cross a suspension bridge, then climb steps to reach the village of Landruk.
  
  Walking time: 4 hours
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  Accommodation: Bee Lodge
  
• 06Trek to Majgaun (1400m) Yoga session, early in the morning, in front of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. Today’s trek follows the side of the hill, with small ups and downs, passing villages and farmland. You’ll reach your lodge in time for lunch with the option of an afternoon hike to nearby villages. The lodge is made up of tribal-style houses on the edge of the village of Majgaun.
  
  Walking time: 4 hours
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  Accommodation: Gurung Lodge
  
• 07Trek to Dhampus (1650m) This morning, you hike through the unspoilt village of Patlekhet. The trail will take you through subtropical forests with orchids, magnolias and rhododendrons. Along the way, you will visit the village of Pothana, where Tibetan traders live, then continue to the village of Deurali. Soon you will reach Dhampus and the Basanta Lodge from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the entire Annapurna Range. After lunch, take a walk through the old village of Dhampus.
  
  Walking time: 3.5 hours
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  Accommodation: Basanta Lodge
  
• 08Trek to Phedi (1130 m) and drive to Pokhara After breakfast, you will walk along the ridge and descend through the forested hill and terraced farmland to the valley floor to reach Phedi where a vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Pokhara.
  In the afternoon, visit Devi Waterfall, also called Davis, which plunges into the ground towards Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. This unusual place is of rare natural beauty. During the dry season, you can contemplate the waterfall from the surface. Then, entering the cave, you can also observe its underground part. This place is sacred, an imposing stalagmite is venerated as a lingam of Shiva.
  
  Walking time: 1h30
  
  Meals: breakfast
  Accommodation: The Pavilions Himalayas The Farm
  
• 09Discover Pokhara Pokhara’s proximity to the Tibetan Plateau has made the city a place of refuge for numerous Tibetans who have come from the neighboring province. A district, located not far from the center, was built to accommodate them under the best conditions. Most of these people make a living from handicrafts such as weaving sheep wool carpet or carving religious objects. Another point of interest will be to visit one of the monasteries dedicated to Buddhist monks.
  
  Visit the Mountain Museum, which tells the history of the climbing of the main Himalayan peaks, from Everest to K2.
  
  At sunset, visit the Shanti Pagoda ( Stupa of Peace).The white stupa, of considerable size, was built by Buddhist monks. The temple is situated on the top of the hill that offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, the city of Pokhara and Lake Phewa. Return to Pokhara and the rest of the day will be free.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  Accommodation: The Pavilions Himalayas The Farm
  
• 10Fly to Kathmandu Fly to Kathmandu and the rest of the day will be at leisure for final shopping.
  
  Options: If you want to do more than taste Nepali food, you can participate in a cooking course classes by an NGO who will prepare traditional Nepalese dishes and at the same time fund the training of women in the hospitality industry.
  
  For fair shopping, we can recommend some places where women make all products here in Nepal and all profits are reinvested in women’s community projects.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  Accommodation: Baber Mahal Vilas
  
• 11Goodbye Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
  
  Meals: Breakfast