Introduction
This trek itinerary also includes a 6,500 metres Peak requiring 4-nights of camping stay above 4,000 metres above sea level. The peak included in the itinerary is Chulu West 6,584 metres, the highest of the Chulu mountain range, rising beautifully high above the Manang and Ngawal village. Chulu East Peak is a beautiful trekking Peak, climbed during an Annapurna Circuit Trek. The local name for the Peak is Julu but misspelt and officially accepted as Chulu. Chulu East or Julu is the central peak of the Chulu Mountain Range extending from above the northeastern skyline of Manang village. Annapurna mountain range and the Chulu/Julu mountains form narrow but beautiful Manang Marshyangdi valley.

Chulu East Climbing Package for 2022 and 2023

Chulu East Peak, located south-east of Chulu West and is comparatively a higher ridge, was first climbed in 1955 by a German expedition via the North-East. The Chulu East andChulu West Ridge form an integral part of the Manang Himal, including the more extensive Damodar Himal range. Therefore, the panorama from the summit of Chulu includes the entire Chulu mountain range and the Annapurnas and Gangapurna mountain range.

The return route passes through the Thorong Pass 5,416 metres, one of the famous Himalayan passes, and drop to the Kaligandaki region, which allows us to visit the Muktinath and see the Dhaulagiri and Nilgiris in their full scale. The trek ends at Jomsom Airport, and a short 20 minutes Himalayan sightseeing flight take us to Pokhara, one of the most beautiful cities of Nepal. We spend a night in this city and take another short flight to Kathmandu to round off this quintessential Himalayan trek and expedition.

Trip Highlights

Trip Profile

Short Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu 1,350m.

Day 02: Drive to Dharapani 1,943m. A 10 hours drive

Day 03: Trek to Chame 2,713m. A 5 hours trek.

Day 04: Trek to Pisang 3,200m. A 5 ½ hours trek.

Day 05: Trek to Gyaru 3,670m. A 3 hours trek.

Day 06: Trek to Ngawal 3,657m. A 3 hours trek.

Day 07: Trek to Chulu East Base Camp 3,910m. A 3 hours trek.

Day 08: Climb to Advanced Base Camp 4,955m. A 2 hours.

Day 09: Summit Chulu East and back to Advanced Base Camp.

Day 10: A reserve day.

Day 11: Trek to Manang 3,540m. A 5 hours trek.

Day 12: Manang

Day 13: Trek to Thorang Phedi 4,216m. A 4 hours trek.

Day 14: Trek to Muktinath 3,800m. A 7 hours trek.

Day 15: Trek to Jomsom 2,660m. A 5 hours trek.

Day 16: Fly to Pokhara 820m. A 20-miutes panoramic flight.

Day 17: Sarangkot Viewpoint and fly to Kathmandu.

Day 18: Visit Soyambu, Patan and Boudha.

Day 19: Departure

Detail Itinerary

Trekking & climbing Paradise<br> Around Annapurna trek & Chulu East 6,584m Expedition

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu 1,350m.

Our personnel will be waiting at the Kathmandu international airport (TIA) to receive you with a traditional welcome. After checking into the hotel and refreshment, your circuit guide will update you about the necessary formalities for your proposed trek. Then, depending on arrival time, you will have the choice of either nearby visiting shrines or resting back in your room.

• Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 02: Drive to Dharapani 1,943m. A 10 hours drive

After early morning breakfast, we start the day with a long drive. The first phases of the journey take us out of Kathmandu valley, which crosses the busiest section of Thankot pass, the main entry, and exit toward the south. After crossing Thankot, there is a fantastic view of the Ganesh Himal, the Manaslu Range and even the Annapurna on a clear day. Next, the road drops to the valley bottom and follows the Trishuli River enjoying a thrilling highway drive. The beautiful scenery along the way includes terraced fields, vast river valleys and villages, and sights of the snowy mountains on a clear day. Eventually, we turn off from the main highway to Pokhara and head north to Besisahar, where we will leave our vehicle from Kathmandu and ride a local Jeep for the rest of the trail till Dharapani, where our driving ends or our trekking starting point.

Besisahar is the administrative centre of the Lamjung district. This region was one of the strongest parts of the twenty-four domains from the 15th to 18th centuries when there were two confederations of kingdoms, twenty-four to the west and twenty-two to the east. In 1782 the domain of Gorkha absorbed its neighbouring territory of Lamjung. Looking southwest from Besisahar, one can see the remains of Lamjung Palace on a hilltop, and beyond it, the view of mount Lamjung.

Road connection to Dharapani from Besisahar is an option for a shorter trek, but it is possible only in the dry season, October to May, due to unpaved road conditions. The drive from Besisahar to Dharapani, a rough road, takes around four hours. The motor road passes through narrow river valleys, terraced fields, and villages with several beautiful waterfalls.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 03: Trek to Chame 2,713m. A 5 hours trek.

A half-hour walk from Dharapani brings us to Bagarchap, a village primarily inhabited by butchers, at 2,100 metres. As you approach the town, there is the view of Annapurna II and feel like you have entered another ecological zone, feels colder, and the air drier, which means you are in the rain Annapurna shadow. Then the trail continues to Lattamarang, 2,454 metres, and Chame, the administrative centre of Manang district. From some parts of this town, there is a beautiful view of mount Lamjung. The village forms under a sheer cliff face on the bank of the Marshyangdi River.

• Full board
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 04: Trek to Pisang 3,200m. A 5 ½ hours trek.

We breakfast and try for an early start because the morning is better for steadily climbing to higher altitudes. Today we see pine forests, the beautiful upper Marshyangdi valley and the snow-capped Annapurna Mountain range. For a tea break or merely rest, we stop at Brathang village, a village and one-time used by Tibetan Khampas (warriors). The village is still prosperous, with rows of large mani-walls, prayer-wheels, main entrance and exit gateways at the ends of the village and fields full of apple trees.

After leaving the Brathang village, we cross the Marshyangdi River and begin a gentle climb through a lovely forest. The beginning point just after the bridge is also known as Swargadwari in Nepali and Paungi Dandi in the local Gurung language, which means Gateway to Heaven. It means the entrance into the valley of Manang, which is locally known as Nye-Shyang, formed with six main villages: Pisang (3,200m) (lower), 3,300m (upper), Gyaru (3,670m), Ngawal (3,657m), Braga (3,450m), Manang (3,540m) and Khangsar (3,800m).

Continuing, we arrive at Upper Pisang village, which is all the more interesting, for still being untouched by modernity. You will have an excellent chance to experience its medieval atmosphere, including a monastery above the village that watches over all devotees. The people here are called Gurungs, but their character and way of life are more reminiscent of Tibetan people; they wear Tibetan dress and are browner and harder than the Gurungs of Gurkha to the further south.

Women wear long wrap-around dresses (called Chubus) and necklaces of turquoise and coral. Older men may have a piece of turquoise dangling from an ear. The endpoints of the village are marked by gateways of Chortens (stupa type Buddhist monuments). There are also stone walls mounted with spinning prayer-wheels and the sacred mantra Om Mani Padme Hum (Hail to the jewel in the lotus) carved repeatedly on stone slabs everywhere into the valley of Manang/Nye Shyang.

• Full board
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge

Day 05: Trek to Gyaru 3,670m. A 3 hours trek.

After breakfast at Pisang, we'll head off toward Gyaru village. The trail climbs gradually along the Marshyangdi valley through scattered pines and a beautiful clear aqua lake. After three hours of zigzagging up the slope with some stops for rest and at the same time enjoying breathtaking views of the Annapurna peaks and the lower valley that we traversed yesterday, we arrive at the village of Gyaru. Gyaru is another major medieval town of stone houses above the Marshyangdi valley, overlooking the Annapurna Mountain range. We will visit its monastery and the village and spend overnight at 3,670 metres above sea level.

Full board

Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge

Day 06: Trek to Ngawal 3,657m. A 3 hours trek.

We wake up early before the sunray strikes the peaks of Annapurna. If the weather is fine, evening and morning are lovely. Today we make a leisurely day, so take a late breakfast and set out toward Ngawal village. The climb from Pisang to Gyaru gets rewarded with incredible panoramas and a comfortable flat trail to Ngawal, another medieval village with a monastery and mani-walls, prayer flags fluttering on each house and beautiful views in all directions.

Gyaru and Ngawal villages are said to have been the seat of the Ghale Kings, from where they ruled the Nye Shyang territory 300 years ago.

Full board.

Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 07: Trek to Chulu East Base Camp 3,910m. A 3 hours trek.

The trail leaves Ngawal village with lovely scenery through a dry mountain slope. The Chulu range and Annapurna range views are beautiful, making our every stop fascinating and inspiring the further climb up. This picturesque valley runs high towards the ridge of Chulu East and the Far East Peaks, requiring a high altitude walk through some rocky moraines beneath the camp.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tented Camp.

Day 08: Climb to Advanced Base Camp 4,955m. A 2 hours.

A hearty breakfast at base camp and start climbing to Advance Camp, which takes just 3 hours. We set our camp, where we find comparatively level ground, on these rocks and moraine area. The afternoon is spent scouting the climbing route for the next day and fixing the ropes in the required sections.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tented Camp.

Day 09: Summit Chulu East and back to Advanced Base Camp.

Chulu East Peak of 6,584 metres was first climbed in 1955 by a German expedition via the North-East. The local name for the Peak is Julu but misspelt and officially accepted as Chulu. The Chulu East and West Ridge form an integral part of the Manang Himal, including the more extensive Damodar Himal range. Chulu East is located south-east of Chulu West and is comparatively a higher ridge.

The climb starts early before dawn, and the climbing route is a mixed climb with snow slopes, rocks and ridge sections with a few quite steep and technical parts. Our Sherpa guides make the route as per its technical requirement at the time. The panorama from the summit of Chulu includes the entire Chulu mountain range and the Annapurnas and Gangapurna mountain range.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tented Camp.

Day 10: A reserve day.

A reserve day for weather or unforeseen factors forces us to retreats. We use this day in Pokhara or Kathmandu if all goes as per our original plan.

Day 11: Trek to Manang 3,540m. A 5 hours trek.

We descend to meet the main Annapurna circuit trail and take an easy and panoramic way to Manang village. On the way, we visit the Braga village and its 600-years-old monastery, one of whose four sections is off-limits to females. Another 40 minutes of walking brings us to Manang. This village is not as impressive as its view across the river: Annapurnas II, IV, and III, Mt. Gangapurna, the glacier and its lake below, and the formidable north face of Mt. Tilicho.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 12: Manang

At Manang, we have earned a sense of accomplishment. So we sleep in today, and then having taken a hearty breakfast, do what we want. Maybe a side trip up above the village to avoid wasting a chance seeing something different or relaxing on the rooftop to read or write. Whatever, you'll have your guide and Sherpas always close at hand.

Day 13: Trek to Thorang Phedi 4,216m. A 4 hours trek.

After breakfast, we start trekking gradually up toward Thorang Phedi. The trail leads through high pastures. In some places, we come across small shops. The entire route up to Thorang Phedi is very scenic: the Annapurna range, Gangapurna, Rock Noel, Thorang Peak, Chulu West and Chulu East, Yak Kawa Kang and many more peaks surrounding us from all directions!

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 14: Trek to Muktinath 3,800m. A 7 hours trek.

The day's walk starts early in the morning to avoid the wind at the Thorong La (5,416m). Thorong-La, the saddle is beautifully located between 2 small peaks of Thorong Peak and Yak Kawa Peak. The Thorong pass is marked, with bulk stones offered by the travellers, and on this, there are Buddhist praying flags. There are exceptional views toward the Chhulu, the Thorong Peak, Yak Kawa Peak, and then the panorama takes us toward the gorge and across. As we walk further down toward Muktinath, the sceneries get wider and provide an excellent sight of Dhampus Peak, Dhaulagiri and Tilicho Peaks.

You'll arrive in Muktinath, tired but with a sense of accomplishment. Muktinath, the Lord of Salvation, is a holy place for Buddhists and Hindus, attracting thousands of devotees from Nepal, India and Tibet every year. In addition, the Muktinath region, facing Mt. Nilgiri and Mt. Tilicho to the south-east, Dhaulagiri to the southwest and Thorong Peak and Yak Kawa Kang to the north, is a living museum of old villages, such as Dzar, Dzong, Khingga and Purang.

Muktinath, also known by Chumig Gyatsa (One Hundred Springs), is situated some 18 kilometres northeast of Jomsom. The Muktinath temple was constructed in 1815 A.D. by Queen Subarna Prabha, the wife of Rana Bahadur Saha, king of Nepal, after she had a dream. The main temple, built in a Tibetan pagoda style, contains a huge brass image of Chenrezig (in Buddhist) or Vishnu, as Hindus call him.

Nearby is another temple, where gushes from the rock are considered holy. There is also a Buddhist monastery (Salamebar Dolamebar monastery) in the eastern corner of the Muktinath precinct, dedicated to Jwala Mai, the goddess of fire, shielded by curtains, are burning eternal flames. Hindus believe the Flame to be Agni, the god of fire.

There are two other worship sites within a single structure nearby; the Shiva-Parvati temple and a Narsingha Gonpa (Monastery). The lower storey is the Gonpa, while the upper floor is the temple. At the temple's back are 108-waterspouts, Chu-Mig-Gya-Tsa, fashioned in boars' heads; the boar is one of the ten incarnations of Chenrezig (Buddhist) / Vishnu (in Hindu). This water is channelled from a spring above the temple.

For Hindus, the importance of Muktinath, besides its holy water, lies in the belief that Lord Vishnu takes the form of saligrams. Saligrams are fossils found in the Kali Gandaki River, just a few hours walking down from Muktinath. The traditional caretakers of Muktinath are Tibetan Buddhist nuns.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 15: Trek to Jomsom 2,660m. A 5 hours trek.

The descent to Kagbeni takes one and a half hours. Kagbeni, the main gate to Upper Mustang, is situated at 2,807m. It has been one of Nepal's important trading centres for centuries. The village is believed to settle around the 14th century as a check post for traders between Nepal and Tibet, and a checkpoint still stands to control all groups departing toward Muktinath and Mustang. There is a monastery, a police check-post, and an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) office.

After looking around, we'll continue the trek to Jomsom along the Kali Gandaki River. You can search for saligrams along the way. Finally, arrive at Jomsom for lunch. The rest of the time is free.

In Jomsom, we spend our last night on the trek or in the Annapurna region. This evening is the occasion to enjoy a farewell party with your Sherpa friends who have accompanied you. They depart separately on a 24-hour bus ride to Kathmandu.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the Tea-house Lodge.

Day 16: Fly to Pokhara 820m. A 20-miutes panoramic flight.

Have breakfast and board in a small aircraft (Twin Otter / Dornier or similar). The flight offers fantastic views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Annapurna range of mountains on both sides of the plane.

An incredible mountain scenery lasts until it touches the beautiful Pokhara city airport. Once we get out of the plane, the panorama to the northeast of Pokhara, filled with high mountain rows, greet you back. Transfer to Pokhara Lakeside and get your room distributed. The rest of the day is free for rest and refreshment. In the evening, we stroll around the Lake of Pokhara while choosing one of its best restaurants for a hearty dinner.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 17: Sarangkot Viewpoint and fly to Kathmandu.

Early in the morning, drive to Sharangkot hill tower to enjoy the sunrise view. Sharangkot is one of the most beautiful viewpoints of Pokhara for its fine panorama of Annapurna I, II, III, Mt. Lamjung, Mt. Dhaulagiri, and Mt. Fishtail etc. After visiting Sharangkot, drive back to Pokhara; on the way, we also see the Bindhyavashini temple, which is also the mini Pasupatinath for the people of Pokhara. Most of the people of Pokhara City visit this temple on their main occasions to worship.

Return to hotel, breakfast and half-day sightseeing tour of Pokhara, including David's fall and Tibetan refugee camp. After a hearty lunch in one of the best restaurants in Pokhara, we drive to the airport for our domestic flight to Kathmandu. Arrive at Kathmandu, where a vehicle awaits your arrival and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is to enjoy free time.

• Full board.
• Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 18: Visit Soyambu, Patan and Boudha.

After breakfast, we drive to Swayambhunath. Located on a lovely little hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the fascinating architectural jewels of the World. This Buddhist shrine is said to have been built around 250 B.C. Its main feature, the white dome, is identified with the spotless, pure jewel of Nirvana, and it is crowned by a thirteen-tiered golden spire of conical shape. At the spire's base, on the cube, is a pair of the Buddha's all-seeing eyes, painted on all four sides. The Stupa stands on a typically stylized lotus mandala base, believed to have surfaced years ago from the lake that initially filled the Kathmandu Valley.

From the hilltop, one can enjoy a panorama of Kathmandu and the rest of the valley. A long stairway reaches the Stupa up the wooded hillside and past statues of the Buddha. But watch out for the monkeys! At the top, you'll see devotees making rounds of the Stupa, spinning the praying wheels as they go.

Then we head on to Patan, located at a distance of 7-kilometres southwest of Kathmandu, which was once an independent Buddhist city-state and a rival of Kathmandu, separated by the Bagmati River. Its ancient name is Lalitpur, and it is still called and cover a wider area as a district; Lalitpur means the City of the Arts. The old centre has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Patan boasts a multitude of temples and wonders of art in and around its Durbar Square (Palace square). We'll visit the Royal Palace, which occupies one side of the court, where works of art in every piece of wood, stone, and metal are in the exhibit in the open air. We also visit the temple of Krishna, the temple of Jagat Narayan, the Golden Temple and the Temple of Thousands Buddha, among other sites. Time permitting, we also visit the Kumbeswor Mahadev temple or Tibetan refugee camp and Zoo.

At around the end of the tour, we also visit the Museum of Patan, located inside the medieval palace, which is a must for anyone interested in Asian Art, the history of Nepal, curatorial science, or religion. It is a world-class museum that displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential part of Patan Durbar, one of the royal palaces of Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley. The gilded door and window face one of the most beautiful squares in the country.

The museum also exhibits a long span of Nepal's cultural history and some rare objects. For example, Buddhism and Hinduism are explained in detail in extensive labels within the living traditions and context.

In the evening, visit the Boudhanath Stupa. Boudhanath, located about 8 kilometres from the centre of Kathmandu, is one of the World's largest stupas. The base of the Stupa is composed of three successive mandalas, geometrical representations of the cosmos. The base itself represents the element earth, the dome on top of it symbolizes water, the cube represents fire, and the pinnacle represents air. Finally, the culminating Flame symbolizes ether. This great Stupa is much like Swayambhunath except for its pinnacle. Also, it is much bigger and lies on the valley floor. This Stupa is said to have been built in the 4th-century A.D. The site attracts many Buddhist pilgrims from all over the Himalayan region and the World. 

• Breakfast.
• Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 19: Departure

Have breakfast and have some relaxing free time for yourself. Our office representative and vehicle will arrive at your hotel to escort you to the airport at the indicated time. Drive to Kathmandu international airport (TIA), see off formalities, you will go through the immigration and departure.

• Breakfast.

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