From New Bridge you traverse round to cross a river and then climb very steeply, firstly to the houses of Jhinu Danda and then further uphill to reach the main Gandrung to Chomrong trail. The trail then climbs more gently to a corner before making a long descent on stone steps to Chomrong village, the gateway to the Sanctuary. Weather permitting, you will be treated to a surfeit of fantastic mountain views, which include Annapurna South (23,687ft/7,220m), Hiunchuli (21132ft/6,441m), Annapurna III (24,786ft/7,555m), Machhapuchare (22,943ft/6,993m), and Gandharba Chuli (20,498ft/6,248m). From Chomrong the trail continues down on steps through terraced fields to cross the river. After the bridge it is steeply uphill through farmland and forest for an hour and a half to Sinuwa Danda, a small settlement on the ridge with 2-3 teahouses which offer great views of the surrounding landscape. Overnight in a lodge.

From Sinuwa, an hour’s walk through forest brings you to the small village of Khuldi-ghar, where your trekking permit and conservation ticket is checked and registered. From here you descend on slabs and then climb gently upwards to a small place called Bamboo, 7,700ft/2,347m, named after the dense vegetation in this area. Another hour’s walk through bamboo forest, following the River Modi upstream, will bring you to another small settlement of Dovan, or Dobang. You then continue more steeply uphill, high above the river until you reach Himalaya for your overnight stay in a lodge.

The trek from here is uphill most of the way with a few short steep climbs en route to Deorali. From this point you will now be feeling the altitude, as you get closer to the snowy peaks and the vegetation changes from forest to shrubs. From Deorali the trail narrows as you pass through the so called ‘gates’ of the Sanctuary, and then there are several steep climbs to reach the Machhapuchare Base Camp area, for your overnight stay in a lodge.

From Machapuchare Base Camp the trail winds up steeply for 1 hour. As you reach the upper ridge in the open wide valley, you enter a hidden amphitheatre with a complete view of an array of snowy peaks spread out before you. Another 1-2 hours of slow and steady walking will bring you to Annapurna Base Camp in the heart of the Annapurnas. Overnight in a lodge.

Rise early to be rewarded with the most spectacular sight of the sun rising over Annapurna South and her awe-inspiring neighbours. You are now completely surrounded by soaring, snow-capped giants, including Annapurna 1, Tent Peak, Hiunchuli, Gandharba Chuli, and Machapuchare. This is a morning to meant for photos! After this unforgettable feast of glorious mountain scenery, you retrace your journey back down to Himalaya. The lungs respond well to the treat of going downhill and to the lower altitude. Overnight in a lodge.

Today’s walk begins with a downhill walk through dense forest of oak, rhododendron, pine and bamboo, all the way to Bamboo, a temporary settlement built to cater to the needs of the trekkers, with 4-5 teahouses. From Bamboo, a 45 minute steep climb brings you back to Khuldi Ghar where you have to sign out before you leave. You walk through forest back to Sinuwa and then descend steeply to the river. After crossing the bridge, an hour steeply uphill on steps brings you back to Chomrong village for your overnight stay in a lodge.

From Chomrong you climb stone steps out of the village back to the corner where the trail forks, one way down to New Bridge and the other round into the valley of the Kimrong Khola. You stay on the high trail and continue round to where the trail divides again, one branch going downhill to Kimrong Village and on to Gandrung and the other branch, on the right, staying high and going to Tadapani. You take the right branch and follow an easy wide trail which meanders through the farm fields and then descends to the Kimrong river valley and down to the river. Your route then leads west, very steeply uphill, through dense forest for three hours until Tadapani is reached for the night’s stay. This is a magnificent spot in the midst of the magnolia and rhododendron forest, overlooking great views of Annapurna South, Machhapuchare and beyond towards the Manaslu range.

The path descends to cross a small stream and climbs to the village of Banthante. Then it is steeply uphill in a narrow forested gorge, often climbing on stone steps, to reach Deurali, four hours from Tadapani, from where there are good views down into the valley of the Kali Gandaki. From Deorali you climb again for a short while through fine forest before reaching an open ridge top from where there are fantastic views if the weather is still clear at this time of the day. There is another hour of easy descent through the rhododendron forest to Ghorepani, which is famous for its panoramic views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu and beyond, from the nearby Poon Hill.

You have the option to take an early morning hike to Poon Hill (10,531ft/3,210m), to catch the sunrise over the Himalayan peaks (about 45 minutes steeply uphill). After this beautiful and memorable image of the mighty Himalaya, trek down on the busy trail of the old Trans-Himalaya trade route where you will often see laden mule trains, firstly through forest to Banthante, continuing to Ulleri, before the classic descent of 1,640ft/500 metres on a steep Gurung ‘staircase’ to Tirkedhunga (5,052ft/1,540m) before continuing more gently down to Hille (4,987ft/1,520m) and on to Birethanti. Overnight in a lodge.

After breakfast, you continue to the road head at Naya Pul. Here you will be picked up and driven to Pokhara. You will have a couple of hours to explore Pokhara before catching an afternoon flight to Kathmandu. Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu.