Kopra Ridge trek, or often called Khopra Ridge trek, is away from the busier trails of Annapurna region of Nepal. For four nights of the itinerary you stay in community lodges set up by local villagers. The mountain views of the Himalayas from Kopra Ridge are sensational. You see the seventh highest mountain in the world, Mount Dhaulagiri, at a height of 8,167m. You also see Annapurna South, Fang and Nilgiri. From Ghandruk you see Mount Machhapuchhre (also known as Fishtail) and Mount Hiunchuli.
We start the Kopra Ridge itinerary by taking the flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. From the right side of the plane you get your first views of the Himalayas. For the first two days of the trek we follow the popular trails of the Annapurna foothills. We pass through terraced fields, rhododendron forests and Gurung villages to Ghandruk.
After Tadapani we leave the main trekking trail and for the next five days we walk along a quieter trail. Our highest lodge is at Khopra Ridge at 3,660m. It is well worth getting up early before breakfast to see the sunrise across the Himalayan peaks. From the lodge we organise a day walk and do the Kaire Lake trek. This is often called Khayar Lake or Khayer Lake trek too. It is a long walk up to Kaire lake and possible to do only if you have an early start. As we ascend the views of the Fang and surrounding Annapurna mountains are very impressive.
In the afternoon after our day walk we descend to Upper Chistibung lodge. On the descent to Swanta we hike through oak forest and rhododendrons. After a night at this village we walk up to the popular viewpoint of Poon Hill near Ghorepani and then descend to Ulleri. The next day is our last one trekking where we walk out to Nayapool. We meet our private transport for the drive back to Pokhara.
Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400m)
Day 2: Kathmandu sightseeing
Day 3: Fly to Pokhara, drive to Lumle (1,494m) and trek to Shyauli Bazaar (1,220m)
Day 4: Trek to Ghandruk (1,920m)
Day 5: Trek to Tadapani (2,590m)
Day 6: Trek to Bayeli Kharka (3,420m)
Day 7: Trek to Upper Chistibung (2,975m)
Day 8: Trek to Kopra Ridge (3,660m)
Day 9: Day walk from Kopra Ridge, descend to Upper Chistibung
Day 10: Trek to Swanta Village (2,200m)
Day 11: Trek to Ulleri (2,050m)
Day 12: Trek to Nayapool, drive to Pokhara
Day 13: Fly to Kathmandu
Day 14: Fly home
- All internal transport and transfers including airport collections.
- Internal flights. The flights are Kathmandu - Pokhara - Kathmandu. The weight allowance is 15kg for your main bag checked into the hold and 5kg for your day pack.
- One day sightseeing in Kathmandu with Nepalese cultural guide and private vehicle.
- Twin share room at Hotel Tibet in Kathmandu and Kailash Resort in Pokhara.
- Twin share bedroom with a common bathroom while on trek. We also send along a tent as a back-up in case you prefer to sleep outside or if the rooms at the lodge are full.
- Breakfast only in Kathmandu and Pokhara, all meals included while on trek. Trek meals include breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and biscuits plus two course dinner. This is soup and the main meal. Two hot drinks included per meal.
- Trekking arrangements. Including permits and fees, tents, Nepalese guides and porters. We provide one trekking guide for a group size of two people. We provide two guides for a group size of three people and three guides for group size of six people plus.
- Porterage. The allowance for your main bag is 15kg.
- Weather forecasts from EverestWeather.com.
- Thuraya satellite phone for organising logistics and medical evacuations. It can also be also used for personal calls at extra cost.
- Trekking map given to you on arrival to Kathmandu.
- Rubberised luggage tag posted to you before departure.
- Full financial protection. Our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) number is 10921. Our Association of Bonded Travel Operators Trust (ABTOT) membership number is 5365).
- Pre departure support and advice from The Mountain Company. We are available by email, phone or face to face meetings.
- International flight to/from Kathmandu.
- Travel & trekking insurance.
- Nepal visa for 30 days at US$40 (approx £25).
- Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu.
- Personal clothing & equipment, please see the Appendix for suggested kit list.
- Tips (guidance on amounts included in our “Nepal Pre Trip Information” notes).
- Other items not listed in “What is included”.
Hiking Kopra Ridge with the Mountain Company was a trip of a lifetime for me (to give context, I travel worldwide a few times a decade, and I'm in my mid-50s). The planning that went into the trip was evident as we took no wrong turns literally or figuartively. I would travel with the Mountain Company again in a heartbeat given how fulfilling was our Kopra trek.
This was the first of my 3 treks to Nepal with The Mountain Company. From the moment I contacted Roland I was massively impressed with his knowledge and professionalism. He helped my wife and I choose the right trek based on our age, fitness and experience and was always quick to respond to our many questions. We felt in very safe hands at all times. The actual trek exceeded all expectations and pushed us close to our limits at times. Our guide, Purna , was excellent in providing for all our needs and by the end of the trek felt like we had made a life long friend. This trek is an excellent introduction to trekking in Nepal and would be suitable for all ages so long as you had a reasonable fitness level. We have since returned twice more to Nepal, always with The Mountain Company. I can not recommend Roland and his company highly enough.
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