Sarangkot sunrise alone was worth the trip
Went into this expecting a fairly basic warm up hike and came away more impressed than i thought i’d be. Dhampus was quiet and slow paced in a good way, proper village life happening around us the whole afternoon. sarangkot the next morning is the reason to book this trip though, sunrise over the annapurna range with fishtail peak standing out clearly, worth setting an alarm for. phewa lake at the end gave us a relaxed half day in pokhara before heading back, nice contrast after two days on trail. would recommend this to anyone who assumes nepal trekking always means a huge commitment.
Theo Bergman
Uppsala, Sweden
Good short trek if you’re beginner like I
Wasn’t sure a week would be enough to actually feel like i’d trekked anything, but Sarangkot changed my mind on that pretty fast. we got up stupid early, still half asleep walking up in the dark, and then the light just started doing its thing over the Annapurna range, fishtail peak specifically. didn’t expect to care that much about a mountain i couldn’t even name properly beforehand. Dhampus the day before was quieter, less dramatic, mostly just walking through fields and saying hello to people, which i actually needed after the flight and the drive. ended up sitting by Phewa Lake for way longer than planned on the last day, wasn’t in a rush to leave. good trip for someone who wanted a real taste of it without disappearing for two weeks.
Rowan Fitzgerald
Sligo, Ireland
Almost missed sarangkot sunrise messing with my camera
Picked this trek because i only had a week in Nepal and wanted something manageable, and honestly it was perfect. Dhampus village on day 3 was such a gentle intro, terraced fields, annapurna range peeking through clouds most of the afternoon. Sarangkot sunrise the next morning though, that’s the moment everyone talks about and it’s earned, fishtail mountain lighting up gold while the whole valley wakes up below you. walking down to Phewa lake after felt like a totally different pace, boats, cafes, actual relaxation after days of trekking. short trip but it hit every note i wanted from Nepal.
Nadia Kovac
Zagreb, Croatia
7 days by jeep, no regrets at all
Took the jeep version since we were short on time and honestly the driving itself was half the fun, roads getting rougher and the land turning more desert like the closer we got to lo manthang. explore day there with the Jhoong Cave was unreal, muktinath on the way back felt like a good calm ending, quiet after all the dust and switchbacks. would do this again in a heartbeat if i’m ever back in nepal.
Diego Alvarez
Cordoba, Argentina
Good Upper mustang for bad kness like mine
Bad knees ruled out the full trekking version of Upper Mustang for me, so the overland trip felt like the sensible option, turned out to be more than just a forced option. The drive past Kagbeni is where it gets interesting, green valley giving way to bare red cliffs within a single afternoon. Lo Manthang was the expected highlight, that walled city still carries a real sense of how restricted it used to be. What I didn’t expect was Chhoser Cave stealing some of the attention, multiple levels carved straight into the cliffside, torch in hand climbing through them. Seven days by jeep and I never once felt like I was missing the “real” trek.
Fiona Campbell
Perth, Scotland
Chooser cave became my best time on tour
Did this as an overland option since i didn’t want to walk the whole thing this time. Lo manthang was as good as photos suggest, walled city, old palace, worth the long drive to get there. Chhoser cave system though nobody really talks about, multi story caves carved into cliffs, climbed through a few levels with a torch, way cooler than expected. Muktinath on the way back added a nice quiet contrast after all the driving, and the whole trip ended up feeling way more varied than i expected from something done entirely by jeep.
Marcus Bauer
Freiburg, Germany
Short Trek and long List of Things I Didn’t Expect
Booked this mainly because I only had eight days free, didn’t expect much beyond a quick mountain fix. Pikey Peak summit changed that fast, 360 degree view of the range with almost nobody else up there. Jase Bhanjyang the next day was a quieter, forested contrast that I appreciated after the exposed summit push. Junbesi village had a nice unhurried feel to it too, good place to just sit outside a teahouse for a while. Small trip overall but it didn’t feel like a shortcut version of anything.
Petra Novak
Brno, Czech Republic
Just right beginner trek for anyone wondering
Picked this as a short warm up trek before something bigger later. summit morning at pikey peak was cold and windy but everest, makalu, kanchenjunga all lined up in one view, worth the early start easily. thupten choling monastery a couple days later actually ended up being the part i talk about most, sat in on part of a prayer session, monks barely noticed us which somehow made it feel more real. phaplu at the end felt sleepy in a good way after days on trail
Sam Whitfield
Adelaide, Australia
Pikey Peak was a good exprience for a 8 day trek
Went in with low expectations since it’s such a short trek and pikey peak summit morning proved me wrong immediately. Everest visible from up there along with a bunch of other peaks i couldn’t name fast enough. jase bhanjyang to junbesi the next day was a nice gentle wind down after the summit push. phaplu at the end felt like a proper small town after days of remote trail. great option if time is tight but you still want the real himalayan feeling
Liam Foster
Waterford, Ireland
Lower Mustang gave me two treks for the price of one
Honestly didn’t expect this combo to work as well as it did. poon hill crowded but worth it, standard stuff. once we hit kalopani and marpha though the whole trip changed pace, quieter, drier, apple orchards instead of rhododendron forest. kagbeni was a personal favorite, felt ancient walking through it. muktinath the next morning wrapped things up nicely. would recommend to anyone who can’t decide between the two regions.
Declan Murphy
Limerick, Ireland