An eight-day trek from Pokhara to Khopra Danda, a 3,660 m ridge facing Dhaulagiri, staying in community-run lodges away from the main Annapurna trails, with an optional day hike to the sacred Khayer Lake at about 4,660 m and a finish at Poon Hill.
An eight-day trek from Pokhara to Khopra Danda, a 3,660 m ridge facing Dhaulagiri, staying in community-run lodges away from the main Annapurna trails, with an optional day hike to the sacred Khayer Lake at about 4,660 m and a finish at Poon Hill.
The Khopra Danda Trek leaves the busy Annapurna trails at Tadapani and climbs through rhododendron forest to a grassy ridge at 3,660 m on the Myagdi side of Annapurna South. From the lodge on Khopra Danda the view runs straight across the Kali Gandaki gorge to Dhaulagiri, with Tukuche, Nilgiri and the Annapurnas close by. It is one of the few treks in the region where you can see this much of the range from your bedroom window.
The route was opened as a community trek: the lodges at Chistibang, Khopra Danda and Swanta are owned and run by nearby villages, and their profits support local schools, health posts and the yak farm on the ridge. Lodges are simple and few, which keeps numbers low. Between Tadapani and Khopra there are no villages at all, only forest, kharkas (summer pastures) and the occasional herder's hut.
We start in Pokhara and drive to Ghandruk, then walk via Tadapani and Dobato, where an early climb to Muldai Viewpoint gives a sunrise panorama from Dhaulagiri to Machhapuchhre. A short day from Chistibang brings us to Khopra Danda by late morning, so you have time to adjust before the optional day hike to Khayer Lake, a Hindu pilgrimage lake at around 4,660 m under Annapurna South and Fang.
From Khopra we descend steeply to the Magar village of Swanta, rejoin the main trail at Ghorepani and finish with sunrise from Poon Hill before walking down to Ulleri for the drive back to Pokhara. Expect stone staircases, steep forest climbs and long descents, cold nights on the ridge and very early starts for the viewpoints. Days are mostly 4 to 6 hours, with the Khayer Lake hike the long exception.
The trek suits walkers in good health who are comfortable with 5 to 6 hours a day on steep, uneven ground. There is a lot of up and down on stone steps, especially on the first two days and on the descents to Swanta and Ulleri, so strong legs and knees matter more than speed. The optional Khayer Lake hike is an 8 to 10 hour day reaching about 4,660 m and needs a higher level of fitness; you can decide on the day. No previous trekking experience is required. In the two to three months before you travel, aim for regular hill walks or stair climbing with a 6 to 8 kg daypack, building up to back-to-back days of 5 to 6 hours, plus cardio such as running, cycling or swimming three times a week. Talk to your doctor if you have heart, lung or knee problems.
We leave Pokhara after breakfast and drive through Nayapul and Kimche to Ghandruk, a large Gurung village of slate-roofed houses facing Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. After lunch we climb through terraced fields and then oak and rhododendron forest to Tadapani, a small clearing of lodges on a forested ridge. On a clear evening the view from Tadapani takes in Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre.
Today we leave the main Annapurna Base Camp trail and turn north-west on the quieter Khopra route. The path climbs through dense rhododendron and oak forest past the herders' huts of Meshar, then makes a steep climb of about an hour to Isharu before levelling out towards Dobato. Dobato is a handful of lodges in a clearing above 3,400 m, and there are no villages or teahouses between Isharu and Dobato, so your guide makes sure everyone carries water and snacks.
We start before dawn with a steep climb of about 30 to 45 minutes to Muldai Viewpoint at 3,637 m, one of the widest panoramas on the trip: Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, the Annapurnas, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre in one line. After breakfast back at Dobato we follow the ridge to the grazing ground of Bayeli Kharka, then drop through forest, cross a stream and climb to Chistibang (also called Dhan Kharka), a small community lodge on the edge of the forest.
A short but steep day: the trail gains about 650 m in roughly 3 km, leaving the forest behind for open yak pasture and rhododendron scrub. We aim to reach the community lodge on Khopra Danda by late morning, leaving the afternoon free to rest and adjust to the altitude. From the ridge the view runs straight across the Kali Gandaki gorge to Dhaulagiri, with Annapurna South and Nilgiri closer to the north-east.
This is the longest and highest day of the trek, and it is optional. We set off at first light with a packed lunch, head north-east across the pastures, pass the small shepherds' shelter at Thanti and finish with about two hours on steep stone steps to Khayer Lake at around 4,660 m. The lake is a Hindu pilgrimage site, with a small shrine, sitting under the south faces of Annapurna South and Varaha Shikhar (Fang). We return the same way to Khopra Danda; anyone who prefers a rest day can stay at the lodge and walk the ridge for sunset.
After sunrise over Dhaulagiri we begin the long descent towards the Myagdi side of the range. The trail drops steeply from the ridge back past Chistibang, then through rhododendron forest and across a river before a short climb into Swanta, a Magar farming village with terraced fields and a small community lodge. Leaves on the forest trail can be slippery, so poles help on this day.
A shorter walk links Swanta with the main Poon Hill trail. We cross a suspension bridge below the village and climb through forest to Chitre, then follow the busier trail up to Ghorepani for the last two hours. Ghorepani is a large village of lodges on a pass at about 2,874 m, with hot showers, bakeries and a lively evening atmosphere after the quiet nights on the ridge.
We leave around 5 am for the 45 to 60 minute climb to Poon Hill at 3,210 m, where sunrise lights up Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. After breakfast in Ghorepani we descend through Banthanti on stone steps to Ulleri, where our vehicle meets us for the drive back down to Pokhara via Nayapul. We check into your hotel by late afternoon.
Permits we arrange: Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP)
The overnight stops climb gently from 2,630 m at Tadapani to 3,660 m at Khopra Danda, and the short day from Chistibang to Khopra gives your body an afternoon to adjust before the high point. The Khayer Lake hike reaches about 4,660 m and is a long day of 8 to 10 hours, which is why it is optional. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen saturation and symptoms each evening, and anyone with a headache that does not settle, nausea or unusual breathlessness turns back. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day and walk slowly above 3,000 m.
Above Tadapani there are no villages, only a few lodges. Chistibang, Khopra Danda and Swanta are community lodges: profits go back into local schools, health posts and the yak farm on the ridge. Rooms are simple twin rooms with shared toilets, and the Khopra lodge has a limited number of beds and fills up in October and April. Your guide phones ahead each day to hold rooms, and we plan to reach Khopra before lunch.
The trek lies entirely inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. Foreign trekkers need an ACAP permit, and since 1 April 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's national parks and conservation areas must trek with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency. The ACAP permit costs NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals and is checked at posts along the trail, including Ghorepani. We obtain all permits in Pokhara before you start, so we need a copy of your passport and visa in advance.
Bring enough Nepali rupees in cash from Pokhara for drinks, snacks, showers, charging and tips; do not rely on ATMs or card payments on the trail. Lodges charge a small fee for charging phones and cameras, and power at Khopra comes from solar panels, so a power bank is useful. The Khopra lodge has wifi installed through a community wireless project, though speeds vary with the weather. Mobile data works in Ghandruk and Ghorepani but is patchy on the ridge.
In winter and early spring snow can cover the trail between Dobato and Khopra, and the steps to Khayer Lake can be icy or blocked, in which case your guide will cancel the lake hike. Spring afternoons often bring cloud and occasional hail, so the best mountain views are usually early in the morning. During the monsoon (June to August) the forest trails are muddy and leech-ridden and the mountains are usually hidden, so we do not recommend those months.
There is no bottled water above Tadapani. Lodges sell boiled or filtered water, and we ask you to carry a refillable bottle and purification tablets or a filter rather than buying plastic bottles. Please carry your own rubbish back to Pokhara, as the ridge lodges have no way to dispose of it.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Down jacketWe provide
On loan from us; essential for evenings and early starts at Khopra and Poon Hill
Waterproof and windproof shell jacket
Fleece or light insulated mid-layer
Thermal base layers (top and bottom)
For cold nights in the ridge lodges
Quick-dry trekking shirts (2–3)
Trekking trousers (2 pairs)
Waterproof over-trousers
Warm hat and sun hat
Warm gloves and light liner gloves
Broken-in waterproof hiking boots with ankle support
Long, steep descents to Swanta and Ulleri
Trekking socks (4 pairs)
Sandals or light shoes for the lodges
Sleeping bag rated to about -10 °CWe provide
On loan from us; lodge blankets alone are not enough at 3,660 m
Daypack of 25–35 litres
Large enough for the Khayer Lake day: lunch, water, warm layers
Trekking polesRent locally
Rented in Pokhara; very useful on the stone steps
Head torch with spare batteries
For the pre-dawn starts to Muldai, Khayer Lake and Poon Hill
Reusable water bottles (2 litres total)
Water purification tablets or filter
Power bank
Charging is solar-powered and limited on the ridge
Sunglasses with UV protection
Category 3 or 4 if there is snow
Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
Personal medicines and blister kit
Hand sanitiser and biodegradable toilet paper
Passport and two passport-size photos
For the ACAP permit
Travel insurance policy with evacuation cover
Nepali rupees in cash
No ATMs once you leave Pokhara
Snacks such as nuts and energy bars
Sweets are hard to find on the ridge
We grade it moderate. Most days are 4 to 6 hours with long stone staircases and steep forest climbs, and the highest overnight stop is 3,660 m. The optional Khayer Lake hike is the exception: 8 to 10 hours on foot and a climb to about 4,660 m. If you are comfortable walking 5 to 6 hours a day on hilly ground, you will manage the main route.
On a clear morning it gives you the closest views of the trip of Annapurna South and Fang, and the lake itself is a quiet pilgrimage site. It is a long, cold day though, and in snow the final steps can be closed. Many guests skip it and enjoy a rest day on the ridge; your guide decides on the morning based on weather, trail conditions and how the group is feeling.
The trip starts and finishes in Pokhara. We drive to Ghandruk on the first morning and finish by jeep from Ulleri on day 8. If you are coming from Kathmandu, the tourist bus takes 7 to 8 hours and flights take 25 minutes; we can book either for you.
Tadapani, Dobato and Ghorepani have family-run teahouses; Chistibang, Khopra Danda and Swanta have community-run lodges. Expect simple twin rooms with foam mattresses and blankets, shared toilets, and a warm dining room with a stove in the evenings. Hot showers are available at most stops for a small fee.
No. Since 1 April 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's conservation areas must be accompanied by a licensed guide, and the permit is issued through a registered agency. A guide is also useful here: the trail above Dobato is faint in snow or cloud, and there are no villages between Tadapani and Khopra.
October and November give the clearest skies and stable weather. March to May is the second best season, with rhododendron forests in flower between Tadapani and Dobato, though afternoons are often cloudy. December to February is possible but cold, and snow can block the high trail and the Khayer Lake hike. We avoid June to August because of monsoon rain, leeches and poor views.
It shares the first and last day with the Annapurna Poon Hill circuit but spends four nights away from the main trail, on a ridge about 450 m higher than Poon Hill. The lodges are fewer and quieter, and the views of Dhaulagiri from Khopra and of the whole range from Muldai are wider than from Poon Hill alone. We still finish with Poon Hill at sunrise on the last morning.
Mild symptoms such as a light headache are common above 3,000 m. We ascend gradually, keep the day to Khopra short, and check your oxygen level each evening. If symptoms get worse, the fix is to descend, and from Khopra you can lose 700 m within a couple of hours. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation, as Khopra is a few hours' walk from the nearest road.
Yes. Without the Khayer Lake day the trek takes 7 days. You can also leave from Khopra by descending to Paudwar and driving back to Pokhara, skipping Swanta, Ghorepani and Poon Hill. Ask us when you book and we will adjust the plan.
Khopra Danda Trek
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