Annapurna Discovery — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport. Buy a local SIM from Ncell or NTC at arrivals (~£2-3 for data), withdraw NPR at an ATM, and take a prepaid airport taxi or ride-hailing (Pathao/InDrive) to Thamel (~£3-4, 30-40 min). Check into a Thamel guesthouse and spend the late afternoon wandering Patan or central Kathmandu Durbar Square, haggling for trekking bits (gas canisters, down jackets can be rented cheaply here). Eat dal bhat at a local bhojanalaya (~£2-3) and sleep early — jet lag plus altitude prep both reward an early night.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi or Pathao ride ~£3-4

🛏Thamel guesthouse, private twin room with hot water (£12-15/night)

• →Airport transfer to Thamel
• →Wander Patan or Kathmandu Durbar Square
• →Buy/rent trekking gear in Thamel
• →Buy local SIM card

Walk or take a short taxi to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) early — entry ~£1.5, climb the 365 steps for the classic Kathmandu Valley view before the tour buses arrive. In the afternoon get your trekking admin done independently: head to the Nepal Tourism Board office (Bhrikutimandap) or an authorised counter to buy the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (~£22) and TIMS card (~£7); bring passport copies and passport photos. Optional: hire a licensed guide or porter for the trek through a Thamel agency (guide ~£15-20/day, shared cost if you team up with other trekkers via hostel noticeboards or Facebook groups). Welcome dinner of momos and local beer in Thamel (~£5).

🚌Walking / short taxis ~£3

🛏Thamel guesthouse (£12-15/night)

• →Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) climb
• →Buy ACAP permit and TIMS card
• →Optional: hire local trekking guide/porter in Thamel
• →Explore Kathmandu's old town

Take the morning tourist bus from Kantipath (or Sorhakhutte) to Pokhara — booked the day before through any Thamel agent, ~£8-10, 7-8 hours with a lunch stop. Rather than stopping overnight in Pokhara, take a shared jeep or local bus from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul/Birethanti (~£2, 1.5 hrs). Check your permits at the ACAP checkpoint in Birethanti, then overnight in a teahouse by the river. Dinner and breakfast included in your lodge rate if you eat there — standard teahouse practice (dal bhat ~£3).

🚌Tourist bus ~£9 + shared jeep ~£2

🛏Teahouse in Birethanti (£5-8/night, meals bought separately)

• →Tourist bus Kathmandu to Pokhara
• →Shared jeep to Nayapul/Birethanti
• →Permit check at ACAP post

The classic day one: follow the Modi Khola past Sudame and Hille, then tackle the infamous stone staircase — roughly 3,000 steps up to Ulleri (2,070 m). Start by 7.30am to beat the heat; total 5-6 hours. Buy lunch at a trail teahouse en route (~£2-3) and refill water at lodges or with a filter (avoid single-use bottles — the conservation area bans them). In Ulleri, a basic twin room is ~£4-6; add dal bhat dinner and porridge breakfast (~£5). Drinking water refills ~£0.50-1.

🚌On foot

🛏Ulleri teahouse, basic twin room (£4-6/night, shared bathroom)

• →Trek Birethanti to Ulleri (~5-6 hrs, 1,000 m ascent)
• →Stone staircase climb through rhododendron forest
• →Village teahouse lunch stop

A shorter but steadily climbing day (~3-4 hrs, 800 m) through oak and rhododendron forest, past Banthanti's waterfalls, arriving at Ghorepani (2,860 m) by early afternoon. Settle into a teahouse with a stove-warmed common room — you're now sleeping above 2,800 m, so go slow, hydrate, and skip the altitude-beer temptation. Afternoon walk to a viewpoint ridge for your first full Annapurna South and Dhaulagiri panorama, or just nurse a milk tea and watch the clouds. Teahouse ~£5-7, meals ~£7-9 (prices climb with altitude).

🚌On foot

🛏Ghorepani teahouse (£5-7/night, shared bathroom)

• →Trek Ulleri to Ghorepani (~3-4 hrs)
• →Rhododendron forest and waterfall section
• →Afternoon Annapurna South viewpoint

Set an alarm for 4.30am and hike 45-60 minutes up to Poon Hill (3,210 m) by headtorch for sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre — there's a small viewpoint entry fee (~£2.5). It's the photographic highlight of the whole trek. Back to the teahouse for breakfast, then genuinely rest: read, stretch, and drink tea while your body acclimatises. Optional afternoon visit to the local check-post village of Deurali or a short walk along the ridge. Early dinner and early night.

🚌On foot (1-2 hrs round trip to Poon Hill)

🛏Ghorepani teahouse, second night (£5-7/night)

• →Poon Hill sunrise hike (3,210 m)
• →Sunrise viewpoint entry fee
• →Rest and acclimatisation afternoon

A big day — roughly 6-7 hours. Take the high ridge through Deurali and Tadapani (forest, occasional Annapurna South views, then a steep descent) and drop into Ghandruk, the handsome Gurung village of stone houses and slate roofs. If you'd rather split it, Tadapani has plenty of teahouses for a night's stop (add a day). In Ghandruk, the Gurung Museum (small donation) and the terraced-field sunset are worth the short walk. Teahouse ~£6-8, meals ~£8.

🚌On foot

🛏Ghandruk teahouse (£6-8/night)

• →Trek Ghorepani to Ghandruk via Tadapani (~6-7 hrs)
• →Gurung Museum visit
• →Terraced-field sunset walk

A gentler, lower day (~4 hrs) descending from Ghandruk and contouring east through Chhomrong-style terraces (your route goes via Komrong/Chane) to Tolka, a small Magar village on a ridge with views back to Annapurna South. Fewer trekkers here than on the Ghorepani side — good for a quiet afternoon and a decent book. Teahouse ~£5-6, meals ~£7.

🚌On foot

🛏Tolka teahouse (£5-6/night)

• →Trek Ghandruk to Tolka (~4 hrs)
• →Village life in Magar settlement
• →Ridge viewpoint walk

Final trekking morning (~3 hrs): climb to Deurali then descend through forest to the roadhead at Kande, where the ACAP checkpoint closes out your permit. From Kande, catch a local bus or shared jeep down to Pokhara (~£1-2, 1 hr). Check into a Lakeside guesthouse and treat yourself to a proper shower and a lakeside dinner of Nepali thali or lake fish (~£6-8). Optional: book a Pokhara paragliding or Sarangkot sunrise slot for the next day via Klook/GetYourGuide — but a rest day is the smarter call.

🚌Local bus Kande to Pokhara ~£1.5

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, private room (£15-18/night)

• →Trek Tolka to Kande (~3 hrs)
• →Local bus/shared jeep to Pokhara
• →Lakeside dinner in Pokhara

A full rest day in Pokhara. Hire a wooden doonga on Phewa Lake (~£3-4/hr, self-rowed or with a boatman) and look for Machhapuchhre's reflection; walk to the World Peace Pagoda on the ridge above the lake (~1 hr up), browse Lakeside's shops, and maybe book a massage or an afternoon at a cafe with mountain views. Optional add-ons bookable locally or via Klook: Sarangkot sunrise paragliding (~£60-80), zip-lining, or the International Mountain Museum (~£3). Dinner ~£6-8.

🚌Walking / local taxis ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara (£15-18/night)

• →Phewa Lake boat ride
• →World Peace Pagoda hike
• →Lakeside shopping
• →Optional paragliding or mountain museum

Take the morning tourist bus back to Kathmandu (~£8-10, 7-8 hrs, book a day ahead) — or a 25-minute flight for ~£70-90 if you're short on time or want the Himalaya window seat. Arrive Thamel late afternoon, check back into a guesthouse, and have a farewell dinner of Newari food (bara, choila) or a proper steak in Thamel (~£7-9) to toast the trek. Pick up any last souvenirs — pashmina, singing bowls, tea.

🚌Tourist bus ~£9 (flight optional ~£80)

🛏Thamel guesthouse (£12-15/night)

• →Tourist bus Pokhara to Kathmandu (or optional flight)
• →Farewell dinner in Thamel
• →Souvenir shopping

Breakfast at the guesthouse, then a pre-booked taxi or Pathao to Tribhuvan International Airport (allow 3 hrs before an international flight; the airport is chaotic). If your flight is evening, squeeze in a last morning at Boudhanath Stupa (~£2 entry, 20 min taxi) — a calm, fitting end to the trip.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£3-4

🛏—

• →Airport transfer
• →Optional Boudhanath Stupa visit