Check-in at Melbourne airport at 10:00 pm for our flight to Bangkok on Thai Airways International. Overnight on aircraft. Thai Airways TG 462 departs at 00:30.

Meals:  Nil

Arrive Bangkok at 05:40. Change aircraft in Bangkok. Thai Airways TG 319 Bangkok to Kathmandu, departs at 10:30, arrives 12:45. On arrival in Kathmandu (1330 metres) you will be met by your group leader and transferred to the hotel where pre-trek briefing will be given. Arrangements are made today for the distribution of your kit bag, sleeping bag and down jacket. After a rest we will walk into the Thamel area of Kathmandu for a taste of the days to come as we amble through the markets and enjoy dinner in one of the good restaurants available to us.

Meals:  L,D

Sightseeing will be organised for this morning to visit the key cultural sites of Pasupatinath and Boudanath. During our visit you will also have time to explore Kathmandu. The area has an amazing range of fascinating highlights, whatever your interest. Excellent bookshops, extensive markets, novelty shops and handicraft shops contrast with fantastic centres of cultural and spiritual significance. Kathmandu has more World Heritage sites than any other city in the world.

Meals:  B,L,D

You will transferred to the airport and take an early flight to Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city. Shortly after take-off from Kathmandu you will catch glimpses of the high mountain ranges of Ganesh, Manaslu and Annapurna, and enjoy the patchwork of villages and fields below. After 35 minutes you arrive at Pokhara and drive out of town for around an hour to start our trek. The trail ascends on an old stone staircase through fields and clumps of bamboo until we enter rhododendron forest and continue to the ridge top. As we reach the crest the scale of the imposing mountains will astound you, and we rest and gaze at the adjacent peaks of Machapuchare (6993m), Hiunchuli (6441m) and Annapurna South (7219m) from our camp site.

Meals:  B,L,D

This is an interesting day as we trek through forest, and in and out of gullies, as the path takes us toward the mountains. The rhododendron forests are lush and offer a protective canopy for the smaller delicate flora, such as primula and daphne. It also provides a haven for birdlife and we can hear their varied calls as we move through. The trail soon opens into fields as we approach the village of Landrung for spectacular views of the Annapurna Range.

Meals:  B,L,D

Our destination today is the attractive Gurung village of Gandrung, easily seen across the valley. But, we must descend to the valley floor to reach it! Slowly descending through rice terraces, we cross the steel bridge across the glacial river of the Modi Khola and commence our ascent. As we trek up the many staircases, we enjoy the beauty of the Himalaya at a relatively close range and observe the glaciers flowing from them to form the rivers below us. It really is a magnificent location and a photographer's delight. Our leisurely approach along these ridges with their fine mountain views ensures proper acclimatisation, and the un-hurried opportunity to fully savour this magnificent scenery. The sunset and sunrise views from tonight’s camp site are magnificent.

Meals:  B,L,D

Our trail meanders uphill through fields and into the forest of rhododendron and magnolia. We pass by waterfalls that cascade down narrow gullies that provide the perfect home for many small ferns and delicate plants. Tadapani is a clearing in the forest and a rest place for porters. We make camp here and observe the local people as they travel by. From the camp site we gain spectacular mountain views, particularly of Annapurna South.

Meals:  B,L,D

We follow the trail through rhododendron forest to the pass at Deorali. We have passed above the tree-line, and now have excellent views of the dramatic range of mountains known as the Dhaulagiri Himal. We have arrived at the busy Pokhara-Jomosom trail, which is the old Tibet-Nepal trade route and provides an interesting insight into the daily life of this area, and enter Gorepani and our camp.

Meals:  B,L,D

From Gorepani, a 45 minute climb brings us to the summit of Poon Hill. The views here are tremendous, with huge snow-capped mountain ranges high above a foreground of terraced foothills. We descend from the ridge through forest to our camp just outside Ramche village. This is a very pleasant location for an overnight as we are nestled on the ridge-top between the Kali Gandaki and Ramche valleys, and sunset and sunrise views should be at their best. We are well away from the main trails, and you will enjoy the traditional village lifestyle.

Meals:  B,L,D

We descend this morning to the village of Nah and cross a stream and make our way over the next foothill by slowly climbing and traversing its ridges. These trails are a delight to travel, offering a variety of forests, villages and small settlements. The local people attend to their traditional tasks and welcome our visit with interest. There are excellent views today as we meander through the forests on little-known trails where terraced fields and grazing lands are interspersed with neat houses. We pass through the village of Sailijan, crest the forest-covered ridge, making a stop for lunch nearby, and continue on through rolling country to our camp near Lespar.

Meals:  B,L,D

An hour from our camp is the village school. It is a poor village of unskilled farmers and labourers who struggle to make ends meet. As a result they do not have the resources to properly educate their children. The students are from grades 1 to 10, but very few can afford to stay until grade 10. We will meet the students and learn about their lives, their school, and hopes. We might join them in traditional games, or increasingly popular games such as soccer and cricket. We will undertake to raise funds to assist the students, school and village.

Meals:  B,L,D

We descend 600 metres to Naya Phul. After all that steady climbing and high mountain views it is quite a change to be dropping down to lower altitudes. The best way to tackle this is 'slowly, slowly' as our porters do, stopping for a rest, or to admire the view. We pass some Magar villages with their well-tended fields, and make our way to the Modi Khola (river). We cross at Naya Phul, board our bus, and drive to Pokhara.

Meals:  B,L,D

Pokhara is the site of the famous Zip Line, with a vertical drop of 600 metres over 1.8 kilometres in length, it is said to be the worlds’ longest and highest. After this adrenalin–filled celebration at the end of our trek, we return to our camp.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we transfer to the airport for our short flight to Kathmandu. We should reach the hotel by early afternoon, and have time for informal sightseeing exploring the fascinating streets, squares and alleys, and perhaps walk to Swayambhunath temple for views over Kathmandu.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we will take the opportunity to see some of the sites of Kathmandu the Kathmandu valley. We commence with a visit to Tilganga, a significant organisation in Kathmandu that was developed by Dr Ruit and supported from its inception by the Hollows Foundation in Australia. Scotch has a long association with this important and effective medical institution, and after a short tour we will make a donation from the funds raised. We continue to Bhaktapur, and ancient valley city to explore its streets and history.

Meals:  B,L,D

We farewell Nepal as we have a morning transfer to Kathmandu airport for our flight to Melbourne on Thai Airways. Thai Airways TG 320 Kathmandu to Bangkok, departs at 13:55, arrives 18:30 Change aircraft.

Meals:  B

Thai Airways TG 465 Bangkok to Melbourne, departs at 00:05, arrives 13:05.

Meals:  Nil