Panchase Danda (hill) Birding Trek - 10 days

Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu and after clearance of customs and luggage’s, exist from the Airport Departure lounge and as soon as you exist you can see number of peoples outside holding a placard. Among them one of the representative of Nature Trail Travels & Tours, Trekking & Expedition will be holing a placard with your name in it. So, closely look at them. He will then transfer you to your respective hotels. Or else, you can visit our office and after full description about your trip, you will be driven to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

You will be picked up from your respective hotel by our company’s guide. Drive for about 45 minutes in order to reach Godawari. You will pass by several towns and cover a distance of about 12 kilometers before reaching Godawari. Upon arrival, you will have breakfast and then walk around the lower part of Phulchowki, where you can spot a few species of birds that are common in the valley. Don’t forget to bring binoculars and a camera to capture these species.

Then you continue your bird-watching tour by hiking towards the hilltop of Phulchowki. This is certainly a great place, famous for bird watching tours and some wild life, with an amazing panorama of mountain views from the top. Ranges of Annapurna, Manaslu and Ganesh Himal towards North West and with central Himalaya range of mountains of Langtang-Jugal Himal which continues towards North East Mt. Everest extending to other high Himalayan peaks are some of the mountain views that you can get from the top. Around this lovely forested area, about 90 species of birds have been recorded including the endemic spring babbler, as well as the Curia, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Rufous Bellied Pied Woodpeckers and the Black-throated Parrot bill, to name a few. Have your lunch, and after an enjoyable and peaceful stop for a few hours admiring the mountains and surrounding landscape views and its serene environment, the drive leads to a descent at Godawari Botanical Garden. Here you can visit the Botanical Garden with exotic Himalayan plants, herbs, and flowers. Afterwards, drive back to Kathmandu, passing through a traditional village.

On the following day, you have two options; either to drive or take a flight. It takes 25 minutes of flight through glorious peaks of Manaslu to take us to Pokhara, city of Lakes. Alternatively we can take a bus or private vehicle and follow Prithivi Highway for 6/7 hours to reach Pokhara. We leave the noisy streets of Kathmandu and follow a winding roadway along the scintillating Trishuli River. Your eyes will be occupied by the views of green lush hills, small towns, people, markets and rivers.  If you feel like exploring, we can take a boat ride on Phewa Lake. We will spend our night in a hotel at Pokhara.

After breakfast, take a scenic drive towards Khare Khola. The drive takes only about 30 minutes along the Tansen/Bhairahawa Highway in order to reach Khare Khola. Upon arrival at the spot, ascend uphill for about an hour to reach the first rural community of Kalabang. From here, we will begin descending down towards Bhumdi. Upon reaching Bhumdi village (1,520m), you will be able to witness the grandeur of Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Machapuchare (Mt. Fishtail), Mt. Himchuli.

We start today’s hike early in the morning. During clear weather, we get the chance to view great Himalayan panorama on our trails. We will climb uphill and pass through thickets. Continuing our ascending walk through forest and then on to Bhanjyang, a small settlement at the foot of Panchase, we conclude this day’s hike. Panchase Bhanjyang which is a wonderful settlement located at the foot of Panchase Hill is famous for bird watching and its views of Pokhara Valley and Phewa Lake.

On this day, we will ascend through stone steps all the way to Panchase Hill. Panchase Hill is located at an altitude of 2500 meter and provides stunning views of Mountains and surrounding valleys. Panchase Hill is the highest spot of Panchase Hill Trek which is an ideal place to view sunrise. Along the way, you can observe various species of birds. Afterwards, we descend down towards Alldanda before reaching Bhadaure.

Continuing our trek, we will have an appetizing breakfast and start our trek towards Sarangkot. Sarangkot is located at an altitude of 1550 meter and is an ideal destination for sunrise/sunset view. Recently it has also been renowned as a put-in-point for adventurous activities like: paragliding, bungee jumping and ultra-light flights. It takes five hours of walk through forest and terraces to reach Sarangkot from Bhadaure. We can even have a wonderful view of Pokhara Valley from here.

Wake up early this morning in order to view the sun rise and panoramic views of Mountain ranges. Have your breakfast at one of the hotel and then drive towards Pokhara. Remaining day is kept leisure for you to explore the Pokhara city on your own. Or else, we can arrange a sightseeing tour for you in the most famous places of Pokhara which includes: Devi’s fall, Gupteswor Cave, Mahendra Cave, Bindyabasini Temple, Seti George and Bat Cave.

Taking all the beautiful memories and capturing various species of birds in your camera, we will return back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, take rest and self-explore the town buying souvenirs for your near and dear ones.

As the Panchase birding tour comes to an end, it's time for the final departure. This unforgettable journey has allowed you to witness the incredible diversity of bird species in the Panchase area. As you bid farewell to this beautiful destination, you carry with you cherished memories and a deeper appreciation for the wonders of nature.