After all the planning and preparation the wait is finally over. Today we fly from Melbourne to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu you will be met by a representative of World Expeditions and transferred to your hotel. As our flight arrives late we will conduct our trip and safety briefing tomorrow.

Meals:  Nil

Waking up for the first time in Nepal we will start to explore this fascinating city but first we will have a full trip and safety briefing. During the briefing arrangements will be made for the distribution of your kit bag, sleeping bag and down/fibrefill jacket. This is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you have regarding your journey. We then will explore the cultural and historical highlights of Kathmandu including the two most important World Heritage Listed spiritual sites: Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most sacred Hindu temple and an important cremation site; and Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and the most sacred Tibetan Buddhist shrine outside of Tibet. We can also visit and spend time at Durbar Square, a wonderful place to sit and watch life on the streets of Kathmandu go by. Tonight we will have a welcome dinner at a local restaurant,..

Meals:  B,D

This morning we take a flight west to Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest town (820m). In good weather we are greeted with sights of the entire Annapurna Range. On arrival we transfer to our lodge in Pokhara. Set on the beautiful Phewa Lake this is a wonderful introduction to the Nepal countryside with views to the Annapurna Mountain range to the North. Whilst in Pokhara the group can organise an outing to cross the Phewa Lake and trek to the lookout vantage point giving us a fantastic view of the Annapurna Range and Pokhara village on a clear day. This also helps to get the legs moving before we start our trek tomorrow.

Meals:  B,D

This morning we rise and prepare all the gear and equipement for our trek. After a hearty breakfast we hit the road and drive for an hour to a pass between two river valleys to the village of Phedi, where we commence our trek. The trail ascends for the first hour, following a ridge through fields of bamboo clusters to magnificent rhododendron forest. Villagers greet us with “Namaste”, the traditional Nepalese greeting, as we pass their homes and continue to the ridge top where at the crest the scale of the mountains astounds us. Machapuchare (6993m), Hiunchuli (6441m) and Annapurna South (7219m) can be seen from our immediate viewpoint. Overnight eco lodge.

Meals:  B,L,D

After a glorious mountain sunrise we follow the trail through rhododendron forest before continuing through a series of Gurung villages where lifestyles have not changed substantially over the centuries. After lunch we follow a well-marked trail to the prosperous village of Landruk where we set our our base for our community service program. Over the next 5 days we will engage in our health post community service program at Landruk. This afternoon we will visit the project site and the students can start planning and preparing for the work that needs to be completed over this period. We will stay at our exclusive eco camp featuring permanent stand up tents with raised beds and stone rotunda where we have our meals. Here we have dramatic views of Annapurna South. Overnight permanent eco camp.

Meals:  B,L,D

Students will participate in a community service program building a community health post in Landruk. Currently locals need to walk to neighboring villages seeking medical attention. The health post in Landruk will provide local villages with ongoing free helath checks. We will also visit the local school in Landruk. The health post program will help the community for years to come. Overnight permanent eco camp

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we complete our service program and hand back the completed project to the local community in a small ceremony. We then continue our trek. Our destination today is easily seen across the valley, the attractive Gurung village of Ghandruk. We exit the village and slowly descend through rice terraces, crossing a steel bridge that spans 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. Overnight at exclusive eco-comfort camp.

Meals:  B,L,D

Our trail meanders uphill through fields and into forest of rhododendron, magnolia and lichen covered fig. We pass by waterfalls that cascade down narrow gullies that provide the perfect home for many small ferns and delicate plants such as exotic orchids bursting with colour. Tadapani is a small village with limited campsites, our overnight accommodation will be in an eco lodge. This is the last stop before we head into the more uninhabited regions of our trek.

Meals:  B,L,D

Leaving the main trekking trail we continue to ascend on a less defined path through old growth forest where we may be fortunate enough to see Himalayan Thar, Hyrax or Ressus and Langur monkeys. Eventually we rise above the tree line and gain stunning views of the Annapurna Himal, our lunch spot will most likely be a yak pasture at Timuje perched high on the hillside with fantastic views of Annapurna South and Himul Chuli. Following our lunch break we ascend steeply to the ridge where spectacular views of Dhaulagiri and it's surrounding peaks unfold before us. This section of the trek is magnificent and we are now well off the main trail. Continuing down the opposite side of the ridge we drop into smaller rhododendron forest and arrive at our remote campsite high on the hillside overlooking the valley.

Meals:  B,L,D

Setting off early today we make our way downward towards the valley floor, eventually entering the old growth forest, surrounded by colourful rhododendron. We glimpse a small settlement lower down at Chistibung, which will be our lunch spot. After a relaxing lunch we begin our ascent to the stunning location of the eco lodge at Kopra. The views here are truly amazing and some of the best in the entire Annapurnas. Dhaulagiri dominates the scene and towers above the deepest gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we have a big pilgrimage day hike planned to the sacred Khayer Lake. The views are outstanding and you will be trekking along an ancient pilgrimage trail to the site of the annual Badau Purnima Festival. The trail contours the steep hillsides and takes us even closer to the impressively sheer cliff face of Annapurna's Fang Face. In the late afternoon, we will descend back to our eco lodge at Kopra.

Meals:  B,L,D

We descend steeply from our lodge towards a stream and pass through the village of Chistibung. Today's route takes us through heavily forested terrain. Overnight in our exclusive eco-comfort camp in Swantha.

Meals:  B,L,D

A short walk brings us to Chitre where we join the old Tibet-Nepal trade route. The walk this morning offers excellent views of the Dhaulagiri range as the trail zigzags until we reach our lunch stop at Ghorepani. This is a large village which is on the main tourist trail. You may wish to wander through the bazaar for a short period following lunch, as there are many Tibetan wares on display, and also a bakery or two. Most trekkers to Ghorepani take a a pre dawn 45 minute climb to the summit of Poon Hill (3200m), which is a highlight of trekking in the Annapurnas. We will make the climb in the afternoon, when there are no crowds. From Poon Hill we leave the main trail and traverse on old yak herder trails to Upper Phulbari. The location affords spectacular views of the Dhauligiri Massif, with the luxury of no pre-dawn start, unless of course you chose to photograph the stunning views at sunrise. Overnight eco lodge.

Meals:  B,L,D

The views in the early morning are tremendous, with forested foot hills as a fore ground and some of the world's greatest mountain ranges surrounding us. If you are up early enough, the glow of the rising sun catches Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Annapurna. Our trail takes us through beautiful forests of rhododendrons, fir, pine, cedar and bamboo, there are many small trails through the forest, and we are unlikely to see any other westerners in this section of the trek. Eventually we emerge to open grassland ridges that offer a particularly pleasant trekking experience, before descending to a pretty lunchspot in a narrow valley skirted by multicoloured rhododendron bushes. From here there are three trails, we take the south trail which leads us to our exclusive eco-comfort camp at Les Par (Swarga).

Meals:  B,L,D

Today is a decent descent, we pass through interesting villages situated on steep rocky hills and terraces. The villages we pass are mixed communities of predominantly Gurung, Brahmin & Chettri. We finally descend into Pathichaur. Here we will have a quick lunch break and then board the bus for Pokhara. Once settled the students can organise afternoon activities at Pokhara. Overnight: hotel

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we transfer to the airport for the spectacular 40 minute flight back to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is spent in Kathmandu where the group can organise activities and exploration before we have a farewell dinner at a restaurant in Kathmandu.

Meals:  B,D

Today is at leisure to explore Kathmandu as a group and do some last minute shopping. We have a booked a handful of rooms at the hotel for day use so everyone can shower and freshen up before heading to the airport to check in for your flight home. We will have a low key dinner before heading to the airport for our onward flight to Melbourne.

Meals:  B,D

Meals:  Nil