Khopra Ridge Trek

The trek to the Khopra ridge and Khayar lake is a quiter alternative to the well-known Annapurna Base Camp trek, offerring a panoramic view of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges and a holy Khayer Lake at an altitude of 4600m.

I went to this trek in the mid of March, 2026 and the iternery we planned was of 5 days, though a more relaxed iterery of 6-7 days would have been better. Day 1 begins at Pokhara, a beautiful city of lakes and a hub for multiple other treks like the ABC. From Kathmandu, you can take a flight to Pokhara, or an overnight bus as well. Prefer a sofa seater bus for a comfortable journey.

For Nepealease, the permit is not required. If you are a foreign national, you can either get the permit (Annapurna Conservation Area) from the immigration office in Kathmandu / Pokhara, or better get it online at epermit.ntnc.org.np. You will need to get the barcode in the permit scaned at the ACA checkposts.

Day 1: Pokhara to Ghandruk and Trek to Tadapani

The bus dropped me at Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara, at 7 in the morning. The actual trek starts from Ghandruk, and you can reach there either by bus or a jeep from Pokhara. From Prithivi Chowk, we took a city (local) bus to Baglung Bus Park, from where we boarded another bus to Ghandruk. Alternatively, you can go to Hari Chowk, where shared jeeps to Ghandruk are easily available.

The journey took around 2–3 hours, and we finally reached Ghandruk, situated at an altitude of 2000 meters. Just before reaching the village, there’s an ACA checkpost where permits for foreign nationals are checked.

Ghandruk is a beautiful village in the Kaski district 🏡. From here onwards, there are no motorable roads, the actual trek begins here. You can also choose to stay in Ghandruk for a day and start the trek the next morning.

We had lunch (the classic Dal-Bhat 😋) and then headed towards Tadapani. Tadapani is about 6 km from Ghandruk. The trek starts with stone staircases through the village, followed by forest trails. During this season, the forest is full of rhododendron trees, the famous red forest 🌺.

As I started walking, I quickly realized that trekking after lunch was much harder than before. The heavy meal really slowed us down. Note to self: no heavy lunch before a hike 😅.

We ascended the stone staircases along the village. People were tending to their cattle, houses were under construction, grains were spread out to dry, and children were playing around, simple village life at its best. We walked further, descended, and then ascended again.

Gradually, the forest began turning redder and denser. The blooming rhododendrons (लालीगुराँस) were absolutely mesmerizing. Walking through the forest felt magical ✨, even though the sweat and exhaustion were at their peak. At first, we saw scattered rhododendron trees, but soon the forest became thicker and intensely red.

We stopped at a spot marked by a few stone pillars. From there, the view of the dense rhododendron forest was breathtaking. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, wondering how unbelievably beautiful nature can be 🌿.

As evening approached, the sun began to set, and it grew darker by the minute. We had to speed up. Just then, the weather suddenly changed—black clouds gathered, and a hailstorm began. We quickly put on our raincoats and continued walking. The hailstorm grew stronger, and the cold became unbearable. Without gloves, our hands were freezing ❄️.

After pushing forward, we finally spotted a village. We stood under a roof for a while, hoping the hailstorm would ease. Then we climbed a flight of stairs and saw a signboard: “Himalayan Tourist Guest House, Tadapani.” We had made it, Tadapani! 🙌

After resting for a bit at the homestay, I took a hot water shower, and honestly, it was heavenly. The water was extremely hot, but in the freezing cold, it felt incredibly relaxing. I didn’t feel like stepping out at all, just standing there and soaking in the warmth.

Once freshened up, I went to the terrace and was greeted by a stunning panoramic view of the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre, with its iconic fish‑tailed peak 🏔️. The sight of the Himalayan range combined with the red rhododendron forest was beyond imagination.

We warmed ourselves by the fireplace 🔥, enjoyed a delicious dinner, did some stretching and massage, and finally drifted into a deep, well‑earned sleep, ready for the next day.