The breakfasts on trek are fixed set menus, usually porridge or muesli with either toast, chapatti or pancake, plus an egg or omelette and a cup of tea/coffee. You may also be able to supplement your included breakfast with additional items on the teahouse menu should you wish. Items not included should be ordered and paid for separately.

Please note, some more remote teahouses/lodges are unable to provide an extensive menu due to irregular delivery schedules and during periods of bad weather or a high volume of trekkers, there may be a more limited menu choice. Also, the higher altitude the more expenses the menus and extras generally are.

We do not include lunch and dinner on trek allowing you to choose what you want to eat. Lunch will be taken at a teahouse en route – sometimes one of your guides will go ahead with the group’s order to make it more expedient. Dinner will be in the same teahouse that you sleep at (this is custom in Nepal as teahouses base their room rate on it).

The menus in the lodges are almost identical to one another but offer a varied choice, ranging from traditional Nepalese dhal bhat to pizza and apple pie. Dhal bhat is the staple diet in Nepal and comes in many different forms but generally comprises curried lentils and meat or vegetables, rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos, a type of Nepalese dumpling, fried or steamed and filled with meat or vegetables.

Meat is available in the teahouses but we advise against eating it on trek. The meat has often been carried in the heat from lower altitudes for several days before reaching the lodges and can cause stomach upsets or illness. Germs can also be spread by handling dirty money – we recommend using hand sanitiser.

If you have a gluten-free diet, we strongly recommend you bring extra food and snacks with you to supplement the food on trek as there will be little variety available to you, particularly for breakfast. Even many of the soups are from powder/packets and contain gluten.

If you buy imported food and drink on trek you will spend more than the suggested amount.

Drinking water

Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 100floz to 135floz (three litres to four litres) per person per day.

However, we strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water on trek as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in the trekking areas of Nepal.

After Chomrong, the lodges sell filtered safe drinking water (no plastic bottles are allowed).

The teahouses also sell boiled water for approximately 150-300 rupees (US$1.15-US$2.30) per litre (the price increases the higher you trek) which should not require treating. This is also perfect for a bedtime refill as it can double up as a hot-water bottle.

Alternatively, all teahouses provide free cold water. Although this should not be drunk untreated, we recommend you bring a reusable bottle/water bladder/Camelpak (ideally two) and use an effective form of water treatment. There are a wide range of products available including Steripens or purification tablets, which are the quickest and easiest options to use on trek – we recommend talking to an outdoor retailer for the latest advice as technologies are improving all the time. Make sure to check the product’s performance in cold/freezing conditions and consider battery life (lithium batteries are best in cold conditions).

Exodus has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates more than 99.99 percent of all microbiological contaminants from any non-saltwater source – visit Water-to-Go for more information. Exodus customers can claim 15 percent off their first order and, better still, 15 percent of the purchase value will be donated to the Exodus Travels Foundation. These bottles filter the water as you drink through the spout may not be the most efficient while on the go on a trek. Please note, if the water freezes it will clog up the filter. In this event, defrost before use by sitting the filter in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes.

Enter the heart of the Himalaya and step into the vast bowl of the Annapurna Sanctuary. Spend the night at Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m), where the snowbound cirque rises on all sides and sunset and sunrise wash the rock and ice in soft gold and rose.

Circle your gaze from Annapurna I to Annapurna South, the Fang and Gangapurna, with the sacred, unclimbed Machhapuchhare guarding the approach. This is storied ground—expedition history whispers from the surrounding ridges—yet the prevailing feeling is quiet awe amid towering walls of ice.

Meet your group and meet your tour leader for a friendly introduction to the adventure ahead, followed by a convivial group trek briefing. Settle into the rhythm of Nepal while sharing a traditional Nepalese dinner featuring classic flavours such as momo dumplings and aromatic spices, with the lively Thamel district close at hand.

Hear practical guidance on altitude awareness, trail etiquette and teahouse customs, ensuring you feel prepared and supported. The evening’s warm tone captures the essence of mountain hospitality, turning a first night in the city into part of the Himalayan experience.

Descend stone steps to soak in the natural hot springs by the Modi Khola at Jhinu Danda. The riverside pools sit beneath forested slopes, where steam mingles with birdsong and the rush of glacial meltwater.

Locals prize the mineral-rich warmth for easing trail-weary muscles after big ascents and descents. Entrance fees apply; this experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with your leader coordinating timing from the nearby village.

Walk steady switchbacks to ascend through rhododendron forests, sharing the trail with colourful mule caravans and crossing airy footbridges. Emerging at Ghorepani, the landscape opens to a sweeping balcony where stone rooftops perch beneath serrated horizons and the air carries the scent of high mountain pine.

From this vantage, trace the silhouettes of Himalayan giants—Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Machhapuchhare—as the skyline reveals the immense scale of the range. The day’s climb over stone staircases rewards with wide-angle panoramas and a first taste of the Sanctuary’s grandeur.

Follow the Modi Khola high into glaciated country, passing the overhang of Hinko Cave and boulder-strewn slopes as you press toward the gates of the sanctuary. Crest the final rise to Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3,700m), where frost-crisp air and a close ring of peaks signal your arrival in true alpine terrain.

The ramparts of Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Annapurna III frame the valley while the sacred, fish-tailed Machhapuchhare dominates the skyline. The setting feels intimate yet immense—an ideal prelude to the Sanctuary’s inner amphitheatre.

Explore Chhomrong, a classic Gurung village strung along a ridge above the Modi Khola Valley. Stone lanes, slate roofs and neat terraces frame head-on views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhare, while friendly lodge verandas offer the perfect pause to watch daily life unfold.

Learn how seasonal herders use simple high pastures and yersas, and appreciate the Gurung reputation for warmth and mountain resilience. The village’s setting—clinging to steep, stepped fields—epitomizes human harmony with Himalayan topography.

Experience the culture of the trail by staying in traditional teahouses, where trekkers gather around a warm stove-heated dining room to swap stories. Simple rooms, thick blankets and the aroma of spiced tea create a comforting refuge after days on stone steps and forest paths.

Menus showcase hearty staples—think dal bhat and vegetable curries—alongside trekkers’ favourites. Solar-lit rooms, local crafts and community-run lodges reflect sustainable mountain hospitality, turning each overnight into a cultural encounter as much as a rest stop.

Set out on an optional pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill (3,210m), a famed ridge above Ghorepani. As first light spills over the middle hills, watch sunrise over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, with cloud seas and distant ridgelines glowing in pastel hues.

The panorama stretches from Nilgiri to Machhapuchhare, a sublime lesson in Himalayan scale and geometry. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; your leader will advise on timing, weather and local permit checks.

Stretch your legs on an optional warm-up hike to Tomijung, a small Gurung hamlet set amid terraced hillsides and cardamom groves. Pass chortens and prayer flags while taking in first glimpses of the fishtail peak on clear days.

Learn about traditional architecture, seasonal farming and village rhythms that sustain life along the foothills. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, ideal for easing into trail pace before the longer ascents.

Glide across Pokhara’s mirror lake as you row across Lake Phewa, then climb a forested path to the hilltop World Peace Pagoda. From the stupa terraces, admire the snowy Annapurna range reflected on the water far below.

The Shanti Stupa’s gleaming white dome invites quiet reflection, while prayer flags flicker in lake breezes. Boat hire and entrance donations apply; this experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Delve into the lore of Himalayan climbing at the International Mountain Museum, then trace Nepal’s proud martial story at the Gurkha Museum. Exhibits explore Himalayan mountaineering feats, Sherpa culture, equipment evolution and the military heritage of the Gurkhas.

See expedition artifacts, early ice axes and oxygen sets, then view regimental colours and personal stories spanning global campaigns. Museum entries are at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a guided heritage tour to three UNESCO landmarks: hilltop Swayambhunath with its resident monkeys, the vast mandala of Boudhanath Stupa, and the sacred Pashupatinath Temple on the Bagmati River.

Explore layers of Buddhist and Hindu devotion—prayer wheels turning, butter-lamp glow and saffron-robed sadhus—while learning about Newar craftsmanship and cremation rites conducted on ghats. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.