Less touristy trail with stunning views of the Annapurna Range
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The Multiple Viewpoint Trek is a comprehensive 14-day journey through the Annapurna region, designed to offer a wide range of perspectives of the Himalayas while combining some of the most scenic trails into one immersive experience. Starting from Pokhara with a short drive to Kande, the trek gradually unfolds through diverse landscapes, blending popular highlights with quieter, less touristy sections.
The trail begins along the Mardi Himal route, ascending through lush rhododendron and oak forests towards high ridges that reveal striking views of Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna range. This section provides a close-up Himalayan experience, with constantly changing scenery and dramatic ridge-line walking that sets the tone for the journey ahead.
From the Mardi region, the route transitions towards the culturally rich village of Ghandruk, offering a chance to experience traditional Gurung lifestyle along with spectacular mountain backdrops. Moving further away from the busier trails, the trek continues towards Dobato, leading to the stunning Muldai Viewpoint, one of the finest sunrise viewpoints in the region with wide panoramic views stretching across Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.
As the journey progresses towards Khopra Ridge, the landscapes open into alpine terrain and high ridges, offering a completely different angle of the mountains. This section is notably less touristy, allowing for peaceful trekking while enjoying uninterrupted views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Nilgiri, and surrounding peaks from unique and less explored vantage points.
A highlight of the trek is the day hike to the sacred Khayer Lake, a high-altitude alpine lake surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. This side trip adds both spiritual and visual depth to the experience, showcasing the raw and untouched beauty of the high Himalayas.
The trail then descends towards Swanta and reconnects briefly with the classic route to Poon Hill, where another iconic sunrise viewpoint offers yet another perspective of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. Unlike typical itineraries, the journey continues beyond, heading towards Kokhe Danda, a hidden gem in Parbat that provides wide, peaceful panoramic views far from the crowds.
This extended section towards Kokhe Danda and Lespar stands out for its authenticity, passing through quiet villages, terraced fields, and untouched trails. It offers a deeper cultural experience along with fresh viewpoints, making the trek feel diverse and continuously rewarding.
The final descent to Kushma completes the circuit, connecting remote mountain trails with road access while maintaining the sense of exploration throughout. Overall, the Multiple Viewpoint Trek is ideal for trekkers seeking a longer, more varied adventure that combines famous highlights with hidden routes, delivering multiple perspectives of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges along with rich cultural experiences.
You want to experience Poon Hill and Khopra Ridge without the usual tourist crowds
You have a couple of weeks and want a full journey covering diverse landscapes from forest to ridge to village
You enjoy combining iconic viewpoints (Poon Hill, Mardi Himal) with hidden gems (Khopra Ridge, Kokhe Danda, Muldai)
You love authentic cultural experiences — village homestays, local food, and momo-making sessions
You're looking for a quick 7-8 day option — this trek is designed to be a full 14-day journey
You want luxury teahouse facilities throughout — accommodation is comfortable but simple on this route
Morning drive from Pokhara to Kande, about an hour. We start hiking from Kande to Australian Camp and then to Pothana, where we stop for lunch. The first hour is a bit steep uphill and then mostly flat or gradual. After lunch, we cross Pitam Deurali, from where it's another half an hour of steep uphill to reach Suire Danda.
We wake up to a beautiful view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South. After breakfast, we start hiking through the forest ridge — a mix of flat and gradual uphill until Forest Camp, where we stop for a tea break. From there we gain more elevation and reach Rest Camp at 2,600m for lunch. After lunch, we gain another 400m in elevation to reach Low Camp. We can see beautiful sunset colors on Fishtail from here.
We start our day with an amazing view of golden Fishtail Mountain. We hike to Badal Danda, from where we begin seeing Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. From there we hike along the open, exposed ridge with no trees until we reach High Camp. After lunch we go for an acclimatization hike, gaining around 200m towards the Lower Viewpoint.
We wake up at around 4:30 AM and start our hike to the Lower Viewpoint — about 1.5 to 2 hours of uphill, reaching 4,000m. Optionally, you can continue to the Upper Viewpoint or Mardi Himal Base Camp. At the Lower Viewpoint there are tea shops for hot drinks. We enjoy stunning close views of Annapurna South and Fishtail before retracing back to High Camp.
After a late breakfast at High Camp, we start our descend down to Rest Camp via Badal Danda and Low Camp. We make a stop at Low Camp for lunch.
Today we do a lot of descending and ascending. Initially we go all the way down to Modi River via Landruk. At Landruk, we stop for a tea break. We reach down till 1,300m in elevation. After 30 minutes of uphill from the river valley, we stop for lunch, next to the road leading to Ghandruk. After lunch, we hike all the way up to Ghandruk — a 2 to 2.5 hour steep uphill hike on stone steps trail.
Ghandruk is a beautiful Gurung Community Village with close views of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. In the morning, we explore the village and walk towards the traditional old village side.
After some rest and a late breakfast, we start our hike to Tadapani. After two and a half hours, we reach Bhaisikharka where we stop for lunch. We then hike for a further hour on a gradual uphill trail to reach Tadapani. The trail today passes through beautiful Rhododendron forest.
We wake up early in the morning for the sunrise view. During clear weather, we can see Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Mount Fishtail from here.
After breakfast, we start our hike towards Dobato. The trail again passes through beautiful Rhododendron and Oak forest. Initially it is gradual uphill and a bit steep before reaching Isharu from Meshar. At Isharu, we stop for lunch and then hike for another one and a half hours to reach Dobato, where we stay at Hotel Dobato ViewTop. We can also hike to Muldai for a sunset view.
Today, we wake up early and hike around 25 minutes to reach Muldai Viewpoint for the sunrise view. We can see Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Mansiri range peaks from here. We then hike back down to the tea house, have breakfast, and start hiking to Khopra Danda.
This is a slightly longer day. After an hour, we reach Bayeli Kharka, mostly trekking along a ridge. Later, we descend to 2,800m and climb up to 3,100m to reach Chhistibung for lunch. From here, it is another 2.5–3 hrs of uphill hiking to Khopra Ridge, where we stay overnight at a Community Lodge.
This is one of the toughest days of the entire trek. We start early in the morning to hike towards Khayer Pond. Initially we go through the ridge and later, we go on the left side towards the base of Annapurna South. We go gradual up with some sections steep in between and reach Khayer Khola after 2–3 hrs of hike. We stop here for a tea break and continue our hike. At last, there will be an hour of steep hiking before reaching the sacred pond of Khayer. We enjoy the beauty of the pond and rest for some time before returning back. We have lunch at the lunch place at Khayer Khola and then come back to the Community Lodge at Khopra. It can take a total of 8–10 hours of hiking.
Even though we cannot see the sunrise from Khopra Ridge itself, we enjoy stunning close views of Dhaulagiri on one side of the gorge and Annapurna South on the near side.
After breakfast, we start descending to Swanta Village. Initially, we follow the same trail as yesterday back to Chhistibung, and then descend to Swanta Village. We can have lunch at a stream-side restaurant one hour after Chhistibung, or wait until Swanta.
Since Ghorepani is not that far, we start slightly later today. Initially, we hike down to the river and after crossing a suspension bridge, we start climbing back up. We pass through the village of Chitre, sometimes hiking along the road before eventually reaching stone steps that lead all the way up to Ghorepani.
Today, unlike others, we don't start early in the morning for Poon Hill — we go after breakfast instead. It is an hour's uphill climb on stone steps, and by the time we reach Poon Hill it will be almost empty, so we have the entire viewpoint to ourselves. Later, we descend to Phulbari for lunch and then climb up to Kokhe Danda through a beautiful Rhododendron forest.
We wake up early for sunrise and the first sunrays over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna range peaks. On a clear day, views extend all the way to Langtang Lirung and even Numbur peak in the Lower Everest region.
After breakfast, we start our hike to Lespar. Initially mostly flat or gradual downhill to Dhima Danda, then we descend to Jaljala and follow stone steps all the way down to Lespar. After lunch, we walk around to explore the village. In the evening, we can have a Momo making session with the host at the Homestay.
We enjoy a local breakfast in the morning. After that, we start our hike to Banau via Haljure. Initially an hour uphill, then mostly flat until Haljure, followed by another hour's descent to Banau. From Banau, we take a taxi or jeep back to Pokhara with a stop at Kushma — a total drive of about two and a half hours.
This trek is rated Moderate to Challenging and is best suited to trekkers with some prior hiking experience or a solid base fitness level. The Mardi Himal high camp section and the approach to Khayer Lake are the most demanding stretches, with consecutive long days at altitude. That said, the pace is relaxed and the itinerary is designed with adequate acclimatisation built in. If you can walk comfortably for 6–8 hours over multiple consecutive days, you'll manage this route well.
This route strings together five distinct viewpoints across 14 days — Mardi Himal High Camp, Muldai, Khopra Ridge, Khayer Lake, and Poon Hill — each offering a completely different perspective on the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. Mardi Himal gives you a raw, close-up view of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South. Muldai is a hidden sunrise spot above Dobato with a sweeping 180° panorama. Khopra Ridge offers a long ridge-walk view stretching from Dhaulagiri to Annapurna I. Khayer Lake sits at over 4,500m and is one of the most sacred and remote spots on the route. Poon Hill is the classic — iconic for good reason, especially at sunrise. No two days feel the same.
Most trekkers do either Mardi Himal or Poon Hill as standalone 5–7 day trips. This itinerary connects both, then pushes further into Khopra Ridge, Khayer Lake, and the rarely visited trails through Kokhe and Parbat district — areas most trekkers never reach. You pass through Ghandruk, one of the largest Gurung villages in Nepal, and spend nights at a family homestay in Kokhe. The result is a trek that combines the most celebrated viewpoints in the Annapurna region with genuinely off-the-beaten-path terrain.
Khayer Lake (also called Khayar Lake) sits at approximately 4,540m and is considered sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist communities in the region. The climb from Khopra Ridge takes around 3–4 hours return and involves a steep ascent on a narrow trail. It is one of the high points of the trek — literally and figuratively. The lake itself, set against a backdrop of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South, is quietly stunning. We time the visit for early morning to catch the best light and to allow a comfortable return before afternoon cloud builds.
Muldai sits at around 3,650m just above Dobato, and the hike up takes about 25 minutes from camp — easily done before breakfast. On clear mornings the panorama stretches from Dhaulagiri across the full Annapurna range to Manaslu, and many trekkers rate it above Poon Hill for the view relative to the effort and the near-total absence of crowds. We've built it in as a sunrise stop, so you return to camp for breakfast and then continue the day's walk fully fed.
We arrange private transport from Pokhara to the Mardi Himal trailhead at the start of the trek. On the final day, we descend to Banau and take a jeep back to Pokhara via Kushma — roughly 2.5 hours. Both transfers are included in the trek cost. No public buses or onward connections to arrange on your end.
Accommodation varies across the route. Lower stops like Ghandruk and Ghorepani have comfortable teahouses with private rooms and hot showers. Higher stops — Mardi Himal High Camp, Dobato, Khopra Ridge — are simpler, with basic rooms and shared facilities. Khopra Ridge has a well-run Community Lodge. Kokhe offers a genuine family homestay, one of the warmest and most memorable nights on the route. Bring a sleeping bag liner throughout, and a three-season sleeping bag for the higher altitude nights.
October and November are the prime months — post-mon