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The Nepal Bird Watching Annapurna Trek and Jungle Safari is a unique combination of bird watching and exploring Nepal on foot. After arriving in Kathmandu, you will travel with your bird-watching guide to Pokhara at the foot of the Annapurna mountain range.
In the Annapurna Conservation Area, you can easily start a week-long trek through the mountains, passing through small villages, along rivers, and through ancient forests. With your private bird watching and trekking guide, you can search for endangered species such as the White-rumped Vulture and Wood Snipe, as well as near-threatened species like Satyr Tragopan, Cinereous and Red-headed Vultures. And there are many more.
After exploring the mountains, you go back to Pokhara to relax. It is the perfect place to enjoy the comfort of your hotel, with many surrounding restaurants and shops. Or, you can explore the area for more bird watching by the lake.
Next, you hop on a scenic bus down south to Chitwan National Park, where a comfortable jungle resort is ready to welcome you. Here, you can easily spend two days exploring the diverse birdlife of the Terai region with your private jungle guide. Surrounded by lush jungles and stunning scenery, this adventure introduces you to a variety of bird species, including some of the area’s most fascinating residents.
By traveling through the 3 landscapes of Nepal, you have the opportunity to spot a diverse range of unique birds in the country. This journey takes you through the hills in the middle of the country, the high mountains in the north, and the flat, tropical landscape in the south. It’s the ultimate way to embark on an unforgettable journey in a peaceful manner.
The bird watching trek in the Annapurna region is 7 days. And the bird watching safari in Chitwan is 2 days. However, we’d be happy to customize this itinerary for you.
The trek and safari together make an exciting adventure. You’ll walk along the high Himalayan mountain range and through lush jungles, meet friendly locals, and discover the beautiful birds across Nepal.
The best part? You’re away from everyday life, watching unique birds in a stunning landscape. Here, you can explore new places and bird species every day and just take in the natural surroundings.
Absolutely! We even encourage you to do so. Because it would make this trip unique and truly YOURS! Obviously, you don’t need to figure it all out by yourself. We are here for you. Do you want to speed up and make it more challenging? Or, take it easy and slow? Or perhaps visit different places? Just contact us, and let us know your preferences.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
– Govinda & Lilly
Welcome to Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the travelers area of Thamel.
airport transfer – hotel
After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for our pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your private bird watching guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.
What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trip and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.
breakfast – hotel
Early morning, your private guide picks you up from your hotel. Together, you take the bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. This takes about 7 hours.
breakfast – bus park transfer – bus – hotel
Option: To save time, you can opt for a 30-minute flight to Pokhara, instead of taking the bus. This would give you the opportunity to explore this peaceful city by the lake. Contact us for more details.
Today is the beginning of the bird watching trek! We drive to Nayapul (1,070 m / 3,510 ft), the starting point of the trek. The walk to Tikedungha (1,570 m / 5,150 ft) today is steady, with fairly gentle climbing through terraced fields and scrubby woodland. There is thicker, dry forest on the steeper slopes.
breakfast – private vehicle – lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today, the day starts with a very steep climb using stone steps up to the village of Ulleri at 2,050 meters (6,725 ft). From this point, the path gradually ascends through beautiful forests of oaks and rhododendrons to Ghorepani at 2,840 meters (9,317 ft), where we spend the night.
In Ghorepani, the early morning walk to Poon Hill is a must. Most people go there for sunrise. However, it’s worth considering leaving Poon Hill after 8:00 when the noisy crowds have already left. This is the time to explore the alpine forest around the ridge. This slope becomes really birdy once the sun warms it up. Using a telescope, you can spot finches and similar birds coming up to warm themselves. At the top, you might find the Crimson-browed Finch, and in the grassy tufts, you’ll encounter the noisy little Grey-sided Bush-Warblers. They are quite mischievous, by the way!
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today, in the morning, we’ll hike for about an hour to Poon Hill (3,210 m / 10,530 ft). It’s a great spot for a beautiful view of the Annapurna mountain range. From this viewpoint, you get a breathtaking panorama of the sunrise over the high Himalayas. We’ll stay here for about an hour before heading back to Ghorepani for breakfast.
We can start in the dark like most people to witness the sunrise from Poon Hill. Or, we can leave a bit later when most people have already left making the area more quiet. As we slowly walk back from Poon Hill, we can birdwatch along the way.
After Poon Hill, we’ll spend the day birdwatching in the Ghorepani valley. Besides birding in the forest along the path, it’s worth spending time on the grazed slopes just before the village. The White-collared Blackbird sings strongly here at dusk. Look for Nepal Wren-Babblers in an open, rocky streambed or Phyllos in the meadows and bushy edges.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
After breakfast, we pack our bags again and start climbing along ridges and through pine and rhododendron forests towards Tadapani (2,710 m / 8,890 ft).
Just when Poon Hill wasn’t enough, this part of the walk is truly beautiful, offering the chance to explore the trail of the bush-robin and parrotbill. The ridge here has many bamboo forests, providing a hiding place for Great Parrotbills, but spotting bush-robins might be easier. Meanwhile, Annapurna keeps peeping at you through openings in the canopy as you wait for the birds to appear. You might also hear tragopans here and perhaps encounter a pheasant crossing your path.
Next, you walk through an amazing gorge, where you can see singing Phyllos and noisy Scaly-breasted Wren-Babblers. Also, the Black-throated and Fulvous Parrotbills, Satyr Tragopan, Himalayan Monals and Gharals.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From Tadapani, we follow the descending trail through the forests to Ghandruk (2,012 m / 6,601 ft).
The forests here are a bit different from the ones at the higher ridge and gorge between Deurali and Bhaisi Khaika. They are more humid and greener, with fewer rhododendrons as it starts to feel more sub-tropical. Just like everywhere else, there are plenty of birds and creatures that enjoy the damp shade. For example, you can spot the Scaly Thrush, Woodcock, and Snowy-browed Flycatcher here. And even the Brown Bullfinch.
Ghandruk is a village of the Gurung people, an ethnic group of Nepal. The Gurungs have their own dialect, culture, costume and life style. In addition to that, Ghandruk is also home to many Gurkha soldiers. It is a famous trekking destination as it is known for its beautiful mountain views.
In the afternoon we can visit the Annapurna Conservation Office and explore this charming village.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The scrubby thickets and new growth around and above Ghandruk are often filled with birds, including flycatchers and Pygmy Wren-Babblers. It’s a good idea to wake up early in the morning and look at the tall trees around the fields to find Tickell’s Thrush. It shouldn’t be too hard to locate by its song.
Today, an easy descent awaits, from Ghandruk to Nayapul. Pay extra attention to the fields around Kimche for the Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Upland Pipits, and Crested Bunting. Perhaps you can even spot a flock of Nepal House Martins here.
From the finish point of our trek, we will drive you back to the hotel in Pokhara.
breakfast, lunch – drive – hotel
Even in Pokhara, you can go out and explore the area to spot birds. For example, spend the morning in the forest at and behind Fishtail Lodge, or visit the nearby Damside Park for birdwatching at the edge of the forest. Here, you might find egrets and occasionally a wader, as well as the Khalij Pheasant. The latter is easy to spot early in the morning along the lake shore.
The main bird you’ll see in Pokhara is the White-rumped Vulture, often appearing over the city in the morning thermals. Additionally, you can spot the Peregrine Falcon, another notable bird, here downtown Pokhara.
breakfast – hotel
Today, you hop on the bus heading to the flat and warm south, to Chitwan. The journey takes about 6 hours, and afterward, you can relax at a comfortable jungle resort.
breakfast – bus – dinner – jungle resort
breakfast, lunch & dinner – jungle resort
breakfast, lunch & dinner – jungle resort
After your breakfast, you’ll be dropped off at Bharatpur Airport for your flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, we’ll take you to the hotel in Thamel.
breakfast – airport transfer – flight – hotel
If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. We hope you had a wonderful time in Nepal with us, and that we will meet each other again in the future. Goodbye friends!
breakfast – airport transfer
Together, we set a goal and we'll do everything we can to make it happen!
Govinda & Lilly tailor these sample trips to your preferences and budget.
With memories that last a lifetime!
Our guests give us 5-star ratings on Tripadvisor.
Merel L07/04/2024Best organisation to book your hike We loved our 4-day trip to the Muldai Viewpoint and Poonhill! By Mountain People suggested to do the Muldai Viewpoint combined with Poonhill in 4 days. The hike to Muldai was a climb but doable for everyone with basic condition. We walked to the Muldai top practically on our own with amazing viewpoints during the hike. From the Poonhill viewpoint there were lots of other tourist but also a little bit more comfort so we loved the combination. Especially our guide Pratap made the trip unforgetable. He knows everything about the nature, birds and animals. By Mountain People helped us with the preparation and fixed everything for us. Permits, food, overnight homestays etc. Would recomment to everyone. Was the best four days of our trip to Nepal
Angela M17/03/2024Crafting Memories with By Mountain People in Annapurna When we decided to go to Nepal for our holidays, we knew we wanted to do a trekking in the Annapurna region, but we didnt know from where to start. That's when we met Govinda, who helped us with everything related to our trip, providing a personalised proposal for the 4 days we had, giving us all the information needed, and being a reliable and helpful point of contact during our whole journey before, during and after our trek. In the end we went for the Mulde peak trek, a less crowded route that exceded all expectations. Our guide Ganesh, was the best guide we could have wished for, always with a smile he knew every little secret of the Annapurna range, explaning not only the different routes, but also about the plants & animals present in the area, and about Nepal and its traditions. He was very caring and he made our experience unforgettable. We can only recommend to do a trekking with By Mountain People, they know what they are doing, accomodation and food was included in the total price and we didn't have to worry about anything. Having a guide in the Annapurnas is really an added value, and we can't wait to be back with a little extra time to do the Annapurna circuit next time. If you're looking to get most out of your experience in the Himalayas, and for a personalised and personal approach, then By Mountain People is the right party to team up with.
Jess M07/03/2024Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the trail. The hard miles brought big smiles on this trip with By Mountain People. They were flexible, positive, and really just a joy to be with. Made for a fun and easy trip. I continue to recommend By Mountain People to both friends and family if they have a thought of doing a trek in Nepal. Many Thank You Guys!
Sean G18/02/2024Great people for a great adventure! I can't say enough about how well everything was orchestrated. Our guide and porter were wonderful and very friendly. Nepal is a beautiful country with very friendly people. It's been a few months now and I still think of the trekking almost daily. If I ever have another opportunity to hike in Nepal, I would be blessed! Thank you Govinda!
Anouk K10/12/2023Jiri - Everest Base Camp My friend and I booked a 20+ day trek with Lily & Govinda from mid-nov to begin-dec. We loved their personal approach in arranging the trip, from preparations and choosing which trek to go for, to regular check-ins during and a great feedback/debrief session afterwards! We started from Jiri instead of the popular way of flying to Lukla. That was a great experience and an absolute recommend to start lower if you have time!
eliza b19/11/2023Magnificent slow trek and bird watching to Khopra Danda! Magnificent trek!! In October 2023 the two of us did this beautiful trek organized by BMP. It all started 6 months earlier, when I was looking for a company that would put people first in organizing treks in Nepal. What a nice coincidence when I learned that Govinda, a former language student of mine, happened to be the owner of By Mountain People, an organization that had customized and small scale treks as its core business! We had very nice and informative preparative talks about our wishes. Being almost 70 years of age, we wanted to have sufficient possibilities to adapt our journey on the way, in case the altitude would cause problems. Also we wanted to visit places off the beaten track and see something of village life on the way. Govinda suggested the Khopra Danda trek with some extra days so we could shorten the daily walking distance. This was a very good advice and he organized it very well! We met Govinda again in Kathmandu before we started out. He introduced us to our guide Pratap Gurung. Pratap was really a very excellent guide!! His knowledge of the natural surroundings and especially of the birds were truly amazing!! He was very attentive to our wellbeing and patiently answered our many questions. He taught us so much about the different species and habitats of all the birds he would point out to us. His experience made that we always felt safe and well looked after. Also we learnt that Govinda stayed regularly in contact to ensure that everything went well. Following our 2 weeks of trekking, BMP also organized an extra 4 days visit to Chitwan National Park. Here we stayed in the nice Safari Club hotel. Her also we were very happy with our guide Yadav Duwadi He is a nice and calm guide with a lot of knowledge and very attentive. We absolutely recommend this “slow trekking” by BMP! Specially for senior travellers such as us, but also for everybody who wants to fully enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. A guide such as Pratap Gurung was perfectly suited for this type of trekking. Thank you BMP!! Thijl and Linda
Gira_sv12/09/2023Tilicho Lake and Annapurna Circuit I went on a 19-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit. I had great communication with Lily and Govinda before arriving in Nepal and throughout my trip. They shared with me all the information that I needed. Ganesh, and a porter, Nima. Both of them were incredibly kind. They literally held my hand through the toughest parts of the trek and we also had lots of fun playing cards, sharing anecdotes and trying to learn each other’s languages. The Annapurna circuit itself is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Since I arrived at the end if the monsoon season there were still some rains and landslides which made the days at lower altitudes a little tricky but once we started to ascend the weather changed and we had wonderful views of the mountains on this range and visited several Tibetan towns and Gompas. Overall, I had a great experience with them I would take a trip again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks, Ganesh, Nima, Lily, and Govinda!
Explore5828402007330/07/2023Small but super professional trekking company! Wish we could go back already! Govinda and Lilly just went above and beyond for my friend and I!! Shortly before arriving in Nepal, I started experiencing knee pain. I got so worried about the trek, but they changed our itinerary without any fuss whatsoever. They got us the most caring and knowledgeable trekking guide Ganesh. And they checked in with me frequently during the trek, to check if I was doing ok and enjoying. After the trek they even organized a very nice jungle safari to Chitwan NP for us. Their great tips and flexible attitude before and during our trip made it a HUGE succes!! Govinda and Lily thank you so much for your patience and helpful advice. I will be back for sure!Jonatan D27/02/2020Otrolig resa i Nepal Vi hade en jättebra resa i Nepal! Govinda på By Mountain People var superhjälpsam med att tillgodese våra önskemål och att skräddarsy en resplan som passade oss perfekt. Han såg till att vi fick med alla våra önskemål. Vi hann med vandring i de fantastiska bergen samt en otrolig dag med fågelsådning strax utanför Kathmandu. Jag kan verkligen rekommendera By Mountain People om du vill ha en unik upplevelse!
Gabriel G22/02/2020Father and son Nepal trek By mountain people organised an incredible trip through Gokyo Lake and EBC. Everything ran smoothly, they took care of all the little details and genuinely care about you and your experience throughout. Handled everything with a smile and extreme professionalism - can not recommend them enough! Our amazing guide Ganesh is the reason we can look back on the trek successfully, he helped us at every step and is an all round great guy - be sure to ask for Ganesh he will make your trip unforgettable I cannot wait to book again:)
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