- Length
- 5 days
- Highest point
- 3,800 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Starts
- Pokhara (drive to Sikles)
- Group size
- 2–10 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House / Camp
A short, off-the-beaten-path Annapurna viewpoint trek from Pokhara to Kori (3,800 m) above the Gurung village of Sikles, with sweeping Annapurna and Machhapuchhre views.
- Reach Kori Danda (3,800 m) for a panoramic Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and Machhapuchhre sunrise
- Explore Sikles, one of Nepal's largest and most authentic traditional Gurung villages
- Optional side trip to Kapuche Glacier Lake, the world's lowest-altitude glacier lake
- A genuine off-the-beaten-path alternative to crowded Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill
- Short, drive-in trek from Pokhara — big Himalayan views in just five days
- Walk through rhododendron and bamboo forest, alpine meadows and shepherd grazing camps
- Low maximum altitude makes it ideal for fit first-time trekkers
- Living Gurung culture, terraced farmland and quiet trails throughout
The climb, day by day
Day 1Drive Pokhara to Sikles, trek to Hugu Goth (2,100 m)2,100 m
A scenic 3–4 hour drive (about 47 km) north-east from Pokhara on a rough jeep road brings you to Sikles (1,980 m), one of the largest traditional Gurung villages in Nepal. After lunch and a wander through its stone houses, you begin trekking, climbing gently through terraced fields and forest to the shepherd settlement of Hugu Goth, your first camp.
- Distance
- 47 km drive + 3–4 km
- Walking
- 2–4 hrs
- Meals
- Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Tea House / Camp
Day 2Hugu Goth to Tasa via Kapuche Lake side trip (2,450 m)2,900 m
An optional morning excursion drops to Kapuche Glacier Lake (2,450 m) — often called the world's lowest-altitude glacier lake — sitting beneath sheer Annapurna walls. Returning, you climb steadily through rhododendron and bamboo forest and alpine pasture to the high grazing camp of Tasa, gaining altitude in preparation for the ridge above.
- Distance
- 8–10 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Tea House / Camp
Day 3Tasa to Kori Danda (3,800 m)3,800 m
The big day. The trail leaves the treeline behind and ascends open alpine meadows to Kori Danda at roughly 3,800 m, the high point of the trek. The reward is a vast Himalayan panorama — Annapurna II (7,937 m), Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and Machhapuchhre rising directly ahead. Overnight at the simple lodge and camp on the ridge.
- Distance
- 6–7 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Tea House / Camp
Day 4Kori Danda sunrise, descend to Sikles (1,980 m)1,980 m
Wake before dawn for sunrise over the eastern Annapurna wall, with light flooding the snow peaks and the valleys far below. After breakfast and plenty of photographs, begin the long descent through forest and pasture all the way back to Sikles village, where you spend the night among the Gurung community.
- Distance
- 12–14 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Drive Sikles to Pokhara (820 m)820 m
After a relaxed breakfast and a final look at the village and mountains, drive roughly 3 hours back down the jeep road to Pokhara, arriving by midday with time to rest by Phewa Lake. Trip concludes on arrival in Pokhara.
- Distance
- 47 km drive
- Walking
- –
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- –
The price includes
- All ground transport: Pokhara–Sikles–Pokhara by private jeep
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and TIMS card
- Experienced, licensed English-speaking trekking guide
- Strong porter to carry your main pack (one porter per two trekkers)
- All accommodation during the trek (tea house and camp as available)
- All meals on trek: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Guide and porter wages, insurance, food and accommodation
- All government taxes and official paperwork
You pay separately
- International airfare and Nepal entry visa
- Accommodation and meals in Pokhara before and after the trek
- Travel and rescue insurance (mandatory)
- Personal trekking gear and equipment
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers and battery charging on trek
- Tips for guide and porter
- Anything not listed under the included section
The Kori Danda Trek is one of the Annapurna region's freshest off-the-beaten-path adventures — a short, rewarding climb from the traditional Gurung village of Sikles to the windswept ridge of Kori at around 3,800 metres. In just five days from Pokhara, you trade the busy Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill trails for quiet rhododendron forests, alpine pastures grazed by shepherds, and a panoramic finale that stares straight into Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre.
Why trek to Kori?
Sikles is one of the largest and most authentic Gurung settlements in Nepal, still largely untouched by mass tourism. From here the trail climbs through forest to the high meadow camps of Hugu and Tasa before topping out on Kori Danda for a sunrise that lights up the entire eastern Annapurna wall. Many trekkers add a side trip to Kapuche Glacier Lake, often described as the world's lowest-altitude glacier lake, where avalanches tumble off the Annapurna massif into turquoise water.
Who is it for?
This is a moderate trek suitable for reasonably fit first-time and returning trekkers. Days are short to moderate, the highest sleeping point is comfortable, and the drive-in from Pokhara keeps the whole trip compact — ideal if you want genuine high-mountain views and living Gurung culture without committing two weeks to the trail.