Millennium Trek

- a cultural trek in a "homestay" off the crowded paths -

Nepal - Trekking

If any trek runs away from the crowded routes, this is it. Quiet paths, rhododendron forests, terraced fields, small villages and farms here and there, and vast views of the Himalayas, including the Annapurnas and Manaslu. This trek is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Nepalese culture, sleeping in homestay, where the people will welcome you with a shy and friendly smile.

10 days / 9 nights full trip in Nepal (minimum recommended)

6 days’ trek (4 trek days + Bajthala up and down

Low-medium

Highest altitude overnight 1565m

Local mountain guide English-speaking

Meals and overnight in homestay during the trek

Accommodation in hotel in Bajthala, Kathmandu and Pokhara

Transfers in private vehicle and domestic flight

$840*

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If a trek gives you a chance to get immerse in how most of Nepal’s population lives and works, this is the Millennium Trek. Here you will find few -if any- tourists while walking in an area that is far from the more classic routes. Rivers at the bottom of the valleys runs between hills and small mountain ranges where villages and farms spread out on the slopes, along with terraced fields and dense forests. Peasants quietly walk to and from the crops, groups of students going to the nearest school, children driving cattle up and down, groups of women in rice or rye fields, sellers and buyers chatting for a while at the door of the shop. These are the people you will meet. Humble people, busy with their day-to-day tasks, who will cross paths with you with a slight shy smile and the eternal “namaste”.

The great attraction of this route is that it crosses an infinite number of villages, many of which are no more than a scattered group of houses and farms, of different ethnicities, mostly Newars and Gurung, along with Chetri, Brahmins and Magar. Overnight stays are in homestay conveniently suited to receive visitors, allowing a unique approach to Nepalese culture. The whole local community plays a very important role in the development and management of the route.

Following a rich and varied landscape, at the highest and most open points the view over the Himalayan peaks is impressive. Naturally, it is very early in the morning when we can enjoy a better view of the mountain range, taking advantage of the clearer atmosphere,

However, the Millennium Trek does not attract crowds and this is a great blessing for travellers. People here do not live from tourism and tourism has not yet changed the main sources of the local economy. This does not mean that the contribution and presence of hikers is not welcome and even desired, but it does not reach a enough volume and the inhabitants of the area continue working in the fields or in small shops as usual and without altering their way of working and living. One fact that shows the volume of hikers visiting here is that there are very few guides who know the area.

The Millennium Trek itinerary was created to coincide with the change of millennium, hence its name, to develop this entire rural area located a few kilometres south of Pokhara. Although there is one more “official” route, there is not just one. In fact, we follow our own itinerary that makes a circular circuit. The route alternates paths with sections of rough roads, but few vehicles run there, just some local jeeps that make collective transport, either more or less regular or on request. It is an itinerary suitable for everyone who is used to walking, without a strong physical demand. All you must do is keep your eyes open and be ready to absorb everything that will surround you in this incredible area.