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4 Day Kulekhani Reservoir Trek

4 Day Kulekhani Reservoir Trek Overview:

The Kulekhani Reservoir Trek is an off-the-beaten path gem that takes you through quaint villages, terraced farmlands, and ancient cities. Ride a cable car with Himalayan views, and take a boat ride across the peaceful Kulekhani Reservoir. Try some of the famous goat cheese and ground apple wine from the first ever goat cheese factory in Nepal. Visit villages that inspired famous poets, and relax while taking in the simple life.

  • Days: 4 Days
  • Nights: 3 Nights
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Travel Style: Basic

Why you’ll love this trip:

  • See a variety of farming along the hillsides where terrace farming is popular. The food we eat will be locally grown, making it even tastier.
  • See the Himalayas from the best view point in the Kathmandu Valley while riding the Chandragiri Cable Car.
  • Go on a tour of the first goat cheese factory in Nepal.
  • See one of Nepal’s beautiful lakes without the crowds.
  • Stand in the exact spot where Tibetan Buddhism was founded.
  • Enjoy an off-the-beaten-path adventure that very few tourists know about.
  • This trip is great for people of all ages as it is fairly easy. Enjoy hiking for only 2-3 hours a day at a moderate altitude where you don’t have to worry about altitude sickness.
  • The people of Nepal are known for their hospitality and friendly nature, and are often referred to as the friendlies people in the world.
Kulekhani Reservoir Trek Map

Kulekhani Trek Itinerary

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal! Our adventure will begin in the beautiful, chaotic, and dusty city of Kathmandu. We’ll start bright and early when we head to the base of the Chandragiri Cable Car in a private vehicle. From here, we’ll hop on the cable car and ride it to the top. The Chandragiri Cable Car is famous for having the best view of the Himalayas in Kathmandu Valley. On a clear day, you can even see Mount Everest, although we admit it’s pretty tiny from here. The real show stopper is Langtang which reaches 7,234m! We’ll take a break at the top so everyone can enjoy the views, and we’ll have breakfast there among the mountains.

After breakfast, we’ll begin the short leisurely hike to Chitlang which takes about 2 hours going downhill. We’ll pass through rhodendumdrum forests until we reach the charming village of Chitlang. Chitlang used to be a popular stop on the trading routes from India to Tibet. Today, it’s famous for having the first goat cheese factory in Nepal. We’ll take a tour of the small family run factory which also produces ground apple wine.

  • Accommodation: Homestay
  • Included Activities: Private Transportation to Chandragiri, Chandragiri Cable Car Ticket, Goat Cheese Factory Tour
  • Meals Included: None

Today, we’ll head through small villages and terrace style farms. This area is beautiful in the spring when the crops are ready to harvest and the fields are a lush green. The hike from Chitlang to Markhu takes 3 hours at a slow pace. Once we arrive in Markhu, you’ll get to see the beautiful Kulekhani Reservoir. Our accommodations for the evening are a quick 5-minute boat ride across the lake. If it’s warm enough, you can take a dip in the reservoir or rent a boat here. We recommend ordering fish for dinner since it’s caught fresh.

  • Accommodation: Homestay
  • Included Activities: Boat Ride to Hotel
  • Meals Included: Breakfast
  • Important Information: Since your belongings will be on the boat with us, we recommend bringing wet bags to store any valuable items you may have with you.

After breakfast, we’ll take a short hike to a nearby waterfall (as long as it isn’t dry season). Then, we’ll take a boat ride down the Kulekhani Reservoir. The ride takes between 30 and 45 minutes. This area is still pristine and peaceful since it has barely been touched by tourism. The ride is the perfect way to relax after two days of hiking. Once we arrive at the other side of the lake, we’ll walk to the Kulekhani dam which was built in 1977. From there, a jeep will pick us up and take us to the historical city of Pharping where we’ll spend the night.

  • Accommodation: Homestay
  • Included Activities: Boat Ride
  • Meals Included: Breakfast
  • Important Information: Some hotels in this area are vegetarian and only cook meat upon request. Please let us know ahead of time if you will want meat while staying here.

We’ll start the day with breakfast at our homestay, then we’ll head out to see all of the beautiful things Pharping has to offer. The day will begin with a short hike to a Tamang cremation ground, and then down the other side of the hill. Here we’ll pass a football field, a small temple, and then a mass of prayer flags which we like to call the “prayer flag forest.” At the bottom of the prayer flags is the Asura Cave which is famous for being the spot where Tibetan Buddhism was founded by Guru Rinpoche.

After checking out the cave and surrounding temples, we’ll walk through town to the Dakshinkali Temple. This temple is a place of worship for Hindus who want to make sacrifices to the goddess Kali. After the temple, we’ll walk back to the homestay while passing a few lesser known caves and monasteries. We’ll have lunch at our homestay before hopping in the car and heading back to Kathmandu for a farewell dinner.

  • Accommodation: None
  • Included Activities: Guided City Tour
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

Is this trip right for you?

  • Roads in Nepal are notorious for always being under construction. You’ll need a little extra patience getting from point A to point B on days when we travel by car.
  • Besides bad roads, Nepal is infamous for its dust. While we try to stay on quiet trails for the majority of the trip, there are a few days where we have to follow dusty roads. This may cause problems for people with asthma.
  • If you are worried about acclimating to altitude, then this trek is perfect. We never go above 2,600m so acclimating shouldn’t be a problem. Most people don’t experience altitude sickness below 3,500m.
  • While this trip is great for beginners, being in moderately good shape is helpful to enjoy the journey.
  • The accommodations on this route are categorized as “Basic.” Since this area does not see a lot of tourism, the homestays are very simple. We always try to book the nicest hotel/homestay in each village. Rooms may sometimes have a shared bathroom. Some do not have wifi, heat, hot water, or air conditioning. If comfort is important to you, please ask about our Kathmandu Valley Trek which has a higher level of comfort and can also be done in 3 days.
  • We’ll be eating a variety of local cuisine. If you have any food allergies, please let our staff know prior to booking. Most of the places we are visiting offer a variety of western dishes as well.
  • Power outages are still fairly common in Nepal. Some hotels have generators, however, it’s important to note that things like wifi, cell data, and hot water are not always guaranteed.
  • Both Chitlang and Markhu are popular spots for locals to get away on the weekend. We recommend booking this trip on weekdays if you are looking for peace and quiet. The normally quiet villages can be very loud on Friday and Saturday nights.

Included

  • Meals – 3 breakfasts
  • Transportation – Private transportation from Kathmandu to Chandragiri, from Kulekhani to Pharping, and from Pharping to Kathmandu
  • Accommodation – 3 nights

Not included

International airfare to Nepal and back. Your hotel on evenings not mentioned in the itinerary. Tips.

For further information please contact us at +977 9841 446 020 or bluetaratoursandtravels@gmail.com.