Royal Trek

Also known as Annapurna Royal Trek / Begnas Lake Trek (named after Prince Charles's 1980 trek).

Royal Trek is a beginner 3-4-day teahouse trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal, reaching 1,730 m. It starts at Bijayapur (Bijayapur Khola, near Pokhara) and ends at Begnas Lake.

Key facts

Region
Annapurna (Kaski)
Duration
3-4 days, 4-6 hours walking per day
Distance
38 km
Maximum altitude
1,730 m
Difficulty
Beginner — Low ridgeline walking between 800 m and 1,730 m in the Annapurna foothills with 4-6 hour days, no steep sustained climbs, and villages throughout. Facilities are simpler and the trail quieter than Poon Hill, but altitude and terrain pose no difficulty.
Trek type
Teahouse, point-to-point route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Mar-Apr); winter also good at this low altitude
Guide
Not mandatory
Restricted area
No
Budget cost
NPR 15,000–24,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 24,000–38,000
Guided cost
NPR 45,000–65,000
Getting there
Kathmandu → Pokhara (tourist bus, 6-8h) → Bijayapur Khola/Kalikasthan road head (taxi or local Begnas-bound bus, 20-30 min, ~10 km) → trek → Begnas Lake → local bus/taxi back to Pokhara (~30-45 min, 13 km)
Altitude sickness
Low — maximum 1,730 m at Syaklung; AMS is not a concern anywhere on this route.

Weather

Foothill ridge walk with constant panoramas of Annapurna II, IV, Lamjung Himal, Machhapuchhre and Manaslu in clear weather. Hot below 1,000 m in late spring; monsoon is muddy, hazy and leech-prone; winter is mild and clear — one of the few treks comfortable in January.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Pokhara / Bijayapur Khola to Kalikasthan, 4-5 h, 1,370 m — Rice paddies of Bijayapur Khola, gradual climb through Rakhigaun to the Kalikasthan ridge, first Annapurna-Manaslu panorama
  2. Day 2: Kalikasthan to Syaklung, 5-6 h, 1,730 m — Ridge walk through Gurung settlements of Thulokot and Mati Thana, forest sections, highest point of the trek at Syaklung (1,730 m)
  3. Day 3: Syaklung to Chisapani (Kaski), 4-6 h, 1,550 m — Descent to a saddle and climb to Chisapani hilltop with small Kali temple; sunrise/sunset over Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu
  4. Day 4: Chisapani to Pokhara (via Begnas Lake), 4-6 h, 650 m — Long descent past Rupa Lake viewpoints and Sundari Danda to Begnas Lake bazaar; optional boating; drive back to Pokhara

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