Best Off Beaten Trekking Routes in Nepal
The most distant locations in Nepal are not always those found on off-the-beaten-path treks. Less visited areas, on the other hand, provide tranquil hiking paths, pristine scenery, and distinctive cultural traditions.
Nepal is a thriving, medium-sized country that is situated in South Asia between China and India, two very huge countries. It boasts some of the most extraordinary natural landscapes and unique cultures in the world.
One may see some of the best religious, cultural, and historical sites among the 8 of the 14 tallest mountain peaks, glaciers, steep gorges, large meadows, lustrous greenery, glacial lakes, and torrential rivers.
Nepal, a medium-sized country, provides a plethora of outdoor activities for thrill-seekers. People who are looking to unwind, unwind, and rejuvenate themselves turn to Mother Nature at her most majestic.
Apart from the well-known Annapurna, Everest, and Langtang treks, there are several undeveloped hiking options. Trekkers can choose from the following locations if they are looking for less traveled areas.
The majority of the locations on the list below require extra porters, cooks, and other staff members because they are camping locations. From Kathmandu or the relevant major cities, the camping supplies, porters, guides, a trekking cook, and a trekking leader will be brought. In addition to the pure environment, visitors may enjoy the best regional cuisine and cultures.
Lower Dolpo Trek
Lower Dolpo Trek is regarded as one of the best off-the-beaten-path hiking routes in Nepal since it passes through the Shey-Phoksundo National Park and Lake.
As the trek comes to an end, breathtaking mountain scenery, Buddhist temples such as monasteries, gompas, chortens, prayer flags, and Mane walls, yak caravans, and small communities are left in its wake.
You will encounter centuries-old customs and practices of the Dolpo areas as you travel along the isolated Himalayan peaks. Trekkers pass through the locations used to film the Oscar-nominated film Himalaya, Caravan. You will see everything in reality following off-the-beaten-tracks in addition to the movie scenes.
You will also witness the desolate vistas that mimic the Tibetan Plateau in addition to them.
You will cross Shey Phoksundo Lake, one of the deepest Himalayan lakes, and old Tibetan paths used for trading salt, which are typically crowded with yak caravans, along the journey.
Nar Phu Valley Trek
Your truly off-the-beaten-track adventures can be tasted on a trip to the wild and hidden valley of Nar-Phu. Narphu hamlet, which is off the main route of the Annapurna Circuit Trek, is encircled by the impressive Pisang Peak, Damodar Mountain, Kangru Himal, and Kangla Pass.
The windy, arid, and rugged villages are dispersed up to 4100m above sea level. The world learned about these communities when late Professor David Snellgrove, a well-known Tibetologist, visited them for the first time.
Tibet has had a significant influence on the people’s culture and habits, and the majority of people speak Manangi or Tibetan.
In 2003, the Nar Phu Valley Trek was only accessible to foreigners with a special permit. It was closed off to the rest of the world for hundreds of years before being reopened. While Nar lies in the lower valley, Phu is at the top and end of it.
People move from higher elevations to lower elevations in the middle of winter since the road is blocked for months by heavy snowfall and the Siberian cold. Manang is very important to the residents of Nar-Phu Valley, and they communicate with one another when they are in need.
Panch Pokhari Trek
Panch Pokhari Trek is the ideal off-the-beaten path trek in Nepal with the beautiful Himalayan scenery that includes the Dorje Lakpa, Jugal, Rolwaling, Gauri Shankar, Tibetan Peaks, and Langtang mountain ranges. Panch Pokhari, a collection of five ponds, is highly revered both religiously and culturally.
Teahouses are still hard to come by on the walk because it is a less popular and touristy area. Since there are no inns or teashops along the road, Panch Pokhari must camp out during the walk. On the other hand, from the summit, one can see the mountains in all their glory.
Pikey Peak Trek
Pikey Peak was named by Sir Edmund Hillary as the highest vantage point for viewing the mountains, including Everest, and is one of the best alternatives to the congested Everest Base Camp Trek.
The Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Number Himal, and Mt. Everest ranges may all be seen magnificently from this trekking path. It is well known for its stunning sunrise and sunset views.
Peaky Peak is a sporadically snow-covered peak where Sherpas once made quick hikes to place prayer flags in honor of their clan deity. It is thought that the “Pikey” deity is a representation of the “sky over nature.” They celebrate well and worship their clan god in the months of June and July.
Following a picturesque drive from Kathmandu to Dhap Bazaar, the climb to Pikey Peak begins. You continue walking through the recently opened paths to Jhapre, Pikey Base Camp, Pikey Peak, Junbesi, and finally Phaplu before taking a flight back to Kathmandu. On the way, the lower Khumbu region’s Sherpa communities are investigated.
Rara Lake Trek
A well-known trek to the western region of Nepal that offers breathtaking off-the-beaten-path adventures is the Rara Lake Trek. Rara Lake flows through Rara National Park, which is the smallest national park in Nepal and only covers 106 km2. It is rich in both nature and culture.
This national park, which spans two districts of Nepal, is home to more than 500 different species of flowers, 51 different mammal species, 214 different bird species, two different reptile and amphibian species, and three different fish species.
The most common animals that hikers see along the way are musk deer, red panda, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, jackal, Himalayan tahr, yellow-throated marten, otter, dhole, gray langur, and rhesus macaque.
The main draw of this walk is Rara Lake, which covers an area of 10.8 km2 and is the largest and deepest lake in Nepal. It is located at an altitude of 2,990 m (9,810 ft) above sea level.
The fir, spruce, and juniper shrubs that surround the lake are true works of art created by Mother Nature. The allure is increased by the lake’s perspective of snow-covered mountain peaks.
After the flight from Kathmandu via Nepalgunj to Jumla, the hike begins. You can climb from there to Rara Lake for two to three days, passing through pine forests, monasteries, Gambas, apple orchids, and isolated cultural towns. You choose a different path through Dhotu, Chautha, and Danphe Langa to return to Jumla. After this, you take a flight via Nepalgunj back to Kathmandu.
The Royal Trek
Royal Trek is a short, one of the closest to Pokhara, but off-the-beaten-path trekking destination where you can experience real village life, a vibrant culture, and the isolation of central Nepal. Prince Charles and his staff went past these pathways in the 1980s, and that is how it got its moniker.
Despite being a lower elevation walk, this one gives the panoramic views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, as well as the region’s ethnic communities, terraced farms, and cultivated plains.
The trek begins in Bijaypur after a one-hour and 30-minute drive from Pokhara, and it ends at Begnas Lake. You will pass some significant day-trip locations en route, including Chisapani, Syaklung, and Kalikasthan.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Journey is another excellent off-the-beaten-path trek and one of the most well-known places in the easternmost region of the country. It takes a long journey to reach the most remote and breathtaking region of the Nepalese Himalayas, where Kanchenjunga the third-tallest mountain on Earth—borders the Indian state of Sikkim.
The name Kanchenjunga, which refers to the five summits that make up the entire mountain range, means “Five Treasures of the Great Snow” and is regarded as one of the most beautiful mountain massifs in the entire world.
Trekkers will be rewarded with a special perspective into the rural lifestyle and rich culture of Nepal because the entire path is rarely crowded. Your walk will be made more beautiful by the expansive Himalayan mountain views, the glistening backcountry, and the rare animals of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area.
Typically, you will be greeted by a variety of landscapes, including low river basins, glacial moraine, steep scree slopes, and alpine grasslands to subtropical forests.
After taking a flight from Kathmandu via Bhadrapur to Suketar, the trek begins. You get at Kanchenjunga Base Camp after passing through a number of the region’s towns—one is to the south, while the others are to the north. Depending on your level of fitness, your interests, and your budget, you can schedule for one or both.