Sabha Pokhari Trek offers trekking to the isolated trekking region in Nepal. This trek leads us to a naturally and culturally rich pond, Sabha Pokhari of Sankhuwasabha in the lap of Lumba Sumba Mountain. The pond is about 200 meters long and 100 meters wide. This place also offers a great panoramic view of Mt. Makalu in the Northern part, Lumba Sumba in the Northern to Eastern Part, and Mt. Kanchenjunga in the eastern part including other snow-capped peaks. One can also reach to this by trekking through Chauki, Gufa Pokhari, and Milke Danda.
Sabha Pokhari Trek offers trekking to the isolated trekking region in Nepal. This trek leads us to a naturally and culturally rich pond, Sabha Pokhari of Sankhuwasabha in the lap of Lumba Sumba Mountain. The pond is about 200 meters long and 100 meters wide. This place also offers a great panoramic view of Mt. Makalu in the Northern part, Lumba Sumba in the Northern to Eastern Part, and Mt. Kanchenjunga in the eastern part including other snow-capped peaks. One can also reach to this by trekking through Chauki, Gufa Pokhari, and Milke Danda.
According to Hindu mythology, a wise ascetic namely Byasa once organized a gathering of all 88 thousand sages, saints and ascetics in the middle of the pond and gave a speech on how humans can obtain peace in life and make their way to heaven after death. From that event, the pond is named Sabhapokhari (a meeting pond). The place has got its extremely natural beauty and landscape which is also a good place for trekking.
During March/April Month, the area of Guphapokhari, Milke Danda and Jaljala region offers the blossom of 26 different types of Rhododendrons.
Highlights of Trek
| Duration | 15 Nights/16 Days |
| Grade | 4+ |
| Maximum Elevation | 4,334m/14,215ft (Panch Pokhari) |
| Mountains | Mt. Makalu (8,463m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Lumba Sumba Himal, |
| Forests | Rhododendron, Juniper, Larch, Pine Forests |
| Flights | Kathmandu (KTM) – Biratnagar (BIR) & Tumlingtar (TMI) - Kathmandu (KTM) |
| Landscapes | Hills and Mountains, Grasslands Plateau, Basins, Valleys |
| Warning | Altitude Sickness (Above 3000) |
| Accommodation | Star Category hotels in Kathmandu, Tourist standard lodges/teahouse lodge in Trekking |
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Upon arrival at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, transfer to the hotel. After some refreshments, there will be a short briefing about the trek regarding the schedule, required trekking gear, services, and facilities we provided during the drive and trekking areas.
The rest of the time is free for trekking preparation.
Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 02: Half-Day Sightseeing Tour and Trek Preparation.
In the morning, proceed for a half-day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu City including the World Heritage Sites. It includes a tour of two sites below:
- Pashupatinath Temple - the Temple of Lord Shiva situated on the bank of the holy Bagmati River. The temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu Durbar Square) - an ancient durbar (palace) with numerous old palaces, temples, and pagodas, the Temple of Living Goddess “Kumari”, and the Kasthamandap Temple, which is believed to be constructed from the wood of a single tree from which Kathmandu derives its name.
- Bouddhanath Stupa- an ancient colossal stupa and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in the world
- Swayambhunath Stupa - the oldest Buddhist stupa of Nepal and has numerous shrines and monasteries on its premises. It is also known as the “Monkey Temple”!!
- Patan City - a city of 55 major temples, 136 Buddhist monasteries, and famous for the production of Thangka and Paubha Paintings.
- Narayan Hiti Palace Museum
- National Museum
The rest of the day is free for trekking preparation, such as trekking gear shopping, packing on a duffle bag, etc.
Eve: Trip briefing followed by welcome dinner at an Authentic Nepali restaurant with a cultural program.
Overnight at Hotel in Kathmandu. (B, D)
Day 03: Fly to Biratnagar & Drive Basantapur Bazar, Dhankuta – 130Km/5 hours
Timely transfer to Kathmandu Domestic Airport to board an onward flight to Biratnagar. Upon arrival at Biratnagar Airport, meet awaiting vehicle and drive to Dhankunta via Itahari and Dharan Bazar. From Dharan Bazar, we will drive uphill to Bhedetar Bazar. If the weather gets clear, we will visit Charles Clock Tower at Bhedetar to see Snow-capped Mountains, the Hilly region and the plain Terai region. From Bhedetar, the downhill drive leads to Tamor River, a tributary of the Saptakhoshi River. Crossing Tamor River, we will ascend to Hile Bazar via Dhankuta. Taking the right side road from Hile, we will reach Basantapur Bazar.
Overnight at lodge in Basantapur Bazar. (B, L, D)
Day 04: Drive to Guphapokhari Bazar (2,890m/9,480ft) – 42 Km/ 3 hours and explore the beautiful lake with Rhododendron Forest.
Early morning, continue the drive to Guphapokhari Bazar. Upon arrival at Guphapokhari, check into the teahouse lodge. After refreshments, meet the trekking support team and interact with the team. In the daytime, explore the lake and hike to the nearby rhododendron hill to enjoy nature.
Overnight at teahouse lodge in Guphapokhari. (B, L, D)
Day 05: Trek to Dobate (3,500m/11,480ft)
After breakfast, start to walk to Dobate. The trail will pass via small settlements and several small sacred lakes. The trek is also verdantly embedded with rhododendron woods that line the ridgelines. The aroma of rhododendron flowers fills the air along the journey. The Makalu Peak also shines against the green landscape.
Overnight at a tented camp in Dobate. (B, L, D)
Day 06: Trek to Khambule Pati (3,555m/11,660ft)
Walking on the snake trails through the ridge through the rhododendron forest will lead us to Khambule Pati. This place is the resting point to have lunch or stay overnight during the trek.
Overnight at a tented Camp in Khambule Pati. (B, L, D)
Day 07: Trek to Sabha Pokhari (4,155m/13,628ft)
On this day, we will reach our destination, Sabha Pokhari is considered to be spiritually pure and have high religious importance. It is situated in the lap of the Lumba Sumba Mountains and is believed to be the site of a meeting where a wise ascetic named Vyasa organized a meet in the middle of the lake and performed a mythology speech (Puran) to eighty-eight thousand sages. The name Sabha Pokhari is translated as “the Meeting Pond”. People also believe that if anyone bathes in the lake, then their wishes get fulfilled.
Overnight at a tented camp near Sabha Pokhari. (B, L, D)
Day 08: Sabha Pokhari to Panch Pokhari (4334m/14,215ft)
After breakfast, we will trek to Panch Pokhari through the green pasturelands. It is a group of five lakes situated in the terrain basin, and the lake system is also the 9th highest altitude wetland in the world. Many pilgrims visit the lakes during the Janai Purnima festival. It is a beautiful region where the reverie valleys open out into massive volcanic folds.
Panch Pokhari combines the five lakes whose names undergo as Mohi (buttermilk), Jata (hair), Dudh (milk), Bahula (insane), and Bhut (ghost). People believe that if one bathes in Bahula Pokhari, one will be plagued with insanity. Likewise, Ghost Lake is said to be haunted by a lake demon that cannot bear the smell of human perspiration and will pull people into the depths of the lake’s murky waters to certain death if they venture near it.
Overnight at a tented camp near Panch Pokhari. (B, L, D)
Day 09: Trek to Aanande Danda (3,584m/11,638ft)
Early morning, start trek to Aanande Danda through the ridge of Jaule Langur Danda. Leaving Jaljala Ridge, the trail will pass through the forest towards Aanande Danda.
Overnight at a tented camp in Aanande Danda. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Trek to Ghopte Dhunga (2,778m/9,112ft)
After breakfast, start the trek downhill towards Ghopte Dhunga.
Overnight at a tented camp at Ghopte Dhunga. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Trek to Mangsima (1,770m/5,805ft)
On this day, we will trek to the beautiful village of Mangsima.
Overnight at teahouse lodge at Mangsima. (B, L, D)
Day 12: Trek to Num (1,543m/5,061ft)
Early morning, trek to Num. The trail descends from Mangsima to Phumrang and further to Num. Upon arrival at Num, check into the lodge.
Overnight at teahouse lodge at Mangsima. (B, L, D)
Day 13: Drive to Tumlingtar (400m/1,312ft)
After breakfast, meet the waiting vehicle and drive to Tumlingtar via Khandbari. Upon arrival at Tumlingtar, check into the lodge and check the tickets at the counter. A bid farewell program will be organized for local guides and porters.
Overnight at a hotel in Tumlingtar. (B, L, D)
Day 14: Fly back to Kathmandu – 45 mins
Timely checkout from the hotel and transfer to Tumlingtar Domestic Airport to board an onward flight to Kathmandu for about 45 mins with a pleasant view of the Himalayan Ranges including Makalu-Everest-Rolwaling-Langtang massif.
Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu. (B, L, D)
Day 15: Contingency Day
If the plan goes smoothly with the flight on the required day/time, this day will be a free day in Kathmandu for leisure activities or sightseeing tours (on your own), last-minute shopping, bag packing, etc. On request, we will arrange a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu.
Eve: Group Farewell dinner at an authentic Nepali Restaurant in Kathmandu.
Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu. (B, D)
Day 16: Final Departure
Timely transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport to board an onward flight to home country 3 hours earlier than the scheduled flight departing time. We wish you a happy journey during your flight from Nepal to your home country with the hope to see you on your next visit to Nepal.
(Meals Included: Breakfast)
Team Member
- All arrival and departures transfer will be assisted by the Tour Escorts.
- All the sightseeing tours in Kathmandu will be accompanied by an experienced English Speaking Tour Guide or any other language specialist on demand.
- During the trekking, a government-certified Trekking Guide will be with the group for the trek arrangements.
- One local guide to interpreting languages with the local community.
- On a trek, porters will carry a duffel bag of 2 porters and ranges up to a maximum of 30 Kg/ 60 lbs. Guests are expected to carry only a small rucksack while walking to carry all the essentials such as water bottles, extra jackets, cameras, packed lunch, etc.
Transportation
- All arrival and departure transfers, and ground transport will be provided in an A/c private vehicle.
- Round Trip of Kathmandu/Biratnagar & Tumlingtar/Kathmandu on a domestic flight.
- Drive from Biratnagar-Guphapokhari and Num-Tumlingtar will be on a private 4WD Jeep.
- (If you wish to use the local transport, there will be changes in the time and the stopover location mentioned above. This will be a customized trek, so the final itinerary will be prepared according to the demand of trekkers.)
Accommodation & Food
- For four nights in Kathmandu, there will be star-categorized hotels depending upon the choice of guests.
- Welcome and farewell dinner in Kathmandu
- During trekking, we provide accommodation service on-mountain teahouse lodges. At the higher elevation, the lodges are seasonal, so we do pre-booking with the help of a local guide who will be leading us on this trek. During the season, the local community operates small huts for catering services at all the stop-over points. Timing for breakfast, lunches, and dinner can be more or fewer changes due to the availability of lodges or guest preferences.
- Camping is required to do at most places.
- There will be a fixed menu for meals i.e. Nepalese Meal Set (Dal Bhat) in some places mostly at a higher elevation.
- Guests having any specific meal dietary requirements should inform us in advance.
- Meals are listed above in Itinerary. (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
Itinerary
We request you view the Itinerary and information herein as a guideline. The information provided in the itinerary is to the best of our knowledge, marginal variances in the actual distances and altitudes are possible. Weather conditions, roadblocks, local political conditions, flight cancellations, mechanical breakdowns, or other unforeseeable circumstances can lead to a change in itinerary or means of transport.
Insurance
It is important to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy against illness, hospitalization, flight delays, loss of luggage, cancellations, and amendments due to weather conditions, political disturbances, or natural calamities as well as emergency helicopter evacuation. Before purchasing Travel Insurance, please ensure that the policy covers adventure activities and or trekking activities at around 3,000m.
Fitness
The trek is a little bit difficult as it is in an isolated region. This trek involves walking 5-6 hours daily while ascending whereas, on returning, the trek will skip one camp). Previous walking experience at high altitudes is beneficial. The highest altitude that we attained on this trek is 4,334m/14,215ft at Panch Pokhari. Physical fitness is essential & previous walking experience outdoors is essential.
Basic infrastructure
The trekking area will lack an electricity facility and telephone network. We recommend you carry additional batteries for Cameras, or a Solar power bank to charge smartphones. The trek leader will carry a Satellite phone to communicate at offices in Kathmandu in case of any emergencies.
