Khopra Danda Trek

Who Khopra Danda suits

Khopra Danda (Khopra Ridge) is what Poon Hill was before the crowds. The trail climbs through rhododendron forest and Magar villages to a grassy ridge at 3,667 m, where community lodges look straight across the Kali Gandaki gorge to Dhaulagiri, with Annapurna South and Nilgiri close by. Fit trekkers can add a hard side trip to the sacred Khayer Lake at 4,653 m. The itinerary and cost are on Discover Parbat's Khopra Ridge Trek page.

It's moderate. Most trekkers take 7–9 days from Pokhara. The climbs are steeper than on Poon Hill, but you sleep no higher than the ridge itself unless you go for Khayer Lake. It suits people who've done or skipped Poon Hill and want the same mountains with far fewer people, and anyone who likes simple community lodges over busy teahouse villages.

Do you need a guide or permit?

Khopra lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the ACAP permit, which you can get yourself in Pokhara. No TIMS card. A guide isn't legally required. See the 2026 rules.

We do recommend a guide, or at least a partner. The trail is quiet and less signposted than the main Annapurna routes, cloud often fills the forest in the afternoon, and the Khayer Lake side trip is a long, high day on a faint trail. Don't do that part alone.

Best months, and when it's easiest to find a partner

October–December gives the clearest Dhaulagiri views. Khopra stays good later into December than the high treks. March–April brings rhododendron forest in full bloom. Winter is cold on the ridge but often clear. Khayer Lake can be snowbound from December to March.

Khopra is a quiet trek, so you won't meet many people heading the same way. Post your dates before you leave Pokhara, or join a group departure.

Doing Khopra with a partner

• Where to meet: Pokhara. Pick up ACAP permits together and share transport to the trailhead.
• What to share: transport, rooms at the community lodges (they're small, so coordinate dates), and a local guide.
• Where you can split up: at Khopra, one of you can do Khayer Lake with a guide while the other rests on the ridge. Many routes link with Ghorepani, so a partner short on time can walk out via Poon Hill.
• Make it longer: with 7–8 days you can pair Khopra with Kokhe Danda in Parbat for a quiet, village-focused alternative to the classic Annapurna treks.