Sikles: four days in one of the largest Gurung villages in Nepal

A working farming village of slate and stone on the quiet eastern side of the Annapurnas, where the trek is the place rather than the viewpoint.

By Dawa Gurung · 5 min read · Updated 1 August 2026

Most treks in Nepal walk through villages on the way to something. Sikles is the something. One of the largest traditional Gurung settlements in the country, it spreads across a hillside at about 2,000 m northeast of Pokhara, and it has not been rebuilt for visitors.

Slate roofs, stone-paved lanes, buffalo in the yards, maize drying under the eaves, and a view north to Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal from more or less everywhere in it.

This is the trek we suggest for people who say they want to see how people actually live, which is a thing a lot of visitors say and fewer trips deliver.

Why Gurung villages look like this

The Gurung are one of Nepal's larger ethnic groups and this middle-hill belt is their heartland. The architecture is a response to the climate and the slope: stone walls, slate roofs against monsoon rain, and houses stepped into the hillside with animals below and living space above.

Many families here have a British or Indian army connection going back generations — the Gurkha regiments recruited heavily from these hills — which is why you will meet grandfathers who speak English learned in Hong Kong or Brunei. That history is part of the conversation if you let it be. It is also why some houses are considerably grander than the farming would explain.

The walking

This is a gentle trek by Nepali standards — four days, a maximum of about 2,000 m, no altitude issues and no long climbing days. You walk between villages and viewpoints on the ridge above.

The standard shape is a drive out, a full day exploring Sikles and the terraces around it, a day up to a viewpoint on the ridge for the Annapurna II and IV panorama, and a drive back.

It also functions as the gateway to Kapuche Glacier Lake and Kori Danda, both of which start here. If you have longer, chaining them is the obvious move.

Staying with families

Accommodation is homestays and small guesthouses rather than the teahouse industry. You eat what the family eats — dal bhat, gundruk, whatever is in the field — and it is generally excellent.

Money from homestays stays in the household rather than going to an operator, which for a village of this size is a meaningful share of a family's cash income.

The set-up is simple. Shared bathrooms, no wifi worth the name, lights out early. Nobody has come back from Sikles complaining about the rooms, but you should know what you are booking.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Sikles Gurung Heritage Trek4 days · 2,000 mRs 40,100 · See dates →Kapuche Glacier Lake Trek4 days · 2,546 mRs 44,100 · See dates →Kori Danda Trek4 days · 3,800 mRs 57,500 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Is there anything to see beyond the village?

The ridge viewpoints above Sikles give you Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and Machhapuchhre. But the village is the trip — if that does not appeal, take Ghandruk or Poon Hill instead.

Is it suitable for older travellers or families?

Very. Low altitude, short days, comfortable pace, and a genuine cultural experience without a hard walk. One of our most family-friendly trips.

Do I need a permit?

The area sits within the Annapurna Conservation Area, so generally yes. We arrange it — tell us your dates and we will confirm what is current.

Can I combine it with Kapuche or Kori?

Yes, and we would. Both start from Sikles. The lake adds two days, the ridge adds two to three, and doing all three makes about a week.

Kapuche — a glacier lake at 2,546 m, four days from LakesideGlacial lakes normally sit above 4,000 m and cost you a week of acclimatising. This one does not, and almost nobody has heard of it.6 min read →Kori Danda — 3,800 m in four days, and no one else up thereA grass ridge above Sikles with Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal and Manaslu across the skyline. Two of the twenty-five operators we surveyed list it at all.6 min read →Khumai Danda gives you the Mardi view without the Mardi trafficA parallel ridge at 3,682 m looking at the same Machhapuchhre face, four days from Lakeside, and still almost empty.6 min read →The Royal Trek — the ridge Prince Charles walked in 1980Four low, warm days east of Pokhara through farming villages, finishing at Begnas Lake. No altitude, no crowds, and no other trekkers at all.5 min read →

Still deciding?

Tell us your dates and how much walking you have actually done, and we will tell you honestly whether this trek is the right one for you.

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