Annapurna Circuit Trek

Welcome to Nepal! Upon your arrival in Nepal, we will meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport. We will then head towards your hotel, the one you booked. We will then allow you to rest for the remainder of the day. You can go shopping, if there are any trekking gear, clothes, or energy bars that you need to buy. Our Himalaya Nepal Guide will brief you on the Annapurna Circuit Trek.

Your trekking guide will pick you up from the hotel, and then both of you will head towards the bus park, from where you will catch a tourist bus to Besisahar. The bus follows the Prithvi Highway, passing the Trisuli River and crossing it at Muglin. It then follows the Marshyangdi River, passing through several villages. After 8 or 9 hours of travelling by bus, you will arrive at Besisahar.

After arriving at Besisahar, you can rest here and start trekking tomorrow. Or, the better option is to endure about an hour of travel by road and reach Ngadi (860 m), the starting point of your trek. Alternatively, there is a third option: you can also walk for approximately two hours to reach Ngadi. If you walk, you will cross the Marshyangdi River at Belauti Bisauni village and then continue to Bulbule. However, walking for such long hours after 8 hours of travel can tire you for tomorrow’s trek. Therefore, we do not recommend it. Upon arriving at Ngadi, you will stay at a lodge.

After breakfast at the lodge where you stayed, you will begin the first day of hiking. Initially, you will walk through the roads, heading toward the east bank of the Marshyangdi River. You will then trek uphill to Bahun Danda, a Brahmin settlement at 1,270 meters. Here, you will have lunch and rest for a while. You will then begin to descend towards Lili Bhir. Finally, you will arrive at Jagat, the resting point for the day.

You will start trekking early in the morning. You have an option to have breakfast at Jagat or hike to Ghermu and have it there. From Ghemru, the trail goes downhill to Syange. There is a suspension bridge on the Marshyangdi River, which, after crossing, will take you to the west bank of the river. The trail will descend before climbing through the forest to reach Chamje.

You will then cross the Marshyangdi Khola again on a rocky trail and follow the valley steadily uphill until you reach Tal at an elevation of 1,700 meters. The valley is filled with the debris of ancient landslides. The land is fertile and flat. Here, the river zigzags before disappearing under huge boulders. Tal is the first village of Manang District and the gateway to Manang. From Tal, you will head towards Dharapani, where you will stay for a night.

On the fifth day of your Annapurna Circuit Trek, you will once again cross the suspension bridge to reach Karte. You will then continue through the same trail towards Bagarchhap at 1,960 meters. The other two stops ahead of Bagarchhap are Timang and Thanchok. Before reaching Timang, you will arrive at a village of Danque at 2,300 meters. The Timag village offers breathtaking views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, and Mount Manaslu on the right. After a few hours from Thanchok is the Managi village of Chame. You will rest at this village for the night.

Today, you will walk through a section covered with a dense forest. There is a narrow valley that you will reach. You will then cross to the south bank of Marshyanngdi Khola at 3,038 meters, which will bring you to a dramatic, curved rock face rising 1,500 meters above the river. You will arrive at Dhukure Pokhari (Dove Lake) to have your lunch. You will find yourself in the U-shaped valley of Manang, hanging between giant snow peaks. After walking through these incredible places, you will reach Pisang, where you will stay for a night at a lodge.

Yesterday, if you had stayed at the Lower Pisang, you could have taken two trails, both of which reach Mungji. The first route follows the Marshyangdi Khola, and the other trail crosses the river and follows the new path. The lower section passes through a pine forest and reaches the Humde Airport, where flights take place twice a week. The higher walkway goes through Upper Pisang, Gyaru, and Ngawal, offering outstanding views.

Today on the route, you will witness the panoramic views of mountain peaks like Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Gangapurna, Pisang Peak, and other massifs. The pathway continues from Mungji past the few villages before finally arriving at Manang, where you will stay for a night.

You have arrived at Manang, which stands at an elevation of 3,540 meters above sea level. The path ahead will exceed this altitude, and the risk of altitude sickness increases. Therefore, you must allow your body to acclimate before pushing on to the Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m. What other place to do so other than Manang? Here you have the following options that you can explore:

• You can visit the Lama (Monk), for which you must ascend approximately 300 meters, a journey that will take about one hour. Here, you will need to donate 100 rupees to the Lama (Monk). When you visit, you will receive blessings from the Lama, as well as savor a cup of sweet tea. Afterward, you can spend your time relaxing in the village.
• The other optional hike is to reach Gangapurna Lake. You can walk up to the glacier and then relax or save your energy for the upcoming push to Thorong La (5,416 meters).
• Milarepa Cave is located before Manang. If you want to visit the cave, you will need to return to Braga, cross the river, and hike uphill near Annapurna III. It takes about 2 to 3 hours.
• Ice Lake (Kicho Tal) is a longer hike and takes about 5 to 6 hours each way. You should pack a lunch for the trip.

Whichever optional hike you take, you will return to Manang to rest for the night.

For today’s hike, you will head north, leaving behind the Marshyangdi Valley and continuing along the Jar Sang Khola Valley. Initially, you will start by trekking uphill from Manang to Tanki village, passing through Ghungsang. The route passes a few pastures and scrubland filled with juniper trees.

After crossing a small river on a wooden bridge, you will pass an ancient Mani wall in a pleasant meadow and then reach the small village of Yak Kharka. If you are staying at Chauri Lader, a little further uphill from Yak Kharka, it will take about an hour more to reach it. You will spend the night at a lodge.

You have completed half of your trek. Today, you will have to reach Thorong High Camp, which is the final resting point for our trek before reaching Thorong La Pass. You will follow yak grazing grounds along a Nepali flat section, then descend to the Jarsang Khola. After crossing the river, you will walk about 20 minutes uphill to Durali Tea Shop, a good place to rest and have some tea. From there, you will continue straight to Thorong Phedi, where you will have lunch. After lunch, you can hike up to Thorong High Camp for acclimatization and then return to Phedi. You will spend the night at Thorong Phedi (4,550 meters) in a lodge. “Phedi” means “Foot of the Hill.”

Today will be your last night in Manang District. Unlike previous hikes, today will be a long and challenging day. You will reach Thorong La Pass and then descend towards Muktinath. So, you have to walk for at least 8 hours today. Starting early can save you from unpredictable weather at Thorong La Pass, especially if you are trekking in the offseason. You will climb about 850 meters up and descend around 1,700 meters to reach your overnight stay.

You will first climb steadily to Thorong High Camp, which takes about 40–50 minutes. From there, you will continue to a tea shop located between Thorong High Camp and the top of the pass. After about half an hour more, you will reach the summit of Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters, marked by chortens and prayer flags.

From the top, you will enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, Dhampus Peak, and the vast Kali Gandaki valley. After spending some time at Thorong La Pass, you will descend to Muktinath. You will pass through the famous pilgrimage site surrounded by white walls. You will spend the night at Muktinath (3,710 meters).

Now, you are near the end of your trek. You can officially conclude the trekking part from Muktinath, as you can also reach Jomsom from Muktinath and take a flight to Pokhara. Our itinerary includes Tatopani and a few other places in the Annapurna Circuit. So, we will head towards Tatopani. You can decide to trek from Muktinath through Marpha and Ghasa to Tatopani, which takes about three days. However, on this itinerary, you will travel by jeep or bus, following the Kali Gandaki River. Tatopani means “hot water” and is famous for its natural hot springs. You can relax in the pools and enjoy cold or hot drinks in the evening.

After spending a fantastic day at Tatopani, you will resume your trek. Now you will be heading towards Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal. Before that, we will explore the Ghorepani Poon Hill area, a famous vantage point. To reach Poon Hill, you have to fist reach Sikha, which will be our ending point for today.

Initially, you will trek downhill and cross a suspension bridge over the Kali Gandaki River. The route then follows the Burung Khola for a while until you reach a junction. One wide path continues along the river toward Beni, but you will take the left-hand section, which climbs uphill.

The first part of the climb is quite steep as you ascend to the top of Batase Danda. From there, you will continue walking through farms and villages until you reach Sikha village.

Today, you will walk through the Magar villages of Phalate and Chitre. You will also pass through beautiful terraced fields. The pathway continues through dense rhododendron and pine forests, making the day more vibrant, especially in the spring season. Finally, you will reach Ghorepani. During the blooming season, you can see a paradise of rhododendron flowers and enjoy fantastic views of the mountains along the route. Overnight at Ghorepani.

The major attraction of today’s trek is the sunrise from the Poon Hill. So, you will have to wake early in the morning and hike to Poon Hill (3,210 m). From here, you will see a beautiful sunrise and an incredible view of Mt. Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, Nilgiri, Annapurna South, Himchuli, Annapurna I, Fishtail (Machhapuchhre), Lamjung Himal, and other peaks. “Poon Hill” gets its name because “Poon” is the caste of the local people who built the tower on the hill.

After enjoying the mountain views, you will hike back down to Ghorepani for breakfast. Then, you will trek down toward Tikhedunga, passing through sections of flat walkway. Continuing your descent, you will reach Nayapul, where you can catch a private or public vehicle to Pokhara. You will stay overnight in Pokhara.

Note: If you would like to include Annapurna Base Camp in the itinerary, we can do so before preparing and planning the route. 

Upon successfully completing the Annapurna Circuit Trek, you will head towards Kathmandu. You can either fly to Kathmandu or opt for a tourist bus. We can tailor the itinerary to your preferences. At Kathmandu, you will be joining the Himalaya Guide Nepal for a farewell dinner.

Note: We also organize a shorter version of the Annapurna Circuit Trek, starting from Besisahar and flying out from Jomsom, depending on our valued clients’ available holiday time.