Annapurna Circuit Trek

Trip cost Contact us
Duration 19 Days
Trip Grade  (Moderate)
  • Destination: Nepal
  • Transportation: NA
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About Trip

The  Annapurna Circuit Trek full trek is one of the classic walks of the world. Taking us around the entire Annapurna massif and through an ever-changing variety of scenery and attractions along the way.

The trek begins with jungle and climbs through terraced fields carved out of the greenery. Then it goes through a canyon so narrow that direct sun penetrates only at noon and after that tall pine forest. Then finally the Himalaya’s emerge in sneak peeks and tantalizing vistas. Then on the 10th day at the Thorong La Pass, there is nothing but mountains to be seen. With spindrift coming off four of the world’s highest peaks which loom on every horizon. Finally descending over the other side into the rain shadow and what is arguably “mini Tibet” in Mustang. Then it heads back down through the world’s deepest gorge the Kali Gandaki Gorge with Annapurna I (8091m) to the east and Dhaulagiri (8167m) to the west. We finish the trip with a spectacular sunrise at Poon Hill which gives us panoramic views and even gets to indulge in some hot springs along the way.

The Annapurna Circuit weaves through traditional villages enabling trekkers to experience local culture, traditions, and architecture starting with lush farmland in the mid-hills at the start of the trek. Then climbing up into the Himalayas the culture of mountain communities can be experienced. At the end of the trek, we arrive in the Mustang region which has a strong Tibetan culture and unique architecture.

A highlight of the trek is Muktinath, a sacred temple to both Buddhists and Hindu’s that is one of the main pilgrimage routes in Nepal. Here water pours from 108 springs and a natural gas flame burns on top of the water in one of the temples. Here we can observe hundreds of pilgrims and see the colorful sadhu’s (holy men) with their dreadlocks and painted foreheads.

Trip Highlights

  • The beautiful Manang Valley
  • Thorong La Pass – one of the highest high altitude passes in the world
  • The amazing village of Kagbeni with it Tibetan culture
  • Muktinath Temple – one of the most important pilgrimage places in Nepal
  • Kali Gandaki Gorge – world’s deepest gorge
  • Sunrise from Poon Hill with amazing panoramic views
  • The most spectacular waterfall
  • Hot springs at  Tatopani to relax at the end of the trek

Outline Itinerary

  • Day 01:Kathmandu Arrival
  • Day 02:Kathmandu to Syange (1100m) by road 8-10 hrs drive
  • Day 03:Syange to Dharapani (1960m) 7-8 hrs
  • Day 04:Dharapani to Chame (2710m) 5-6 hrs
  • Day 05:Chame to Pisang (3300m) 5-6 hrs
  • Day 06:Pisang to Manang (3500m) 6-7 hrs
  • Day 07:Manang exploration and acclimatization
  • Day 08:Manang to Yak Kharka (4110m) 3-4 hrs
  • Day 09:Yak Kharka to ThorangPhedi (4420m) 3-4 hrs
  • Day 10:ThorangPhedi to Thorong La Pass (5416m) to Muktinath (3800m) 7-8 hrs
  • Day 11:Muktinath to Kagbeni (2810m) 3-4 hrs
  • Day 12:Kagbeni – Marpha (2810m) 6-7 hrs
  • Day 13:Marpha to Kalopani (2530m) 5-6 hrs
  • Day 14:Kalopani to Tatopani (1200m) 6-7 hrs
  • Day 15:Tatopani to Ghorepani (2850m) 7-8 hrs
  • Day 16:Ghorepani to Poon Hill (sunrise) to Tadapani (2700m) 6-7 hrs
  • Day 17:Tadapani to Nayapul 5-6 hrs then to Pokhara by vehicle (1 hour drive)
  • Day 18:Pokhara to Kathmandu by vehicle – 5-6 hrs drive
  • Day 19:Departure Day

Cost Includes:

    • All accommodation as specified in the itinerary
    • All domestic flights and transportation as stated in the itinerary
    • Arrival and departure airport transfers
    • Trekking fees and permits
    • Set meals during trekking (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
    • One porter per 2 people and local mountain guide for your group
    • Insurances for porters and guides
    • Farewell dinner and cultural show 

Cost Excludes:

    • International flights to Nepal
    • Visa costs
    • Meals other than those listed in inclusions (this includes additional tea or coffee, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and water)
    • Laundry, towels, hot showers where optional, internet access, recharging of batteries and other items of a personal nature
    • Donations to enter monasteries, museums etc
    • Tips for porters and guides

Detail Itinerary

  • Day 1Kathmandu Arrival It’s arrival day today and you will be collected from the airport by our company representative who will escort you to your hotel. There will be a briefing this evening as we prepare for our trek. Overnight in Kathmandu. Included meals – none.
  • Day 2Kathmandu to Syange (1100m) by road 8-10 hrs drive It’s a long drive today and our destination is Syange. Leaving early in the morning we can enjoy the beautiful scenery consisting of lush green hills, terraced fields, winding rivers and a backdrop of mountains that we can glimpse along the way. Overnight in Syange. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 3Syange to Dharapani (1960m) 7-8 hrs It’s our first day of trekking today and we start with a bridge crossing and trekking through fields of barley, rice, and potato. The waterfalls along the way are also beautiful. We have arrived in the picturesque Manang Valley and Dharapani is one of the biggest villages in the area. Overnight in Dharapani. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 4Dharapani to Chame (2710m) 5-6 hrs Our trekking today takes us on a few steep forested ridges but we are rewarded with great views of LamjungHimal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV. Along the way, we can enjoy a small hot spring which is a welcome relaxing diversion. Overnight at Chame. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 5Chame to Pisang (3300m) 5-6 hrs Today we walk through a steep and narrow valley and have our first view of the PaungdaDanda, a dramatically sheer rock face that rises 1500m from the river below. From this spot, we can enjoy great views of Annapurna II to the south and Pisang Peak to the northeast. From here we descend to the Manang Valley where we can enjoy the incredibly picturesque location. Overnight in Pisang. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 6Pisang to Manang (3500m) 6-7 hrs We walk to Manang today taking the route which takes us through Upper Pisang via Geru. There are dramatic views of Mt Annapurna, Pisang Peak, and others along this route. Along the way, we stop to visit the Barge Monastery which is the largest in the district. The climate is starting to be colder now that we are at higher altitude. Overnight in Manang. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 7Manang exploration and acclimatization We have a full day in Manang today to allow our bodies to adjust to the altitude. It’s a great idea to do a short trek to a higher elevation to assist with this. Our options are a visit to BhojoGumba or the Gangapurna Lake. Overnight in Manang. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 8Manang to Yak Kharka (4110m) 3-4 hrs Leaving Manang this morning our trek climbs to the village of Tenki and then keeps going out of the Marshyangdi Valley and heading up the valley of the JarsangKhola. We follow this north passing pastures, juniper trees and the meadows where we can see yaks grazing. Finally, after crossing a small river we pass an ancient mani wall and reach the small village of Yak Kharka. Overnight in Yak Kharka. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 9Yak Kharka to ThorangPhedi (4420m) 3-4 hrs It’s all uphill to ThorangPhedi as we pass through small villages and towering cliffs. On the way, we can enjoy beautiful views of Mt Gundang, Mt Syang, Thorung Peak and Mt Khatungkan. This is our last stop before the Thorong La Pass. Overnight in ThorangPhedi. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 10ThorangPhedi to Thorong La Pass (5416m) to Muktinath (3800m) 7-8 hrs Today is the day that we will be crossing one of the highest passes in the world. It’s a long day today with a packed lunch but the pass crossing is not too difficult. From the top of the pass, we can enjoy panoramic mountain views as well as incredible views along the way. After the pass, we head down to Muktinath which is the site of one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Nepal. Overnight in Muktinath. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 11Muktinath to Kagbeni (2810m) 3-4 hrs This morning we have time to visit the Muktinath Temple and to spend some time watching the pilgrims and holy men that visit this place. From here we trek to Kagbeni. Kagbeni is an amazing village with a beautiful monastery and a real Tibetan feel. It’s the last stop before we enter the Upper Mustang Restricted zone. We can spend a little time exploring the maze of narrow streets, visiting the monastery and immersing ourselves in the local culture. Overnight in Kagbeni. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 12Kagbeni – Marpha (2810m) 6-7 hrs We are walking along the Kali Gandaki gorge which is the deepest in the world. The landscape here is very barren and rocky. If we like we can take a detour via Lupra which has the oldest Bon Gompa in Nepal before carrying on to Jomsom the location of the airport here. From Jomsom, we carry on to Marpha which is the apple capital of Nepal and we can taste the local apple brandy. Overnight in Marpha. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 13Marpha to Kalopani (2530m) 5-6 hrs This morning we walk through beautiful apple orchards as we head towards Kalopani via Chokhopani. We can see the traditional villages of the Thakali people along the way along with panoramic views of Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Tukuche, Fang and Annapurna I. Overnight at Kalopani. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 14Kalopani to Tatopani (1200m) 6-7 hrs It’s mostly downhill today as we descend into subtropical lush forests passing waterfalls along the way including the largest waterfall on the trek. We pass through villages along the way where we can observe the daily lives of the village people. At Tatopani, there is a hot spring where we can enjoy a bath and some relaxation after our long day trekking. Overnight in Tatopani. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 15Tatopani to Ghorepani (2850m) 7-8 hrs This morning we leave the Kali Gandaki river and head up the Ghar Khola Valley. The scenery is that of terraced farmlands with a mountain backdrop as we pass through the villages of Shikha and Chitre. Soon we reach the rhododendron forests for which Ghorepani is well known and then soon after we reach the village of Ghorepani located on the ridge top with a panoramic view of snow-capped peaks. Overnight in Ghorepani. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 16Ghorepani to Poon Hill (sunrise) to Tadapani (2700m) 6-7 hrs This morning we make the trek for 1 hour up stone stairs to watch the sunrise at Poon Hill. This is a famous viewpoint and rightfully so as the panoramic view from here is one of the best views of the Himalayas. From here we can see the Annapurna Range as well as the Dhaulagiri mountain range. It’s a magical sight watching the first rays of sunlight light up the peaks with pink and then golden hues. We return back to our guesthouse for breakfast before continuing on to Tadapani. The trek to Tadapani is very scenic, first taking us through rhododendron forest that is often swirling in mist and then along the river bank with cascades and waterfalls around every corner. Overnight in Tadapani. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 17Tadapani to Nayapul 5-6 hrs then to Pokhara by vehicle (1 hour drive) As we leave this morning we walk through dense rhododendron forest descending rapidly to enter the village of Ghandruk. Ghandruk is a traditional Gurung village with incredible views of the snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna range as it’s backdrop. We continue on from here until Nayapul where we board our vehicle for the drive to Pokhara. Pokhara is a beautiful lakeside town picturesquely located on the banks of Phewa Lake. Particularly beautiful is the area beside the lake with the colorful boats that are abundant here. Overnight in Pokhara. Included meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Day 18Pokhara to Kathmandu by vehicle – 5-6 hrs drive We drive back to Kathmandu today. It’s a fairly easy drive and we can sit back and enjoy the scenery. We arrive back in Kathmandu by mid-afternoon when you have time for some shopping or to just relax in your hotel. Overnight in Kathmandu. Included meals – breakfast.
  • Day 19Departure Day Your journey ends today and you will be escorted to the airport by our company representative in time for your flight.
  • Awesome Times with good people!!
    Stephen Gray
    Australia Published: Wednesday, May 02, 2018

    Awesome Times with good people!!

    Rating:

    I went on a trip with Arjun and a had an amazing time. Arjun was very flexible from the start. We planned the 'normal'trip around the Annapurna Circuit but since I wanted to go 'off the beaten track' we also left the too touristy places and went down some trecks which I would not have been able to do or find on my own. They also have alternative ways and trecks to go which are not known by most people. Arjun knew people on the way and could answer a lot of my questions (from 'which mountain is that to what traditional medicin plants up here). Obviously having a chat with the people on the mountains is easier if you have someone who speaks the language. He also taught me some nice survival know how like navigatin via map. I would definitely recomend him and the company Nepal mountain Hub to others. Not only for the expertise but even more because he is a great guy (I guess the others are too), how much would it suck if you go for a 10+ day trip with someone who isn't good company. Thanks for everything I will come back!

Trip Note

This itinerary may differ slightly during your tour. Occasionally itineraries need to change to allow for weather conditions, transportation, travellers desires etc. It is recommended that you allow an additional 1-2 days before your international flight to allow for mountain airport delays and other unforeseen circumstances.

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