The Annapurna Circuit Trek is a wonderful adventure covering both sides of the Annapurna Himalaya massif. It is one of the most exciting treks around the entire Annapurna Himalayas, offering continuous views of towering snow-capped peaks. The Annapurna Circuit and Thorang-La Pass are listed among the world’s top ten adventure destinations by renowned guidebooks and travel magazines.
This enjoyable and adventurous walk allows one to experience various landscapes, climates, and vegetation, as well as local cultures. It is a complete and mesmerizing journey around the northern and southern areas of the great Annapurna Himalayan range of peaks. Currently, the trek around the Annapurna Himalayas has been shortened due to motorable roads, but the adventure is still enjoyable.
The villagers have retained their age-old glories and cultures, making the Annapurna Circuit an exciting and marvelous country to visit. The Annapurna Circuit Trek begins with an interesting overland journey towards Nepal’s Far North Mid-West. After reaching the low, warm farm country of Lamjung district, the trek proceeds up towards the cooler hills of the Manang areas.
Embark on adventurous walks starting from the lovely Dharapani village, passing through Timang and Chame town, and then proceeding towards the scenic high valley of Manang. This beautiful and spectacularly windswept country is enclosed by the giant peaks of Annapurna and Chulu Himal. The walk leads to the main village of Manang, situated on a lovely spot above the Marsyangdi River, as well as close to the glaciers and icefall of the Gangapurna Himal, Annapurna II, and A-III peaks.
After enjoying a pleasant rest day for acclimatization in the interesting village of Manang, the adventure continues towards the end of the Manang Valley. From the valley rim of Manang, a steep, strenuous climb will take you to the top of Thorang-La Pass. This is the highest point of the adventure, where every hard effort is rewarded with incredible views of towering snow-capped mountains.
Facing Dhaulagiri Himal towards the West, with Annapurna Himalaya, Chulu, and Manaslu Himal in the far-east direction, Thorang-La Pass forms the boundary between Manang and Mustang districts. From the pass, a long descent leads to Muktinath temple, a holy Hindu temple—one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Hindu followers, revered by Buddhists as well.
Descending from Muktinath to the wide Kaligandaki River Valley, the journey continues past Jomsom town and the lovely villages of Marpha and Tukuche. Slowly, the adventure heads through the world’s deepest gorge, the Kaligandaki River, sandwiched between Mt. Dhaulagiri and Mt. Annapurna.
Upon reaching the low, warm farmland and the village of Tato-Pani, named “Hot Water” due to its natural hot spring nearby, you can enjoy a wonderful time in Tatopani village. The walk then ascends to Ghorepani village, amidst beautiful rhododendron tree lines. Ghorepani is a great scenic village, and the next morning, there is time for a hike to the famous Poon Hill.
The top of Poon Hill offers stunning views of the sunrise over a chain of snow-capped peaks. After visiting Poon Hill and Ghorepani, our trek slowly comes to an end as we head down to Ulleri village. An exciting drive from Ulleri takes you to the beautiful city of Pokhara, situated by the famously serene Phewa Lake. Upon reaching scenic Pokhara, our marvelous adventure of a great and wonderful experience on the Annapurna Circuit and Thorang-La Pass Treks concludes.
The best times and the right seasons for the wonderful Annapurna Circuit trek are spring and autumn.
The spring season begins from March to May, when most days are full of sunshine. Wildflowers are in seasonal bloom, like rhododendrons of various species and colors, making the hills lively. Sometimes, the afternoons can get overcast with a few showers, and cold mornings and nights at higher altitudes.
The next best season is autumn/fall, starting from September to November, when most days are fine and crystal clear, offering excellent views and pleasant walks. However, mornings, late afternoons, and nights can be cold. Snowfall can be expected above 2,000 meters sometimes. Days are generally clear for views and walks, but the mornings, late afternoons, and nights are very cold. In autumn, days are short due to limited sunlight hours, but it’s an enjoyable time for views and walks.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu Airport, pickup to hotel – 1,300m
Day 02: Kathmandu day Sightseeing – 1,300m
Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu to Beshishar / Dharapani 1,900m – 09 hrs
Day 04: Trek to Chame 2,710m – 05 hrs
Day 05: Trek to Upper Pisang 3,115m – 05 hrs
Day 06: Trek to Nawal 3,650m – 05 hrs
Day 07: Trek to Manang 3,550m – 04 hrs
Day 08: Rest day Manang 3,550m – 05 hrs
Day 09: Trek to Leder 4,100m – 06 hrs
Day 10: Trek to Hi Camp 4,800m – 06 hrs
Day 11: Trek to Muktinath 3,800m via Thorang la pass 5,416m – 06 hrs
Day 12: Drive to Tatopani 1,200m – 04 hrs /Vai Marpha village
Day 13: Trek to Ghorepani 2,880m – 06 hrs
Day 14: Hike to Poon Hill 3,210m, trek to Ulleri village 2,050 m and drive to Pokhara 860m – 06 hrs
Day 15: Drive or fly to Kathmandu 1,300m – 06 hour journey (½ hour flight)
Day 16: Departure from Kathmandu airport – 1,300m
A free day in Kathmandu is preparation for the treks, and you can also enjoy a tour of Kathmandu and Nepal's famous landmarks. Kathmandu Valley and its adjoining cities are steeped with historical monuments listed in World Heritage Sites. Enjoy the tour of Old Durbar Square, the ancient palace, and the royal courtyard, as well as visiting the oldest Buddhist stupa of Swyambhunath. As well as the famous Hindu temple of Pashupatinath and the large dome stupa of Bouddhanath, and then back to the hotel. After an exciting tour, back to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon preparation for the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Start the day with an early morning drive to the starting point of the trek, having breakfast, and taking an exciting overland journey. Covering 397 km or 246 miles, it takes more than 7 hours. Depending on the road condition of the busiest highway in the country, it is interesting to observe the in-depth nature of Nepalese rural farm life. The drive takes you through many farm villages and towns and then heads towards the mid-west, reaching the large town of Bhesisar. From here, the drive follows the Marsyangdi River upstream past Khude and Syange village and climbs up to Jagat village. Slowly, the drive enters Tal Besi, the entrance to Manang district, and finally reaches Dharapani village for an overnight halt.
Trek to Chame (2,710 m) - 5 hrs. From Dharapani village, the meeting point of the Manaslu and Annapurna Circuit trekking routes. After a long, tiring, and interesting drive, today will be pleasant as we start the trek to Chame. The walk follows through lovely forests of pines and rhododendrons, passing the villages of Bagarchap and Danaque, adorned with Tibetan Buddhist culture. The route ascends, reaching Timang village for a lunch break where you can enjoy grand views of Lamjung and Manaslu Himal peaks. After lunch, a short descent leads to a gradual path to Kodo village, followed by a short climb to Chame, the headquarters of Manang district. Chame offers many nice lodges and guesthouses for an overnight stay, with enough time to explore this mountain town.
Trek to Pisang, 3,115 m, 05 hrs. After an overnight in Chame, the morning walk follows the Marsyangdi River for a short while, after Brathang village. From here, cross a bridge and climb to the hilltop of Dukure Pokhari. A small place with small lodges for lunch stops with close views of towering Pisang Peak and Chulus. The afternoon walk leads down to a flat glacial valley to reach Pisang village for an overnight halt.
From here into the inner Manang valley, the morning walk from Pisang village altitudegains at a slow pace. After a nice, pleasant walk, the trail climbs to a high ridge, offering grand views of Manang Valley. Surrounded by a range of snow-capped peaks on both sides of the valley, the walk continues, heading down to Hongde village. This village has the only airport in the whole Manang district, where flights seldom operate to and from Pokhara. The walk continues to Braga, a small village that houses the oldest monastery in the Manang area. Having time for a tour of the monastery as well as the superb panoramic views of the surrounding Snow Mountain range. After a tour of the monastery, which is enriched with ancient artifacts and idols of Buddha and Buddhist Gurus, From here, it is a short walk to the main Manang village for an overnight halt as well as a rest day. Manang, with many good lodges for trekkers, offers an excellent food menu as well.
Enjoy the rest day, which is necessary and important for acclimatization, before heading towards the high Thorang-La Pass. On the rest day, explore the village nestled amidst the giant Annapurna Mountain range with Chulu peaks to the north. It's a scenic place for a good hike to the viewpoint, a walk down to the river, and a climb close to the Gangapurna Ice Fall and glaciers. In the afternoon, enjoy lunch and marvel at the beautiful scenery of the surrounding giant peaks.
After Manang had a nice, pleasant rest day, another short day walk to Yak Kharka, located west of Manang village, The morning walk follows gradual winding ups as elevation gains slowly walk past a few smaller settlements. A scenic walk with grand views of Gangapurna Himal, Tilicho, and Chulu West peaks. After a few hours of good morning walking, I reached Yak Kharka for lunch and an overnight stop.
Another short-day trek to enjoy due to the rise in altitude, which makes the walk tiring and slow. Enjoy the morning walk on leaving the lodge at Yak Kharka head towards the end of Manang Valley rim. The trail leads past a small place called Ledar and down to a river. After crossing the stream, there is a short, steep climb, then a gradual path to Thorang Phedi at the end of a valley. A place with several nice lodges before crossing the high Thorang-La Pass. Having rest and then a steep climb brings you to a ridge top at High Camp of Thorang-La Pass. A windy and cold place with some simple lodge accommodation and good foods to enjoy lunch and dinner. Relax and save the energy for the next day-long climb up to Thorang-La Pass.
Rising early for breakfast and facing a tough climb to cross Thorang-La Pass, we leave High Camp and follow a narrow, gentle path. The climb begins with undulating, winding uphill sections until Thorang-La Pass is reached. Standing at the highest point of our adventure, we face a breathtaking panorama of giant mountains surrounding us. From this peak, there is a long descent to Muktinath, a holy Hindu site with a sacred temple. It is regarded as the holiest pilgrimage spot in the entire Himalayan range. Our walk leads us past the temple premises to the village of Rani Pawa, near the Muktinath Temple grounds, where several good lodges and a parking lot for vehicles are situated.
After enjoying pleasant and refreshing moments in Tatopani village, adventure begins by following the Kaligandaki River for an hour. Then our route diverts with a steep climb up to Ghara, Sikha, and Chitre farm villages. The walk continues uphill through a cool, forested path lined with pines and rhododendron trees. Finally, after hours of an exciting climb, we reached our overnight destination at Ghorepani village. Located amidst a beautiful rhododendron forest at the bottom of famous Poon Hill.
Rise in the morning to catch the brilliant sunrise from the top of Poon Hill and start the one-hour hike. To reach Poon Hill on time to catch a stunning sunrise that reflects on the Himalayan range of peaks. Includes a panorama of the world's three highest mountains, from Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu Himal. From Poon Hill, after a refreshing morning hike, return to Ghorepani for breakfast, and then continue the last-day walks. A pleasant walk on the final day of the adventure, walking within a beautiful forest to reach Ulleri village. From this nice mountain village, take an exciting drive for a few hours to Pokhara. The drive leads to lovely Bhirethati village, and then the road gets better after Nayapul town. Where the main highway between Baglung and Pokhara joins, the drive continues for some hours, reaching Pokhara. Transfer to a lovely hotel by the serene Phewa Lake side, where all good hotels are located.
Morning after early breakfast, an interesting overland journey to Kathmandu. The drive leads on a busy highway, following the Trisuli River for a few hours, and then the drive climbs on a winding road. Then, after reaching the Kathmandu valley and back into the city after an exciting drive, check into your hotels. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure for individual activities. (Options for a scenic short flight of half an hour to Kathmandu from Pokhara)
The Annapurna Region is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal, attracting thousands of trekkers every year. It is renowned for its stunning landscapes, diverse culture, and breathtaking views of the Annapurna mountain range, including Annapurna I, the 10th highest peak in the world.
Trekking in the Annapurna Region offers a variety of routes catering to different preferences and fitness levels. Some of the popular trekking routes in the Annapurna Region include: Annapurna Circuit Trek, Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, and Mardi Himal Trek.
To ensure a safe and comfortable trek in the Himalayan region, it is highly recommended to bring the appropriate equipment and gear to cope with the cold temperatures. The following is a list of essential equipment and gear for Annapurna Circuit Trek, which can be purchased either in the Thamel market or brought from your home country:
The following basic checklist for trekking and hiking equipment should assist you in packing for our trips. Keep in mind the importance of minimizing the weight of your clothing and gear. Your packed trek bag should weigh less than 15 kilograms. Remember, this is merely a guideline and not everything listed is essential to bring.
Additional Equipment Checklist
I do Annapurnas tour trek with Rajan. He was very attentive at our needs. For him, we were like gods because we brought him income. He made sure to take us to the most places on our journey. It was a great trek with Rajan. It was in April 2016
We had a great trip! Rajan and Dev are very nice people and made us feel very safe and comfortable the whole time. They took acclimatization very seriously and were always concerned about our well-being.
Born in a small village of Nuwakot, began his career in the tourism industry as a porter which helped him to become a professional experienced guide and now operating RP Treks sincerely.