Annapurna Circuit Trek

Flying into Kathmandu is really exciting with the beautiful Himalayas all around. Time passes quickly as you enjoy the stunning views of the Himalayan ranges, including the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, during the flight. The plane will land at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) at 1350 meters. Once you arrive, you can get the Nepal entry visa either in advance or upon arrival. The visa process at Kathmandu TIA takes about 45 minutes, depending on the number of people in line. For more information on Nepal entry visas, you can check the official website of the Department of Immigration Nepal.

When you exit the airport gate, our representative will be there holding a sign with the company name. They'll welcome you with a traditional Tibetan scarf and take you to the hotel in a private vehicle. It takes around 30 minutes to reach Thamel from TIA using transportation. Along the way, you'll see the Pashupatinath temple, which is sacred in Hinduism, and the lively city with lots of vehicles and people, making the journey enjoyable. Once at the hotel, you can rest.

Thamel is a vibrant area with many restaurants, shops, and good places to stay. We'll have a trek briefing, and later, you'll be invited to a local family for a welcome dinner.

[Stay overnight at the hotel]

We suggest you spend an extra day in Kathmandu on the second day of the trip. After spending several hours on a flight, you might feel tired both physically and mentally. Taking a day to rest in Kathmandu before embarking on your Himalayan adventure is a great idea to get ready for the journey.

On your free day in Kathmandu, you can simply relax or make the day memorable by exploring UNESCO Heritage sites. You can also choose to take a 1-hour Everest Mountain Flight tour, a 3-hour and 30-minute Everest Helicopter tour, a 1-hour and 30-minute Langtang Helicopter tour, try rock climbing, and more.

[Meals included: bed and breakfast]
Stay overnight at the hotel.

We start our journey from Kathmandu in the morning, using a private car to go to Besi-Sahar, and then a shared jeep to Chamje. We travel on the Prithvi Highway, passing through Mugling Bazaar and Dumre Bazaar, and continue on to Chamje through Besisahar. Along the way, we get to see our first Gurung village, enjoy beautiful views of Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli, and peak 29, and experience diverse landscapes and picturesque villages.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Now, we cross the river to the other side, moving to the east bank. We keep going until we reach the big place called Tal (1675m). Here, there are many lodges and shops, and you can enjoy amazing views of the valleys around. It's a perfect place to take a break and have lunch before we continue our journey to the village of Karte. In the afternoon, we'll be crossing the river multiple times, winding our way up the valley, passing through some small villages, and finally reaching our last stop for the day, Dharapani.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

We start our journey on a rocky path heading west, following the Marsyangdi along the Manang Valley. Along the way, we get breathtaking views of Annapurna II (7937m) and Annapurna IV. These highlands are the home of the Manangi people, who have been trading salt and yaks across these mountains for a very long time. Following the path of these ancient mountain traders, we go through oak and maple forests to reach Dhanakyu (2290m) and then continue to the village of Latemarang (2360m). Our route takes us across several forested ridges to Kotho (2590m), and from there, it's a short and easy walk down to Chame (2670m), the administrative headquarters of the region. At the end of the day, we enjoy stunning distant views of Lamjung, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Leaving Chame behind, we go to the northern side of the river and follow a pretty easy trail through apple orchards up to the village of Bhratang (2840m). This village, once a bustling Khampa settlement, is mostly empty these days. Next, we start on a trail that gives us some of the most amazing views of the entire journey. Carved through the rock, the trail takes us through a steep, narrow valley covered in thick forest. As we come out of the forest and cross the river over a bridge suspended about 3040m above sea level, we get our first look at the impressive Paungda Danda. This is a massive 1500-meter wall of rock rising up from the river below. After crossing a ridge adorned with prayer flags and stone cairns, we reach the big village of Pisang. The village is divided into lower and upper Pisang, and from the monastery at the top of the town, you can enjoy lovely views of the winding streets and charming houses in the lower town.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Today, we keep going on the south side of the river, making a long climb up over a ridge that goes past 3400 meters. From there, we get some truly amazing views of the nearby peaks. After that, we go down into the valley and reach Hongde (3325m), a village with an airstrip, a police post, and a really impressive mani wall. We continue on to Mungli, then cross back to the north side of the river and head to the Tibetan-style village of Bryaga (3475m). Here, you'll see a fascinating collection of houses stacked on top of each other, and the largest monastery in the district. The houses are arranged like terraces, with the upper ones forming the roofs for the ones below. The monastery has a wonderful collection of Tibetan Thankas that are around 500 years old. Finally, it's a short walk to reach Manang, our last stop for the day. Manang is a big community with about 500 houses, a chorten, and a long mani wall engraved with the Buddhist chant 'Om Mani Padme Hum'.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

We go up the south side of Manang to a spot at 4965 meters to see Gongapurna Lake and the glacier, or we can visit Praken Gompa (3945m), which is a meditation retreat. The Lama, a spiritual leader, will bless our journey by tying a special scarf around our neck. During the hike, we get captivating views of Annapurna IV, II, Gongapurna, and Take Kang. After that, we come back to Manang.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Today, we take it easy and trek to Tengi (3620m). We start a gradual climb towards Gunsang (3930m), enjoying the beautiful alpine scenery with lots of scrub juniper and alpine grasses on these high slopes. The wide-ranging views give us a splendid panorama, including the peaks of Gangapurna (7454m) and Annapurna III (7555m), as we make our way to our overnight stop in Yak Kharka.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Our first stop today is the little village of Letdar (4250m), which we reach after a steady one-hour climb from Yak Kharka. Then, we keep climbing along the eastern side of the Jarsang Khola, heading up to Thorong Phedi (4450m/14599.74 ft.). The name means 'foot of the hill.' After another challenging hour of climbing, we reach Thorang High Camp.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

We kick off early in the morning for an ascent that should take about 4 hours (depending on how fit the group is and weather conditions). The trail to the pass follows a route used by local herders for many years, crossing through moraine and snow, winding its way steeply up over rocky ridges. As we get closer to the pass, we see a traditional chorten and prayer flags fluttering. When we reach the summit, the views are absolutely breathtaking. A panorama of towering Himalayan peaks unfolds before us, with the vast Kali Gandaki Valley to the west and the towering Yakgawa Kang (6481m) to the north. After taking a break to rest and soak in the stunning scenery, we begin the long trek down to Muktinath—a descent of 1600 meters that treats us to glorious views of Dhaulagiri (8167m) and Tukuche Peak (6920m). The moraine trail eventually gives way to grassy slopes, and the final stretch of our journey takes us along the upper reaches of the Jhong Valley to Muktinath and Ranipauwa, marking the end of our crossing of the Thorong La.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Today is a bit easier after the challenges of yesterday. Starting from Muktinath, we walk through a landscape of bare, worn hills with snowy peaks in the background. After checking out the temples above Muktinath, we cross the Jhong Khola and climb up to Chongur, a small traditional village. The monastery here was started by a Sakya monk, and the whole village is painted with the colors of the Sakya sect. Continuing on a mix of trekking trails and jeep tracks, we reach Jhong—a beautiful village with a very old monastery dating back to the 7th or 8th Century and the remains of an ancient fortress. Passing wind-eroded cliffs displaying a range of stunning colors, we keep going down the valley through Putak village and finally make a steep descent into the Kali Gandakhi Valley and the interesting village of Kagbeni (approximately 2,800m). We have a long morning today, so it's a good idea to bring some snacks, and we'll have a late lunch in Kagbeni.

In the afternoon, there's time to explore this magical place. With narrow lanes and tunnels between the houses, it has an almost medieval feel. (Please note that if we are delayed due to bad weather, this day might be skipped, and we will trek directly from Muktinath to Marpha).

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Now that the road goes all the way to Kagbeni, we're skipping a not-so-great part of the Circuit and taking local jeeps (total journey about 6 hours) to reach Tatopani. Along the way, we'll pass through Jomsom, the main hub of the region with an airport, and the Thakali village of Marpha, known for its apples and brandy. We'll make a stop at Chairo, home to refugees from Tibet, before descending to Tatopani at 1190 meters. Tatopani means hot water, and this village is lucky to have two hot springs. We can enjoy a well-deserved dip in the springs before the final part of our trek.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Alternative Option: If you prefer, you can stop here and drive to Pokhara instead of continuing to Ghorepani Hill.

Today's trekking involves a lot of uphill walking. We'll reach Durbin Danda and cross a suspension bridge over the Thak Khola. After that, we climb steeply through the forest to the Durbin Danda Pass. The trail then becomes a bit easier as we gradually climb uphill to the village of Ghara and then continue up to Shikha. Along the way, you'll enjoy good views of the Kaligandaki Valley and Dhaulagiri Peak (8167m).

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

Today's trek starts with a gentle uphill walk to Chitre and then continues to the entrance gate of Ghorepani. Along the way, you'll be enchanted by the lovely views of farmhouses scattered across the other side of the valley. From here, the trail takes a steep climb through rhododendron and magnolia forests to reach Ghorepani.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

After waking up early, we leave our teahouse and hike up to Poon Hill to catch the sunrise. From the top, we should get panoramic views of the entire Annapurna Range, and if the weather is good, we can watch the sun rise over peaks like Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhare, and Dhaulagiri, among others. The Poon Hill hike takes about two hours in total, and we return to the teahouse in Ghorepani for a well-deserved breakfast. Our trek then continues to Banthanti before descending a long stone staircase to Ulleri, from where we hike to Hile.

[Stay overnight at a teahouse]

This morning, we take a short walk to the small village of Nayapul. There, we bid farewell to our trekking crew and hop on a drive to Pokhara. Pokhara is Nepal's second-largest town and is much more laid-back than Kathmandu. Its lovely lakeside location under the impressive Annapurna Range makes it the perfect finishing point for our trek.

[Stay overnight at a hotel]

We leave Pokhara this morning and drive back to the capital, Kathmandu. The journey takes us along the picturesque Prithvi Highway.

[Stay overnight at a hotel]