Annapurna Circuit Trek
Duration
14
Group Size
Max Elevation
Difficulty
Challenging
Start & End Point
Kathmandu
Accomodation
Tea houses and lodge
Permit
Yes
Discount
Best Time
Feb, Mar, Apri, May, June, Sep, Oct, Nov & Dec.
Highlights
- Pass by the yak pastures
- Natural hot springs at Tatopani where you can choose to take a dip
- Jomsom - the headquarter of Mustang
- A day at tourist hub Pokhara
- Spectacular views of Mt. Annapurna, Thorung Peak, Nilgiri, Chulu West, and Chulu East, Tukuche Peak, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV
- Visit the beautiful Manang district
- Magnificent lakes, glaciers, deep gorges, and stunning waterfalls
- Visit Muktinath (a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists) known for 108 stone faucets, and eternal flame
- Cross Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters
- Visit Barge Monastery, the largest monastery in the Manang district
- Poon Hill Viewpoint (3,210 m)
The Annapurna Trek is one of Nepal’s most popular and breathtaking treks in Nepal. It takes you through diverse landscapes and remote villages and offers stunning views of the Annapurna mountain range.
The trek offers awe-inspiring views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges, including peaks like Annapurna I (8,091m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Manaslu (8,163m), and many others. The landscapes vary from lush green valleys to arid landscapes, and you’ll encounter stunning waterfalls, terraced fields, and dense forests. At an altitude of 5,416 meters, Thorong La Pass is the trek’s highest point and a major highlight. Crossing this challenging pass is a memorable experience as you trek through snow-covered trails and enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
The Annapurna circuit trek in Nepal takes you through diverse ethnic communities and traditional villages. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with local people from different backgrounds, including Gurung, Manangi, Thakali, and Tibetan communities. You can experience their unique culture, traditions, and warm hospitality.
Natural Hot Springs: After a long day of trekking, you can relax and rejuvenate in the natural hot springs of Tatopani. These hot springs are believed to be therapeutic and provide a soothing experience amidst the mountains.
communities.
Typical Itinerary
Our first day of the trek starts early in the morning. After breakfast, we take a bus from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule. The route takes us out of the Kathmandu valley along the picturesque Trishuli river to Besisahar, and finally to Bhulbhule. Bhulbhule lies by the side of Marsyangdi river. Throughout the ride, you will get to see the terraced farms, traditional villages, and Ganesh & Manaslu snow peaks. At Bhulbhule, we register our permits at the check post for trek entry.
After a nourishing breakfast, we will set foot on the trails this day. The route follows a pleasant path through the fertile jungle and terraced fields upriver, along the flowing Marsyangdi river. We take a leisurely lunch break and pass through several rural settlements and more farmlands to gradually reach the peaceful village of Jagat, a former trading post.
We begin our 3rd day of the trek following the Marsyangdi river, and after a steep climb, we enter the vicinity of the Manang region at Tal village. Here we can see several waterfalls forming a river by the sandy beaches. We will hike through the barley, rice, and potato fields and reach Kodo - one of the biggest villages in the Manang valley. Moving forward, we cross a suspension bridge, and after a short climb of the stone Kani, we reach Dharapani - the destination for this day.
We leave Dharapani and follow the trails through the forests with pine, fir, oak, and maple trees along the Marsyangdi river to reach Chame - the district headquarter of Manang district. You will find yourself surrounded by the green forests around and over you, and as you look up, you will see remarkable views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV (7,525m). We will also stop by a small hot spring for a short rest.
This day, after breakfast, we walk through a steep and narrow valley to have our first view of a massive rock wall - the Paungda Danda Rock, considered very sacred by the local people. The Paungda Danda Rock is a curved rock face rising 1500m from the Marshyandi river. From the trails, we also see clear views of Annapurna II in the south and Pisang Peak in the northeast. Then our path descends taking us to the Manang Valley floor into the Pisang village, where we will spend our night.
On our sixth day, we will be trekking on the upper trails through Upper Pisang via Geru, from where we can catch outstanding views of the north face of Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna, Tilicho, and Pisang Peak. As the path ascends, you will feel the air turn cold, dry, and harsher. This trail goes through the Tibetan settlements, and we get a chance to explore Buddhist culture. We will not miss visiting Barge Monastery, the largest monastery in Manang. You will find that the path is dotted with Buddhist shrines as we pass more monasteries and finally reach Manang bazaar- an area that caters to tourists.
We will be acclimatizing on this day. However, we will remain busy throughout the day exploring Manang village. In the morning, we will visit Gangapurna & Ice Lakes, and spend the rest of the day soaking in the magnificent views of Annapurna III, Tilicho, Pisang, and Chulu Peaks. In the afternoon, we may visit the Himalayan Rescue Association in Vraja village, where we will be briefed about acute mountain sickness, its symptoms, and prevention methods.
After a day in and around Manang, acclimatizing to the high elevation and allowing our bodies time to rest and get used to the environment, we move Yak Kharka. First, we cross a stream and climb to Tenki village, then head out of Marshyangdi valley northwest to Jar Sang Khola valley. The trail ascends slowly, as we head northwards. We will be passing through several pastures and juniper forests. As our trek continues, we will pass through a small village called Gunsan that has houses made of flat mud roofs. You will also get to see yak and horse pastures. After crossing a small river on a wooden bridge, we make our way up the spectacular valley to an open, peaceful meadow known as Yak Kharka.
Today we head to the foot of Thorong La pass, Thorong Phedi. From Yak Kharka, we will climb up to a ridge, then head down and cross the Marsyangdi river on a wooden bridge. After climbing up the mountain, we follow a narrow trail across a slope and descend to Thorung Phedi. The uninhabited, rugged terrain is otherworldly and much different than the lush lowlands that we passed on the way up during the initial phase of the trek.
This day will be remarkable as we will trek from Thorong Phedi (4,525m/14,525ft) to Muktinath Temple (3,760m/12,623ft) via Thorung La high pass (5,416 m/17,756 ft). It is also one of the most challenging parts of the trek as Thorong La Pass is one of the highest passes in the world, and it is the highest point of the trek. We start early in the morning and push ourselves through the icy air and high altitude, but the views from the pass are totally worth it. Northwards, towards Tibet, we will see a panorama of majestic Himalayan peaks, and if you look back, you will see the Annapurna range. We then descend to Muktinath - a sacred place for Hindus and Buddhists. The Buddhists call Muktinath - Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means Hundred Waters. Muktinath Temple is known for 108 stone sprouts with water flowing from the Kaligandaki. You can also see the eternal flame that has been burning there for more than 2,000 years.
In the morning, we visit Muktinath Temple and then continue our journey on a local bus ride to Tatopani. It will be a rough drive as the road passes through some of the deepest gorges in the world. We will be moving from the arid highlands to lush green forests. Tatopani is famous for natural hot springs, and it is a place where we can immerse ourselves in the hot springs and relax. The waters of Tatopani are said to have curative properties against skin diseases.
We leave the hot springs behind and cross to the east side of the Kali Gandaki River and ascend to Ghorepani through the ethnic Thakali villages of Sikha and Chitre. Our trek takes us through terraced farmlands with mountains all around and passes through lush forests filled with rhododendron, birch, and magnolia. We will stop at Ghorepani, a beautiful village located at a ridge top, to spend our night.
This will be our final day on the trail. We ascend to Poon Hill (3,210m) in the early morning to view sunrise over the whole Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massif -including Mt Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). Poon Hill is one of the favored spots for photography because of the incredible views it offers. We will also be taking pictures to our heart's content and then return to our Ghorepani lodge for breakfast. After breakfast, we will trek to Birethanti and then take a bus to Pokhara.
Your Annapurna Circuit Package ends today. We wake up in Pokhara this day, and after breakfast, we drive back to Kathmandu on a tourist bus. It's a 200 km route that initially follows the Marsyangdi River and Trishuli River later. You may also choose to return by a 25-minute flight (not included in the package) from Pokhara. Our trek package completes at Kathmandu.
Inclusion
- Kathmandu to Bhulbhule (trek start) by local bus
- Birethanti (Trek ends) to Pokhara by private transport
- Muktinath to Tatopani by local transport
- Pokhara to Kathmandu on a tourist bus
- One night accommodation at Hotel Silver Oaks Inn Pokhara
- Total 12 nights - 9 nights room with attached bathroom in Jagat, Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, Manang (2N) Muktinath, Tatopani, and Ghorepani. 3 nights standard rooms - Bhulbhule, Yak Kharka, Thorang Phedi (twin sharing room)
- 13 lunches, 13 dinners, and 14 breakfasts during the trek
Government licensed, experienced trek leader (guide), assistant trekking guide (for a group of 12 or more trekkers), and porters to help trekkers' luggage (1 porter for 2 trekkers, combined porter weight limit -18kg.) - Guides' and porters' expenses - meals, insurance, salary, lodging, transportation, and other necessary equipment.
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) fee.
- Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card fee
- Snacks (cookies) and seasonal fresh fruits every day
- All government, local taxes, and official expenses
- Rescue operations arrangement in case of complicated health conditions (funded by travel insurance).
- Souvenirs - a company T-shirt & Cap
- Discovery World Trekking appreciation certificate after the successful trek
- Farewell dinner at the end of the trek in Kathmandu
Exclusion
- Domestic flight costs
- Excess baggage charges (limit is 9kg per Person)
- Nepal entry visa fees required on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport- USD50 for 30-day stay.
- All accommodation and meals in Kathmandu, before and after the journey
- Lunch and dinner in Pokhara
- Extra night accommodations, meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara due to early arrival or late departure, or early return from the trek.
- Personal expenses - shopping, snacks, hot (tea, coffee) and cold drinks, bar bills, bottle or boiled water, shower, Wi-Fi, laundry, telephone call, battery recharge costs, extra porters, etc
- Personal clothing and gear
- Travel insurance which has to cover emergency high-altitude rescue and evacuation compulsory
- Tips for guide and porters
- Additional costs or delays caused by circumstances beyond our control like landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modification due to safety concerns, illness, change of government policy, strikes, mass movements, etc
- All the costs and expenses not listed in - "What is included in this trek package?" above.
Faq
The best time to go on Annapurna Circuit Trek depends on your personal preferences and the type of experience you are looking for. The trek can be done throughout the year, but the weather and conditions vary significantly depending on the season. The best time to go on Annapurna Circuit Trek is generally considered to be from September to November and from March to May. These months offer the most favorable weather conditions, with clear skies, moderate temperatures, and minimal rainfall.
The cost of going on the Annapurna Circuit Trek depends on various factors, such as the length of the trek, the type of accommodation you choose, the mode of transportation, and the number of people in your group. On average, the cost of Annapurna Circuit Trek ranges from $500 to $1,500 per person, depending on the level of comfort and convenience you are looking for. This cost includes the cost of accommodations, meals, transportation, guide and porter services, and any other expenses.
When packing for Annapurna Circuit Trek, it is important to bring essential items that will help you stay comfortable and safe during the trek. Some of the essential items to pack include: Warm and waterproof clothing, including a down jacket, fleece, thermal layers, and a rain jacket. Comfortable and sturdy hiking shoes or boots. A hat, gloves, and a scarf to protect your head, hands, and neck from the cold. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from the sun. A first-aid kit with basic items such as bandages, painkillers, and antiseptic cream. A water bottle and a water purification system, such as a water filter or tablets. A flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries. A camera or phone to capture memories of your trek. A map and a compass, in case you get lost. A power bank or portable charger to keep your electronic devices charged. Snacks, such as energy bars and nuts, to keep you energized during the trek. It is also a good idea to pack light, as you will be carrying your own gear during the trek. Try to pack only the essentials and leave any unnecessary items behind.