The classic Annapurna Circuit trek first became accessible to the world of adventure travelers as recently as 1977, when the Nepalese Government derestricted the Manang valley, which had previously been closed on account of its proximity to the Tibetan border. Providing a combination of spectacular high mountain scenery, picturesque lowland farms and villages, a wealth of cultural interest and a challenging pass crossing, the Annapurna Circuit trek is justifiably popular. Having carefully reworked the itinerary, we can now offer this world-famous trek within a 3-week period. After a sightseeing day in the colourful Kathmandu valley, we start out from Besishahar, ascending the surprisingly wild and unspoiled Marshyangdi valley to reach the north side of the Annapurna Massif. In terms of its sheer scale, the valley of Marshyangdi is surpassed only by the valley of Kali Gandaki, which we trek through on the second part of this exceptional trip. Throughout our walk, we enjoy regular contact with friendly villagers, as well as the ever changing panoramas of some of the world’s greatest peaks, including Manaslu and the Annapurnas. Even from Pokhara, the views are tremendous with Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna I and Manaslu dominating the northern skyline. Traveling from the Hindu-dominated farmland of Nepal’s “middle hills” into the high alpine world on the north side of the Annapurnas, which is the domain of Tibetan Buddhism, this trip offers exposure to the whole range of trekking environments for which Nepal is famous throughout the world. Beyond the Tibetan Buddhist village of Manang, the high point of the trip is reached after a stamina-sapping ascent to the Thorung La (5416m.).
We descend to the deep valley of Kali Gandaki, where a wealth of new experiences awaits us, the first of which is the bizarre collection of temples at Muktinath at the base of the pass. Trekking through the Kali Gandaki valley for 4 quite leisurely days, we then climb to cross the ridge at Ghorepani and make the traditional excursion to Poon Hill for spectacular dawn views of Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas. Finally, arriving at Nepal’s second most popular city- Pokhara, you will get time to enjoy the splendid Fish Tail Lodge with its magical views of the Annapurnas, reflected in the waters of Phewa Taal.
| Starts from: | Drive from Kathmandu to Besishahar |
| Ends at: | Drive back from Pokhara to Kathmandu |
| Grade: | Moderate-Difficult |
| Highest Access: | 5416m (Thorang La Pass) |
| Best Season: | March/April/May & September/October/November |
| Trekking type: | Teahouse |
| Himalayan sights: | Dhaulagiri, Fishtail, Annapurna range, Manaslu, Nilgiri etc |
| Meal: | Breakfast, lunch & dinner as per the itinerary |
| Transportation: | Car/Van/bus |
| Minimum Group Size: | 1 |
| Per day walking: | 5 to 7 hours |
| Itinerary type: | Fixed / Customized |
| Day 1 | Arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport & Transfer to the Hotel. O/N Hotel |
| Day 2 | Kathmandu Sightseeing, Durbar Square/Monkey temple/Boudhanath |
| Day 3 | Drive to Besishahar (823m) The journey begins with a bus ride from Kathmandu to Dumre. The drive takes approximately 5 hours and from Dumre, the road tends to be dusty and bumpy. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach Besishahar, where the first night camp awaits you. Besishahar is a small town at the head of the Round Annapurna Circuit and here, you can find many shops and a pharmacy where you can buy little things that you might have forgotten. Accommodation in a Lodge or Tent. |
| Day 4 | Trek to Bahundanda (1311m) Your first day of trekking starts with a gentle downhill and straight walk. The trail climbs up the east bank of the river, past a high majestic waterfall surrounded by the screw-??? pine trees. From here, the trail then passes through small-scattered villages and terraced fields to the small village of Ngadi. The trail crosses the Ngadi Khola on a long suspension bridge and continues climbing gradually. It makes a steep climb through the scrub forests to Bahundanda (hill of the Bahuns), an attractive village situated in a saddle on a long ridge. The Bahun caste is the highest of the four caste of the Hindu caste system. These people are priests and are normally experts in the field of religion and education. During old times, they used to follow a strict vegetarian diet. |
| Day 5 | Trek to Taal The trail descends steeply down the hill passing through rice fields, in and out of the deep river gorges, and then crosses the Marshyangdi on a long suspension bridge. It finally reaches the village of Syange. From Syange, the trail continues near the river and then climbs on an exposed trail along the Cliffside into the forest of Rhododendron and pine trees. It passes through little settlements along the way to the Tibetan village of Jagat. From Jagat, the trail climbs through the forests of Chamche. The rough trail continues to climb and reach the hilltop where you will relax with the amazing view of the beautiful village of Taal, which lies far below in a flat large valley at the foot of a large waterfall with the Marshyangdi river meandering through it. |
| Day 6 | Trek to Chame After Taal, the trail crosses the broad valley through the fields of barley and potatoes and then crosses a small stream to a little settlement of Orad. It then continues to climb into the Manang valley, passing through pine and fir forests to a small settlement of Bagarchhap. From here, it continues climbing and then reaches Lata Manang situated near the waterfall. From Lata Manang, the trail continues in an easy manner, passing through pine forests past the village of Kodo and reaching another village of Chame, which is one of the biggest villages in the Manang valley. |
| Day 7 | Chame to Pisang (3185 m) We leave the magnificent pine forests and the Marshyangdi River at full flow below us to enjoy mountain views of Lamjung and Annapurnas II and IV. Pisang, with its fine tapering walled houses, offers amazing sights of the Annapurna Massif to the south, Mount Tilicho (7134 m) to the west, Chulu East (6584 m) and the summit of Mount Pisang (6091 m) to the north. |
| Day 8 | Trek to Manang (3,351m) From Chame, the trail drops to the riverside and then crosses the Marshyangdi river on a suspension bridge. After crossing the bridge, the trail continues along the banks of the river passing through pine forests before reaching the village of Bradang. The trail then makes a steep climb up the ridge and down again for several hours and reaches the Marshyangdi riverside. After crossing the Marshyangdi river on a suspension bridge, the trail continues to climb steeply through pine forests to the Sherpa village of Pisang. From here, the trail leads gradually up the ridge top and from this vantage point, you have fascinating panoramic views of mountain peaks such as: Annapurna, Pisang and several other peaks. The trail stays over the valley passing through pine forests and finally reaches the village of Humre, where the only airstrip of Manang valley is situated. The walking takes about 7 hours. |
| Day 9 | Rest Day It is very important that you take a day’s rest and get acclimatized to the altitude. Manang is a good place to do that because the next three days will be very challenging and tiring with rapid gain in altitude. You should never be confident regarding the altitude and should always be very cautious. On this day, you can take an excursion to a place called Brada, which is just a short distance away. It is a small village that you will find very interesting. |
| Day 10 | Trek to Yak Kharka From Manang village, the trail crosses a stream, climbs to Tenki village above Manang, and then continues to climb out of the Marshyangdi valley turning northwest up the valley of Jarsang Khola. The trail follows this valley northwards; passing a few pastures and a scrub of juniper trees, as it steadily gains elevation. The trail passes near the small village of Ghunsa, which is a cluster of flat mud roofs just below the trailhead. After that, the trail passes through meadows where horses and yaks graze and crossing a small river on a wooden bridge, the trail passes an ancient Mani wall in a pleasant meadow and then reaches another small village of Yak Kharka. The walking duration is about 5 hours. |
| Day 11 | Trek to Thorang Phedi (4,500m) The trail continues further along and after an hour’s walk, we reach Ledar. From here, the trail continues to climb along the east bank of Jarsang Khola and then descends and crosses a stream via a wooden bridge. From the bridge, continue walking on the steep slope; watch your steps for loose rocks. The trail is small. In about an hour, you reach Thorang Phedi, which has only one lodge. The camp is set high on the slopes. |
| Day 12 | Over Thorang La (5,416m) to Muktinath (3,802m) From Thorang Phedi, the trail leads gradually and gains altitude until we reach Muktinath. On the way, we cross hundreds of small piles of rocks erected by pilgrims to honour their departed ancestors. On this day, we would have to start very early in the morning, at about 3 am, because if we start late, then the huge gusts of wind that blows during the day will make the walking difficult. A steep uphill scramble to the top of the pass takes about 4 hours. Packed lunch is provided in the morning before we start the trek because the trek is long and serving hot lunch is not possible. You have to be prepared for a strenuous downhill walk on your journey to Muktinath, a pilgrimage center. The place is worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists alike and has a beautiful landscape set beneath the Damodar Hills. You can visit the temple and also view the ever-burning flame that is considered holy by all Hindus and Buddhists. There is also a spring close by and these three elements, together, are considered to be an auspicious convergence of earth, fire and water. |
| Day 13 | Trek to Marpha From Muktinath, the trail goes downhill passing the village of Khingar. After about an hour, you will come across an intersection having two paths: one going towards Jomsom and the other going to Kagbeni. Take the right path to Kagbeni, which is the starting point for the trek to upper Mustang- a restricted area. From Kagbeni, you can see the majestic Kali Gandaki, a deep gorge far into the Mustang valley. The village itself has lots of old houses and interesting structures. If you skip this visit to Kagbeni, you can take the left route and walk straight down to Eklebhatti, from where you will walk on mostly flat trails and against the ever-blowing wind of the Kali Gandaki valley. It takes about 5 hours to reach Jomsom, the capital of Mustang District. There is an airfield and daily flights are available for those who don’t want to continue the circuit trek. An hour’s downward trek will lead us to Marpha, a large Thakali village, which exhibits a typical Thak Khola architecture of flat roofs and narrow paved alleys and passage ways. Marpha is the apple town of Nepal. The bountiful apple orchards produce some of the best apples in the country. A variety of apple products can be bought here. Apple cider and apple brandy are considered the best product of Marpha, which is a clean and pleasant village. Here, we will settle for the night. |
| Day 14 | Trek to Ghasa (2,012m) The trail remains on the riverbanks of Kali Gandaki and after an hour’s walk; we reach the village of Tukuche. This is one of the Thakali villages that produce apples in huge quantity. After this village, we cross the Kali Gandaki river over a wooden bridge and keep walking along the riverbanks and pass through pine forests to another village of Kokhethati. After having lunch at Kokhethati, we will continue on the river banks for about an hour and then cross the Kali Gandaki river again via a suspension bridge and head towards Kalopani, another beautiful Thakali village. From this village, the trail descends steeply down the hill to Lete Khola. Here, we can find a few teahouses and after crossing the river, we continue walking through pine forests before reaching Ghasa. Ghasa is a big Thakali village situated near a beautiful waterfall. The downhill walk from Marpha takes about 7 hours. |
| Day 15 | Trek to Tatopani (1,189m) We descend gradually from Ghasa towards Dana. Enroute is a spectacular waterfall: Rupse Chhahara, which presents a most impressive scenery. Here, the Kali Gandaki river falls in a series of cataracts, which presents a thrilling sight. After an hour’s descent, the trail reaches the village of Dana, from where there is a gradual descent to Tatopani, which lies on the sub-tropical zone of the Kali Gandaki valley. You can enjoy a hot bath in the Hot Springs here. Camp at Tatopani. |
| Day 16 | Trek to Ghorepani (2,853m) After breakfast, we cross the hanging bridge over Kali Gandaki river. We will then leave the riverbank and again start walking upwards to the village of Shikha. Ascend again for another three hours through rich forests of Rhododendron to Ghorepani. |
| Day 17 | Visit Poon Hill, Trek to Tadapani (2,650m) Today, we will visit the popular viewpoint of the region, Poon Hill (2,900 m). In order to do this, we need to wake up early in the morning, at about 5 am, and get ready to go. It takes about 50 minutes to reach the top, which is a small flat spot. You will see the sun gradually rising over the mountains and the views are breathtaking. The mountain peaks that can be seen from this place are: Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Tukche, Nilgiri, Hiunchuli, Dhaulagiri I in addition to glaciers. We will start walking from here, even though the trek is not difficult, it is a long trail from Ghorepani to Tadapani. The trail continues through Ghorepani pass, known as Deurali and finally emerges on a grassy knoll that offers good mountain views, including a view of Machhapuchhre. We keep climbing along the ridge among pine and Rhododendron forests to a crest at 3,030 meters and then descend to the second pass, which is also called Deurali. The Ghandrung trail descends passing through the village of Banthanti and finally reaches the village of Tadapani. From Ghorepani, it takes about 5 hours to reach this village. |
| Day 18 | Trek to Ghandrung (1951m) Ghandrung is a huge Gurung village that is considered to be the second largest village in Nepal. The trek from Tadapani to Ghandrung is beautiful as we pass through mixed-forest regions. The trails are sometimes very high and you can see the valley that is situated about 400 meters below. Mainly, the Gurung people inhabit in this village and many of them are ex-British Gorkha soldiers. The village is beautiful and has amazing frontal views of Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli. |
| Day 19 | Trek to Dhampus After breakfast, we continue on the trail that goes up and down through the village of Landrung, Tolka. We stop for lunch at Tolka. The trail continues to descend through thick forests and reaches the village of Bichuk and Potana, from where it climbs steeply, past some scattered houses, to the ridge at Dhampus. |
| Day 20 | Trek to Phedi, Drive to Pokhara (900m) After breakfast, we head down the trail and descend steeply to the village of Phedi from where we will take a coach to Pokhara. The drive takes about 30 minutes and this marks the end of this beautiful trek. Our guide will check you into your hotel where you can take a real good shower and rest. O/N hotel in Pokhara. |
| Day 21 | Fly or Drive to Kathmandu The flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu takes about 20 minutes. Try to find a place on the left side of the plane in order to catch last glimpses of the mighty Annapurna. Evening- on your own. Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu. |
| Day 22 | Rest day in Kathmandu. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu |
| Day 23 | Transfer to the International Airport with a warm GOOD BYE and Namaste!!!!! |
Our package cost includes the following services:
- Transfer to and from the International Airport and domestic airport/hotel/airport.
- Welcome dinner on the arrival day.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner (veg/non veg) during the trek as per your preferred menu.
- Required number of experienced English speaking guides (license holders) and support staffs during the trek.
- All Government taxes and Annapurna Conservation fee
- Meal/accommodation/salary/insurance/equipments for all the Nepali crewmembers.
- All transportation during the trek in a private car/Jeep/Landcrusier/tourist bus/hiace depending on the group size.
- Accommodation in the best available lodges during the trek.
- Accommodation in a hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara including breakfast, as per the scheduled itinerary.
- First aid medicine while traveling in Nepal.
- Sleeping bags, if necessary, during the trek.
- TIMS Card (Trekkers Information Management System)
- Good Bye dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant that serves Nepali food and showcases typical Nepali dances.
Our package cost excludes the following services:
- Meals in Kathmandu (Lunch and Dinner).
- Tourist entry visa that can be obtained from Nepal Embassy/Consulate or Mission offices abroad or at the following immigration offices in Nepal..
- 01. Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu 02. Kakarvitta, Jhapa (Eastern Nepal) 03. Birganj, Parsa (Central Nepal) 04. Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (Northern Border) 05. Belhiya, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi, Western Nepal) 06. Jamuna, Nepalgunj (Banke, Mid Western Nepal) 07. Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali, Far Western Nepal) 08. Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur, Far Western Nepal).
- TOURIST VISA
Visa Duration Fees: Multiple entry for 15 days US $25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry for 30 days US $40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry for 90 days US $100 or equivalent convertible currency - TOURIST VISA EXTENSION
01: Visa extension fee for 15 days or less is US $30 or equivalent convertible currency and visa extension fee for more than 15 days is US $2 per day
02: Tourist visa can be extended for a maximum period of 150 days in a single visa year (January-December). - TRANSIT VISA
Transit visa, for one day, can be obtained from Nepal’s immigration offices at the various entry points upon showing a valid departure flight ticket via the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal, by paying US$5 or equivalent convertible currency.
- Expenses of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry, tips for your guide and support staffs etc. (Tipping is expected but it is not mandatory)
- Rescue charge, if needed our company can arrange it.
- Any kind of unforeseen expenses.
- Personal trekking equipments.
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