Annapurna Circuit Trek

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.