Annapurna Circuit Trek - 17 Days

Welcome to Nepal, home to the beautiful Himalayas. When you land at Tribhuvan International Airport, our friendly representative will meet you and take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. After you've had a chance to relax and freshen up, we'll meet in the evening for a welcome dinner at an authentic Nepalese restaurant in the center of Kathmandu. During this meal, we'll also give you important information about your upcoming adventure. Afterward, you'll spend the night at the hotel.

The jeep journey from Kathmandu to Dharapani is where your Annapurna Circuit Trek begins. You'll start early in the morning from Kathmandu, and along the way, you'll see beautiful landscapes, charming villages, and rural life. You'll spend a night in Dharapani  before continuing your journey, passing through lovely villages like  Nadi, shangay, Jagate ,Chamje and Tal, , all surrounded by sbeautiful natural beauty. The road can be bumpy at times, but the adventure is exciting. When you arrive in Dharapani, you will take care of permits and preparations, getting ready for the thrilling Annapurna Circuit Trek. It's essential to have a reliable driver and plan well due to varying road conditions.

On this day, our trek continues towards Chame, and as we move forward, you'll start noticing changes in the scenery, the people, and the weather. The surroundings will become cooler, and the landscape will transform as we enter pine forests. We'll pass through Bagarchhap, which is the first village on our trek and has buildings with a Tibetan architectural style. After a pleasant walk, we'll begin to climb to higher altitudes as we pass through Danaque and enter the alpine region.

During this part of this journey, you will come across farms, orchards, and beautiful pine forests, all while enjoying beautiful views of towering peaks like Lamjung and Annaopurna II. We will be following the Marshyangdi River upstream, passing through villages like Latamanang and Koto, before a short half hour walk brings up to Chame. In Chame, we will spend the night at a hotel. Chame is also the headquarters of Manang district and offers incredible views of Annapurna II.

We start our journey on the northern side of the river, passing through pine forests and small villages with some hills and valleys. Eventually, we arrive at the charming apple orchard village of Bhartang. Our walk continues, taking us to a bridge, and from there, we face a short but steep climb through a pine forest to reach the Dhukur Pokhari ridge, where we'll enjoy our lunch.

As we move beyond the tree line, you will be treated to a beautiful view of Pisang Peak to the north and Chulu Peak, with the village of Pisang located below. From here, we'll gently descend for about an hour until we reach the windswept village of Pisang, our overnight stop. In the evening, you have the opportunity to explore Upper Pisang, known for its Tibetan-style houses and a monastery that provides panoramic views of the Annapurna range and the valley.

After a good breakfast at the guesthouse, we will begin our trek by heading up a steep ridge, which rewards us with fantastic views of the Manang valley and Tilicho Peak (7145m). On our way down, we pass Manang's Humde airstrip (3320m) and then enter a more level area. Here, the striking northeast face of Annapurna III and the noticeable presence of Annapurna IV (7525m) captivate our attention.

We keep moving forward, and soon we come across a wooden bridge that crosses the Marsyangdi Khola, which has become narrower. On the other side of the bridge lies the charming village of Mungji. During this stretch, you will notice cultivated fields on both sides of the path, with a rugged mountain to the right. As we continue, we reach Braga village, known for its beautiful monastery. Along the way, you'll also encounter large chortens (Buddhist shrines) and mani walls, all while enjoying the majestic views of the Himalayan peaks. After a brief but steep climb, we will finally reach Manang.

Today is a day to take it easy and get used to the higher altitude in Manang. This lovely village is surrounded by beautiful mountains, including Annapurna II, Annapurna III (7,555 meters), Gangapurna (7,454 meters) to the south, Tilicho (7,132 meters), and the Grand Barrier in the west, Chulu West (6,583 meters) and Chulu East (6,059 meters) to the north, which consist of about 500 houses with flat roofs.

During your relaxed day in Manang, you can wander around the village and enjoy the beautiful views. If you're interested, you can also visit the Himalayan Rescue Association for advice on dealing with altitude sickness. And if you're in the mood for some entertainment, you can even watch a movie in town.

After breakfast at the guesthouse, we set out on our trek. Today, the path takes us uphill as we head towards Yak Kharka. We'll also pass through Gunsang village at an altitude of 3960 meters. During the hike, we will enjoy wide-ranging views all day long. Even though the trek might not be very long, the higher we go and the thinner the air gets, the more it can tire us out.

After breakfast at the guesthouse, we kick off our trek. We start with a gentle climb to reach a ridge and then head downhill to the Marsyangdi River's origin. To cross the river, we use a bridge that's covered. After crossing, we go up a bit on the right side of the riverbank. We then follow a narrow path along a rocky and unstable slope and eventually descend to reach Thorung Phedi.

Today is the longest and toughest day of our trip. We begin our walk early in the morning with packed lunches. The path immediately becomes steeper as we make our way to the high camp. You can walk at your own speed, enjoying the beautiful sunrise and glimpses of the mountains.

Continuing our journey to the summit, it takes about 3-4 hours to reach Thorong La Pass. When you reach the top, you'll feel a great sense of achievement. Take a short break to admire the beautiful scenery before heading down towards the Mustang region of the mountain and the Kaligandaki valley to the west. After a demanding 7-8 hour trek, we finally arrive at Muktinath, where we'll spend the night in a lodge.

In the morning, we'll start our day by visiting the famous Muktinath Temple. Once we're done, we'll head back to our lodge for breakfast and then begin our trek downhill. The trail will take us through the impressive Kali Gandaki Gorge, which starts as a dry and arid region, similar to Tibet in terms of geography and climate.

During our descent, we'll pass through Jharkot and Khingar villages, known for their traditional Tibetan-style buildings. As we continue down, we'll reach Kagbeni, a charming village famous for its Tibetan-inspired architecture. Kagbeni is also home to an ancient monastery dating back to the 15th century. We'll stop here for lunch.

Afterward, we'll follow a level trail along the banks of the striking Kali Gandaki Gorge, which still shares the same geographical and climatic characteristics as the arid zone we encountered earlier. Finally, we'll arrive at Jomsom.

Today's walk is quite enjoyable as we follow the Kaligandaki River downstream to the charming village of Tukuche. It is located near Tukuche Peak and Dhaulagiri, providing beautiful views of Mt. Nilgiri and the massive icefalls cascading down from Dhaulagiri's east face.

After walking for about an hour from Tukuche, we continue our trek to Kalopani Village, where we'll have lunch. Kalopani is another lovely village with more than 30 houses, excellent teahouses, and lodges. You will get to see magnificent views of Mt. Annapurna I, Nilgiri, and Dhaulagiri above a beautiful pine forest.

After an easy 2-hour downhill walk, we'll reach a well-established Thakali village where we'll spend the night at a lodge.

On this day as we trek, the landscape changes dramatically from a dry, desert-like terrain to lush pine and conifer forests. We walk between the towering Dhaulagiri and Annapurna peaks. On our journey from Ghasa to Tatopani, we'll notice a shift in the style of buildings, with more ornate woodwork.

This enjoyable trek continues through beautiful natural surroundings, with terraced fields and a warm, sub-tropical climate. On the way to Tatopani village, we'll pass by the beautiful Rupse Waterfall. We'll also go through Dana village, famous for having the world's deepest gorge. After a lunch break, we'll trek for a couple more hours to reach Tatopani, where you can relax in a natural hot spring bath. You'll have some time to explore the local area before spending the night at a tea house.

After enjoying the hot springs, we get back to trekking. We walk downhill and cross a suspension bridge over the Kaligandaki River. At first, the path follows the river, but we soon reach a point where it splits into two. One path stays close to the river and goes to Beni, while we choose the left path, which takes us uphill.

The initial part of the climb is pretty steep, but it gets gentler as we go along. During the day, we pass by farms and villages, leaving behind terraced fields as we enter dense rhododendron forests. Eventually, we make it to Ghorepani, where we'll spend the night in a teahouse. This place offers fantastic mountain views.

We start the day with an early morning adventure, hiking up to Poon Hill (3210m/10530ft). The path goes through a beautiful rhododendron forest, and after about 40 minutes of walking, we reach this fantastic viewpoint.

Poon Hill gives us a clear view of the sunrise over the towering Himalayas. You'll see a wide panorama that includes the far western Himalayas of Dolpo, Mt. Dhaulagiri, and Annapurna, along with the beautiful Mt. Machhapuchre (Fish Tail) and all the way to Manasalu.

After this amazing experience, we head back to Ghorepani for breakfast and then continue our trek to Tadapani, where we'll spend the night.

Our Annapurna Circuit Trek is coming to an end today, and it's a rather straightforward hike. We start by slowly walking downhill along a trail that follows the Bhurung Stream. This path takes us to Birethanti, where we'll cross the Modi River using a suspension bridge. After a short stroll from there, we'll reach Nayapul, where our vehicle will be ready to take us back to Pokhara, marking the end of our trek.

In the morning, we'll take a beautiful drive to Pokhara, enjoying the scenic views of Nepal's countryside. Once we're back in Kathmandu, your guide will help you check into your hotel. You'll have the rest of the day to relax at the hotel or explore nearby places.

Later in the evening, we'll have a special farewell dinner where you can tell us what you thought of the trip and how we can make it even better next time. It's a nice way to think back on your journey and savor a tasty meal before you spend the night at the hotel.

Holiday Planner Trek is truly grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and assist you. Your trust in us is greatly appreciated, and we believe we have met your expectations.

We trust that you've had a wonderful vacation, and we aspire to see the connections we've formed during these weeks evolve into a lasting and friendly relationship in the years to come. Please keep us in your thoughts. Wishing you a safe journey and all the best!