Annapurna Circuit Trek

Your journey for the trek begins as you land in Kathmandu. At the airport you will meet our company representative, who shall be waiting with the Adventure Pulse Banner. With the arrival of the group, we drive to our hotel in Thamel.

If you have an early arrival, you may stroll around the hippiest and happening area of Thamel, where you can find restaurants with varieties of cuisine to dine and also excellent options to shop for your trekking gear. This first night of your hotel stay. 

Have a well-rested night before we begin our adventure. (You can leave behind all your extra clothes/items that you do not want during the trek, at the hotel cloakroom).

The very next morning, we will depart for Besisahar, the starting point for the Annapurna Circuit Trek. The journey begins with a 5–6-hour drive along the Prithwi highway and picturesque Trshuli river from Kathmandu to Besisahar.

We start early in the morning from Kathmandu. When you arrive at the hotel’s lobby with your bags packed, a private van will be there to pick you up and get you on the road. The ride will be enjoyable once you pass through the checkpoint at Nagdhunga and leave the Kathmandu Valley. The excitement of starting the great adventure and the views of the hills, forests, terraced farmlands, traditional villages, and Mt Ganesh and Mt Manaslu snow peaks outside the van will make the road ride worthwhile.

We will pass through the districts of Dhading, Chitwan, and Tanahu, stopping occasionally for tea or coffee, snacks, and bathroom breaks to reach Lamjung. The journey for the day will come to an end once you arrive in Besisahar. The rest of the evening can be used to relax and get ready for Day 3.

After an early morning breakfast at the hotel, we will continue our ride to Dharapani. Normally, the trek starts from Besisahar, but we will skip the trekking on the dusty roads for today. We will travel along the Marsyangdi river for 4-5 hours today on the Besisahar-Chame Highway.

Chame is an important place since it has well-stocked shops if you need to buy gear, medicines, and energy bars. It also has a bank if you need to withdraw cash. 

The day starts in a village and continues past prayer wheels into a forest path in a steep and narrow valley. We will leave Chame by going over the Marshyandi River and the Chorten, a stone gate that resembles a stupa in both shape and color.  The trail passes through lush green fields and a sparse sub-alpine forest with a pleasant pine scent. We will arrive at an apple orchid and a small settlement called Bhratang (2,900m) after two hours of walking in. 

After a short distance from Bhartang, the trail becomes quite dramatic with a rocky hill and cliffside walkways. We hike beneath the Lamjung Himal along the Marsyandi valley’s vertical rocks near the Paunda Danda Rock, which is revered by the locals as “Swargadwari” the gateway to heaven. The Paungda Danda Rock is a curved rock face that rises 1500 meters above the Marshyandi River. Dhikur Pokhari (3,180m) is another amazingly beautiful location on this trail. From the trails, we can also see Annapurna II in the south and Pisang Peak in the northeast. The path then descends to the Manang Valley floor and the Pisang village, where we will spend the night. The lodge for the day is located in the old village of upper Pisang, which sits high above lower Pisang and offers some spectacular mountain views.

Early morning views of Lamjung Himal, Tilicho Peak, Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Gangapurna, and other peaks will brighten your entire day. You will feel the effects of high altitude due to the thin air and freezing temperatures. This is the start of the upper part of the Manang district. Because you will be walking at an elevation of more than 3,000 meters, you should be aware of the possibility of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). There are two routes from Upper Pisang to Mungji (3,500m), a lower one that follows the valley floor, and a more strenuous and far more scenic higher route.

Lower Route: In order to use this trail, you must first descend to Lower Pisang (3200m) and then traverse the road through the Humde airfield (3390m). This alternative requires less climbing.

Upper Route: This trail begins with a gradual ascent before rising gradually above a valley covered in an alpine forest. This trail will assist in acclimatization and delivers excellent mountain views. Gyaru, which is located along the route and has an elevation of 3680 meters, offers an incredible panoramic view of the north face of Annapurna II, III, and IV, Gangapurna, Tilicho, and Pisang Peak. Additionally, you can go to Ghale Fort, the Ghale Kings’ abandoned fort.

Both trails meet at Mungji, which is located after the large and historic village of Ngawal (3,660m). Following Mungji is the village of Bhraka (3,470m), another one of the most picturesque villages in the Annapurna region, with most of the village’s 200 houses stacked one atop the other, each with an open veranda formed by a neighbor’s rooftop. Ice Lake, Bhraka Gomba, and Milarepa Cave are all accessible side trips from Bhraka. Braka Gomba is the largest monastery in the Manang district. As we pass more monasteries, you will realize that the path is dotted with Buddhist holy sites. We get a chance to explore Buddhist culture. From there, it will take you about 20 minutes to walk to Manang Bazaar, the day’s destination and entry point to Thorung La Pass.

You will be getting a day break from a regular trek once you reach Manang. A rest day at Manang would help to acclimatize as we made our way to Thorong La pass. Spend a day to get acclimatized for the higher elevations to come, exploring all the amazing sights nearby, and getting a taste of the locals’ unique culture and way of life.

Manang is populated by Ghales and Gurungs. Have conversations with locals to learn about their culture and way of life. These people primarily rely on agriculture and tourism for a living. Only wheat, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, and beans can be grown due to the region’s cold climate.

There are multiple choices of day activities in Manang. The glacial lake formed by the glacial streams of Mt. Gangapurna, Gangapurna Lake, is one of the nearby attractions you can explore. The distance to Manang’s main city is only about 20 minutes. You can spend enough time taking pictures and admiring the beauty of this wonderful lake and Mt. Gangapurna at this scenic place. Another alternative is to try a challenging hike to the high alpine Ice Lake, located at 4600 meters. You can visit Chongkor Viewpoint if you have more time and the desire to explore further. It is recommended because of the location’s view of the mountains. You can take pictures in front of the Gangapurna, Annapurna II, IV, Tilicho Himal, Chulu range, and Chulu range. We may visit the Himalayan Rescue Association in Vraja village to learn about acute mountain sickness, its symptoms, and how to prevent it.

If you don’t want to walk much on your rest day, there are places like the Manang Cultural Museum, Bodzo Gumba, and cafes with better food and internet. There are a lot of hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops where you can enjoy delicious food and drinks. You can buy the equipment you want in numerous shops in the market.  Enjoy the sunset in the evening from your hotel with a sip of the beverage of your choice. 

Today we will be trekking through the settlement of Manang, Khangsar, Siri Kharka to reach the Tilicho Base Camp. Before reaching Siri Kharka, we will pass by a thousand-year-old monastery, Tare Gumba. We will get the glimpse of Mt. Chulu and Gungang Homal on the trail. We also can view remarkable rock formations and stunning snow peaks, such as Tilicho Peak.  Proceeding on, we have to pass the landslide prone areas where we have too extra cautious.

Today will be the exciting and special day because we will visiting the highest lake of the world, Tilicho lake (4,919m). We will start walking early morning to escape strong afternoon winds that may cause rock falling. The first portion of the trek today will be steep climb and after walking for 2-3 hours we will reach the lake. The Tilicho Himal, Annapurna Range, and Nilgiri Himal are the three magnificent peaks that encircle Tilicho Lake. After taking in the beauties of Tilicho Lake, we retrace our steps to Tilicho Base Camp, where we will spend the night.

This morning we leave the Tilicho Base Camp and head towards Yak Kharka retracing the same path up to Siri Kharka. From Siri Kharka, we take left flat upper route towards the old Khangsar village, now without any inhabitants. Then we will be descending towards the Thorong Khola Valley, cross the river and climb to a plateau. If you’re fortunate, you might even see a snow leopard or a flock of blue sheep on the way. The breathtaking Annapurna range against the clear sky is visible from the Yak Kharka. Yak kharka is the yak herder’s place where they bring their yaks or other animals to the grassy meadows to graze.

The trails are now more challenging because you have to be cautious when walking through landslide-prone terrain and watch out for yaks while crossing suspension bridges. However, all these slight difficulties add to the adventure of the journey, don’t they?

Although it is a short distance of trekking today, the route from Yak Kharka to Throung Phedi involves a 400-meter climb. A health risk could arise from an altitude gain of more than 500 meters because you need to acclimate. After a short uphill walk from Yak Kharka, you can see a suspension bridge with Letdar village (4,240m) on the other side.

On the route from Letdar to Throung Phedi, you can experience an absolutely unbelievable beauty with a steep climb up a narrow valley. The more steeply you climb, the more Gangapurna and Annapurna III pose for you and reveal themselves. After more ascents, the trail descends to the river with the wooden bridge. We continue on up the narrowing valleys, past landslides, and their prone areas, and through the occasional gust of wind that threatened to blow us right off the trail, probably the most dangerous part of today’s trails. Walking carefully and following safety guidance is the best thing to do in this section of the trek. Once you pass this point, the walk becomes easier.  After 3–4 hours of walking, we reach Thorang Phedi which sits surrounded by vertical cliffs at an altitude of 4,441m, about an hour below the high camp at 4,850 m.

At Throung Phedi, you can expect a healthy lunch, enough rest until the evening, an early dinner, and a restful comfortable night of sleep. Your guide will inform you of the wake-up time and provide details about the big event and strenuous walk that will take place the following day. At regular intervals, consume a lot of water. From now on, you might experience symptoms of high altitude, so if you notice any, describe them to your guide. As we would have to leave here by 4 am the next morning, and given how much time this would add to our summit attempt and how windy it normally gets late in the afternoon, we decided to press on. 

All of your previous preparation for this trek is required on this day, as the trail ascends to 5,416 meters at Thorong La Pass, the highest point that can be reached without prior climbing experience or equipment. The pass is located between Yakwakang Peak and Thorong Peak, both of which are 6,000 meters high. As you cross Thorong Peak, you will experience beautiful views that you will forever remember and record on camera. This trekking day will be memorable as we trek one of the highest passes in the world and the hardest part of the trek, but the most surreal experience of your life. On the same day, descend toward Muktinath Temple (3,800m).

We start early in the morning to avoid the strong winds that occur at high altitudes in the late morning before midday. Wear your gloves, down jacket, and hat that you have been carrying the entire way because it will be cold. Up until you reach High Camp, the ascent is difficult (4,880m). The trail ascends steadily but not as steeply as it did at high camp. Take your time and cautiously stroll while admiring the surrounding, snow-capped mountains. Take short breaks frequently to refuel and keep going until you reach Thorong la. 

You will soon spot the prayer flags, the traditional Chorten, and the congratulatory sign that reads Thorang-la Pass. The pass is absolutely worth it for the views of snow-capped mountains reaching into Tibetan territory. We can see the great barrier ridge which separates the drier Tibet-like region of Manang from the rest of Nepal. We will see a panorama of magnificent Himalayan peaks to the north, toward Tibet, and the Annapurna range on your back. Admire your accomplishment, take your time to enjoy the moment, take a look at the scenery, snap photos, and celebrate the successful climb.

All that left, after some time at the mountain pass, the journey continues, we set out on our trek and now is the drop 1600 meters straight down to Muktinath. Snow, mud, and loose gravel are all over the path. Keep walking slowly and steadily because parts of the route are very slippery. We have views of Annapurna, Gangapurna, and Khatungkang’s heavily glacier peaks to inspire you and keep your attention on the trails.

When you get to Chabarbu, a small village, you can regain your strength and place an order for a satisfying heavy lunch. From Chabarbu, you can enjoy a leisurely hour-long walk to Muktinath, known for its Muktinath Temple. Both Hindus and Buddhists revere this temple as a sacred site. Buddhists refer to Muktinath as Chumig Gyatsa, which translates to “Hundred Waters” in Tibetan. Muktinath Temple is famous for the Jwalamai temple, with a spring, 108 stone sprouts that flow with water from the Kaligandakim, and the eternal flame, which has been burning for over 2,000 years. Every year, over 1,000 disciples visit this site. After a challenging day of the trek, Muktinath awaits us with some good food, a hot shower, and a comfortable hotel to sleep in and get a rest.

In the morning, visit the famous Muktinath temple and get a blessing for our further journey to Jomsom. We begin our journey today by traveling through historical caves and the amazing village of Kagbeni in the Kali Gandaki valley with views of the Kali Gandaki River and the Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. You will get to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Dhaulagiri Mountain range as it crosses the Kali Gandaki valley on the way.

After passing through the historic Jharkot village, the trail gradually descends. Step inside the Kagbeni area’s apple-growing region. Follow the Jhong Khola valley to see the upper Mustang’s barren hills. You will encounter a large number of pilgrims traveling to Muktinath Temple along the way. As you approach Kagbeni, more breathtaking scenery awaits. The medieval village of Kagbeni sits on a green oasis at the junction of two rivers. Grab a bite to eat here, leave your luggage at the tea house, and explore this picturesque old city after.  Continue your journey to the small village of Eklebatti by trekking down the Kali Gandaki River valley. The trek is considered complete once you arrive in Jomsom. Jomsom is a small Himalayan town with a comprehensive school and a beautiful monastery, as well as a whole row of small shops and guesthouses.

After breakfast, we will take a morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. You can enjoy a breathtaking view of Annapurna, Machhapuchre, Dhaulagiri, and many other mountains during this flight. You can spend your day in Pokhara participating in a variety of activities like paragliding, cycling, bungee jumping, boating, or just unwinding in restaurants by the lake while live music is played.

As per our flight schedule, drive to Pokhara Int’l airport and flight to Kathmandu (taking a 25-minute flight from Pokhara).

When you arrive in Kathmandu, check-in in at the previous hotel at Thamel. You can take a stroll for beverages and shop in the evening. It’s a fantastic idea to spend your evening in Kathmandu wandering around Thamel and the surrounding areas for shopping and independently exploring the twisting streets of this tourist hotspot. A few restaurants that serve delicious cuisine and hot coffee are located along the route, with good live music, and service.

Day 15 marks our International departure from Kathmandu. With heavy hearts, difficult good byes but loads of memories to cherish, we bid adieu. 

Hoping to meet you on another adventure soon!