Annapurna Circuit Trek

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400 m)

1. 1h
   Our airport representative will be receiving you at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu and s/he will be displaying an Ace the Himalaya signboard outside the airport terminal. You will be then transferred to your respective hotel in our private tourist vehicle.
   
   Note: Either on Day 01 or Day 02, there will be a pre-trek meeting in our office. During the meeting, we will introduce your trek leader/guide. Please make sure you bring the passport, three copies of passport-size photos and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. During this meeting, please clear the due balance, if any, and sign the legally binding trip form as well as the non-liability disclaimer.

Day 2: Guided Sightseeing in the Kathmandu Valley

1. Pashupatinath Temple
   45m · Admission ticket included
   Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River. Though you are not allowed to go inside the temple as it is strictly for Hindus only, you can clearly see the temple and the activities from the eastern bank of the Bagmati River. It is a square two-tiered pagoda temple built on a single-tier plinth which is famous all over the world.
2. Boudhanath Stupa
   45m · Admission ticket included
   Boudhananath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu. It was built in the 5th century with four pairs of eyes of Lord Buddha in four cardinal directions keeping an eternal watch over the people and their doings. You will find Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet going round the stupa spinning the prayer wheels.
3. Bhaktapur Durbar Square
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Visit the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Royal Residential Quarter of Bhupatindra Malla, famous five-storied temple of Nyatapola in Pagoda style Batsala temple, Bhairavnath temple, Duttatraya temple, Pujari Muth and Palace of 55 windows.

Day 3: Drive to Besisahar (830 m) in a Public Bus and Take a local 4WD Vehicle to Syange (1,100 m) - 8 hours

1. Besisahar
   30m
   Today we will take a public bus from Kathmandu to Besisahar which takes 6 hours and from there we will take a local shared 4WD vehicle to Syange (2 hours of drive). We will witness beautiful landscape, rivers and waterfalls on the way.

Day 4: Trek to Tal (1,700 m) – 5 hours

1. 18h
   Now tighten up the shoes laces. We will start walking gradually following the beautiful Marsyangdi River. This walk will be slightly ascending and we will come across the beautiful waterfalls on this walk. We will rest at Tal tonight.

Day 5: Trek to Danakyu (1,860 m) – 5 hours

1. 18h
   This will be our exciting day. We will leave Marsyangdi River behind and continue our journey to witness Annapurna II and Pisang Peak and beautiful landscape and old villages. Don’t miss an opportunity to take beautiful pictures as we observe mountains, waterfalls and countryside life style of Nepal. We will rest at Danakyu.

Day 6: Trek to Chame (2,670 m) – 4 hours

1. Chame
   17h
   We will continue our walk enjoying the view of mountains, and waterfalls on the way. Today will be an easy day. After 4 hours of walking, we will reach Chame, the headquarter of Manang. It’s a beautiful little town with more facility than our previous days.

Day 7: Trek to Upper Pisang (3,300 m) – 6 hours

1. 17h
   After breakfast, we continue our trek to Upper Pisang. On the way, we will walk through the dense forest, Marsyangdi River and come across the beautiful panoramic views of meadows and mountains. During this walk, we will see the first view of gigantic Paungda Dada rock face, which is curved like a bowl shape. Eventually, after 6 hours walk, we will reach Upper Pisang from where we can see Majestic Annapurna II standing high on our south and we will rest here today.

Day 8: Trek to Ngawal (3,660 m) – 5 hours

1. 18h
   Today, wake up early in the morning, watch the beautiful sunrise and first ray of sun on Annapurna II. After breakfast, we will continue our trek towards Ngawal. The trail to Ngawal is about 400 m higher than the lower trail but you will have great opportunities to witness high altitude flora and fauna, beautiful gorges, Annapurna II and III and Pisang Peak. We will take rest in Ngawal.

Day 9: Trek to Manang (3,500 m) via Bhraka (3,360 m) – 5 hours

1. Manang
   18h
   We continue our trek walking through the big hills, jungle and wetlands. On the way, we can see beautiful landscapes, stupas and lama school. After 6 hours of walking, we will reach Manang, one of the happening places of the trek.

Day 10: Acclimatization Day at Manang Village

1. Manang
   1 day
   We spend a day acclimatizing in Manang by doing some walks and sightseeing around the village. We will visit a monastery and go to Gangapurna Glacier Lake during our walk. Towards the end of the day, we return to our accommodation for a night’s rest.

Day 11: Trek to Yak Kharka (4,000 m) – 5 hours

1. 18h
   After acclimatization and rest at Manang, we will be energized and excited to continue our walk towards Yak Kharka which ascends by 500 m. We make the climb steadily through Tenki Manang, leaving the Marsyangdi Valley. Continuing along the Jarsang Khola Valley, we reach Yak Kharka at 4,000 m. Herds of yaks and vegetations appear to thin out.

Day 12: Trek to Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) – 5 hours

1. 18h
   After a two-hour ascent, the trail descends to cross the river at 4,310 m. We then climb up to Thorong Phedi at 4,450 m where decent guesthouses have been built in the recent years.

Day 13: Trek to Muktinath (3,800 m) via Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) – 8 hours

1. Thorong La Pass
   15m · Admission ticket included
   Today is a long trek starting before sunrise at 4 am to reach the pass by 9-10 am. Otherwise weather conditions (strong winds) will greatly affect the journey, particularly at the Thorong La Pass. We climb steeply on a regular route which is quite easy to follow. However, some problems may arise due to altitude and snow. It often causes terrible problems to cross the pass if it is covered by heavy snow. After four hours of climbing to the pass marked by the chortens and prayer flags, we will be rewarded with stunning views from the top of the pass. Another four hours of walking will take us to the holy town of Muktinath.
   
   Muktinath means place of nirvana and is home to the Muktinath Temple as well as several monasteries. It is said that all sorrows we feel are relieved when visiting the Temple. It is a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. The prime pilgrimage month is September. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and has 108 waterspouts around it. Another attraction nearby is the Jwala Mai Temple which has a gorgeous natural spring and an eternal flame fueled by natural gas.

Day 14: Trek to Jomsom (2,710 m) via Lubra Pass (4,020 m) – 8 hours

1. Jomsom
   15h
   So now, we are at the other side of the Thorong La Pass, most of the land we see will be dry and looks somewhat like the desert. We will continue our trek walking by the bank of Kali Gandaki River. Most of the time, we will descend with closer view of stupas and old traditional houses and civilization of Mustang. Jomsom is a large town with many facilities. It is also the headquarter and official town for whole Mustang district where all the district government offices are present.

Day 15: Drive to Tatopani (1,190 m) in Local Shared 4WD Vehicle – 5 hours

1. Tatopani
   18h
   We still continue to descend through Kali Gandaki River Valley. On the way, we will encounter the world’s deepest gorge, Kopchepani. Tatopani is famous for its hot springs. This is the best place to relax our body after a long trek. We will spend another day relaxing at this spot.

Day 16: Rest Day at Tatopani

1. Tatopani
   1 day
   Take a shower, dip into the natural hot springs, enjoy drinks and local food.

Day 17: Trek to Ghorepani (2,810 m) – 6 hours

1. Ghorepani
   17h
   Today is another big day. It will take about 7 hours to walk from Tatopani to Ghorepani. We climb about 1,620 meters up. From Ghorepani, we will be able to see Annapurna South, Himchuli and Tukuche Himal. We will pass a couple of Magar and Gurung villages on the trail.

Day 18: Hike to Poon Hill (3,210 m) and Trek to Tikhedunga (1,570 m) – 5 hours

1. Poon Hill
   30m · Admission ticket included
   Very early in the morning, we start an hour hiking to Poon Hill at an elevation of 3,210 m – a brilliant spectacle. This vantage point provides unobstructed views of the early morning sunrise over the high Himalayas, weather permitting. There we spend about an hour. We return to Ghorepani where we take a hot breakfast at the hotel. We trek down towards Tikhedunga, walking down along the ridges and through rhododendron forests before finally reaching Tikhedhunga.

Day 19: Trek to Nayapul (1,010 m) and Drive to Pokhara – 4 hours

1. Pokhara
   19h
   After some light trekking, we reach Nayapul (1,010 m). An hour drive takes us to Pokhara.

Day 20: Guided Sightseeing in Pokhara

1. 15m · Admission ticket included
   The temple lies in the center of the religious old bazaar. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhagwati, another manifestation of Shakti. The park grounds offer a fine picnic and relaxing area.
2. 15m · Admission ticket included
   Locally known as Patale Chhango and located in the southern flank of the Pokhara valley, it is where the stream flowing from Fewa Lake collapses and surges down the rock into a deep gorge, leaping through several potholes. This is hugely popular with tourists and locals alike.
3. 25m · Admission ticket included
   The revered Gupteshwor Cave is situated 2 km from the Pokhara airport. The entrance is right across from Davis fall and the cave is almost 3 km long. It has some big hall-sized rooms and some passages where you have to crawl on all four. This cave holds special value to Hindus since a phallic symbol of Lord Shiva is preserved here in the condition it was discovered.
4. Seti River Gourge
   10m · Admission ticket included
   Carved by the Seti Gandaki River, it is one of the natural wonders of Pokhara. K.I. Singh bridge at Bagar, Mahendrapool and Prithivi Highway Bridge near bus park provide a perfect view of the river’s dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by the turbulent flow of white water.
5. 20m
   The Tibetan camp Tashi Ling, which is behind Gupteshwor Cave, is renowned for the production and trade of woolen carpets and other handicrafts. The original Tibetan settlers in this region migrated to Nepal in the ‘50s.

Day 21: Drive Back to Kathmandu (1,400 m) in a Tourist Bus – 7 hours

1. Kathmandu
   16m
   We will be driving back to Kathmandu in the morning.
   
   If you are interested in extending the trip, there are many options such as Chitwan jungle safari, river rafting adventure, Kathmandu shopping tour, mountain biking and other activities.
   
   In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances.

Day 22: Transfer to the International Airport for Your Final Departure

1. 3h
   The trip concludes here. Our airport representative will drop you at the international airport in Kathmandu for your flight departure from Nepal.

Pickup details

We will pick you up from the airport even if you arrive earlier.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness