Annapurna Circuit Trek - 13 Days

You will be welcomed on your arrival by our representative at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. You will be transferred to your hotel. Once you check into the hotel, find some free and relaxing time until we meet for the briefing at some point in the evening. You will be informed about the time for the briefing at your hotel.

This is the day you start your adventure. After breakfast, you head to a Dharapani. Your guide will meet you at 7:30 am at your hotel, and after breakfast, your journey begins with a scenic private jeep ride to Dharapani, located in the Manang district. The drive takes around 9–10 hours and covers approximately 231 km (143 miles), passing through lush valleys, riverside villages, waterfalls, and we will get views of Lamjung Himal, Peak 29 (NadiChuli), Manaslu, and other mountains. You pass villages like Besisahar, Jagat, Chyamje, Sattale, Tal, and Karte on this day. Stay overning in Dharapani.

After the breakfast, we’ll begin our trek alongside the Marsyangdi River, making our way through lush forests filled with pine, fir, oak, and maple trees. Along the way, we’ll enjoy views of the majestic Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, and Lamjung Himal rising behind us. The trail takes us past small natural hot springs. The route climbs through subtropical forests and the rice terraces. As we continue, we’ll pass through traditional villages before reaching Chame, the administrative center of the Manang district, nestled amid stunning mountain scenery. It takes about 6 hours to reach Chame, a village set in the mountain where you spend the night.

Today after the breakfast, we will begin our trek early in the morning, greeted by the breathtaking view of Lamjung Himal (6,893m) illuminated by the first rays of sunlight. As we follow the trail through steep, narrow gorges and dense pine forests, we’ll make our way toward to Telekhu (2840m) then continue with a pleasant and mostly level walk through a forest to Brathang village (2950m). We can see a beautiful waterfall awaits. Continuing onward, we’ll be treated to sweeping views of Pisang’s northeast peak and the towering Annapurna II. Before reaching our destination, we’ll pass a long Mani wall near the bridges. By afternoon, we’ll arrive at Upper Pisang (3,300m), a picturesque alpine village offering stunning mountain panoramas, where we’ll spend the night.

After breakfast, you can trek either from Lower or Upper Pisang through the old village of Nwagal to Manang. Our route takes us along a scenic high trail through the traditional villages of Ghyaru and Nawal, where we’ll be rewarded with stunning panoramic views. Along the way, we’ll visit Bryaga (3500m), a historic village known for its Tibetan-style houses and one of Nepal’s oldest Buddhist monasteries. You will come across a 400-year-old monastery which has historic religious importance for the locals. Here you see houses stacked one on top of the other, each with an open veranda that is formed by the neighbour’s rooftop. The gompa, perched on a high crag overlooking the village, is the largest in the district and has an outstanding display of statues. .The landscape becomes increasingly dry, resembling the Tibetan plateau, though we’ll still pass through sections of beautiful pine forests. Finally, we’ll continue further ahead till you reach the beautiful village of Manang. Manang, a vibrant Himalayan town nestled beneath towering cliffs, where we’ll spend the night.

Today is the day for acclimatize. There are plenty of things to do in this fascinating village. In the center of the village, don’t miss the little cultural museum. There are lots of walks that you can do, Gangapurna Lake is another gem which is at just ten minutes’ walk from the village. Visiting nearby monasteries will give you an insight into the local culture and tradition. Or exploring the old part of the village. You might like to hike slightly higher to Khangsar, a 200 meter ascend. However, it is important to have a relatively restful day to allow your body to acclimatize to the higher altitudes and thinning air. Manang is undoubtedly one of the best places for acclimatization. It offers spectacular views of Annapurna and Gangapurna peaks. Whatever you do, don’t sleep during the day. That’s not suitable for acclimatization.

As we know more we go higher, our days become shorter. We start our day by walking through fields of barley and apple orchards, you follow the river through a steep, narrow gorge to enter the upper Manang district. In this cold, arid climate, wheat, barley, buckwheat and potato crops are limited to one crop per year and villagers depend on their herds of yaks, goats, cows and horses. Trekking slowly upwards to Thorung La, we will leave the large trees behind and see vegetation consisting mainly of scrub juniper and alpine grass. You pass some high meadows where horses and yaks graze. After we reach Yak Kharka (kharka means meadow or pasture), we might see herds of blue sheep, a kind of deer) grazing on the steep slopes. Along the way, we’ll be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of snow‑clad Annapurna and Gangapurna, and may spot blue sheep, yaks, and Himalayan tahr grazing on the scrubby grasses. Upon arrival at Yak Kharka, a former yak herder’s camp, we’ll have an overnight stay here.

It is another short and relatively easy day to get used to the high altitude before we have to cross the highest point in the trek, and possibly the highest point you have been on in your life. From Letdar you continue climbing along the east bank of the Jarang Khola to Thorung Phedi. This is a rock-strewn meadow that is surrounded by vertical cliffs. Blue sheep and even snow leopards can be sometimes seen in this valley. Hovering high in the skies you may see lammergeyers and Himalayan griffons circling around above you. As you cross the high yak pastures, you see snow-capped mountains all around you. The scenery is completely different up here. You leave behind the rivers as you climb up into the quiet alpine areas. Again the mountain views are stunning. Stay overnight in teahouse. 

This is the longest and most challenging day during our whole trip and we reach one of the highlights as you cross the Thorong-La Pass (5416m). We start early before it is light, it is a long, tough ascent via a number of small hills. You need to cross the pass by about 9 or 10 am ideally, as the wind gets up later. Locals have used this trail for hundreds of years bringing their sheep and yaks in and out of Manang so the trail is very easy to see. When you reach the prayer flags marking the top, you are rewarded with a spectacular panorama of some of the highest mountains in the world. You can see over to the Kali Gandaki valley and across the entire Annapurna range, with Mukut and Mustang Himal to the west. 

As you make the long descend of about 1600m, you are accompanied by outstanding views of Dhaulagiri in the distance across the valley. Eventually, the trail becomes less steep and you enter pastures and cross meadows to Muktinath a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and from here spring water flows from a rock face from 108 spouts (108 is a sacred number to Buddhists). Below Vishnu’s statue runs a trickle of water with pale flames caused by natural gas. There are shrines to Shiva and his consort and Padmasambhava as well as numerous chortens and the surrounding poplar grove that supposedly sprang from the staffs of the 84 Siddhas.

After breakfast, we will drive by jeep through the dramatic Kali Gandaki Valley, passing through scenic villages and lush landscapes. As we ascend, the terrain gradually transforms, and we’ll make our way up to Tatopani. We enjoy the drive with stunning mountain views and lower mustang valley.The descent to Tatopani follows the increasingly narrow valley, through one of the world’s deepest river gorges, past the beautiful Rupse Chaharo waterfall, with fantastic views along the way and the lure of hot springs at the end. Take a dip at night in a natural hot spring. Stay Overnight in Tatopani

Today was one of the longest and toughest days of the trek. And just a day after descending 1000 m, we would climb almost 1660m by the time we arrived in Ghorepani. Yep, that’s by far the biggest elevation gain of the whole trek. Still, the elevation is relatively easy for the trekkers already coming from Throng La. You will love the landscapes and villages along the way to Ghorepani. You will also be walking through the rhododendron forest after Chitre to Ghorepani.

We will wake up early for a 45-minute hike to the top of Poon Hill (3210m./10531ft.), where we’ll witness a spectacular sunrise over the snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, an unforgettable highlight of the entire Ghorepani Poon Hill trek. Sunrise is a memorable experience sun rising over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. After spending about half on the top of this hill, you return to your lodge in Ghorepani for breakfast. Descent through the charming villages of Banthanti, Ulleri, Tikhedunga, and Birethanti. From Birethanti, we’ll take a vehicle transfer to Pokhara, where we can unwind and enjoy the lakeside city. Stay overnight in Pokhara

You can spend the day exploring the scenic lakeside city of Pokhara at your own pace, perhaps visit Davis Falls, hike up to the World Peace Stupa for panoramic views, or simply relax by the serene Phewa Lake. In the afternoon transfer to airport for flight back to Kathmandu. You might like to do some more sightseeing at the evening to Swayambhunath stupa, local market, Kathmandu’s Durbar Square and in the evening go for shopping in Thamel where you can find all sorts of souvenir shops selling handicrafts, local organic tea and coffee etc.