This Annapurna Circuit is one of the most well-known treks in Nepal and with good reason. The views and the landscape dramatically alter from subtropical forest paddy fields, the deepest river gorge in the world to glaciers, a high mountain pass, deserted rock formations, and mountain views.
The trek passes through Manang the trek begins with views of the Manaslu range, the Tibetan-like Buddhist settlements, as well as woods that run through and through the Marshyangdi Valley.
When you travel towards the high Thorong La Pass, a number of mountains are brought out of the bushes including those of the Annapurna Massif, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu along with Tilicho Peak.
The trail continues on over the pass, allowing you to enter Mustang along with it's Hindu tourist town Muktinath and then continues along into the Kali Gandaki Valley, past the fascinating and unique town in Marpha with its tiny monastery with narrow cobbled streets and apple orchards. It continues towards the thermal springs of Tatopani and the viewpoint at the top of Poon Hill.
On Poon Hill, it is possible to observe over 20 of the top mountains in the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. This trek is ideal for adjustment before taking on this mountain pass. Thorong La pass at 5,414m. But it's long that can last for a long time, with an average of taking 6-7 hours and the need for a basic fitness level is required.
With its diverse scenery, villages, and the people who live on the trail as well as the stunning mountains, it's the perfect place for photographers. It's also a great way to explore the various aspects of the landscape, culture, and people of the country on one day, while traveling around all around the Annapurna range!
The temple and the 108 water fountains in Muktinath are sacred to Hindus and are part of the culture of Nepal. It's a short trek down the trail , and communities like Jharkot and Kagbeni will take you back into the Buddhist tradition of monasteries and prayer flags.
Kagbeni is a lovely village. From Kagbeni another road leads to Upper Mustang, and there is always a steady flow of mule trains and yaks transporting goods north.
Upon your arrival, you staff will be ready at the airport to welcome you and pick you up from there and drop off to your hotel. You can walk around the city in the evening if you like.
After breakfast, we will leave for Chame. The drive is very pleasant and pass through hills and riverside roads offering us a glimpse of Nepali countryside. We will then change vehicle in Besishahar and switching to off-road drive. It will a pleasing ride as it takes us through beautiful hamlets, rice terraces and rocky cliffs.
We will be trekking a series of uphill and downhill walks. The path follows the Marshyangdi river and passes through waterfalls and lush forests. After walking for some time, we will reach Dharapani where most of the people follow Buddhist religion.
After breakfast, we will leave for Chame. The trail will a bit longer than previous days. We will mostly climb uphill into alpine land. We will pass beautiful villages on our way. At the village entrance, we can see a large mani wall with prayer wheels. It is also the district headquarter of Manang district.
We will walk through alpine forest in a narrow yet steep valley, crossing a suspension bridge built over Marshyangdi river. This trail offers beautiful view of rocky surfaces including the Paungda Danda. Pisang offers us beautiful view of peaks like Pisang and Annapurna range. Breathing can be difficult here as we enter area with thin air.
We will start our journey and go through the village of Ghyaru which offers breathtaking views of the mountains. We will pass through wonderful settlement of Mungji and the hidden hamlet of Braga. Manang is one of the biggest village on the Annapurna Circuit trail.
It will be a day off at Manang where we will be taking rest and preparing for the trek ahead of us. But we can always go out in the village and explore the culture and tradition of the village.
We will go along the bank of Jarsang Khola (stream). As we gain altitude, we can notice the vegetation becoming shorter and sparser as we reach Yak Kharka. We will get fabulous view of Annapurna, Tilicho Peak etc during our trek.
After breakfast, we will leave for High Camp. We will pass Thorong Phedi at an altitude of 4540 above sea level. We can see herds of sheep and yaks grazing on the way. This will be a difficult trek and you must follow the instruction given by the guide.
It will a long day as we will reach Muktinath after crossing Thorong La Pass at an altitude of 5416m above the sea level. We can see colorful flags at the top of the pass. We can also see breathtaking view all around us. After spending some time there, we will descend to Kali Gandaki valley. We are expected to reach Muktinath by late afternoon which is a holy place for people following Buddhist and Hindu religion.
We will leave Muktinath and head towards Tatopani for our 11th day. The journey will be a lot easier as we will travel through a vehicle. The drive passes through Jomson, Kagbeni, Marpha along Kali Gandaki river. We can take bath in one of the natural hot springs in the village.
After a relaxing day, we will trek to Ghorepani. We will pass through small settlement of Guthre. We can see vegetation and beautiful rice terraces in the village. On our journey, we will go through lush forest and rocky sections and reach Ghorepani which is one of the largest village of the area.
It will a long and exciting day as we will hike to Poon Hill from Ghorepani before the sunrise and witness the sunrise from Poon Hill. The view during sunrise is marvelous as we can observe the mountains turning from pink to gold. Here, we can see amazing mountains like Annapurna, Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), Himchuli and Dhaulagiri along with some other mountains. After enjoying the view, we will then descend down to Tikhedhunga from where we will drive to Pokhara.
After a thrilling day, we will return to the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. On the way, we can see amazing landscapes, harvest fields and roads along the rivers which will a lifetime experience.
Anthony Hook
United States
Knowledgeable and helpful
24th July, 2022
The team had excellent customer service, provided lots of information and ideas of how to get the most out of my trip. Their knowledge was really helpful and gave me peace of mind that all will be taken care of for me. Cant wait for the adventure to start.