Annapurna Circuit Trek, 15 Days

Your Annapurna Circuit trek begins the moment you land in Kathmandu, where our representative will meet you and take care of the transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free, giving you time to rest after your flight or take a short walk around before the trip officially begins. Since Kathmandu sits well below the altitudes you’ll be reaching later in the trek, this is a good time to relax and let your body settle before the days of walking ahead.

Today’s activity will include a long drive from Kathmandu that passes by river valleys and hillside roads for most part of the trip. Normally, there is a changeover point in Besisahar where you leave the big bus and switch to a jeep for driving on the bumpy hill roads towards Dharapani. This day of driving familiarizes you gradually to the environment that you are going to experience during the trekking days ahead.

Today is your first proper trekking day starting with the hike through forest trails and villages and following the path along the Marshyangdi River. This is a fairly easy hike introducing you to the trail. You’ll be walking through the forest and climbing a bit until reaching Chame, which is the district headquarters of Manang district. It is also the largest village that you pass on the way, providing more amenities compared to others.

Today’s trek will take you through apple orchards and pine forests, with an opening up of the landscape as we move forward. One of the most significant attractions for the day is the sheer rock face of Paungda Danda, which is a curved stone wall that dominates the landscape and is held sacred according to local belief systems. Today’s trek is moderate, with Pisang village marking the change in the landscape with the Tibetan influence on the dry highlands becoming more apparent than the green valleys below.

From Pisang, trekkers typically have a choice between a lower and upper trail, and this itinerary takes the quieter upper route through Ngawal. This path passes through small Tibetan influenced villages and offers wide, sweeping views back down the valley you’ve been climbing through. The upper trail sees noticeably less foot traffic than the lower route, making it a good choice for trekkers who want a more peaceful walking experience along with strong mountain views.

Today’s trek continues through forest and past long stretches of mani walls, the stone structures carved with Buddhist prayers that are common throughout the region, before arriving in Manang. Manang is one of the liveliest villages along the entire circuit, historically serving as an important trading post between Tibet and the lowlands of Nepal. With bakeries, shops, and a good range of guesthouses, it’s a comfortable place to spend the next two nights, especially with the acclimatization day ahead.

This rest day is built into the itinerary specifically to help your body adjust to the altitude before continuing higher toward Thorong La Pass. Rather than staying still, most trekkers use the day to hike up to nearby viewpoints like  or Ice Lake, both of which help with acclimatization by gaining elevation during the day before returning to sleep at Manang’s lower altitude. This kind of active rest day is considered one of the most important parts of the entire trek for reducing the risk of altitude sickness later on.

Today’s trek leads us through the alpine grassland, and there are usually many yaks and horses grazing alongside the trail here. There is a marked difference in the landscape today, as trees have now made way for open land, and with each step, the thinning air is a reminder of the height gained. Yak Kharka is a tiny settlement created mostly to cater to trekkers making their way towards the pass.

It’s a short but tough climb, ending up in Phedi, the base camp for tomorrow’s Thorong La Pass crossing. The walk is tougher than you think due to the elevation even if it’s not as far as the figures suggest, and trekkers tend to pace themselves as they have an exhausting day ahead of them. Getting there in time will mean that you have ample opportunity to rest before the next day’s challenging walk begins.

This will be the most exhausting and most memorable day in the whole trip, as you start off early in the morning to cross Thorong La Pass, which will be the highest point on your way. It’s going to be a tiring walk up to the pass, but once you get there, you’ll be able to enjoy incredible views from the top. You’ll then have to make your way down to Muktinath via a steep descent.

Before leaving Muktinath, most trekkers take time to visit its temple complex, known for its eternal flame and 108 water spouts that pilgrims traditionally bathe under. From there, you’ll drive along the dramatic Kali Gandaki Gorge, considered the deepest gorge in the world, toward the hot spring village of Tatopani. After the physical demands of crossing the pass, the natural hot springs here are a welcome way to relax and let your muscles recover.

Today’s trek climbs steadily through forest and terraced villages as you make your way toward Ghorepani, one of the most popular hillside towns on the Annapurna trekking network. The walk is a gradual uphill effort, and by the time you reach Ghorepani, you’ll be back among rhododendron forest and cooler mountain air after the drier, more exposed terrain of the Mustang side of the trek.

This day starts early with a short, steep climb up to Poon Hill to catch sunrise over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, one of the most rewarding viewpoints in the entire region. After taking in the views, you’ll descend back through forest trail toward Birethanti, the trailhead marking the end of the trekking portion of the trip, before driving onward to Pokhara for the evening.

The fourth and final drive of this trip takes you from Pokhara to Kathmandu, following the same road that you used on the first day of the trip. When you reach Kathmandu, the rest of the day is at leisure, allowing you to do some last minute shopping in Thamel.

On your final day of this trek, you will be driven to the airport for your departure flight. This itinerary provides you with an excellent selection of some of the best and most diverse landscapes and cultures to be found in the Annapurna region.