Annapurna Circuit Trek – 15 Days

Today is the day you arrive in Kathmandu. Our representatives will be present at the Tribhuwan International Airport pick you up and later drop you off at Thamel. Thamel is a popular tourist area where you can find everything you need to purchase for your trek even trekking permits.

Roam around the Thamel area and try out some eateries around you and try some of the Nepali cuisines. Later, return to your hotel and get some rest.

On the second day, we will go to Jagat on a Jeep or tourist bus. Our drive will be around 10 hours today which will take us to a village in Gandaki zone. 

Enjoy the scenic drive through the hills as we will have breakfast and lunch on our way there. We will reach Jagat in the late evening so we will have a hot and tasty dinner in Jagat and stay in a teahouse as our trek starts from here tomorrow.

On day 3 we will head out on our trekking journey after we have breakfast. You will trek through rocky forests and a suspension bridge over the Marsyangdi River.

After crossing the Marsyangdi River’s bridge you will trek uphill to Tal which is at a height of 1700m and has many potato fields. After trekking around 15 kilometers and 7 hours you will reach Dharpani which is a Tibetan village. You will be accommodated here in a teahouse.

Today we begin our hike towards Chame which will take us around 6 hours. Along the way, you can enjoy the beautiful Annapurna II and Marsyangdi River. 

You will be crossing through small Buddhist villages like Bagarchhap, Danaque, and Timang before you finally arrive in Chame, where you will be eating and sleeping in a teahouse.

After a very pleasant breakfast that is served to us in the tea house, we set off on the journey to Pisang. You’ll feel delighted to witness Lamjung Himal (6893 m) in the morning while having breakfast.

As one moves further on the trail towards Bhratang, which is at 2950 meters, the valley becomes steep. There is a little climb to get to this area after crossing Bhratang, which is filled with sharp rocks. At this stage, they cross a wooden bridge and move further on a narrow and steep path. Next, adjacent to this bridge, we reach the tiny village of Pisang, which is marked by a very long Mani Wall. 

We wake up early and start making our way up the highest hill of the place that offers a breathtaking view of Manang River and Tilicho Peak (7145 m). When going along the way, passing the airstrip of Manang at Humde (3320 m), once we reach flat land, we are offered majestic views of the northeastern part of Annapurna III. A trail will take you through the flat terrains of Sabje Khola Valley, from where it is possible to view Annapurna IV (7525 m).

Then, one can witness the beautiful settlement of Braga with the view of the monastery, numerous big chortens, and walls known as the Mani. After a rather strenuous day, we arrive at Manang with its great views. And Manang is where we will stay for the night.

It’s recommended that adequate acclimatization be done before crossing the Thorung La Pass. Manang is an ideal place to acclimatize because there are other optional full-day hiking trips that one can do. Among the great treks is the crossing of the river to witness the magnificent icy peaks of the Annapurna range. Another is to climb very high above the village to get a bird’s-eye view of the Annapurna range together with the valley of Manang.

If you want to make your rest day a little adventurous, you can also visit Ganagapurna Glacier Lake. 

It is time to start trekking again, and you wake up refreshed in Manang, ready to conquer the Thorung La Pass. It takes us another couple of days to get up to Thorung La But we only go as far as Yak Khark today.

Starting from Manang to Yak Kharka, although the trail is more or less flat, it follows the route passing through the Gunsang. (3960 m). Today will be a full day of trekking, all through the beautiful mountains that will surround the trail. 

The altitude is going to drain us a bit even though it is just going to be a short hike. Climbing to an even higher altitude is somewhat tough because we have to cover a distance of 3200 m up to Yak Kharka. 

After having our breakfast in Yak Kharka, we are all set to start for Thorung La Pass. The first is the gradual climb up to a hill from where the trail drops down to the source of the Marsyangdi River. In the darkness, we then proceed and cross a concealed wooden bridge. 

Before ascending a dangerous hill with a slippery path and finally going down to Thorung Phedi, first we go to the Rocky Way on the right side of the river Marsyandgi for a few meters. In the late evening, we arrive at the base of the Thorung La Pass, known as Thorung Phedi, and take a good rest at a teahouse for a successful climb the next day. 

Finally, it’s the day that we have all been waiting for. Today we will visit the highest altitude of the Annapurna Circuit, Thorung La Pass, at 5416 m. Much an exhausting but properly charted path to Thorang La Pass that starts early in the morning. After 4 hours of continuous climbing without any rest or recreation, you will reach the prayer flags and chortens of the famous pass. 

As we get to the summit, we are rewarded with stunning vistas of the hills of Mustang besides the snowy peaks at the upper end of the Kali Gandaki valley. This point on the top of Thorung La Pass, when you look around and see some eye-opening views, makes you feel so proud and accomplished.

After we take a brief moment to appreciate the insanely beautiful mountains in the Himalayas, we proceed with the trekking. Finally, when grassy slopes replace the mountains, we come across Muktinath, hiking in a gradual upward direction throughout the Jhong Khola Valley.

Muktinath which is a great pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists is also one of the highest temples at a height of 3,760m. We leave in the early morning after breakfast and start our descending journey towards Jomsom.

We descend through shallow streams and forests until we reach Jomsom which is a village, crossing Kagbeni. Jomsom is where we will stay for the day. You find better lodges than in beforehand, where we will accommodate for the night.

It’s the day when we leave beautiful Jomsom and everywhere we trekked before by catching a flight from the Jomsom airport. The flight will take us around 30 minutes to reach Pokhara.

The flight can be often delayed because of the strong wind flow in the area but worry not, because the surrounding views will not let you get bored.

Upon reaching Pokhara, relax a bit and ease a bit because you have officially concluded your walking part of our journey. Enjoy the beautiful Phewa Lake and find eateries to spend the evening with your partners.

It’s the day we return to Kathmandu through a bus which will take us around 6-7 hours. Enjoy the scenic drive from Pokhara to Thamel, Kathmandu.

You will be dropped off at your hotel in Thamel. Spend the evening by strolling around the Thamel area and grab a drink or two if you please. You will be resting in a hotel in Thamel for the day.

Today we will not be doing anything like trekking we will be strolling around the most famous tourist destination in Kathmandu. After breakfast we will head towards Swayambhunath Temple, better known as the Monkey Temple which is a temple located at the top of a hill. Pashupatinath Temple which is also one of the largest pilgrimage sites for Hindus is where we will get to know even better about the culture.

Later, we will also visit Bouddhanath which is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Tibetans, also a famous tourist destination. Alongside the huge Buddha Temple, find some fascinating cafes and eateries where you can enjoy local Tibetan to foreign cuisines. 

After a day full of roaming around Kathmandu, you return to your hotel in Thamel.

Well, it’s time to bid final goodbyes to each other. Hope you had a great journey with us. 

Our representatives will drop you off at the Tribhuwan International Airport where we will have a short farewell ceremony. Do remember us if you want to explore Nepal even more in the trekking sector and we will make sure we won’t have any chance of complaints regarding the journey like we do always.