Annapurna Circuit Trekking

Duration: 16 Days(5)of 45 reviews

Overview

  • Duration 16 Days
  • Difficulty Level Moderate
  • Max. Altitude 5,416 M | 17,769 Ft
  • Trip Start and End Kathmandu - Kathmandu
  • Trip Area Annapurna Region
  • Best Season Autumn & Spring

Highlights

  • Adventure trekking around the Annapurna massif
  • Cultural sightseeing tour of Kathmandu
  • Cross Thorong La at 5,416m
  • The joy of completing a loop around the classic Annapurna circuit
  • Culture and lifestyle experience of Manang and lower Mustang valleys
  • Incredible Himalayan view and high altitude trekking experience

Annapurna Circuit Trekking, also known as Round Annapurna Trek takes you on an adventurous journey to the Himalayas in the Annapurna region. This region has spectacular views of the Highest Himalayas range including Mt. Annapurna.

This challenging trek starts low and goes as high as 5,416 meters above sea level while crossing the Thorong La pass. The journey begins in the Marshyangdi valley and goes higher towards Manang valley exploring the subtropical lowlands of Manang valley, the deepest gorge of Kali Gandaki, and other various landscape diversity. Annapurna Circuit trek goes on the proper trail with full-on a surprising trip towards the Himalayas starting from Manang. The path of the Annapurna Circuit Trekking comprises a variety of ecological as well as cultural diversity providing a person with a complete trekking experience. 

The trail traverses include the Annapurna circuit trekkers and climbing adventurers to Pisang peak and Chulu peaks (east and west). Some trekkers even make an extended trip to Tilicho Lake, the highest lake in the world nestled beautifully amidst the Himalayan peaks. After crossing the high Himalayan pass at Thorong La, the trek enters a different region, the lower Mustang region with a wonderful landscape. Although for a short period, the captivating charm of the lower Mustang region fills us with wonders.

NOTE:It is recommended that you should arrive in Kathmandu a day earlier before you start your trek (if you do not have a day tour of Kathmandu scheduled). And If you have scheduled a Kathmandu day tour you should arrive two days prior to the actual day of trekking.

If you are able to arrive a day earlier, it will be best for you as you will get some time to rest, know about the trekking you are doing, get info about the trekking routes, and get time to buy trekking equipment if necessary. Adding some extra days besides actual trekking days will help you enjoy your trip to Nepal to the fullest without having to worry about any preparations, flight delays, and missing international flights.

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Itinerary

Show Detail ItineraryClose Detail Itinerary

In accordance with your flight schedule, we will be at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu to extend a warm welcome to you in our beautiful country for the beautiful trip. After exchanging warm welcome greetings at the arrival section, we will lead you to our vehicle to drop you off at our trip hotel. It’s a day at complete leisure, you will be on your own and you can do whatever you want to do for refreshment. But we definitely will be happy to guide you around the city.

On the second day of arrival, we will be interacting with each other. After early breakfast, every guest needs to arrive at Company to review their trip so that they can buy and manage the required stuff for their trips. After talking about the trip we will be taking our guests for a cultural sightseeing tour around Kathmandu valley. The destination for sightseeing includes Swoyambhunath - the oldest monument in Kathmandu valley, Kathmandu Durbar Square – to see the temple of Living Goddess and other medieval architectural wonders, Pashupatinath – to immerse into Hindu death rites on the bank of a holy river, and Boudhanath – a massive Buddhist shrine considered as the biggest in the world.

After the early breakfast, we will be preparing for a long day's drive to Bahundanda in Lamjung to start the trek. The drive will be 8 hours long, where we will pass through various small towns that show a pure countryside life in Nepal. The drive goes along the Trishuli River and follows the Marshyangdi River later. Both the rivers emerge from the Himalayas and flow through the mountains and middle hills. On the way, we will stop for lunch at a certain time and again start our journey to Bahundanda.

From the fourth day onward we will organize official trekking. We will question and check up on guests if they are okay and if their physical condition is top-notch for trekking or not. Once the health check-up is completed we will start the adventure trek on the trail that goes around the Annapurna massif.

This is the first dirt road that has been constructed up to Manang. We might encounter occasional motorcycles and jeeps along the way. The trek stops at Jagat for lunch and continues towards Chamje. It is fairly an easy day of the trek as we haven’t yet entered the high-altitude region. The walk today has less steep going so it feels gentle that is fairly good for the first day of a long trekking journey.

The second trekking day of the Annapurna circuit trekking adventure leads us towards Bagarchhap via Dharapani. We gain about 700 meters of elevation on our trek. The trek goes via Dharapani where we might meet trekkers coming from the Manaslu circuit trek as the root connects at this place. After lunch, we will move further ahead following the Marshyangdi valley with spectacular landscape and views along the way. We will be staying at Bagarchhap, which stands at 2,140 meters above sea level and is a beautiful place to spend overnight. 

Bagarchhap to Chame section in the circuit trail is an interesting walk of the trek. The walk brings some spectacular views of the mountains in the massif. As we gain the elevation on the trek, we take a slower pace to adjust to the altitude. The slower pace provides ample time to acclimatize and enjoy the majestic views of Annapurna and Lamjung Himal. When we reach Chame, we will have some time to explore the beauty of this beautiful settlement. 

We will experience the change in the landscape as we go higher towards the destination. The Chame – Pisang stretch on the trail has some magnificent views of the giant peaks of Annapurna and Pisang peak. On the way to Pisang, we will pass through dense forest, narrow path leading us to the dramatic curved rock face, rising 1500m from the river. The path we will undertake; also consists of the steepest part of Marshyangdi Valley. Our effort of traversing the trail goes for about six hours which will bring you the most beautiful walking experience. 

Manang is the headquarters of Manang district, a beautiful Himalayan district. Basically, the way to Manang consists of two paths. But we will take the route through Upper Pisang via Geru. This route offers some spectacular views of the Himalayas. We can visit the Barge Monastery, the largest monastery in the region, along the way. We will gain an incredible mixture of nature and spirituality to make our walk for the day a wonderful one. We will take some time to explore the place once we reach there. 

As we have covered a good stretch on the trail over 3,000 meters, we need a good full day to acclimatize and gather energy to go further higher on the trek. An acclimatization hiking trip around Manang makes our day giving us chance to acclimatize and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. This well-spent day around Manang is a really insightful day to get to know this valley. 

This is a short day walk of 4 hours to Yak Khar. But the 4 hours of effort on the high-altitude trail gives us enough challenges to traverse the high-altitude trail. Although the path is challenging, the walk is beautifully scenic and greatly enjoyable. The walk brings spectacular scenic landscapes to our view. We enter well high above the tree line now so the vegetation gets sparser as we climb higher. Yak Kharka is a small and beautiful settlement established as a normal stopover place for the Annapurna circuit trekkers. 

Another short yet spectacular trekking day today takes us to Thorong Phedi nestled at the bottom of Thorong La pass. This place is the base for trekkers to rest and get some energy to set off on the adventurous walk over the Thorong La pass the next day. Thorong Phedi is a small and beautiful settlement that has a couple of guesthouses to rest. When we reach the destination, we will take a short walk around the area to help ourselves acclimatize.

We are going to strive for the highlight of the trip. The ultimate objective of these days is to walk over Thorong La pass- the world's highest pass. We will set off on the early morning journey towards the pass at a slow and steady pace.

The growing elevation and early morning uphill challenge test us well on our stamina and endurance. The effort is worth taking it as a breathtaking view awaits us from the top. The well-decorated pass with spiritual prayer flags and spectacular views makes our time. After spending a memorable time on the top, we start descending all the way down to Muktinath.

Muktinath is a beautiful place full of spiritual vibrations. It is also an important pilgrimage for the Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal. When we reach Muktinath we will have a short break to take some photographs and explore the surrounding.

It’s the final day of our trekking journey. We walk to Jomsom on and easy trail passing through the Lower Mustang region and Kali Gandaki River Valley. On the trail to Jomsom, we will pass through a beautiful settlement of Kagbeni on the bank of Kali Gandaki River and stop for lunch.

The walk today is going to be a little windy as we move along the river valley towards Jomsom. Jomsom is the center of the beautiful Mustang that boasts varieties of beautiful features in the region. An hour's walk from Jomsom reaches the small yet beautiful village of Marpha. This village is famous for its apple farm. You will get to see the properly managed apple garden in this village. Every field around this village is occupied by the Apple Tree.

After a beautiful night in the village of apple; today we will be taking a morning bus to Tatopani. As we gradually leave the Marpha; we enter the Kali Gandaki Valley. Observing the wilderness and beauty of the valley, we will arrive at the Tatopani - a place with a natural hot spring. After long tiring hiking; we can rejuvenate our bodies and get relaxed in the hot water of Tatopani. Later on in the evening, we will walk around the vicinity to explore the village.

Waking up with the pleasant sound of the flowing river and birds; we will have our breakfast and get ready for another drive. The destination for today is Pokhara. After about 6 hours of driving through serpentine roads, we will arrive at the city of lakes Pokhara. Once we are in Pokhara, we have leisurely time on our own to go explore the town. We can find massage to relieve the tiredness of trekking or simply walk around the lakeside. There are options of going for some adventure activities like paragliding, zip flying, bungee jumping, ultra-light flight, etc.

We take a drive back to Kathmandu via the same highway we took earlier to go there. Once in Kathmandu, we spend leisurely time back in the chaos of the city after so many days of serene mountain air and incredible adventure.

    On the last day of this trip, we drive you to the airport as per your flight schedule back to home or onward destination.

    We definitely hope that you enjoyed the Annapurna Circuit Trek and hope to see you for another adventure soon

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    Cost Details

    Included

    • Airport pick up and drop off by private vehicle
    • Three-night accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel in Kathmandu
    • One night accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel in Pokhara
    • Surface transfer to and from Pokhara by tourist bus then by private car to and from Nayapul.
    • Three meals a day during the trek
    • Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation during the trek
    • Kathmandu city tours, tour guides, and private transportation
    • One highly experienced, helpful, and friendly guide.
    • Porters (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, salary, and equipment. 
    • Accident insurance for all staff
    • Trekking map/ Trekking T-Shirt, and trip achievement certificate
    • First aid medical kit, Oximeter to check pulse, heart rate, and oxygen saturation at higher altitude.
    • ACAP Permit & TIMS Fee- Trekkers' Information Management System (Please bring 2 passport size photos for permit)
    • Worst case, help with all rescue and evacuation arrangements.
    • Government taxes & office service charge

    Excluded

    • Personal Travel insurance
    • International airfare
    • Nepal entry visa. You can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. A multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying US $ 40 or equivalent in foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying the US $ 100. Please bring 2 passport-size photos.
    • Snacks /Drinks and other personal expenses
    • Hot showers during the trek
    • Personal trekking equipment
    • WiFi internet and phone call unless it’s free.
    • Tips and gratuities for trekking staff and drivers

    Useful Info

    In Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition, your safety precedes every other thing. As this adventure entrails travelling in the remote mountainous region, we are always at mercy of nature. During the trip, the factors such as weather, natural disaster or a multitude of other factors which are beyond our control can subsequently bring the changes in the itinerary. Although all the itinerary we provide to you is guided and standard; please note that your team leader has the authority to alter or even drop the planned itinerary of any part if it is necessary due to safety concern. All the alternations or changes of the standard itinerary are made by the leader by taking into consideration the best interest of the whole group. We give our best effort to stick with the above-mentioned itinerary; however, in case of any unpredicted event which is beyond our control, you need to be flexible and take after the guideline as instructed by your leader.

    Note that the company won’t be responsible for any result of alterations on itineraries or any delays due to unforeseen circumstances.

    Hotel and Accommodation:

    Trek to the Himalayas is one of the favourite destinations for the travel enthusiast and adventure seekers all around the globe. Although the Himalayan region of Nepal is the most popular trekking destination in the world; there are a lot of things people don’t have a clue. While trekking to the high mountain region, you will not find the hotels and accommodation as you see in the city areas. The hotels and accommodation around the high Himalayan have fewer services and facilities. The hot shower may turn out to be simply a bucket of lukewarm water and the toilet may be a latrine behind the hotel. The private room can be a wooden cell with no furniture except a bed, mattress, and curtain in place of the door.  So, while trekking to the mountainous region of Nepal, you need to be ready to stay in the less fancy and minimum facilitated hotels.

    We provide you with the 2 to 3-star standard hotel while you are at Kathmandu (i.e. for 3 Nights). During your Annapurna Circuit Trekking, we provide you with the basic lodges and tea houses for your accommodation. The room of these lodges and tea houses are less fancier with just a bed, a pillow and a blanket. We put our every effort to make your trek as cosy as possible. However, you need to stay flexible in some cases. We will accommodate the groups in local lodge available each day. We send the porters ahead of us to pre-book the room for the next day (rooms cannot be pre-booked on all places). 

    In Kathmandu beside the 2 / 3 stars hotel, some 4 / 5 - star luxury accommodation is also available. If you want to change the accommodation plan to the luxury, please do let us know so that we can arrange and book the hotel for you for your Kathmandu stay.

    Food and Beverages:

    All the food and Beverages included on the package of Annapurna Circuit Trekking are provided by the company itself. The foods are provided in the tea houses or lodges on the trail. We will have the breakfast and dinner at the lodge where we stay overnight. On the everyday trek, our guide will decide the available place and stop for the lunch. We highly recommend you bring the water purification pills, to cleanse the water and drink during the trek. During the trek, there are options for buying the bottled water and boiled water as well.

    Transportation:

    We at Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition provide all the necessary transportation facilities for your trip. We provide private vehicles for airport pick up and sightseeing tour around Kathmandu. Likewise, we provide tourist bus transportation for your trip. However, you have the other options as a direct flight to Pokhara or travelling through private vehicles such as cars or van.

    You have to pay additional for the transportation which is excluded from our package. You can send us an enquiry for the latest price details for the private transportation and flight tickets.

    Luggage and Backpack:

    The main luggage of your will be carried by your porters during the trek. For your personal things, we highly recommend you, to carry a small handbag containing water bottles, cameras, sunscreen and other things which you require daily during the trip. Making the backpack small and lighter will unquestionably assist you to enjoy the trip to its fullest. You should simply convey the thing which is basic for your outing and the rest of the garments and different things can be left in the locker room/safe store of hotels. The hotels provide the locker room / safe deposit for free. So, don’t hesitate to leave the things which are redundant. While making the backpack or luggage for your trip to ensure that the luggage doesn’t exceed more than 15 Kg. Weight allowance at Nepal’s domestic airlines is 15 Kg including your handbag. Excess weight is chargeable of USD 1.5 or more which will be the additional cost of our trip.

    Guide and Porters on Trek:

    We provide you with the well trained and experienced guide and porter for your trek.  Our guide will assist you in every possible way to make your trips remarkable and memorable. Talking about the porter, we provide one porter for 2 trekkers each. The porters carry 20 Kg of total luggage (10 Kg form each trekker). We provide the one guide for the smaller groups and if the group size surpasses 10 individuals; we will provide the additional guide for your trip.

    Personnel Expenses:

    Personnel Expenses largely influenced upon your habit of expenditure. We provide you with all the necessary food and accommodation facilities inside the cost of your Annapurna Circuit Trekking. So, you only need money to pay for your drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages) and snacks while strolling on the trail. You will get the significant number of smaller shops on the trail to buy the drinks and snacks. Likewise, you can also use the money to buy you souvenirs of the trip, entrance tickets, hot showers, tips and many more. Note that, tips and gratuities are not mandatory, but it is fine if you wish to. If you feel like the service provided to you is excellent, then you can tip directly to staffs. Of course, there is no obligation to tip if you are disappointed with the service you receive. As a suggestion, we advise you to allocate an amount of 5 - 10% of the total package price for tips. The amount you give depends on your budget and appreciation of their work.

    Rescue and Evacuation:

    Nepal is the country full of heart-warming natural beauty and a magnificent travel destination for the thrill and adventure seeker all around the globe. In spite of the fact that, Nepal is an adventure paradise for the nature lover, thrill seeker. But in some cases, the thrilling experience comes up with the serious hazard. The most exciting, and the joyful trip may backfire on us and we may have to be the victim of nature. Not only that while trekking in the high altitude rough terrains may also occur afflictions like a sprained ankle or even broken leg, appendix ruptures, hypothermia, skin infection and respiratory infection. If any of this misfortune happens to you, then it should be treated on time. If left untreated then you may even lose your life. If any of the above-mentioned affliction happens during your trip, we at Himalayan scenery treks and expedition will do everything to transfer you to the nearest hospital ASAP. All the expenses made to rescue and evacuate you, are entirely liable to us. So, before departing off to your trip, make sure that your travel insurance company has the policy to cover up all the expenses in case of any misfortune arises during the trip so that you can enjoy the trip to the utmost. If not, be ready to pay on your own once you arrive at the Kathmandu. To learn more about the Travel Insurance for the Trip in Nepal, please do visit Travel Insurance page in Nepal Travel Guide.   

    Join a fixed date group trek or private departure:

    The Annapurna Circuit Trekking is available on both fixed departure and private basis, If you are looking for a group to join then please check our fixed departures dates and ask for availability or if you would like to travel independently, or with your friends, families & colleagues then you are invited to choose any date at your convenient timeframe for any number of people.

    Booking Requirements

    Please provide us your full credentials or a copy of your passport. Give your weight so that preplan your group’s trips for proper weight distribution. You may deposit 20 to 30 percent advance of the total package amount while booking. You may pay rest of the amount before the trip. You can also pay us by card, bank transfer or online. Please visit here for payment details.

    Cancellation Policy

    If you are unable to make your trip, let us know in advance. We will refund you as per our booking terms and conditions and available time frame. At times, there might be delays or cancellation of flights due to weather and unforeseeable reasons. In such cases, we will make our best effort to adjust your bookings and rearranging the schedule.

    Still Need Help!

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    Email:info@himalayanst.com

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