Annapurna Circuit Trek

You land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,400 m) and are met by our representative for the transfer to your hotel in Thamel, the old trekking quarter of the city.

Your guide joins you for the pre-trek briefing. The Annapurna Circuit is a long, high route with a serious pass at its centre, so the briefing matters: we go through the daily distances, the acclimatisation plan at Manang, the Tilicho Lake detour, and above all the crossing of Thorong La (5,416 m) — the highest point of the trek and one of the highest trekking passes in the world. Your guide will explain how we monitor for altitude sickness and what the turnaround criteria are.

Kit is checked against the list. A properly warm down jacket, insulated gloves, a four-season sleeping bag and broken-in boots are essential for the pass; anything missing can be bought or hired in Thamel. The rest of the day is free. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A long day on the road. We leave Kathmandu early on the Prithvi Highway, then turn north at Dumre toward Besisahar (830 m), the traditional starting point of the circuit. From Besisahar the sealed road ends and we transfer to a local jeep.

The track up the Marsyangdi valley is rough, narrow and spectacular, cut into the side of a gorge with the river far below and waterfalls dropping across the road in places. It climbs past Bhulbhule, Ngadi and Jagat, gaining height steadily as the valley walls close in.

Tal (1,700 m) is reached in the late afternoon. The name means 'lake', and the village sits on a flat sandy bed where the valley opens briefly — a genuinely striking spot with a waterfall at one end and cliffs on both sides. This is the entrance to the Manang district and the point where the trek proper begins. Overnight in a teahouse at Tal.

The first day of walking, and an easy introduction. From Tal the trail follows the Marsyangdi upstream, crossing the river on suspension bridges and climbing through a narrow, steep-sided section of gorge.

The route passes through Dharapani (1,860 m), where the Manaslu Circuit trail comes in from the east over the Larkya La — you may meet trekkers finishing that far harder route here. There is a permit checkpoint at Dharapani, and the trail then enters the Manang valley proper.

Beyond Dharapani the vegetation changes noticeably as you climb, from subtropical scrub into pine and blue fir. The trail continues through Bagarchhap, with its whitewashed Tibetan-style gompa, and reaches Danakyu (2,300 m). On a clear afternoon you get the first real mountain views of the trek, with Manaslu behind you and the Annapurna wall beginning to show ahead. Overnight in Danakyu.

A steady climbing day through forest. The trail leaves Danakyu and ascends through pine and rhododendron toward Timang, a village on a shelf with an exceptional head-on view of Manaslu (8,163 m) — the eighth-highest mountain in the world — rising behind you to the east.

From Timang the path contours through thick pine forest, staying high above the Marsyangdi. The air is cooler and drier now, the smell of resin is everywhere, and the settlements begin to look distinctly Tibetan: flat-roofed stone houses, mani walls, and prayer flags on every ridge.

The trail passes through Thanchok and Koto before reaching Chame (2,670 m), the administrative headquarters of the Manang district. Chame is a substantial town by trekking standards, with shops, a bank, a police checkpoint and — best of all — small hot springs beside the river. There is a first clear view of Lamjung Himal from here. Overnight in Chame.

One of the most dramatic days on the circuit. The trail leaves Chame through pine forest and enters a steep, narrow section of the valley where the walls rise almost vertically on both sides.

The highlight comes at Dhukur Pokhari: the Paungda Danda, an immense curved slab of rock sweeping more than 1,500 m up from the riverbed in a single unbroken sheet. It is one of the largest rock faces in the Himalaya and it dominates the whole afternoon's walking.

Beyond it the valley opens out and the landscape changes character completely — drier, browner, and much more Tibetan in feel as you cross into the rain shadow. The trail climbs to Upper Pisang (3,300 m), a medieval-looking village of stacked stone houses on the hillside with an old gompa above it. It is worth the extra climb over Lower Pisang: the view across to Annapurna II and Annapurna IV from the rooftops is superb. Overnight in Upper Pisang.

There are two routes today, and we take the high one. The upper trail via Ghyaru and Ngawal climbs about 400 m more than the valley-floor route, but it is far better for both views and acclimatisation — climbing high and dropping back to sleep is exactly what you want at this stage.

The climb to Ghyaru is a steep zigzag, and it is hard work at 3,700 m. From the top the reward is a continuous, uninterrupted panorama of the Annapurna range across the valley: Annapurna II (7,937 m), Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak, with the Marsyangdi a thin line far below. Ghyaru and Ngawal are both old Tibetan settlements with flat roofs stacked with firewood and chortens at every entrance.

The trail then descends gradually to rejoin the main route and reaches Manang (3,540 m), the largest village on the circuit. Overnight in Manang.

A rest day in Manang, and an essential one. From here the route stays above 3,500 m until the pass, so this day is what makes the Thorong La crossing safe. It is a rest day in name only — we still climb.

There are several options. The walk up to the Gangapurna Lake and the viewpoint above it gains around 300 m and gives a close view of the Gangapurna Glacier calving into the water. Alternatively the climb to Praken Gompa, a small monastery clinging to the cliff above the village at about 3,950 m, is steeper and higher, and the elderly lama there gives blessings to trekkers heading for the pass.

Manang itself is worth time: a compact Tibetan-style village of flat-roofed stone houses, with bakeries, gear shops and a cinema hall. The Himalayan Rescue Association runs a free daily talk on altitude sickness here at 3 pm — genuinely worth attending before you go higher. Overnight in Manang.

Today we leave the main circuit for the Tilicho Lake detour — an addition that turns a good trek into an exceptional one. The trail heads west from Manang up the Khangsar Khola valley, climbing gradually through Khangsar, the last village on this side.

Beyond Khangsar the landscape becomes genuinely high and arid: no trees, sparse scrub, and enormous scree slopes. The trail passes an old gompa and climbs to Shree Kharka (4,050 m) before the section the route is known for — the landslide traverse, a long path cut across steep, unstable scree slopes with a considerable drop below. It is not technical and there is no exposure to climbing, but it demands concentration and steady footing, and your guide will set the pace.

Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m) is a small group of lodges in a bare amphitheatre of rock. It is cold and basic, and at this altitude sleep can be broken. Eat well and hydrate. Overnight at Tilicho Base Camp.

A pre-dawn start, usually around 4:00 am, for the climb to the lake. The trail zigzags up a long series of switchbacks on open scree — nearly 800 m of ascent with no shelter and no water, in cold that bites hard before sunrise. It is the hardest sustained climb of the trek so far.

Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) is one of the highest lakes of its size anywhere on earth. It sits in a stark, treeless basin below Tilicho Peak, its surface frozen for much of the year and an extraordinary opaque turquoise when it is not. There is no vegetation, no birdsong and very little wind noise — the silence at the lake is something most trekkers remember longer than the view.

After time at the lake we descend the switchbacks back to base camp for a late breakfast, then recross the landslide section to Shree Kharka (4,050 m). Sleeping lower than you climbed is good practice. Overnight at Shree Kharka.

A shorter, gentler day, and a deliberate one — after Tilicho the body needs a lighter stage before the pass. The trail contours back east, rejoining the main circuit route above Manang without losing much height.

The walking is across open, high pasture with wide views back to Gangapurna and the Annapurna wall. This is grazing country, and you will pass yak herds, stone-walled corrals and the summer huts of Manang herders. Watch the slopes for blue sheep, which are common here and often visible in groups of twenty or more, and for Himalayan griffon vultures riding the thermals above the valley.

Yak Kharka (4,050 m) is a small cluster of lodges on an open shelf. There are no trees at this height, the wind picks up in the afternoon, and the nights are properly cold. Keep drinking, eat a full dinner and rest — the pass is now two days away. Overnight at Yak Kharka.

A short day by distance but a significant one by altitude. The trail climbs gradually from Yak Kharka along the side of the valley to Ledar, then traverses a steep and slightly exposed section above the Jarsang Khola where the path is cut into loose slope.

There is a bridge crossing and then a final climb to Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) — 'phedi' simply means 'foot of the hill', and that is exactly what it is: two lodges tucked into a bowl directly beneath the wall you will climb tomorrow.

The afternoon is deliberately unstructured. Trekkers who are feeling strong often walk up toward High Camp (4,880 m) and come back down, which helps acclimatisation. Otherwise rest, drink constantly, and eat as much as you can manage — appetite fades at this height, but tomorrow needs fuel. Your guide will check everyone's condition this evening and make the call on the crossing. Sleep early; the start is around 4:00 am. Overnight at Thorong Phedi.

The big day. We start around 4:00 am by head torch, because the wind on the pass rises sharply through the morning and is often unmanageable by midday. The first hour is the steepest of the whole trek, climbing the wall above Phedi to High Camp (4,880 m) in the dark.

From High Camp the gradient eases but the altitude does the work instead. The trail crosses a series of false summits over snow and frozen scree — each one looks like the top and is not — for three to four hours. Progress is slow by design; the pace is a steady plod, and stopping to breathe is normal. Sunrise on the way up lights Chulu and the Annapurnas behind you.

Thorong La (5,416 m) is marked by a cairn buried in prayer flags and a small tea shack. Then comes the descent — 1,600 m of it, long and hard on the knees, dropping into the Kali Gandaki valley with the brown hills of Mustang and the wall of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) ahead. Muktinath (3,800 m) is a major pilgrimage site sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 water spouts and an eternal natural flame. Overnight in Muktinath.

Before leaving, most trekkers visit the Muktinath Temple complex, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya. Hindus know it as Mukti Kshetra, the place of liberation; Buddhists as Chumig Gyatsa, the hundred waters. Pilgrims bathe under all 108 spouts in the cold morning air.

We then begin the long drive down the Kali Gandaki — the deepest gorge in the world, running between the eight-thousand-metre massifs of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. The road passes through Kagbeni (2,800 m) at the gateway to Upper Mustang, then Jomsom (2,700 m), the apple-growing village of Marpha (2,670 m), and Tatopani with its hot springs.

The landscape transforms completely over the course of the day: from bare high desert, through pine forest, into the subtropical green of the middle hills. It is a long drive on rough road for much of it, arriving in Pokhara (822 m) in the evening. Overnight in Pokhara.

A relaxed morning in Pokhara. If you wake early, the sunrise over the Annapurna range from the lakeside is worth it — you have just walked around the far side of that skyline. A boat on Phewa Lake or a walk up to the World Peace Pagoda are both easy pre-breakfast options.

We then drive east on the Prithvi Highway back to Kathmandu (1,400 m), following the Marsyangdi and Trishuli rivers. There is a certain symmetry to it: this is the same river valley you drove up two weeks ago on the way to Besisahar, seen from the other end of the trek.

It is a full day on the road with a lunch stop, arriving in the capital in the late afternoon. After transferring to your hotel the evening is free for a shower, a good meal and last-minute shopping in Thamel. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Your final day in Nepal. If your flight is later in the day, there is time for one more part of the Kathmandu Valley — Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Swayambhunath are all within a short drive and all worth an hour.

Our representative will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport around three hours before your scheduled departure.

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the great long-distance walks. In fifteen days you have crossed from the wet, green Marsyangdi gorge to the high desert of Mustang, stood beside Tilicho Lake at 4,919 m, crossed Thorong La at 5,416 m, and walked the deepest gorge on earth. If you would like to go back to the Annapurnas from a different direction, the Sanctuary route to base camp and the Upper Mustang trek both make natural sequels. Safe travels.