Annapurna Circuit Trek  - 17 Days

On arrival at Kathmandu International Airport, a representative from Himalayan Glacier will pick us up and escort us to our designated hotel. In the afternoon, we may take rest or visit Himalayan Glacier’s office. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. For dinner, you will be served authentic Nepalese cuisine which will introduce you to the country’s food culture. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu which are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. We visit the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath) and Buddhist shrine (Bouddhanath), which is also one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, we get our equipment checked by our climbing leader, get introduced to fellow participants, and discuss our trip at Himalayan Glacier’s office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We start our journey into the hills on a winding road along the Trishuli River. On the way we admire terraced farms and beautiful huts. After reaching a juncture at Mugling, we move straight ahead towards Pokhara. At Dumre, we leave the previous trail and head north to Besisahar. It is about 173 km from Kathmandu to Besisahar over black-topped road. From Besisahar, the road gets quite rough for about 65 km, which takes roughly 4 hours. En route, we will cross small villages like Khudi, Bulbule, Syange, Jagat, Tal, and Dharapani. Overnight in Chame.

Today after breakfast, we pass through a very dense forest that will bring us to the dramatic curved rock face rising 1500m from the river basin. We will reach Bhratang Village, which is famous for its apple farms. Next, we traverse through a steep trail on the Marshyangdi Valley to reach Paungda Danda, a massive sloping rock face that rises over 5,000 ft. (1,500m) above the trail. After passing this last bit of rock, the valley opens up with majestic vistas at Dhukur Pokhari. From here, we trek for a while before reaching Pisang where we spend the night. Overnight in Pisang.

The walk from lower Pisang to upper Pisang is a bit steep but offers wonderful views. We traverse on a nice easy track from upper Pisang reaching a mani wall and crossing a swing bridge to reach Ghyaru Village. From here, the trail starts descending downhill on a easy pace until we reach Ngawal, which seems to be quite a larger village and a happening place. We will stop for a little break at a beautiful monastery in the middle of the village before heading to our hotel in the center of the town next to the large monastery. Overnight in Ngawal.

Early in the morning, we head out of Ngawal descending down an extremely steep trail that takes us straight down into the valley floor. The landscapes change so quickly as we head towards Humde. Roughly in about two hours, we reach Humde and make a short break. From Humde, we walk towards Braka without any undulating trails but just few potholes. After a quick break in Braka, we head on the path to Manang, which is easy along the road. The scenery around the valley is stunning with snow-capped peaks around us. The crowd at Manang is abundant as it is quite a happening town. Overnight in Manang.

In order to keep fit on the trails that follow, we keep ourselves busy today with a short hike to either Bhojo Gumba or Gangapurna Lake. If we have the energy, we can even hike to Vraga Village where we can visit the Himalayan Rescue Association which will give us some idea about Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Overnight in Manang.

Today, we leave Manang village on a trail crossing a stream, then climbing to Tenki village. We further continue to climb out of the Marshyangdi Valley turning northwest up the valley of Jarsang Khola. Passing a few pastures and a scrub of juniper trees, the trail passes ahead to a small village of Ghunsa, which is a cluster of flat mud roofs just below the trailhead. After crossing a small river on a wooden bridge passing through meadows and an ancient old Mani wall, we reach Yak Kharka. Overnight in Yak Kharka.

It is an uphill walk to Thorang Phedi. After walking for some time we cross a suspension bridge and reach Ledar village. We ascend furthermore and pass through towering cliffs before reaching Thorang Phedi, the last village before Thorong La pass.  On this trip we are rewarded with one of the best views of Mt. Gundang, Mt. Syagang, Thorung Peak and Mt. Khatungkan. The word Phedi in Nepalese is referred to as the foot of a mountain. Overnight in Thorong Phedi. Overnight in Thorang Phedi.

Crossing Thorong La pass, one of the highest passes in the world, will be our ultimate objective today. We will be crossing the pass from east to west (Manang to Muktinath) which is the easiest and safest direction. We get up around three in the morning and walk up the mountain. When we finally make it to the top, we realize that our journey was worth it. We can take a few photos before heading to Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La pass. Overnight in Muktinath.

From Muktinath, we will board on a 4WD private vehicle that will lead us to Tatopani after driving about 3 hours. On reaching Tatopani, we will relax in our lodge or go out to have a dip in the waters of the hot springs. Overnight in Tatopani.

We leave the Kali Gandaki and head up the Ghar Khola valley. The trail leads us through a terraced farmland with mountains all around. We pass through the villages of Shikha and Chitre before reaching a beautiful rhododendron forest. When in bloom the rhododendron trees with its average height of up to 100″ will be covered with pink or red flowers. Walking further we reach Ghorepani, a beautiful village located at a ridge top. Overnight in Ghorepani.

To catch the sunrise over the Himalayas, we make an early morning climb along the steep trail to the viewpoint of Poon Hill (3,210m/10,529ft), the most popular trekking destination of the Annapurna region. It is also a great viewpoint to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The snowy peaks of the high mountains loom above and around us glowing in the morning light. After taking photographs, we return back to Gorepani. After breakfast, we head east and climb a nearby ridge. We descend through rhododendron forests, pass by spectacular waterfalls and reach Tadapani to spend the night.

From Tadapani, we make a steep descent through the dense and dark forest. This part of the trek will be through a thick forest of old rhododendron trees. When the rhododendron trees are in bloom, these forests actually turn into amazing gardens. By afternoon, depending upon the season of travel, we also get to enjoy cherry blossoms in bloom on the slopes on the other side of the ravine. After trekking a few more minutes, we enter the village of Ghandruk, a slope settlement with stone houses mostly inhabited by the Gurung people. Here, we enjoy the stunningly close-up towering views of Fishtail, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli mountains.

After breakfast in Ghandruk, we will board on our private vehicle that will take us to Pokhara after a drive of about two hours. On arrival in Pokhara, we will check in at our hotel and rest for a while. In the afternoon, we will embark for a half-day sightseeing Pokhara tour. Overnight in Pokhara.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to the beautiful lake city of Pokhara and catch a flight to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu, we will check in at our hotel room and relax for a while. We may enjoy the remaining day in leisure or catch up on some last-minute shopping or explore any landmarks that we might have missed earlier. In the evening, Himalayan Glacier will host a farewell dinner to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! A Himalayan Glacier representative will escort us to the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. If we wish to extend our holidays in Nepal, then we may request Himalayan Glacier to organize other adventurous activities for a few more days, or head back to our home country with plenty of memories to cherish!