Annapurna Circuit Trek in April

Everything works in April. The high route through Ghyaru is clear, the Ice Lake acclimatisation hike at 4,620m is a genuine pleasure rather than a cold slog, and the pass is a long hard day rather than a technical one. Eight to ten hours from Thorong Phedi to Muktinath is standard and the 1,600m descent is what hurts, not the climb.

The circuit crosses more terrain types than any other trek in this set, and April is when that becomes obvious. You start in subtropical valley, walk through pine and fir, cross alpine desert on the Manang side, go over a 5,416m pass, drop into the brown Mustang hills, and finish in rhododendron forest above Tatopani. Nothing else in Nepal gives that range in one route.

Plan the Jomsom to Marpha day around the wind. It arrives late morning and pushes hard up the gorge, so the standard approach is to be walking early and finished by early afternoon, which also puts you in Marpha with time for the apple brandy the village is known for.

April is busy and the circuit handles it. Unlike the Annapurna Sanctuary, where two lodges form a hard bottleneck, this route has villages all the way along and real capacity. The genuine pinch point is Thorong Phedi, which has two lodges and nothing else, and where an April night can be tight.

Everything is open and fully staffed. Manang is at its liveliest, with bakeries, gear shops and the Himalayan Rescue Association running its daily altitude briefing, which is worth attending even if you feel fine.

Roads are dry and demand is at its annual peak. Book the Besisahar vehicle and the Dharapani jeep several days ahead in April. The approach itself is straightforward; it is availability that needs planning.