Annapurna Circuit Trek in June

The eastern approach is the wet half. Mud through the forest below Chame, leeches in the lower sections, and stream crossings running high. The trail holds up because it is well built, but it is slow going and the views are mostly cloud.

From Manang onward the trek transforms. The rain shadow means Yak Kharka, Thorong Phedi and the pass are frequently in sunshine while the valley you walked up is under rain, and the crossing itself is straightforward: no snow, mild temperatures, long daylight.

The Mustang side in June is genuinely good. Muktinath, Kagbeni, Jomsom and Marpha are dry, bright and empty, and the Kali Gandaki walk down to Ghasa carries none of the monsoon that the eastern side does. It is only when you drop below Ghasa toward Tatopani that you re-enter the wet.

Close to empty. Lodges up the Marsyangdi stay open and quiet. Manang keeps several houses running through the monsoon, and the higher lodges at Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi generally operate, though on a thin basis. The Mustang side stays open normally because it has road-based trade year-round.

The approach is the June problem. The Besisahar road and the rough jeep track up to Dharapani run through steep monsoon country and are prone to landslide delays, sometimes costing a day. Once you are walking, access is fine, and the exit down the Kali Gandaki is on a road that stays serviceable.