Annapurna Circuit Trek
Mountain Hawk Trek
Annapurna RegionStrenuous

Annapurna CircuitTrek

Circle the entire Annapurna massif in 16 days, crossing Thorong La Pass at 5,416m. Six climate zones from rice paddies to trans-Himalayan desert, a Manang acclimatization day, Muktinath temple, and the deepest gorge on Earth. From USD 1,325 all-inclusive.

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Trip Highlights

The moments that matter most

Thorong La at dawn is the image the whole trek bends toward: headlamps leaving Thorong Phedi in the dark, breath freezing on buff fabric, and then the sun catching the prayer-flag cairn at 5,416 meters while the Chulu peaks go pink behind you. The crossing is 8 to 10 hours from Phedi to Muktinath, the single hardest and single best day of the circuit, and the reason the loop is walked counter-clockwise, taking the pass from its gentler eastern side.

The NATT high route between Pisang and Manang is where the circuit answers the road question. While jeeps rattle along the valley floor, the trail climbs to Upper Pisang and traverses through Ghyaru and Ngawal at over 3,600 meters, stone villages with prayer wheels at their gates and the full north wall of Annapurna II, III, and IV hanging across the valley. It costs an extra hour of climbing and pays it back all afternoon.

The Manang acclimatization day is a menu, not a rest: the Ice Lake trail climbs a relentless 1,100 meters to 4,620m for the best training-day view on the circuit, the Gangapurna glacier viewpoint sits an hour above the village lake, and Milarepa's Cave and Braga's centuries-old gompa cover the cultural afternoon. Manang village itself, bakeries, a tiny cinema hall, yaks grazing under 7,000-meter peaks, is half the reason trekkers rank this day among their favorites.

Muktinath belongs to everyone at once: Hindu pilgrims bathe under its 108 water spouts at dawn, Buddhist nuns keep an eternal flame burning over natural gas seeps in the Jwala Mai temple, and trekkers walk in from a 5,416-meter pass with prayer flags still in their pockets. At 3,800 meters it is one of the highest major pilgrimage sites on Earth, and reaching it on foot over Thorong La is a different arrival than any jeep or helicopter can give.

The Kali Gandaki valley is the deepest gorge on Earth, with Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I, both over 8,000 meters, facing each other across it. The wind that funnels up the valley every midday has shaped a culture as much as a landscape: Kagbeni's mud-walled alleys guard the gate to Upper Mustang, and Marpha's flagstone lanes smell of apples, dried in racks, pressed into juice, and distilled into the brandy every trekker seems to carry out.

The circuit ends warm. Tatopani's riverside hot springs (1,190m) soak out ten days of trail, and the final climb to Ghorepani sets up the Poon Hill sunrise, first light running along Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, and Machhapuchhre in sequence. It is the softest landing any big Himalayan trek offers: green terraces, orange trees, and a short walk to the road at Nayapul where the loop closes.

Trip Overview

A closer look

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is a 16-day loop around the entire Annapurna massif, crossing Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters. Depending on where the walking starts and how much of the old road is skipped by jeep, the annapurna circuit trek distance runs 160 to 230 kilometers. The route moves through six climate zones: subtropical forest, temperate farmland, alpine meadows, arid high plateau, trans-Himalayan desert, and the deep Kali Gandaki gorge. No other single trek in Nepal covers this range of terrain and culture, which is why the question is the annapurna circuit worth it keeps getting the same answer from everyone who finishes it.

The circuit runs counter-clockwise from Besisahar (760m), with a shared jeep to Dharapani (1,860m) skipping the road-heavy lowest section. From there the trail climbs through pine forest to Chame (2,670m) and on to Pisang, where the route splits. We take the NATT high route through Upper Pisang (3,300m), Ghyaru, and Ngawal, hard-earned hillside villages with the Annapurna II and IV wall filling the sky, rather than the valley floor. Trekkers with extra days can extend from Manang toward Tilicho Lake (4,919m) on our Tilicho Lake via Annapurna Circuit itinerary, or detour into the restricted valley on the Nar Phu Valley Trek, which rejoins the circuit over Kang La.

Manang (3,519m) is where the circuit is won or lost. The mandatory acclimatization day here is not a rest day so much as a climb-high-sleep-low day: the Ice Lake trail reaches 4,620 meters, the Gangapurna glacier viewpoint sits an hour above the village, and Milarepa's Cave and the centuries-old Braga gompa fill a gentler afternoon. Bakeries in Manang sell sea buckthorn juice and apple pie to trekkers watching clouds pour over Gangapurna. Every hour spent high on these side trails buys a measurably easier pass day.

The pass itself deserves a straight answer rather than a marketing one. From Thorong Phedi (4,450m) the crossing starts around 4 AM, gains almost a thousand meters to the prayer-flag cairn at 5,416m, then drops 1,600 meters to Muktinath in the same day, 8 to 10 hours in total. In October 2014 a freak blizzard killed 43 people near this pass, and that event rewrote how responsible operators run it: fixed weather calls the evening before, a guide empowered to turn the group around, and no summit-fever schedules. Read our altitude sickness guide before you come, and if the full loop does not fit your calendar, the crossing alone runs as our Thorong La Pass Trek.

Over the pass, the trek changes country without changing country. Muktinath (3,800m) is one of the few shrines sacred to Hindus and Buddhists at once, its courtyard ringed by 108 water spouts where pilgrims bathe at dawn regardless of the temperature. Below it the trail enters the wind-scoured upper Kali Gandaki: the medieval alleys of Kagbeni at the edge of restricted Upper Mustang, the administrative town of Jomsom, and Marpha, a whitewashed Thakali village that grows the best apples in Nepal and distills them into brandy. Non-trekkers reach this same temple on our Muktinath Temple Tour, and the lower valley on its own is the gentler Jomsom Muktinath Trek.

The Kali Gandaki gorge is the deepest on Earth measured rim to riverbed, with Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Annapurna I (8,091m) standing barely 35 kilometers apart on opposite banks. The descent through Ghasa and the hot springs at Tatopani (1,190m) brings back green terraces and warm evenings, and then the trail climbs one last time to Ghorepani for the Poon Hill sunrise (3,210m), the classic dawn panorama of Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna wall that closes the circuit before the walk out to Nayapul and the drive to Pokhara.

Annapurna circuit trek cost, honestly broken down: our 16-day package is USD 1,325 per person, covering the ACAP permit (NPR 3,000), TIMS card, licensed guide, porter, all teahouse nights, three meals a day on trail, Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels, and transfers. Budget $15 to $25 a day on top for wifi, hot showers, charging, and safe drinking water, all of which get pricier the higher you climb. Carry cash from Kathmandu or Pokhara, the ATMs in Besisahar and Jomsom are best treated as broken until proven otherwise. Full permit rules live on our Nepal trekking permits guide, and our Nepal trek packing list covers gear down to the sock weight.

Annapurna circuit vs Everest Base Camp is the most common fork in our inbox, and the honest answer is shape, not difficulty: EBC is an out-and-back to one famous point, the circuit is a loop that never repeats a day. The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is shorter and lower if 16 days is too many, and the Manaslu Circuit Trek is the quieter, wilder cousin for trekkers who want a loop with a fraction of the foot traffic. Best time: October and November for the sharpest skies, March and April for rhododendrons and warmer valley days. Winter crossings of Thorong La happen in clear windows but hinge on snow, and monsoon largely spares the rain-shadowed upper valley even as it soaks the lowlands.

Since April 2023 a licensed guide is mandatory for foreign trekkers across the Annapurna Conservation Area, so the question can I trek annapurna circuit without a guide now has a legal answer, not just a safety one. Our guides are TAAN-licensed locals who cross Thorong La dozens of times a season, and our founder Prem Pandit still walks the circuit himself, the footage on this page is his. If you are weighing Nepal's two great circuits against each other, our Manaslu Circuit guide makes the comparison in detail. Our annapurna circuit trek nepal departures run September through May: pick your season, book the dates, and let us handle every permit, bed, and meal between Kathmandu and the pass.

Route & Elevation

The trail, mapped

Elevation ProfileDay-by-day altitude
TrailPeak
5,416m4,267m3,118m1,969m820mKathmanduDharapaniChameUpper PisangManangManang (Ice Lake day)Yak KharkaThorong PhediThorong La PassMarphaGhasaTatopaniGhorepaniPokharaKathmanduKathmandu5,416m
Itinerary

Day by day, on the trail

16 days from Kathmandu arrival to departure. Hover any day for full details.

Day01

Arrival in Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (1,345m) and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon trek briefing: route, altitude profile, gear check against the packing list, and permit paperwork for ACAP and TIMS. Evening free in Thamel for any last-minute gear rental or purchase. Overnight at hotel.

1,345mHotel
Day02

Drive to Besisahar, jeep to Dharapani

Dharapani

Drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar (760m), around 6 hours, then switch to a shared jeep for the rough road to Dharapani (1,860m), another 3 hours up the Marsyangdi valley past Jagat and Tal's waterfall-backed beach flats. Starting the walk at Dharapani skips the most road-affected lowland stage while keeping every high village that matters. Overnight at teahouse.

1,860m9h trekTeahouse515m
Day03

Trek to Chame

Chame

First full walking day, approximately 6 hours through fir and pine forest with the Marsyangdi roaring below. Manaslu (8,163m) appears behind you at the right bends, and Annapurna II shows ahead by afternoon. Chame (2,670m) is the Manang district headquarters, with a small hot spring across the river and the first proper mountain views from a teahouse dining room. Overnight at teahouse.

2,670m6h trekTeahouse810m
Day04

Trek to Upper Pisang

Upper Pisang

Approximately 5 hours through the dramatic Paungda Danda rock face section, a 1,500-meter sweep of curved granite the trail passes directly beneath. We sleep in Upper Pisang (3,300m) rather than the road-side lower village: the old stone houses and gompa sit directly across from the Annapurna II wall, and the extra 100 meters of altitude starts the acclimatization work early. Overnight at teahouse.

3,300m5h trekTeahouse630m
Day05

Trek to Manang via Ghyaru and Ngawal

Manang

The NATT high-route day, approximately 7 hours. A steep morning climb reaches Ghyaru (3,670m), then a high traverse through Ngawal with the best sustained mountain wall of the eastern circuit: Annapurna II, III, IV, and Gangapurna across the valley. Descend past the Braga gompa to Manang (3,519m). Longer and harder than the valley-floor route, and worth every step. Overnight at teahouse.

3,519m7h trekTeahouse219m
Day06

Acclimatization day in Manang

Manang

Climb high, sleep low. Options by appetite: the Ice Lake trail to 4,620m (a tough 1,100m gain, the single best acclimatization investment on the circuit), the Gangapurna glacier viewpoint above the lake, or Milarepa's Cave and Braga gompa for a gentler cultural day. Afternoon for Manang's bakeries and the daily altitude briefing at the Himalayan Rescue Association post when in season. Overnight at teahouse.

3,519m4h trekTeahouse
Day07

Trek to Yak Kharka

Yak Kharka

A deliberately short day, approximately 4 hours, leaving the Marsyangdi for the Jarsang Khola valley. Trees give way to juniper scrub and grazing yaks. Yak Kharka (4,050m) is a handful of teahouses on a windy shelf, and the short distance is the point: above 3,500 meters we hold the sleeping-altitude gain near the medically recommended limit. Overnight at teahouse.

4,050m4h trekTeahouse531m
Day08

Trek to Thorong Phedi

Thorong Phedi

Approximately 4 hours, including a careful crossing of the landslide-prone section above the Jarsang Khola, single file behind the guide. Thorong Phedi (4,450m) sits at the foot of the pass, two lodges and nothing else. Early dinner, gear laid out for a 4 AM start, and the guide makes the weather call for the crossing tonight. Trekkers feeling strong sometimes sleep at High Camp (4,880m); we decide by group condition, not by default. Overnight at teahouse.

4,450m4h trekTeahouse400m
Day09

Cross Thorong La Pass to Muktinath

Muktinath

Pass day, 8 to 10 hours. Start around 4 AM by headlamp, climbing switchbacks to High Camp and the long ramp beyond. The prayer-flag cairn at Thorong La (5,416m) usually arrives around 4 hours in, with the Chulu peaks and a sea of brown Mustang hills in first light. The 1,600-meter descent to Muktinath (3,800m) is the day's sting, steep scree easing into meadows. Afternoon at the temple complex and its 108 spouts. Overnight at teahouse.

3,800m9h trekTeahouse650m
Day10

Trek to Marpha via Kagbeni and Jomsom

Marpha

Approximately 6 hours descending into the upper Kali Gandaki. Kagbeni's medieval alleys mark the closed gate to Upper Mustang, and by Jomsom (2,720m) the famous midday valley wind is at your back. Marpha (2,670m) is the day's reward: whitewashed Thakali lanes, apple orchards, apple pie, and the local brandy. Overnight at teahouse.

2,670m6h trekTeahouse1,130m
Day11

Trek to Ghasa

Ghasa

Approximately 6 hours down-valley on trail sections and NATT detours away from the road, through Tukuche's old Thakali merchant houses and Kalopani, where on a clear evening both Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Annapurna I (8,091m) show at once, the two rims of the deepest gorge on Earth. Ghasa (2,010m) brings the first thick forest since the eastern side. Overnight at teahouse.

2,010m6h trekTeahouse660m
Day12

Trek to Tatopani

Tatopani

Approximately 5 hours, descending past the Rupse waterfall into subtropical terraces, orange trees, and warm air that feels borrowed from another trip entirely. Tatopani means hot water, and the stone-built spring pools by the Kali Gandaki are exactly where ten days of trail leave your legs. Overnight at teahouse.

1,190m5h trekTeahouse820m
Day13

Trek to Ghorepani

Ghorepani

The last big climb, approximately 7 hours and 1,700 meters of ascent through Sikha and Chitre, terraced hillsides, and into rhododendron forest that blooms red and pink in spring. Ghorepani (2,850m) sits on the ridge with Dhaulagiri filling the northern sky, and an early night precedes the sunrise walk. Overnight at teahouse.

2,850m7h trekTeahouse1,660m
Day14

Poon Hill sunrise, trek to Nayapul, drive to Pokhara

Pokhara

Pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210m), 45 minutes to the classic panorama: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, and Nilgiri catching first light. Back for breakfast, then descend the long stone staircases through Ulleri and Tikhedhunga to Nayapul, approximately 6 hours of walking, and drive to Pokhara (820m). Hot shower, lakeside dinner, a bed that is not plywood. Overnight at hotel.

820m7h trekHotel2,030m
Day15

Drive back to Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Tourist bus or private vehicle back to Kathmandu, approximately 7 hours along the Trishuli valley. Optional flight from Pokhara instead, 25 minutes, at extra cost. Evening free for a farewell dinner and the trek debrief. Overnight at hotel.

1,345m7h trekHotel525m
Day16

Departure

Kathmandu

Private transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your departure flight, or extend your trip: Chitwan safari, a Bhutan tour, or a few days recovering in Pokhara are the usual choices we arrange.

1,345mTransfer
Good to Know

Before you commit

Trek Cost

TierPrice
Per Person
USD 1,325
Package Details

What's in, what's out

What's Included

11

Airport to hotel to airport pickup and drop-off by private vehicle.

Standard twin-sharing accommodation, breakfast included: 3 nights in Kathmandu and 2 nights in Pokhara.

Guided city tour in Kathmandu by private vehicle.

Teahouse accommodation on all trekking nights.

Three meals a day on the trek: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A government-licensed, English-speaking guide and the required number of porters, including their food, accommodation, salary, insurance, and equipment.

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and TIMS card.

Surface transfer Kathmandu to Besisahar and shared jeep to the roadhead, plus the drive back from Pokhara.

Down jacket, sleeping bag, and duffel bag on loan, returned after the trek.

First aid kit carried by the guide, with oximeter checks at altitude.

All applicable government taxes, tourist service charge, and VAT.

Not Included

8

Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover above 5,000m (compulsory).

International airfare and Nepal entry visa fee.

Wifi, hot showers, and device charging in teahouses, typically $2 to $5 each and rising with altitude.

Bottled or boiled drinking water, soft drinks, and alcohol.

Personal trekking gear beyond the loaned down jacket, sleeping bag, and duffel.

Tips for the guide, porter, and driver, customary but never fixed.

The optional Jomsom to Pokhara flight if you choose to exit early instead of walking to Nayapul.

Add-on

Extra Nights in Kathmandu

Single Room$60per night · breakfast included
Twin Sharing$35per person / night · breakfast included

We kindly offer the option of a flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu back an an additional cost of US$100 per person (US$100 for one way). Additionally, should you require extra accommodation in Kathmandu, including breakfast, the rates are US$60 per person per night for a single room and US$35 per person per night for a double (twin sharing) room.

The Reward

Why you'll love it

Three reasons this trek stays with you long after the plane home.

Scenery

We are a Kathmandu-registered operator, not a reseller. The guide who briefs you in Kathmandu is the guide who crosses Thorong La with you, and our founder Prem Pandit has been leading trekkers over this pass since 2009.

Thrill

Our 16-day itinerary keeps the acclimatization day in Manang at 3,519m and holds the nights-above-4,000m sequence to the medically sensible minimum, because pass-day success is decided in Manang, not at Thorong Phedi.

Connection

USD 1,325 covers permits, guide, porter, teahouse nights, three trail meals a day, Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels, and transfers. The extras that ambush trekkers, wifi, hot showers, charging, are the only things left for your pocket.

Honest Check

Is this trek for you?

A few things worth knowing before you commit. No sugar-coating, no surprises on day one.

Expectations

Before you book

7

You can walk 5 to 7 hours a day, several days in a row, with one 8 to 10 hour day for the pass crossing. That is the honest fitness bar for the annapurna circuit trek.

You want variety over a single destination: six climate zones, Buddhist villages, a 5,416m pass, a Hindu pilgrimage temple, and the deepest gorge on Earth in one loop.

You have 16 days. Shorter jeep-supported versions exist, but they cut the exact villages that make the circuit worth walking.

You accept that Thorong La is a serious high pass. The crossing starts around 4 AM, tops out at 5,416m, and does not care how the rest of your trek went.

You are comfortable with teahouse living: shared bathrooms at altitude, rooms without heating, and wifi that comes and goes.

You do not need prior high-altitude experience, but this is a poor choice for a first-ever multi-day hike. Do a shorter trek first if you have never carried a daypack for a week.

You want the road question answered honestly: parts of the old route now carry jeep traffic, and we route around them on trail alternatives wherever they exist.

Gear Up

What to pack

The full kit that's built from years on the trail. Skip it at your own risk, bring it and you'll never think about it again.

Equipment

Packing checklist

32 items

Duffel or Rucksack bag (This should be nice with good zipper)

Daypack

Down Jacket (Company also nice and clean down jacket provide)

Sleeping bag 4 season ( also provide )

Hiking pants

Waterproof jacket

Full, sleeves shirt

Jumper or pile jacket

T, shirts

Trekking boots (Water proof)

Camp shoes/Sandal

Polypropylene/wool socks

Light cotton socks for under wool socks( take quite several pairs of these too. Better to carry some extra weight rather than spend the whole time washing socks)

Woollen socks to wear with boots

Sun hat

Beanie

Gloves

Sun block for lips

Sun lotion

Goggles or sunglasses ( with spare )

Thermal Long underwear (take quite a few pairs. Although the weather may be cold one tends to sweat a lot)

Insulated pants

Nylon windbreaker

Nylon wind pants

Water bottle

Sewing kit

Medical & first aid kit

Flash light ( with spare batteries)

Walking stick. (company also provide or you can buy in Kathmandu)

Camera ( don’­t forget to buy the spare film and batteries to go with it before you leave.)

Personal stereo/radio

Book ( buy them before you leave or in Kathmandu)

Notepad (writing a diary in the evening by the fireside is a favourite past time of trekkers) Multipurpose knife or Swiss army knife Personal towel Personal toiletries and medication which should be labelled Please. Note: Tight fitting, figure-hugging clothing, such as those made with Lycra can often be offensive to locals, especially on women. If you find these items comfortable as a base layer then please pack something to wear over the top of them.

Good to Know

Frequently asked questions

Still have questions? Tap through the answers below or reach out directly. We reply within the hour.

FAQs

The most asked

55
Season Calendar

When to walk the Annapurna Circuit

One question decides this trek: whether Thorong La at 5,416m is crossable. October and April answer it best. The circuit also crosses into the rain shadow beyond Manang, which makes its monsoon drier than anywhere else in the Annapurnas and its winter colder than anywhere else in this list.

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Annapurna Circuit Trek video preview
From the Trail

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Trail Stories

What trekkers say

Reviews from trekkers who have walked this exact route.

5.0/ 5
1 verified review
K
Keshwi
LondonApril 2026

Annapurna Circuit

We had a brilliant trip with Prem. He arranged a trek for 8 of us around the Annapurna Circuit. We were a group of 30-65year olds. The trekking element was 8 days. We had a couple days of sightseeing in Pokhara and Kathmandu. The planning was excellent from transport to food, good hotels and teahouses. We learnt so much about the surrounding nature and villages along the way. Thank you to Prem, Min and Sanjay for a lovely trip. The scenery was beautiful, people were kind and warm and we have made memories for a lifetime.

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