Annapurna Circuit Trek - 18 Days

With preparations of our bags the previous day, we will start off with the long and tiring drive to the Lamjung village of Bahundanda. First, drive along the Prithvi Highway to get to the lake city of Pokhara. From there, we will drive to the village of Dumre and then, get through the village of Besisahar, the district headquarters of Lamjung to arrive at Bhulbhule. A bumpy road through the hills will take us to the village of Bahundanda. The trek offers us great views of the western Himalayas. The drive offers us the ability to explore the lifestyle of the rural Nepali.

After filling our bellies with fodder, we start with a trek on the hills. Up and down along the hills to get to the village of Ghermu. The village offers a lot of Nepalese arts and crafts as we see women making wool threads and carpets. The village also offers a Wi-Fi connection. After Ghermu, hike up to cross a bridge and reach the village of Syange. The village is accessible by a four-wheeler and homes a beautiful waterfall. Finally, a steep ascent will take us to the village of Jagat before arriving at Chamje. To get there, we will have to descend to the river, walk through the green lush forest and then ascend in the end. The houses scattered on the slopes of the hills are bound to shock us the entire day.

Force out of the warm blankets to freshen up and fill our bellies. Then, we start off with an easy walk to the village of Tal. Tal is a big village with more than 20 guest house. From Tal, the walk to Dharapani is also easy and simple. Walk through the rough winding forested trail to get first, to the village of Karte and then to Dharapani. During the trek, we will be able to enjoy the green rhododendron forest and high waterfalls.

Wake up early to experience the sunrise view over the high hills. An easy walk up the slow will take us to the village of Danaque in about a couple of hours. Danaque consists of some 20 lodges, police checkpoints and the internet facilities. Get out of the village and walk along the jeep road until we cross the river and start out on the steep stone steps. The stone steps are a much picturesque path than the jeep trail. The steps lead us to the village of Timang. This village comes as one of the most scenic parts of the whole trek. Enjoy a short break at Timang to soak in all the scenes of the high Himalayas and the crystal clear skies. Hike out of the village of Timang and walk along the muddy path to arrive at the village of Koto. From Koto, it’s an easy trek to Chame. This village is one of the biggest villages in the region with a bank, post office, and several guesthouses.

Hike up the alpine forest until we get to a deserted village of Bhratang. The village has a single guesthouse. Walk flat in a narrow hillside until we ascend on a steep long journey through the forest. As we get out of the forest, the mountain views slowly come into place and the path widens. Walk along the wide path on the foothill of the 1500m Paungda Danda. A couple of hours of our trek will take us to the village of Lowe Pisang. We can trek to the Upper part of Pisang but, it will a bit rough for us so, we will spend the night at the lower part.

Hiking up from the Lowe Pisang to the Upper part will not be so difficult. Today, we will take a longer and more beautiful route than the shorter and dangerous route to Manang. Walk flat until we get to a hillside where we start our ascent. After a short period, a steep hike uphill will take us to the village of Ghyaru. From there, the trail widens and gets flat. A short walk will take us to the village of Ngawal. Then, a hike downhill through a deserted landscape will take us to the village of Bragha. A half an hour walk from the village of Bragha will take us to the biggest village in the region, Manang. Manang with its partnership with Mustang is the driest valleys of the country.

Since the country is full of hard geographical locations and high hills, we need to take a break from climbing further to acclimatize to the weather. To be safe from the altitude mountain sickness in high altitude, we need to adapt to the changing altitude. Since it’s an acclimatization day, we will visit the nearby lookup point to have majestic views of the Western Himalayas. We can also visit the Milarepa’s Cave and the Kecho Lake. You can spend the rest of the day strolling around the village.

An easy walk will take us to the village of Gunsang. From there, we will hike along the Marshyangdi Khola to get to the village of Yak Kharka. It is generally a settlement with few lodges. We will see a lot of yaks grazing at the village. From here, we will leave the Kharka along the Kone River Valley before crossing a bridge to arrive at the village of Letdar. During the day, we will be able to have views of the Annapurna and the Gangapurna massif.

Get out of the village of Letdar in a steep uphill climb to get above a hill before descending steeply up to the river. From there, cross the bridge and walk up another steep hill to arrive at the village of Thorung Phedi. The Phedi is the foothill of the high Thorung La Pass. We will have a short trek today as we have to prepare ourselves for the strenuous climb the next day.

Today is a big day for all of us. Today, we climb the Thorung La Pass towering up to the height of 5416 meters. Wake up early to climb out steeply to the first settlement of High Camp. The camp is made in the hill of the Thorung La. After a few hours, we will arrive at the top of the Thorung La. The pass lies above 5416 meters in the Damodar Himal. Prayer flags, memorials, and a tea house comprise the top. The top offers us great views of the surrounding peaks of Annapurna and Gangapurna. After a while, we follow a steep path down to the sacred land of Muktinath. The place is also known to many as the Mukti Kshetra, the land of salvation. Bathe in the 108 waterspouts present in the Muktinath and also enjoy the never-ending flame in front of the temple. Enjoy the cool and dry weather of the Muktinath for the day.

An easy trekking day today as we visit the Jwala Mai Temple and Mharme Lha Khang in the morning. After breakfast, we will trek downhill and get to the Kagbeni village of Mustang district. Visit the Dhumba Lake before finally arriving at the village of Jomsom. Jomsom is a famous destination for apple lovers. Jomsom and Marpha is a similar village, so we could stay wherever we want to. The villages are the apple capital of Nepal. We can also try out a local apple brandy called Marpha.

Cross a traditional village of ethnic Thakali people before getting through the green gardens to pass through the village of Chokhopani. Continue to Kokhethanti and cross the river to get to the newly built road of Kalopani. The village lies between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna peaks. Enjoy the mountain views from the village.

Wake up to the panorama of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks. Fill our bellies with fodder and then walk down a steep cliff to get to the village of Ghasa after crossing a river. Walk along the Gandaki River to descend all the way down until we arrive at the village of Tatopani. Tatopani is the center for hot springs as the name suggests. We will rest for the day and enjoy the hot springs.

Today, we will get a much-needed rest day as we have continuously trekked up and down the high hills of the geographically difficult country. A free day for us. We can either stroll around the small village or can rest for the entire day. Enjoy the hot springs of Tatopani swimming and showering in the warm water.

It is a hard day’s climb today as we have to hike up and down some steep hills to get to the village of Ghorepani. Climb out of the village of Tatopani to leave the hot springs behind and open up the landscape views of the mountain in the front. Climb up the natural stone steps to soak in the natural scenery along with the views of the rhododendron and the diverse wildlife of the region. After several hours of the hike uphill, we will arrive at the village of Ghorepani. The name, as it suggests was the place to find water (Pani) for the horses (Ghoda). The village offers great views of the Machhapuchhre (6997m), Himchuli (6441m), Annapurna South (7219m) and such other mountains.

Early in the morning, we will wake up to the mountain views. We will wake up as early as 5 am and then climb up for a quarter hour to climb to the top of the Poonhill. Poonhill is the best vantage point to have the sunrise over the lake city of Pokhara. We will be able to have views of the Dhaulagiri (8167m), Annapurna I (8091m), Nilgiri (6940m), Lamjung (6931m) and several other peaks. Soak in the views of the high snow-capped peaks and hike back to the village of Ghorepani for breakfast. After breakfast, we hike down to the village of Birenthanti. Descent until Banthanti and then walk flat to reach the village of Ulleri. From there, a hike down all the 3000 stone steps will take us to the village of Tikhe Dhunga. Hike along the Bhurungdi Khola to, at last, arrive at the village of Birenthanti to rest for the day.

Finally, we have come to an end of our trip. Trek through a narrow downhill path at the beginning to open up the wide gravel road to arrive at the village of Nayapul. From Nayapul, we will drive along the Modi Khola on the Pokhara-Baglung Highway to arrive at our destination. We will have some extra time to stroll around the city for any memoirs or for just soaking up the views of the lake city.

Wake up early and fill your bellies with the delicacies before packing your bag and leaving for the capital city. We will drive along the Prithvi Highway and the Trishuli Khola to arrive at Kathmandu. We will guide you up to your hotel and let the trek come to an end.