Annapurna Circuit Trek

Open each day to see the route notes, overnight rhythm, altitude cues, and the small details that help you understand how the journey actually flows.

1. Day 1

   Arrival day (1,300m/4,264 ft)

   Day details

   Welcome to Kathmandu – the capital city of Nepal. Today is your first day with Amigo Treks & Expedition. Therefore, we send one of our company representatives to receive you at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), who will further escort you to a tourist standard hotel. If possible, we also schedule a meeting at our office for the briefing regarding the trek followed by an introduction session with other team members (especially Sherpas and guides). Today, we also arrange a welcome dinner in one of the most popular local restaurants, where you can also enjoy the ethnic dance and cultural music along with great Nepali food. If your flight arrives late, both the meeting and the dinner can be scheduled for the following day.  Meals included: Dinner (Highlights of the day: Nepali food, Cultural music and Ethnic dance.)

2. Day 2

   Kathmandu Valley sightseeing and trek preparation (1,300m/4,264 ft)

   Day details

   The capital, Kathmandu valley itself, is a big storehouse of exclusive natural, cultural and historical sites. Therefore, today, we take you on a few hour tours to the major attractions of Kathmandu valley. After spending few hours observing these wonderful sites, we again meet for a few hours to finalize your clothing and trekking gears (down jacket, trekking boots, sleeping bags etc.) required during the trek. The night will be spent at a hotel in Kathmandu.  Meals included: Breakfast (Highlights of the day: World Heritage sites like Kathmandu Durbar Square (a historical structure offering architectural wonders), the Pashupatinath temple (a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva- lord possessing the power of destruction), Swyambhunath and Boudhanath (a Buddhist shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha- Light of Asia. Optional site:Another World Heritage site ‘Patan Durbar Square’ along with other historical masterpieces like Mahabouddha Temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple and Kumbeshwor Temple.)

3. Day 3

   Drive to Besisahar (760m/2,493ft) 7 hours

   Day details

   Today, in the morning our guides will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the bus station to catch a bus to Besisahar. The bus will head towards the west of Kathmandu valley and continue the journey towards the western part of Nepal till Dumre following the Prithvi Highway. On reaching Dumre, the bus will head towards the north to Besisahar. The night will be spent at a lodge in Besisahar.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Comfortable tourist bus, windy highway along the Trisuli River, breathtaking view of waterfalls, rivers, jungles, hamlets higher up on the hills, terraced field with seasonal crop, different vegetations, curious faces of people running motels, restaurants and lodges.)

4. Day 4

   Trek to Bahundanda (1,398m/45,86ft) 6 and half hours

   Day details

   First day of the trek, starts from Besisahar towards north following the dusty road which also passes through the sub-tropical forest, and rice terraces. We stop for some time at Khudi and Bhulbhule to relish the view of a 60m high waterfall and the first view of Manaslu, Himchuli and Nagdi Chuli. From here we move towards the small town of Nagdi, cross a long suspension bridge over Nagdi River and soar up to Bahundanda. The night will be spent at a lodge in Bahundanda.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: sub-tropical forest, 60m long waterfall, first view of Manaslu, Himchuli and Nagdichuli, Gurung and Tamang settlements and rice terraces.)

5. Day 5

   Trek to Chamje (1,410m/4,625ft) 5-6 hours

   Day details

   Second day of the trek, we steeply drop down to Syange (1,070m) that offers the best view of the waterfall. The trail from this place gets comparatively tougher. From here we cross the suspension bridge over Marsyangdi River and head towards Jagat village following the trail along the river. From Jagat, a vertical ascent will finally take you to Chamje. The night will be spent at a lodge in Chamje.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day:Best views of the waterfall, culturally captivating community, rice terraces, green woodland, unbelievable landscape, humming Marsyangdi River, sheer ascend and descend)

6. Day 6

   Trek to Bagarchhap(2,080m/6,824ft) 6 and half hours

   Day details

   Third day of the trek, we leave the Lamjung district behind and enter the Manang district. Starting from Bagarchhap, we first drop down to the Marsyangdi River, cross the bridge over the river, follow the trace along the Marsyangdi River bank, climb up towards the Tal Phedi and finally take a steep climb that takes you to the Tal- the opening village of Manang District. We then trace our way through a classic entrance door influenced by Tibetan culture and a few up and down hill to Dharapani village and then to the destination of the day, Bagarchhap. The night will be spent at a lodge in Bagarchhap.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Tal village, the first village of Manang district situated at the base of a huge waterfall, Rhododendron & bamboo forests, corn, barley, maize & potato fields, Apple orchards, Tibetan villages (with archetypal flat roofed stone houses) decorated with prayer flag, and Tibetan culture.)

7. Day 7

   Trek to Chame (2,720m/8,923ft) 5 hours

   Day details

   Fourth day of the trek, we first climb up to Danaque and take the higher route, that offers dramatic views of the mountains, out of two available routes and then pass through the village of  Tyanga. From here, we walk towards Chame (Manang’s district headquarter) through the pine forest. The trail is rough, that demands lots of up and down walking and crossing river several times. The night will be spent at a lodge in Chame.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Excellent view of Mt. Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II & IV, Chame-one of the largest settlements of this area, the local population of natives that migrated from the land of Tibet centuries ago, hot spring thermal bath at the bank of river to relax your muscles.)

8. Day 8

   Trek to Pissang (3,060m/10,039ft) 5 hours

   Day details

   The fifth day of the trek will first make you walk the steep trail that will take you into the dense Oak and Maple forest. Then we cross two long bridges and move till the trail bends. From here we join the trail that takes us to Pissang. We also hike to the village at the upper Pisang for the purpose of acclimatization. The night will be spent at a lodge in Pissang.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Oak & Maple forest, the first sight of a Paungda Danda rock face- a curbed chunk of rock mounting above 1500m from the river.)

9. Day 9

   Trek to Manang (3,440m/11,286ft) 5 hours

   Day details

   The sixth day of the trek makes you walk towards the drier part of the Manang district. Here again, you are provided with two route options north (via Ghyaru) and south (via Hongde) of Marsyangdi River which eventually meet up at Mungi. If you are looking for an easier route, we opt for southern route, but if you are looking for a bit harder and longer route then we follow the northern one. From Mungi, we head toward Manang crossing Bryanga en route. The night will be spent at a lodge in Manang.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Drier upper part of Manang district, old Tibetan villages like Ghyaru and Hongde)

10. Day 10

    Acclimatization day

    Day details

    The seventh day of the trek is an acclimatization day. Being active is the right way to adapt to the higher altitude and thinning air rather than laying low. Therefore, to aid acclimatization, wither take a short hike to the ridge nearby Gangapurna glacier or walk up to the cave above Manang village. The remaining time will be utilized walking the villages appreciating the beauty of the village, native people and their culture. We take all the measures required to acclimatize before heading the higher altitude. The night will be spent at a lodge in Manang.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: View of Gangapurna glacier, cave, and Manang village, local people, their culture, religion and dialect.)

11. Day 11

    Trek to Lader (4,230m/13,877ft) 5 and half hours

    Day details

    The eighth day of the trek, we leave Manang and walk up towards Letdar. Today we walk through Tenki Manang, Jarsang Khola Valley, and Ghunsa on a scrub juniper and alpine grass through few meadows that finally takes us to Yak Kharka. From Yak Kharka, we continue our walk for an hour in order to reach Letdar. The night will be spent at a lodge in Letdar.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Tenki Manang, Jarsang Khola Valley, Ghunsa, meadows where yak and horses graze and alpine grasses.)

12. Day 12

    Trek to Thorang Phedi (5,416M/17769 FT ) 4 hours

    Day details

    The ninth day of the trek, we move towards Thorang Phedi. Initially the trail is easy which drops down to the river, crosses wooden bridge and climbs up to tea shops; however, the trail becomes challenging as it heads towards the Thorang Phedi through the cliff. If you want to lessen your following day’s walk, we can also hike till higher camp today. The night will be spent at a lodge in Thorang Phedi.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Combination of easy and rough trail, experience of cliff walking, and few newly built guest houses)

13. Day 13

    Trek to Muktinath via Thorang La (3,760m/12,335ft) 8 hours

    Day details

    The ninth day of the trek and we take you to the highest point in the entire Annapurna circuit (Thorang La Pass-5,416m). To avoid violent wind afternoon, we start early so that we can reach the top before 10 in the morning. Steep but easy uphill walk for about 4 hours finally takes you to the top –Thorang La pass. We spend some time here and then descend downhill for 4 hours to Muktinath in Mustang district. The night will be spent at a lodge in Muktinath.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Thorang La pass (5,416m) -the highest point in entire Annapurna circuit, view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri from Thorang La pass, Muktinath- Buddhist (place of nirvana) and Hindu (god of salvation) shrine, 108 water sprouts and 2 Kunds (Laxmi and Saraswati) in the premises of Muktinath, Jwala Mai Temple, Lakhang and Gonde gompa, Chortens and colorful prayer flags.)

14. Day 14

    Trek to Marpha (3,500m/11,482ft) 6 hours

    Day details

    The tenth day of the trek, the trail takes a downward direction towards the Kaligandaki Valley through the bank of the holy Kali Gandaki River and finally towards windy valley - Jomsom. The trail then heads towards Marpha, a village development committee in the Mustang district and the apple capital of the nation. The night is spent at a lodge in Marpha.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Kali Gandaki valley, one of the most dangerous airfields at Jomsom, village settlements and huge monasteries, Apple orchard and apple brandy factory. If you are lucky, you may also find fossils ‘Shaligrams’)

15. Day 15

    Trek to Ghasa (2,010m/6,594ft) 6 hours

    Day details

    The eleventh day of the trek and our destination is Ghasa. Leaving the mountains behind, we walk rough and dusty trail all the way through the valley along the Kali Gandaki River savoring the scenic beauty and the view of mountains moving away from us. The night will be spent at a lodge in Ghasa.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlight of the day: Panoramic views of mountains like Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche and Nilgiri, the sight of Dhaulagiri Icefall, humming Kaligandaki River and small settlements along these rough & dusty trails.)

16. Day 16

    Trek to Tatopani (1,190m/3,904ft) 4 hours

    Day details

    The twelfth day of the trek and the trail heads downwards towards Tatopani from the village of Ghasa. This is an exciting day as the trail first drops down, makes us crosses the suspension bridge, leads us towards the biggest waterfall and then takes us to the deepest gorge in the world. Then, the trail finally takes us to Tatopani where we can dip in the natural hot spring to relax our tired muscles after a long trek. The night is spent at a lodge in Tatopani.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Wonderful view of Rupse waterfall (the biggest waterfall on the trail), Kopchepani (the deepest gorge) at Dana, and the natural hot spring at Tatopani.)

17. Day 17

    Trek to Ghorepani (3,194m/10,479ft) 7-8 hours

    Day details

    The thirteenth day of the trek is a long walk from Tatopani to Ghorepani. The trail first crosses the bridge over Kali Gandaki River, which brings you to the junction of trails leading you towards Beni and Ghorepani. We follow the upper trail as our destination is Ghorepani. The trail from here is comparatively difficult as the trail demands steep stone steps climb. On its way up the trail also takes us through the forest of Rhododendron offering wonderful view of mountain range towering above 8000m. Offering you a chance to encounter some Gurung and Magar villages this difficult trail finally takes you to Ghorepani. The night will be spent at a lodge in Ghorepani.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner (Highlights of the day: Vertical stone steps, Rhododendron forest, amazing view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna range and the experience of Gurung and Magar culture, tradition and settlements.)

18. Day 18

    Hike to Poon Hill and Trek to Pokhara (1,890m/6,200ft) 7 hours

    Day details

    Last day of the trek and our first destination is Poonhill for the best view of the sunrise and our second destination is Pokhara. Today we wake up earlier than the usual trek day, as the motive of the day is to enjoy the view of the first ray of the sun. About an hour walk uphill will take us to the top of Poon Hill, also known as photographer’s Paradise where you will be greeted with the first ray of the sun hitting the summit of the snowcapped peaks. After spending some time taking pictures and enjoying the view we track back to the lodge at Ghorepani have breakfast and move towards Nayapul which bring you to the end of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. From Nayapul we take a tourist standard bus that will bring us to Pokhara. On reaching Pokhara, you can either hang around in the lakeside, or spend some quality time alone or enjoy your time with the rest of the crew members. The night will be spent at a tourist standard hotel in Pokhara.  Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch (Highlights of the day: Amazing view of the first ray of the sun striking the mountain peak from Poon Hill, best viewpoint in the entire Annapurna region for the view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, and the wonderful lakeside experience.)

19. Day 19

    Drive to Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft) 7 hours

    Day details

    Today, from Pokhara we catch a tourist standard bus to Kathmandu. Leaving Pokhara we head east toward the capital city, Kathmandu. After 7 hours of drive all the way through Prithvi Highway, we reach Kathmandu. On reaching Kathmandu you will be escorted to your hotel, where you can freshen up and rest for some time. Around the evening, the company representatives conduct a short meeting to discuss the trip, your experience and the feedback. By the time dinner will also be ready. The night will be spent at a tourist standard hotel in Kathmandu. Meals included: Breakfast/Dinner

20. Day 20

    Departure day.

    Day details

    This day is the last day of your trip in Nepal with Amigo Treks and Expedition. If your flight is scheduled early morning, then one of our company representatives will escort you to the airport as per your flight departure time. But, if the flight is scheduled later in the evening, you can go shopping and collect a few mementos or simply hang around shopping areas in Kathmandu. However, if you are planning to spend some extra days in Nepal, Amigo Treks and Expedition can also make the arrangements for some other top adventurous activities that you can attend while you are in Nepal. (The usual day for a trek: Every day, our guides will come to wake you up at around 7:00-7:30am. In case of special days like sunrise viewing days our guides will wake you up early in the morning at around 4-4:30am.  A western breakfast like porridge, oats, toasts, etc. will be served at around 8:00-8:30am. The lunch will be served from a teahouse menu at about 12-1pm. However, the lunch time can also be postponed on request. The dinner will be served at around 8:30-9:00pm. Your accommodation is arranged at a lodge or also in a tourist standard hotel (subject to availability) where we stop for overnight. While you are walking, you can also request your guide to slow down and stop at the places where you want to take some snaps. After dinner and before going to bed your team leader will brief you regarding the next day’s schedule.)