Annapurna Circuit Trek - 12 Days
12 Days
Annapurna Circuit Trek is the classic trek in the Himalayas. Annapurna is a Himalayan region in north-central Nepal famed for its magnificent views, rough landscape, and isolated mountain settlements, desolate high mountains, hot springs, Buddhist and Hindu Temples and the stunning views of Annapurna Summit. The Annapurna Circuit Trek is still without doubt one of the best treks anywhere in the world despite inroads being developed in the region.
The overall length of the trip ranges between 160–230 kilometers (100–145 mi), depending on where motorized transportation is used and where the trek concludes. This hike traverses two river valleys and rounds the Annapurna Massif. The hike is moderate to fairly demanding, with multiple river crossings over steel and wooden suspension bridges. There are tea shops and lodges along the route where you may eat and stay.
Itinerary Outline
| Day | Description | Altitude (Meters) | Trekking Duration |
| 1 | Arrival in Kathmandu. Meet at Airport and Transfer to Hotel | 1,365 | - |
| 2 | Drive from Kathmandu to BesiSahar and to Chame | 2670 | 6-7 hours |
| 3 | Trek from Chame to Upper Pisang | 3100 | 5 hours |
| 4 | Pisang to Manang | 3540 | 5 hours |
| 5 | Acclimatisation day at Manang | 4600 | - |
| 6 | Manang to Letdar | 4200 | 5 hours |
| 7 | Letdar to Thorung Phedi | 4450 | 3-4 hours |
| 8 | Thorung Phedi to Thorung La Pass to Muktinath | 5416 | 7-8 hours |
| 9 | Muktinath to Jomsom | 2730 | 4-5 hours |
| 10 | Jomsom to Pokhara by Flight | - | 15 minutes |
| 11 | Pokhara to Kathmandu | - | 25 minutes |
| 12 | Departure | - | - |
Required Permit for Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake
To trek to Annapurna Circuit and Tilicho Lake, you’ll need to obtain two trekking permits. They are:
Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Permit
Where to obtain:
- Nepal Tourism Board Office on Pradarshani Marg, Kathmandu
- Nepal Tourism Board Service Center in Damside
How much does it cost:
- US$30 for international travelers
- US$2 for SAARC travelers
Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) Card
Where to obtain:
- Nepal Tourism Board Office on Pradarshani Marg, Kathmandu
- Nepal Tourism Board Service Center in Damside
- TAAN Lakeside Office in Shanti Patan, Pokhara
How much does it cost:
- US$20 for individual trekkers
- US$10 for group trekkers
- For SAARC, US$6 individual trekkers
- For SAARC, US$3 group trekkers
Things required to acquire TIMS Card
- Permit fees
- Photocopy of your passport
- Passport size photographs
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival In Kathmandu( TIA) International Airport(1,365m) Transfer To Hotel Evening Welcome Dinner. O/N At Hotel
On this very first day, we welcome you to the land of Himalayas, you will be received at the airport by our representative. Then, you will be transferred to your hotel.You can take your time to refresh and relax.
Day 2: Private Drive From Kathmandu To BesiSahar (760m) & Shared Ride Till Chame (2670m), 132km, 10 hours
In the early morning, we will have an early departure from Kathmandu. You will be received at your hotel and drive to Besisahar. The first overnight will be at Chame and to reach Chame you will share your drive till the destination. Our journey takes us via the villages of Sange, Bhulbhule, Nagdi, Chamche, Tal, Tima, Koto, and many others, with spectacular views of Mount Annapurna and Manaslu. You will enjoy breathtaking views of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal, and Manaslu. Chame is also the district headquarter of Manang, with numerous shops and teahouses.
Overnight at Chame
Day 3: Chame To Upper Pisang ( 3100 M) Walking 5 Hours, O/N At Tea House
Day 3 will be our trekking day. You will be walking along the Marsyangdi river in the dense forests .In the woodland, there is a lengthy, lovely, fairly flat walk. The pine-scented route bends to show the first glimpses of the stunning Paungda Danda rock face, a massive curved slab of rock. The trek winds across the river valley, providing spectacular views of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak at Pisang. Pisang is also the beginning spot of upper Manang.
Overnight stay at a tea house in Pisang.
Day 4: Pisang To Manang (3540m) , 5 Hrs Walking, O/N At Tea House
The journey on day 4 starts from Pisang, passing from the old village of Nwagal and our trail ends at Manang. The trail allows us to enter pine grooves with the mesmerizing view of turquoise lake. Peaks such as Annapurna, Gangapurna and Tilicho are seen almost the entire way. Your visit to Barge monastery, the largest in Manang's district, will also be noteworthy.
Overnight stay at a tea house in Manang.
Day 5: Acclimatization day at Manang and Visit to Gangapurna Lake (4600m) O/N At Tea House
This is your second night in Manang to acclimatize to the greater elevation before continuing on to the Thorong La. You can see the amazing Himalayan vistas nearby. It is not advised to sit inactive, but rather to take a short stroll to Gangapurna lake to acclimate. Gangaourna lake is the glacial lake of Manang, formed by the glaciers from Mt. Gangapurna, Annapurna IV, Khangsar Kang and Glacier Dom.
Overnight Stay at Manang.
Day 6: Manang To Letdar (4200m) , 5 Hrs Walk, O/N At Tea House
Today the trail continues to climb out of the Marsyangdi Valley. The route follows this valley to the north. After the ascent climb for about 5 hrs, you will reach Letdar.
Overnight stay at teahouse in Letdar
Day 7: Letdar To Thorung Phedi (4450m) , 3 -4Hrs Walk, O/N At Tea House
The route from Letdar ascends along the east bank of the Jarkang Khola before descending and crossing the stream on a wooden bridge.The trail sometimes gives the sight of blue sheep and snow-capped leopard as well. The ascent for 3-4 hours will lead you to Thorung Phedi.
Overnight stay at the tea house at Phedi.
Day 8: Thorung Phedi Thorung La Pass (5,416m) To Muktinath (3760m) 7 -8hrs Walk, O/N At Tea House
Today is the longest trekking day of your journey, as well as the most exciting trek. After leaving Thorung Phedi, the path gets steep, switching over moraines and along stony ridges as it ascends to Thorung La Pass. The lengthy Great Barrier Ridge, the Tibet-like area of Manang, the Annapurnas, Gangapurna, and the highly glaciated mountain of Khatung Khang will all be seen in this trail. The route then gets steep through meadows to muktinath. Muktinath is one of the holiest places for bith Hindus and Buddhists.
Overnight stay at Muktinath.
Day 9: Muktinath To Jomsom (2720m ) Via Kagbeni 4/ 5 Hrs Walk.O/N At Tea House
After our visit to temples, shrines and Ghumbas of Muktinath, our destination will be the barren hillside to kagbeni. From Muktinath you will descend to the Eklebhatti. As the path progresses, you will be able to experience spectacular vistas of Mt. Dhaulagiri. The walk then continues down to the Kaligandaki- a river and then reaches to Jomsom. Jomsom is a small town with various amenities, markets and hotels.
Overnight stay at Johmson.
Day 10: Jomsom To Pokhara By Flight And Overnight At Pokhara
You will travel to Pokhara early in the morning; it is a short flight of around 15 minutes, and we will drive you to the hotel. Today is your free day to unwind and roam around Lakeside in Pokhara.
Overnight in Pokhara
Day 11: Pokhara to Kathmandu
To get back to Kathmandu, you may either take a 25-minute flight or a six- to seven-hour tourist bus ride. Farewell dinner at Hotel.
Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 12: Departure
With a lifetime experience and memory , you will be escorted to Tribhuwan International Airport by the representative of Nepal Social Trek.
The Cost Include(s)
- Hotel Accommodation in Kathmandu & Pokhara on twin sharing basis.
- Private Arrival & Departure transfers
- Jomsom-Pokhara flight
- Full board meals while trekking (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
- Accommodation in teahouse during the trek on twin sharing basis.
- Welcome dinner in Kathmandu
- Transportation to and from the starting and ending points of the trek
- Nepal Social Treks Gears - sleeping bag, duffel bag etc for use during the trip. garbage plastic bag.
- Professional local experienced Trek Leader / Guide trained in Wilderness First Aid.
- Comprehensive First Aid Kit.
- Respective region ( Annapurna) trekking map. TIMS Card & Trek Permit
- Necessary Porters to carry all personal gear and group equipment.
- Proper Insurance of all staff including porters.
- Warm clothing & trekking gear for staff including porters: Gore Tex jacket & trousers, fleece jacket and pants, trekking shoes / boots, woolen hat, gloves, shocks etc.
- Trekking map
The Cost Exclude(s)
- Nepal entry Visa fees,
- Your travel insurance of any kind
- Lunch and Dinner except mentioned on Itinerary
- All Drinks and main meals in cities.
- Tips to trekking staffs.
- Items of personal expenses like hot shower, battery charge, Telephone, beverages, hot mineral water during trekking etc.
Booking
Review
Nepal Social is the best choice
I booked my trip through Nepalviaje (website in spanish) and from the first moment everything was perfect. Starting with Fernando that was answering really fast all our questions, when we arrive to Kathmandu the person waiting for us in the airport was absolutely fantastic, he wait over and hour for us cause it tooks a while to get out of the airport, the hotel for the first and last night is absolutely brilliant, when you arrive to the Office everything is super clear and they make you feel at home. The Trek is a experience of a lifetime, our guide Lhakpa IS the best guide ever and will not only guide you all the way to the base camp but show you things about culture and take care about every single details, lodges are always fantastic with a huge variaty of food. We made it with other girl and all of us reach EBC, Lhakpa will give you all the good advices to make it and the company will take care of everything, even the last day Basu(the manager of the company) call us to provide a helicopter service to come back to Kathmandu as the weather in Lukla was mean to be bad for a couple of days. 10/10 for this company and all the people involve on it
10/10 experience
The whole experience was brilliant. Manaslu trek. From before the trip, the nepalsocialtreks team were contactable and clear in communication. The only area I would suggest for slight improvement is advice about buying hiking spikes as we weren't informed and our guide suggested we buy it whilst we were on the trek. Otherwise no issues. Now onto the the trek itself, it was brilliant. Amazing views and scenery. The organisation was brilliant from the guides and porters. Accomodation was good, nothing fancy of course but had the essentials. Food was delicious. Our guide urken was unbelievable. One of my friends became altitude sick and had to turn back. He organised everything with porter going with my friend and bus back to Kathmandu when they were able to reach a place with roads. He was efficient and acted quickly. Urken also was very attentive to our needs and always willing to help. A very kind man. The porters were amazing as well, I am shocked at their strength but they always had a smile on their face despite understandably being knackered. I would definitely recommend the trip.
Great experience on the Annapurna Circuit!
My partner and I did a private trek on the Annapurna Circuit and had an amazing time. A huge thanks to our guide Ashut and our porter Tirtha—they were a fantastic team and took excellent care of us. Everything was handled very professionally, and we felt like we were in great hands the whole way. Ashut shared so much knowledge about Nepal and the local culture. He also monitored our health closely, ensuring we were well-prepared to make it over the Thorung La Pass safely. The food and accommodations were lovely, and our guide always made sure we got the best rooms available in the teahouses. All transport was perfectly organized and smooth. It was a wonderful, exciting trip and we’d definitely recommend trekking with these guys! We will definitly be back!
I had an incredible experience doing the Manaslu Circuit trek!! As I was the only one who had booked, they paired me with another solo girl from a different company which worked super well. Our guide Nekhil was attentive, supportive and made us feel really safe. He was clearly a very experienced guide and gave us lots of tips to manage the altitude and trekking, plus having lots of fun together along the way! Our porter Chhiring was awesome too! Not only were the views incredible, it felt so nice to be ‘looked after’ and have everything taken care of so we could just enjoy ourselves. This included by the office in Kathmandu, who were so helpful and generous in giving me an extra day in a nearby hotel and lending me some gear. I couldn’t have been happier with the experience! I would definitely recommend :))
Hey, this was awesome! The Agency made all well, and especially, Ngima Sherpa is the best guide ever! He made my experience on everest view trek special and wonderful. His heartwarming, calm and respectful behaviour let me feel welcome and my needs during trek seen. He knows a lot of trekking and the insides there in the mountains, showed me all possible in that 7 days and has my full 5-star review. Always again!
Amazing experience! We had a very loving and caring guide Narayan. Also not possible without our porters 💜💜
