Annapurna Circuit Trek

14 Days

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  • Visit the best and the most popular trekking route of Nepal - the Annapurna Circuit.
  • Trek in the vicinity of the world’s 10th tallest peak and several other mountains in the Annapurna Massif.
  • Trek through the world’s deepest gorge - Kali Gandaki Gorge and the Kali-Gandaki river basin.
  • Trek in a beautiful landscape seeing varied flora and fauna including wildlife such as blue sheep and snow leopard.
  • Trek to the mesmerizing waters of Lake Gangapurna.

The Annapurna Circuit is an extremely popular trekking destination in Nepal. Lying at the central-north region of Nepal, it is home to the Annapurna Conservation Area and the Annapurna Sanctuary.

On this trip by High Venture Plus, you will have indelible views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Fishtail, Himal Chuli, Manaslu, Nilgiri, Pisang, and Tilicho Peaks. You will also trek through scenic valleys directly nurtured by glacier rivers - giving rise to the incredible diversity of flora and fauna. The terrain is lined by gorges, dense green forests, rivers, valleys, frozen lakes & waterfalls, mountain passes, and high-altitude yak pastures.

Each day, you will be crossing through a new type of cultural and natural diversity. The incredible experience you gain from this program will enrich your views of the world and at the same time, the natural beauty of the trek will keep you inspired. The best time for a trek along Annapurna Circuit is in the spring and also in the autumn.

Route Map

Annapurna Circuit Trek Route Map

Itinerary

  •  

    After breakfast, we will pick up up at the hotel. Stay ready with your bags packed as you will be driving to Besisahar, beginning our trip. The drive is around six hours along a hilly road until you reach Besisahar. From there, pass through the village of Khudi and Ngadi to arrive at Syange for the night.

  •  

    Today marks the beginning of the actual trek. The trekking is around six hours today from Syange to Tal. First, you will trek to Jagat and then to Chamje. After a break here, descend to Marshyangdi River and hike up to a cliff. A little trek further will bring us to the district of Manang, where Tal is located. Stay overnight at this beautiful village with a waterfall.

     

     

  •  

    Immediately after breakfast we will begin the trek from Tamang. It’s an average day of walk with less than five hours of trekking. We will cross through alpine forests and picturesque villages. The route is gradually ascending but a relatively easy one today until we reach the village of Temang at an altitude of 2,210 meters. Here we will rest for the night.

  •  

    Take a quick breakfast before we take the ascending trail to Syal river (called the “River of Jackals”). Cross the river and get on the ascending route through dense walnut forests. Trek further to arrive at Temang from where the views of the mountains ahead are astounding. Take a break here, and crossing through several more villages, farmlands, and forests, you will arrive at Chame for the overnight stay.

  •  

    Like yesterday, we will begin after breakfast and start walking towards Pisang. The trail is beautiful, winding through narrow valleys and thick forests. We emerge out of the jungle, get on a slightly ascending trail, and reach the village of Pisang. At Pisang, we will call it a day.

  •  

    Begin immediately after breakfast as it’s a long day of travel today. You will be trekking for about nine hours with breaks in between. The road from Pisang to Bragha is a challenging trek but with rewarding views and beautiful landscapes. First you will arrive at Ghyaru and take a short break. You might want to fill up on some protein bars. From there we will trek on to Ngawal with magnificent views of Annapurna, Gangapurna, Chulu East, and Pisang peaks ahead. A couple of hours ahead will bring you to Bragha where you’ll have a hot shower and sleep for the night.

     

  •  

    Bragha in Manang is where we will be acclimatizing for two days. On the first day we will take a hike to Ice Lake. The waters here are icy blue, in fact this shade of blue is somewhat rare for lakes at this altitude - but it’s beautiful! You will take some pictures and rest with the views ahead. Later we will trek back to Bragha for the overnight stay.

  •  

    Bragha in Manang is where we will be acclimatizing for two days. On the second day we will take a hike to Lake Gangapurna. The waters here are deep blue with greenish tint - somewhere around emerald and turquoise, probably due to the glacier that feeds this lake. En route we will see yak pastures and the blue sheep and if we are lucky enough we might see the snow leopard, too. Later in the day we will trek back to Bragha for the night.

  •  

    After a leisurely morning we will leave Bragha headed for Yak-Kharka. Traditionally, a “kharka" in Nepali language means a place where yaks and other domestic animals are kept, often a little distance from the village or town. Yak-Kharka is at a distance of around four hours from Bragha. First we head up through the declining vegetation and arrive at Tenji and trek up to the hamlet of Ghunsang. A quick break here, and after an hour of trek we will arrive at Yak-Kharka. Enjoy the rest of the day with breathtaking views of the surrounding.

  •  

    Start at a leisurely pace as it’s a short day of trek to Thorang Phedi, the base of the Thorang-La Pass. First, take a steep climb for about an hour so so. When you reach the top, take a break and continue to Ledar and then trek along the bank of Jarang River. With great views, you will see several wild animals such as eagles, blue sheep, horses and even the snow leopard. Next, we will trek to Thorang-Phedi but apply caution as the trail can sometimes slippery. Once at the base, you can either set up camp here, or if you feel like it, you can climb up to Thorang High Camp for the night.

  •  

    Start by crossing the pass early in the day. The Pass of Thorang-La is lined by colorful prayer flags, commanding extraordinary views of the Annapurna, Gangapurna and several other peaks ahead. You will also see some glaciers flowing down in different directions. Take as much photos as you like, before descending along the trail which later opens up to pastures and fields. With several short breaks from here, you will trek to Muktinath where you will sleep with memories of indelible views you gained at the pass day.

  •  

    Early in the morning you can visit Muktinath an ancient temple with a perpetual natural flame. Leaving Muktinath behind, we will trek down to Kagbeni and begin the exciting walk along Kali -Gandaki until we reach the fabled town of Jomsom. The close-up views of the peaks are spellbinding! We will be arriving in Jomson during the afternoon, and have plenty of time to look around this medieval trading town where business once flourished with Tibet. You can even sample some local cider called “Marpha”, named at the distillery. Later, take a hot shower and call it a day.

  •  

    After a quick breakfast, go to the airport and board a flight to Pokhara. As it gets extremely windy in the afternoon, all flights to Jomsom happen in morning. Once you arrive at Pokhara, spend the rest of the day relaxing or as you please.

  •  

    At the end of this program, you can hire a private car or van, or take the bus to Kathmandu. It’s a seven-hour drive to the capital. Reaching Kathmandu, you will spend the night in a hotel.

     

     

What's Included?

  • For accommodation in Kathmandu, the Hotel will be a 3 star Hotel and the room will be on twin sharing basis which includes breakfast. The package for Kathmandu’s hotel is for 2 nights.
  • Similarly, for accommodation in Pokhara, the Hotel will be a 3 star Hotel where the room will be on twin sharing basis, 2 nights.
  • Permit to Conservation Area / national park
  • Trekkers’ Information Management Systems (TIMS) card.
  • We further make arrangements of the best teahouses or lodge as far as possible in twin sharing basis throughout the trek journey.
  • Regarding the guide, we provide you with a professional very helpful and friendly trekking guide who can speak fluently in English.
  • The other assistant will also be provided if you are going in a group of two or more where the package will include their food, dally payment, transportation, and accommodation, along with covering up their insurance.
  • A down jacket, duffle bag and a sleeping bag will also be provided during the trek.
  • For transportation, we have roadways where we arrange tourist bus for solo travellers and private vehicle for group.
  • A T-shirt, trekking map and a certificate of achievement after completion of the trek will also be provided.
  • We also provide you with first aid kit.
  • The package also includes all the official and governmental charges.

What's not Included?

  • Visa arrangements and charges to Nepal (Obtain airport 15 days $25 – 30 days $ 40 -90 days $ 100 )
  • Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and seasonal fruit will be provided during the trekking. ( About 250- 300 $ entire trekking )
  • All kinds of soft and hard drinks.
  • National and International plane fares.
  • Luggage charges (especially if they go excessive)
  • Travel insurance ( 30 $)
  • For extra accommodation in Kathmandu (if it exceeds more days than mentioned in the itinerary) whatever the cause might be early arrival, late departure or early return from the trek.
  • Along with accommodation, the same condition applies for food as well. You need to pay on your own for Breakfast, lunch and dinner for extra days even if it will be after returning back from the trek earlier than the mentioned date.
  • Personal expenses like phone recharge, laundry, hot shower, bottled water, extra porters, extra snacks, etc.Tips for guides and porters are also excluded as it is not a compulsion but it is expected that you tip them.

Trek Info

Here are some of the Trekking accessories that you require for the easy and convenient journey-

In general you will need four sleeping bags (we could provide you one for the trek), a duffel or a trekking bag of 70-80 liters (we can provide one), down jacket (this too we can provide one if needed for the trek) and a normal travel bag of 25-30 liters.

For clothing, you will require the following-

Upper body- For this-shirts, waterproof jacket, fleece jacket or pullover, water proof jacketare needed. Wind proof jacket are optional but preferred. For T-shirts, baggy cotton T-shirts are the best especially for warm days in lower altitudes. Moreover, we recommend synthetic T-shirts as they quickly absorb the moisture. Then, for the waterproof jacket, we recommend you to have nylon which is light.

Lower body- For this, you need hiking shorts, trekking pants, soft shell and hard shell pants, cotton pants or jeans. For hiking shorts, buy the fabric which dries quickly. For trekking pants, go for the ones which have zipper in the middle of the knees so that you can take off the bottom part when necessary. Forsoft shell pants, buy a synthetic fiber. Then, for hard shell, buy a waterproof one. Full zipper from top to bottom is preferred for both soft and hard shell pants. For extra wearable, have a pair of jeans or cotton pants.

Inner wears- Regarding inner wears, you need lightweight underwear which is preferably made up of synthetic. For women, own synthetic sports bras. You could also have swimsuit if you would like to.

Footwear- For this, you need a trekking boot, gaiters and sandals. For Trekking boots, get a hard sole lug-cleated boots for good performance for every kind of landscape. We then recommend you to have a pair as it helps keep your feet dry quickly and keeping dust, rocks and snow out of your shoes. We also suggest you to have a pair of sandals as it helps while you are in the lodge. Then, for socks, you require 4 pairs of synthetic and 3 pairs of woolen socks.

Hand wears- The hand essentials are gloves, mittens and hand warmers. For warm weather, buy synthetic or thin woolen gloves. For cold weather, buy a woolen or fleece gloves. While for mittens, Gore-Tex mittens are the best. Regarding hand warmers, it’s completely your choice whether you want to have or not.

Face protection- For protecting the face against the snowfalls, heavy wind, direct sun, etc. we recommend you to have a cap or a hat, a synthetic woolen hat, a lightweightedbalaclava, glacier glasses having 100% UV protected lens with side shields and hard-sided storage, headlamp, ear muffs, neck warmer, etc. Ear muffs and neck warmers are not necessary but are up to your choice.

First Aid Kit- Though the trekking guides will be carrying a first aid kit box, we suggest you to have one as well. So, for this, you will need to have basic emergency equipment. You can discuss with us regarding what all to take along with you.

Personal care- The personal care products that you will require while trekking are tooth brush, tooth paste (biodegradable is preferred), towel, soap, hand wash, sanitizers, wet wipes, deodorants, crèmes, etc. along with your other needs.

Miscellaneous but important- These include valid passport, passport size photos, airline ticket (and its copy), luggage locks, thick garbage bags, water bottle, small bag for travel documents, passport, wallet/purse, etc., pocket knife, sunscreen lotion (SPF 40 recommended) and lip balm of at least SPF 20.

Extras- The extras include trekking poles, snacks, books, games, chargers, binoculars, batteries, camera, guide book, extra glasses (if you wear), notebook/pen, sleeping bag liner, hydration bladder with drinking tube, pee bottle for men and pee funnel for women, thermos, etc.

Note- Tight fitting clothes especially made out of fabrics like lycra, especially to women can be offensive to the local villagers. So, make sure that you pack something to wear on top of them if you want to pack them.

FAQs

The ideal time to trek in Nepal whether it is either in Autumn- from September to November or in Spring- from March to May. These two seasons are considered to be the best time due to good weather and moderate temperate suitable for trekking.
In regard to the difficulty of trekking in Nepal, it depends upon the mountain range. Not all the trekking routes are that difficult to climb but there are places where you can find trekking most challenging as well.
In order to be fit for trekking, you need to start walking more and possibly go for hiking or even short distance trekking before you trek for long distance like this. You can go for hiking in your own place nearby before coming to Nepal as well.
The documents that you will require for trekking in Nepal will be your passport which should be valid at least till next 6 months, a copy of your insurance, 2 or more passport sized photographs, flight tickets of course along with emergency contact number in case of any emergency.
Yes, travel insurance is necessary and while getting the insurance, make sure that the company covers the altitude that you are trekking at. And the other thing, it is even better if you get the insurance from your own country.
For altitude sickness, as it is quite common problems in higher altitude, we provide you with some of the guideline regarding what you can do at your own level if it is not much. But if the sickness continues to get worse then you should immediately get down to lower region. In case of emergency, our guides will take care of it as they are well trained with using first aid and have basic knowledge of physical injuries or some other problems. But if the injury, altitude sickness or any other problem arises then the rescue team will be contacted. For this reason, you insurance helps a lot.
Yes, you need to have a trekking guide if you are a new trekker as you may not know about so many things like mountaineering or altitude sickness or even about the topography, weather, etc. And most importantly you will be able to know about the place that you are travelling; the exact location and can also have a company. But if you have travelled and especially trekked a lot of places in Nepal trekked earlier as well for many times and think you don’t need a guide then you may proceed. But for this also, make sure that you have the permission from the local and government authorities as trekking guide is mostly compulsory in many parts of the Himalayan region.
This however is not a compulsion in many of the trekking routes but it is better if you take a porter along with you as you can enjoy your travelling experience without having to carry a lot of loads- your backpack. And the other reason the local people will get a work to earn for their daily requirements and as the people in High Himalayas don’t have riches and live a simple normal life, it will perhaps be a great help.
The permits that you need for the trek will be done by our company and need not worry about it. But however, for your information, you will need to have a TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) card- this is a basic permit for trekking in Nepal along with the necessary permits of where exactly you are trekking if needed. You can also have FIT (Free Individual Trekker) if you are a solo trekker. But this is not valid for the restricted areas where you cannot go forward for solo trekking. The other necessities will be Valid passport with at least six month remaining before it expire, a valid Nepal visa, e-copy of passport sized photo. The other necessities will be done by the company itself.
Yes, you can solo trek or travel in Nepal. However, for trekking in higher altitudes where the regions are known as Restricted Areas, there you are not allowed to go alone as you will have to buy at least two permits. But the interesting thing is that in most of the areas you also need to carry a guide along with you. So, if you can manage to trek with your guide paying for his permit and being with him throughout the trek, then you possibly might be able to trek in that way. Otherwise, you can get along with someone who also wants to trek solo and go together instead.
The foods are usually served in the teahouses which will be plain but good and hygienic as they cook the vegetables nicely. They even soak iodine in water before cooking the vegetables so that you can get good and healthy food. Whereas if you are camping then you can get local foods that you can cook it. Since in higher altitudes, you won’t find refrigerators and frequent power cut; you will have to be vegetarian during the trek even if you are not. Then, regarding water facilities, bottled water is available up to the most of the Base Camp itself which will cost around US$1-4. But however, you should not drink water from the tap or streams.
For souvenirs, you can get good hand knitted woolen goods, hats, cashmere shawls, pashminas, Buddhist memorabilia, carved masks, puppets, wood carvings, jewelry, etc. as these are the things which are frequently bought by the tourists. You can get the souvenirs mostly at Thamel area when you are in Kathmandu. So, for all of the extra expenses including souvenirs, food and drinks other than what the Hotel/ Teahouse provides you, or perhaps some clothing or equipment for yourself then we recommend you to have around US$200-350 along with you. Besides that, you can withdraw money from ATMs while in Kathmandu as well.
Yes, you can buy trekking equipment in Kathmandu and it may even cost a little less amount but the quality of the product can’t be guaranteed. So, for this reason, we recommend you to bring the very necessary equipment like the trekking shoes along with you. But for other additional needs, you can buy it in Kathmandu itself.
You need to carry warm as well as cool clothing as there might be hotter in some of the places along the way or even in Kathmandu during summer season. Then, you have to have a sleeping bag as you might need it at times if the teahouses are unavailable or so in some places. The other things we recommend are small portion of snacks like chocolate bars, water proof wearable, cap, lotion, sunglasses, hand sanitizers, water bottle, first aid kit, etc. along with your daily necessities.
We don’t think you will need Ice axe or Crampons during trekking even in the Himalayas as the trails are marked nicely until and unless you go to trekking in the winter. Then, you will need them as there will be much more snowfall and will also be easy for you while trekking. In other season, instead of Crampons, we recommend you to have Micro spikes as they are not heavy and you can carry it easily. Plus, Micro spikes are comparatively less expensive as well. And regarding the Ice axe, we will provide you with one if it is really necessary though it’s not that necessary, as we will know more about the size and shape along with light weighted one.

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