20-Day Classic Annapurna Circuit Trek

See All Photos

The morning will begin with an introduction to the incredible culture of the Kathmandu valley. We will go on a sightseeing tour to some of the World Heritage sites such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, or Boudhanath and Pashupatinath. In the afternoon, you will be briefed on the trekking itinerary with your guide.

Today is a full day of travelling on smooth and rocky roads. We'll drive to Beshisashar and then further to Khudi where your trek will begin. This will be your first night in rural Nepal where you will stay in a local teahouse with views across to the Manaslu range. It is advised that you get an early night tonight, ready for your trek tomorrow.

See All Photos

Today is the first day of our Annapurna region trek. As the elevation rises gradually, we pass by several beautiful waterfalls, suspension bridges and lush forests throughout our trek. We will stay at a homestay in Sirung Village that offers a breathtaking view of Mt. Manaslu (8,156m), the eighth highest peak in the world.

See All Photos

We will start our trek by going through the paddy and mud fields that look over hills, mountains and beautiful waterfalls. The trail passes by terraced rice fields, along with steep vertical cliffs and then over to Chamje, as we follow the Marsyangdi River. On the way, we will stop for a rest in Jagat a small stone-housed village where you can learn a little more about life in rural Nepal.

See All Photos

This morning, we will enter the beautiful Manang valley. We pass by villages and small terraces where locals are farming potatoes, barley and corn. Leaving the farms behind, you'll continue trekking until you enter to rhododendrons and bamboo forests before one last big ascent up a stone staircase to reach Dharapani. Today is challenging - sleep well!

See All Photos

Today, we start trekking over an even steeper trail. Today you will discover your true strength and the true beauty of Nepal! This trail rewards us great views of Lamjung Himal (6,983m), Annapurna II (7,937m) and Annapurna IV (7,725m), a spectacular sight on a clear day. As we edge closer to Chame, we pass by several hot springs before we get to the tea house.

See All Photos

We enter the U-shaped valley of Manang where we will cross Marsyangdi Nadi for several times. The trail will rise 500 metres above the river as we move upward in the valley. The campsite for tonight is at Lower Pisang which sits at 3,200 metres, you'll have the option to hike to Upper Pisang at 3,300 metres after a short rest.

See All Photos

Manang is the major village of the Manang District. We will keep to the upper trail as it offers splendid views of the mountains. As you are walking, you'll see Annapurna massive in the south and the Mustang region is in the north. We will visit the Barge monastery which is the biggest one in Manang. The environment becomes colder and drier as we climb upwards.

See All Photos

Acute mountain sickness can be a serious problem in the mountains, so we will spend the day in Manang to become well acclimatised with the elevation. We will stay in Manang and head out for a short walk to observe the beautiful view of greenery and mountains, Chortens and monasteries. We can also explore the unique culture and lifestyle of the local people.

See All Photos

The trek is shorter today because of the higher elevation. We leave Manang and Marsyangdi Valley as we enter the Jarsang River Valley. The trail leads north and passes a few villages as we continue to gain elevation. This is an area of pasturelands where yaks and horses graze. Today's trekking route is easy going for your safety and to ease you into tomorrow's challenge.

See All Photos

Today's trek takes us to the bottom of Thorang La Pass at the busy little bazaar of Thorang Phedi (4,600m).

See All Photos

Thorang La Pass is the highest point of the entire trek. The trip begins very early morning to reach Thorong La just in time to see the sunrise. The top of Thorong La offers amazing views of the landscapes as the sun kisses Annapurna. From here, we walk downhill towards the sacred city of Muktinath, the religious site of both Hindus and Buddhists that we will reach late in the afternoon.

See All Photos

The trail will pass by the Kali Gandaki, the world's deepest gorge. Here, the climate is relatively dry and the landscape looks like a desert. The area on the way from Muktinath to Kagbeni is surrounded by wonderful geological forms. From Muktinath, you'll reach the quaint village of Jarkot, surrounded by lots of green fields. At this point, you can choose between two routes: one goes directly to Jomsom, and the other goes to Kagbeni.

See All Photos

Continuing on an otherworldly journey, the geological forms you will see on the way are really spectacular; you can a buy black fossils called Salligrams from the locals. Today, we come across traditional villages of the ethnic group, the Thakali people. Also, we get to see beautiful apple gardens for which this area is very well-known From here, we get panoramic views of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, Fang and Annapurna I mountains as we continue our descent.

See All Photos

The trail to Tatopani is all the way downhill from Kalopani. During the early part of today’s trek, we cross the bridge at Ghasa. As we drop to lower elevations, we emerge back into subtropical forests, lush with vegetation. Our trail continues down to Rupse Chahara Waterfall and the east bank from Kopchepani via Garpar to a bridge at Dana. In Tatopani, we can enjoy hot springs and spend the night here.

See All Photos

It's relatively a long day today. We'll enter to farmlands and small villages of the lower mountain regions. The trail goes up gradually until we head Ghorepani, a beautiful settlement of Poon Magars, popular for those who trek up to the famous sunrise spot Poon hill (3,210 metres). This is one of the best places to photograph Annapurna Himalayas.

See All Photos

Wake up extra early for the sunrise hike to Poonhill, we will return back to Ghorepani and have hot breakfast before we continue trekking towards our next destination, Tadapani. The trail goes through Deurali, which has almost the same altitude of Poonhill, this is one of the more challenging days as we have a steep ascent and descent. This will be your last night in rural Nepal.

See All Photos

This is our last day of trekking. The trek to Ghandruk (1,940 metres) is easy-going, a great way to end your trekking in the Annapurna circuit as wildflowers surround you. Ghandruk is a model village of Nepal, popular for cultural tourism due to its proximity to Pokhara. From Ghandruk, we will take a jeep ride to the lakeside city.

See All Photos

We take a tourist coach to return to Kathmandu which will take most of the day as the coach navigates between mountain ranges, your last chance to see the Annapurna mountains that you have just trekked over. You'll see more and more urbanisation as you near Kathmandu. We will have some time to visit around the city and do some shopping before you leave tomorrow.