Annapurna Circuit Trek

Day to Day Itinerary

• Day 1 Drive to Bhulbule (923m)

  About 7-8 hours' drive to Besisahar from Kathmandu by bus. Then you will have to change the vehicle to reach up to Bulbule. It will take about 45 minutes to reach there. Overnight stay at a hotel.

• Day 2 Trek to Chamje (1410m)

  On the first day of the trek, we cross through various suspension bridges, waterfalls and forests. Once we reach the cliff in Jagat, we can have a view of the Marsyangdi River below and rocky hills all around. The bee hives at the top of the cliffs is an attraction of the day’s trip. Then we will reach Chamje where we spend overnight.

• Day 3 Trek to Bagarchhap (2160m)

  As we move past narrow and steep valleys, among rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests, in the rocky folds of a mountain, we come across a bridge that takes us to a quick ascent and finally atop a climb to reveal a widening valley. After reaching the village of Tal, we have to move across barley, wheat and potato farms for a while to reach Dharapani. From there we turn west through the fir and pine forests to reach Bagarchhap.

• Day 4 Trek to Chame (2710m)

  From Bagarchhap we start ahead to reach a Danaque village and then a steep climb to reach a Timang village with exquisite views of Manaslu, Lamjung , Annapurna and other mountain beauties. As we trek through a Tibetan village that acts as a transition between the lowlands and high hills, we follow a gradual flat path to Thanchowk, Koto and finally to Chame.

• Day 5 Trek to Lower Pisang (3240m)

  We first pass through the older part of Chame, climb up to Telekhu and continue on a long, leveled path through forests to Brathang. The trails rounds a bend and once we continue ahead we need to cross back to the south bank of Marsyangdi River on a suspension bridge. Then the trail forms a steep climb for about 45 minutes over a pine forested ridge. Then we reach Dikhurpokhari and levels again as we move from the upper part of Manang valley to Pisang.

• Day 6 Trek to Manang (3540m)

  The town of Pisang is the beginning of the upper region of the Manang district. On this day, the trek climbs to Braga, a Tibetan styled village. The main attraction is the Gompa, the largest in the district, with a vast array of statues in display and perched on a high crag with the view of the entire village. After a while we reach Manang, where we refresh and spend the night.

• Day 7 Acclimatization day at Manang

  As we are moving to higher elevations, we need to acclimatize to avoid the risk of altitude sickness. Manang is the perfect spot with its beautiful natural setting and a hike up to Khangsar. In the same day we will have a view of Gangapurna Lake as well. Also you will have view of whole of the Manang Valley.

• Day 8 Trek to Yak Kharka (4120m)

  After the rest, we feel rejuvenated to continue forward on our trip. As we move past the alpine grass and junipers, we reach meadows with a few horses and a number of yaks grazing around. The serene environment with meadows and steep slopes of Yak Kharka is the perfect place for us to spend the night. We can also choose to walk for an hour to reach Letdar and spend the night there

• Day 9 Trek to Thorung Phedi (4,560m)

  Trekking to Letdar helps in getting acclimatized to the increasing heights as we climb along the east bank of Jarang Khola. In some time we reach a meadow surrounded by vertical cliffs, the Thorung Phedi. Sighting of blue sheep and snow leopards have been reported a few times in the area, whereas Lammergeyers and griffons are quite common. We spend the night here.

• Day 10 Over Thorung La (5,416m) to Muktinath (3,802m)

  On this day, we make the quite long hike of about 7-8 hours. The trail is comparatively easier having been trodden for years, but could get difficult with strong winds at the upper regions. The trail is believed to have been used for hundreds of years to take sheep and yaks in and out of Manang along with other trading goods. We reach Thorung Phedi in about 6 hours.
  
  After we reach Thorung la pass, our entire hard walk will be rewarded by the beautiful views of Annapurna, Gangapurna and a heavily glaciated peak of Khatungkang. After a 1600m of descent, we will have a view of the glorious Dhaulagiri standing in the distance. After a while, the trail becomes less steep and enters grassy fields and meadows to finally reach Muktinath.
  
  In Hindu religion, Muktinath refers to a place of nirvana which houses a temple and a number of monasteries, making it a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. The main attractions of the site are the Jwalamai temple with a spring and an eternal flame as well as the 108 water sprouts that pour holy water. These are visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.

• Day 11 Trek to Kagbeni (2840m) and to Jomsom (2720m)

  From Muktinath, we follow a path of the Jomsom trek where we descent through meadows, streams and fruit trees to reach Kagbeni where we will visit the site containing architecture of the 14th century. We will have lunch here and continue heading towards Jomsom.

• Day 12 Drive down to Tatopani (1190m)

• Day 13 Rest day at Tatopani.

  We spend one more day at Tatopani. It is a relaxing feeling to spend the day either dipped in the hot spring or around it either reading books or mingling with the other tourists. It gives us a chance to revive and socialize and relive the exciting events of the trip. As we unwind, we get more excited about the remaining trip.

• Day 14 Trek to Ghorepani (2750m).

  Now we move from Tatopani through villages of midland Nepal with terraced fields and inclined farmlands. As we hike an ascent we move past rhododendron, magnolia and other vegetation of the area. We finally reach Ghorepani as we witness the beautiful mountains in the evening sky. We rest in Ghorepani to make an early start to Poonhill in the morning.

• Day 15 Trek up to Poonhill and Trek down to Nayapul, then drive to Pokhara

  Early morning climb up to Poonhill for the sunrise view over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna range. Once you see the snowcapped peaks highlighted in the changing golden rays of the sunrise, it will be one of the unforgettable moments of one’s life. The peaks in the scenery include the Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri. Also known as a photographer’s paradise, we can spend some time here taking breathtaking pictures of the spellbinding surrounding, capturing the spectacular moments in a frame. Then we go down to Ghorepani breakfast then 6 hour trek down to Nayapul first part of the trek down until Tikhedhunga is quite steepen downhill with lots of steep.From there we move past terraced fields for a few hours to reach Nayapul. From there a short drive will finally take us to Pokhara.

• Day 16 Drive back to Kathmandu

  After enjoying the beautiful Pokhara and its natural and cultural beauty, we start our drive towards Kathmandu. After a 6-7 hours' drive, we finally reach Kathmandu. You can either rest or roam around the tourist attraction centers in the capital city.