Annapurna Circuit Trek: Explore the world’s longest Thorong La Pass

Welcome to Nepal for an outstanding Annapurna Circuit Trek! Our airport representative will receive you at the airport and transfer you to the agreed hotel. All the trip details will be discussed and finalized. You will be introduced with the trekking guide and you can get assistance from the guide to do last minute shopping before the trek. Remember that the basic gear like sleeping bag, down jacket, duffle bag, t-shirt, and cap are provided by the company. If time permits, you can stroll around the marketplace of Thamel enjoying its clamor as it is the touristic hub of Kathmandu. Overnight in a hotel

We begin the classical Annapurna Circuit Trek today! You will be picked up from your hotel and transfer you to the bus park. The road trip lasts for about 5 to 6 hours depending upon the highway traffic. On the way to Besisahar, you can experience the highway towns, rivers, cascading hills, terraced farmlands, and local way of traveling around Nepal. The lunch will be on the way and upon reaching the Besisahar, you can stroll around the place which is also the district headquarter of Lamjung district. Overnight in a lodge

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will drive to the village of Chame. We will begin the jeep drive after checking in at the check post just outside the Besisahar. This is the jeep drive to Chame but full of outstanding attractions. The road can be bumpy but the attractions can help you forget the bumpy ride and relish the natural beauty that you see from the jeep window. We will stop in two iconic waterfalls before heading to Chame. These stops are in Bung Waterfall and Octopus Waterfall. We can have lunch on the way but the trekking guide will decide whether to have lunch on the way or in Chame Village. Our journey will go through places like Bhulbhule, Syange, Jagat, Chamje, Taal, Dharapani, and Timang villages. Overnight in a tea house.

Today is the start of the complete trekking day. Therefore, we will wake up early in the morning and do some stretching before breakfast. We will walk on the off road almost all the time to reach Upper Pisang with few off road trekking trail which is near the Upper Pisang Village. On the way, we will enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Chulu East, and Chulu West, Pisang Peak, and Annapurna II. The prayer wheels and the stories of heaven’s gate (Sworga Dwari) can be fascinating to experience while on this trekking trip. Major highlights of today’s trek is stop at the apple farm resort in Bhartang Village and lunch at Dhukur Pokhari Village. Overall, today’s trek is joyous without much steep ascent. Overnight in a tea house.

We will begin the trek after breakfast. Today’s trek is so mystical and amazing due to the presence of Guru Rimpoche cave and the majestic Ngawal Village. We will take the arduous upper route rather than the easy Humde route to go to Manang Village. This way via Ngawal is the most scenic and also offers the classical feel of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. It is challenging but rewarding. After walking for about 45 minutes from Upper Pisang, we will reach the Green Lake and then start our uphill trek to Ghyaru Village where we will have lunch before departing to Manang Village via Ngawal. While on the Ngawal village, you can visit the Rimpoche Cave which is believed to have been connected with the Mustang Valley. Overnight in a tea house.

We will do the acclimatization activity on this day to adjust to the demands of the higher elevation places beyond Manang Village. After the breakfast, we will walk towards the Gangapurna View Point and the Gangapurna Lake. At first, we will walk through the farmlands behind the Manang Village and cross the river before trekking uphill to the Gangapurna View Point. You will be surprised to see the scenery where the green lush alpine forests ends in the snowline including the view of the mountains and glaciers. We will spend about half an hour at the viewpoint and descend down to the shores of Gangapurna Lake where we will stop for a while to have lunch or short tea break before returning back to Manang Village. In the evening, you can stroll around the village and know about the cultural and traditional aspects of the Manangi People. Overnight in a tea house.

We will formally enter the arid desert like landscape today. After breakfast, we will begin our trekking and the most challenging part is to climb uphill towards the village of Ghunsang. The trekking guide will decide whether to have lunch in this small village or continue to Yak Kharka or Ledar. The trail offers great scenery of mountains like Gangapurna, Chulu East and Chulu West. The narrow valley and the grassy meadows we walk can be so enticing. Remember that this section is considered as the ideal place to spot the snow leopard. After Ghunsang village, the trail is in the Nepalese Gentle flat all the way to Ledar via Yak Kharka Village. In comparison to the Yak Kharka village, Ledar village has few tea houses but offers tranquil stay up in the mountains. Overnight in a tea house.

We will be walking in the gentle uphill trail all the way to the Thorang Phedi. The trail is narrow and we can enjoy the breathtaking scenery of mountains, cascading hills, and river valley while walking on this trail. After walking through the several ridges, we will have to cross the river and trek uphill to the Thorong Phedi. Your trekking guide will decide whether to go to the High Camp or stay in the Thorong Phedi. Enjoy the best view of the mountains like Gundang, Syagang, Thorong Peak, Khatungkan, etc. If we decide to stay in the Thorong Phedi, we will do short uphill hike for about an hour and then return back to the tea house as an acclimatization hike. Overnight in a tea house.

We will wake up around 4:30 am and have early breakfast. Our trekking starts later by 5 am in the morning as today’s trek is very long. We will walk uphill with the help of torch light and as we cross High Camp the morning light starts to come lighting the entire landscape. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to reach the top of the Thorong La Pass where we will enjoy the majestic scenery of mountains on all sides. This is the maximum altitude that we will reach during the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Therefore, we have to be more careful and heed the instructions of a trekking guide. After the pass, we will descend down to Phedi, and continue the journey towards the Muktinath Village via temple. We will visit the temple and monastery area before heading to our tea house in Muktinath. Overnight in a tea house.

In the morning time, we will visit the temple and then have breakfast. After the breakfast, we will hop on the jeep and head towards the village of Tatopani. On the way, we will stop at the Kagbeni Village, Jomsom Village, Marpha Village, and Rupse Waterfall. Upon reaching Tatopani, we will check in our tea house and then head towards the natural hot springs site to dip in for relaxation. Overnight in a tea house.

Today’s trek is completely uphill for about 7 to 8 hours. Therefore, we will wake up early and have breakfast. At first, we will walk through the village until we reach Ghar Khola Valley. The trail passes through lush green forests. Some sections are extremely steep but it is manageable. We will stop in the village of Sikha for lunch and then continue our trek towards the Ghorepani village. Once at the village, we will relish the sight of the cascading hills and mountains. We will sleep early for majestic sunrise experiences tomorrow in the Poon Hill. Overnight in a tea house.

Before dawn around 5 am in the morning, we will begin the uphill trek to Poon Hill. We will obtain the ticket and then climb the stairs through the green lush forests. As the morning light approaches, the trail becomes extremely enticing. The sight of the mountains before and after the sunrise can be so fascinating sight to compare. We will enjoy the sights of the mountains from the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayan range. The time we spend at the top of the Poon Hill (3210 m) is so amazing as we wait for the sun to rise near the Machhapuchhre Mountain. The golden colors of the snowy mountain tip can be the photographer’s paradise which is so adorable and memorable. After spending about an hour at the top, we will descend back to Ghorepani for breakfast and continue to trek downhill via Banthanti to Ulleri Village. We will have lunch in the Ulleri Village and hop on the jeep back to Pokhara. The jeep drive is about 2 hours via Tikhedhunga, Birethanti, and Nayapul. In the evening, you will have free time to explore the clamor of Lakeside Pokhara. Overnight in a hotel.

Early in the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and transfer you to the tourist bus park. We will drive back to Kathmandu along the Prithivi Highway. It takes about 7 to 8 hours to reach Kathmandu from Pokhara. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you will check in at the hotel and in the evening, the company representative of the Nepal High Trek will host the farewell dinner and review about the trek. Overnight in a hotel.

Finally, we will take you to the international airport in Kathmandu for the final departure. We will bid you farewell with promise to meet again for yet another exciting adventure in Nepal.