Annapurna Circuit

We drive to the center of Kathmandu. We walk to Kathmandu Durbar square (palace square) to see the temples and the house of Kumari, the living goddess. If we are lucky, we also get a glimpse of her.

The afternoon will be spent in the tourism center of Thamel where you get the chance to buy any trekking gear you might need. Just make sure to bring your best hiking boots from home, anything else you should be able to find here in Thamel.

Today you will be given the duffel bag in which you will pack your things in for the trek. This will be carried by a porter. Your own suitcase will wait for you in Kathmandu.

We make a long drive to the picturesque village Bandipur. Here we can spend the afternoon at one of the many nice outdoor cafés on the main street, as Bandipur is one of few places in Nepal where all vehicles are banned. In Bandipur we stay in different family homes and we eat dinner in our respective home.

We continue our drive to Tal, the start of our trek. The road leading to Tal heads north up through the Marsyangdi Valley with Himalchuli and Ngadi Chuli looming over the horizon. We’ll pass by lush rice paddies and quiet villages before reaching our guesthouse in the beautiful village Tal, meaning lake in Nepali. Tal is the first village we reach after entering Manang district, and from here the sceneries changes dramatically.

Today we start our walk and the way goes through an impressive, wide valley with many up- and downhills. The 14 km long walk today is almost only on dirt road, but few vehicles are driving there. Parts of the way is strenuous and uphill. The village Timang is famous for its spectacular views, as it is surrounded by snowy peaks, and if we are lucky we can get a glimpse of a Himalayan weasel or even a palm civet! The nights on the trek we stay in teahouses. Until we come up on higher altitude (above 4000 m.) most teahouses usually offer wi-fi and hot showers (sometimes against a small fee).

Today we make the short walk to Chame, the administrative headquarter of Manang district. Here are some hot springs where you can take a bath, don’t forget to bring your swimwear!

We will have a relaxing afternoon as a calm start of our trek.

From today the route becomes quieter, with fewer cars and people. The scenery is spectacular: snowy peaks, small glaciers, rivers, and pine forests. In Bhratang we pass Agro Manang, one of Nepals largest apple farms. They are selling various apple pastries and apple drinks, and we make a break here. From Bhratang we start ascending. The road goes between the mountains and the river, and as the road splits in Dhikur Pokhari we continue uphill to Upper Pisang.

As we gain more altitude, we reach areas where Buddhism is the prevalent religion and we head towards the super authentic village Ngawal. It is one of three large settlements in the area, together with Braga and Manang. We can see the changes in vegetation and scenery as we ascend. We pass through the village Ghyaru on the way and we have the Annapurna massif clearly visible on the northwest side of us.

Taking us through a diverse landscape we’re heading to Manang from Ngawal. The way from Ngawal drops more than 200 m. back to Marsayangdi river valley, and en route, we get eminent views of the Annapurna mountains. We go through the villages Humde and Braga before reaching Manang. Braga has a wonderful old monastery and if weather is good, we can visit it. We will stay for two nights in today’s destina tion, Manang. It is a traditional and beautiful big town and our hotel is famous for their tasty yak meat bolognaise!

We make a walk in the surroundings of Manang to see the beautiful views and acclimatize for our climb the upcoming days. In the afternoon the healthpost also has an altitude talk, and here is a small cute museum about Manang, which you can visit. There are many small cafes and shops. In the evening we have dinner in a local home in Manang. The ones who want to can help with the cooking.

Today isn’t a super tough day but most of the elevation gain comes in the first half of the walk. The path weaves out of Manang and we ascend quickly. We take time to enjoy great views of the mountains, river meandering through the valley and a small lake in the distance.

Today is a great day for enjoying the views – the scenery is incredible as the trail heads higher and higher. From here there are no more motor vehicles and we start to see yaks grazing by the sides of our trail. The first half of the day’s walk, to Ghunsang, is the most challenging with around 400 metres of elevation gain. After Ghunsang the trail levels out and while there are usual ups and downs, it’s a fairly easy walk all the way to Yak Kharka. If we have any negative effects of the altitude, we will stop in Yak kharka, but if not, we will continue to Ledar, 4200 m., some 30 minutes above.

This is another short day to aid in acclimatization. The scenery becomes wilder as we continue ascending the valley. We will walk to Thorong High Camp, or to Thorong Phedi, today, depending on our physical condition and the weather. It will take 4 to 5 hours to reach Thorong Phedi or High Camp. The difficulty level and frequently severe winds are impacted by the altitude, and snow can make the way considerably longer. We may observe herds of yaks and blue sheep grazing on the other side of the river. There aren’t many teahouses in Thorong Phedi. Unlike the lush lowlands we crossed on the way up during the first part of the hike, the deserted and rocky environment is resembling more to a moon landscape. If we are not exhausted, trekking to the High Camp will make tomorrow’s trek simpler. However, this will be avoided if there is any sign of altitude sickness.

The day we have been waiting for! We will get up very early to begin our ascent. We walk slowly, one step at a time, until we reach the Annapurna Circuit’s highest point, the Thorong La pass, at a breathtaking 5416 m. The pass summit is broad, and opens up to reveal an incredible, sweeping panorama of snow-capped peaks extending towards Tibet. Looking back to where we came from offers views of the Annapurna massif. The descent is long, starting gently, but increasing in steepness, following a series of switchbacks leading to the grassy slopes and the holy temple area of Muktinath, 3800 m. It is an important pilgrimage site, particularly for Hindus and here we get to stay at a better hotel to rest after our long and extreme walk. Anyone who has the stamina for it can go to visit the temple with its 108 golden water taps.

Today we make a beautiful walk in Mustang, the district we have entered from Manang. In the beginning of the day we cross small villages, Purang and Jhong, but then we continue to walk across the red moon landscape of Mustang. It is a long but not difficult walk to Kagbeni, a very special town with a beautiful monastery. In Kagbeni we can see how the beliefs in ghosts are still prevalent, as they build low entrances to the village in hope that the ghost will hit its head in the wall and die again, as ghosts cannot bend their backs.

Kagbeni is known as the gateway to Upper Mustang, a mystical region not possible to enter without a costly permit. But there is still a way to visit Upper Mustang, even without the permit. We use that way to visit a local home in the Upper Mustang village of Tiri. After breakfast we make the 45-minute walk along the river to Tiri and we spend the morning there. After lunch there, we walk back to Kagbeni to take a jeep to Jomsom, 2784 m. where we spend our last night in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Time for our by far most spectacular transport, flying through the Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest gorge in Nepal. At times, when you look out of the window you will see nothing but rocks and mountains, both on the left and the right side of the plane, no sky! On our right side we have the Dhaulagiri massif and on our left, the Annapurna massif. If our morning flight is on time, we get a good rest day in Pokhara. In case the flight is cancelled, which happens now and then in the mountains, we will travel by jeep to Pokhara, a 10–12-hour drive. Pokhara is the tourist capital of Nepal, we can have some good food and a nice shower. Why not pamper yourself with a full body scrub with a Nepali massage?

Rest day in Pokhara, or optional activities like cooking class with trafficking survivors,
longest zipline in the world, paragliding or a hike by the lake to the World peace Pagoda on a hill above the lake.

After breakfast we drive to Pokhara’s new international airport which opened on January 1st, 2023. We fly to Kathmandu where we go back to our first hotel in Boudha. In the evening we drive to the enormous Hindu temple complex Pashupatinath to watch the evening ceremony, aarati.

Bhaktapur is the most well preserved of Kathmandu valley’s old kingdoms. The old town is a world heritage site and contains four main squares. We make a walk around the town and explore the narrow alleys and the temples. Back to Boudha in the evening.