Annapurna Circuit Trek (Before 2015 earthquake)
Note: After the 2015 earthquake, some of the accomodations and villages may have been damaged
Overview
The Annapurna Circuit Trek
was once regarded as the best trek of the world. Nowadays, due to the
construction of a road which leaves only the gap between Muktinath and Manang
road free, the trek has probably lost a bit. Still, it is for sure one of the
best treks in the world and what you get to see every day is a delight for
the eyes.
We did a 12-day trekking between Besi Sahar and Jomsom, starting at 840 m with green lush vegetation and crossing the highest pass of the world in Thorong La at 5416 m with a white snow desert. In between, green forests, waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, the Annapurnas in front of you, temples, small villages, local people, monkeys, cows, goats… all in all, a really must-do if you’re in Nepal and an experience you will never forget.
We did a 12-day trekking between Besi Sahar and Jomsom, starting at 840 m with green lush vegetation and crossing the highest pass of the world in Thorong La at 5416 m with a white snow desert. In between, green forests, waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, the Annapurnas in front of you, temples, small villages, local people, monkeys, cows, goats… all in all, a really must-do if you’re in Nepal and an experience you will never forget.
Packing List
We were walking with a small
backpack of approximately 7 Kilos. Here’s what we packed:
-Hiking Shoes: they are enough, no need of heavy trekking boots.
-3 pairs of socks: not especially thick, if you’re cold you can always wear two pairs at the same time.
-Long Johns: only used them the day of the Thorong La, but they are useful to sleep with when it’s cold.
-Hiking Trousers: the fake North Face they sell in Nepal are perfectly enough. Get the ones you can convert into shorts.
-Waterproof Trousers: We used them the day it was snowing. Useful if it rains heavily.
-Thermal long sleeve shirt: Useful when it’s cold and to sleep at night.
-Short sleeve breathable t-shirt: a football shirt was perfect.
-Fleece sweater: Good when it’s a bit chilly.
-Down Jacket: You will use it when it’s cold at night and from the High Camp on.
-2 hats: a simple one is enough, but we had an extra woolen one bought in Kathmandu for 100 rupees, although only used it once.
-2 pairs of gloves: simple ones are again enough, but we had an extra woolen pair bought in Kathmandu for 200 rupees.
-Scarf: useful a couple of days when it was really cold.
-Raincoat: or poncho or whatever to protect you from the rain.
-Something to protect your head from the Sun: it can be a cap, we had a Keffiyah.
-Snow Getters: We got ones in Pokhara for 350 rupees. They helped in the snowed parts of the circuit.
-Sunscreen
-Purifying Water Tablets
-Ibuprofen: it helps a lot in the event you have headache because of the altitude.
-Towel
-Soap
-Flip Flops
-Swiss Knife
-Camera
-Phone
-Chargers
-Walking Poles: Optional, although quite useful when you go uphill and especially when you go downhill after Thorong La. Bought in Pokhara for 600 rupees a second-hand pair.
-Hiking Shoes: they are enough, no need of heavy trekking boots.
-3 pairs of socks: not especially thick, if you’re cold you can always wear two pairs at the same time.
-Long Johns: only used them the day of the Thorong La, but they are useful to sleep with when it’s cold.
-Hiking Trousers: the fake North Face they sell in Nepal are perfectly enough. Get the ones you can convert into shorts.
-Waterproof Trousers: We used them the day it was snowing. Useful if it rains heavily.
-Thermal long sleeve shirt: Useful when it’s cold and to sleep at night.
-Short sleeve breathable t-shirt: a football shirt was perfect.
-Fleece sweater: Good when it’s a bit chilly.
-Down Jacket: You will use it when it’s cold at night and from the High Camp on.
-2 hats: a simple one is enough, but we had an extra woolen one bought in Kathmandu for 100 rupees, although only used it once.
-2 pairs of gloves: simple ones are again enough, but we had an extra woolen pair bought in Kathmandu for 200 rupees.
-Scarf: useful a couple of days when it was really cold.
-Raincoat: or poncho or whatever to protect you from the rain.
-Something to protect your head from the Sun: it can be a cap, we had a Keffiyah.
-Snow Getters: We got ones in Pokhara for 350 rupees. They helped in the snowed parts of the circuit.
-Sunscreen
-Purifying Water Tablets
-Ibuprofen: it helps a lot in the event you have headache because of the altitude.
-Towel
-Soap
-Flip Flops
-Swiss Knife
-Camera
-Phone
-Chargers
-Walking Poles: Optional, although quite useful when you go uphill and especially when you go downhill after Thorong La. Bought in Pokhara for 600 rupees a second-hand pair.
Sightseeing
The following is the itinerary we did. It can be changed according to your needs, but we had no difficulties to follow it at a normal pace walking an average of 4 to 6 hours per day during 12 days from Besi Sahar to Jomsom (the total hours stand for the total time since we started in the morning until we reached our destination including all breaks for lunch, pictures, resting, etc):
-Day 1: Besi Sahar-Ngadi (6 hours total, 3:45 walking)
Stop for lunch in Bhulbule. Besi Sahar-Bhulbule 3 hours walking including getting a bit lost at the beginning due to the new road.
From Besi Sahar, follow the river on its left hand side (you will have the river on your right) and cross it on the first suspension bridge you see. From then on, you will be walking on a nice path instead of on the road.
Really hot day and going up and down all the time until Bhulbule, which is quite tiring. The views are nice and green and you follow the river most of the time. From Bhulbule to Ngadi it’s a 45-minute pleasant walk on the road.
A bottle of water in Bhulbule is 40 rupees, in Ngadi 60. We stayed in one of the guesthouses almost at the end of Ngadi for free in exchange of having dinner and breakfast.
-Day 2: Ngadi-Jagat (9 hours total, 6 walking)
Really hot day going up and down all the time. Stop for lunch in Ghermu. In Jagat we stayed in a really nice guesthouse with wifi, entering the village on your right. Green landscape and nice views of the river. 80 rupees a bottle of water.
-Day 3: Jagat-Dharapani (8:40 hours total, 6 walking)
Stop for lunch in Tal, a really nice village. Still going up and down all the time, and especially painful is the first uphill when you leave Jagat and the climb to Tal. Beautiful views of rice terraces, the river and waterfalls. Hot day at the beginning but starts to be a bit cold at night.
-Day 4: Dharapani-Chame (7:30 hours total, 5 walking)
Stop for lunch in Thamshok. This is the best day so far in terms of views, as you will have the Annapurna II right in front of you just after a turning. Unforgettable! Besides, the walk is the most pleasant of all days. Start to be a bit cold but you can still go with short sleeve during the day. In Chame, though, a jacket is needed at night.
We slept in a nice guesthouse at the end of Chame, when you cross the suspension bridge. Chame is a really beautiful village, so allow some time to explore it. Plenty of shops to buy whatever you need.
-Day 5: Chame-Upper Pisang (5:30 hours total, 4:30 walking)
This is the first day that there’s no need to stop for lunch on the way, you can do it in Upper Pisang. Although there is the option of sleeping in Lower Pisang, go to Upper and stay at Himalayan Hotel on the top of the village, just below the Tibetan Temple. You’ll have the best views from any hotel you have ever been to!
All the way is uphill (only some small parts of downhill) but not tiring. You will have beautiful views all the time of the Annapurnas. At the beginning it is hot, then a bit chilly in Pisang and for the first time really cold at night. Besides, it started snowing.
The Tibetan temple just behind the hotel is worth a visit. You’ll be offered lemon tea by a monk and can spend some time there.
Pisang is at 3200m, so you can start feeling a bit the AMS, although no problems at all for none of us.
-Day 6: Upper Pisang-Brakha (7:15 hours total, 5:30 walking)
It was supposed to be one of the best days in terms of views, but it was the hardest day so far. Heavily snowing all the time, so we got soaked wet. Still, the white views were really nice, although no Annapurnas.
Stop for lunch in Nawal. To get from Pisang to Gyerhu there’s one of the hardest uphills of all circuit. If it rains, snows or it is so cloudy that you don’t have any views of the Annapurnas, better take the lower route instead of the upper one from Pisang.
Brakha is a very nice village with a Gompa (Tibetan Monastery) hanging from a cliff. You can visit it, but they charge an expensive entrance ticket.
You start feeling a bit the altitude, especially going uphill, but no headache or any pain, just walking slowly.
-Day 7: Brakha-Manang (30 minutes walking)
Acclimatization day. We had the nice walk from Brakha to Manang and stayed at Moonlight guesthouse, probably the cheapest place in Manang in terms of food (sleeping is for free).
To acclimatize, we went up to Praken Gompa, a Tibetan Monastery that happened to be closed but from where you have impressive views of the Annapurnas. It is a very steep one-hour uphill from Manang.
Back in Manang, we recommend you to go to the local cinema. For 250 rupees you get to see a movie (there are different ones to choose from, when we were there movies on display were “7 Years in Tibet”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Into Thin Air” and “Into the Wild) in the tiniest and cosiest cinema you have ever been to and in addition you get popcorn and hot tea!
-Day 8: Manang-Letdar (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Quite a pleasant walk uphill all the time. No need to stop for lunch on the way. Letdar is a really small village of just a couple of houses. It is cold everywhere, but especially at night. A bit of headache at night.
-Day 9: Letdar-High Camp (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Cold all the time. It’s 3 hours until Thorong Pedi and one more until High Camp. The uphill from Thorong Pedi to the High Camp is the hardest one of all the circuit and you really feel the altitude. It’s a really steep uphill in the snow and you have to stop every few meters to take a breath.
Views are really nice. There’s an area of landslides, so watch your step. We actually saw a couple of small avalanches on the way.
In the High Camp you’ll have to pay for the accommodation for the first time, but we really recommend you to stay here instead of thorong Pedi, as the views are sublime and you save quite a lot of time and energy for the next day. A bit of headache at night.
-Day 10: High Camp-Muktinath (8 hours total, 6 walking)
This is the big day of the circuit. You are going to cross the Thorong La Pass, the highest of the world at 5416 m.
We had four seasons in one day: sunny, hot, cold, foggy, snow… It’s 3 hours or less until you reach the pass and the way is actually not very hard, you just go slow because of the altitude but it is nothing compared to the climb to the High Camp. The views are impressive. There’s a small teashop in the pass.
The worst of the day comes after the pass. It’s a 2-hour descent of more than 1000 m until the first village before Muktinath. It was full of snow everywhere so it was like walking down a ski slope. Not enjoyable at all. The worst part of the circuit by far. However, you’re rewarded when you get to Muktinath, a nice small town with shops, temples and nice guesthouses. We stayed at Bob Marley Guesthouse for free, although the price of the food is quite expensive.
-Day 11: Muktinath-Kagbeni (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Quite a boring day walking most of the time on the road with the same view all the time. Only the beginning of the day is quite enjoyable thanks to the mountain views and the visit to the Tibetan village of Jhong.
Going downhill most of the time, but not tiring, just boring.
Kagbeni is a Tibetan village, too, quite nice with a Gompa you have to pay to get in. You can sleep for free in any of the guesthouses.
-Day 12: Kagbeni-Jomsom (2 hours walking)
The last day of trekking is the easiest and the shortest one. Only 2 hours walking and it is totally flat. The views are nice, especially when you see Jomsom for the first time.
In Jomsom, if you plan to take a bus, stay at the beginning of the village (where the bus station and the wooden bridge are). If you’re taking a plane or continue walking, stay near the airport (10 minutes walk from the bridge), there are plenty of guesthouses although this time you have to pay (200 rupees).
-Day 1: Besi Sahar-Ngadi (6 hours total, 3:45 walking)
Stop for lunch in Bhulbule. Besi Sahar-Bhulbule 3 hours walking including getting a bit lost at the beginning due to the new road.
From Besi Sahar, follow the river on its left hand side (you will have the river on your right) and cross it on the first suspension bridge you see. From then on, you will be walking on a nice path instead of on the road.
Really hot day and going up and down all the time until Bhulbule, which is quite tiring. The views are nice and green and you follow the river most of the time. From Bhulbule to Ngadi it’s a 45-minute pleasant walk on the road.
A bottle of water in Bhulbule is 40 rupees, in Ngadi 60. We stayed in one of the guesthouses almost at the end of Ngadi for free in exchange of having dinner and breakfast.
-Day 2: Ngadi-Jagat (9 hours total, 6 walking)
Really hot day going up and down all the time. Stop for lunch in Ghermu. In Jagat we stayed in a really nice guesthouse with wifi, entering the village on your right. Green landscape and nice views of the river. 80 rupees a bottle of water.
-Day 3: Jagat-Dharapani (8:40 hours total, 6 walking)
Stop for lunch in Tal, a really nice village. Still going up and down all the time, and especially painful is the first uphill when you leave Jagat and the climb to Tal. Beautiful views of rice terraces, the river and waterfalls. Hot day at the beginning but starts to be a bit cold at night.
-Day 4: Dharapani-Chame (7:30 hours total, 5 walking)
Stop for lunch in Thamshok. This is the best day so far in terms of views, as you will have the Annapurna II right in front of you just after a turning. Unforgettable! Besides, the walk is the most pleasant of all days. Start to be a bit cold but you can still go with short sleeve during the day. In Chame, though, a jacket is needed at night.
We slept in a nice guesthouse at the end of Chame, when you cross the suspension bridge. Chame is a really beautiful village, so allow some time to explore it. Plenty of shops to buy whatever you need.
-Day 5: Chame-Upper Pisang (5:30 hours total, 4:30 walking)
This is the first day that there’s no need to stop for lunch on the way, you can do it in Upper Pisang. Although there is the option of sleeping in Lower Pisang, go to Upper and stay at Himalayan Hotel on the top of the village, just below the Tibetan Temple. You’ll have the best views from any hotel you have ever been to!
All the way is uphill (only some small parts of downhill) but not tiring. You will have beautiful views all the time of the Annapurnas. At the beginning it is hot, then a bit chilly in Pisang and for the first time really cold at night. Besides, it started snowing.
The Tibetan temple just behind the hotel is worth a visit. You’ll be offered lemon tea by a monk and can spend some time there.
Pisang is at 3200m, so you can start feeling a bit the AMS, although no problems at all for none of us.
-Day 6: Upper Pisang-Brakha (7:15 hours total, 5:30 walking)
It was supposed to be one of the best days in terms of views, but it was the hardest day so far. Heavily snowing all the time, so we got soaked wet. Still, the white views were really nice, although no Annapurnas.
Stop for lunch in Nawal. To get from Pisang to Gyerhu there’s one of the hardest uphills of all circuit. If it rains, snows or it is so cloudy that you don’t have any views of the Annapurnas, better take the lower route instead of the upper one from Pisang.
Brakha is a very nice village with a Gompa (Tibetan Monastery) hanging from a cliff. You can visit it, but they charge an expensive entrance ticket.
You start feeling a bit the altitude, especially going uphill, but no headache or any pain, just walking slowly.
-Day 7: Brakha-Manang (30 minutes walking)
Acclimatization day. We had the nice walk from Brakha to Manang and stayed at Moonlight guesthouse, probably the cheapest place in Manang in terms of food (sleeping is for free).
To acclimatize, we went up to Praken Gompa, a Tibetan Monastery that happened to be closed but from where you have impressive views of the Annapurnas. It is a very steep one-hour uphill from Manang.
Back in Manang, we recommend you to go to the local cinema. For 250 rupees you get to see a movie (there are different ones to choose from, when we were there movies on display were “7 Years in Tibet”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Into Thin Air” and “Into the Wild) in the tiniest and cosiest cinema you have ever been to and in addition you get popcorn and hot tea!
-Day 8: Manang-Letdar (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Quite a pleasant walk uphill all the time. No need to stop for lunch on the way. Letdar is a really small village of just a couple of houses. It is cold everywhere, but especially at night. A bit of headache at night.
-Day 9: Letdar-High Camp (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Cold all the time. It’s 3 hours until Thorong Pedi and one more until High Camp. The uphill from Thorong Pedi to the High Camp is the hardest one of all the circuit and you really feel the altitude. It’s a really steep uphill in the snow and you have to stop every few meters to take a breath.
Views are really nice. There’s an area of landslides, so watch your step. We actually saw a couple of small avalanches on the way.
In the High Camp you’ll have to pay for the accommodation for the first time, but we really recommend you to stay here instead of thorong Pedi, as the views are sublime and you save quite a lot of time and energy for the next day. A bit of headache at night.
-Day 10: High Camp-Muktinath (8 hours total, 6 walking)
This is the big day of the circuit. You are going to cross the Thorong La Pass, the highest of the world at 5416 m.
We had four seasons in one day: sunny, hot, cold, foggy, snow… It’s 3 hours or less until you reach the pass and the way is actually not very hard, you just go slow because of the altitude but it is nothing compared to the climb to the High Camp. The views are impressive. There’s a small teashop in the pass.
The worst of the day comes after the pass. It’s a 2-hour descent of more than 1000 m until the first village before Muktinath. It was full of snow everywhere so it was like walking down a ski slope. Not enjoyable at all. The worst part of the circuit by far. However, you’re rewarded when you get to Muktinath, a nice small town with shops, temples and nice guesthouses. We stayed at Bob Marley Guesthouse for free, although the price of the food is quite expensive.
-Day 11: Muktinath-Kagbeni (5 hours total, 4 walking)
Quite a boring day walking most of the time on the road with the same view all the time. Only the beginning of the day is quite enjoyable thanks to the mountain views and the visit to the Tibetan village of Jhong.
Going downhill most of the time, but not tiring, just boring.
Kagbeni is a Tibetan village, too, quite nice with a Gompa you have to pay to get in. You can sleep for free in any of the guesthouses.
-Day 12: Kagbeni-Jomsom (2 hours walking)
The last day of trekking is the easiest and the shortest one. Only 2 hours walking and it is totally flat. The views are nice, especially when you see Jomsom for the first time.
In Jomsom, if you plan to take a bus, stay at the beginning of the village (where the bus station and the wooden bridge are). If you’re taking a plane or continue walking, stay near the airport (10 minutes walk from the bridge), there are plenty of guesthouses although this time you have to pay (200 rupees).
Accomodation
There’s accommodation all over the circuit, mainly in the small villages you keep finding every hour or so. All accommodation is for free if you’re having one meal and breakfast there, except in the High Camp (350 rupees) and in Jomsom (200 rupees).
Always explore the village a bit and don’t stay in the first place you come across. Normally the villages expand for a few kilometers, and being for free, you can pick the one you like the most.
Especially nice and reccomendable was the Himalayan Hotel in Upper Pisang, with the most beautiful views I’ve ever had from a hotel… and just paying for food!
Always explore the village a bit and don’t stay in the first place you come across. Normally the villages expand for a few kilometers, and being for free, you can pick the one you like the most.
Especially nice and reccomendable was the Himalayan Hotel in Upper Pisang, with the most beautiful views I’ve ever had from a hotel… and just paying for food!
Food & Drink
You’re likely to have all your meals in the place you’re staying in, and in the whole circuit they have almost the same menu: Tibetan, Nepali, Chinese and Western food. The higher you go, the more expensive everything is. Taking a bottle of mineral water as a reference, you start paying 40 rupees in Bhulbule and you pay more than 200 in the High Camp (although for water, just take purifying tablets or buy them in any village and you will save a lot, otherwise there are drinking water stations in some villages where you can get one liter at 80 rupees).
A nice discovery was Tibetan bread, really tasty! Other than that, our diet consisted on fried macaroni, momos and lemon tea, basically.
Note that when you stop to have lunch on the way, it takes an average of one hour (yes, one hour) for them to prepare the food, so count on a break of two hours for lunch.
A nice discovery was Tibetan bread, really tasty! Other than that, our diet consisted on fried macaroni, momos and lemon tea, basically.
Note that when you stop to have lunch on the way, it takes an average of one hour (yes, one hour) for them to prepare the food, so count on a break of two hours for lunch.
Transportation
To get to Besi Sahar from Pokhara is a painful 4:30-hour bus ride. It departs at 6:30 in the morning and it costs 400 rupees. It stops only once and it drops you right in front of the office you have to register yourself to enter the Annapurna National Park.
We walked from Besi Sahar to Jomsom, although it is possible to walk further. On the other hand, a road has been constructed until Manang, so you can get there by jeep and at an expensive price, although you will miss all the beautiful sights, so don’t do that and start walking from Besi Sahar.
Once you finish in Jomsom, you can take a bus to Beni and there change to Pokhara (some 13 hours) or take a small plane for 20 minutes and have one of the best experiences of your life. The flight costs 112 USD, it can be booked in Jomsom for the following day and it is worth every cent! If you can, try the small plane, you won’t regret.
We walked from Besi Sahar to Jomsom, although it is possible to walk further. On the other hand, a road has been constructed until Manang, so you can get there by jeep and at an expensive price, although you will miss all the beautiful sights, so don’t do that and start walking from Besi Sahar.
Once you finish in Jomsom, you can take a bus to Beni and there change to Pokhara (some 13 hours) or take a small plane for 20 minutes and have one of the best experiences of your life. The flight costs 112 USD, it can be booked in Jomsom for the following day and it is worth every cent! If you can, try the small plane, you won’t regret.
Safety
The Annapurna Circuit can be dangerous. Actually, 40 people died and some 200 were rescued in October 2014 due to bad weather.
The main dangers you’re gonna face are altitude sickness, avalanches, bad weather and the likely possibility of getting a sprained ankle going downhill.
From our own experience, you won’t feel the altitude sickness much if you follow our itinerary and you spend one day in Manang acclimatizing. We only had two headaches (in Letdar and in the High Camp), which quickly went away with an ibuprofen.
About avalanches and landslides, they do happen, we saw some on the way but luckily far enough.
Finally, about walking downhill, watch your step all the time, if you get a sprained ankle there, you are far away from everywhere and you should be rescued by helicopter, so better be careful.
Other than that, no important problems, just try to be informed about the weather conditions, especially the day you plan to cross the Thorong La.
The main dangers you’re gonna face are altitude sickness, avalanches, bad weather and the likely possibility of getting a sprained ankle going downhill.
From our own experience, you won’t feel the altitude sickness much if you follow our itinerary and you spend one day in Manang acclimatizing. We only had two headaches (in Letdar and in the High Camp), which quickly went away with an ibuprofen.
About avalanches and landslides, they do happen, we saw some on the way but luckily far enough.
Finally, about walking downhill, watch your step all the time, if you get a sprained ankle there, you are far away from everywhere and you should be rescued by helicopter, so better be careful.
Other than that, no important problems, just try to be informed about the weather conditions, especially the day you plan to cross the Thorong La.
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