Annapurna Circuit Trekking

On the first day, the representatives from Adventure Bound Nepal will pick you up from your hotel. Then you will be transported to the bus stand via Taxi and from there, we hop on a bus drive. The drive starts early in the morning so you will have breakfast on the way. The drive takes us through the urban settlements of Kathmandu and then enters the highway. On the way to Jagat, we can get amazing views of the rivers, waterfalls, hills, small villages, and much more.

From Besisahar, we switch from a bus to a local shared jeep to start the journey to Jagat (A private jeep can be organized with extra cost). The total elevation from Kathmandu to Besisahar goes from 1400 meters to 760 meters. Besides, the drive from Kathmandu to Jagat via Besisahar takes a total of 8-9 hours.

As you wake up on the second day, breakfast will be ready at the teahouse itself. Shortly after breakfast, we begin the first trekking day of the Annapurna Circuit Trekking. Today's journey takes us from Jagat (1100m) to Dharapani (1960m). While on this section of the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Jagat, you can expect mind-blowing views of diverse terrain, valleys, rivers, suspension bridges, rugged and rough trails, and a feeling of adventure beginning.

Covering around 15 km or 9.3 miles by walking for 6-7 hours brings you to Dharapani, where we spend the night after having dinner in the hotel. You might see that several agencies say that this day's trek takes 5-6 hours. However, Adventure Bound Nepal puts trekkers' health and well-being first. Therefore, we encourage the trekkers to keep a comparatively slower pace to get along with the altitude, and as a result, it takes us about 6-7 hours.

Another day invites another adventurous walk in the Annapurna Circuit Trek journey. After getting a good nap on the second day, we wake up on the third day, have our breakfast, and then set off on another mesmerizing journey.

The journey leads towards a mule path offering trekkers a rough trail surrounded by gigantic mountain views. Following such a trail for around 5-6 hours, we reach Dharapani to Chame, at an altitude of 2710 metres. Not just the views of the Himalayas, this part of the Annapurna Circuit Trek itinerary is also accompanied by several villages, settlements, farming, cultivation, and beautiful infrastructures of the rural part of the Annapurna region.

We keep advancing in the Annapurna Circuit Trek as the days pass by. Keeping a slow pace but continuously thriving on the trail takes us to Pisang from Chame on the fourth day. Pisang is a beautiful, majestic, and amazing part of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which also consists of the gigantic Pisang Peak.

If you are looking for a thrilling peak climbing experience in Nepal, you can also choose the Pisang Peak Climbing with Annapurna Trek package with Adventure Bound.

The journey from Chame to Pisang begins as we take a route through the Telukhu village. This village not only offers the beauty of rural and traditional settlements but also amazing views of the Pisang Peak and Annapurna II. Imagine walking on a rough path, surrounded by green plants and tall hills along with the views of the snow-covered peaks. Now remove the word "Imagine" because that's exactly what we do in this section of the Annapurna Circuit Trekking itinerary.

Some other highlights of the Chame to Pisang hike are the Marshyangdi River, suspension bridges, and a narrow river valley through dense pine forests is promising.

On the fifth day of the Annapurna Circuit Trek expedition, we reached the land of high passes, Manang. The highest altitude that we cover today will be 3540 meters. Besides, many trekkers and professionals consider Pisang to Manang as one of the most stunning parts of the entire Annapurna Circuit Trek.

Walking from Pisang to Manang in the Annapurna Circuit Trek takes you through Narodhara, Humde, Mugje, and Bhraka, after crossing a wooden bridge over the Marshyangdi River before arriving at Tanki Manang. This part of the trek also offers Buddhist shrines and temples, and the settlements are also highly influenced by tradition and religion. Also, you will love the heartily and warm welcome from the locals living in Manang and get a chance to taste some exquisite local delicacies.

­ ­

Manang is so beautiful that roaming around for one evening might not be enough for the trekkers. Therefore, Adventure Bound Nepal puts the sixth day as the acclimatization day in Manang. Along with that, acclimatization at Manang is also very important for the trekkers ascending the Annapurna Circuit. That is because we already crossed 3000 meters and the chances of altitude sickness increase at this altitude.

However, the acclimatization day does not mark a complete rest day. Instead, trekkers can go for some sightseeing around Manang and also ascend to some side treks. We encourage trekkers to visit the Barge Monastery (the biggest monastery in the Manang district) and Gangapurna Lake. Moreover, you can also go for a day hike to Milarepa. The cave is around 5-6 km away from our stop and takes around 5-6 hours to reach. Finally, you can return to the hotel and rest for the adventure coming on the next day.

After a refreshing and relaxing acclimatization in Manang, we start another part of the Annapurna Circuit Trek journey. As we have already crossed 3000 meters, risks and obstacles like altitude sickness, thin air, tiredness, etc increase. Therefore, we suggest all the trekkers be very cautious while ascending this part of the Annapurna Circuit.

The trek from Manang to Yak Kharka is comparatively shorter as it covers 11 km and trekkers need to walk for 3-4 hours only. However, that does not make the route any less adventurous and amazing. As we leave Manang after breakfast, our first ascend will be to the Tenki Village, and then to the Marshyangdi Valley leading to Jarsang Valley. This part of today's trek passes through beautiful pasture lands with animals grazing and stunning juniper forests.

Once we pass this part, we reach the Ghunda Village. Any trekker would love the Ghunda village with the views of Yaks and other domestic animals grazing in peace in the meadows. The final part of today's trek requires crossing a river over a classic wooden bridge. The route passes along an ancient Mani wall in a lovely meadow.

Welcome to another short trek day of the Annapurna Circuit Trek expedition. As you wake up and have your breakfast in the hotel, we set off on another 4-5 hours of walking taking us from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi. Today, we reach the altitude of 4450 meters passing another beautiful and naturally blessed route of the Annapurna Circuit Trek.

The trek on the eighth day starts with a two-hour-long ascend from the eastern trail of the Jarang River. As we walk for around two hours, we need to descend a little to cross the river, and then again, the trail starts leading upwards whose stop is Thorong Phedi. Thorong Phedi is the base camp of the mighty Thorong La Pass, the tallest point of the Annapurna Circuit. You can meet different people resting in the Thorong Phedi after returning from the Pass and get to know about the upcoming path.

This part of the Annapurna Circuit Trek is comparatively difficult but it prepares you for the upcoming ascends. Nevertheless, the tiredness runs away as we are accompanied by the mighty mountain views. Moreover, trekkers also get spectacular views of several rare animals and birds like blue sheep, bearded vultures, and snow leopards. If you are interested in mythical stories, the stories of griffon (half lion, half bird) might make your trip even more interesting.

Finally, it's the day when we take the final ascend of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Today the journey is comparatively longer and difficult as well. That is because we need to go from Thorong Phedi to Thorong La Pass and then get down to Muktinath.

The journey that starts from 4450 meters leads to 5416 meters and then again reaches down to 3802 meters. Imagine this level of ascending and descending, just in one day. Certainly, we need to walk for around 7-8 hours for sure. However, we still encourage the trekkers to go for a steady and continuous pace.

Reaching the Thorong La Pass offers you one of the best panoramic views of the snow-covered mountains that spread from Nepal to Tibet. Besides, you can also click several photos, and videos, and celebrate the achievements that you have made. After spending some time in the Thorong La Pass, we start the descending journey towards Muktinath.

While descending, trekkers will be accompanied by Kali Gandaki in the front and Annapurna peaks as the backdrops. After a few hours of walking, we reach Muktinath, a Hindu and Buddhist Pilgrimage site at 3800 meters. This is the perfect place to delve into the ultimate sense of spirituality and divinity.

After a mindful and heartful spiritual and divine experience, we leave Muktinath on the tenth day to reach Jomsom. This is also the last day of the Annapurna Circuit Trek where trekkers need to walk because on the 11th day, we travel via private jeep or bus to reach Tatopani.

We encourage trekkers to go slow and steady as we reach Jomsom from Muktinath in around 5-6 hours. Try taking this day as fun and share your experience with the guides and porters. Do you know that one of the best things about the trek from Muktinath to Jomsom is the majestic view of the Dhaulagiri Mountain? With that, we also cross several meadows, streams, and hills to reach a village named Kagbeni. This village is famous for several stupas, monasteries, and religious vibes.

We rest for some time in Kagbeni and also have our lunch there. The journey resumes again after a short yet sufficient lunch break and within another few hours, the trekkers reach Jomsom (2,743m).

As said in the description above, today, we get on the shared jeep arranged by the Adventure Bound team. The drive takes you from Jomsom to Tatopani. Onboarding on a 4-5 hour road trip can be both adventurous and hectic. However, remember that this is also a thing everyone must experience in the Himalayan region of Nepal.

Tatopani is the Nepali word for "hot water". This place got its name because Tatopani has several natural springs that have hot water. You can get a chance to swim or bath in the naturally heated water once you reach Tatopani. Trust us that once you get into the spring, you can sense all your pains and difficulties caused by such a long walk leaving your body.

We get back to walking once again to cover the path between Tatopani and Ghorepani. Ghorepani is a beautiful village in the Annapurna region. In between the route, we also pass two more villages; Ghara and Shikhar villages. You can see children playing or going to school, farmers working on the farm and similar other regular activities as you pass through these villages.

Other than that, the mesmerizing views of the Annapurna mountain range, valleys, forests, etc also accompany you during the 17km long journey from Tatopani to Ghorepani to make it even more adventurous and encouraging.

We are just a day away from officially wrapping up the Annapurna Circuit Trek. However, Adventure Bound ensures the trekkers that we will not compromise on the trekking and adventure even today. Yes, after you rest for the night in Ghorepani, we expect you to wake up as early as possible. That is because, today, our guides lead the trekkers on an early morning hike to PoonHill.

Poonhill is one of the best day hiking spots in Pokhara leading you to an altitude of 3210 meters. Many trekkers do this short hike before heading out to any other 5000 meters+ trekking expeditions for acclimatization training. We reach there in the late morning, spend sometimes to watching and appreciating the beauty of nature. After that, we trek down to Nayapul (2070 meters) and then take a taxi to Pokhara. Don't worry, our team has arranged the taxi as well. the entire journey takes around 7-8 hours of the day. After that, we get back to the hotel, get freshened up and the rest of the day is on you.

Well, it's the last day of the entire Annapurna Circuit Trek Package with Adventure Bound Nepal. As you wake up and have breakfast, we set off on a journey back to Pokhara. Returning from Pokhara to Kathmandu happens by road as we board a bus or private jeep and hit the road. Within 7-8 hours of driving with a few stops in the middle, we finally cover about 200 kilometers of path and reach Kathmandu.