Classic treks · Annapurna
The full Annapurna Circuit
- 16 daysDuration
- 5,416 mHighest point
- ChallengingDifficulty
- ★ 4.9132 reviews
Subtropical valleys to Tibetan high desert in two weeks, crossing Thorong La on the old high trails rather than the new jeep road.
The circuit has changed. A road now runs most of the way up the Marsyangdi and down the Kali Gandaki, and walking it is miserable. The answer is the NATT high trails — a network of older footpaths cut back into use specifically to keep trekkers off the road.
This itinerary uses them wherever they exist, which means more climbing and better days. It also means the classic sequence is intact: terraced farmland, pine forest, Manang's Tibetan plateau, the pass, and Muktinath on the far side.
- Thorong La at 5,416 m, the highest pass on the route
- Two nights in Manang on the high plateau, for acclimatisation
- Ice Lake at 4,600 m as a day walk from Manang
- Muktinath, then the drop into the Kali Gandaki gorge
The essentials
- Duration
- 16 days
- Highest point
- 5,416 m
- Group size
- Max 12
- Style
- Lodge trek
- Starts and ends
- Kathmandu to Pokhara
- Best season
- Mar–Apr · Oct–Nov
- Accommodation
- 13 nights in lodges, 1 night Kathmandu, 1 night Pokhara
- Meals
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on trek
- Transport
- Private vehicle to the trailhead, jeep from Muktinath, flight or drive to Pokhara
- Permits
- Annapurna Conservation Area permit + TIMS card
The shape of the journey
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
When to walk it
The longest season in Nepal. October and November are flawless; February to April adds rhododendron forest in flower.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Prime
- Shoulder
- Closed
Day by day
16 days, as they are actually walked. Your guide may reorder a day for weather — that is the point of having one.
-
1
Arrive in Kathmandu
Transfer, briefing and kit check. Permits are issued this afternoon.
- 1,400 m
- Kathmandu hotel
- Dinner
-
2
Drive to Jagat
A long road day west then north into the Marsyangdi valley, finishing where the walking starts.
- 1,300 m
- 8 hr drive
- Jagat lodge
- All meals
-
3
Jagat to Dharapani
Into the gorge proper, crossing and recrossing the river, with the first views of Manaslu behind you.
- 1,960 m
- 16 km
- 6 hr
- Dharapani lodge
- All meals
-
4
Dharapani to Chame
Pine forest and apple orchards, with Annapurna II appearing at the top of the valley.
- 2,670 m
- 16 km
- 6 hr
- Chame lodge
- All meals
-
5
Chame to Upper Pisang
Past the Paungda Danda rock face — a 1,500 m curved slab that fills the whole valley wall.
- 3,300 m
- 14 km
- 6 hr
- Upper Pisang lodge
- All meals
-
6
Upper Pisang to Manang, high route
The upper trail via Ghyaru and Ngawal — harder, four hours longer, and the best day on the circuit.
- 3,540 m
- 17 km
- 7 hr
- Manang lodge
- All meals
-
7
Acclimatisation day in Manang
Up towards Ice Lake or Gangapurna viewpoint, then the altitude talk at the Himalayan Rescue Association post.
- 3,540 m
- 8 km
- 5 hr
- Manang lodge
- All meals
-
8
Manang to Yak Kharka
A short, deliberately gentle day above the treeline. Blue sheep on the slopes most mornings.
- 4,050 m
- 10 km
- 4 hr
- Yak Kharka lodge
- All meals
-
9
Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi
Two hours of walking and then rest, because tomorrow starts at four in the morning.
- 4,525 m
- 7 km
- 4 hr
- Thorong Phedi lodge
- All meals
-
10
Thorong La to Muktinath
Dark start, four hours of steady climbing to the pass at 5,416 m, then a knee-punishing 1,600 m descent to Muktinath.
- 3,760 m
- 16 km
- 9–10 hr
- Muktinath lodge
- All meals
-
11
Muktinath and the temple complex
A slow morning at the 108 water spouts and the eternal flame, then down to Kagbeni where Upper Mustang begins.
- 2,810 m
- 10 km
- 4 hr
- Kagbeni lodge
- All meals
-
12
Kagbeni to Marpha
Down the Kali Gandaki with the wind behind you, finishing in a whitewashed apple-growing village.
- 2,670 m
- 16 km
- 5 hr
- Marpha lodge
- All meals
-
13
Marpha to Kalopani
Through Tukuche and the old salt-trade villages, with Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri on either side of the gorge.
- 2,530 m
- 18 km
- 6 hr
- Kalopani lodge
- All meals
-
14
Kalopani to Tatopani
The long drop back into green, ending at hot springs beside the river.
- 1,190 m
- 17 km
- 6 hr
- Tatopani lodge
- All meals
-
15
Drive to Pokhara
Out by road along the Kali Gandaki, then an afternoon by the lake and a farewell dinner.
- 820 m
- 4 hr drive
- Pokhara hotel
- Breakfast, dinner
-
16
Fly or drive to Kathmandu
Twenty-five minutes in the air or six hours on the road, then onward connections.
- 1,400 m
- Breakfast
Is this trip for you?
Sixteen days of walking with one very long pass day. You need endurance more than strength: six-hour days repeated, then a single ten-hour crossing at 5,416 m.
What is included
Included
- Licensed NMA guide and porter support (one porter per two travellers)
- All ground transport including the Pokhara transfer
- Lodge accommodation on trek, one night Kathmandu, one night Pokhara
- All meals on trek plus tea and coffee
- ACAP permit and TIMS card
- Guide and porter insurance, wages and equipment
- Group first-aid kit, pulse oximeter and satellite communicator
Not included
- International flights and Nepal visa
- Travel and evacuation insurance (mandatory, to 6,000 m)
- Pokhara–Kathmandu flight if you prefer flying to driving
- Hot showers, charging and wifi in lodges
- Personal equipment, drinks and tips
What to bring
- Sleeping bag rated to −10 °C
- Broken-in boots and trekking poles
- Down jacket and waterproof shell
- Windproof layer for the pass day
- Sun hat, warm hat, gloves
- Headtorch for the pre-dawn crossing
- 35 litre daypack
- Water treatment
Demo photography, from the region rather than this departure. Every image is CC0 or public domain.
Departures
20% deposit confirms your place. Balance due 45 days before departure.
| Dates | Availability | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct – 21 Oct 2026 | Places open | $2,180 | |
| 25 Oct – 9 Nov 2026 | Few places left · 3 left | $2,180 | |
| 20 Mar – 4 Apr 2027 | Places open | $2,080 | |
| 10 Apr – 25 Apr 2027 | Places open | $2,180 |
Your guide
Guide profiles are fictional. The photographs beside them show the terrain each guide works in — they do not depict the people described.
What travellers said
★ 4.9 from 132 fictional demo reviews.
-
★★★★★
The high route to Manang
Pasang gave us the option of the easy valley trail or the Ghyaru climb. Four extra hours, and I would do it again tomorrow.
-
★★★★★
Sixteen days well spent
Well-paced, honest briefings, and nobody in our group of nine had trouble on the pass. That is not luck.
-
★★★★★
Marpha
Nobody warns you that the best night of the trip is a small apple-brandy village after the pass.
Things to know
Has the road ruined the circuit?
It has changed it. Roughly 60% of the classic route now has vehicle access, but the NATT high trails run parallel to almost all of it. This itinerary walks the trails and only uses the road for the two transfer days at either end.
How hard is the Thorong La day really?
It is the hardest single day Aroha runs on a lodge trek: nine to ten hours, 900 m up and 1,600 m down, starting in the dark at around −10 °C. Everyone who has done the acclimatisation days properly gets across.
Can I add Tilicho Lake?
Yes, as a three-day extension from Manang. It is spectacular and adds a night at 4,150 m at a basic lodge. Ask when you enquire and we will price it in.
Is a guide compulsory?
Since 2023 Nepal requires a licensed guide for trekkers in national parks and conservation areas, including this route. It is included.
You might also consider
Close relatives.
Same region or same spirit, different commitment.
Not quite right?
We will build it around you.
Different dates, a shorter version, a family pace or a route that is not on this site. Private departures start at the same price as scheduled ones.