Day 1: Arrival day in Kathmandu
Route: Airport to hotel. Sleeping height: 1,350 m. Activity: Arrival and trek briefing. Overnight: Kathmandu hotel.
Our team meets you at Tribhuvan Airport and drives you to your hotel. In the afternoon or evening your guide runs the trek briefing: route, daily timings, altitude rules, packing check and rental gear such as sleeping bags and down jackets. Use the rest of the day to exchange money, buy snacks and sleep well before the long bus day.
Day 2: Kathmandu to Besisahar by local bus, then shared vehicle up the valley
Route: Kathmandu to Besisahar by local bus, then by shared vehicle to Bagarchhap. Sleeping height: 2,160 m. Activity: Long travel day of about 10 to 12 hours in total. Overnight: Bagarchhap teahouse.
You leave early on a local bus along the Prithvi Highway to Besisahar, the old starting point of the circuit, then continue by shared vehicle on a rough road up the Marsyangdi valley. The valley changes from rice terraces to pine and bamboo, and you reach the Manang district at the end of the day. Journey times swing with traffic and road work, so treat the hours as a guide.
Day 3: Bagarchhap to Chame
Route: Bagarchhap to Chame. Sleeping height: 2,670 m. Activity: Walk of about 4 to 5 hours. Overnight: Chame teahouse.
You climb through forest toward Timang and Danaqyu, where Annapurna II appears on a clear morning, with Manaslu visible from some spots. Chame is the district headquarters and has a small bazaar, shops and hot springs a short walk from the lodges. The air starts to feel thinner here, so keep your pace slow.
Day 4: Chame to Pisang
Route: Chame to Pisang. Sleeping height: 3,200 m. Activity: Walk of about 5 to 6 hours. Overnight: Pisang teahouse.
The valley opens into a wide glacial trough and the dark curve of Paungda Danda rises above the river. You pass apple orchards and a long pine forest before reaching Pisang. Your guide will talk through the first signs of altitude sickness this evening, and you will check oxygen saturation as part of the daily routine.
Day 5: Pisang to Manang
Route: Pisang to Manang by the upper route. Sleeping height: 3,540 m. Activity: Walk of about 6 to 7 hours. Overnight: Manang teahouse.
We take the upper trail through Ghyaru and Ngawal, which is longer than the valley road but far more scenic, with Annapurna II, III and Gangapurna ahead. Monasteries and stone villages line the route. Manang is a lively trekking town with bakeries, a rescue post and film shows in season.
Day 6: Manang acclimatisation day
Route: Rest day with a short hike. Sleeping height: 3,540 m. Activity: Climb high, sleep low. Overnight: Manang teahouse.
This is the most important day of the circuit. Walk up toward the Gangapurna lake viewpoint or the Praken Gompa trail and return to sleep in Manang. Attend the daily altitude talk at the health post if it is running. Spend the afternoon drinking fluids, washing clothes and resting your legs.
Day 7: Manang to Yak Kharka
Route: Manang to Yak Kharka. Sleeping height: 4,018 m. Activity: Walk of about 4 hours. Overnight: Yak Kharka teahouse.
The trail leaves the last big village and climbs gradually to Gunsang and then Yak Kharka, a grazing area with a handful of lodges. It is a short day on purpose, giving your body time to adjust. Expect wide, dry landscapes and views of Chulu and Pisang peaks.
Day 8: Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi
Route: Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi. Sleeping height: 4,450 m. Activity: Walk of about 3 to 4 hours. Overnight: Thorong Phedi teahouse.
A steady climb beside the river brings you to Ledar and then along a short stretch above a loose slope, where we keep spacing between walkers. Phedi means the foot of the hill, and the pass looms above the lodges. Eat well, pack your daypack for tomorrow and go to bed early.
Day 9: Thorong Phedi to Muktinath via Thorong La Pass
Route: Thorong Phedi to Thorong La to Muktinath. Sleeping height: 3,710 m. Activity: Walk of about 9 to 11 hours. Overnight: Muktinath teahouse.
The hardest and best day starts around 4:00 AM with headlamps. You climb about 960 m to the pass at about 5,416 m, then descend more than 1,700 m on a long, steep path toward Muktinath. We set a turnaround time with your guide, and the weather has the last word. Muktinath is a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists, so keep the evening for rest and a visit to the temple area if you have energy.
Day 10: Muktinath to Marpha
Route: Muktinath to Marpha by Kagbeni and Jomsom. Sleeping height: 2,670 m. Activity: Walk or jeep, about 5 to 8 hours. Overnight: Marpha teahouse.
You drop into the dry, windy Kali Gandaki valley, with views of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri. Depending on your energy and the road, you can walk through Kagbeni, the river flats and Jomsom, or take a jeep for part of the way. Marpha is a tidy whitewashed village known for its apple orchards, apple brandy and narrow paved lanes.
Day 11: Marpha to Ghasa
Route: Marpha to Ghasa by Tukuche and Kalopani. Sleeping height: 2,010 m. Activity: Walk or jeep, about 4 to 7 hours. Overnight: Ghasa teahouse.
The valley turns greener as you pass Tukuche, an old trading town, and Larjung, then reach Kalopani where Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri stand on either side of the gorge. The pine forest thickens before Ghasa, a small Thakali village at the edge of the lower valley. A road runs along much of this stretch, so your guide will pick the best sections to walk.
Day 12: Ghasa to Tatopani
Route: Ghasa to Tatopani by Lete and Dana. Sleeping height: 1,190 m. Activity: Walk or jeep, about 3 to 6 hours. Overnight: Tatopani teahouse.
You follow the Kali Gandaki, often described as one of the deepest gorges on Earth, past waterfalls and subtropical forest, and reach Tatopani, where natural hot springs soothe sore legs after the pass. The height change is large, so you may feel warm and sleepy.
Day 13: Tatopani to Ghorepani
Route: Tatopani to Ghorepani. Sleeping height: 2,860 m. Activity: Walk of about 6 to 8 hours. Overnight: Ghorepani teahouse.
A big climb, over 1,600 m of ascent, through terraced fields, Ghara and Shikha villages, and finally rhododendron forest. It is steep and tiring, so start early and walk slowly. Ghorepani sits in a saddle with views across to Dhaulagiri in the late light.
Day 14: Ghorepani to Poon Hill sunrise and trek to Tadapani
Route: Ghorepani to Poon Hill, then to Tadapani via Deurali pass. Sleeping height: 2,630 m. Activity: Pre-dawn climb, then walk of about 5 to 6 hours. Overnight: Tadapani teahouse.
Climb to Poon Hill at about 3,210 m before dawn for a sunrise over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, then return to Ghorepani for breakfast. The day continues through Deurali pass and thick rhododendron and oak forest to Tadapani, with views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre on a clear day. Expect leeches only in the monsoon months, mud after rain and plenty of steps.
Day 15: Tadapani to Chhomrong
Route: Tadapani to Chhomrong. Sleeping height: 2,170 m. Activity: Walk of about 5 to 6 hours. Overnight: Chhomrong teahouse.
You descend through forest to Chuile and cross a suspension bridge, then climb stone steps to Chhomrong, a Gurung village on a steep slope. The view of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre is clear on a good evening. This is the last place with a good range of shops before the sanctuary.
Day 16: Chhomrong to Himalaya
Route: Chhomrong to Himalaya by Sinuwa and Dovan. Sleeping height: 2,920 m. Activity: Walk of about 6 to 7 hours. Overnight: Himalaya teahouse.
The trail goes down to the Chhomrong Khola, then climbs through Sinuwa, bamboo forest and Dovan along the Modi Khola gorge. The path is up and down, and rain or snow can make the steps slippery. The lodge at Himalaya sits in the forest at the entrance to the high sanctuary.
Day 17: Himalaya to Annapurna Base Camp
Route: Himalaya to Annapurna Base Camp via Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp. Sleeping height: 4,130 m. Activity: Walk of about 6 to 7 hours. Overnight: Annapurna Base Camp lodge.
The valley narrows, then opens into a vast amphitheatre ringed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhre. Avalanche risk is checked each day, and in snow your guide may change the schedule. Arrive in time for sunset on the walls above the lodge. It will be very cold at night.
Day 18: Descend from Annapurna Base Camp to Bamboo
Route: Annapurna Base Camp to Bamboo. Sleeping height: 2,310 m. Activity: Walk of about 7 to 8 hours. Overnight: Bamboo teahouse.
After a sunrise view you retrace the route down through Deurali, Himalaya and Dovan to Bamboo. This is a big descent of more than 1,800 m, hard on the knees, so poles help. Rest and drink well; the air is thick and warm after a night at base camp.
Day 19: Bamboo to Nayapul via Jhinu, drive to Pokhara
Route: Bamboo to Jhinu to Nayapul, then by road to Pokhara. Sleeping height: 820 m. Activity: Walk of about 6 to 8 hours (less if you ride a jeep for part), then a drive of 1.5 to 2 hours. Overnight: Pokhara hotel.
Climb to Sinuwa, then drop to Jhinu where hot springs beside the river are an optional stop.
The final section follows the lower valley to Nayapul, or to a point where a jeep road takes over. A vehicle then carries you to Pokhara, where you reach a hot shower and a real bed. Your guide will confirm where the walk ends on the day.
Day 20: Fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu
Route: Pokhara to Kathmandu by flight. Sleeping height: 1,350 m. Activity: Flight of about 25 minutes. Overnight: Kathmandu hotel.
Take the short morning flight to Kathmandu, with mountain views on a clear day if the weather allows. Flights can be delayed or cancelled in poor weather, so keep the day flexible. The afternoon is free for last-minute shopping, a farewell dinner and packing.
Day 21: Departure from Kathmandu
Route: Hotel to airport. Sleeping height: 1,350 m. Activity: Departure.
Our team drops you at Tribhuvan Airport for your onward flight. If your flight leaves late, ask us about a late check-out.
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