18 PURE ADVENTURE DAYS
Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the most spectacular trekingks in the world that offers spectacular panoramas over the Himalayan chain, especially in the Poonhill area. Thorung La, one of the world’s highest passes, incorporates the whole beauty and glory of the Annapurna area, one of Nepal’s richest cultural traditions.
It is the trek where you can admire two of the Himalayas 8000-ers, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri, live the zen atmosphere of the temples of the Mukhtinat or the monasteries of the Pisang area and enjoy the peace of Pokhara, perhaps the most beautiful city of Nepal.
Flight to Kathmandu
Arrival to Kathmandu
Arrival in Kathmandu, hotel accommodation, visit to Thamel, touristic area of Nepal capital
Travel by car from Kathmandu to Syange (1100m)
We follow the course of two rivers, Mahesh and Trishuli, a route that leads us through Nepalese picturesque rural life: cultivated terraces, rivers, torrents, green valleys, small yacht farms. If weather allows, we can admire the splendid panoramas of the Himalchuli (7893m) and Ngadichuli (7541m) of the Manaslu chain.
Time: 7-8 hours
Trekking Syange-Dharapani (1860m)
We start right after breakfast to Chamje, on a path that goes up and down, crossing bridges and oak forests. We will encounter many waterfalls in the days to come, and Tal village is at the feet of one of them at a height of 1700 meters !! After Tal, we find many Mani prayer stones, and the local tradition says we have to get past them on their left side.
Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Trekking Dharapani-Chame (2710m)
It is the day that we will be rewarded with a spectacular panorama of the Annapurna II peak (7937m) and the Manaslu chain. The vegetation changes from hardwood to coniferous, mostly pine, but also in the Thanchok area with apple orchards.
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Trekking Chame-Pisang (3300m)
In the morning, a path through fir and pine forests leads us to the village of Brathang, where Tibetan resistance used to make raids across the border to fight with Chinese occupants. At some point, we will see the spectacular rocky face of Mui Tscho, which rises dizzily at almost 1,500 meters above the valley. Today we pass into the area of the Upper Manang, and the landscape changes spectacularly. The valley suddenly descends and, after a beautiful hour in the shadow of Annapurne II and IV, we reach Pisang.
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Trekking Pisang – Manang (3540m)
We follow the northern route from the dry side of the Manang district, protected by the effects of the monsoon by the Annapurna chain. Along the way, we admire the village of Brahga, whose houses hanging on rocks give the impression that they are built on each other. Here we can admire a Buddhist monastery for over 500 years, and the rest of the time we use it for acclimatization, because altitude begins to make its effect on metabolism.
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Acclimatization day in Manang (3540m)
The next two days will be demanding because of the rise in altitude, therefore a day of acclimatization is absolutely necessary. Today we will make easy walks in the Manang area, admire the Bodzo Gampa and Gangapurna lakes, and attend the altitude show held by volunteer Western physicians at the Himalayan Rescue Association.
Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Trekking Manang-Yak Kharka (4110m)
We are already well in the area where the effects of the altitude are felt, so the pace of the hiking decreases, the breathing becomes more difficult and we will consume more fluids. Good luck with the magnificent mountain panoramas that make the most of the effort!
Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Trekking Yak Kharka – Thorong Phedi (4600m)
Today is the day of a slight climb to Thorong Phedi through Ledar – where we can admire the Chulu Mountains and cross the Jarsang Khola. In the afternoon, a new easy acclimatization trek will follow, following the vital principle “climb high, sleep low”. Depending on the weather, we can even go up to Thorong La.
Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Trekking Thorong Phedi – Muktinath via Thorung La
Today will be the longest day of the circuit. We leave before the sun rises at 4-5 o’clock in the morning to reach the pass around 9-10 o’clock, before the strong winds make it difficult to cross. A route that we encounter stupa and prayer flags leads us to one of the most spectacular panoramas of the Himalayas: the Thorung La Pass. Situated between the Yakgawa Kang (6481m) in the south and the Khatung Gang (6484m) in the north, the pass provides a 360-degree panoramic view: the Chulu West chain is right ahead, followed by the Annapurns chain right.
Then, on the descent, the Dhaulagiri (8167m) are offered as we approach Muktinath, the host city of the temple of the same name and a few monasteries. After the difficult day’s trek, a visit to the temple that is the place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus will be like a release. Another attraction of the area is the Jwala Mai Temple, with its wonderful spring and eternal flame powered by natural gas spilling from Earth.
Trekking time: 7-8 hours
Trekking Muktinath (3800m) – Jomson (2700m)
Easy downhill to Jomson through the flooded Kali Ghandaki plains, which offer spectacular views of the Mustang Valley, the Nilgiri Mountains and the Dhaulagiri Chain.
Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Jomson – Pokhara flight
There will be a short flight early in the morning to Pokhara, which offers spectacular views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri chains. The rest of the day will be spent visiting the picturesque city of Pokhara and its surrounding area with spectacular lakes. Shopping is also a good way to spend time.
Flight time: 30 min.
Spare and spare days in Pokhara
It’s a spare day if, due to the weather, we can not fly the day before. If the flight follows the plan, it is a day of relaxation in beautiful Pokhara.
Pokhara – Kathmandu driving
Today we return to Kathmandu, where a traditional Nepalese dinner is waiting for us in a restaurant with a cultural program. Potentialy, we can stop on the road for a 3-hour rafting tour.
Driving time: 6-7 hours
2 days of hotel accommodation, free program in Kathmandu.
One can choose to discover the charm of the capital on its own or make it an organized tour.
Kathmandu – home flight.
technical data
- Battery devices (phones, cameras, e-readers, etc.) can be charged for a small fee in the lodges where we accommodate. Likewise, water is purchased for a fee.
- evereSTory is a trek, so it does not require specific technical mountain training. A good physical condition is advisable.
- The Nepal visa can be received at the airport and costs 40USD / 30 days.
- No vaccines are needed
- Nepal is a safe country for tourists, and the earthquake destruction of 2015 has been removed from trekking routes.
- In many lodges on the trail you can take a shower for free and in some, counter-cost (5-6 USD).
- A porter is shared by two people, so each baggage must not exceed 14kg.
- We recommend buying local GSM SIM cards because they are much cheaper than roaming. For example, one minute talk time in roaming costs about 2.5 euro, while international calls on a Nepalese card are about 0.5-0.8USD/min