ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT AND BASE CAMP TREK
annapurna circuit and base camp OVERVIEW
Among the walks around the world 2nd to none is the Annapurna Circuit. Here we start our program by climbing slowly northwards while experiencing a different culture, habitant, and landscape along with the change in altitude. We pass by Manang – the largest village with Tibetan Buddhist background. Then head to the mountain pass of Thorang La – 5416m after which we descend south and move towards Annapurna Base Camp. This trek is a must-do for any avid hiker who has a deep interest in mountains & nature.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Splendid view of the Manaslu, Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri
- Conquer the Thorang La – 5416m with proper acclimatization
- Sunrise at Poonhill
- Trek to Annapurna Base Camp surrounded by multiple 7000m summits
ITINERARY
After passing through immigration at Tribhuwan International Airport and collecting your baggage. You can find our airport representative waiting for you outside the airport. You will be taken to the vehicle that has been sent for you which shall take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. According to
the time you arrival, you might have time to discover the surrounding area or some of the heritage sites that are situated around.
After our early morning breakfast, we drive west with the trek team. Passing by Mugling we then head to Dumre from where we turn North. Upon reaching besisahar we change our vehicle and get on jeeps which are required to tackle the rough road ahead on our way to Jagat.
As most of our days, we start our walk after breakfast. Due to the motor road which is pretty rough,
it is more pleasurable to walk from here on. We shall be taking the trail that is separate from the motor road where possible. We make a steady climb to Chamje and then descend passing by suspension bridge to cross the river. Then we shall climb again to reach Tal. Due to the terrain, the river has a lake-like appearance here. After Tal we move on to crossing the river and then after 4kms
of the walk we reach Dharapani - 1860m
Today we head west passing by Bagar Chap. Views of the Manaslu and Annapurna 2 are possible at times. We might be forced to walk to the motor road at times today too as we pass by forested area before reaching Chame. Chame is the administrative location of the region we can find small bazaars,
financial banks, mini schools, and views of the Annapurnas.
We cross the river several times today in a steep gorge section. The path is at times constructed into the cliffside on wooden piers. Passing through a forested ridge beyond Bura-Dhan we reach an open valley. We then cross the river to reach terraced fields with great views north side of Annapurna 2 at Upper Pisang.
This day we walk towards
the northern slopes via the villages of Ghyaru – 3720m and Ngawal ( 3680m. We pass through fascinating houses and gompas while incredible views of Annapurnas are just right across us. We then shall descend and rejoin the main Annapurna circuit trail from where an approx. walk of 4hrs will take us to Manang.
Today is our acclimatization day at Manang which is a big Tibetan village and the last one we come across before the Thorang La pass. Hikes to Chongkor viewpoint above the Ganga Purna lake are one option for today. Another option is to retrace our steps to Braga and head to Ice lake.
For better acclimatization, we head towards Ledar today at a very slow pace. Making a slow and short hike we get out of the valley while getting great views of the Manaslu, The Annapurnas, and Tilicho Peak. Northbound we pass through juniper and alpine meadows to the settlement of Ledar.
We continue slowly on the east bank of Jarsang Khola to a covered Bridge. Then a steep trail takes us to Thorang Phedi - 4500m which makes a possible stop point for many trekkers. To make it easier for tomorrow we continue up to Thorang High Camp which is 1 and 1/2hr more.
We get our breakfast around 6 am after which we head towards our challenge of the day. We make a steep ascent to the Thorang La. The trail is well defined and we might come across icy sections. We pass by icy lakes to reach the pass high which is marked by cairns and prayer flags - 5416m. Both directions now provide us with great views. The mountains that have been with the past couple of days while North West side has brown and red landscapes of Mustang while Kali Gandaki valley is below us. We now descend towards Muktinath – 3800m. Views of Dhaulagiri, Tukuche peak, and Nilgiri are excellent from here.
The road that has been extending slowly up Kali Gandaki has now reached Muktinath. Rather than walking via this dusty road we now take local jeeps to make our way to Tatopani via the world’s deepest gorge in between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. This route is subject to Landslips and blockages so we might have to walk short sections or switch jeeps on the way.
We follow a steep trail which takes us to the valley of Ghar Khola. After couple of hours of walk views of Dhaulagiri is possible whereas we can see sparely spread terraced fields and villages on the other side. We then pass by forest of moss-hung oak and rhododendrons to reach Ghorepani.
Early morning we climb to Poonhill. We enjoy the Dhaulagiri and the whole Annapurna range from here. Then we return to our lodge for our breakfast after which we walk to Tadapani passing though beautiful and quiet hododendron forests.
We make a steep descent through the Rhododendron forest with the mountains on the other side in the footsteps of Annapurna South – 7219m and reach Chomrong. Beautiful views of Machhapuchhare – 6697m awaits you.
After an 1hr of walk today8 we shall exit the cultural zone and enter a very beautiful tropical forest. We climb up the valley above the Modi Khola towards the Annapurna Sanctuary. We then take a downward trail to Bamboo – 2310m passing by bamboo forests to reach Dobhan.
We follow our forest trail with ascents and descents following the river and after a steep climb arrives at Hinku Cave – 3100m. Due to the higher altitude, the forest is now replaced by bushes and tall grass. Our trail joins the river and then after having followed it for about 30 minutes we rise rapidly to Macchapuchhre Base Camp. Paranomic views of Annapurna South – 7219m, Annapurna – 3 – 7548m, Gangapurna – 7455m and Machhapuchhre – 6997m is our treat of the day.
After 2hrs of walking along the moraine, we reach the heart of the Sanctuary – The Annapurna Base Camp which lies in the footsteps of South Face of Annapurna 1 – 8091m. We are surrounded by many summits here which are more than 7000m which is quite spectacular. We shall then descend back to MBC and then back to Dobhan - 2500m.
We continue our descent towards Jhinu Danda well known for its hot springs. The trail takes us deep into the forest of Rhododendrons and passes through the villages of Dobhan, Bamboo, Sinuwa, and Chomrong. We can catch glimpses of Nepalese culture while passing through these villages. The
last part of the trail is a steep descent up to the village of Jhinuwa.
Today is the last day of our trek. We descend while enjoying the magnificent landscape of hills of western Nepal. Our trek ends at Nayapul where we take our vehicle and head to Pokhara – 2nd biggest city in Nepal, situated next to Phewa Lake and in the footsteps of the Annapurna chain.
According to our flight schedule, we shall be transferred to the airport in Pokhara from where we shall take a 30 minutes flight to Kathmandu. Today would be a good day to shop for souvenirs and taste some local food. It’s also possible to visit some heritages sites today.
Be transferred to the airport according to your flight schedule. Wish you had a great journey and we look forward to welcoming you to Nepal again.
INQUIRE THIS TRIP
GALLERY
TRIP DETAILS
- 02 nights accommodation at Hotel Nepali Ghar – Kathmandu with Breakfast on twin sharing basis
- 17 nights accommodation at Local Lodge with 3 meals per day on twin sharing basis
- 01 night accommodation at Hotel Dahlia – Pokhara with Breakfast on twin sharing basis
- 01 English trekking guide
- Sherpa Guide according to group size for groups bigger than 6 Travelers
- 01 Porter for every 2 clients carrying maximum luggage of 12kg per person
- All necessary trekking permits – ACAP and TIMS
- Insurance for the Local Crew
- All Land Transfers required according to the program
- Pokhara – Kathmandu flight tickets
- 24/7 support
- International Flight Tickets
- Travel Insurance – mandatorily
- Cost of Visa
- Lunch and Dinner during stay in Pokhara and Kathmandu
- Personal Equipments
- Wifi, Hot Water, Mineral Water, Hot Showers, Charging of gadgets and camera during stay at Local Lodges
- Entrance fees required for entering heritage sites
- Extra costs that may arise due to political, weather or natural causes
- Tips for guides and porter
- Everything not mentioned in Trip Includes
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Nepal is landlocked country located in southern Asia sandwiched between two Asian giants India and China. The capital city of the country is Kathmandu, commonly known as city of temples where we can explore traditional artistic beauty. Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, Nepal is where the ice-cold of the mountains meets the steamy heat of the Indian plains. Moreover, it's a land of yaks and yetis, stupas and Sherpa’s and some of the best trekking on earth. The Himalaya's most sophisticated urban cultures took shape here, in the three great mini kingdoms of the Kathmandu valley- Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur - home to a world-class artistic and architectural heritage.
Yes. visa is required for entering Nepal for all foreign nationals except Indian Passport holders Indian national require to carry passport or voting card if they are travelling Nepal through air flight; while if they intend to travel through land surface then they can travel with any kind of specific identity issue by Government of India or concerned authorized Government organization like student id card, aadhar card, pan card etc. Foreign national can obtain Nepal visa with an easy process from local consulates or embassy of Nepal located in your country or you can also granted on arrival visa directly at International airport immigration in Kathmandu or in any border immigration that touches with India & China. You need to carry couple of recent passport size color photo for visa process. You will get multiple entry visas valid for 15 days, 30 days & 40 days with the visa fee of USD 25, USD 40 & USD 100 respectively.
It generally depends upon the time and season of your travel. Nepal is a conservative country it advisable not to wear revealing clothes that looks offensive; it should not be too short or tight. Medium-weight and easy to wash cottons are recommended year-round. If you arrive during the winter months, than woolen sweaters, jackets or similar warm outfits is required. Carry comfortable walking shoes, including sandals and athletic shoes. A head cover may be required for women and men at sacred sites and places of worship. For trekking and adventure expeditions, you will either be provided in house or suggested advice prior your expeditions gets underway.
It entirely depends on what do you prefer and want to experience while trekking in Nepal. Our fleet of travel experts will provide you with a detailed insight helping you to decide the best. Primarily large numbers of visitors incorporate Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan National Park. Besides that going for distinct kind of activities such as rafting, canyoing, zip flying, bungy jumping, cycling or motorbike tour is also doable.
Nepal is safe to a great extent as it has a low crime rate and is generally a safe country. However it is better to be on safeguard and avoid demonstrations, rallies, and public gatherings. Our ever helpful and supportive guides or representatives are always there to inform about the safe/ unsafe areas of town and take evasive action while traveling alone. In the market areas, be vigilant of pick-pockets and distraction scams. Though unfortunate there is a very likely chance of an armed Maoist presence on many of the major trekking routes. They do demand a 'tax' before allowing trekkers to pass. Trekkers are advised to stay on established routes and walk in a group or with professional guides at all times.
English is not a native language of Nepal. However the best part is English is understood by majority of people in the metropolitan cities. In the villages, different ethnic groups speak their own languages. Only handful of people are well versed in English in trekking areas up in the mountains.
Yes, and make sure to bring prescriptions and the medications in its original containers to avoid custom inspection hassle.
No, prior experience backpacking or hiking is not required or expected to join any of our trips. The only thing required is your physical fitness and your mental strength.
No, we do not provide travel insurance, but we do work with an excellent broker who can help you find the policy to fit your needs.
Yes, it is always make sure the company follows all proper safety procedures. How is the equipment stored, maintained, and inspected? Do the company’s partners follow the same safety requirements? Your safety is of paramount at Surya Holidays. The guides that are with us are well trained not only to keep you safe out in the field but to be ready for the unexpected unseen natural disasters or otherwise. Our safety policy is guaranteed to uphold our strict standards. Whenever you consider travelling, it’s important to inquire about safety records. For us we’re happy to say, that it is flawless.
After arrival at Kathmandu (Tribhuvan International Airport – TIA), money changing services are available right there at the airport. It is advisable to change only a small amount as you can get better money rates are found in the city. Kathmandu also has an extensive selection of ATM machines; however, they often limit the transaction and daily amount for withdrawal.