Around the Annapurna

23 Days Around the World’s Tenth-Highest Peak

Days 1 to 3  |  Kathmandu

Arrive in Kathmandu for the expedition briefing and three days in the Kathmandu Valley. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the valley, including Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, and the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu and Patan, provide the cultural foundation for a trek that will pass through Buddhist and Hindu communities whose traditions connect directly to what is visible in the valley temples. The Annapurna Conservation Area and TIMS permits are arranged during these days.

Days 4 to 7  |  Into the Marsyangdi

Drive or fly to Besisahar and begin trekking through the Marsyangdi Valley, the approach corridor of the circuit. The lower valley is lush and subtropical: waterfalls dropping from the hillsides above, terraced farmland on both banks, the river running green and fast below suspension bridges. The villages of Bahundanda, Chamje, and Dharapani appear at intervals as the trail climbs through increasingly dramatic gorge scenery, the valley walls steepening and the peaks above growing more visible with each day of ascent.

Days 8 to 11  |  Manang and the High Plateau

Above Dharapani the trail enters the rain shadow of the Annapurna range and the landscape transforms. The subtropical forest gives way to pine, then juniper, then the open highland of the upper Marsyangdi. The villages of Chame, Pisang, and Braga are Buddhist in character, their gompas, prayer wheels, and flat-roofed stone houses belonging to a Tibetan cultural tradition that the altitude and the mountain barrier from the monsoon have preserved. Manang at 3,500 metres is the largest settlement in the upper valley, its position below the Gangapurna glacier giving it a mountain backdrop of exceptional quality. The acclimatization days here are important: the pass is still 2,000 metres above.

Days 12 to 14  |  Thorong La and Muktinath

The approach to Thorong La begins from Thorong Phedi with an early start before dawn. The ascent to the pass at 5,416 metres takes five to six hours at the pace that altitude requires, the trail well marked and wide enough to accommodate the steady movement of trekkers in both directions. The col at the top is windy and cold and the views across the northern arc of the Himalaya are as clear as the weather allows. The descent to Muktinath is long and rewards an early start: the temple complex at the bottom is reached in the early afternoon, giving time to visit the sacred spring and the gopas before the day ends.

Days 15 to 19  |  The Kali Gandaki and Tatopani

The descent through the Kali Gandaki gorge is one of the great geological experiences available on foot anywhere in the world. The trail passes through the Thakali villages of Kagbeni, Marpha, and Tukuche, their covered stone lanes and whitewashed walls built specifically against the wind that funnels up the gorge from the south every afternoon. The hot springs at Tatopani at 1,190 metres are a natural restorative after two weeks of high-altitude walking. The baths here have been used by travellers on the Kali Gandaki for centuries.

Days 20 to 23  |  Poon Hill and the Return

The final walking days climb from Tatopani through the rhododendron forests of Ghorepani to the ridge above, where Poon Hill at 3,195 metres provides the sunrise panorama that closes the circuit: the full Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri visible from a single viewpoint in the first light. Descent to Pokhara follows through the Gurung villages of Tikhedhunga and Birethanti, and two nights in Pokhara complete the expedition before the return flight or drive to Kathmandu for the final day and departure.

Day by Day

Days 1 to 3  Kathmandu  The Cultural Foundation

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to the hotel with a welcome from the SherpaHolidays team. The expedition briefing that evening covers the full 23-day circuit: the altitude profile from Besisahar to Thorong La and back down to Pokhara, the acclimatization strategy for the Manang days, the daily distances and terrain, the lodge accommodation system along the route, and the physical demands of the pass crossing. The Annapurna Circuit is well established and the lodges are reliable, but the Thorong La at 5,416 metres requires proper preparation and the briefing is designed to ensure that guests arrive at the pass in the right condition.

The Kathmandu Valley days are genuinely worth the time they occupy. Swayambhunath on its hilltop above the city has been a centre of Buddhist practice for over two thousand years, its stupa and prayer wheels visible from a long distance across the valley. Pashupatinath on the Bagmati river is the most sacred Hindu site in Nepal: the cremation ghats, the sadhus in their ochre robes, and the continuous activity of a living temple give the place a quality that demands an unhurried visit. The medieval Durbar Squares of Kathmandu and Patan preserve the stone carvings and timber architecture of the Newari tradition in a concentration found nowhere else in the Himalayan world. Boudhanath, the great stupa east of the city, is the centre of the Tibetan Buddhist community in Kathmandu and one of the largest stupas in the world. The Annapurna Conservation Area permit and the TIMS trekking permit are arranged during these three days.

Stay: Luxury Hotel in Kathmandu

Days 4 to 7  Besisahar to Dharapani  The Marsyangdi Valley

The journey to Besisahar at 820 metres is by road from Kathmandu or by a short flight to Pokhara and then a drive north, the Annapurna range visible above the foothills as the vehicle approaches the start of the circuit. Besisahar is a busy market town at the entrance to the Marsyangdi valley, and the trail begins immediately from the edge of the settlement, dropping to the river and following it upstream. The lower Marsyangdi is one of the most varied approach corridors in Nepal: a deep gorge in places, wide and agricultural in others, the trail crossing the river on suspension bridges and climbing the valley walls when the gorge narrows too far to pass at river level.

The subtropical character of the lower valley is one of the Annapurna Circuit’s distinguishing qualities. Waterfalls drop from the walls above the trail in the monsoon and post-monsoon months, the vegetation is dense and diverse, and the villages of Bahundanda and Chamje are lower-altitude Hindu settlements with the terraced rice and millet fields, the Hindu temples, and the social character of the Nepal middle hills rather than the Buddhist high plateau above. This will all change within a few days, and the contrast between what is visible in the lower valley and what is visible at Manang makes both more remarkable. The trail reaches Dharapani at 1,960 metres after several days of walking, where the Marsyangdi is joined by the Dudh Khola and the valley opens after the gorge sections below.

Stay: Best Available Mountain Lodges

Days 8 to 11  Chame to Manang  The High Plateau

Above Dharapani the trail crosses into Manang district and the landscape begins its transition from subtropical to Tibetan. The forest changes first: pine replaces rhododendron, the trees become more widely spaced, and the light through the canopy is harder and more direct. The village of Chame at 2,670 metres is the administrative centre of upper Manang, its government buildings and small shops marking it as a transition point before the more remote settlements above. Above Chame, the valley opens dramatically: the great wall of Annapurna II and Annapurna IV rises on the left, the rock cliffs of the right bank are vertical and immense, and the river below runs green and clear in the dry season.

Pisang at 3,300 metres has two distinct parts: upper Pisang on the ridge above with its gompa and its views north toward the arid plateau, and lower Pisang in the valley below with the lodges used by most trekking groups. The upper village is worth the extra climb: the gompa is old and its position on the ridge gives views that the lower trail does not offer. Braga, between Pisang and Manang, has one of the oldest gompas in the Annapurna region, its internal murals and statuary representing a tradition of religious art that the altitude and the rain shadow have preserved from the damp that destroys similar work in the lower valleys.

Manang at 3,500 metres is a substantial settlement by the standards of the high plateau, its flat-roofed stone houses arranged below the hanging glacier of Gangapurna on the northern wall. The acclimatization days here are structured around gradual altitude gain rather than rest: a walk up to the viewpoint above Manang at 3,800 metres, or further to the Gangapurna lake at 3,900 metres, or up toward the Ice Lake at 4,600 metres for those who want a serious altitude day. The Himalayan Rescue Association maintains a health post at Manang during the trekking season, and the altitude briefings run there are useful for groups approaching the pass.

Stay: Best Available Mountain Lodges

Days 12 to 14  Thorong La to Muktinath  The Great Crossing

The walk from Manang to Thorong Phedi at 4,450 metres takes most of a day through the upper Marsyangdi valley, the trail climbing steadily through terrain that has given up on vegetation entirely above 4,000 metres. Thorong Phedi is a collection of lodges at the base of the pass, its position in a cold and windswept hollow explaining why most groups stop here for the night rather than continuing higher to the tea house at 4,900 metres. The altitude at Thorong Phedi is enough to make sleep difficult, and the predawn start for the pass the following morning is better made from a cold and fitful night than from no sleep at all.

The ascent of Thorong La begins in the dark. Headlamps on the trail, the temperature well below freezing, the path climbing steeply in the first section and then easing to a long switchbacking slope below the col. The sunrise catches the peaks above the pass as the trail gains the upper section, Yakawa Kang and Khatungkang visible above, the trail below invisible in the shadow of the valley. The col at 5,416 metres arrives after five to six hours of walking, and the view from it extends north across the Tibetan-influenced terrain of upper Mustang and south toward the Dhaulagiri range. The wind through the col is consistent and cold. The descent on the far side is long, dropping 1,600 metres to Muktinath through a landscape of grey and brown scree that opens gradually to the wider valley of the Kali Gandaki below.

Muktinath at 3,800 metres is reached in the early afternoon if the start from Thorong Phedi was made before dawn. The temple complex here is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, its sanctity deriving from a natural gas seep that produces a flame burning above a spring, combining fire and water at the same point. The 108 water spouts arranged around the temple are used for ritual bathing by Hindu pilgrims who have walked here from the southern plains. The Buddhist gompa above the spring serves a different tradition with different practices in the same place. Both communities visit on the same days and the coexistence at Muktinath is not arranged or managed: it is simply the way the site has always worked.

Stay: Best Available Mountain Lodges

Days 15 to 19  Kagbeni to Tatopani  The Deepest Gorge

The trail south from Muktinath descends through Kagbeni, the gateway village to upper Mustang, its medieval fort and the checkpoint for the restricted area visible from the trail below. The Kali Gandaki gorge begins in earnest from Kagbeni: the wind that funnels up the valley from the south is the defining feature of afternoon walking in this section, strong enough to make forward progress difficult if the timing is wrong. The Thakali village of Marpha below Kagbeni is the most architecturally distinctive settlement on the circuit: covered stone lanes designed to protect against the wind, whitewashed walls, apple orchards on the slopes above, and the brandy that the community has been producing from those apples for generations.

Tukuche and Ghasa continue the Thakali architectural tradition as the trail descends. The gorge walls rise above on both sides, the vertical relief between river and adjacent summit reaching its maximum as the valley passes between Dhaulagiri to the west and Annapurna I to the east. This section of the Kali Gandaki is the deepest river gorge in the world by the measure of depth between river and summit: Dhaulagiri at 8,167 metres and Annapurna I at 8,091 metres rise within 35 kilometres of each other across the same valley. The trail through the gorge passes through the geological layer where the Tethys Sea once covered this terrain: ammonite fossils appear in the riverbed and the surrounding rock faces in concentrations found nowhere else at this altitude.

Tatopani at 1,190 metres is where the hot springs are, a series of natural pools at the river’s edge fed by geothermal water. After two weeks of walking above 3,000 metres, an hour in the Tatopani pools is a restoration that no lodge shower can replicate. The vegetation at Tatopani is subtropical again: banana trees, ferns, and the warmth and humidity of the lower valley return suddenly after the cold and dryness of the plateau. This dramatic ecological transition within a single trek is one of the Annapurna Circuit’s distinguishing qualities and one that no other trekking route in Nepal replicates at this scale.

Stay: Best Available Mountain Lodges

Days 20 to 23  Ghorepani to Kathmandu  Poon Hill and the Return

The climb from Tatopani to Ghorepani gains 1,800 metres through rhododendron forest that blooms spectacularly in March and April and is dense and mossy in the post-monsoon months. Ghorepani at 2,860 metres is the staging point for the Poon Hill sunrise, its lodges full of trekkers who have approached from both the Annapurna Circuit and the shorter Poon Hill loop from Pokhara. The predawn walk to Poon Hill at 3,195 metres takes thirty minutes and arrives at the viewpoint in time for the first light on the Annapurna range. The panorama from the top extends across the full southern face of the Annapurna massif, from Dhaulagiri in the west through Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machapuchare, and the Annapurna I summit to Lamjung Himal in the east. The light on these peaks in the minutes around sunrise is unlike what the midday view offers: colour and shadow defining the faces in a way that the flat light of the day removes.

The descent from Ghorepani through Tikhedhunga and Birethanti to Nayapul follows a trail through the Gurung villages of the Annapurna foothills, the terraced fields and stone houses of the lower slopes providing a final encounter with the hill community culture that defines this part of Nepal. The drive to Pokhara from Nayapul takes an hour, and two nights in Pokhara on the shores of Phewa Lake close the trekking section of the expedition with the kind of unhurried rest that the circuit earns. The return to Kathmandu by road or flight completes the journey, with a final day in the city for last shopping in Thamel or a last visit to the valley temples before the international departure.

Stay: Best Available Mountain Lodges then Luxury Hotel in Pokhara then Luxury Hotel in Kathmandu

The Sherpa Standard

Every SherpaHolidays expedition is fully supported from arrival to departure. Here is what that covers for this journey.

Accommodation and Meals

• City Hotels: 5 nights of boutique hotel accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
• Mountain Lodges: 17 nights in hand-picked mountain lodges and tea houses along the circuit, selected for comfort, cleanliness, and location.
• Full Board on Trek: Nutritious meals throughout the 23-day expedition, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner at every lodge.

Leadership and Support

• Expedition Guide: A dedicated, licensed English-speaking lead guide with deep knowledge of the Annapurna Circuit, Himalayan culture, and high-altitude terrain management.
• Sherpa Support Team: Professional porters and assistants handling all logistics and personal luggage throughout.
• Safety Protocol: Expert management of the Thorong La crossing and daily health monitoring throughout the high-altitude section.

Transport and Permits

• Approach Options: Choice of a scenic internal flight past the Manaslu range to Pokhara or a private coach through the Prithvi Highway foothills.
• Private Transfers: All ground transportation by private, comfortable vehicle throughout.
• Permits: All Annapurna Conservation Area permits and local government taxes fully covered.

What Is Not Included

• International airfare to and from Kathmandu and Nepal entry visa fees
• Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
• Technical trekking clothing, specialized boots, and personal medications
• Travel and emergency evacuation insurance, which is mandatory for this expedition. We can recommend providers.
• Tips for guides and porters

Five Things That Define This Circuit

Thorong La: The Highest Trekking Pass in the World

The crossing of Thorong La at 5,416 metres is the event that the circuit builds toward from the first day out of Besisahar. The ascent in the dark, the sunrise catching the peaks above the col, the views from the top extending across the northern arc of the Himalaya, and the long descent to Muktinath on the far side: this is the sequence that most people who complete the Annapurna Circuit describe when asked what they remember most clearly. The pass is well-marked and well-used, but 5,416 metres is 5,416 metres, and the acclimatization days at Manang exist precisely because the altitude cannot be rushed. Arriving at the col in good condition is the result of three weeks of careful altitude gain, and the crossing rewards it.

The Kali Gandaki: The World’s Deepest Gorge

The Kali Gandaki flows between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna in a gorge whose depth, measured between river and adjacent summit, is greater than any other river gorge on earth. The trail through this corridor passes through the Thakali villages of Marpha and Tukuche, whose covered stone lanes, whitewashed walls, and apple orchards represent one of the most distinct architectural traditions in Nepal. The ammonite fossils in the riverbed are remnants of the Tethys Sea that covered this terrain before the Himalaya rose beneath it. The afternoon wind that funnels up the gorge is strong enough to make forward progress difficult and is itself a defining feature of the route: a physical reminder that the Kali Gandaki has been shaping this landscape, and the communities along it, for much longer than the trekking trails have existed.

Muktinath: Where Fire Meets Water

The pilgrimage site of Muktinath at 3,800 metres has drawn Hindus and Buddhists for over two thousand years, its sanctity resting on a natural phenomenon that both traditions interpret as evidence of the divine: a gas seep that produces a flame burning above a spring, fire and water in the same place at the same time. The 108 water spouts arranged around the temple are used for ritual bathing by Hindu pilgrims from across South Asia. The Buddhist gompa above the spring serves a separate practice in the same precinct. On a busy pilgrimage day, both communities are present simultaneously. The coexistence here is not ceremonial: it is the ordinary functioning of a site that belongs to both traditions and has for as long as either has been present in the Himalaya.

Sunrise at Poon Hill

The predawn walk from Ghorepani to Poon Hill at 3,195 metres takes thirty minutes. The summit is a broad platform with a view that extends across the full southern face of the Annapurna massif, from Dhaulagiri in the west to Lamjung Himal in the east. In the minutes around sunrise, before the flat light of the day flattens the faces of the peaks, the colour and shadow on these mountains is extraordinary. Machapuchare, the unclimbed sacred peak whose double summit gives it the local name Fishtail, is directly in the centre of the view. It is the photograph that most people who complete the Annapurna Circuit take home as the image of the expedition. Seeing it in person is better than the photograph, and the photograph is very good.

The Communities of the Circuit

The Annapurna Circuit passes through more distinct cultural communities than any other trekking route in Nepal. The Hindu villages of the lower Marsyangdi give way to the Gurung settlements of the middle hills and then to the Buddhist Manangi communities of the high plateau, whose connection to the Tibetan trade routes that once connected these valleys to Lhasa is visible in the gompas, the prayer flags, the flat-roofed architecture, and the faces of the people on the trail. The Thakali villages of the Kali Gandaki represent a fourth tradition: a merchant community whose control of the salt trade between Tibet and the lower valleys gave them the prosperity to build the distinctive covered-lane settlements visible at Marpha and Tukuche. Walking through all of these communities in three weeks is one of the things that makes the full circuit irreplaceable.