Classic Annapurna Circuit Trek

Your Classic Annapurna Circuit adventure begins the moment you land at Tribhuvan International Airport. An Escape Himalaya representative will be waiting at arrivals with a sign bearing your name. Your transfer to the hotel in Kathmandu's Thamel district takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic.

In the afternoon, our trek leader holds a detailed pre-departure briefing. You will receive your complimentary duffel bag, down jacket (rated to -15°C), sleeping bag, crampons, trek map, branded cap, and T-shirt. Your guide will review your packing, answer all questions, check permit documents, and collect any outstanding payments. Spend the evening wandering Thamel's busy lanes or relaxing at the hotel in preparation for an early start tomorrow.

An early departure from Kathmandu takes you west along the Prithvi Highway through rolling green countryside. The road follows the upper Trishuli River and passes through Besisahar, the administrative hub of Lamjung District, before turning north into the Marsyangdi River valley. Villages become smaller and quieter as the valley narrows. The final stretch of road to Jagat is a rough mountain track that traces the west bank of the river through small settlements at Bhulbule, Ngadi, and Syange. Jagat is a genuine trekking gateway town, compact, welcoming, and full of energy as trekkers fuel up for the days ahead.

The first full walking day eases you into the rhythm of the trail. Two paths leave Jagat, your guide picks the better option depending on trail conditions. Both routes cross suspension bridges, pass roaring waterfalls, and eventually converge at Tal, where a police checkpoint stamps your ACAP permit before you continue. The landscape here is dramatic: steep canyon walls rise on both sides of the valley and the Marsyangdi surges below. Small villages like Chaijo and Karte dot the route before the trail opens up at Dharapani, a traditional stone village filled with prayer wheels and carved mani walls.

The morning opens with clear views of Manaslu (8,163 m), Annapurna II, and Lamjung Himal before the forest closes in again. The trail passes through quiet farming villages,  Thonche, Bagarchhap, Danakyu, where you can smell woodsmoke from morning fires and watch children head to school. Near Koto the vegetation shifts noticeably as thick oak and bamboo gives way to pine-draped slopes and the first hints of the alpine zone. Chame is the largest settlement before Manang and serves as the district headquarters of Manang; it has proper shops, ATMs (use these, the last reliable ones on the route), and comfortable teahouses.

One of the most visually rewarding days on the entire circuit. The trail leaves Chame past smooth slate cliffs called Pauganda Danda and reaches Barthang, home to Nepal's largest apple orchard, around 67,000 trees covering the hillsides. In season you can buy fresh apple crumble, cider, and pie from family-run stalls. Past Swargadwari Bridge, towering rock faces come into view directly ahead, their scale hard to comprehend from the valley floor. Pisang is divided into upper and lower sections. Lower Pisang sits on the main trail; a 30–40 minute climb to Upper Pisang rewards you with close-up views of Pisang Peak (6,091 m) and the full sweep of the Annapurna range.

The day's high route from Pisang climbs steadily to the old Tibetan-influenced village of Gyaru, where flat-roofed stone houses and prayer flags announce the beginning of the Himalayan rain shadow. From Gyaru the trail drops to Ngawal, crosses yak pastures, and passes through the farming settlement of Braka, where a visit to the 500-year-old Samgag Samling Monastery is a worthwhile short detour. Manang finally appears around a ridge, a sprawling village watched over by Annapurna III (7,555 m), Gangapurna (7,455 m), and the Great Barrier. The altitude here is noticeable; pace yourself, eat well, and drink plenty of water.

Altitude medicine is clear: the best way to avoid altitude sickness above 3,000 metres is to rest and take a gentle high-altitude walk on your acclimatisation day. Your body needs time to increase its red blood cell count before you climb higher. Today is not a day off, it is one of the most important days on the entire trek.

Your guide will lead you on a short hike to Gangapurna Lake, a glacial tarn sitting at the foot of the mountain, where ice chunks drift across the surface in the morning cold. A longer option climbs to Milarepa Cave, where the revered Tibetan Buddhist poet and yogi is said to have meditated alone for years. The cave offers sweeping views of the entire Manang Valley. Spend the afternoon exploring the village's narrow alleyways, visiting the local Himalayan Rescue Association clinic for an altitude talk, or simply resting with a warm pot of ginger-lemon tea.

The vegetation thins out dramatically above Manang as you enter the true high-altitude zone. The trail passes through the small settlement of Tengi, only a handful of families live here year-round, and continues to Gunsang, where the river sparkles below and the snow-covered flanks of Chulu East (6,584 m) and Chulu West (6,419 m) fill the northern skyline. Yak Kharka is barely a village, a few teahouses, a stone corral, and yaks grazing on the last patches of mountain grass. Today's short distance is intentional; the altitude gain is enough and your lungs will let you know it.

Another short but important acclimatisation day. The trail climbs alongside Kone Khola stream to the police checkpoint at Ledar, then continues to Deurali and finally Thorong Phedi, literally the foot of Thorong La Pass. The atmosphere here is charged; trekkers from all over the world share the same nervous energy as they check gear, compare notes with their guides, and try to sleep early. Some trekkers choose to push another hour uphill to Thorong High Camp (4,850 m), which meaningfully shortens the following day's pass crossing. Your Escape Himalaya guide will help you decide based on how you are feeling.

The single most demanding and most rewarding day on the entire trek. You will start walking in the dark, typically around 4:30 am, to beat the afternoon winds that can make the pass dangerous. Headlamps light the way up steep switchbacks of snow and loose rock, the air thin enough that every step feels deliberate. After around two hours of steady climbing, you reach High Camp, where trekkers pause to catch breath and watch the sky lighten over Thorong Peak (6,144 m) and Khatungkang (6,484 m).
From High Camp the gradient eases slightly but the altitude demands constant respect. Take your time, drink water, and trust your legs. When you finally arrive at the prayer flags marking Thorong La Pass, the reward is immediate and complete. On clear days the entire Annapurna range stretches in every direction, Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) to the south, Annapurna II, III, and IV to the east, and the barren Mustang plateau dropping away to the west. Take your photographs, celebrate with your group, then begin the long descent toward the holy Muktinath Valley.
The Muktinath Temple complex is one of the most sacred sites in all of South Asia, a place where Hindu and Buddhist traditions have coexisted in harmony for centuries. The eternal flame that burns from water and stone, the 108 sacred water spouts, and the ancient Vishnu shrine make this a deeply moving place to end the day, regardless of your own faith.

Your legs will feel the drop in altitude today as the trail descends steeply through the Kali Gandaki Valley past Kagbeni, a medieval fortified town where the road to Upper Mustang begins, and on to Jomsom, the largest town in the Mustang region. Stop for a proper lunch here before continuing south to Marpha, which many trekkers name as their favourite village on the entire circuit.
Marpha is immaculate: whitewashed stone walls, paved lanes, drainage channels, orchards heavy with apples and apricots, and rooftops lined with drying fruit. The village is famous across Nepal for its apple products, brandy, cider, wine, jams, pickles, and dried chips. Pick up a bottle of local brandy for the evening or simply sit in the afternoon sun outside a teahouse and admire how beautifully this community has kept its heritage alive in the modern world.

The Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest gorge on earth, measured from riverbed to mountain summit, is your constant companion today. The valley's character changes completely as you descend from the arid Mustang plateau into an increasingly lush landscape of pine forest, shrubs, and eventually rhododendron trees. The colossal south face of Annapurna I fills the sky at Kalopani, a viewpoint so dramatic that it has featured in countless documentaries and photography books. Ghasa, the last Thakali village on this section of the route, sits beside the rushing river and offers simple, warm hospitality after a long day's walk.

The trail passes the thundering Rupse Chhahare waterfall, water crashing down dark cliff faces into pools below, the mist cooling you as you walk past. The Kali Gandaki Gorge reaches its most dramatic depth near Dana village, where the trail hangs high above the churning river below. As the valley widens and the altitude drops, subtropical warmth returns. Tatopani, which literally means 'hot water' in Nepali, is a small riverside settlement famous throughout the trekking world for one reason: natural geothermal pools fed by underground springs. By the time you arrive, those pools will likely feel like the best idea you have heard in days.

No alarm, no pack weight, no altitude to manage. Today belongs entirely to you. The hot spring pools at Tatopani sit beside the river and are surrounded by mango trees and the sound of flowing water. Many trekkers spend the entire morning soaking, reading, and dozing in the warmth. After days of crossing high mountain passes and navigating rocky trails, the heat works its way into every tired muscle and joint.
The village has good food, fresh fruit, strong coffee, cold drinks, and proper sit-down meals served without any rush. If you have enough energy, a short walk through the terraced fields above the village gives views back toward the Dhaulagiri massif. But there is absolutely no obligation to do anything except recover. Tomorrow, the trail climbs again.

The day starts gently on flat riverside paths before the trail turns sharply uphill toward Ghorepani. This is a genuine climb, nearly 1,700 metres of elevation gain over the course of the day, but the route through dense rhododendron and oak forest makes the effort worthwhile. In spring (February to April) these forests are ablaze with red, pink, and white rhododendron flowers, the national flower of Nepal. Birds fill the canopy, laughing thrushes, Himalayan monals, kalij pheasants. By the time Ghorepani comes into view, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri summits are right there above the ridge. Dinner in Ghorepani comes with genuine anticipation for what tomorrow morning will bring.

The 4:30 am alarm is the one you will not want to snooze. The short trail to Poon Hill (3,210 m) takes just 45 minutes from Ghorepani, and arriving before first light means you claim your spot on the viewing platform as the sky transitions from deep navy to pale gold. When the sun finally clears the eastern ridges, it strikes the Dhaulagiri group first, then the Annapurna Himal, Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Annapurna I, in a sequence of fire and shadow that silences everyone watching. On clear days more than a dozen major Himalayan peaks are visible from this single point.
After breakfast in Ghorepani you descend through terraced farms and river forest to Banthanti, where your jeep transfer is waiting. The bumpy road to Pokhara takes about two hours, arriving in Nepal's adventure capital in the early afternoon. Check into your lakeside hotel, enjoy a long shower, and spend the evening by Phewa Lake with cold drinks and the satisfaction of a genuinely great trek behind you.

The tourist bus departs Pokhara's lake bus park in the morning, following the Prithvi Highway east through the Marsyangdi and Trishuli valleys. The drive passes through Damauli, Muglin, and Kurintar, where you can spot Nepal's first cable car climbing to Manakamana Temple across the river gorge. The journey is long but the scenery eases it along: stepped rice terraces, wooden suspension bridges, river beaches, and eventually the dense traffic of the Kathmandu Valley approaches. Those who prefer not to spend most of the day on the road may opt for the 25-minute Pokhara-Kathmandu flight at an additional cost of approximately USD 115 per person.

Your Escape Himalaya representative will transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport three hours before your scheduled departure. You will leave with a government-issued trek completion certificate, a memory card full of photographs that will last a lifetime, and very likely the seed of a plan for your next adventure in Nepal. We will have enjoyed every step of this journey with you, and we hope the mountains find their way back into your plans before long.