The Annapurna Circuit Trek is rightly considered Nepal’s classic trek. More than any other equivalent length hike, it passes through virtually every type of scenery and terrain Nepal has to offer. It is also an excellent introduction to hiking in Nepal. The trek begins at the middle-hills village of Besi-Sahar on the Marshyangdi River, and then follows the river all the way from the Brahmin-Chhetri-Gurung settlement, through the Tibetan Buddhist region of Manang, and finishing at the beautiful city Pokhara in west Nepal.
assing through the monsoon rainforest and rhododendron forest, there are also many views of the tallest mountains in the area, including Fishtail, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, II, III, South, Tent Peaks and others. The high point of the trek is crossing Thorong-La Pass at 5,416 m, before descending into the Kali Gandaki Valley and stopping at the famous shrine of Muktinath. There are more villages, including Thakali, Magar and Gurung settlements before reaching the end at Pokhara.
We start this classic trek driving 8 hours toward west Nepal to Beshishar, and next morning we continue driving with a local jeep to Dharapani. Only after Dharapani, we start our hiking following the Kali Gandaki river, passing some of the most beautiful landscapes and waterfalls. Sometimes we walk on the
jeep-able road and some time on the proper trekking trails. These days local jeeps can drive up to Manang.
Along the way, we can have the opportunity to visit the Buddhist monasteries to gain insight into Buddhist cultures and traditions. We stay 2 overnights in Manang for better acclimatization, and possibly hiking to Ice Lake (4,600m). Manang allows superb mountain views of Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak.
From Manang, we trek to Yak Kharka viewing the stunning views of Mt. Annapurna and its sister's peaks. After spending night in Yak Kharka, now we move to Thorang Phedi, it’s base to the Thorang La Pass (5,416m), from Phedi we start very early morning about 4:30 am as it will be the longest walking and climbing day of the trip over the Thorang La Pass and all the way down to Muktinath, it will be about 10 hour of walk with all most 1,000m ascent and 1650m descent. Muktinath is important holy temple of Hindu and Buddhist as well. We stay a night at Kagbeni and another night in Marpha, and both are small beautiful towns in the area and Marpha has huge Apple farms.
From Marpha we will take bus/jeep drive to Tatopani (hot spring) and finally, we will get into another part of the Annapurna, Ghorepani and Poonhill area. Before leaving Ghorepani, early morning we will hike to Poonhill for sunrise views of the mountains and also express a hearty thankfulness to the mountains to allow us a safe and successful trek in the Annapurna area. After walking about 3 hours from Ghorepani, we will take a jeep drive to Pokhara where our trip ends.
Day 1
Arrival in KTM, transfer to hotel, briefingDay 2
Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour, Necessary preparation & PackingDay 3
Drive to Besishar (760m) 7-8 hours, O/N GuesthouseDay 4
Jeep drive to Dharapani (1,860m) 5-6 hoursDay 5
Trek to Chame (2,670m), 4-5 hoursDay 6
Trek to Pisang (3,200m), 5 hoursDay 7
Trek to Manang (3,540m), 4-5 hoursDay 8
Acclimatization and rest day at Manang (3,540m)Day 9
Trek to Yak Kharka (4,050m), 4-5 hoursDay 10
Trek to Thorang-Phedi (4,525m), 4 hoursDay 11
Climb Thorongla (5,416), Descend to Muktinath (3,748m), 8-10 hoursDay 12
Trek to Kagbeni (2800m), 3-4 hoursDay 13
Drive to Tatopani (1,190m), 4-5 hoursDay 14
Trek to Shikha Danda (1935m), 4 hoursDay 15
Trek to Ghorepani (2,750m), 4 hoursDay 16
Trek to Tadapani (2,590m), 5 hoursDay 17
Short trek to Ghandruk (3 hrs) and drive (3hrs) to Pokhara same dayDay 18
Fly to KTM, transfer to hotel and relaxDay 19
Departure for flight to homeThis kind of trek is challenging but doesn’t really require previous trekking and mountaineering experiences and also doesn’t require any technical experience. But if you have any previous experiences would be really helpful. Your fitness is crucial for this trek; therefore we strongly suggest preparing yourself in good physical condition. You need to be trained at least for about 3 to 5 months to prepare yourself as a strong candidate. You can go to the fitness center every morning for about 1.5 hours, do hiking every weekend with increasing weights on your pack, manage some time for cycling for a couple of hours for 2 or 3 times a week. However, at the high altitude, there might be little symptoms of altitude illness like mild headache, fatigue, etc. but take it as normal and just drink enough water (4 – 5 liters) every day. On this trek, you need to be able to hike 4 – 8 hours over hilly terrain up to 5,500m of altitude with a daypack.
If you have any previous experiences of similar grade trek would be helpful, but if you don’t have is also not a really important matter of issue. This trek will introduce you to high altitude trekking in the Himalayas and also about the local cultures, traditions, and local people.
Even if you are around the age of 65 years, you can be a candidate for this trek.
Published on : November 03, 2022
Very well organised by Dawa Lama & his team . Our guide and porter were extremely helpful . At times our guide suggested slight changes to our itinerary which made it easier for us to approach & get over Thorang La pass. A brilliant trip for Mick & myself, Thanks to Dream Himalaya. On our return to Kathmandu Dawa again looked after us , highly recommended .
Colin Banner , Perth, Australia
Published on : January 17, 2018
This was my second trip with DHA and Dawa. My husband and I were part of group of 7 South Africans. Some of the team had never hiked before, whilst others were more experienced, Dawa and his professional team of Sherpas and Guides were able to read each personality and accomodate our needs and concerns with a gentle apporach. Every day was different - some days were long and hard others were short and we were were able to enteract with the incredible surroundings and with the gentle mountain people. We all became one family that were traveling across the most beautiful landscape. I highly recommend DHA and Dawa to anyone that has a desire to experience the Himalayas. This range of mountains has a way of getting under your skin and becoming part of you, hence my second visit. Dawa is always able to communicate promptly and ensures that you always feel well looked after and safe. Thank you to DHA and Dawa, we will be back for another visit. M and DiDi.
Maria and Derek Lawrence, Hout Bay, South Africa
Published on : January 08, 2018
Dream Himalaya Adventures gets my full endorsement! We were a group of seven South Africans trekking the Annapurna Circuit over sixteen days, with DHA taking care of all the admin in advance and on the trek, as well as providing wonderful and competent guides and porters who inspired complete confidence and were great company. Our guides were experienced mountaineers who looked after us with kindness, humour and enthusiasm. Dawa not only promptly and helpfully responded to queries beforehand, but also was able to join our trek which was an added bonus. Our itiniary remained flexible day-to-day to meet our specific needs and preferences. The respect between Dawa and his staff is palpable and added another positive layer to the experience. All in all, highly recommended!
Karla, Cape Town, South Africa
I had the amazing opportunity of trekking through Khumbu, Nepal over Renjo La towards Gokyo lake and back down through Namche Bazaar. This trip would have been impossible without the incredible support of the Dream Himalaya Adventures team. They handled all of the logistics and support throughout the trip so that our experience could be completely stress free. The amazing staff is so kind, friendly, and some of the best people that you'll have the opportunity of becoming acquainted with. I'll be going back soon with Dream Himalaya and I recommend you do the same!
Dream Himalaya provided an unforgettable adventure led by our exceptional guide Karma. His expertise, coupled with his genuine love and joy for the mountains, made him an absolute joy to be with for three weeks. With his support and the rest of the team, we successfully climbed Lobuche Peak. We couldn't have achieved it without Dawa's professionalism, meticulous planning, and genuine care.
Dream Himalaya Adventures is a great service provider. We trekked along the Bhote Koshi towards Nangpa La. Then, crossed Renjo La and spent some time in Gokyo before heading south along the Dudhkoshi to Chumoa. Pema and Kami are extremely helpful, thoughtful, and reliable. They made our trek very comfortable. Our hosts at the guesthouses were kind and generous. Dawa and his team provided great service. I highly recommend Dream Himalaya Adventures.
We took a slow pace trekking clockwise up and over the Renzo pass. It was a stunning journey: all of the guesthouses we stayed in were lovely (warm, clean, with delicious food), and our guides were so kind and caring! Pema and Kami were so fun to spend the trek with, flexible in our group's plans, and very thoughtful, helping us achieve all that we wanted to do. I hope to do another trek with Dream Himalaya Adventures in the future!
To: Dream Himalaya Adventures c/o Dawa, The service you have provided during my trek was superb. Your services are excellent and worthy of recommendation. You deserve this recognition and appreciation!!! There is always a touch of excellence in your work! Thank you and God bless! Keep it up!
Thank you to Dawa and Dream Himalaya Adventures for making our trip an adventure of a lifetime! Very professional with outstanding communication even during our preparation. All our expectations were exceeded! Staff was very kind and professional as well. Shout out to our Sherpa Pasang and our porters for a job well done. They took care of us well. Thanks to my hiking buddies Gary and Vlad your the best! Dream Himalaya Adventures is the way to go! 🙏
A great experience & adventure even though quite challenging. Dawa from Dream Himalayan Adventures was excellent & very accommodating ,he makes sure you are well equiped for the adventure ahead. The accommodation on the trek is serviceable & the food surprisingly very good considering the remoteness. The staff at base camp ,sherpas & porters are all friendly ,helpfull & know their stuff. I would be very happy to use Dream Himalaya Adventures again.
I’m so glad I chose Dream Himalaya to handle the logistics for my EBC Trek this April 2023. Everything was meticulously planned, handled and executed from the get go which enabled me to enjoy a great hassle free trek. Everything from thé coordinator, guides and sherpa were awesome. Truly world class service from the day you arrive at KTM until you say your goodbyes . These are the stuff dreams are made of .
What an adventure ! in a beautiful location surrounded by beautiful people. I was treated like family by Dawa and Pasang. All I have is beautiful memories and superb photos. I loved Nepal / Himalayas/ Everest region and would only recommend Dawa and the team to trek with in Nepal.
We had the best time with the team from Dream Himalaya Adventures they went above and beyond for me and my wife before, during and after our trip I will be 100% returning to do my trips with Dawa and his team
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