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 : December 03, 2024
Nov 2024 • FriendsWe did the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Nar-Phu and Tilicho Lake deviations with Dream Himalaya Adventures in Oct/Nov 2024. The guide Dorje was knowledgeable about the area, and he and our porter Phurba were very attentive to our needs. We had a great time on the trek. I have done several treks with Dream Himalaya and all of them were well organised. I do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.Sushila Rajagopal , Bangalore. INDIA
Published on : January 17, 2024
We chose Dream Himalayas because my partner, Twyla, previously engaged with them in 2013 to trek the Everest Base Camp. She had a wonderful experience with Dawa and his team; they made her EBC dreams come true and she fondly remembers how very well taken care she her trekking partner were on their private trip. So when the opportunity to visit Nepal came in 2023, we did not hesitate to contact Dawa and to inquire if he could customize a bike-trek-bike itinerary for us.
For the past years, we have transitioned from trekkers to bike tourers and we wanted to take on the challenge of biking the Annapurna Circuit but we wanted to do it with an experienced outfitter that we can trust and be sure we’d be taken care of in case of emergency. Dream Himalaya did not disappoint; not only did Dawa present us with options – a bike-trek-bike through the Annapurna Circuit, he also accommodated our request for a side trip to Tilicho lake. He also presented us with the opportunity of being with our bikes the whole bike-trek trip with an offer of guide and porters helping us through difficult sections of pushing including crossing Thorong La. For 15 days we were with our guide Pasang, and our porters Galgyen and Pemba, and for the first time since we started bike touring, we experienced how it felt to be taken care of – we only had to worry about biking from one section to another, and the boys took care of finding us the best accommodation with the best views our stop could offer, helping us unpack and find places for bikes, and ensuring we had our meals on time even when tea houses were busy and full packed. Pasang, our guide, was also very skilled and with particular attention to detail and safety. Whenever my partner had a problem with her bike, Pasang was able to fix the problem. Our porters Pemba and Galgyen were always attentive and full of energy – always ready to help, but also allowing us to push and carry our bikes on our own for as long as we are able to. We have grown to love the Dream Himalaya boys during our 15 day trip- feeling like saying goodbye to good friends when the our trip ended.
Even beyond our 20 day trip package with Dawa, Dawa still took care of us when in Kathmandu, when my partner had to go to the ER due to an arrhythmia attack. Such concern and attention, such wonderful and lifelong memories that even before leaving Nepal, we are already dreaming of going on another trip with the Dream Himalaya team.Rosanne Marie, Manila, Philippines
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
Trip of a lifetime May 2025 • Solo This was a trip I had been really keen to do for over 40 years when I last came to Nepal and did a short trek then. It was everything that I had been hoping for: stunning views of the Himalayas, an almost tangible spirituality about the whole journey, wonderful flowers especially in the rhododendron forests and a glimpse of a fascinating culture, very different to the West. I had a wonderful guide, Pasang and porter, Pemba. I was a bit apprehensive about my fitness but Pasang paced me well an made sure we did enough acclimatisation walking, so I was comfortably able to reach and enjoy the Manaslu Base Camp and Larke La pass. Pemba
An excellent trek in a remote region May 2025 • Friends This is my fourth trek with Dream Himalaya Adventures Pvt Ltd, and that itself says a lot. When me and my friends wanted to do the remote Dolpo trek camping style, we immediately thought of Dream Himalaya Adventures Pvt Ltd. We left all the complex the arrangements to them, and in the end, all went well. There were three difficult passes, all above 5000 m, and they took great care to see that all we crossed all three safely.
Makalu expedition - Apr 2025 The expedition was perfectly organised and a success. Dawa managed perfectly this expedition. Thank you Dream Himalay Adventures.
Fantastic trip around Kanchenjunga region with Dream Himalaya Adventures. Mar 2025 • Couples My husband and I walked the Kanchenjunga trail as a couple, and had a fantastic time. The organisation of the trip by Dawa at Dream Himalaya Adventures was meticulous. Passang was a brilliant guide who knew the area and quite a few of the locals and was very enthusiasticto show us all arou d the area. He carried an extensive first aid kit and satellite phone (there was very little mobile coverage), so he could check on the weather and keep in contact with Dawa. Fulbar the porter happily carried all our gear. We were very well looked after on the trail and at the tea houses. We loved
Excellent communication with Dawa! We had some WhatsApp calls and discussed everything necessary in advance. I appreciate the assistance with the rental in KTM and the prompt solution for transporting luggage. Additionally, I am grateful for arranging the rental of crampons when I realized in BC that my crampons didn’t fit my large boots.
Annapurna Circuit Trek with Nar-Phu and Tilicho Lake Nov 2024 • Friends We did the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Nar-Phu and Tilicho Lake deviations with Dream Himalaya Adventures in Oct/Nov 2024. The guide Dorje was knowledgeable about the area, and he and our porter Phurba were very attentive to our needs. We had a great time on the trek. I have done several treks with Dream Himalaya and all of them were well organised. I do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
Excellent private Kanchenjunga circuit trek, with Drohmo Ri ascent, Nupchu Pokhari side trip and more Oct 2024 • Couples While we were looking for a support agency for a customized trekking program for the Kangchenjunga area, we immediately appreciated the fact that Dream Himalaya Adventures already included the possibility of climbing Drohmo Ri, a non-technical but almost 6000m high viewpoint, above the North Base Camp of Kangchenjunga. The Managing Director Dawa Sherpa then answered very accurately and quickly all our additional questions about other possible optional excursions, the possibility of managing the stages in a flexible way, the possible overnight stay in Pangpema, the difficulties of the itinerary, the conditions of the accommodation and the current possibilities of road access to the
Family trip to EBC Aug 2024 • Family Dream Himilaya provided superb comms and logistics and bespoke service for my family. Dawa and the team are real experts with good contacts. Would definitely recommend.
Great experience! Oct 2024 • Couples Great experience with the agency and all of the employees who are extremely professional yet warm, welcoming and always ready to help. Everything from beginning to the end was easily arranged and worked perfectly. I definitely recommend it 200 %
Amazing Everest Base Camp Trek Nov 2024, Had an amazing time with Dream Himalayan Adventures. Despite such short notice, they were able to organise an EBC trek and assigned a very capable and competent local guide who happens to be an excellent photographer.
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