- Length
- 14 days
- Highest point
- 5,416 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–May
- Starts
- Besisahar (drive from Pokhara)
- Group size
- 2–12 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House
Fourteen days walking the full Annapurna Circuit the traditional way — every valley earned on foot, culminating in the high drama of Thorong La Pass at 5,416m.
- Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) — highest trek pass in Nepal
- Muktinath Temple — sacred Hindu and Buddhist site
- Kagbeni and the Kali Gandaki Gorge — world's deepest
- Tilicho Lake side excursion option
- Pokhara to Jomsom flight return option
- Diverse landscapes: subtropical forest to high alpine desert
The climb, day by day
Day 1Drive Kathmandu → Besisahar → Bahundanda (1,310 m)1,310 m
Drive to Besisahar (6–7 hrs), then continue by jeep or walk to Bahundanda. The circuit begins in lush subtropical hills along the Marsyangdi river.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 2Bahundanda → Chamje (1,430 m)1,430 m
Trail follows the roaring Marsyangdi through terraced fields, waterfalls and traditional Gurung villages. Cross multiple suspension bridges.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 3Chamje → Bagarchap (2,160 m)2,160 m
Landscape transforms from subtropical to temperate pine forest. Enter the Manang District — Tibetan Buddhist culture begins here with prayer wheels and mani walls.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 4Bagarchap → Chame (2,710 m)2,710 m
Trek through dense forest past waterfalls and hot springs. Chame is the district headquarters of Manang — good supplies and views of Lamjung Himal.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Chame → Upper Pisang (3,300 m)3,300 m
Dramatic entry into the Annapurna Circuit's most spectacular landscape. The curved granite wall of Paungda Danda rises 1,500 m from the valley floor. First views of the Annapurnas and Pisang Peak.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 6Upper Pisang → Manang (3,519 m)3,519 m
Classic high route via Ghyaru and Ngawal with panoramic views of Annapurna II, III, IV and Gangapurna. Arrive Manang — acclimatisation base for the pass.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 7Acclimatisation Day — Manang (3,519 m)4,600 m
Rest day essential before the pass. Hike to Gangapurna Lake or Ice Lake (4,600 m) for altitude gains. Evening talk by Himalayan Rescue Association doctors.
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 8Manang → Yak Kharka (4,018 m)4,018 m
Short day, important for acclimatisation. Trail rises through increasingly sparse vegetation past yak grazing pastures with close views of Chulu peaks.
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 9Yak Kharka → Thorong Phedi (4,450 m)4,450 m
Short approach to the base of the pass. Arrive early afternoon to rest. Tea houses packed with trekkers preparing for tomorrow's early start.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 10Cross Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) → Muktinath (3,760 m)5,416 m
The big day. Start 4–5 AM. Steep switchbacks lead to the highest point of the circuit at 5,416 m — arguably the most dramatic mountain pass walk in the world. Descend 1,600 m to sacred Muktinath Temple.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 7–9 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 11Muktinath → Marpha (2,670 m)2,670 m
Dramatic descent through the Kali Gandaki Gorge — the world's deepest gorge. Kagbeni with its Tibetan gompa, then on to apple-orchard Marpha. Famous for apple brandy.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 12Marpha → Kalopani (2,530 m)2,530 m
Walking south through the Kali Gandaki with Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) dominating the western skyline — the closest any trail gets to an 8,000 m peak. Tukuche, Kobang and Kalopani.
- Distance
- 19 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 13Kalopani → Tatopani (1,190 m)1,190 m
Long descent to the sub-tropical zone. Reward yourself in the famous Tatopani hot springs — every aching muscle will thank you.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 14Tatopani → Nayapul → Drive Pokhara820 m
Final trekking day through Ghorepani forest trail option, or direct jeep to Nayapul then drive to Pokhara. Circuit complete.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Meals
- B
- Night
- Hotel Pokhara
The price includes
- All domestic transport
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
- TIMS card
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Porter (1 per 2 guests)
- Tea house accommodation (double/twin room)
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Welcome and farewell dinners
- First aid kit
- All government taxes
You pay separately
- International flights
- Nepal visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunches
- Personal gear
- Tips
The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world's great long-distance treks — a 14-day loop around the entire Annapurna massif that crosses the highest motorable pass in the world, traverses one of earth's deepest river gorges, and passes through a cultural landscape of remarkable diversity: Hindu villages in the subtropical lowlands, Gurung and Magar communities in the middle hills, and Tibetan-Buddhist Manang and Mustang cultures above 3,500 m.
This 14-day itinerary takes the northern approach (bus/jeep from Besisahar) and exits via Jomsom mountain flight, covering the classic high sections while avoiding the jeep-road segments below Jagat that have diminished the lower circuit. The centrepiece is the Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) — the highest trekking pass in the Annapurna region — crossed in the pre-dawn cold before dropping 1,600 m to the ancient pilgrimage town of Muktinath, with its 108 waterspouts and eternal flame shrinking from the pass's icy grandeur. The Manang Valley acclimatisation day includes the Tilicho Lake side-trip option (4,919 m) for those wanting one of the world's highest lakes.
The Kali Gandaki gorge descent from Muktinath to Tatopani passes the ochre cliffs of Nilgiri (7,061 m) rising sheer from the riverbed, and the twin 8,000 m peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna facing each other across the valley — a geological and visual spectacle without parallel on earth.
What Has Changed on the Annapurna Circuit?
The lower sections of the circuit (Besisahar to Chame, and Muktinath to Beni) have been partially replaced by a rough vehicle track. Our 14-day itinerary is specifically designed to start above Chame by jeep and exit from Jomsom by flight, so the trail you walk is the highland circuit at its best — the high Manang valley, the Thorong La crossing, and the Mustang upper gorge — with zero time wasted on dusty jeep road. The trail above 3,000 m is intact, spectacular, and carries nowhere near the traffic of the Everest region.
Best seasons: October–November and March–May. Thorong La: Closed in heavy snowfall (December–February); our itinerary includes weather contingency. Max altitude: Thorong La 5,416 m.