1
Day 1
Arrive in Kathmandu
↑ 1,400 m
Welcome, transfer, and an evening trek briefing with your guide.
Annapurna · Challenging
Annapurna Circuit
Nepal’s most versatile circuit with forests, villages, high pass drama, and huge optional jeep compression.
Duration
15 days
Max altitude
5,416 m
Best seasons
Mar-May · Oct-Dec
Difficulty
Challenging
Route planning map
Explore the route
before you commit.
Switch between topographic context, overall route shape, and stage-by-stage stops to see how the trek unfolds in real terms — not just as a line between famous names.
Route map
Annapurna Circuit
Loading route map
Drawing the topographic base, route line, and stage markers for this itinerary.
Route read
Besisahar to Muktinath
A long valley-to-pass traverse where jeep access and the Thorong La approach are easy to understand. Destination focus: Muktinath at 3,800m, spiritual and logistical reset after the pass before heading toward Jomsom.
Route progress
Stage 1 of 60%
0 km
Completed
~86 km
Total route
Elevation profile
↑ 2,270 m
Elevation gain
↓ 3,120 m
Max elevation
Current leg
Besisahar to Chame
38 km
Est. distance
Transit
Stage type
Duration
15 days
Max altitude
5,416m
Best seasons
Mar-May · Oct-Dec
Starting rate
$2,190+
Permits and access
Permits
ACAP, TIMS or equivalent trekking registration
Access
Jeep to Chame, Flight or drive from Jomsom/Pokhara
Stay style
Kathmandu + Pokhara hotels + upgraded teahouse chain
Customize your trip
jeep
Fast-track lower sections by jeep without losing Thorong La and the core circuit.
flight
Exit via Jomsom or complete overland to Pokhara.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the journey unfolds.
A representative 15-day plan. Every departure is private and can be paced, shortened, or extended around your dates.
2
Day 2 · 8–9 hrs
Drive to Chame
↑ 2,670 m
A scenic private-jeep day via Besisahar into the Marsyangdi valley, gaining altitude to the Manang district headquarters at Chame.
3
Day 3 · 5–6 hrs
Chame to Upper Pisang
↑ 3,300 m
Through pine forest past the dramatic Paungda Danda rock face to Upper Pisang, where Tibetan-style villages and big peaks begin.
4
Day 4 · 6–7 hrs
Upper Pisang to Manang
↑ 3,540 m
The high, scenic route via Ghyaru and Ngawal — harder but with superb Annapurna II and Gangapurna views — descending to the trading town of Manang.
5
Day 5 · 3–5 hrs
Manang — acclimatisation
↑ 3,540 m
A rest day with an acclimatisation hike to Gangapurna Lake or the Ice Lake viewpoint, plus an altitude-safety talk at the local aid post.
6
Day 6 · 4 hrs
Manang to Yak Kharka
↑ 4,050 m
A steady climb above the tree line onto open yak pasture, keeping the day short to aid acclimatisation.
7
Day 7 · 4 hrs
Yak Kharka to Thorong High Camp
↑ 4,525 m
A careful ascent to the base of the pass. We stage at High Camp to shorten the crossing and improve safety margins.
8
Day 8 · 8–9 hrs
Thorong La to Muktinath
↑ 5,416 m → 3,760 m
The big day: a pre-dawn climb to Thorong La (5,416 m), the circuit's high point and one of the world's great trekking passes, then a long descent to the sacred temples of Muktinath.
9
Day 9 · 5 hrs
Muktinath to Jomsom
↑ 2,720 m
Visit the Muktinath shrine at first light, then descend through the wind-carved, desert-like landscapes of lower Mustang to Kagbeni and Jomsom.
10
Day 10 · 4–5 hrs
Drive to Tatopani
↑ 1,190 m
A jeep transfer down the Kali Gandaki — the world's deepest gorge — to the hot springs at Tatopani for a well-earned soak.
11
Day 11 · 7 hrs
Tatopani to Ghorepani
↑ 2,860 m
A long, rewarding climb through rhododendron forest and Magar villages to the ridge settlement of Ghorepani.
12
Day 12 · 6–7 hrs
Poon Hill sunrise, trek to Ghandruk
↑ 3,210 m → 1,940 m
A dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m) for a legendary Dhaulagiri–Annapurna sunrise, then a forested descent to the handsome Gurung village of Ghandruk.
13
Day 13 · 2 hrs walk + drive
Ghandruk to Pokhara
↑ 820 m
A short morning walk to the road head, then a drive to lakeside Pokhara for a night of comfort and celebration.
14
Day 14
Pokhara to Kathmandu
↑ 1,400 m
A short scenic flight (or drive) back to Kathmandu, with a free afternoon.
15
Day 15
Departure
↑ 1,400 m
Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
What's covered
Included & excluded
at a glance.
Included
- Total of two nights' accommodation in Pokhara (before and after the trek) at the operator's guesthouse
- Guide
- Assistants, (maximum weight to carry is 12 kg for female assistant and 15 kg for male assistant).
- 3 meals per day, afternoon tea & snacks,
- Accommodation is typically arranged on a twin-share basis, though peak-season departures may occasionally require a triple or four-bed room.
- Annapurna Park entry, TIMS fees
Not included
- Mineral water
- Beverages- soft and hard
- Extra dessert
- Souvenirs
- Tipping to staff
- Any entry fee during cultural (monastery/temple heritage visit)
Annapurna Massif Trek (Round Annapurna) · Updated May 21, 2024