Trekking Nepal's Annapurna Circuit

One of the best hikes in the world. Locals say the best times of the year to do the trek are October and April. The entire Circuit begins in Besisahar and ends en Nyapul, about 230 Kilometers total. There are endless amounts of amazing side treks along the way so although the Circuit only takes 15 days to complete, I would recommend having at least 21 days for the Circuit, resting, sickness, and doing side treks.

You start in the hot, humid climate of the Jungle and get up to the freezing, snowy mountains, so you'll need reliable, warm snow gear. Once you are up in the mountains, remember that when the sun is bouncing off the snow, it's extremely intense, so you will want to be using lots of sunscreen on your face and lips and you will also need eye protections like Ski Goggles or Shades to avoid vision problems or getting serious migraines.

The highest point of the trek is Thorong La, 5,416 meters, so be careful of altitude sickness and watch for symptoms. Make sure you do everything you can to acclimate well before crossing the Thorong Pass, such as side treks to higher locations, drinking lots of water, and getting good rest. You will need to get the bus to Besisahar from Pokhara, it leaves around 7AM and you can buy tickets directly at the terminal for 400 Rupees or so, or from your hotel for 500-600 Rupees. Before beginning the circuit you will need to buy a permit which is 2,000 Rupess and also a TIMS permit for another 2,000 if you are going without a guide. You can get your photo taken in several places in Pokhara for the permits and you will need 4 photos total, 2 for each permit. You will need to keep your permits on you at all times as they are asked for at several points along the Circuit. You can split up the Circuit however you want but this is the schedule that I completed it in if you want an idea.

Day 1: Besisahar - Ngadi
Super easy day, just about 2-3 hours of hiking with a few hills. The trail can be confusing to follow up until Bhulbhule, just make sure you follow the river and you will be fine. From Bhulbhule on you will begin to see the trail signs.

Day 2: Ngadi - Jagat
About a 7 hour day. Fairly difficult and tiring, some switch backs and hills.

Day 3: Jagat - Dharapani
Really tough day. About 5-7 hours. If you stay on the trail, you will get an above view from across the valley of Chamje Waterfall (as pictured above) or if you follow the road you will get a closer view from the base of the falls. There is some really beautiful scenery this day. Some nasty switch backs and hard, steep hills until you get to Tal. After that its pretty mellow and flat all the way to Dharapani.

Day4: Dharapani - Chame
Pretty mellow day with lots of pretty scenery. At this point you will leave the jungle and ascend into the Alpine. Chame is a really pretty town to stay in with a cool vibe and lots of little shops.

Day 5: Chame - Upper Pisang
About 4 hours, pretty mellow day, mostly flat with minor uphill.

Day 6: Upper Pisang - Braga (See Sidetrek to Viewpoint)
About a 6 hour day. It was snowing when we did this so we couldnt see much but I hear this hike has some of the best views in the circuit. Some pretty intense uphill and elevation gain in the beginning just before Nawal but not too hard of a day overall. You can continue onto Manang which is also a cool village and is just about 20 minutes up the road from Braga, but Braga in my opinion is more beautiful and better to stay at because you can do an awesome hike up to the viewpoint and the Ice Lake to acclimate before you head up to Thorong Pedi.

Day 7: Braga - Lettar
Only bout a 3 hour hike. Really mellow with some amazing mountain views of the Annapurnas and others. Stop in Yak Kharka if you want to eat a tasty Yak Burger. There are only 3 hotels in Lettar so you might have to head back to Yak Kharka (30 minutes) if they are all full or just continue on to the next town.

Day 8: Lettar - Thorong Pedi
Only a 2 hour hike or so. You can continue up to High Camp if you are feeling good, but Thorong Pedi is a good idea if you are having a little trouble acclimating like a slight headache or fatigue. It is only an hour away but its a pretty steep climb. It doesn't make the day much longer when crossing Thorong La.

Day 9: Thorong Pedi - Muktinath
One of the hardest days of the trek. The wind gets really strong in the Thorong Pass by 10AM or so, so make sure you wake up early, like by 5 and get a good start so you are through the pass before noon. About 3 hours of steep climbing and a good 5 or 6 hours of some steep, icy, slippery downhill. Watch for weather conditions before crossing Thorong La even if it is open, it can be really confusing to navigate through a blizzard, but it isn't too hard. There are no hotels or villages between High Camp and Muktinath. There is a small tea house at the beginning of Thorong Pass and just outside of Muktinath there are some hotels and restaurants but you have to make it all the way through the pass in one day or you will be stranded, which is why you want to wake up early as well so you have a lot of daylight.

Day 10: Muktinath - Kagbeni
3 hours of walking or so. Fairly flat and mellow trail. The Wind in the Mustang area gets really bad everyday around 2PM and is usually accompanied by rain, depending on the season. Kagbeni is a cool town and the prices are a lot lower than most villages before the pass.

Day 11: Kagbeni - Jomsom
3-4 hike, fairly flat trail with some amazing views. Jomsom has busses to anywhere you need to go but I really reccommend continuing the trek from this point as the next few days are some of the most beautiful, scenic parts of the entire circuit with amazing views of the Annapurnas.

Day 12: Jomsom - Larjung (See Sidetrek to Buddhist Cave)
5 hour hike. Larjung is a really cool town with lots of side treks such as the famous Buddhist Cave, Ice falls, and several lakes. I would recommend staying a whole day here to do these side treks.

Day 13: Larjung - Tatopani (See Sidetrek to Waterfall)
About an 11 hour hike. Really long, about 40 kilometers. This hike had some amazing views and was one of the most beautiful days. Kalopani is a beautiful town and a good spot to get breakfast at if you leave Larjung at dawn. I would say after Dana it's actually better to take the road instead of the trail as you will pass 4 or 5 beautiful waterfalls along the way and you will be right next to them as opposed to the other side of the river up in the hills.

Day 14: Tatopani - Ghorepani (See Sidetrek to Poon Hill)
11 hours. This was the hardest day of the entire Circuit for me. It is literally climbing stairs the entire day. Some great views along the way but a very ruthless and relentless ascent. If you aren't in shape already, you will be after this day.

Day 15: Ghorepani - Nyapul
Pretty tough day. Not many climbs but lots of downhill, uneven, stone steps. About a 7 hour day or so. Besisahar - Nyapul is the actual, entire Annapurna Circuit so you are a man if you can make it all the way here. This was also a really beautiful day with lots of gorgeous scenery like canyons, rivers, and waterfalls. Definitely worth doing.

From Nyapul you can take a bus into Pokhara. They pass every 20 minutes or so. Once in Pokhara, I recommend heading to lakeside where most of the hotels, shops, and tourists are. If you want to pig out at an awesome, cheap restaurant, the best nepalese food I ate was at Lumbini, just along the road leading to the lake on the right hand side if looking towards the water. The chicken pickle mo mo's are to die for.