Trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
“Waking up early to the sun barely kissing the mountainsides. Stretching your arms up high towards the sky so your body can free itself from the deep sleep. Inhaling the fresh and cold mountain air. Washing the sleep off your face with icy water. Putting on your shoes, hoisting the backpack and taking the first steps on the trail which leads to faraway places you have never been before. You start seeing the local villagers starting their day all around you. Washing their faces, cooking meals, already doing laundry, and taking the cattle out. You look in the distance and see the snowcapped mountaintops getting more and more soaked in the sun. Taking the first steps out of the village your legs and shoulders are getting used to the soreness from the previous days and energy is starting to take over your whole body. As you turn to the small trail away from the village and road you are already really excited about the upcoming day. Where will it lead you? What will you see? Where will you end up?”
How does that sound? If it sounds like a perfect start for your day, then trekking in the Himalayas is definitely for you! Every single morning on Annapurna Circuit for 2 weeks straight started off like that for me!
But before we head to the trail and get to experience all of that we need to go through some preparation.
How to prepare for trekking the Himalayas?
step 1. figure out where you want to go
The Himalayas have been called “the roof of the world” since it is home to the world’s highest peaks. Naturally, the area is popular among trekkers/hikers because of that. Luckily, the mountain range is huge and there is enough space for everyone. Besides Nepal, the mountain range reaches also to Northern parts of India, Bhutan and even Pakistan. So it is also worth checking these regions out. There are many treks in Nepal and some of them are more popular than others. Besides the Annapurna Circuit trek, many people usually also opt for the Everest Base Camp trek. But these are not the only options of course. There is plenty of information on the internet about different treks. Check out some websites and articles:
- Top 12 Best Treks in Nepal – Snapshot Overview
- Trekking in Nepal – The Ultimate Guide to the Best Hikes
- Wikitravel – Himalayas
I personally chose the Annapurna Circuit trek. That option was a relatively easy choice compared to others:
- I did not need a guide or a porter.
- Figuring out permits was easy
- Cheap
The only negative thing about that trek is that, it has become really popular for these reasons and so there are quite many people on the trails. That being said though, I really did not feel that there were too many people when I was there in the high season (October).
When choosing the trek, one of the important decisions is to figure out if you would need to hire a guide and/or a porter, who will carry your stuff. In some treks, it is mandatory to have a guide. On Annapurna Circuit, the division between people who were trekking with a guide/porter/group or going solo/with friends was about 50/50.
Another thing about the Annapurna Circuit is that you do not need to carry a tent and sleeping mat or anything for preparing food. There are villages with teahouses/hotels at least every 5 kilometres. All of them also prepare food, so trekking the region is pretty convenient.
Step 2. Get your permits
If you joined a group or hired a guide, then they will sort out the trekking permits for you. If not, then you can get the permits yourself in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Nepal Tourism Board has an office in both of these cities. You will need 2 different permits to trek in Nepal:
- TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) is mandatory for anyone who wants to do some trekking in Nepal. Price 2000 NPR = 20 USD.
- Region permit. This depends on where are you going to go trekking. In the case of Annapurna Circuit, you will need the Annapurna Conservation Area project permit (ACAP). Price 2260 NPR.
step 3. Stock up on gear
As I had been on the road in a tropical climate for 8 months already before reaching Nepal, I did not have any clothing/gear suitable for trekking long distances and in cold weather. Luckily, it is possible to get everything you need in Kathmandu (see what else I did in Kathmandu from here) or in Pokhara. Clothing is actually even cheaper than for example buying in Europe. Everything might not be the “real” thing of course but it did the deal for me. The following is the rough cost of what I bought for the trek:
- Down jacket, hiking pants, trekking poles, sunglasses, socks ( 2 pairs), underwear (2 pairs), beanie hat, gloves, water purifier tablets (2 packs), water bottle 1 L. Cost 14 500 NPR (111 €).
- Sleeping bag rent for 17 days. Cost 1600 NPR (12 €).
- Snacks – snickers bars, granola bars, trail mix. Cost 1500 NPR (11 €)
- Other stuff – lip balm, band-aids, toilet paper etc. Cost 2000 NPR (15 €)
Step 4. Go!
The last thing to do was to catch an early morning bus from Kathmandu to the starting point of the trek in Besisahar (cost 1000 NPR). There are different suggestions about the Annapurna Circuit trek on the internet. Some of them suggest skipping the beginning, some of them suggest skipping the end and so on. The best thing is to get yourself a Lonely Planet book about the circuit and figure it out yourself based on how much time you have. It is actually possible to just go for the highlights and “do” the trek in about 5 days. There are roads next to the trails and jeeps can take you further in the trek. I do not recommend that though. If you are already flown to Nepal, then take your time to discover and enjoy it longer. Also, if you climb/drive straight to the high altitudes you risk getting an AMS – Acute Mountain Sickness. That is why it is good to take your time and gain altitude slowly.
I did not have a 100% plan on how long to trek, but I was thinking about 2 weeks. Let’s see how did my trek go then!
Trekking the Annapurna Circuit
Day 1 – Kathmandu -> Besisahar (elevation from the sea level 760 m) -> Bhulbule (840 m)
I woke up at 5 am in Kathmandu, went to the bus station and took a 6,5 h bus ride to Besisahar. Had lunch and it was an easy 2h afternoon walk from Besisahar to Bhulbule.
Day 2 – Bhulbule (840 m) -> Jagat (1300 m)
I started from Bhulbule at 7.30 am and ended up in Jagat at 15.20 pm, which made the total walking time 8h and about 25 km of distance. The first part of the trek was easy going and I did the first 14 km in 3,5h hours. After that from Chermu, I chose a more difficult trail which lead through two small villages and hard going uphill/downhill. The small trail followed the right side of the river, as the road which went pretty much in a straight line went on the left side of the river. As I heard after, hardly anyone else chose that trail. That day was definitely one of the hardest days throughout the whole trek.
Day 3 – Jagat (1300 m) -> Dharapani (1900 m).
A nice 5h day with easy trails on both sides of the river.
Day 4 – Dharapani (1900 m) -> Chame (2700 m).
Total time on the trail – 5 h 30 min. Between Dharapani and Chame there were not that many side trails, so half of the time I was walking on the road. In the last part of that day, I was walking on a really small trail in a thick forest. I did not encounter any people on that trail.
Day 5 – Chame (2700 m) -> Upper Pisang (3300 m).
The easiest day that far with only 4 hours on the trail. Mostly on the road but after Chame with some time in the forest. That was the first day though when I started to get really close to the Annapurna mountains. The views from Upper Pisang on the Annapurna II were amazing!
Day 6 – Upper Pisang (3300 m) -> Braka (3500 m).
Time on the trail – 6h 30 min. The route leads me through Ghyaru, Ngawal and Chulu with some beautiful scenery. All of the trails were off-road. The altitude was getting higher and I was getting above the treeline.
Day 7 – Braka (3500 m) -> Ice Lake (4600 m) -> Manang (3500 m).
As the altitude was getting higher, it was recommended to take a day off for acclimatisation purposes. It is important to get used to the higher altitude and sleep 2 nights straight at the same altitude. The “rest day” does not mean that you need to sleep for the whole day though. It is actually even recommended to gain altitude and then head back down again. One of the options for the “side trip” was to visit the Ice Lake next to Manang.
It was pure uphill for 3 hours straight to get there. The trek to Ice Lake was definitely one of the highlights of these 2 weeks though! I started off quite early, passed some groups on the way and was the first one to reach the Ice Lake that day. The total serenity, silence and beauty of the Annapurna massive were just mindblowing. These moments are the ones to live for and worth all of the struggles beforehand. I chilled next to Ice Lake for half an hour before heading back down again. It took me 2.5 more hours to get down and reach Manang.
Day 8 – Manang (3500 m) -> Tilicho Lake Base Camp (4100 m).
The main trail leads from Manang straight towards Thorong La Pass, but there is another side trip option to visit Tilicho Lake which I decided to take on. Tilicho Lake is one of the highest mountain lakes in the world, if not THE highest.
The trail from Manang to Tilicho Lake Base Camp is just amazing! The surrounding area is like you are walking on the moon. Narrow trails are covered in landslides and rocks. The time on the trail was 4 hours that day.
The Tilicho Lake trek has got really popular among locals who drive up to Manang, walk to Tilicho Lake in a few days and then head back. Sad to say, but that route was also quite in a bad condition in terms of waste management. This was the only time throughout the whole trek when I saw so much trash on the ground (from empty water bottles to Snickers papers). The locals who come to trek there has a different mindset about getting rid of their trash and so it was not a pleasant sight.
Tilicho Lake Base Camp has 3 hotels, which are totally overbooked during the high season. I was lucky to get a mattress in the dormitory because I reached the base camp quite early, while many people were sleeping on the floor in the common dining areas.
Day 9 – Tilicho Lake Base Camp (4100 m) -> Tilicho Lake (4900 m) -> Yak Kharka (4100 m).
I head out at 6 am and it took me 2 hours to reach Tilicho Lake. The scenery is just as amazing as the day before and it is pretty special to reach the lake which is right next to Tilicho Peak (7134 m). After heading back to the base camp I took my stuff and head on towards Yak Kharka. That trail is less-trekked and was pretty nice. I reached Yak Kharka at 15.30 pm, which meant it was the longest day on the trails with full 9.5 hours of trekking.
Day 10 – Yak Kharka (4100 m) -> Thorong High Camp (4900 m).
From Yak Kharka to Thorong Pedi (Thorong La Pass Base Camp) took me 2 hours and from the Base Camp to the High Camp about 1 h. Sounds like an easy day of trekking but the way from Base Camp to the High Camp is straight uphill and gets exhausting in these altitudes.
The High Camp has one hotel with enough room for everyone. I shared a room with 3 other people. Since it is already pretty cold in these altitudes, the people tend to hang out in the common area next to the fireplace. The houses are with stone walls and are not insulated. During these days I was sleeping with two blankets and a sleeping bag and with some clothes on. Do not even think about a nice hot shower since the water pipes are frozen and they do not have water boilers in these villages.
Day 11 – Thorong High Camp (4900 m) -> Thorong La Pass (5416 m) -> Muktinath (3800 m).
I woke up at 5 am, had breakfast and first of all went to a viewpoint next to the High Camp to watch the sunrise and capture a timelapse. What an epic start to the day to see the world around you getting lighter and the sun touching snow-capped mountains. I was all alone at the viewpoint for at least half an hour. It was only 1.5 hours from the High Camp to the Thorong La Pass – the highlight of the Annapurna Circuit trek. There is even a teahouse at the pass so you can have a rest there with a cup of hot tea. If it is not too crowded of course.
From the pass, it was only downhill to Muktinath. Quite a steep downhill still. I reached Muktinath at 11.30 am which made the total time on the trail 5 h.
Day 12 – Muktinath (3800 m) -> Kagbeni (2804 m).
There is a company in Muktinath which offers to rent a mountain bike there and return it either in Kagbeni, Tatopani or Pokhara. I was intrigued and decided to do that! My plan was to ride for 2 days and return the bike further up in the trek in Tatopani.
It turned out to be the right call. The road from Muktinath to Kagbeni was so amazing! Blasting downhill on the roads on a moon-like landscape. Kagbeni is a fascinating small town at the entrance to the Mustang region in Nepal. Mustang region is difficult to access and requires special permits. The region is home to Tibetan people, so if you are not able to visit Tibet, then the Mustang region is the next best thing.
In the evening I made a small drive to Tiri and back – even a smaller village close to Kagbeni. Going further from Tiri into Mustang is not allowed for tourists without permits.
Day 13 – Kagbeni (2804 m) -> Ghasa (2080 m).
If Day 2 was the hardest and Day 9 the longest, then Day 13 was definitely the toughest (also mentally) on the Annapurna Circuit trek.
I was hoping to reach Tatopani by the end of that day. It did not happen though. The first part of the day was going on the rocky, dusty road along with the jeeps, buses and motorbikes. It was not that pleasant so after Marpha I decided to head to the other side of the river and forest to the trekking trails. It turned out though, that the trails were not that rideable – a lot of stairs and loose rocks both up and downhill. What made things worse was the fact that I had twisted my ankle 2 days before when coming down from the Thorong La Pass. I had become careless since the hardest part was over and my mind was wandering around. On that day, I really started to feel that it was getting harder and harder to lean on that foot.
After a long day, I reached Ghasa at 16.30 pm and decided to sleep there. For the whole 9 hours of driving and carrying the bike, I basically only stopped for an apple pie in Marpha and in a small village for lunch.
Day 14 – Ghasa (2080 m) -> Tatopani (1190 m).
It was not a long distance to go to Tatopani from Ghasa. Well, it still turned out to be a hard day. I decided to continue on the trekking trail, hoping there would be some nice riding but it turned out to be as hard as the previous day. It took me 4 hours to reach Tatopani. Trekkers who were walking were definitely faster than that on that trail.
As I returned the mountain bike and checked into a hotel, it became clear that the trek is over for me in Tatopani. The ankle was not giving me any mercy. It would have been 3 more days to truly make the circle and return to Pokhara. So I decided to take the bus the following day to Pokhara.
Day 15 – Tatopani – > Pokhara.
There are roads next to Annapurna Circuit trails, but it is hard to actually call them “roads”. It is unbelievably rocky and uneven. It took 7 hours for the bus to do 100 km and reaches Pokhara. Yes. 7 hours! The locals call the ride Tatopani rollercoaster since you are flying around in the bus.
The following is a generalisation of the route of the trek. I just inserted starting and finishing points of the trek just to give you an idea.
Conclusion
These 2 weeks were an amazing experience which I will remember for the rest of my life. It was hard to leave the mountains but the expectation of finally getting a hot shower and a fresh change of clothes made me look forward to reaching a city.
Some things to consider when planning the trip:
Cost of the trek
Annapurna Circuit is probably one of the most affordable treks in Nepal. It has become pretty popular and therefor also hosts quite some infrastructure which allows for the prices go down. Besides the costs beforehand, the average cost per day on the trek for me was around 2000 NPR (15 €). Not considering the rental of the mountain bike. Which is pretty cheap I might say. Take cash with you for the whole trek beforehand though, since there are no ATMs after the starting point. And be ready for unexpected costs.
Roads vs trails
The government of Nepal has been building new roads to access the more rural areas of the region. It is good for the development of local villages but many trekkers are not a fan of it and are saying that the Annapurna Circuit trek has lost its charm. Well, I have not been on that trek before the roads but I can say that it is still totally worth doing! The mountains are still the same and there are actually many side trails which are possible to take. I almost did not spend any time on the roads, but some people still do. I do not know why though – just because it is easier or they do not know about the existence of the side trails?
The altitude
As you could read, then some days I reached the next villages already around lunchtime. I could have easily pushed onward, but I did not just because of the altitude. They say that you should not gain more than 500 meters per day in elevation in order not to develop AMS. This meant I had quite some downtime in the evenings and finished several books. The people who skipped days were the ones who felt sick because of the altitude.
It is a comfortable trek
There are hotels/teahouses everywhere so you do not need to worry about where to sleep. There are signs that show you the right way almost everywhere, so it is almost impossible to get lost. All of the hotels have restaurants which means you do not need to carry food and water besides snacks.
It is relatively comfortable but simple. By saying a hotel, do not expect 5-star service, but a simple room with a simple bed. In the higher parts of the trek, it is cold. I mean really bloody cold. Also inside. So you are feeling cold all the time. The food is amazing though! And they have an unbelievable variety of choices in every restaurant.
I have made a video of the whole 14 days on the Annapurna Circuit trek. Check it out!
