1
Day 1
Arrive in Kathmandu
↑ 1,400 m
Welcome, transfer, and an evening trek briefing with your guide.
Annapurna Circuit
A long loop around the Annapurna massif, from green river valleys and villages over the Thorong La to Muktinath, with jeep options that shorten the lower sections.
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15 days5,416 m high pointChallenging
Route map
See the route on the terrain.
Tap a numbered stop to see its altitude, what it is like, and how far it is to the next one.
Route map
Annapurna Circuit
Loading route map
Loading the terrain, the route line, and the numbered stops.
About the route
Besisahar to Muktinath
A long walk up the Marsyangdi valley and over the Thorong La, showing where a jeep can shorten the approach. The last stop marked on the map is Muktinath, at 3,800 m.
Along the route
Stop 1 of 60%
- From Besisahar
- 0 km
- Whole route
- ~86 km
Elevation profile
Thorong La · 5,416 m
- Start · Besisahar
- 760 m
- Highest point
- ↑ 5,416 m
- Net climb
- 4,656 m
This section
Besisahar to Chame
- Est. distance
- 38 km
- Stop type
- Day stop
- 15 days
- Duration
- 5,416m
- Max altitude
- Mar-May · Oct-Dec
- Best seasons
- $2,190+
- Starting rate
Permits and access
- Permits
- ACAP, TIMS or equivalent trekking registration
- Access
- Jeep to Chame, Flight or drive from Jomsom/Pokhara
- Stay style
- Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels, comfortable teahouses around the circuit
Customize your trip
- jeep
- Drive the lower sections by jeep to save days, and still cross Thorong La on foot.
- flight
- Finish with a flight from Jomsom, or continue overland to Pokhara.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day by day on the trail.
A sample 15-day plan. Every departure is private, so we can slow it down, shorten it, or add days to fit 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 route via Ghyaru and Ngawal is harder, but has close views of Annapurna II and Gangapurna before you descend to the trading town of Manang.
5
Day 5 · 3–5 hrs
Manang: acclimatisation day
↑ 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 longest day: a pre-dawn climb to Thorong La (5,416 m), the highest point of the circuit, then a long descent to the 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 ride down the deep Kali Gandaki gorge to the hot springs at Tatopani, where you can soak your legs.
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 sunrise over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, then down through forest to the 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 partner 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)
Based on a partner operator's listing, “Annapurna Massif Trek (Round Annapurna)”, last updated May 21, 2024.