Trekking the Annapurna Circuit is categorized as one of the most beautiful and diverse trekking trails available in the world. well known among the hikers and outdoor lovers since Nepal was opened to the outside world. the crossing of the high pass Thorong la 5540m is the ultimate milestone of the circuit. the idea of circling the entire massive Annapurna itself is quite fascinating. but what most people appreciate is the landscapes.
the classic way to begin the trek is to drive to Besi Sahar and start a trek from there, but these days due to road accessibility people starts from a various different point, so here we drive 8 hrs from Besi Sahar to Chame and start a trek from next day.
Enjoy your private transfer from Kathmandu's International Airport to your hotel. In the evening relax with a welcome drink followed by a trip briefing by your experienced, professional guide
Today enjoy your private, full-day sightseeing tour with English speaking guide to Kathmandu's cultural, religious and historical UNESCO World Heritage sites including Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Overnight at your Kathmandu Hotel.
Take an early morning drive to Besi Sahar for about 7-8 hrs. the roads are comfortable and black toped. in between, you can enjoy the view of easy-flowing river and farmlands. Besi Sahar is a classic start point for Annapurna circuit and headquarters of Lamjung district
Besisahar to chame: drive is completely off-road, will travel on a shared all-wheel drive. On the way, you can witness the dramatic views of rocky mountains and valleys. 7 hrs of drive-through dirt road will take us to Chame, one of the biggest villages and headquarter of Manang district, also famous among trekkers coz of its hot spring.
The path today starts from wide-open dirt road following the marsyangdi river…..you began to notice on changing the vegetation and landscape from green vegetation to dry green vegetation. An hour steep climb through pine forest leads us to dhikur pokharai a famous lunch spot overlooking the giant curved rock called the gateway to heaven…further 2-3 hrs walk with gradual climb will take us to upper pisang, an ancient Tibetan style village above the valley of lower Pisang and humde.
The hike today offers the dramatic views of valleys, mountains, forests, and the alpine meadows but for the cost of steep up and down…the more we walk towards manang, the vegetation becomes dryer and windy. The winds throughout thousands of years have shaped hills and rocks quite dramatically and make anyone wonder. The trail gets easier once we are close to manang. The major village on a trail famous among trekkers to spend an extra day for rest and acclimatization.
On this day we do small day hikes to catch a height and get used to the thin air and make a good rest for our body to recover.
The trail gets steeper and passes through old manang where people still are depended on yak herding and trading. The vegetation gets dryer with no trees but strong winds. Yak kharka literally means a yak grazing meadows have few tea houses to accommodate trekkers.
Now we are in complete rain shadowed alpine region surrounded by the giant Himalayas all over as usual you can expect to make some steep up and down. This trail needs a special careful walking as some times small rocks might fall off from above due to strong wind and animals as well as some landslide area, strongly recommended following your guides' instruction. Thorang Phedi is on the base of thorong peak with 3 lodges.
This is the biggest day on a trek, we start around 2 am with a steep climb- walking through the darkness inside the Himalaya on an open sky with stars is definitely a great experience, the goal is to reach the pass before 9-10 so that we can avoid the killer strong wind that might cause avalanche and rockfall. After the pass, we enter another great valley of mustang much drier but exotic. 3 hrs down and we reach Muktinath. A valley significant to both Hindu and Buddhist and is known for its presence of all the five major elements of life forces.
take an early morning drive to Jomsom airport...Fast fly back to Pokhara, since you will arrive in the morning you can spend rest of your day and evening chilling out in beautiful lakeside, located nearby Phewa lake
you can take this extra day to make sightseeing around.....or just walk around drink coffee or beer......paragliding, boating, and cycling around is a well-known activity.
We get set for an 8 hours scenic drive to Kathmandu or if there’s urgency, we can hop a 30 minutes flight to Kathmandu on a bit of extra cost, the option is yours to decide; upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will be escorted into our hotel. We either spend the day leisurely or perhaps catch up on some last-minute shopping or explore any sights we missed during our first day in Kathmandu.
Our team will have a private vehicle standing by to take you to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport or if you'd like to extend your stay we have many short tours available for your enjoyment. You can go on an exciting game drive in Chitwan National Park, experience the exhilaration of white water rafting or take a thrilling mountain bike ride on some of Nepal’s urban trails. Always wanted to visit Tibet or Bhutan? We have the experience to handle the details. At Travel Maker South Asia it is an honor to serve you and we look forward to welcoming you back to beautiful Nepal in the future. We wish you a safe journey.
KTM: Shangri La Boutique Hotel/ Kumari Boutique Hotel/ M Hotel
PKR: Hotel Karuna/ Pokhara Boutique Hotel