Annapurna Circuit Trek 17 Days

What to expect?

The Annapurna circuit trek is the complete travel plan that allows you to see the massive Himalayan giants of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu. You will also see the beautiful sacred peak of Machhapuchhre in Pokhara. You will hike through the Annapurna Conservation area most of the time in your journey.

The park contains Tibetan temples and monasteries, mountain villages, the sacred cities of Mustang-Kagbeni and Muktinath, and the hot springs of Tatopani. And in the spring, the foothills are colored with thousands of blooming rhododendrons.

And in the landscapes of Manang and Lower Mustang, you will feel like you are in Tibet. The green poplar groves scattered in the barren landscape, small scattered settlements of whitewashed houses, Buddhist stupas, and monasteries await the hikers who come here.

You will then spend a day in Pokhara- a paradise with a charming atmosphere and vibrant culture. You will explore the monumental Kathmandu Valley and observe the intermingling of various cultures, customs, and traditions.

Best Time

The most ideal periods for the Annapurna Circuit trek are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). During these periods, we can expect clear weather, with lots of sunshine, with temperatures around 22-27 degrees Celsius during the day and 15-20 degrees Celsius in the morning.

However, above 3,000 meters, temperatures can be 5-10 degrees Celsius with light frost in the morning. In the higher-lying Manang and Mustang regions, the temperature can be very high in sunny, windless weather, but in cloudy and strong winds, it can feel very cool.

In the Thorong La Pass and Muktinath area, there may even be snowdrifts or persistent snowfall. Around Manang and in the Kali Gandaki valley, strong winds are typical in the afternoon.

Elevation and distance

The Annapurna Circuit trek is 250 km long and it takes more than two weeks to cover the entire route. The highest settlement where we will spend the night is at Thorong Phedi at an elevation of 4600m above sea level. The highest altitude we will cross in our complete journey to the Annapurna is at Thorong la Pass elevated at 5416m above sea level.

We begin our hike from Jagat which lies at a distance of 150 km from Kathmandu. Our trek ends at Jomsom from where we will drive again to return to Kathmandu.

We have therefore 9 days of trekking days ahead of us when we will cover 15 km per day on an average.

Maximum/Minimum walk per day

During our Annapurna circuit trek, you should usually expect 6-7 hours of hiking per day, on developed but often undulating terrain, with quite a few steep ascents. However, the tenth day of our trek will be the easiest and shortest as it involves only 4 to 5 hours of walking as we traverse from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi.

The challenging day will be on the eleventh day when we cross Thorong Phedi and descend to Muktinath. We will walk for 8 to 9 hours on this day which is the maximum walk of our Annapurna circuit trek.

Difficulty and Acclimatization

The Annapurna circuit trek is not easy, but anyone can do it. It requires an average of 5 to 7 hours of hiking each day. To relieve most of your loads, we have hired skilled porters who will carry most of our equipment. We can entrust them with a maximum of 10-12 kg of our own equipment per person.

But the tour still requires good condition and endurance, due to the constant load, the high altitude, and possible bad weather conditions. You definitely have to prepare for this. In addition to being in good condition, a positive mental attitude and perseverance are extremely important.

Due to the difference in level, you have to expect a little heavier breathing above 3000 meters, but due to the gradual, slow ascent, this will probably be not a problem. The most difficult part of the tour is the crossing of the 5416 m high Thorong La pass, preceded by several acclimatization tours and shorter daily sections to thoroughly acclimatize.

Preparation and training

Undoubtedly, general physical fitness is required for this trek, which can be compared to climbing the stairs to the 6th floor on foot. A necessary condition is moderate endurance, being on your feet all day. For people with joint problems, it is worth understanding that there can be long descents and ascents. Therefore, prepare yourself with jogging, running, and cycling. Walking up and down the stairs will also do the trick.

Alternate Routes

If you don’t want to follow the crowd of tourists and want to experience something different, there is another route to approach the Annapurna Circuit. The trail will lead you through some of the remotest and noncommercial villages of Nepal which are pretty rustic. You have to spend nights in tented camps.

If you are interested, you can follow this 14-day route that will take you through Ghalegaon, Bhujung, Ridge Camp, Joli Kharka, Thulo Tal, Phulu, Kori, Tasa Kharka, Sikles, Ghawchok, then back to Pokhara.

Or, combine the Lake Tilicho trek with the Annapurna Circuit trek, and what about combining the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek?

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is one of the risks you may encounter on the Annapurna Circuit trek. At an altitude of 5,000 meters, the oxygen content of the air is significantly lower, and there is a high chance that the symptoms of altitude sickness may appear even in healthy, well-trained people.

In the best case, only in the form of a mild headache, loss of appetite, and nausea. In rare cases, these can become serious during the tour, in which case the tour leader may decide that the person concerned must turn back with an escort or go down by helicopter for their own safety.

Of course, following the advice of the tour guides, you can maximize the chances of a successful tour by following some basic rules. You need to eat well and get enough sleep, try not to get sick, and be psychologically prepared for physical activity. Drink at least 3 liters of water and starting from altitudes of 3000-3500 meters, slowly gain altitude 400-600 meters per day, so that the body has time to get used to the lack of oxygen.

Transportation, Meals and Drink

Accommodation, transportation, and meal costs are included in our service. Airport picks up and drop-off service is provided in private transportation (car, van, Hiace, or tourist bus). The same way of transport will be used for transfer from Kathmandu to Jagat, Jomsom to Tatopani to Pokhara to Kathmandu. At an additional fee, we can arrange or Kathmandu Pokhara flight.

Regarding meals, in Kathmandu and Pokhara, breakfast will be offered. During the walking tour, meals are provided three times a day at our current accommodation and in the teahouses lined up along the road.

We can choose dal bhat, which is boiled rice with lentil sauce and steamed vegetables, or Tibetan momo, which is boiled dumplings with some kind of filling. But around Muktinath, you can also try yak steak, or the Yak Burger at Yak Donald’s in Kagbeni.

Communication, Gadgets charging, and Internet/wifi

The Annapurna region has been developing day by day thus increasing its infrastructure for comfortable lodge trekking. The region receives a constant supply of electricity and the rooms in the lodges have sockets for charging your devices.

For communication and internet access, you can buy a SIM card of NTC or NCELL in Kathmandu or Pokhara for reasonable money and be online almost all the time. Nepal has now a 4G service ad working on activating the 5G service.

WIFI is also available even in the most remote places, but sometimes due to high altitude, finding a signal can be a problem.

Permits

Crossing through the restricted area of Annapurna needs Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Permit. For the trekking part, you need a Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) Permit. But you don’t have to worry about the permits! Obtaining the permits and their costs are our headache.