Annapurna Circuit Trek 8 Days

This morning we head from Kathmandu to Chame via Besisahar. Along the route you will get glimpses of several snow-capped mountains (Annapurna & Manaslu) as we cross rivers and pass through terraced farmland. We will travel by jeep for around 3 to 4 hours from Besisahar to Chame passing through villages such as: Sange, Bhulbhule, Nagdi, Chamche, Tal, Dharapani, Bagarchhap, Dankya, Timang, Thanchowk, and Koto.

Today we head out on the trail following the Marsyangdi River, with our first stop at Bratang and then on to Chemyau Kharka where there is a memorial to Japanese mountain climber Akira Ochiai. Further on we come to Dhukur Pokhari passing through forests along the way until we arrive at lower Pisang from where we will head to Upper Pisang as a means of acclimatizing. We will then return to Lower Pisang for the night. 

Pisang is the start of our trek into the upper Manang region. Today we follow the trail to Braga; a Tibetan village with its distinctive architecture and houses constructed one upon the other. One of Manang’s main features is its Gompa (Buddhist temple), being the largest in the Manang region. Manang is also very popular stopping-off point with trekkers who remain here for a day in order to acclimatize before heading to higher elevations. From Manang we have views of Mt. Chulu and Gangapurna. 

Today is set aside to acclimatize, something that is essential before heading to higher elevations. This will limit the possibility of suffering altitude sickness. In order to improve the process we will take a short hike to Bhojo Gumba or Gangapurna Lake. The remainder of your time can be spent exploring this fascinating town. 

This morning we head out on the trail to Yak Kharka, beginning with a climb through snow covered forests of juniper. The trail is steep until we arrive at Ghustang. The remainder of this trail is relatively easy as we head to Yak Kharka, and along the way enjoy views of Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho. 

This morning we head out on a short 1 hour trek to Ledar and then on to Thorong Phedi. Thorong Phedi is at the base of Thorong Himal. We will either spend the night here or move on to High Camp, depending on the weather conditions. Being at High Camp makes it a little easier to reach Thorong La Pass tomorrow.

Today promises to be full of excitement as we head to one of the world’s highest passes – Thorong La Pass. It is going to be a tough day, firstly because of the altitude and secondly because we have to trek for 4 to 5 hours. On the pass you will have stunning views of many 6000m plus peaks. You will also have awesome views as you gaze down to the Kali Gandaki Valley. We then continue down to Muktinath and is at the beginning quite easy, but does have some undulating part in the middle of the trek. We then head down on a steep descent to Muktinath with views of Mt. Dhaulagiri along the way.

Before heading off to Pokhara we will visit Muktinath Temple, a very sacred temple for Buddhists and Hindus. We will also visit Jwala Mai Sanctuary before heading for Jomson from where we will drive back to Pokhara where our trek ends.