Annapurna Circuit Trek

Our first day of the Annapurna Circuit Trek begins early in the morning with a local bus ride to Bhulbhule. The path leads out of the valley along the beautiful Trishuli River to Pokhara, from there we travel north to Besisahar and Bhulbhule, both of which are located along the Marsyangdi River. We will be able to witness the wonderful scenery of villages, terrace fields and the snowy high peaks of Manaslu and Ganesh along the trip.

Along the running Marsyangdi river, the journey follows a beautiful track through beautiful forest and cultivated crops. We stop for a relaxing lunch break before continuing on to the quiet village of Jagat, a former trading post, passing through various small communities and fields.

We're going to walk along the Marsyangdi River today. We enter the Manang region in the village of Tal after a steep hike, where we can view multiple waterfalls forming a river along the sandy beaches. We will travel down a trail that passes through rice, potato fields and barely as well as the settlement of Kodo. After crossing a suspension bridge and climbing up stone Kani, we will reach Dharapani. 

Today we will travel down the Marsyangdi river through a forest of oak, pine, fir and maple trees to Chame. It is the district headquarters of Manang district. We'll be surrounded by greenery on all sides, with spectacular views of Annapurna II, Lamjung Himal and Annapurna IV (7,525 m). 

We will trek down a narrow and steep valley to get our first glimpse of Paungda Danda rock face. It is a curved rock face standing 1500 meters above the river and considered sacred by the locals. We can also see Annapurna 2 in the south and Pisang Peak in the northeast from here. We next make our way down to the Manang Valley's level to reach Pisang.

Today, we will trek on the higher trail via upper Pisang through Geru. We will choose this trail because it provides spectacular views of Annapurna II, III, IV, Tilicho, Gangapurna and Pisang Peak.

The route passes through Tibetan settlements and we will have the opportunity to learn about Buddhist culture during a brief visit to Manang's main monastery, Barge Monastery. The trail is lined with Buddhist shrines as we pass through additional monasteries and arrive in Manang. It is a major village with a thriving bazaar that attracts travelers.

We spent this day exploring Manang, hiking up to Gangapurna Lake and Base Camp in the early morning. We will spend the day admiring Annapurna III, Tilicho, Pisang, and Chulu Peaks. We will also wander through Manang Village and Monasteries. In the afternoon, we will go to the Himalayan Rescue Association in Vraja village, to learn about acute Mountain Sickness, symptoms and its treatment.

We'll cross a river and reach up to Tenki village from Manang. We will then head northwest up Jar Sang Khola valley to exit Marshyangdi valley. Following the path, we'll pass through Gunsan, a village with flat mud roofs and then pass-through grasslands with horses and yaks.   We will make our way up the gorgeous valley to an open, peaceful spot called as Yak Kharka after crossing a river on a wooden bridge.

Today we will travel to Throng Phedi, which is located at the foot of the Thorong La pass. We walk to the top of a ridge, then descend down to a wooden bridge that spans the Marsyangdi River. Following a small track across a slope, we drop to Thorung Phedi after ascending the mountain way. The barren and rocky landscape seems bizarre than the path we went through on the way up during the first stage.

Today is the most difficult day of the trek, as we cross Thorong La pass, one of the world's highest passes and the expedition's highest point. We'll have to struggle through the freezing air and high elevation, but the view from the pass will be worth the effort.

We will then descend all the way down to Muktinath, a Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site. Chumig Gyatsa is the Buddhist term for it, which in Tibetan is "Hundred Waters".

We pay a visit to Muktinath Temple before continuing our journey to Tatopani in a local bus. It'll be a difficult journey through the world's deepest gorges. We'll travel from the dry highlands to the beautiful green jungles. Tatopani is known for its natural hot springs.  It is a spot where we will relax and soak ourself in hot water. 

We will make our way to Ghorepani through the villages of Sikha and Chitre, which are ethnic thakali settlements. We will pass across a terraced field surrounded by mountains. Then we'll drive through beautiful forests of rhododendron, magnoli and birch.  We will stop at Ghorepani today which is a lovely village perched on a hilltop.

Today is our last day on the trek. Early in the morning, we will climb to Poon Hill (3210m) for a dawn sight of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri massif including Mt Machhapuchhre and adjacent rice terraces. It is a Photographers favorite location.  We will then return to our Ghorepani resort for breakfast after viewing Poonhill, then walk down to Birethanti and drive to Pokhara, where we will spend the night.

We take a tourist bus back to Kathmandu after breakfast. It's a 200-kilometer journey that begins with the Marsyangdi River and ends with the Trishuli River.