Round Annapurna Trek

Welcome to Nepal. Our representative will be at the airport to welcome you transfer you to your hotel. If your flight is early, you will have time to explore old market places of Kathmandu. In the evening, you will meet your guide for trek preparation.

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel for the drive to Chamje. The journey is pleasing as we drive through deep gorges along the Trisuli River westwards. A drive of around four hours will take you to Mugling -- a bustling highway town seated near the confluence of Trishuli and Marshyangdi River. From Mugling, we take the right road toward Pokhara along the banks of Marshyangdi River. We will follow this river Thorang Phedi from where we make the final push to the Thorang Pass. We leave the highway to Pokhara at a small marketplace named Dumre and take the road on the right toward Besishahar. From here, a drive of another three hours on a jeep trak will take us to the trek starting point at Chamje via Syangi and Jagat.

We begin our first day of trek after having breakfast at our lodge. Very soon we cross to the east side of Marshyangdi River using a suspension bridge to avoid the jeep track. After a short climb, the trail begins to traverse the rocky surface. We cross a series of stone steps and pass a couple tea houses. We see Tibetan Buddhism influence as we climb up as people of Manang follow Tibetan Buddhism. We see Buddhist gompas and chhortens on the trail. After a while, we reach a place called Tal which means lake in Nepali. From here, the trail is a bit easy for sometime. After an hour or so, we again cross the river and the trial climbs up to the village of Dharapani. There are many good lodges here. From Dharapani, we continue our walk to the village of Bagarchhap which has a beautiful gompa.

Leaving Bagarchhap, we gradually climb up the valley. Annapurna II (7,937m) and Lamjung Himal (6,932m) opens up in front of us. A walk of about an hour will take us to the village of Danakyu. The trail passes through a mani wall and as well as prayer wheel and Manaslu (8,154m) -- the eight highest peak in the world -- comes into our view. From here, we make a steep climb through lush woods for about an hour. Then we cross a footbridge and reach the village of Timang. We continue further and pass through the village of Koto. From Koto, the valley opens out and it is a an easy walk to Chame -- the district headquarters of Manang.

We are entering alpine area and the scenery is so wonderful that it will halt your progress. Leaving Chame, we pass along mani walls and small settlements. The trail is easy. Very soon, you will come across prayer wheel powered by water. After Bhratang, the trail is steep for about an hour passing through forested area.We cross the river on a footbridge and the trail begins to move away from Marshyangdi. The trail opens up and Pisang Peak (6,091m) appears right before us. The mountain gives name to the village. In fast, the village is divided into two parts -- Lower Pisang and Upper Pisang. We leave the forested area, cross a small wooden bridge and enter Lower Pisang.

As we are entering the high Himalayan area, the landscape becomes arid and weather is cooler. We begin our walk on a level path which climbs up a ridge once we are out of the valley. The view offers amazing view down into the Manang valley. We can see Mount Annapurna III (7,555m) on our left. We pass through the village of Hongde, which has a small airstrip, and walk toward Braga. There is a beautiful monastery in Braga. A walk of another 30 minutes will take us to Manang.

We take a break for acclimatization today. Manang is beautiful village located very near the Gangapurna glacier. An emerald lake, which goes by the name Gangapurna, lies at the foot of the glacier. We will spend the day climbing to a small hill above the village of Braga or a viewpoint about the lake opposite Manang village.

This is going to be a short day. But we will need to stop here for acclimatization as we prepare to cross the pass. A walk of about half hour will take us to the upper settlement of the Manang village. From here, the trail climbs up gradually to a small hamlet of Gunsang. The walk is tiring as we are gaining altitude. We continue our walk to the upper reaches of the Manang valley. We will reach Yak Kharka for early lunch. After lunch, you can climb a ridge behind the village for great views of mountains in the Annapurna range.

Another short day! We leave Yak Kharka and walking toward the foot of Thorong Pass. We pass through a small hamlet named Letdar with few lodges. Our trail winds its way around the eastern side of the Thorong valley, before down to the valley. We cross a river and make a short climb climb to Thorong Phedi. After lunch, we can hike to the upper base camp, where there are few huts, for acclimatization. Or you can simply stay in the lunch and prepare for the pass crossing.

It is going to be a long day. Take plenty of water and warm clothes. We start the walk early in the morning. After a walk of around one and half hours, we reach to a ledge -- some 200 meters vertical climb from Thorong Phedi. From here, the trail continues to climb upward. Views back down the valley, however, are amazing. We will reach the pass after a walk about five hours. You can see prayer flags fluttering in strong wind. Take a picture with the signboard for the proof that you are indeed on the 5414-meter pass! The pass offers spectacular views of the Annapurna Range to the south and the Mukut Himal to the west. The peak south of the pass is Thorong Peak -- a trekking peak. After spending some time on the top, we start a long descent to Muktinath. The trail is steep and tiring and it can take around four hours. You can have breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Tukuche Peak (6,920m) while you drop down into the Kali Gandaki Valley. Muktinath, which gets its name from the holy shrine of Muktinath, is a busy tourist town. We will stay at a lodge in a village called Ranipauwa which is below the temple.

We will explore the temple area in the morning. The place is a common pilgrimage for Hindu and Buddhist followers. Another attraction here is a flame of natural gas flickering next to a stream. Descending from Ranipauwa, we gown down the steep and barren hillside to Kagbeni which is the entry point to Upper Mustang. We continue our walk to Jomsom which is a STOL airfield serving the area. The walk is pleasing as we walk on the plateau above Kali Gandaki River. From Jomsom, an easy walk will take us to Marpha. Marpha is the apple capital of Nepal. During season, you can pluck apples from the tree and instantly. Dried apple chunks and apple brandy are the famous souvenirs to take from Marpha.

From Marpha, we continue our walk toward Kalopani. We pass through beautiful apple orchards and traditional villages of the Thakali people who are renowned for their hospitality and typical Nepali Dal-Bhaat. The route offers panoramic views of mountains like Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, and Annapurna I before arriving Chokhopani. From here, we continue our walk to another village at Kokhethanti. After crossing a river, and come across the newly constructed road site before reaching Kalopani.

We follow the Kali Gandaki River and the trail is mostly downhill. After a crossing a bridge a Ghasa, the trail drops further. The trail passes through lush vegetation, indicating that we are at lower elevations. Rupse waterfall is he major landmark that we visit today. This magnificent waterfall is a popular photo point for trekkers on this trail. We continue down the eastern bank of Kali Gandaki River, and after crossing a bridge reach Dana. We continue further and reach Narchyang Besi, where there is a small hydropower plant supplying electricity to nearby villages, and then to Tatopani. As the name suggest, here is a natural hot spring in the village. After checking into our lodge, we relax in the pool of water to rejuvenate ourselves.

Today, we leave the Kali Gandaki Valley and head up toward the Ghar Khola Valley. The trail passes through beautiful farmland offering views of mountains all around. Passing through beautiful villages of Shikha and Chitre, we enter a beautiful rhododendron forest which blooms full red during spring. Walking further, we reach the village of Ghorepani which is seated on a ridge top. Ghorepani is a stopover on the popular Ghandruk-Ghorepani loop which is famous among first time trekkers.

We will climb to the Poon Hill viewpoint early in the morning today to watch sunrise and magnificent mountains. Poon Hill is the best viewpoint in the area for mountain views. The place offers possibly the best views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna peaks, and Fishtail, among others. Watching the mountains glitter gold in the morning sun is a visual treat for anybody. After taking photographs, we return back to Ghorepani, take breakfast and start our walk toward Tirkhedhunga. We pass through the villages of Banthanti and Ulleri before descending the famous 3200 steps to a small settlement of Tirkhedhunga.

Last day or our trek. Today, we will have a leisurely walk to Nayapul. We pass through the villages of Hile and Birethanti where we show our permits at the checkpost. After lunch, we board a waiting car and drive toward Pokhara. In the evening, we will enjoy explore the Lakeside area.

A short half an hour flight will take us to Kathmandu. Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, you will be drive to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day in your hotel reminiscing your trek. Or you can take a stroll in the neighborhood to buy souvenirs for your friends and families back home. In the evening, we will organize a farewell dinner for you in a typical Nepali restaurant. Savour traditional Nepali cuisines while enjoying cultural performances by artists.

Our representative will escort you to the airport for your return flight three hours before your schedule time. While returning home, you will have plenty of time to plan your next meet. Bye bye till we meet again!