Trip Facts
Country:
Annapurna
Duration:
12 Days
Max Altitude:
5,416m
Activities:
Trekking
Region:
Annapurna Region
Starting Point:
Kathmandu
Ending Point:
Kathmandu
Grade:
Moderate
Group Size:
Min 2
Accomodation:
Hotel/Teahouse
Notice
The Annapurna Circuit is a classic loop around the Annapurna massif. The high point is the Thorong La Pass (5,416 m), crossed on Day 8.
This 12-day plan uses a short drive to skip the lower, dusty road sections. So you spend your time on the scenic high country.
The trek lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so a licensed guide and permits are required. Spade Himalaya arranges your guide, the ACAP permit, and the TIMS card.
Overview of Annapurna Circuit Trek 12-Days
Quick answer: The Annapurna Circuit earns its fame honestly. In 12 days the trail climbs from subtropical rice terraces to the windswept crest of Thorong La at 5,416 m, and no two days look alike. Both the ACAP permit and a TIMS card come arranged with your booking. Prices start at US$ 1,080. So if you want one trek that shows you all of Nepal, this is the one our guides recommend first.
The Annapurna Circuit Trek is a 12-day loop around the Annapurna massif. It is one of Nepal’s classic high-altitude treks. So it packs the country’s full range into one trip. You climb from green river valleys to a cold, wind-scoured pass, then drop to a holy temple town.
The high point is the Thorong La Pass (5,416 m), one of the highest trekking passes in the world (Wikipedia: Annapurna Circuit, retrieved 2026-06-26). First, you drive to Chame and trek up through Pisang to the Tibetan-style village of Manang (3,540 m). Then you take an acclimatization day before the climb to the pass. After the crossing, you reach the sacred temple of Muktinath (3,800 m), holy to both Hindus and Buddhists.
The trek then drops to the hot springs at Tatopani, climbs to Ghorepani, and finishes with the famous sunrise from Poon Hill (3,210 m). Along the way, you see giants like Annapurna I (8,091 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), and the deep Kali Gandaki gorge. So the trail keeps changing, day after day, from rice terraces to high desert that looks like Tibet.
This trek is graded moderate to strenuous. There is no technical climbing. The challenge is the altitude and the long days, not the terrain. So the plan builds in an acclimatization day at Manang and climbs slowly to the pass.
Spade Himalaya runs this trek with licensed Nepali guides. So your guide sets a safe pace, watches the weather, and checks your health each day. Want a shorter or easier trek in the same region? See the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, the quiet Mardi Himal Trek, or the easy Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek. For more culture and Mustang, see the 15-day Annapurna Circuit via Thorong La Pass.
Planning your trip? Read our Annapurna Circuit cost guide, our Thorong La Pass guide, and our Annapurna Circuit in winter guide. Deciding between treks? Then read Annapurna Circuit vs Annapurna Base Camp. For the full region, see our Annapurna region guide.
Trips Highlights
- Cross the Thorong La Pass (5,416 m), one of the highest trekking passes on earth.
- Walk a full loop around the Annapurna massif, from green valleys to high desert.
- Visit the Tibetan-style village of Manang (3,540 m) and its old monasteries.
- Reach the sacred temple of Muktinath, holy to Hindus and Buddhists.
- Soak in the natural hot springs at Tatopani after the high days.
- Catch the famous sunrise over the peaks from Poon Hill (3,210 m).
- See Annapurna I (8,091 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), and the deep Kali Gandaki gorge.
- Cross from rice terraces to wind-scoured Tibetan high desert in one trek.
- Taste local food like dal bhat, potatoes, and Tibetan bread in mountain teahouses.
- Trek Nepal's classic loop with a licensed Spade Himalaya guide.
Route Details
Kathmandu (1,400 m) → drive to Chame (2,710 m) → Pisang (3,300 m) → Manang (3,540 m) → acclimatization day → Yak Kharka (4,050 m) → Thorong Phedi (4,500 m) → Thorong La (5,416 m) → Muktinath (3,800 m) → drive to Tatopani (1,190 m) → Ghorepani (2,870 m) → Poon Hill (3,210 m) → Pokhara → Kathmandu.
In short, you drive to Chame and trek up the valley to Manang. Then you acclimatize and climb to the Thorong La pass. After the crossing, you reach Muktinath, drop to the Tatopani hot springs, climb to Ghorepani for the Poon Hill sunrise, and return through Pokhara to Kathmandu.
Thorong La Pass in Annapurna circuit Trek
Trips Itinerary
A Spade Himalaya representative meets you at the airport and drives you to your hotel in Thamel, roughly thirty minutes away depending on Kathmandu traffic.
The city sits at 1,400 m, so there is no altitude to manage yet. In the evening your guide runs the briefing, goes through the route and the safety plan, and checks your gear. Bring your passport, photographs and a copy of your insurance for the permits.
- Duration: Driving: about 30 min
- Max Altitude: 1400 m
- Accommodation: Shared Star Hotel
A long driving day takes you west to Besisahar and then up the rough road through the Marsyangdi valley to Chame, which usually takes nine or ten hours in total.
Chame is at 2,710 m, so you gain more than 1,300 m sitting down. The tarmac ends at Besisahar and the mountain road beyond it is slow, narrow and properly bumpy. Chame is the district headquarters of Manang and has a small hot spring by the river.
- Duration: Driving: 9 to 10 hrs
- Max Altitude: 2710 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
The walking starts today. You follow the river through pine and fir forest, and the valley opens out as you climb to the old village of Pisang in five or six hours.
Pisang sits at 3,300 m and the gain from Chame is a comfortable 600 m, which makes a sensible first day. The trail stays close to the Marsyangdi for most of it.
Partway along you pass the huge curved rock wall of Paungda Danda rising straight out of the valley. Annapurna II and Pisang Peak come into view, and Upper Pisang has a small monastery worth the climb.
- Duration: Walking: 5 to 6 hrs
- Max Altitude: 3300 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
Today you can take the high route over Ghyaru and Ngawal for the views, or the lower valley path, and either way you finish at Manang after six or seven hours.
The upper route climbs higher and rejoins the main trail, so it costs more effort but repays it. The country here turns dry and Tibetan in character, with mani walls, chortens and flat roofed stone villages, and Manang at 3,540 m has shops, bakeries and a clinic.
- Duration: Walking: 6 to 7 hrs
- Max Altitude: 3540 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
You stay a second night in Manang and spend the day hiking on the slopes above it, because an active rest day is how your body actually prepares for the pass ahead.
The usual options climb to around 4,600 m at Ice Lake or up to the Gangapurna viewpoint, then come back down to sleep at 3,540 m. A gentler walk to a nearby monastery works too.
The Himalayan Rescue Association runs a free altitude talk in Manang most afternoons in season, and it is well worth an hour of anybody’s time. Drink more water than usual and eat properly today.
- Duration: Walking: 3 to 5 hrs if hiking
- Max Altitude: 4600 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
A shorter day of four or five hours lifts you off the valley floor and onto open slopes, ending at the high summer pasture and handful of teahouses that make up Yak Kharka.
Yak Kharka is at 4,050 m, so you gain about 500 m. The days are getting shorter on purpose now, because from here every metre of height matters more than distance. Yaks graze these slopes, the plants have thinned to low scrub, and the lodges are simple.
- Duration: Walking: 4 to 5 hrs
- Max Altitude: 4050 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
A short but demanding three to four hours along the valley brings you to Thorong Phedi, the base camp for the pass, leaving the whole afternoon free for rest and food.
Thorong Phedi sits at 4,500 m. It is only 450 m of gain but at this height that is enough, and the trail crosses a landslide prone section that needs care.
Eat an early dinner and sleep early, because tomorrow starts in the dark. Some groups climb another 400 m to High Camp instead, and your guide decides based on conditions and how everyone is going.
- Duration: Walking: 3 to 4 hrs
- Max Altitude: 4500 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
The biggest day of the trek. You leave around four in the morning, climb steadily to the prayer flags on Thorong La, then make the long descent to Muktinath.
The pass is 5,416 m, the highest point of the circuit, and Muktinath is at 3,800 m. That is roughly 900 m up and 1,600 m down across eight or nine hours of walking.
You start that early so that you beat the wind, which picks up across the pass by late morning and makes the crossing a great deal harder than it needs to be.
Poles make a real difference on the long descent, and the view from the top of the pass runs across the Annapurna and Damodar ranges with nothing at all in the way.
- Duration: Walking: 8 to 9 hrs
- Max Altitude: 5416 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
You visit the Muktinath temple in the morning, then drive down the Kali Gandaki valley by jeep, reaching the hot spring village of Tatopani in five or six hours.
Tatopani sits at 1,190 m, so today you lose more than 2,600 m. The change in air and temperature between breakfast and dinner is one of the sharpest of the trip.
Muktinath is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike and has 108 stone water spouts fed by the mountain. The road passes Jomsom and the apple orchards of Marpha, running between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
- Duration: Driving: 5 to 6 hrs
- Max Altitude: 3800 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
A long uphill day of seven or eight hours climbs out of the valley through farmland and forest to the ridge village of Ghorepani, and it is honest hard work throughout.
Ghorepani sits at 2,870 m, which means around 1,680 m of climbing from Tatopani. It is the longest climb of the whole trek, so start early and pace it. You pass Magar and Gurung villages on the way up, and in spring the rhododendron flowers red and pink across whole hillsides.
- Duration: Walking: 7 to 8 hrs
- Max Altitude: 2870 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
You climb to Poon Hill for sunrise, return to Ghorepani for breakfast, walk down through Ulleri to the road, then drive to Pokhara and fly on to Kathmandu.
Poon Hill is 3,210 m and the climb up takes about an hour in the dark. After that it is roughly four hours of walking, two hours of driving and a thirty minute flight.
The sunrise lights Dhaulagiri and Annapurna in turn and is one of the best known views in Nepal. The descent through Ulleri is a long stone staircase, so take the steps carefully on tired legs.
- Duration: 4 hrs trek, 2 hrs drive and 30 min flight
- Max Altitude: 3210 m
- Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included
- Accommodation: Shared Star Hotel
Your trip ends today. After a relaxed breakfast a representative collects you from the hotel and drives you to the airport, about thirty minutes away, though traffic can stretch it. We can add city nights or a Chitwan extension if you ask in advance.
- Max Altitude: 1,400 m
- Meals: Breakfast Included
Trips Include
- Shared 3 star hotel in Kathmandu for 2 nights (arrival and post-trek), with breakfast included. (Private room can be organized at extra cost).
- Airport pick-up and drop-off service.
- Return flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu.
- Three meals a day during the trek (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
- Experienced English-speaking guide.
- Comfortable accommodation in hotels and tea houses.
- Safe drinking water using a filter or purification tablets.
- Porters to carry your luggage.
- All necessary permits (ACAP and TIMS).
- First aid medical kit.
- All ground transportation as per itinerary.
Trips Exclude
- International airfare.
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu.
- Nepal entry visa (US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days).
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers, Wi-Fi, and device charging on the trail.
- Tips for guide and porters.
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Personal expenses and any costs from early departure.
- Anything not listed under Cost Includes.
Trips Altitude
Trips Map
Trips Gallery
Packing List
Upper Body
- Thermal base layers (top)
- Long-sleeve t-shirts
- Fleece or wool mid-layer
- Windproof and waterproof shell jacket
Lower Body
- Thermal base layers (bottom)
- Windproof and waterproof shell trousers
- Comfortable trekking trousers
- Warm trousers
Others
- Warm hat that covers the ears
- Neck warmer
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen (SPF 35 to 60)
- Headlamp with spare batteries
Hands
- Liner gloves
- Warm shell glove
Feet
- Waterproof trekking boots (broken in)
- 4 to 5 pairs of wool socks
- Sock liners
- Sandals or light shoes for the evenings
First Aid Kits
- Diamox (125 to 250 mg) for altitude
- Ibuprofen
- Blister care
- Water-purification tablets
- Adhesive bandages
- Anti-itch cream
Others
Documents & Extras
- Passport
- 4 passport photos
- Refillable water bottle with filter
- Small daypack (the porter carries your duffel)
Optional
- Power bank
- Camera with chargers and spare batteries
Good to Know
Before You Go
Bring your passport, two passport photos, and a readable copy of your travel insurance to the pre-trip meeting so Spade Himalaya can arrange your Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and licensed guide, both mandatory on the circuit. The ACAP costs NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals and is checked at posts from Besisahar to Jomsom, so carry the printed copy; phone photos aren’t accepted.
The Annapurna Circuit packs Nepal’s full range into 12 days. You move from green valleys to high desert, cross a 5,416 m pass, and visit a holy temple. So it feels like several treks in one. Best of all, you walk Nepal’s classic loop with a licensed local guide.
Spring and autumn are the prime seasons. In spring, the rhododendron forests bloom red and pink. In autumn, the air is clear after the rains, so the views are sharp. Winter is cold, and snow can block Thorong La. The summer monsoon brings rain and leeches lower down, so most trekkers skip it.
This trek is moderate to strenuous, and it is long. So train before you come. Build your stamina with regular cardio, like walking, jogging, or cycling. Also strengthen your legs for the climbs and the long descent. A few practice hikes with a daypack help a lot. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the pass.
The plan climbs slowly and adds a rest day at Manang. So your body has time to adjust before the pass. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day, and walk at an easy pace. Skip alcohol up high, and eat well for energy. Tell your guide early if you feel a headache or nausea. Going down is the best cure, and your guide carries an oximeter.
The trek runs through the Annapurna Conservation Area, so foreigners must trek with a licensed guide. You also need the ACAP permit and a TIMS card. Spade Himalaya is a registered agency, so the guide and permits are all handled for you. You only need your passport, photos, and insurance copy.
The high trail runs on cash, and ATMs are only in Pokhara and a few lower towns. So carry enough Nepalese rupees. Hot showers, Wi-Fi, and charging all cost a small fee that rises with altitude. A power bank and a local SIM are smart to bring. So keep some small notes handy for the villages.
You can extend or shorten the trek to fit your time. For more culture, add Muktinath, Mustang, and Marpha on the 15-day Annapurna Circuit via Thorong La Pass. For a shorter trip, see the Annapurna Base Camp Trek or the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek. So just tell Spade Himalaya your dates and ideas, and we plan the right route.
Trips Reviews
Excellent organization on a demanding winter route
Strong safety management in harsh conditions
Smooth and flexible itinerary in winter
An Amazing Trek with Incredible Landscapes Every Single Day
Trips FAQs
Trek Difficulty & Fitness
It is graded moderate to strenuous. The difficulty comes from the altitude and the long days, not technical climbing. You walk 5 to 8 hours a day, and the high point is Thorong La at 5,416 m. There is no climbing gear needed. So fit trekkers who train first and pace themselves can complete it well.
Yes, if you are reasonably fit. You do not need past trekking experience. Still, you should be able to walk 5 to 6 hours a day and handle uphill sections. A few months of cardio and hill training makes a real difference. So a slow, guided pace handles the rest.
Guide Requirement & Trek Regulations
Yes. Since 2023, foreign trekkers must use a licensed guide in the Annapurna region (Nepal Tourism Board, retrieved 2026-06-26). You also need two permits: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and a TIMS card. Spade Himalaya arranges the guide and both permits for you.
The ACAP permit is about NPR 3,000 (around US$25) for foreign trekkers (Nepal Tourism Board, retrieved 2026-06-26). The TIMS card is about NPR 2,000 (around US$15). So the permits total roughly US$40 per person. Spade Himalaya includes both in the trip cost.
Accommodation, Connectivity & Trail Facilities
ATMs are found only in Pokhara and on the lower trail. So carry enough Nepalese rupees in cash for the high section. You pay cash for snacks, drinks, charging, Wi-Fi, hot showers, and tips. Most teahouses do not accept cards.
You sleep in simple teahouses, usually in twin rooms with shared bathrooms. Lower down, some have private bathrooms. The food is hearty and varied. Dal bhat (rice and lentils) is the staple, with free refills. You can also get potatoes, Tibetan bread, noodles, and soup. Vegetarian meals are easy to find.
Insurance, Safety & Health
Yes, it is a must. Your policy has to cover trekking above 5,000 m and a helicopter rescue. Many normal policies do not, so check the wording first. Arrange it at home before you fly. Then leave a copy with Spade Himalaya at the briefing.
It is a real risk, since you cross 5,416 m. In one study of Nepali Himalaya trekkers, AMS affected about 51% of people at 4,500 to 5,000 m (PubMed, retrieved 2026-06-26). So the plan adds an acclimatization day at Manang and climbs slowly. Drink plenty of water, skip alcohol up high, and tell your guide early if you feel unwell.
Best Time
Spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November) are best. Both give clear skies and an open pass. Autumn is the most popular and the clearest. Winter can block Thorong La with snow, and the monsoon brings rain lower down, so most trekkers avoid those seasons.
