Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu

Walk through the valleys and passes! Relish the cool fresh mountain breeze and leave your footprints in the temperate deciduous forests to alpine grassy meadows! Immerse into the culture and traditions of multi – ethnic people. Overall, collect the memories of mountains, landscapes, vegetation, and people in one single trekking adventure. All these wonders are possible if you choose to walk on the trails of Nepal’s oldest trekking route. Let’s find out the ways to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu.

Yes, almost all the blogs that we post on this website are authentic and meant for travelers to take it as a guide. Lots of trekking routes are there in Nepal. However, the Annapurna Circuit Trek is darling to many trekkers from across the globe. The major reason behind its popularity is its diversity from nature to culture. Nowadays, the classical way of doing the Annapurna Circuit Trek has changed due to the construction of the mountain roads.

The trail has curtailed but there are ways to do the same classical Annapurna Circuit trek route. In today’s blog, we delve deeper into finding out the authentic style to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu including the classical sections.

How to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu?

One should remember that the trekking adventure is never an easy activity. It requires month of planning and lots of preparation from physical to budget level. What makes any trekking trip momentous and successful? The information that you gather before the trek helps you to do the successful trekking trip. After getting information, trekkers can anticipate what to expect during the trek. Thus, this blogger is trying to include day to day details of the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu.

Kathmandu to Jagat via Besisahar

Do you know that a trekker has to travel about 527 kilometers on road during the Annapurna Circuit Trek? Yes, if you are traveling by road instead of flight from Pokhara, then the total road distance during the Annapurna Circuit Trek in Nepal is about 527 kilometers. Kathmandu to Jagat via Besisahar is mixed road trip. The 175 kilometers journey to Besisahar is on the black tarred and well maintained road. However, about 35 kilometers of off road to Jagat from Besisahar can be bumpy and exhausting. The hilly road passes through waterfalls, streams, and villages. Even if the road trip is bumpy, you can forget all these exhaustion due to the splendid scenery! It takes about 9 to 10 hours of road trip to reach Jagat from Kathmandu.

Jagat to Dharapani

The first day of the trek is from Jagat Village. Please note that some of the trekkers drive to Chame directly and start their trekking from there instead of Jagat. However, if you want to gradually adapt to the demands of the high – altitude and feel the trail from start to finish, then you must trek from Jagat. The trekking distance between Jagat and Dharapani is about 15 kilometers. Most of the trek section is on the road. Therefore, expect honking and vehicles on the road. Nowadays, the road to Manang has been busy due to influx of domestic travelers visiting Manang.

Dharapani to Chame

The trek distance from Dharapani to Chami is about 15 to 16 kilometers. The trail passes through beautiful villages like Danakyu, Koto, and Bagarchhap. Similar to the Jagat to Dharapan section, today’s trekking is also on the road for most of the time. The green lush alpine forests keep on providing the visual delights to the trekkers.

Chame to Pisang

Relish the scenery of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak today while covering about 14 kilometers. The journey is through the grassy meadows and narrow river valleys occasionally opening up for the wider perspective of cascading hills. It is truly remarkable day of trekking as you start to notice change in vegetation and landscape.

Pisang to Ngawal

Steep climbing day is today which can be challenging as you have to gain elevation. This route of the Pisang – Ngawal to reach Manang is harder than the Humde route but it is picturesque. Many trekking guides and expert suggest this route for better scenery and classical trekking vibe. Note that there are no roads in Ngawal section and you can find solitude. The distance between Pisang and Ngawal is about 10 to 12 kilometers.

Ngawal to Manang

Through villages like Ghyaru and Braga, the journey of descending down to the Manang Valley from Ngawal is so scenic. About 10 to 11 kilometers of journey can be completed in about 4 to 6 hours. If time permits, trekkers are recommended to visit caves nearby the village where Milarepa once meditated. People also believe that the cave connects the Manang Valley with the Mustang Valley.

Manang Acclimatization Activities

Better acclimatization means more chances of successful high – altitude trekking activities. Therefore, Manang acclimatization is important. There are different activities that you can do on this day. The most popular activity is the hike to the Gangapurna glacial Lake and the Viewpoint. Some adventurers prefer to visit the Milarepa Caves as well. However, it requires about 7 to 8 hours of trekking including the return trip.

Manang to Yak Kharka

On this journey of the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu, trekkers take a gradual ascent covering 10 to 11 kilometers on this day. Manang to Yak Kharka is a scenic trekking day through the ridgeline inside the river valley. The sight of the mountains seems closer than ever. The grassy meadows and small village in the valley finally help you realize that you are in the Himalayan zone of Nepal.

Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi

The last trek before crossing the Thorong La Pass to enter the Mustang Valley is today. Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi is about 6 to 7.5 kilometers long. It is not the long hours of walking and the trail is gentle uphill through the valley. The uphill is near the Thorong Phedi upon crossing the river.

Make sure that you do a short hike for about 1 hour to the top before returning back to Thorong Phedi. It offers trekkers the better acclimatization before crossing the Thorong La Pass (5416 m).

Thorong Phedi to Muktinath via Thorong La Pass (5416 m)

Wake up early in the morning before dawn. Normally, the crossing of the Thorong La Pass (5416 m) requires you to start the trek around 4:30 am. It is a long day of trekking. The trek distance between Thorong Phedi and Muktinath via Thorong La Pass is about 17 kilometers. Expect 10 to 12 hours of trekking uphill and downhill. The feeling of triumph provides lots of trekking motivation to trekkers once they reach the top of the pass. The sight of the mountains from the Dhaulagiri Himalayan range and the Annapurna Himalayan range is definitely a splendid sight to behold.

Muktinath to Kagbeni

Explore Muktinath before heading down to Kagbeni. The temple is the sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is the temple of salvation where people believe that their sins will be washed as you pray while taking bath in the108 taps of the temple. The total trekking distance that trekkers cover to reach Kagbeni from Muktinath is about 10 to 12 kilometers. The descent is relatively simple via Jharkot Village and it takes about 3 to 4 hours to reach Kagbeni.

Kagbeni to Tatopani

Road construction has really ruined the trekking experience. However, it is boon for the locals as it increases accessibility to the outside world. Therefore, it is better to use the road transportation instead of trekking in this busy road section. The road distance between Kagbeni and Tatopani is about 76 kilometers and it is well tarred. The trip passes by famous places like Jomsom and Marpha Village. Interesting thing about Tatopani is that you can relax your tired body by dipping in the natural hot water springs.

Tatopani to Ghorepani

Trek resumes from Tatopani. The classical itinerary continues. The distance between Tatopani and Ghorepani is about 15 to 16 kilometers. It is the toughest day of the trekking as you have to trek uphill all the way to the Ghorepani Village from Tatopani. It takes about 7 to 8 hours to complete the trek today.

Poon Hill Hike and Trek to Nayapul

An interesting and enticing Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu starts to come to an end. This is the last day of trekking. Early in the morning, you can get mesmerizing view of sun rising from the casement of mountains. Enjoy breathtaking scenery of mountains like Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, etc. You have to cover about 18 to 20 kilometers on this day mostly downhill before reaching the road. Finally, you can reach Pokhara ending the trek.

Pokhara to Kathmandu

There are two options to reach Kathmandu from Pokhara. You can book a flight and reach Kathmandu in about 25 to 30 minutes. However, road trip takes about 7 to 8 hours on a Prithivi Highway. The road distance from Pokhara to Kathmandu is about 206 kilometers.

I hope that our blog about the Annapurna Circuit Trek from Kathmandu gave you idea of detailed itinerary and things to expect! It will definitely help you plan for this amazing round trip adventure up in the Himalayas connecting the Manang Valley and Mustang Valley. Subscribe our blogs for updated information about traveling to Nepal.