About this trip
The Annapurna Circuit is one of Nepal's classic treks, starting low in Besisahar at 760m and climbing steadily through Gurung and Manang villages before crossing the Thorong La pass at 5,416m, about as high as you can go without technical mountain climbing.
Along the way the landscape shifts from terraced farmland and river valleys to the dry, high-altitude terrain of the Tibetan plateau, with long stretches of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu peaks in view.
This route is done via Manang, the side with easier acclimatisation and better rescue access if the pass gives you trouble.
What you'll do
- Sightsee Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage sites before heading out
- Follow the Marshyangdi River valley through Gurung villages
- Visit a monastery more than 500 years old
- Cross the Thorong La pass at 5,416m
- Visit the Hindu pilgrimage site of Muktinath
- Walk through the Kali Gandaki valley, among the deepest gorges in the world
- The Thorong La pass can close with snow from mid-December to mid-April, so weather risk is real outside the main season
- Best conditions are generally May to July and mid-September to mid-December
- Partially guided — expect some independence alongside group support, and solid trekking fitness for the altitude and daily climbs
Worth it if you're fit enough for high altitude and want genuine cultural immersion with a guide who paces thoughtfully. Think twice if you need luxury comfort or dislike early starts and basic lodge food.
- Guides adjust pace daily based on group fitness; proper acclimatization days prevent altitude sickness.
- Thorong La Pass crossing and sunrise at Yak Kharka deliver the kind of landscape payoff that justifies the 12-day commitment.
- Villages like Pisang, Marpha, and Jagat offer authentic cultural immersion; not sanitised tourist stops.
- This is genuinely tough terrain at high altitude; reviews confirm it's challenging despite good support.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
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Getting there
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Where to stay
A night before your tour in Kathmandu · 19 Jul – 20 Jul
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