Annapurna Circuit Trek

Today you will be picked up by your guide and transferred to the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit trek. On the way you'll pass through several small villages where you can stop to take some pictures of the local children playing in the street and you'll catch your first glimpse of the snowy peaks in the distance. After about 7 hours you arrive in Besi Shahar. You'll have time to buy some supplies for the trek at the local market but first you'll need to visit the ACAP checkpoint with your guide to register. It's little more than a formality; with your name logged in a big book and an official stamp on your permit you're ready to start the trek in the morning. Tonight you can grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants. Make sure you try the local dish, steamed momo's, a type of steamed filled roll. You'll be staying in a basic traditional lodge and we recommend hitting the sack early; you'll need all the rest you can get as your Annapurna circuit trek continues tomorrow....

On the first few days of the Annapurna Circuit trek you will trek through the green Marsyangdi Valley. The trail follows the river bed, past green rice terraces. Twice a year the trees are full of apples and you can see local families harvesting the fruit. Following the narrow trails you often meet members of the local Taman Gurung mountain tribe, traditionally the traders of the Himalayas who for centuries have been trading rice, chicken and spices in the local villages. The deeper you head into the Annapurnas you'll notice more and more snow-capped peaks rising up around you whilst you cross wild rivers along wobbly hanging bridges. On the way you can stop off for a rest at one of the tea houses where you'll be greeted with a welcoming smile and a hot cup of tea. Towards the end of the week on your Annapurna circuit trek the green valleys make way for dry barren plains of the Manang district.

In your second week of the Annapurna Circuit trek you will pass through the vast barren valleys of the Manan District. You'll start with a rest day in order to prepare for the next leg; the ascent to the Thorung La Pass. You are now at 4000m-5000m altitude and you'll notice the air is a lot thinner and the nights are a lot colder. Be aware of possible symptoms of altitude sickness such as headache and nausea. You can find more information on altitude sickness on our trekking information page.  

It's a strenuous ascent to the Thorung La Pass, climbing the winding paths step by step up the mountain. It's best to walk very slowly and steadily because the lack of oxygen in the air makes you feel out of breath a lot quicker. When you finally reach the summit at 5416m you are rewarded with a fantastic view of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains. The villages, with their colourful prayer flags down in the valley, are like little specks in the distance.

In this third and final week of the Annapurna Circuit trek you will cross the Kali Gandaki Valley on the other side of the mountain, following part of the popular Jomsom Trail. The valley is completely different to the other side of the mountain. The vast cornfields and the desertification of the area have coloured the valley a pale yellow. The daily trek leads up and down stony paths, stopping off at the small cosy tea houses where tea is poured from enormous teapots. Towards the end of the week you'll face one final challenge on your Annapurna Circuit trek, the climb to the top of Poon Hill. It's a fairly easy climb compared to the Thorung La plus there's a spectacular reward: the rising sun that paints the mountains deep red and orange. Just breathtaking...

Best time to travel
The best time for trekking in Nepal is spring (March - May) and autumn (October - November). The summer months (June - September) are monsoon season when rain makes travel difficult with landslides blocking the road. Trekking in rainy season is no fun, particularly in areas above 1000m. Paths are muddy and slippery and treks are often cancelled because of bad weather conditions. Winter (December - February) can be very cold and the higher passes are often closed because of snow.

Accommodation
During the Annapurna circuit trek you will be staying in trekking lodges. These are (very) basic Nepali lodges with usually just a couple of rooms with two separate beds. The lodges have running water but don't always expect a hot shower. Blankets are available, but we recommend bringing your own sheet bag. You can rent sleeping bags in Pokhara.  

Food & drink
The trekking lodges offer some good value meals and drinks and you can get a satisfying meal for less than £4. The menu consists of local dishes like Dahl Bhaat (rice with lentils), steamed momo's (a type of filled roll) and bread. Often you can get some western dishes such as tomato soup, pizza or pancakes. During the day the many tea houses or 'bhatti's' are a great place to stop off for a hot cup of tea or an ice-cold coke.

Luggage
Besides your guide the trek will be accompannied by one porter for every two people. The porter can carry 15-30kg so it's wise to take only the essentials and perhaps carry some things yourself in a daypack. You can leave the rest of your luggage at the hotel where you were staying before the start of the trek, or at our local agent's office.