It’s been our lifetime dream to visit Nepal. After 20 years of preparation, talking to locals, researching and planning, we’re confident this is going to be an out-of-this-world experience. We chose to trek the beloved Annapurna Circuit, which—since opening its trails to foreigners in 1977—has been a life-changing journey for many, full of unparalleled biodiversity, traditional Nepalese experiences, and the most epic views of the Himalayas. As cheesy as it may sound, all our friends that traversed the circuit told us that the trek really was a transformative experience, helping them appreciate the smaller things in life. Join us on this unforgettable odyssey and let’s see what the hype is truly all about.
Hiking in the Himalayan wilderness is a spiritual journey—and this has been confirmed by all our friends that traversed the famed Annapurna Circuit. With some of the most dramatic landscapes anywhere on Earth, it’s no wonder that every mountain fanatic dreams of conquering Nepal’s magnificent peaks. After many years of talking about it, time has come for us to finally visit Nepal—famous for its verdant jungles, mighty rivers, and the majestic Himalayas, as well as rich history and the religious and cultural intertwining of Hinduism and Buddhism. Take a personal pilgrimage with us to Annapurna, it’s guaranteed to stay with you for life.
The adventure begins! We’ll arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport, reach Kathmandu, and settle in our accommodation. After freshening up, we’ll go for our first dinner together in one of the typical Nepali restaurants in the heart of this historic city. We’ll go over the days ahead of us and make sure we’re ready for the journey ahead.
Accommodation: Hotel
We will spend our first full day in Nepal discovering heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley with a local guide—the Hindu pilgrimage temple of Pashupatinath, the Boudhanath Stupa, and the ‘Monkey Temple’, just to name a few. After the tour, we’ll use the rest of the day for relaxation or some further exploration of the city.
Altitude: 1,400 m
Accommodation: Hotel
After waking up early for a long drive out of Kathmandu, we’ll set out in a comfy van for a 7-hour drive along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway to reach the small village of Dumre. We will follow the paved road by the Marsyangdi River to the village of Besisahar. From there, a 4×4 jeep will take us to the small village of Jagat. We’ll explore the village, the local surroundings, and soak in a nearby natural hot spring.
Accommodation: Teahouse lodge
Driving: 200 km
Transportation: Van & jeep
Max height: 902 m
Today we’ll be hiking through lush jungle forests and along the Marsyangdi River. Raging waterfalls seemingly appear roughly every 200 meters—we’ll encounter some of our first few suspension bridges of the journey. Ascending a steep, dense forest we will reach the village of Tal. After lunch, we will follow the river until we reach a teahouse lodge in the village of Dharapani (6,375 ft / 1,943 m).
Accommodation: Teahouse lodge
Hiking: 9.5 miles/ 15 km
Ascent: 217 m
Max height: 2,160 m
We’ll start our hike along a mule track dotted with hot springs until we reach the village of Timang. Crossing a few suspension bridges, we’ll come to Chame under the Lamjung Himal Peak. During these two days, we will have the opportunity to see the landscape transform from wet rice terraces to dense alpine forests until we finally arrive in the town of Pisang. From there, we get to enjoy the amazing views of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak.
Hiking: 8.7 miles/ 14 km
Accommodation: Local teahouses
Ascent: 761 m
Descent: 139 m
Max height: 3,350 m
We will follow a trail through the beautiful villages of Ghyaru and Ngawal, which feature excellent views of the enormous Annapurna II, IV, and Tilicho mountains, as well as Pisang Peak. We’ll also visit the village of Braga, which holds the region’s most important Buddhist monastery. We will continue the trek to the largest Tibetan settlement in the Manang region. Depending on how we’re feeling, we can spend the following day in Manang or hike to the small town of Gunsang.
Hiking: 12 miles / 19.5 km
Accommodation: Local teahouses
Ascent: 719 m
Descent: 633 m
Max height: 3,785 m
At this point, we’re going to start noticing the lower temperatures—informing us we’re nearing the top. The trail climbs to Letdar along a riverside, passing a small village and meadows where horses and yak graze. We’ll spend the night in Letdar before continuing towards High Camp, our last stop before the highest mountain pass in the Annapurna range. If we’re lucky, we’ll see herds of blue mountain sheep on the cliffs.
Hiking: 6.8 miles / 11 km
Accommodation: Local mountain hut
Ascent: 1,076 m
Descent: 305 m
Max height: 4,848 m
Rise and shine—today we’re reaching the top of the trail, the highest mountain pass of the Annapurna Range! After so many days of hiking and acclimatizing, our body will be ready to take on the 17,769 ft (5,416 m) Thorong La mountain pass. After reaching the top and taking in the feeling of accomplishment, we’ll descend to Muktinath in the historic Mustang Valley.
Hiking: 10 miles / 16 km
Accommodation: Local teahouse
Ascent: 622 m
Descent: 1,820 m
Max height: 5,416 m
After a hearty breakfast, we will hike to the picturesque village of Kagbeni, the gateway to the hidden kingdom of Upper Mustang. We will even have the opportunity to visit the area’s 500-year-old Buddhist monastery! After lunch, we’ll continue the trek to the bustling town of Jomsom. The following day, we got a morning flight to Pokhara, the second most populous city in Nepal.
Hiking: 11.8 miles / 19 km
Accommodation: Hotel
Ascent: 513 m
Descent: 1,422 m
Max height: 3,828 m
In the morning, it’s time to transfer back to Kathmandu. Fatigued but inspired by our time on the Annapurna Circuit, we can explore the capital once again with a fresh perspective.
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Domestic flight
We will reach the Tribhuvan International Airport for our departure. Replay the highlights of this incredible adventure in our minds (and on your device of choice), we will enjoy our flight back home.
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
Hiking the Annapurna Circuit is a challenging undertaking, and it requires excellent physical fitness. If you want to fully enjoy your trip to Nepal, you should be able to hike for up to 9 miles (14,5 km) a day on steep, rocky, and slippery terrain with over 3,200 ft (1,000 m) of elevation gain.
A lot of the hiking will be done in high altitudes, so some experience dealing with high elevation is recommended. Keep in mind that you’ll also be carrying a relatively packed backpack for 15 days and that the weather in the Annapurna Circuit can be unpredictable.
In Nepal it is mandatory to travel with a local certified guide. The guides who will be joining us on our trip have partnered with a local travel agency for many years, and since the beginning, they have been paying the local guides a salary that goes beyond the regular Nepali salary. This salary is used by the travel agency and the guides to have an official and professional mountain guiding education, gear, as well as a normal day-to-day life.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Due to the difficult terrain, it’s highly recommended to bring good quality mountain gear.
Your guides will contact you about any additional equipment at the time of contracting the trip.
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season.
Due to strict limitations, it’s not possible to hire a porter on this route. We will have to carry our own backpacks, and in order to enjoy this adventure, it’s best to come prepared.
You can prepare for this by hiking or walking with a loaded backpack and muscle conditioning. Increase strength in your major muscles that do the heavy lifting. Stronger legs and core muscles can support heavy loads, while also helping you power up the trail. Build endurance in those same muscle groups, as well as the shoulders and lower back to lessen the strain of multi-day backpacking. It’s also a good idea to improve your balance that will allow you to take uneven terrain in stride.
From the moment we step on the trail, we won’t have to worry about food, as all meals, tea and coffee are included—no matter how many cups or how many pots we want to drink! Our guide’s goal is to keep us hydrated at all costs to avoid altitude sickness and (of course) to have the tranquility of not needing to pay extra money for something as basic as an extra cup of tea.
The accommodation used is always the best possible. In Kathmandu, we will stay at one of the best hotels in town. During the trail, we won’t stay in the biggest teahouses, but the smallest, local ones with the best services (rooms, food & facilities) so we can really rest and enjoy after the daily treks.
For the Annapurna Trek adventure, the maximum group size is 12.
The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
To get to the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, most people fly into Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
We will arrange pickup at the airport and transfer to our accommodation in Kathmandu. After that, all we have to do is stay safe and have fun on this Nepal trekking tour!
Our guide provides transfers with local vans from Kathmandu to the beginning to the trail, and the last day for going back to the capital. Transportation also includes two domestic flights for coming back to Kathmandu, so the group spend less time on the road and more time enjoying and resting once the hike is over.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, please refer to the US Embassy’s foreign travel advice for Nepal.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
A 15% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure.
