ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT AND BASE CAMP TREK

A representative from Sherpa Expedition & Trekking staff will greet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. This is followed by a briefing covering all aspects of the trek. With some spare time in the afternoon you can explore the tourist hub of Thamel until the evening.

Today we will spend sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley with our guide. We will visit Pashupatinath, regarded as the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal and a place where pilgrims worship Lord Shiva (on the banks of the holy Bagmati River), Bouddhanath, a Buddhist temple known as ‘Little Tibet’ and then on to Swayambhunath known as the Monkey Temple. From Swayambhunath we will drive to Kathmandu’s famous Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, and located in front of the old royal palace. Back at your hotel, you will have time to do some last-minute shopping around Thamel – the tourist hub of Kathmandu. Your guide will be available to help you prepare for the trek and answer any questions.

A long drive today will take us to where our trekking begins. This is an excellent time to sit back, relax, and take in the sights of the changing countryside; rivers, terraced farmlands, and views of the stunning Himalayas. Tonight we will stay at a guesthouse.

Just before reaching Manang, at Tal, we cross a bridge and then follow the trail through terraced farmlands, by waterfalls and on to Koto Village before arriving at Dharapani, one of the largest villages in the Manang Valley. We will stay here overnight in a guesthouse.

Today is a much harder day on the trail as we ascend along some treed ridges on our way to Chame. Instead of always looking down, we should look up to where we will see some massive snowy peaks: Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV (7,525m). There is also a therapeutic natural spring on the trail where we can stop, sit back and relax our tired muscles. Tonight we will stay at a guesthouse.

Today we walk through a steep narrow valley where we have our first view of Paungda Danda, an enormous curved rock face soaring 1500m up from the river bed. From here we can see Annapurna II and Pisang Peak. We will then descend to Manang Valley through a beautiful landscape. Tonight we will stay at a guesthouse in Pisang.

The trail heads higher today to Ghyaru Village. Along the trail, you will have some lovely views of Annapurna II and other snow-clad peaks, as well as the glacier of Annapurna IV – that is clearly visible from Ghyaru. We will stop for a lunch break at Ghyaru and then continue on to Ngawal. Once more we must remember to look skyward where you will see the impressive Pisang and Annapurna peaks. You will know Ngawal village is close once you reach the Mani wall and the fluttering Tibetan prayer flags. At Ngawal we can gaze down to Humde Village. We then head down to the villages of Bhakra and Braga before coming to Manang where we will stay in a guesthouse overnight.

It is strongly recommended by health experts to stay active when spending time acclimatizing. We will take a short trek to Bhojo Gumba – a monastery or to Gangapurna Lake. We can also trek to Vraga Village where we can pay a visit to the Himalayan Rescue Association who can enlighten us about the condition of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Tonight we will stay at a guesthouse in Manang.

This morning we leave Manang and then cross the river before coming to Tenki Village, then head up the Marsyangdi Valley passing several small villages, such as Ghunsa, through some scrubby terrain while heading higher. We will also observe yak and mountain horses grazing on the high alpine pastures before reaching Yak Kharka where we will stay overnight at a guesthouse.

After passing the last settlement, Lear, the trail heads higher and we have some great views of Annapurna II, Gangapurna, Cloche, and a close up view of Chuli Peak. The terrain becomes more rugged and devoid of vegetation as we head higher. We continue past Thorong Phedi after a lunch break. The zigzag trail takes us to Upper Phedi or High Camp where there are several teahouses and a lodge. We will stay here overnight.

Today is one of the highlights of this trek as we cross one of the highest passes in the world, Thorong La Pass. We cross from east to west, from Manang to Muktinath, which is a safer and easier route than crossing from the other direction. In order to reach the pass early in the day, and avoid the high winds, we have to get up around 3 a.m. Once at the pass the effort will be well worth it as you will have some really stunning views over the nearby mountains. After a photo session, we will then descend to the valley floor and head down to Muktinath for the night.

Today we descend 1,200 meters to the Kaligandaki River valley floor, with a short break at the tiny settlement of Ekle Bhatti - meaning a lonely teahouse. The valley gets very windy in the afternoons as we head to Jomsom and then on to Marpha, a quaint village with whitewashed houses, paved streets and many well kept lodges. Here you will have time to try the local apple products like cider, brandy, and juice that this area from Kagbeni to Larjung is famous for. We will stay overnight at Marpha.

This morning we follow along the banks of the Kaligandaki River downstream until we arrive at Tukuche Village situated beneath the lofty Tukuche, Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri’s glacier that heads down from Dhaulagiri east face. We next come to Larjung Village and cross the river before heading back up to the tree-line where we trek through pine, oak and rhododendron forests. The trail then heads back to the river near Kalopani Village. We cross a suspension bridge over the roaring Kali Gandaki River near Kalopani. Kalopani offers excellent views of Mt.Annapurna I, Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri high above the surrounding forests. We then have a short downhill trek to Lete Village where we will stay overnight.

Today we descend from the more rugged arid alpine regions through pine and other conifer forests as we head down the valley between the massive Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges. The trail takes us through Ghasa Village with breathtaking views of the snowy peaks and into a cooler climate. Just down from Ghasa is the southernmost tip of the region inhabited by the Thakali people. The trail then heads down from the hillsides heading into the sub-tropical regions before reaching Tatopani (meaning hot water in Nepali). On the trail we can see the cascading Rupsi waterfalls. The hot springs at Tatopani are on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River. We will stay here overnight.

Today we climb 1670 meters, quite hard going, and pass through more cultivated farmland and their terraced fields. We head up through magnolia and rhododendron forests (most spectacular in spring time) and on the trail have some beautiful panoramic view of the mountains. Tonight we stay at Ghorepani that also boasts of some very special views of the Annapurna Ranges and Machapuchare (fish tail) - one of the few unclimbed peaks in Nepal due to its religious status as home to Lord Shiva.

This morning we are up before sunrise so as to reach Poon Hill as the sun comes up over the mountains. It is about an hour trek to reach Poon Hill (3,210m) where the views are out of this world! The mountains are radiant in the pristine light of the morning, reflecting various changing colors of the snow-white peaks. After madly snapping photos we will head back down to Ghorepani (2960m) for breakfast. Leaving Ghorepani we ascend along mountain ridges, through rhododendron and pine forests before arriving at Deurali (2,960m). We then descend further and come to a cross-road at Banthanti and then head to Tadapani. We will stay the night here at a guesthouse.

The trail today heads down a steep hill through rhododendron forests before reaching a mostly Gurung village not far from Chomrong Village (2,140m) where we will stay overnight at a guesthouse.

This morning we head down to Chomrong Khola (river) and then climb up to Khuldighar (2,380m) that was previously an Annapurna Conservation Area check point. A little further from here we descend a steep rocky trail through bamboo near the bottom of the gorge while remaining on the west side of the river. Once again we head through bamboo and rhododendron forests until we reach Dovan. We will stay overnight at a guesthouse.

Today we head up through the rhododendron forest alongside the Modi Khola (river) to Himalaya Hotel (2,920m). After a lunch break on the way, we head to Hinku Cave which used to be a landmark for the earlier Annapurna I expeditions when it was used as a camp and a supply depot. We then ascend through the jungle trail to reach Deurali (3,200m) where we will stay overnight.

This morning we take the same route we took getting to ABC, and descend an incredible 1,700 meters down to the banks of the Modi Khola (river) and on to Bamboo (2,345m) where we will stay at a guesthouse for the night.

Once again we backtrack and take the trail back to Chomrong, first passing Khuldighar and then on through rhododendron and bamboo forests. There is a very steep descent to Chomrong and to Jhinu Danda where after arriving we can sit in the hot springs and relax. We will stay here overnight at a guesthouse.

From Jhinu Danda we follow along the banks of the Modi Khola for around 4.5 hours until we arrive at Birethanti. The trek today is considered to be the most relaxing and enjoyable of the entire trek. It is more like a gentle walk than what we have previously experienced. From Nayapul we will drive back to Pokhara. Once we have checked in at our hotel in Pokhara we plan to take a boat trip to Barahi Temple, located on a small island in the middle of Phewa Tal (lake).

This morning we head back to Kathmandu and are on arrival taken to our hotels in Thamel. You can spend the remainder of the day exploring Kathmandu or just wander around Thamel and sit in a café or bar and celebrate the successful completion of your adventure in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Today your trip to this mountainous country ends. A Sherpa Expedition and Trekking representative will take you to the airport at least three hours prior to your departure. On your flight home, you may be thinking and planning another great adventure into the mountains of Nepal.