Pass The Passport

Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals

Hike The Annapurna Circuit

Still to do

From rice terraces to a 5,416-metre pass under the Himalaya, sleeping in teahouses every night of the way.

Hike The Annapurna Circuit

The adventure

Few treks change scenery like the Annapurna Circuit. You start among rice terraces, banana trees and roaring rivers in the lowlands, then climb day by day through pine forest and Tibetan-influenced villages strung with prayer flags, until the land turns dry, high and stark beneath the giants of the Annapurna range.

The heart of it is Manang, where you rest and acclimatise among stone houses and yak pastures before the long pull to Thorong La. Most people leave in the dark, crunching up frozen switchbacks by head torch, to reach the flag-draped pass at 5,416 metres around sunrise. Then comes a knee-jarring descent to Muktinath, a temple complex sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, and on into the Kali Gandaki valley, among the deepest gorges on Earth. Each night ends in a teahouse with a plate of dal bhat and the warmth of a wood stove.

Why it’s epic

  • Crossing Thorong La at 5,416 metres, one of the highest trekking passes in the world.
  • Close-up views of Annapurna II, Gangapurna and, on the far side, Dhaulagiri (8,167 m).
  • Muktinath, a pilgrimage site sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike.
  • The Kali Gandaki gorge between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, often called the deepest in the world.
  • Teahouse beds and hot food every night, so there's no camping.

What it is

The Annapurna Circuit loops around the Annapurna massif and crosses the Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres.

How to do it

Start from Besisahar or Chame, staying in teahouses. You'll need an ACAP permit and TIMS card, and new rules require a licensed guide in most of Nepal.

Top tip

Build in rest days at Manang to acclimatise before Thorong La.

Need to know

  • Since 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's protected areas must go with a licensed guide, and you also need an ACAP permit.
  • October to November and March to April bring the clearest skies; Thorong La can close after heavy snow.
  • New roads now cover parts of the route, so many trekkers follow alternative footpaths to avoid jeep traffic.
  • Insurance must cover trekking to at least 5,500 metres and helicopter evacuation.

Plan this trip

Rough cost
£750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed
12 to 18 days
Best time to go
October to November, March to April
Fly into
KTM airport

Guide and porter fees and permits are the main costs on the ground; teahouses and food are cheap.

Sample itinerary

  1. Days 1–2Fly to Kathmandu, then drive to Besisahar or Chame
  2. Days 3–8Walk up the Marsyangdi valley to Manang, with an acclimatisation day
  3. Days 9–10Cross the Thorong La pass (5,416m) and descend to Muktinath
  4. Days 11–13Down the Kali Gandaki gorge to Jomsom and on to Pokhara
  5. Day 14Rest by Phewa Lake in Pokhara before flying home

Make it happen

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Why it’s on my list

Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.

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