Overview
The Annapurna Circuit trek from Pokhara is a ten-day teahouse trek that starts and finishes at the lakeside city, threading up the Marsyangdi valley and over the high Thorong La at 5,416 metres to sacred Muktinath. The road carries you first to Chame, then you walk in through Pisang and the Tibetan-influenced village of Manang, take a side trip to Tilicho Lake at 4,919 metres, and acclimatise before the pre-dawn crossing of the pass. From the top the trail drops into Mustang and the deep Kali Gandaki gorge, which the drive follows all the way back to Pokhara. It is a demanding, high-altitude circuit on well-worn trails with comfortable lodges each night, and starting from Pokhara trims the Kathmandu transfers off each end.
The itinerary
- Long drive east from Pokhara to Besisahar
- Change to a jeep at Besisahar for the rough mountain road through narrow valleys and past waterfalls
- Through Dharapani and the forested gorge as the road climbs
- Overnight at Chame (2,670 m) with views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal
- Fragrant pine forest and the apple orchards near Bhratang
- Cross a dramatic narrow gorge with towering rock walls
- Overnight at Pisang (3,300 m) amid snow-capped peaks
- Take the scenic upper route through Ghyaru and Ngawal
- Some of the best panoramas of the trek: Annapurna II, III and IV, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak
- Descend into the mountain hub of Manang (3,540 m)
- Essential rest day with an optional hike to Gangapurna Lake or Praken Gompa
- Bakeries, coffee shops and local culture in Manang village
- Overnight in Manang (about 3,900 m on the acclimatisation hikes)
- Leave the main circuit and trek towards the remote Tilicho region via Khangsar
- Barren alpine terrain, steep cliffs and landslide-prone sections
- Overnight at Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m)
- Early ascent to Tilicho Lake, one of the highest lakes in the world
- Turquoise glacial water beneath Tilicho Peak and the Grande Barrier at 4,919 m
- Descend carefully back to Tilicho Base Camp for the night
- Rejoin the Annapurna Circuit trail towards Yak Kharka
- Open alpine terrain with grazing yaks and dramatic backdrops
- Gradual ascent to Yak Kharka (4,050 m) to help prepare for the pass
- Shorter day climbing steadily through rugged mountain terrain
- Reach Thorong Phedi, the base for the Thorong La crossing
- Rest, drink plenty and prepare for the pass at Thorong Phedi (4,540 m)
- Pre-sunrise start for the steep climb to Thorong La at 5,416 m, the high point of the trek
- Panoramic Annapurna and Dhaulagiri views from the pass
- Descend through rocky terrain to sacred Muktinath and its 108 water spouts
- Scenic drive down the Kali Gandaki valley via Jomsom, Marpha, Tatopani and Beni
- Through the world's deepest gorge past dry Mustang landscapes and apple orchards
- Arrive in Pokhara, where the trip ends
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Things to carry
- Layered clothing with a warm down jacket for the cold at Thorong La and the high camps
- Broken-in trekking boots and warm socks
- A warm sleeping bag or liner, insulated hat, gloves and a buff for the pass
- Sunglasses, sun hat, high-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- A refillable water bottle with purification, a daypack and a power bank
Good to know
Complete guide
The Annapurna Circuit is the classic long walk of Nepal: a loop from green river valley to high desert, over a Himalayan pass and down into pilgrim country on the far side. Starting from Pokhara keeps the trip close to the mountains and drops the Kathmandu transfers, so lakeside is both your gateway and your finish line. Here is how the trek works and what to know.
What the Annapurna Circuit trek from Pokhara covers
The route runs Pokhara to Chame by road, then on foot up through Pisang and Manang, out to Tilicho Lake at 4,919 metres, and over Thorong La at 5,416 metres to Muktinath, before the drive back down the Kali Gandaki gorge to Pokhara. The ends are travel days; the heart of the trip is around eight days of teahouse walking through steadily changing country. If you would rather warm up with something gentler first, many trekkers start on the shorter budget Annapurna Base Camp trek before taking on the full circuit.
How hard it is and how the altitude feels
This is a strenuous trek. The days are long, the total ascent is large, and the crux is a pre-dawn climb to a 5,416 metre pass where the air holds around half the oxygen of sea level. The profile is built to acclimatise you, with a rest day at Manang and the Tilicho side trip adding useful height beforehand, so serious altitude sickness is uncommon when you take it slowly. Walk at an easy pace, hydrate well, and treat any headache seriously. Weeks of hill walking before you come make the biggest difference to how much you enjoy it.
Permits, guides and teahouses
You need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit. A licensed guide walks with you on every trek we run, and we arrange all of this. Nights are spent in teahouses, family-run lodges with simple twin rooms and a warm dining room, so you carry only a daypack. Bring a warm sleeping bag or liner, a power bank and small cash for charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers, which grow scarcer as you near the pass.
A gentler alternative
If a high pass and a Tilicho detour feel like a lot for a first trek, the same region has an easier introduction. The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek reaches a famous sunrise viewpoint over Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in a fraction of the days, on shorter walking hours and lower altitudes, and makes a natural stepping stone towards the full circuit later.
