The reason we traveled all the way to Nepal was to trek the Annapurna Circuit, or "Round Annapurna" as the locals called it. The whole circuit takes about 20 days. We had two weeks off from work and, when we added in multiple days for flights and getting to the start of the trail, there was just no way to make the math work - we couldn't do the entire thing. So, we scoured the internet for information about which parts were must-see, which parts we could shorten, and how much we could pack into the little time we had. I have to say it: the whole thing is a must-see. Don't shorten it if you don't have to. We had to cut out much of the second half and now my friends and I are planning a trip back to complete the circuit and do the Annapurna Base Camp trek. I will add detailed posts about each day, the scenery, the distance and difficulty of hiking, and the teahouses where we stayed as I complete them! To get you started, this was our itinerary as we made our way Round Annapurna. Our 11 Day Itinerary on the Annapurna CircuitClick on a picture to read the blog post about that day's trek. Day 1: Pokhara to Ghermu (13 km)
We took the earliest tourist bus out of Pokhara, departing at 6:30am. A bumpy 4-hour bus ride brought us to Besishahar, the official starting point for the Annapurna Circuit. To shorten the trek a bit on the front end, we took a jeep from Besishahar to Bhulbhule, cutting out 9 km of walking. We trekked from Bhulbhule to Ghermu (13 km), where we stayed the night. Day 2: Ghermu to Darapani (18 km) Our first full day on the trail was long and filled with steep stone steps. The steep stone steps really got me because your legs have to push your body weight plus your pack weight up over and over. I find a gradual uphill trudge to be easier, but I know that not everyone does. We passed through some really charming towns, following along the river, across suspension bridges, and past a beautiful waterfall. Just before Tal, we climbed steeply for quite awhile. But, after we descended, we stopped for lunch in Tal, at a pleasant garden teahouse with DELICIOUS food. Probably my favorite food we had on the circuit. From Tal, we continued about 2 hours to Darapani. Day 3: Darapani to Chame (16 km) Our third day, in my opinion, was easier than the second day. It was slightly shorter and, though we did some climbing, it seemed less intense than the previous day. Or my body was starting to get used to trekking day after day. Most of the towns that we passed through were quite small. We also got our first views of snow covered peaks today! We stopped in Chame, and there were many shops where we could buy things like hand sanitizer, snacks, and even clothing. I had major panic about being cold, so I bought a fleece-lined hat for less than $2.50 and a knock-off North Face long sleeved shirt for $7. It smelled like a plastic bag but made me feel better to have an extra long sleeved shirt. Day 4: Chame to Upper Pisang (14.5 km) One of my favorite days on the trail! The day started with a trek through pine forests, which smelled lovely, with the Marsyangdi River rushing along below us. We passed through an apple orchard, along the road with views of snow covered mountains constantly in sight, and through another dense forest. We stopped for lunch in Dhukur Pokhari, sitting in the sun with views of the mountains, and then continued to Upper Pisang for the night. When we trekked into Upper Pisang, we noticed that the village went up the hillside toward a monastery perched at the top. We also noticed that there were insane views of Annapurna II, and, tired as we were, we decided that we had to stay at the teahouse highest up on the hillside. The dining room had a fireplace to keep us warm and unobstructed views of Annapurna II. We dropped our packs and immediately went to visit the monastery. The entire day was wonderful, from the scenery to our leisurely lunch to the monastery to the views of Annapurna II as the sun went down. Day 5: Upper Pisang to Manag (19.5 km) There are two options to get to Manang: the Upper Pisang trail and the Lower Pisang trail. I'm not going to lie - the Upper Pisang trail was extremely challenging, but the views were amazing and the traditional villages along the way were interesting. Additionally, the upper trail is GREAT preparation for the steep climb to High Camp and over Thorong-La Pass. The trail ascends steeply between Upper Pisang and the next village, Ghyaru. It is a long slog with switchback after switchback, and I was really feeling the effect of the altitude on my breathing. But, at the top, there were amazing views of Annapurna II, III, and IV. Later on, to counter the ascent, there is a steep descent as you move toward Manang. At the end of this day, nobody in our group was speaking because we were so exhausted and were literally hobbling into Manang. But, I still think that the Upper Pisang route was worth it, especially since it is followed by a rest day. Day 6: Rest Day in Manang (0 km) The rest day in Manang was glorious. We didn't have to pick up our packs at all. We went to one of the bakeries to have coffee and tea, met fellow trekkers, and saw a movie. Day 7: Manang to Letdar (10 km) This day went very quickly for us, as it was considerably shorter than the previous trekking days we had done. The landscape was stark and barren, and we passed by some Maoist graffiti. In Letdar, we had finally reached the place where we were no longer connected to the outside world by technology. There was no wi-fi at our lodge in Letdar, but we spent a fun afternoon and evening chatting with our fellow trekkers and soaking up the warmth from the fireplace in the dining room. Letdar was the first place where we had a really lively crowd in the dining room at night, most likely due to the lack of lodging options. Day 8: Letdar to High Camp (6 km) Once again, our day seemed super short in comparison with earlier days on the trail, but we had to keep the mileage short in order to ensure that we did not gain too much elevation too quickly. Between Letdar and Thorong Phedi, we passed through a landslide area, which made me nervous initially, but we didn't see a single rock falling or sliding. We rested in Thorong Phedi for a short while before tackling the final push to High Camp. As I mentioned before, I was extremely grateful that we had done the Upper Pisang trail because this section (Thorong Phedi to High Camp) was very similar, steep with switchback after switchback. We knew how to tackle it after completing the Upper Pisang trail, slow and steady with breaks to catch our breath. We arrived in High Camp before noon and spent all afternoon and night in the dining room, hanging out with our trail friends. Day 9: Crossing Thorong-La Pass: High Camp to Muktinath (15 km) Crossing Thorong-La Pass seems to be the pinnacle of the Circuit, what everyone had been working toward as we climbed day after day, higher and higher. A very long day, we woke up around 4:00am, ate breakfast, put on all our warmest clothes, and hit the trail by 5:30am, in order to cross the pass before 10:00am when the winds pick up. The ascent was tough and cold and I once again felt the effects of altitude on breathing. I didn't realize at the time that I also had a cold, which was making it even more difficult to catch my breath. We reached the pass by about 8:00am, quicker than the time estimates, and it felt joyful to know that we had reached the top of the Annapurna Circuit. On top of the pass, we encountered most of our trail friends, took lots of pictures by the sign, and strung prayer flags, all while we tried to stay warm. From there, we spent the rest of the day descending and shedding layer after layer of warm clothing until we reached Muktinath, a holy city for Hindus and Buddhists, where we relaxed and took hot showers. Day 10: Muktinath to Tatopani by Jeep It was very strange to have completed our walking on the Annapurna Circuit. I didn't want to be done, but we had to start making our way back. Initially, we thought, "There's no way that it will take two full days to get back to Pokhara." Then, we experienced transportation in rural Nepal. We should have gone to the jeep stand a lot earlier in the day. As it was, we caught a jeep to Jomsom at 11:30am with 9 other trekkers, so we were able to split the cost. In Jomsom, we had to wait for the jeep drivers to finish lunch before we could get another jeep to Tatopani. We arrived in Tatopani about 7 hours later - 2 hours to Jomsom, waiting in Jomson, 4.5 hours to Tatopani. Day 11: Tatopani to Pokhara by Bus & Jeep On Day 11, we officially left the Annapurna Conservation Area. We took a local bus (rookie mistake) to Beni and had to put up with attempts to rip off the tourists as well as a bus ride that was reminiscent of riding a mechanical bull. There was literally a Nepalese man vomiting out the window in front of me. That bus left at 8:30am-ish and the ride took about 4 hours. From Beni, we paid for another jeep for the final leg to Pokhara, where we arrived about 3 hours later, bruised and exhausted from the bus and jeep rides.
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AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
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