DAY 1: ARRIVE IN KATHMANDU
Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, our local team warmly welcomes you at the airport. You will then be escorted to the hotel, where you can enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. The itinerary includes a briefing about the trek's progress and presentation, followed by leisure time. If you arrive in the morning, you'll have the entire day at your disposal. This can be used for rest or for those interested, to explore the surroundings freely. It's an ideal chance to deeply experience Nepalese culture and indulge in the local culinary delights.
Transfer to hotel
Final altitude: approximately 1350 m
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: night in the hotel
DAY 2: PREPARE FOR TREKKING AND EXPLORE KATHMANDU VALLEY (1350M)
Have breakfast and then you have the whole day to explore the best Kathmandu Sightseeing spots with your guide. You can visit and explore one of the most famous Shiva temples, Pashupatinath, recognized as the monkey temple; Swyambhunath, the largest Stupa in the world, also called Boudhanath Stupa; and finally the Royal Palace, Kathmandu Durbar Square. The next day, you will begin your trek on the Annapurna Circuit, so you have to check your equipment to make sure that you are ready for your adventure and climb. Have dinner and stay overnight in the same hotel in Kathmandu
Day tour
Final altitude: approximately 13,50 m
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: night in the hotel
DAY 3: KATHMANDU – BESISAHAR – JAGAT
We leave by bus for Dumre, 130 kilometers from Kathmandu, on the road to Pokhara. The road offers magnificent views of the Trisuli river valley, then we cross superb tropical landscapes, before going up towards Dumre and having a first vision of the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhare. From there, we continue towards the north, up to Besi Sahar, by a track that curves in the middle of the rice fields. Then, we take a Jeep to reach Jagat, the starting point of our hike.
Drive in a private vehicle
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 4: TREKKING FROM JAGAT TO DHARAPANI (1900M)
The Marsyangdi River rumbles at the bottom of its gorges, forcing us to cross some beautiful suspension bridges. Just before Tal, the valley suddenly opens up and we can admire the Manaslu (8,163 m). After an ascent along the cliffs, we reach Dharapani by another suspension bridge. We are now in a Buddhist country, which was part of the Gyasumdo region, whose center was Manang, and which traded a lot with Tibet.
6hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 1900 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 5: TREKKING FROM DHARAPANI TO KOTO (2600M)
The path bends sharply towards the west to enter a valley where the vegetation becomes alpine with pines and junipers replacing the virgin forest. We change the level of vegetation. We start trekking at Dharapani. After an hour's walk, we arrive at the village of Bagarchap; a little further, we discover our first "8000"; prayer walls and gompas. In Koto, Annapurna II and Manaslu are in focus.
5 hrs of walking
Final altitude: approximately 2,600m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 6: TREKKING FROM KOTO TO META (3500M)
We leave for the first time the traditional classical trek of the Annapurnas, which continues its way towards the west, to engage in a narrow valley to the north, leading to the Tibetan border. From now on, there is a basic lodge or tea house, and the trip takes on a wilder dimension. We will follow the Naar Phu river, with its wooded banks, crossing it and recrossing it before setting up our camp in Meta Village.
8 hrs of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,500m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a Tea house
DAY 7: TREKKING FORM META - KYANG TO PHU VILLAGE (4000M)
Gradually, we have a clear view of the summit of Kang Guru to the east (6,981 m) and that of Pisang to the west. After an imposing chorten, which marks the entry into Buddhist country, the path rises to reach the village of Meta, built on a plateau. The trail stays high above the river, passing through several hamlets until reaching the Kharka of Junam Goth, We continue on stony moraines before crossing the summer village of Kyang. Then we take a path carved into the cliff at a good height of the river which is now called the Phu Khola. Beyond this rather impressive passage, a course in level curve allows us to find the bed of the river and reach Phu Gate (the door of Phu) which we cross by taking a path in tight zigzags. Behind this passage, we enter an altitude mineral valley in which Buddhist chörtens are placed here and there, reminding us that the inhabitants are of Tibetan origin. We land at the foot of the village on the superb campsite before going to visit this astonishing village with its houses lined up in an arid comb at different levels on the terraces.
7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,980m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a Tea house
DAY 8: TREKKING FORM PHU — KYANG — MAHENDRA PUL (3600M)
We redo the opposite path until we come to the sight of Meta and we spin full slope in a sandy descent to join the river. We cross it on a footbridge over a deep gorge where tons of water rush. The camp is on the right bank halfway up the hillside in the middle of a grove of junipers.
5 hrs of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,600m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a Gumpa
DAY 9: TREKKING FORM MAHENDRA PUL TO NAAR (4100M)
We will go up to the mountain pastures which precede the village of Naar and pass in front of an imposing series of chortens and mani walls. You still have to be careful of the solitary yaks grazing in these wide open spaces and be as humble as possible when going around them.The path now rises to reach a ridge and a high plateau where the village of Naar is spread out. Visit the Tibetan village.
4 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,100m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a tent
DAY 10: TREKKING FROM NAAR – KANG LA PHEDI — KANG LA 5,320 M — NGAWAL (3600M)
Long and splendid day. The path crosses a detrital shoulder before evolving well above the river on a “Nepalese flat”. Then it bends to the south to reach the Kang Pass. From the pass, the view is breathtaking on (almost…) all the Annapurnas (II at 7,939 m, IV at 7,525 m, III at 7,555 m) and the Gangapurna. The descent on the other side is steep towards the village of Ngawal, first in a moraine then in grassy slopes until Ngawal village.
8 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,600m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 11: TREKKING FROM NGAWAL — BRAGA — MANANG (3500M)
A milder day begins with a beautiful forest path, on a balcony above the Marsyangdi River, before reaching the village of Munje. From now on, the valley is wide, the path flat until the beautiful village of Braga, with its terraced houses, dominated by its very old Gompa. We finally arrive at the Tibetan village of Manang, the capital of this small region. This village, at the confluence of two valleys, and framed by several mountain ranges, enjoys an exceptional location. Magnificent and varied views of many Himalayan peaks and their frozen waterfalls.
6 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,450m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 12: TREKKING FORM MANANG TO TILICHO BASE CAMP(4100M)
In Manang, we find the traditional way of the Turn of Annapurnas but it is for immediately leaving it. Here begins our second detour, which will take us to Jomosom, via an altitude path. While the classic path follows the banks of the Jharsang khola river, to then cross the pass of Thorong at 5,416 meters, we will reach the moraine lake, at the bottom of the north face of Gangapurna (7,454 m) before climbing gradually to the village of Khangsar. The last of our route before Jomosom. From the village, very beautiful view, especially on the Tarke Kang (7,202 m). Continuation to the base camp of Tilicho by taking a path traced on the side in sandy slopes.
6 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately t 4,150m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 13:TREKKING FROM TILICHO BASE CAMP — TILICHO LAKE — EASTERN PASS CAMP
Now, we are walking in the footsteps of Herzog's expedition in 1950, when they were looking for an access route to reach the foot of Annapurna I. They were the first to reveal the existence of the huge lake that stretches at the foot of the Tilicho peak (7,134 m), they also named "the great barrier", the huge wall that stretches between the Roc Noir (7,485 m) and the northern summit of the Nilgiri (7,061 m). This name imposed itself on the expedition when it became obvious that no passage would be possible through this wall, to reach the slopes of Annapurna I. For two days, we will remain at high altitudes, at most near the summits, on paths that can be covered in snow. This evening, the view from our camp will look down over the Tilicho Lake scoop dominated by the glacial faces of Tilicho Peak.
7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 5,020m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a tent
DAY 14: TREKKING FROM CAMP EASTERN PASS — MESOKANTO LA — CHAURIKHARKA (4200M)
We cross a first pass at 5,345 m before embarking on a long crossing of an often snow-covered plateau to a sign indicating the direction of Mesokanto La. We discover the first surprise of the day, namely that we will have to cross a second pass that you reach by crossing using a small path on the side of the screen in almost a contour line.
Then it's a "flat Nepalese" path that will take us to the very end of a ridge where we will cross the Muktinath himal chain via the Mesokanto pass, at 5,100 m. On the other side, at the very bottom of the valley, you can make out the wide bed and the winding meanders of the Kali Gandaki. In the sky, the peaks of Tukuche (6,920 m) and Dhaulagiri, one of the most aesthetic 8,000 m, stand out; while to the north the brown peaks herald Mustang, Dolpo, and Tibet.
The descent is a bit long but first, you will have to carefully descend the first meters of a snowy slope sometimes frozen below. At the bottom, we cross the torrent to go up to cross a rocky ridge from which we overlook green mountain pastures. We even distinguish the kharka which will welcome us this evening. Only downside: the path takes its ease to lead us there and we arrive almost at nightfall.
6 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,200m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a tent
DAY 15: TREKKING FORM CHAURIKHARKA – THINIGAON – MARPHA (2600M)
Last day of walking, all downhill, to reach the large town of Marpha, a village surrounded by many orchards where the succulent Mustang apples are grown. Here, in the furrow of the Kali Gandaki, a priori the deepest valley in the world (practically 6,000 m between the peaks of Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I) often swept by a violent wind. Last captivating summit: the north face of the Nilgiri (7,061 m), covered with draperies of ice. "Trek is over…"
6hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 2,600m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in a lodge
DAY 16: DRIVE MARPHA TO POKHARA
We end this superb trek by descending by bus to the impressive gorges that the Kali Gandaki has dug. In Beni, the tar continues the journey to Pokhara for a much-appreciated gluteal rest.
Private vehicle
Final altitude: approximately 800m
Meals: breakfast – lunch
Accommodation: night in a Hotel
DAY 17: FLIGHT POKHARA — KATHMANDU
Flight Pokhara - Kathmandu.
by private vehicle and domestic flight
about 35 minutes
about 1300m
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: overnight at the hotel
DAY 18: FINAL DEPARTURE TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Free time depending on the departure time of your flight and our representative will drop you at the airport, ending your journey in Nepal. We hope to be of service to you again. Thank you and safe travels.