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Over 13 days, you will climb from the lush and hidden trails of the valleys to the raw grandeur of the high Himalayas. Discover how the true heart of the Annapurna Circuit isn’t found in the peaks alone, but in the quiet, golden moments of mountain life that keep you warm when the air turns thin.
Kathmandu greets you first through Thamel’s narrow lanes — prayer flags strung between guesthouse rooftops, shopfronts stacked with down jackets and trekking gear, and the easy buzz of travelers swapping stories over their first plate of momos. Kathmandu is one of the great living art cities of Asia — a place where a 12th-century stone deity watches over a busy street corner and a craftsman three feet away chips the same motif his grandfather taught him.
Two extraordinary squares and a stupa in a single day — medieval palaces framing courtyards where sadhus sit beneath carved temple struts, the scent of incense curls past pagoda rooftops, and artisans still shape wood, stone, and bronze in workshops their guilds have run for a thousand years. Monkeys reign over hilltop shrines, and the valley’s spiritual pulse is palpable at every turn.
Pokhara greets you with the sight of Machapuchare ; “Fishtail” in Nepali, named for the twin-peaked summit that cleaves the sky above the lake ; perfectly mirrored in the still waters of Phewa. A morning on the water by rowboat, then a short drive up to Lumle where the air turns cool and the trail begins: a mix of earthen footpaths, open hillside, and Gurung farmsteads threading through rhododendron and oak forest toward the quiet hamlet of Majhgaun.
Pokhara sightseeing
Phewa Lake boating · Lakeside promenade
Drive Pokhara – Lumle
~18 miles · ~1 hr
Terrain
Earthen footpaths, open hillside, terraced farmland, village trails
Lodge
Majhgaun · ~5,900 ft
The trail drops first through cascading rice terraces and Gurung farmsteads, the Annapurna massif riding above the treeline. As the Modi Khola valley comes into view the path levels, then rises again ; a steady climb through mixed forest in the final stretch before Landruk. The effort is worth it: a classic Gurung village of slate-roofed houses and marigold-draped courtyards, with front-row seats to Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machapuchare across the valley.
Terrain
Descending terraced slopes, valley floor, uphill climb to Landruk
Views
Annapurna South · Hiunchuli · Machapuchare
The trail out of Landruk climbs steadily through a sequence of small hillside settlements — Tolka and beyond — working through forest and terraced farmland with the mountains still largely hidden above the treeline. Pothana is where the view breaks open: the full Annapurna massif and Machapuchare suddenly filling the horizon ahead. From here the trail descends easily to Dhampus, the mountains holding their position above as the village comes into view below.
Route
Landruk → Tolka → Pothana → Dhampus
Terrain
Sustained climb through forest & terraced farmland · panorama opens at Pothana · descent to Dhampus
lodge
MLN Dhampus · 5,430 ft
Tonight
Settle in early — tomorrow begins before sunrise
A pre-dawn climb to Australian Camp rewards with one of the Annapurna region’s finest sunrise panoramas — the Annapurna range, Machapuchare, Hiunchuli, and the Manaslu massif all ablaze in first light, a wall of giants stretching nearly 180°. Back in Dhampus, the day belongs to the village: joining a Gurung household for a day in their life — millet grinding, raksi distilling, and the unhurried rhythms of a working hillside household. The evening closes with a traditional Gurung cultural dance performance around a barbecue dinner under the stars.
Highlights
— 🏔 Australian Camp · 6,890 ft — 180° panoramic sunrise: the Annapurna range, Gangapurna, Machapuchare, Hiunchuli, and the Manaslu massif visible simultaneously.
— 🌾 Afternoon · Day in a Life with a Local Gurung Family — Millet grinding, raksi distilling, and the rhythms of a working hillside household.
Sunrise Climb
Pre-dawn departure · ~1.5 hrs on foot · headlamps needed
Morning
Australian Camp summit · full 180° panorama · return to lodge for breakfast
Afternoon
Gurung household visit · millet grinding · raksi distilling · village rhythms
Evening
Traditional Gurung cultural dance · barbecue dinner · lodge terrace or village clearing
Drive to Sarangkot for one of the finest valley views in Nepal — Phewa Lake and the city of Pokhara laid out below, the Annapurna and Machapuchare massif rising behind. From here, a cable car carries you down into the Pokhara valley for check-in at Nomad Pokhara, with the evening free to explore the lakeside at your own pace.
Sarangkot Viewpoint
4,455 ft · Phewa Lake and Pokhara below · full Annapurna + Machapuchare panorama
Cable Car
Sarangkot → Pokhara valley floor · ~10 min · aerial descent over the city
Lodge
Pokhara · lake-facing rooms · 2,713 ft
Evening
Free — Phewa Lakeside, boat hire, Lakeside Bazaar, or rest
A dramatic drive through the Marsyangdi River gorge — the road threading between pine-clad ridges, past roaring waterfalls and the first mani stones that signal the Tibetan Buddhist world ahead. Chame, the district headquarters of Manang, sits in a deep valley ringed by steep pine-forested slopes and the first glimpse of the Annapurna Circuit’s soaring rock walls.
Route
Pokhara → Dumre → Besisahar → Chame · paved highway first half, rough mountain track second
Drive
~90 miles (145 km) · ~7–8 hrs by 4WD
Terrain Alongside
Marsyangdi gorge · pine forest · Tibetan mani walls
Lodge
Chame · 8,694 ft
The drive from Chame to Manang is one of Nepal’s great altitude transitions — pine forest giving way to juniper scrub, then open high-desert plateau as the valley widens and the sky becomes enormous. Three stops bring the journey alive: the Bhratang apple orchards where local farmers press juice and produce both apple wine and apple brandy at 9,000 ft; the jade-green shallows of Green Lake; and Bhraka, a photogenic Tibetan-style village with a gompa perched above the river, prayer wheels spinning in the wind.
Bhratang Apple Orchard
~9,000 ft · fresh juice, apple wine & apple brandy tasting
Green Lake
~10,500 ft · glacial meltwater · vivid jade colour
Bhraka Monastery
~11,300 ft · Tibetan-style gompa · mani walls · prayer wheels
Lodge
MLN Manang · 11,500 ft
An acclimatization day structured like an adventure: the morning climb to Chongkor viewpoint earns a sweeping 360° panorama of Annapurna III, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak, while the glaciated north face of Annapurna IV fills the entire horizon. The descent loops around to Gangapurna Lake ; an intensely turquoise glacial lake fed by the Gangapurna Glacier above, its surface scattered with ice calved from the hanging seracs. An evening stroll back to MLN Manang through the high-desert village lanes completes a perfect altitude day.
Chongkor viewpoint
~13,100 ft · Annapurna III, IV, Gangapurna views
Gangapurna Lake
11,155 ft · glacial turquoise; floating ice fragments
Terrain
Steady open hillside up; rocky descent to lake shore
Lodge
MLN Manang · 11,500 ft
Blue Lake ; its cobalt surface catching the sky in a way that seems almost artificial ; sits at the edge of the high-altitude world where the track ends and the mountains begin in earnest. From here a gradual trail winds through open moraine to the Annapurna IV Lower Base Camp at ~13,450 ft: a broad, windswept platform where the peak towers in full above you and the silence is broken only by the occasional crack of distant ice. A picnic lunch is set up here ; perhaps the highest al fresco dining on this journey ; before the hike back down to Blue Lake and the drive to Manang for the night.
Blue Lake
~13,100 ft · drive terminus; cobalt glacial lake
A4 Lower Base Camp
~13,450 ft · highest point of the itinerary
Terrain
Gradual trail through glacial moraine and open plateau
Lunch
Picnic setup at Lower Base Camp
The descent from the high country is its own spectacle. The road unspooling through alpine meadow, pine forest, and subtropical gorge as the air thickens and warms with every thousand feet. A stop at the Barasinghe Beer Factory breaks the journey with a behind-the-scenes look at Nepal’s craft beer scene — a local brew that has quietly been winning awards.
Barasinghe Brewery
En route · craft beer tour & tasting
Drive distance
~80 miles · ~5–6 hrs by 4WD
Overnight
Summit River Lodge · Kurintar · 1,968 ft
River
Trishuli River · rafting views
A straightforward morning drive back to Kathmandu through the mid-hills, the valley bowl coming into view as the road crests the last ridge. The afternoon is yours ; spa, markets, last-minute thangka paintings, or simply a long lunch with a city view. The evening takes you to Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati, where the Aarati ceremony unfolds at dusk: oil lamps tracing arcs in the dark, sadhus chanting, the sacred river carrying embers downstream.
Drive distance
~55 miles · ~3 hrs
Afternoon
Free ; spa, markets, personal exploration
Bhaktapur is the best-preserved medieval city in Nepal. It greets you with terracotta tile rooftops, ancient woodcarvers’ workshops, and the 55-Window Palace. A Newari lunch follows, then a costume photoshoot in traditional dress against the square’s centuries-old backdrop. At dusk, Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest in the world which is luminous with a thousand butter lamps, monks circling the dome in a living mandala. A fitting farewell to Nepal.
The mountains stay with you ; not just in photographs but in the body’s memory of thin air, the sound of prayer flags snapping in the wind, and the particular silence of a Himalayan dawn. A Compasskin representative escorts you to the airport. Until next time.
Both. Days 4 to 6 are trekking days through Gurung villages in the Annapurna foothills: about 5 miles from Majhgaun to Landruk, then 5 to 6 miles from Landruk through Tolka and Pothana to Dhampus, plus a short sunrise walk to Australian Camp. The second half, into Manang, is by private vehicle with short walks and viewpoint hikes. You won’t be hiking every day, and it isn’t a continuous high-altitude trek, which makes this one of our most varied trips.
The time you spend with people. You spend a day with a Gurung family in Dhampus, from their kitchen to their terraced fields, followed by an evening of traditional dance and a barbecue dinner. Then you cross into Manang, a high, dry valley with a Tibetan-influenced culture.
Yes. Your private guide and porter are included, and the route enters the Annapurna Conservation Area. We arrange all required permits for you. Requirements depend on the route and current Nepal regulations, so we handle the paperwork.
Moderate fitness. You should be comfortable walking 3 to 5 hours at a time on uneven terrain, but you don’t need previous Himalayan trekking experience. The trekking days follow village trails with plenty of stone steps, and the Australian Camp sunrise (Day 6) starts with a short pre-dawn climb.
The highest point is 13,450 ft (4,100 m) at Blue Lake / Annapurna IV Lower Base Camp, but that is a day visit, not an overnight. Your highest sleeping altitude is Manang at about 11,500 ft (3,505 m). You also sleep in Chame (8,694 ft) on the way up.
You progress gradually into the high country and spend several nights in Manang. This includes a dedicated acclimatization day with a walk of about 5 miles, reaching roughly 12,800 ft, before you return to sleep lower. The Chongkor viewpoint walk on Day 10 helps too [confirm this is the same walk]. All of this comes before the highest-altitude excursion. The Himalayan Rescue Association altitude clinic in Manang is nearby.
Tell your guide right away if you notice headache, nausea, unusual tiredness, dizziness or loss of coordination. Your guide stays with you throughout and monitors you closely at higher elevations. Depending on the situation, the response may be rest, pausing your ascent, descending, getting medical help or, if necessary, arranging evacuation. If symptoms worsen, going higher isn’t recommended.
Some are long, and we’d rather tell you now. Pokhara to Chame (Day 8) is about 90 miles and takes 7 to 8 hours by 4WD: paved highway at first, then rough mountain track along the Marsyangdi valley. Manang to Kurintar (Day 12) is about 80 miles and takes 5 to 6 hours, with a further drive from Kurintar to Kathmandu. Expect bumpy roads, and bring motion-sickness remedies if you need them. The driving lets you see the high Himalaya without walking between every village.
Yes. It’s a modern cable car that runs daily from Sarangkot down into Pokhara, and it offers one of the best views of the Annapurna range from above the lake.
This is a 15-day trip, so get the 30-day visa (USD 50). The 15-day visa leaves no margin. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount before you travel.
Mountain Lodges of Nepal lodges throughout the trek and in the Manang valley, with en-suite rooms, hot showers and heating. The final mountain night is at Summit River Lodge in Kurintar. In the cities, you stay at Nomad Pokhara and Nomad Kathmandu or an equivalent hotel. Meals at the mountain lodges are full-board.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with the most favorable trekking conditions, mountain visibility and temperatures [confirm departure months]. Conditions can change quickly, and it can be much colder around Manang and Annapurna IV than in Pokhara or Kathmandu.
