Annapurna Circuit Trek

Moderate-to-high fitness is required, not elite athleticism. You should be able to walk 5 to 8 hours per day on consecutive days with a 5 kg daypack and 600 m of elevation gain. Hard pass day involves 9 to 11 hours of walking with 950 m of ascent followed by 1,600 m of descent. We send a 12-week training plan with every booking: progressive cardio (45 to 60 minutes, four to five times per week) plus weekend hikes building from 2 hours to 6 hours with a weighted daypack. If you can complete a 30 km hilly day-hike comfortably at home, you are ready.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the body's response to reduced oxygen at altitude. Symptoms (headache, nausea, fatigue, poor sleep) typically begin above 3,000 m and affect roughly 22 percent of trekkers on the circuit, per Himalayan Rescue Association clinic data from Manang. We prevent it three ways: a slow ascent profile (sleeping no more than 500 m higher than the previous night above 3,000 m), a mandatory rest day at Manang (3,540 m), and twice-daily pulse-oximeter checks from Manang onward. Acetazolamide (Diamox) 125 mg twice daily, started the day you leave Manang, lowers AMS incidence by about 40 percent. Bring a prescription from your doctor before departure. If symptoms worsen or saturation drops below 80 percent at 4,500 m, descent is immediate.

October and November are the prime months: clear skies, dry trails, stable weather, daytime temperatures of 13 to 20°C in mid-altitude villages, and a mountain visibility rate above 85 percent according to data from the Pokhara meteorological station. April and May are the spring window: rhododendron forests in bloom from 2,000 to 3,500 m, slightly hazier views, warmer pass-day temperatures. March and September are also feasible but quieter and shoulder-season. Avoid June through early September: the monsoon brings leeches in the lower valleys, mudslides, flight cancellations, and the pass is sometimes impassable from snow. December and February are technically possible but Thorong La frequently closes from snow accumulation, and night temperatures at High Camp drop below -20°C.

No. Since April 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board has required all foreign trekkers in Nepal's protected areas to be accompanied by a licensed guide. The TIMS card is now issued only to group trekkers travelling with a registered company, and individual TIMS cards have been phased out. ACAP checkpoints (Besisahar, Chame, Manang, Jomsom, Birethanti) verify both the permit and the licensed-guide requirement. The rule exists for safety: from 2010 to 2022, solo trekkers represented under 15 percent of trekkers but more than 40 percent of fatalities, helicopter rescues, and missing-person reports. The cost of a licensed guide also funds local employment in the region.

Personal trail expenses run USD 12 to 28 per day, mostly hot showers (USD 2 to 6 per day), WiFi sessions via Everest Link (USD 2 to 4 per day), device charging (USD 1 to 3 per device per evening), bottled drinks, and snacks. Over a 14-day trek that totals roughly USD 170 to 400. Tipping for guide and porters at the end of the trek adds USD 250 to 350 per trekker (paid collectively by the group). Souvenirs and end-of-trip meals in Pokhara or Kathmandu add another USD 50 to 200 depending on appetite. Total realistic budget on top of the package price: USD 470 to 950 per trekker. Bring USD cash; there are no ATMs above Besisahar.

Kathmandu's Thamel district has dozens of gear shops renting and selling both branded (Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Marmot) and counterfeit equivalents. Rental prices: down jacket (heavy 800-fill) USD 1.50 to 2 per day, sleeping bag rated to -10°C USD 1.50 to 2 per day, trekking poles USD 1 per day. We include sleeping bag and down jacket rental in our package if you want it. Bring from home: boots (must be broken in), base layers, hardshell jacket, daypack, socks, sunglasses, personal medications, and any item that matters for fit. Rent in Kathmandu: anything bulky or single-use (down jacket if you do not own one, sleeping bag, snow gaiters, crampon-compatible boots for winter). Counterfeit gear is fine for a single trek but will not last beyond.

Yes, with sensible precautions. All trek meals are cooked fresh and served hot at family-run teahouses regulated by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project pricing committee. The safest reliable choice is dal bhat (lentils, rice, vegetable curry, pickled greens), which is freshly cooked, comes with free refills, and is balanced for energy and recovery. Vegetarian options are widespread because dal bhat is naturally vegetarian; many trekkers stay vegetarian for the entire trek by choice rather than necessity. Vegan is possible with advance notice, though many cooks use ghee or yak butter as the default cooking fat. Gluten-free becomes challenging above Manang where flour-based foods dominate. Avoid meat above Manang (no refrigeration), salads above 2,500 m, and any food that looks reheated. Stomach upsets are usually traceable to water rather than food; use the purification tablets we provide.

From High Camp (4,925 m) to Muktinath (3,800 m), the full pass day takes 9 to 11 hours of walking, broken into roughly four phases: 4 to 5 hours of ascent from High Camp to the pass (5,416 m), 30 to 60 minutes at the prayer-flag mast for photos and tea, 3 to 4 hours of steep descent to Charabu (4,200 m), and 1.5 to 2 hours of easier descent through Jhong valley to Muktinath. Groups start between 03:30 and 04:30 to reach the pass before midday wind, which routinely exceeds 60 km/h from late morning onward. From Thorong Phedi (4,560 m, the alternative starting point), add 90 minutes. Carry 2.5 litres of water minimum, electrolytes, and high-calorie snacks. Pass-day pace averages 1.5 to 2 km per hour ascending and 3 to 4 km per hour descending. The cumulative distance is roughly 16 km.

Your policy must cover trekking activity up to at least 5,500 m. Thorong La is 5,416 m, so any policy capped at 5,000 m is invalid for this trek. Minimum coverage: helicopter evacuation USD 100,000, emergency medical treatment USD 100,000, trip cancellation for the full trip cost, and personal liability USD 1 million. Providers that reliably cover Nepal trekking at altitude include World Nomads (Explorer plan), True Traveller (UK Adventure Pack), Safety Wing Nomad Insurance, IMG Global, and Allianz Trip Insurance with Adventure Sports rider. Read the policy carefully for the altitude limit; this is the single most common gap. Bring a printed copy of the policy and the 24-hour emergency phone number to the pre-trek briefing. We pre-flag your policy with our helicopter operators so there is zero billing delay if a real rescue is needed.

Yes, mostly. WiFi via Everest Link prepaid cards is available at every teahouse from Besisahar to Birethanti, USD 2 to 4 per 24-hour session at 1 to 4 Mbps. Above 4,000 m, expect patchy or absent WiFi. Mobile coverage from NCell or Nepal Telecom (NTC) reaches the lower valley below 3,500 m reliably and intermittently up to 4,500 m. Above Manang, expect no mobile signal except scattered patches near radio repeaters. Your lead guide carries a Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator for true emergencies, which works anywhere on the route regardless of weather. Most trekkers find a daily check-in window of 30 to 45 minutes sufficient for messaging family. WhatsApp works on local SIMs and Everest Link WiFi; video calls are unreliable above 3,000 m.

Yes, with conditions. Recommended age range is 14 to 70, though we have completed the trek with trekkers as young as 12 and as old as 78. Children under 16 must trek with a parent or guardian and benefit from a slightly extended itinerary (16 to 18 days versus 14) to spread acclimatisation. Trekkers above 65 should obtain a cardiology clearance specifically for sustained exercise above 5,000 m. Chronic conditions that require careful evaluation include hypertension (controlled is generally fine), asthma (mild is fine, severe is risky in cold dry air), diabetes (controlled is fine but eating schedules become important), and any past episode of HACE or HAPE (consult a high-altitude specialist). People with sleep apnoea may struggle above 4,000 m where respiratory drive is suppressed. We require a medical fitness form from every trekker over 60 and from anyone with a chronic condition; review takes 48 hours and is included in the booking process.

Thorong La closes from heavy snow roughly twice per decade in spring (March–May) and three to four times per decade in autumn (October–November), per ACAP records since 2014. If the pass closes during your trek, we have three contingencies. First, weather forecasts from Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology plus the Manang HRA clinic let us see closures 24 to 48 hours in advance, so we can usually wait one extra day at High Camp or Yak Kharka to clear. Second, if closure extends beyond 48 hours, we reroute via the Tilicho Lake side trip (which adds 2 days but is a worthy substitute) and exit back the way we came via the Marsyangdi valley. Third, in rare full closures, we end the trek at Manang and arrange a helicopter back to Pokhara at the operator's cost (covered by our weather contingency budget, not yours). Refund or rebooking applies if the trek terminates more than two days early due to weather.

Besisahar (760 m) is the trailhead, 175 km west of Kathmandu, 6 to 7 hours by private 4×4 jeep. The drive follows the Prithvi Highway west to Dumre, then turns north along the Marsyangdi river. Road quality is generally paved but rough in places, with sections of construction since the 2015 earthquake reconstruction. We arrange a private jeep with a single comfort stop at Bandipur or Mugling for breakfast, departing your Kathmandu hotel at 06:00. From Besisahar, the trek used to start with two days of walking through Bhulbhule and Chamje, but most operators (including us) now use a shared local jeep for an additional 4 to 5 hours up the rough road to Dharapani or Chame, skipping the least scenic lower section and starting the real walking at higher altitude. This shortens the trek to 11 to 12 walking days while preserving all the highlights.

Since the company opened in 2009, we have completed 4,127 Annapurna Circuit treks (count as of December 2025). Zero fatalities. Eleven helicopter evacuations, all for AMS or HACE/HAPE symptoms, all resolved with full recovery. One non-helicopter medical incident requiring evacuation by jeep from Manang. AMS incidence among our trekkers is 14 percent (compared to the route average of 22 percent reported by the HRA clinic), which we attribute to the mandatory Manang rest day, twice-daily pulse oximetry from Manang onward, and Diamox protocol guidance. Our porters carry below the government weight cap (25 kg versus 30 kg legal maximum). All lead guides are TAAN Class A licensed with first-aid certification renewed every two years. The full safety record is available on request and audited annually by the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal.