Overview
The Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of Nepal’s most iconic long-distance trekking routes, encircling the Annapurna massif through some of the most varied scenery in the Himalaya. The trail moves from leafy lowland forests to arid, Tibetan-feeling high desert, crossing Thorong La Pass at 5,416 metres — one of the highest trekking passes in the world — with sweeping views of Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, and Nilgiri along the way.
The journey begins with a drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar and on to Chame, following the Marsyangdi River into increasingly Tibetan-influenced villages. The trail climbs through Pisang and Manang, where the ancient Braga Monastery and a full acclimatization day set you up for the push over the pass.
From High Camp, an early start carries you over Thorong La to Muktinath, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in Nepal for both Hindus and Buddhists, before the route descends through Jomsom and flies out to Pokhara.
What makes this trek so enduringly popular is the sheer range of landscape and culture packed into a single route. Few treks anywhere in the world let you walk from subtropical forest to high desert, crossing one of the highest trekking passes on earth, all within two weeks.
Recent road construction has shortened the trek for some, with buses and jeeps now covering sections once walked entirely on foot, but the core stretch from Manang over Thorong La to Muktinath remains as dramatic and rewarding as ever.
This trek is suitable for trekkers with a good level of fitness and some prior high-altitude experience, since it crosses a demanding pass above 5,000 metres. It combines dramatic landscape variety, deep cultural exchange with Gurung, Manangi, and Thakali communities, and one of the most celebrated pass crossings in the Himalaya.
Permits for this trek are issued under Nepal’s Department of Immigration Trekking Permit system, alongside the Langtang National Park entry permit.
For a shorter version focused only on the sanctuary, see our Annapurna Base Camp Trek.
Highlights
- Cross Thorong La Pass (5,416m), one of the highest trekking passes in the world
- Enjoy sweeping views of Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, and Nilgiri from the high trail
- Walk through leafy forest, terraced farmland, and arid Tibetan-feeling high desert in a single trek
- Visit the ancient Braga Monastery in Manang, one of the region's most important spiritual sites
- Explore Muktinath Temple, with its 108 sacred water spouts, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists
- Relax in Tatopani's natural hot springs after the pass crossing
