How the Annapurna Circuit works now that jeep roads reach Manang and Muktinath: where to drive and where to walk, the road-free NATT trails, acclimatising in Manang, Thorong La day from the 4 am start to the long descent to Muktinath, ACAP permits, seasons and teahouses.
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The Annapurna Circuit trek walks up the Marsyangdi valley on the east side of the Annapurna massif, crosses Thorong La at 5,416 m and drops into the Kali Gandaki valley at Muktinath. Jeep roads now reach Manang on one side and Muktinath on the other, so most groups drive the lower valley and walk the upper part. Our version takes 10 days from Kathmandu to Pokhara, with eight days on foot, and the only permit you need is the ACAP entry permit.
The road has changed the circuit, but it has not ruined it. The stretch from Manang over the pass to Muktinath is still footpath only, and above Chame there are good walking trails that keep you off the road for most of the day. What you need is an itinerary that skips the dusty lower valley and puts your walking days where the trail is best.
Below we answer the questions trekkers ask us most about the circuit: the road, the direction, acclimatisation in Manang, the pass day itself, permits, seasons and the teahouses.
The Annapurna Circuit is a teahouse trek around the north side of the Annapurna range, linking the Marsyangdi and Kali Gandaki valleys over Thorong La (5,416 m). It passes from terraced rice and millet country through pine forest into the dry, Tibetan-style valleys of Manang and Mustang, with Annapurna II, III and IV, Gangapurna and later Dhaulagiri in view.
When it opened to foreigners in the late 1970s the full loop took three weeks, starting near Besisahar and finishing near Pokhara. Today very few people walk the whole thing. Roads have taken over the lowest days on both sides, and the classic itinerary has shrunk to the part that is still worth walking: roughly Dharapani or Chame to Jomsom.
The culture changes as much as the scenery. Below Chame you are in Gurung and mixed hill villages. From Pisang onwards the houses are flat-roofed stone, the trail is lined with chortens and mani walls, and the people of Manang are Tibetan Buddhist. Over the pass, Muktinath is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists alike, and Kagbeni is a walled mud-brick village at the gateway to Upper Mustang.
Most itineraries take 10 to 16 days, depending on where you start walking and whether you add Tilicho Lake. Our trek takes 10 days from Kathmandu to Pokhara: one long drive day to Dharapani, eight walking days including a rest day in Manang, and a morning flight from Jomsom. Add a spare day at the end for a cancelled flight.
Longer itineraries usually start walking lower down at Besisahar, Bhulbhule or Syange, which adds three or four days, mostly beside the road. Some continue below Jomsom to Tatopani and Ghorepani. Shorter ones drive all the way to Manang, which is quick but gives your body far less time to adjust before the pass. We think the sweet spot is starting at Dharapani: you skip the worst of the road and still have enough days on foot to acclimatise properly.
Day 1 is a drive from Kathmandu to Dharapani. You then walk to Chame, Upper Pisang and over the high trail to Manang, take a rest day, climb to Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi, cross Thorong La to Muktinath, and walk down through Kagbeni to Jomsom for the flight to Pokhara.
Day | Route | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
1 | Drive Kathmandu to Besisahar, jeep to Dharapani | Dharapani, 1,860 m |
2 | Dharapani to Chame | Chame, 2,710 m |
3 | Chame to Upper Pisang | Upper Pisang, 3,300 m |
4 | Upper Pisang to Manang via Ghyaru (3,730 m) and Ngawal | Manang, 3,540 m |
We leave Kathmandu early and follow the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers to Besisahar, the district headquarters of Lamjung, in a private vehicle. There we switch to a jeep for the rough road up the Marsyangdi gorge past Bhulbhule, Jagat and Tal to Dharapani, where the Manang valley opens up. It is a long day of eight to ten hours on the road, so bring snacks and a buff for the dust.
Yes. A jeep road runs up the Marsyangdi from Besisahar to Manang and on to Khangsar, and on the far side a road runs from Muktinath down the Kali Gandaki through Jomsom to Beni and Pokhara. The only road-free section is the high ground between Manang and Muktinath, which includes Yak Kharka, Thorong Phedi and the pass.
That sounds worse than it is on the ground. The road is narrow, unpaved and rough, and traffic in the upper valley is a handful of jeeps, tractors and motorbikes a day rather than a highway. But in the lower valley, below Chame, the road takes the old trail line in many places, and walking it means dust, engine noise and not much else.
Drive from Besisahar to Dharapani or Chame, walk everything from there to Muktinath, and choose your own way between Muktinath and Jomsom. The lower Marsyangdi between Besisahar and Dharapani is where the road has taken over most completely, and it is a long, hot, low-altitude section that adds little to acclimatisation.
Here is how we think about each section:
Section | Our approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
Besisahar to Dharapani | Drive (jeep) | Mostly road, low altitude, dust in the dry season |
Dharapani to Chame | Walk, using trail sections off the road | Forest, first views of Manaslu and Annapurna II, the road is quieter here |
Chame to Upper Pisang | Walk | Pine forest, the Paungda Danda rock face, the valley opening up |
Upper Pisang to Manang | Walk the high trail via Ghyaru and Ngawal |
NATT stands for New Annapurna Trekking Trails: a network of waymarked footpaths that keep walkers off the jeep road where an alternative exists. Look for red-and-white paint blazes on rocks and walls for main trails, and blue-and-white for side trails, which are usually steeper. They often cross to the opposite bank of the river from the road.
The most useful ones for most trekkers are the high trail from Upper Pisang through Ghyaru and Ngawal to Manang, the trail sections between Dharapani and Chame, and the higher route from Muktinath through Jharkot to Kagbeni rather than the valley road through Khinga. Below Jomsom, in the Kali Gandaki, there are NATT trails on the east bank between Ghasa and Tatopani if you choose to keep walking.
Walk anticlockwise, from the Manang side over Thorong La to Muktinath. From Thorong Phedi at 4,450 m the climb to the pass is just under 1,000 m, after several nights adjusting in and above Manang. From Muktinath at 3,800 m you would need to climb about 1,600 m in a day, with almost no lodges on the way, which is harder and much riskier for altitude sickness.
A few people do cross clockwise, usually because they drove up to Muktinath. Unless you have already acclimatised elsewhere, do not. Going anticlockwise also puts the long, steady approach before the pass and the quick exit to the road and the Jomsom airstrip after it, which is the safe way round if anything goes wrong.
Spend two nights in Manang at 3,540 m with a hike higher on the rest day, then gain no more than about 500 m of sleeping height per day to Yak Kharka (4,020 m) and Thorong Phedi (4,450 m). That pattern follows the Wilderness Medical Society guideline for sleeping height above 3,000 m, and it is why our itinerary has two short days after Manang.
You walk higher and come back down to sleep. On our trek your guide leads a three to four hour hike above the village to the Gangapurna Lake viewpoint and Chongkor, at about 3,900 m, facing the Gangapurna glacier. Other good options are the Praken Gompa above the village or the walk towards the Ice Lake if you are feeling strong.
In season, the Himalayan Rescue Association runs an aid post in Manang with a free altitude talk in the afternoon, traditionally at 3 pm. Go. It takes about an hour, it is given by volunteer doctors, and it is the clearest explanation of altitude sickness you will get anywhere on the trail. Manang also has bakeries, small gear shops and the last good choice of lodges before the pass, so the afternoon goes quickly.
A mild headache, poor sleep and breathlessness on the climb are normal above Manang. A headache that gets worse despite rest and water, vomiting, confusion, stumbling or breathlessness at rest are not, and mean going down. Your guide checks your oxygen saturation and symptoms each evening.
The circuit is a good route to get altitude sickness on, because people are tempted to rush the last days. Above Manang, descent means walking back down the trail, and jeeps can come up as far as Manang. For serious cases we call a helicopter, which is why your insurance must cover evacuation to at least 5,500 m. Our altitude sickness guide goes into detail, and our travel insurance guide explains what cover to look for.
It is the hardest day of the trek: a 4 to 5 am start by headtorch, a climb of just under 1,000 m to 5,416 m over four to five hours, then a descent of about 1,600 m on loose ground to Muktinath. Expect seven to nine hours in total. It is not technical in the main season, but it is long, cold and high.
Groups leave Thorong Phedi between about 4 and 5 am to reach the pass by mid-morning. The wind across Thorong La usually builds from late morning, and by midday it can be strong enough to make the top miserable and the descent cold. Early starts also give you time in hand if someone is slow.
The night before is short. Dinner at Phedi is early, around 6 pm, and the dining room is full of people quietly packing and repacking. Fill your bottles with hot water before bed and keep them in your sleeping bag so they do not freeze. Put your headtorch, snacks and layers where you can find them in the dark. You will probably not sleep well at 4,450 m, and that is fine.
The first hour is the steepest: a zigzag climb from Phedi to High Camp. After that the trail climbs steadily over a series of false summits, each one looking like the pass until you reach it. In October the first two hours are well below freezing. Most groups reach the prayer flags between 8 and 10 am.
Wear everything at the start: thermal layers, fleece, down jacket, warm hat, liner gloves under insulated gloves. Your fingers and toes are the problem, not your core. As the sun comes over the ridge you will strip a layer, and then the wind on the pass puts it back on. There are a couple of small tea huts on the way up and one at the top, open in season, selling sweet tea at very high prices. It is worth every rupee.
Walk slowly. The pace your guide sets will feel too easy at first. That is the point. Rest briefly and often rather than long and rarely, and keep eating, even if you are not hungry.
The descent is where most people suffer. It drops about 1,600 m over roughly 10 km of steep, loose gravel and scree before easing near Charabu and the final stretch into Muktinath. Knees, toes and thighs all feel it. Walking poles make an enormous difference, and so do boots that do not let your toes hit the front.
Once you are below the steep section, the walk into Muktinath (Ranipauwa) is gentle, with Dhaulagiri across the Kali Gandaki in front of you. Most groups arrive in the early to mid afternoon, tired and very happy. Muktinath has proper lodges with hot showers, and a cold drink there tastes better than anywhere else in Nepal.
We grade it challenging. Most walking days are three to seven hours on good trails, but Thorong La day is seven to nine hours at very high altitude, and you sleep above 3,500 m for five nights. No climbing skills are needed in the main season. Fit walkers with some multi-day hiking experience manage it well.
If you can walk five or six hours on hilly ground and do it again the next day, and you train for a long descent, you will be fine. Start two to three months ahead: weekly hill walks carrying 5 to 7 kg, stair sessions for the descent, and two or three cardio sessions a week. If you have never trekked at altitude before, our beginner's guide suggests gentler first treks.
You need one permit: the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) entry permit, NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals. Children under ten do not need one. It is issued in Kathmandu, Pokhara or online, and it is checked at checkpoints including Dharapani, Chame, Manang and Jomsom. We arrange it before the trek.
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Permit | ACAP entry permit |
Fee | NPR 3,000 foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 SAARC nationals, free under ten |
Where issued | Kathmandu, Pokhara or online, not on the trail |
Checked at | Dharapani, Chame, Manang, Jomsom and other ACAP posts |
Extra for Nar Phu | Manang Restricted Area Permit, through an agency only |
What we need from you |
No, not in practice. Nepal Tourism Board rules still describe a TIMS card for trekkers, but checkpoints on Annapurna routes check the ACAP permit and have not been checking TIMS cards since 2023. If that changes, we will arrange the card for you.
Since 1 April 2023, Nepal Tourism Board rules require foreign trekkers to walk with a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. Enforcement on the circuit has been uneven, and you will still meet independent trekkers. Every trek we run is led by a licensed guide.
On this route the guide earns their keep on pass day: setting the pace, reading the weather, spotting altitude sickness early and making the call to wait or turn back. Our Nepal trekking permits and do you need a guide articles cover the rules in full.
October and November are the best months: clear skies, settled weather and cold nights. March to May is the next best, warmer and with rhododendrons lower down but more afternoon cloud. December to February is possible but very cold, and snow can close Thorong La for days. June to September is monsoon in the lower valley.
Months | Conditions | Our view |
|---|---|---|
October–November | Clear and stable, nights well below freezing at Phedi; busiest months | Best |
March–May | Warmer, more cloud in the afternoon; snow possible on the pass in March | Very good |
December–February | Clear but bitterly cold, some lodges above Manang close, the pass can shut after snow | Only with spare days and microspikes |
June–September | Rain and landslides on the road in, leeches low down; Manang and Mustang are drier |
Manang and Mustang sit in the rain shadow of the Annapurnas, so they get far less monsoon rain than Pokhara. The problem in the monsoon is getting there: landslides block the road up the Marsyangdi, and cloud cancels the Jomsom flights. Early October is usually lovely, but storms do happen at the end of the monsoon, as 2014 and 2025 showed. Our best time to trek in Nepal guide goes month by month.
Teahouses on the circuit are some of the best in Nepal: twin rooms with beds, mattresses and blankets, hot showers in most villages up to Manang, and a dining room heated by a stove in the evening. Rooms above Manang are simpler and colder, with shared toilets, and Thorong Phedi is busy and basic in peak season.
The evening rhythm is the same everywhere. You arrive mid-afternoon, wash, and by 5 or 6 pm everyone is in the dining room around the stove, ordering dinner, drying socks and swapping notes on the pass. Lodges expect you to eat dinner and breakfast where you sleep, which is partly how rooms stay cheap.
Every lodge cooks dal bhat with free refills, plus noodles, pasta, fried rice, momos, potatoes, eggs, porridge and pancakes. Manang has bakeries with apple pie and cinnamon rolls, and the apple orchards around Marpha and Jomsom on the far side are famous for apple brandy and pie. Three meals a day are included on our trek; drinks and snacks are extra.
Most lodges sell wifi and charging for a small fee, and mobile signal is good in the main villages but patchy at Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi. Carry enough Nepali rupees from Kathmandu. There is a bank in Chame and ATMs exist in Manang and Jomsom, but they are unreliable, and lodges above Manang take cash only. A power bank is useful for the last two nights before the pass.
Prices rise as you climb because everything above the road is carried up. For budgeting, our Nepal trekking cost guide and teahouse trekking guide have the detail. For our own price for this trek, ask us for a quote.
The circuit starts with a long drive from Kathmandu or Pokhara to Besisahar, then a jeep up the Marsyangdi valley. It ends in Jomsom, with a 20-minute morning flight to Pokhara or a full day by jeep through Beni. On our trek the drive to Dharapani takes eight to ten hours and is included, as is the flight.
Jomsom flights only operate in the morning, because the wind blows hard up the Kali Gandaki from late morning. Cloud or wind can cancel them. If that happens we drive you to Pokhara the same day. Leave at least one spare day between the end of the trek and your flight home.
Yes. Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) is the most popular side trip, adding about three days from Manang and helping with acclimatisation before Thorong La. Nar Phu is a restricted valley north of the Marsyangdi, reached from Koto near Chame, that needs a Restricted Area Permit and its own days.
Our Tilicho Lake Trek is a 12-day trip from Pokhara that drives to Chame, follows the circuit to Manang, then turns west to Shree Kharka (4,050 m) and Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m). You climb to the lake at dawn, return to Shree Kharka, cut across to Yak Kharka on the old trail past Thare Gompa and cross Thorong La two days later, very well acclimatised.
The trail between Shree Kharka and Tilicho Base Camp crosses an active landslide slope. Your guide times the crossing for the early morning, and we do not run this trek in the monsoon. The lake usually freezes in winter, and the base camp lodges may close.
The Nar Phu Valley Trek is a nine-day trip into two stone villages near the Tibetan border, with a rest day at Phu (4,080 m) and a crossing of the Kang La (5,320 m) down to Ngawal on the circuit's high trail. It needs the Manang Restricted Area Permit (USD 100 for the first week from September to November, USD 75 from December to August), ACAP, and a licensed guide throughout. Since 22 March 2026 the permit is issued to solo trekkers too. If you want Nar Phu and Thorong La in one trip, ask us and we will plan it.
The Annapurna Circuit is higher (Thorong La 5,416 m), shorter, better served by lodges and roads, and needs only an ACAP permit. The Manaslu Circuit crosses the lower Larkya La (5,106 m), is quieter and more remote, and needs a Restricted Area Permit. The two meet at Dharapani. Read Manaslu Circuit vs Annapurna Circuit for the full comparison, and our Manaslu Circuit guide for that route.
Only by driving to Manang and rushing the climb to the pass, which we do not recommend. Driving from Kathmandu to 3,540 m in one or two days leaves no time to acclimatise before sleeping at 4,450 m. Ten days from Kathmandu, as on our trek, is a sensible minimum.
Not in October, November or most of spring when the trail is clear. From December to March, and after autumn storms, the trail can be icy, and microspikes make the climb and descent much safer. Your guide tells you in Manang whether you need them; we bring them on winter treks.
In October and November, nights at Phedi are typically well below freezing, and rooms are unheated. The dining room has a stove in the evening. A warm sleeping bag, which we lend you, plus a down jacket and warm hat are enough.
Yes, if you start walking at Dharapani or Chame and use the high trail to Manang. Above Chame the road is quiet, and from Manang over the pass to Muktinath there is no road at all. The road also makes evacuation and side trips such as Tilicho easier.
No vehicles cross the pass. Horses can sometimes be hired at Thorong Phedi to carry tired trekkers to the top, but the descent is too steep for riding and you will still walk down. Treat a horse as an emergency option, not a plan.
Route guides
Make the most of two or three days in Kathmandu with a realistic mix of heritage, food, neighborhoods and time to recover before heading into the mountains.
5 | Acclimatisation day, hike to about 3,900 m | Manang, 3,540 m |
6 | Manang to Yak Kharka | Yak Kharka, 4,020 m |
7 | Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi | Thorong Phedi, 4,450 m |
8 | Cross Thorong La (5,416 m), descend to Muktinath | Muktinath, 3,800 m |
9 | Muktinath temple, walk to Jomsom via Kagbeni | Jomsom, 2,720 m |
10 | Fly Jomsom to Pokhara | Pokhara |
The walking starts with a steady climb through pine and fir forest past Bagarchhap and Danaqyu, with the trail and the road crossing several times. Beyond Timang you get the first close views of Manaslu behind you and Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II ahead. Chame is the district headquarters of Manang, with shops, a bank and small hot springs by the river.
We follow the Marsyangdi through apple orchards and forest to Bhratang, then pass under the huge curved rock face of Paungda Danda, a slab of rock rising about 1,500 m above the river. The valley widens past Dhukur Pokhari, and we climb to Upper Pisang, an old stone village with a gompa looking straight across at Annapurna II.
We take the high trail rather than the valley road. A steep zigzag climb brings you to Ghyaru at 3,730 m, with Annapurna II, Annapurna IV and Annapurna III lined up across the valley. The trail then contours past chortens and mani walls to Ngawal and drops through Bhraka to Manang, the main village of the upper valley. Reaching 3,730 m and sleeping lower in Manang is good preparation for the days ahead.
We stay a second night in Manang to let your body adjust before going higher. In the morning your guide leads a short hike above the village to the Gangapurna Lake viewpoint and Chongkor, at about 3,900 m, with Gangapurna's glacier and the Annapurna III range in front of you. The afternoon is free to rest, visit the Himalayan Rescue Association's free altitude talk in season, or browse the bakeries and gear shops.
We leave the Marsyangdi and turn north-west up the Jarsang Khola valley, passing the village of Tenki and climbing gently above the tree line onto open grazing land. It is a short day by design, gaining about 500 m. Yak Kharka is a small cluster of lodges on the hillside, with views back to Gangapurna and Annapurna III and often yaks grazing nearby.
A short climb brings us to Ledar, then the trail crosses the river on a suspension bridge and follows a narrow path along a scree slope to Thorong Phedi. Your guide will move the group steadily through the scree section, where small stones can fall. We arrive by lunchtime, rest in the afternoon and go to bed early for the pass.
We start by headtorch around 4 or 5 am with a steep climb to High Camp, then a long, steady ascent over a series of false summits to the prayer flags and tea hut on Thorong La at 5,416 m. After photos we begin a descent of about 1,600 m on loose, steep ground to Charabu and on to Muktinath, with Dhaulagiri coming into view across the Kali Gandaki. It is the hardest day of the trek, usually eight hours or more, and walking poles make a big difference on the way down.
In the morning we visit the Muktinath temple complex, with its 108 water spouts and the Jwala Mai shrine where a natural gas flame burns beside a spring. We then walk down through the old village of Jharkot to Kagbeni, a walled settlement of mud-brick houses at the gateway to Upper Mustang, and follow the wide gravel bed of the Kali Gandaki south to Jomsom. The afternoon wind up the valley can be strong, so we aim to be past Kagbeni by midday.
An early morning flight of about 20 minutes takes you down the Kali Gandaki gorge between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I to Pokhara. We transfer you to your hotel by the lakeside, and the rest of the day is free. If cloud or wind cancels the flight, we drive you to Pokhara by jeep the same day.
Best mountain views of the trek, no road, climb high and sleep lower |
Manang to Muktinath | Walk (no choice) | Footpath only, over Thorong La |
Muktinath to Jomsom | Walk via Jharkot and Kagbeni | Old trading route; jeeps are an easy fallback |
Jomsom to Pokhara | Fly, jeep as back-up | The road below Jomsom is long and rough; the flight is 20 minutes |
Possible, not ideal |
The Gangapurna Lake viewpoint and Chongkor at about 3,900 m, three to four hours return, is the classic. Stronger walkers sometimes go towards the Ice Lake at about 4,600 m, but that is a long, high day before the pass, and we prefer the shorter hike for most groups.
Yes. The trail is busy in season, lodges are used to solo travellers, and with a licensed guide you have someone watching the weather and your health on pass day. We run the trek privately for one person or in small groups.
Enough Nepali rupees for drinks, snacks, showers, charging, wifi and tips for the whole trek, drawn in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you start. ATMs in Manang and Jomsom exist but are unreliable, and prices rise towards the pass.
Warm layers for pass morning, including a down jacket, insulated gloves with liners, a warm hat and a buff for the wind and dust. Bring walking poles for the descent to Muktinath, sunglasses for the snow, and a power bank. Our packing list covers the rest.
Yes, from Kagbeni or Jomsom after the pass, but Upper Mustang needs its own Restricted Area Permit at USD 50 per person per day and several extra days. Our Upper Mustang Trek runs from Pokhara; ask us about joining the two.