How long is annapurna circuit trek

This mountain is named after Annapurna, the Hindu goddess of food and nourishment, who, is said to have her home in the Annapurnas. The name Annapurna is derived from the Sanskrit. It is a combination of the words purn a "filled" and anna "food" , and can be translated as "everlasting food". Many streams descending from the slopes of the Annapurna Massif provide water for the agricultural sector located at a lower altitude.

This massif is home to one peak over meters, thirteen peaks over meters and sixteen more over meters. To give you some perspective: Mount Kilimanjaro is 5, meters high. The following peaks you can see when you are trekking the Annapurna Circuit. Fish Tail Mountain 6, m — 22, ft Hiunchuli 6, m — 21, ft Gandharba Chuli 6, m — 20, ft Annapurna Circuit Trail Length The total length of the Annapurna Circuit is anything between and kilometers miles.

The length of the Annapurna Circuit depends on where ground transportation is used and not. Because a part of the circuit is tarred these days, some trekkers decide to skip this. For the same reason, a lot of trekking enthusiasts decide to do the Manaslu Circuit trek instead. Most itineraries offered for the Annapurna Circuit Trek these days are shorter than three weeks, which used to be the common duration of trekking the circuit.

When you are browsing itineraries, it makes more sense to look at the number of days than the distance. If you want to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek the right way, make sure to do it in at least 15 days. Below we give you a great example of a day itinerary.

If you have more time, you can also do it in 18 days. Both will allow for perfect acclimatization while being able to fully soak up the beauty of the Annapurna Massif. When talking about trekking, we talk about seasons. A tarred road can make all the difference in the lives of locals. The trails you use for trekking and for fun are used by the local community to live their daily lives.

A road which enables for quick access to goods and supplies is a massive upgrade. Nepal Eco Adventure has a day Annapurna Circuit Trek on offer and Chhatra knows that the roads are not there to ruin the trekking experience.

The area can not just live from the trekking industry alone. The parts that are tarred can be bridged by a car. However, the Manaslu Circuit is also very busy now and all the highlights of the Annapurna Circuit are still there. The number of trekkers has reduced on the Circuit and in terms of difficulty one can say that the Annapurna Circuit is not too difficult.

Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary. Including Altitude height per day. The Annapurna Circuit is best done in 15 days or 18 days. The day version is in that regard more old school and just follows the trails where this is possible. More and more people choose to do the day version, however. If you do the Annapurna Circuit Trek in 15 days, you are sure to have a small break halfway while still being able to enjoy all the highlights the Annapurna Circuit offers.

From Kathmandu, we start early for our drive to Besisahar. We travel by bus arranged by us. The road up to Besisahar is of fair quality. Once we have reached Besisahar we walk about another two hours to Bulebule close to Marysangdi river.

Once we reach there, we freshen up and spend the night there. Day 02 — Trek to Chamje m On the first day of the trek, we cross various suspension bridges, waterfalls and continue past rice paddies and forests. Once we reach the cliff in Jagat, we can view the Marsyangdi Khola below and rocky hills all around.

The beehives at the top of the cliffs are an attraction for today. In a short while we will reach Chamje where we spend the night. Day 03 — Trek to Bagarchhap m As we move past narrow and steep valleys, through rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests, in the rocky folds of a mountain, we come across a bridge that takes us to a quick ascent and finally atop a climb to reveal a widening valley.

After reaching the village of Tal, we have to move across barley, wheat and potato farms for a while before we reach Dharapani. From there we turn west through the fir and pine forests to reach Bagarchhap. Day 04 — Trek to Chame m From Bagarchhap we start ahead to reach a Danaque village and then a steep climb to reach a Tamang village with exquisite views of Manaslu, Lamjung , Annapurna and other mountain beauties.

As we trek through a Tibetan village that acts as a transition between the lowlands and high hills, we follow a gradual flat path to Thanchowk, Kolo and finally to Chame. Day 05 — Trek to Pisang m We first pass through the older part of Chame, climb up to Telekhu and continue on a long, leveled trail through forests underway to Brathang.

The trails rounds a bend and once we continue ahead we need to cross back to the south bank of Marsyangdi River on a suspension bridge. Then the trail takes us on a gentle ascent over a pine forested ridge and then levels again as we move from the upper part of Manang valley to Pisang.

Day 06 — Trek to Manang m The town of Pisang is the start of the upper region of the Manang district. On this day, the trek climbs to Braga, a Tibetan styled village.

The houses here are stacked upon each other forming verandas with each others rooftops. The main attraction is the Gompa, the largest in the district, with a vast array of statues in display and perched on a high crag with the view of the entire village.

After a while we reach Manang, where we freshen up and spend the night. Day 07 — Acclimatisation in Manang As we are reaching higher altitudes, we need to acclimatize to avoid the risk of altitude sickness. Manang is the perfect spot with its beautiful natural setting and a hike up to Khangsar in the afternoon for a short detour. Day 08 — Trek to Yak Kharka m Now that we are rested, we feel rejuvenated to continue on our trek.

As we move past the tall trees towards the alpine grass and junipers, we reach meadows where a few horses and a number of yaks are grazing around. The serene environment with meadows and steep slopes of Yak Kharka is the perfect place for us to spend the night. We can also choose to walk for an hour to reach Letdar and spend the night there Day 09 — Trek to Thorung Phedi 4. In some time we reach a meadow surrounded by vertical cliffs, the Thorung Phedi.

Sighting of blue sheep and snow leopards have been reported a few times in the area, whereas Lammergeyers and griffons are quite common. We spend the night here. Day 10 — Over Thorung La 5. The trail is comparatively easier having been trodden for years, but could get difficult with strong winds in the upper regions.

The trail is believed to have been used for hundreds of years to take sheep and yaks in and out of Manang along with other trading goods.

We reach Thorung Phedi in about 6 hours. After we reach Thorung la pass, our hike will be rewarded with beautiful views of Annapurna, Gangapurna and a heavily glaciated peak of Khatungkang. When are a done with a descent of about m, we view the glorious Dhaulagiri standing in the distance. After a while, the trail becomes less steep and enters grassy fields and meadows to finally reach Muktinath.

In Hindu religion, Muktinath refers to a place of nirvana which houses a temple and a number of monasteries, making it a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. The main attractions of the site are the Jwalamai temple with a spring and an eternal flame as well as the water spouts that pour holy water. These are visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. Day 11 — Trek to Jomsom m via Kagbeni. From Muktinath, we follow a trail part of the Jomsom trek where we descend through meadows, streams and fruit trees to finally reach Kagbeni.

We look around the old village and then moving downwards. From Kagbeni we reach Jomson, Kali Gandaki valley.

The panoramic views of the Himalayas include Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Annapurna and many other snow-capped peaks. From here we cross a river and a newly constructed road that will make us finally reach Kalopani. Day 13 — Trek to Ghorepani m Today we move from Tatopani through villages of midland Nepal with terraced fields and inclined farmlands. As we hike and ascend we move past rhododendron, magnolia and other vegetation of the area.

The influx of trekkers over the last thirty years led to significant infrastructure, teahouses, and small communities supported by trekking. Other treks in Nepal offer more of a wilderness experience, but the teahouses on the Annapurna Circuit are a luxury that facilitate weeks of trekking while carrying only a fraction of the supplies.

The roadless stretch is still one of the most magnificent alpine trails in the world and the mountains themselves remain untouched. With the encroachment of roads up the Annapurna Circuit, we have heard references for years about trekkers making their own way in certain sections. We have not yet had the opportunity to hike the Annapurna Circuit since the new NATT system was established, but there is a handy online guide that outlines the process. From our research, trekkers returning from the Annapurna Circuit using NATTs have been happy with the results and they have given new life to the route.

Of course, this kind of trekking requires due diligence, attention to maps, and great care in making sure you follow the route and stay safe. According to Reuters , less than 1 percent of the route and 3 percent of buildings were affected. Similar to the Everest Base Camp Trek, Miyamoto International, a California-based structural and earthquake engineering firm, was hired after the quake to provide risk assessment of the region you can read the full July report here. The nearby Manaslu Circuit Trek was not so lucky and saw much more extensive damage.

Photo Credit. Annapurna Circuit Trek Facts Length: 8—21 days the grand loop from Besishar to Pokhara takes approximately 17—21 days. Trek Summary Trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit now must decide where to begin. Rice terraces south of Ghara Greg Willis A great way to increase the number of roadless hiking days is the side trip to Tilicho Lake, one of the world's highest lakes at 4, meters 16, feet. Powered by Drupal. Learn More About Nepal. The fullest views of Mt.

Everest actually are from the Tibetan side, but The Manaslu Circuit is the trekking jewel of Nepal. Bordering the Annapurna Conservation Area to the west and the Tibetan Plateau to the north and east, the region was closed to foreign tourists until , effectively blocking the Quite simply, drink a minimum of five liters of water per day, no matter what. Her photography work has been featured in National Geographic Traveller Magazine, Lonely Planet Guide Books and in campaigns for many travel brands around the world.

Although she is usually dreaming about adventures afar, she is based, most of the time, in Manchester, England. The best Guide for Annapurna Circuit Trek.

If you are looking for solo trekking, off-season, or Short Annapurna Circuit Trekking, this is the best article you can find online. This explains everything in a good manner with a thrilling adventure. Great Article! I used a steripen last time but it stopped working once the weather got too cold.

Did you have other recommendations for water filters? I was thinking of trying Grayl but I would love some other suggestions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Home » 10 things I wish I knew before hiking the Annapurna Circuit. Guides Stories.

Plan the time of year right Photo captured by Annapurna Mellor. Photo captured by Annapurna Mellor. Annapurna Circuit Trek. View trip. Annapurna Mellor Annapurna Mellor is a photographer, writer and storyteller. You might also like. The top 8 California deserts worth visiting. The 6 best places to go for breakfast South Island vs. North Island: which part of Sip your way through the 8 best bars