Annapurna Circuit Trek – Classic Main Route 11 Days

Trip Overview

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is now a total 11 days trip including your arrival and departure. With easy road access to Chame to start the trek on day 2, and comfortable road from Muktinath to Pokhara after the trek, the main trekking days are limited to 6 days with a day of acclimatization at Manang, 3520m!

This 11-day Trek circles the Annapurna massif through the Marsyangdi valley, over Thorong La Pass, and down into the Kali Gandaki valley. This 11 day itinerary covers the main circuit, the core section of the route between Chame and Muktinath, with close views of Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna, and Dhaulagiri along the way.

The trek reaches 5,416 m at Thorong La Pass and includes 3 days above 4,000 m, so good physical fitness and some prior hiking experience are recommended. A dedicated acclimatization day at Manang helps your body adjust before the climb continues. This format suits trekkers with limited time who still want to complete the full crossing of Thorong La Pass and descend into the sacred town of Muktinath.

Trip Detail

Itinerary Overview

This 11 day, 10 night trek follows the classic Annapurna Circuit route from Chame through the Marsyangdi valley and over Thorong La Pass into the Kali Gandaki valley. You drive from Kathmandu directly to Chame and trek through Upper Pisang before reaching Manang, where you spend an acclimatization day. From Manang, the trail climbs through Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi (or an optional High Camp) before crossing Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m and descending to the temple town of Muktinath. From Muktinath, you drive in a single day to Pokhara and from Pokhara back to Kathmandu.

Here is a quick look at how your 11 day trek unfolds.

• Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu at 1,400 m

• Day 2: Drive from Kathmandu to Chame at 2,670 m

• Day 3: Trek from Chame to Upper Pisang at 3,300 m

• Day 4: Trek from Upper Pisang to Manang at 3,540 m

• Day 5: Acclimatization day at Manang at 3,540 m

• Day 6: Trek from Manang to Yak Kharka at 4,050 m

• Day 7: Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi at 4,525 m or High Camp at 4,800 m

• Day 8: Trek from Thorong Phedi to Muktinath at 3,760 m via Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m

• Day 9: Drive from Muktinath to Pokhara at 822 m

• Day 10: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu at 1,400 m

• Day 11: Final departure
   

Annapurna Circuit Trek Highlights

• Kathmandu to Chame Drive: The trek begins with a long private drive from Kathmandu to Chame. The road follows the Prithvi Highway and then climbs into the Marsyangdi valley through Besisahar. As the road gains height, the scenery shifts from busy lowland towns to terraced hillsides and pine covered slopes, giving you your first sense of the mountains ahead before you take a single step on the trail.

• Chame and the Marsyangdi Valley: Chame is the headquarters of Manang district and sits beside a natural hot spring. Soaking in the warm water after the long drive, with the sound of the Marsyangdi River nearby, is a relaxed way to settle into the mountains. From here, the valley narrows and the forest grows thicker with pine and fir as the trail heads deeper into the Annapurna region.

• Upper Pisang and Annapurna II: The trail from Chame to Upper Pisang passes directly beneath the Paungda Danda, a massive curved wall of bare rock that rises straight up from the valley floor, one of the most striking natural sights on the whole circuit. This stretch also brings your first full view of Annapurna II, a huge snow covered peak that towers over the trail and stays in sight for much of the day.

• Manang Acclimatization: Manang sits at 3,540 m, with Annapurna III and Gangapurna rising directly above the rooftops of the village. A full acclimatization day gives you time to properly take in these views, with a short walk to turquoise Gangapurna Lake or a nearby viewpoint offering some of the closest mountain scenery of the entire trek before you continue higher.

• Yak Kharka and the High Alpine Zone: Past Manang, the trees disappear and the landscape opens into wide, rugged, high altitude terrain. The trail climbs steadily to Yak Kharka at 4,050 m, where herds of yaks graze on the hillsides and the mountain air feels noticeably thinner and quieter, a real sense of entering the high Himalaya.

• Thorong Phedi and High Camp: Thorong Phedi sits at the base of Thorong La, surrounded by steep, bare slopes with the pass itself visible high above. Some trekkers continue further to High Camp at about 4,800 m, sleeping even closer to the mountains with sweeping views back down the valley, though the air here is noticeably colder and thinner.

• Thorong La Pass: Crossing Thorong La at 5,416 m is the emotional high point of the trek. Reaching the top after a long, early morning climb, surrounded by fluttering prayer flags and a 360 degree view across the Annapurna and Mustang ranges, is a moment most trekkers remember long after the trip ends. The steep descent that follows drops you into a completely different, drier landscape on the other side.

• Muktinath Temple: Muktinath is a peaceful and deeply spiritual place, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 stone water spouts and an eternal flame that has burned for centuries. 

• Kali Gandaki Valley by Road: The drive from Muktinath to Pokhara passes through Jomsom and the lower Mustang area, following the Kali Gandaki valley, one of the deepest river valleys in the world, before continuing down to the lakeside city of Pokhara.
   

Altitude and Activities

The trek begins at Kathmandu at 1,400 m before driving directly to Chame at 2,670 m and climbing through Upper Pisang to reach Manang at 3,540 m, with an acclimatization day before the trail continues toward the pass. From Manang, the route climbs through Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi, or an optional High Camp, to cross Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m, the highest point of the trek, before descending to Muktinath. The journey then returns to lower altitude with a long drive to Pokhara and on to Kathmandu.

Accommodation and Meals

You will stay in a comfortable 3 star hotel in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and in mountain lodges or teahouses during the trekking portion of the journey. Full board meals consisting of breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided in the trekking areas. In Kathmandu and Pokhara, breakfast is provided, with a welcome dinner on arrival and a farewell dinner after completing the trek.