Annapurna Circuit

The Annapurna Circuit is a long walk around the Annapurna massif in Gandaki Province, climbing from paddy terraces near Besisahar to the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m and dropping into the dry Kali Gandaki valley on the far side. Road building has shortened it: most people now walk twelve to sixteen days rather than the old twenty-one.

The circuit has changed, and it is worth knowing how

The route that made the Annapurna Circuit famous no longer exists in the form the guidebooks describe. A rough road now runs up the Marsyangdi as far as Manang on the eastern side, and a road runs the length of the Kali Gandaki from Jomsom down to Beni on the western side. Jeeps use both. That has removed roughly a week of walking, and it means a trekker who follows the road for the sake of the map will spend days on gravel with vehicles going past.

The answer is the New Annapurna Trekking Trails, a signposted network of older footpaths on the opposite bank that avoids most of the road. Ask for the NATT route by name when you plan, because a cheap itinerary will quietly put you on the road instead. Two practical shortcuts follow from the roads: start by jeep at Chame and skip the hot lower valley, or finish at Jomsom and fly or drive out rather than walking the western road.

What the walking is like

The circuit is usually walked anti-clockwise, and the reason is altitude rather than tradition. Going that way you gain height gradually over a week, from about 800 m at Besisahar to 3,519 m at Manang, which sets you up for the pass. Walk it the other way and you would climb 1,600 m to Thorong La from Muktinath in a single day, which is a reliable way to be ill.

Above Manang the landscape turns. Pine and blue pine give way to juniper scrub, then to nothing at all: the northern side of the range sits in the rain shadow, so the ground is brown and stony and the sky is enormous. Thorong Phedi at around 4,450 m is the last night before the pass, and most groups leave at four in the morning to cross before the wind picks up. The descent to Muktinath is 1,600 m of loose ground and hard on the knees; poles earn their place here.

Muktinath at about 3,800 m is a working pilgrimage site, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, and one of the few places where the trek passes through something that would exist without trekkers. Our Muktinath temple guide explains what the 108 water spouts and the Jwala Mai flame are for.

Permits, guides and paperwork

Two documents cover the circuit: the Annapurna Conservation Area Project entry permit and a TIMS card, both issued in Kathmandu or Pokhara and both charged per person, with a lower rate for visitors from SAARC countries. Neither is a restricted-area permit, so there is no minimum group size and no fixed daily fee, which is what makes the circuit far cheaper to walk than Upper Mustang or Nar Phu next door. Carry passport photographs and photocopies; checkposts at Dharapani, Manang and Jomsom record every trekker.

Nepal has moved to requiring a licensed guide on its main trekking routes. Whatever the enforcement in any given season, the ACAP is a large managed landscape with real rules about firewood, waste and camping, all of which are set out in our Annapurna Conservation Area guide.

Tilicho Lake and the other detours

Tilicho Lake at 4,919 m is the side trip most people regret skipping. It branches from Manang and takes three extra days, including a night at Tilicho Base Camp below a slope of loose scree that is genuinely exposed to rockfall in the afternoon. Cross it early. The lake is frozen from December into March.

The other worthwhile diversions are the ice lake above Braga, which doubles as an acclimatisation day, and the Kagbeni to Muktinath section on the far side, which sits at the mouth of the road to Lo Manthang. If the walk has left you wanting the geology rather than the trail, our explainer on the Annapurna massif covers how the range fits together, and the Gandaki river system explains why the Kali Gandaki gorge cuts straight through the Himalaya instead of stopping at it.

Season, weather and the thing about the wind

October and November are settled and clear, with cold nights above Manang and lodges that fill early. March to May is warmer, the rhododendron forest below Chame is in flower, and the afternoon haze builds as the season goes on. Winter closes Thorong La to all but well-equipped parties and shuts many high lodges. The monsoon soaks the eastern half of the circuit but barely touches the Kali Gandaki side, which is why the western half stays walkable in July and August.

One constant: the wind in the Kali Gandaki gorge. It gets up late every morning and blows hard up-valley all afternoon, which is why flights out of Jomsom leave before nine and why walkers on that side start at dawn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Annapurna Circuit now?

Twelve to sixteen walking days is the common range today, using jeeps to skip the roaded lower sections. The full classic line from Besisahar to Nayapul on foot is still eighteen to twenty-one days.

Which direction should you walk it?

Anti-clockwise, from Besisahar towards Manang and over Thorong La to Muktinath. That gives you a week of gradual ascent before the pass. Clockwise means climbing 1,600 m to 5,416 m in one push from Muktinath.

Do you need a special permit for the Annapurna Circuit?

No restricted-area permit is needed. You need an Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit and a TIMS card, both bought in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and both priced per person.

Is the Annapurna Circuit ruined by the road?

It is changed, not ruined. The road follows the valley floor while the New Annapurna Trekking Trails run on the opposite bank, so an itinerary written around the NATT paths keeps you off gravel for most of the route.

Can you combine the circuit with Annapurna Base Camp?

Yes. Finishing at Tatopani and walking up through Ghorepani links the two, adding four to six days. Annapurna Base Camp is a lower and easier objective on its own if the pass does not appeal.

When is Thorong La closed?

There is no formal closure, but heavy snow can shut the pass for days at a time from December to February, and lodges at Thorong Phedi thin out or close. Local advice at Manang is the only reliable source on the day.