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Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek

  Annapurna Region Trek , Nepal

Duration

21 Days

Tour Type

Trekking

Group Size

1+

Accomodation

Hotel/Tea House

Meal

B.L.D

Max. Altitiude

5416 M

Best Season

Through Out The Year

Departure from

Kathmandu


Overview

Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek is a wonderful experience of nature, culture, and adventure. It is for those national and international trekkers who want to utilize their limited time and budget as much as possible during the Nepal Trekking.

Annapurna Round Trek can be done separately by those having short vacations. On the other hand, this trek is suitable for those having more than three weeks’ vacation.

The biodiversity of the Annapurna Conversation Area Project (ACAP) gives you a joy of assimilation with Mother Nature.

The culture of the Manang Region trek, the Kali Gandaki River Valley, and the Annapurna Region trek give different tastes and experiences. The culture and tradition of various ethnic communities are seen throughout the trek.

You get to know the Tibetan culture and tradition of the Manang Valley, the Thakali culture of the Muktinath Valley, and the Gurung-Magar culture of the Lower Annapurna Region.

It is a thrilling experience of adventure in Himalayas. Crossing one of the highest passes of the Nepali Himalayas is the perfect experience for the daredevils. Thorung La Pass (5,416m) stands as a challenge between the Marsyangdi River Valley and the Muktinath Valley.

Annapurna Circuit Trek and Ghorepani Ghandruk Tour begins after Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour.  You will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley with our tour guide. The religious, historical, and cultural attractions of these sites are worth observing.

To reach the trailhead of Annapurna Circuit Trek, you drive directly to Syange along the Prithvi Highway up to Dumre. Then, you take a right turn towards the north direction.

Annapurna Trek Itinerary

Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek itinerary is a customizable package of trekking in Nepal. Now, there is a direct roadway connection from Besisahar to Khangsar Village for those desiring to do Tilicho Lake Trek.

For those doing Annapurna Circuit Trek, you can directly drive up to Manang from Kathmandu via Besisahar. If you are in short of time, yet want to do this trek, you can minimize 4-5 days in Annapurna Circuit with the Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek itinerary.

Our itinerary doesn’t take you to Jomsom from Muktinath but you can also do Jomsom Muktinath Trek by adding one more day. Likewise, you can skip Ghasa and Tatopani stopovers by hiring a jeep from Muktinath to Ghorepani Village as well. If you desire to, you can do Tadapani Ghandruk Trek and drive to Pokhara on the same day.

But we recommend you to go with the Annapurna Circuit with the Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek itinerary proposed by us. After all, trekking in Nepal is a leisurely activity that lets you enjoy nature and culture with an adventure trip.

Annapurna Circuit Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek Cost

Annapurna circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek cost is determined by a few unavoidable services you need during the trip. This is completely a teahouse trekking in Nepal, which is less expensive than camping trekking in Himalayas.

You don’t have to spend more amounts for hiring a crew containing a team leader, cook, waiter, and porter for camping trekking. You can simply take a backpack and set off for the Annapurna Trekking with a single trekking guide cum porter. The cost of food and accommodation during Annapurna Circuit Trek is not much dearly as well.

Annapurna Circuit Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek cost goes to be lower than any restricted area trekking (RIT) because it is a free individual trekking (FIT) region. You don’t have to pay an extra charge for restricted area trekking permits.

However, the cost of trekking in Nepal depends upon the quality of food and accommodation services you want to have during the trip.

Annapurna Circuit Trek Map

Annapurna Circuit Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek Map begins from either Beshisahar, the gateway to Annapurna Circuit Trek, or even higher than that. Our itinerary begins from Syange and moves along Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, and Manang where you have an acclimatization day.

Then, the trail of Annapurna Circuit trek and  Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek continues through Yak Kharka, Thorung Phedi, and Muktinath across Thorung La Pass (5,416m). Instead of flying to Pokhara from Jomsom, you take the other route to Marpha Village. For your information, Marpha is a beautiful Thakali village popular for apple orchards. Here, you can taste various products of apple including a local brandy Marpha.

Afterward, the trail moves along Ghasa, Tatopani, Ghorepani, Tadapani, Ghandruk, and Pokhara City accordingly. At Tatopani, you get to enjoy the natural hot water spring that cleanses various skin diseases and trekking fatigue as well. Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek takes you across one of the world’s largest rhododendron forests that houses 8 of the 32 rhododendron species in Nepal.

In this way, Annapurna Circuit Trek map enters into the Marsyangdi River Valley and ends at the Lower Annapurna Region. In the middle, it runs across the Manang Valley, the Muktinath Valley, and the Kali Gandaki as well.

Annapurna Circuit Trek Difficulty

To know about Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek difficulty, we need to discuss the responsible factors individually. Nepal Trekking hours per day, altitude, trail condition, steepness, availability of food and accommodation services, etc. contribute to trekking difficulty.

In Annapurna Circuit and Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek, you have to walk for 5-6 hours per day. The trails of the Annapurna Region are better than that of other trekking regions in Nepal. It is because the local communities are actively involved in promoting tourism.

The Annapurna Region is famous for teahouses and guesthouses that provide good food and accommodation services for the trekkers. The steepness of the trekking trails is not a big problem because they are made as comfortable and wider as possible.

Altitude is the only challenge that determines Annapurna Circuit and Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek difficulty. Most of the days, you have to trek and sleep above 3,000m, so you may suffer from altitude sickness. However, you can beat altitude sickness by taking some precautions against this AMS. You must be more careful while doing Thorung La Pass Trek as this pass is the highest point of the entire trek.

Our experienced trekking guide will help you overcome Annapurna Circuit and Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek difficulty. Consult with him for successful trekking along with the lap of the Annapurna Himalayan Range.

Trek Permits of Annapurna circuit

Annapurna Trek permits you need are TIMS Card and ACAP permit. As the trek moves across the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, you need to have this permit. At the entry point of the ACAP, you need to get it checked by the authorities.

As it is a FIT, you don’t need any restricted area trekking (RAT) permit by paying extra income. If you desire, you can do this trek on your own as well. But we recommend you to do this trek as organized trekking because crossing a pass of 5,416m is not that easy. Moreover, the professional guide gives you information about the natural and cultural landmarks en route. Annapurna Trek permits will be manage by the local tour operator in Kathmandu. The permit cost is include in the Annapurna Trek cost.

Itinerary

Reception at the TIA and transfer to the hotel around Thamel Bazar. Take a leisurely tour of the tourist hub, Thamel

Kathmandu sightseeing tour with our tour guide after breakfast. You will particularly go around 4 of 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley.

The Monkey Temple, Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, and Bouddhanath Stupa will be visited one after another. The art and architect as well as cultural, historical, and religious values of these sites are worth observing.

In the evening, arrangement of trekking gears for Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek. Consult with your team leader to know more about the Annapurna Circuit trekking gears.

After breakfast, you will head towards Syange across Besisahar, the gateway to Annapurna Circuit Trek. Driving along the Prithvi Highway up to Dumre, a mini town just below the Queen of Hills, Bandipur, you take a right direction.

Enjoying the scenic beauties of the green hills, flowing rivers, snowcapped peaks of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu (8,163m), and Annapurna (8,091m), you reach Syange in about 9 hours. Take a good rest as you are formally beginning Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek from the following morning.

Your trek begins after having breakfast by walking along the Marsyangdi River Valley. By enjoying the mountain vistas, dense forests of ACAP inhabited by various birds and animals, you walk across a few rustic villages. The pastures and natural waterfalls around the trail make the trek more memorable.

The snaky trail goes past some beautiful villages like Jagat, Chyamche, Tal, Kyodo, and Karte.  Finally, you stop at Dharapani, a junction where Annapurna Circuit Trek and Manaslu Circuit Trek meet with each other.

By walking across a beautiful chorten, you exit from Dharapani. After getting your details registered at the ACAP checkpoint, you ascend towards Toche from where Manang Circuit Trek route diverts to the other direction.

Afterwards, by crossing Bagarchhap, you reach an ethnic village of Dhanak. From here, the trail turns out to be quite steep until Timang and penetrates through peaceful forests. Then, you traverse across traditional villages like Thanchowk and Koto to reach Chame, the district headquarters of Manang District. Just a little earlier than Chame, you walk past a beautiful mani wall decorated by colorful prayer flags.

Witnessing the captivating vistas of snowy peaks, you ascend towards Bhartang village. The giant rocks all around make the trail more special and you won’t know when you walked past the distance. Around Bhartang, you see apples orchards flowering or riping as per the season. If possible, you can taste apple pie in this beautiful village.

As you start from Bhartang, you gradually gain elevations as the trail rises higher along the carved rocks. The higher you reach, the lesser the plants become. By crossing Swargadwari village, you march towards Dhukur Pokhari village. By climbing a steep trail across the rocky surface, you end up at Pisang. Pisang is famous for preparing Pisang Peak climbing trip, which is one of the most popular in Annapurna Region.

Although the trail in the beginning is comfortable, don’t forget to drink enough water.  As long as you are trekking around 3,000m elevation, it’s okay with AMS or altitude sickness. But today, you are trekking above 3,000m, so you may suffer from altitude sickness.

Crossing a mani wall beautified by prayer flags, you ascend towards Gyaru village from where you can see the eye-catching views of Annapurna II, III, and IV. Observing the primitive housing pattern of Upper Manang Region, you trek towards Ngawal.

Following the steep trail from Ngawal, you will reach Humde where lies an airstrip. Then, you march up towards Braga village, which is famous for a monastery older than a thousand years. Take a short break at Braga to explore the ancient shrines and other prominent sites. From here, you continue the trek until you reach Manang, a Himalayan city with all possible modern amenities.

Today is Manang acclimatization day, so sleep until late morning if you like. But, early rising is the best idea to successful completion of trekking in Nepal. Local tour operators of Nepal arrange acclimatization day in Manang because of its appropriate location.

To pass time, you can visit ancient monasteries and chortens beautified by colorful prayer flags. Next, Gangapurna Lake Trek is a good idea to pass the day plus get a lifelong memory of visiting a glacial lake.

Gangapurna Lake (3,450m) is made of the glaciers of Mt. Gangapurna (7,457m), Mt Annapurna IV (7,525m), Khangsar Kang, and Glacier Dom respectively. Even though the lake is drying out due to global warming, its beauty is still appealing to the national and international trekkers in Nepal.

You cross a few suspension bridges to reach Ghusang, then a small plateau for yaks and goats. By walking past a suspension bridge over Ghyanchang, the trail moves along the Thorung Khola. You won’t see any plants except some bushes but the vistas of the snowcapped peaks give you some comfort. Finally, crossing a mani wall, you end up at Yak Kharka village dwelt by a few people.

Witnessing the appealing vistas of Annapurna III (7,555m) and Gangapurna Peak (7,457m), you ascend along gradually rising trail. After crossing a suspension bridge, the trail moves along the landslides prone region to reach Thorung La Phedi.

This is the shortest trekking day of the entire Annapurna Circuit Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek. So, enjoy the colorful chortens and meet fellow trekkers waiting for doing Thorung La Pass Trek.

Today is the most challenging yet thrilling journey from Thorung Phedi to Muktinath. Throrung La Pass Trek is no doubt challenging but the challenge is altitude, not steepness. Thus, ascend gradually to avoid altitude sickness and do not forget to keep enough drinkable water and AMS tablets.

Thorung La Pass (5,416m) is a comparatively flat land extended between Yakwakang (6,482m) and Thorung Peak (6,144m). Taking a recess atop the pass gives a lifelong memory of the snowy mountains and the river valleys. Purbung Peak (6,649m) and Chulu West/Tharpu Chuli (6,419m) appear right in front of your valleys.

Descending gradually through the well-defined path, you stop at Muktinath tonight. After refreshment, make a visit to Muktinath Temple, a common shrine of both the Hindus and the Buddhists. Strolling around Muktinath Temple helps you forget travel fatigue.

Generally, Annapurna Circuit Trek moves to Jomsom from Muktinath Temple. After Jomsom Muktinath Trek, the trekkers fly back to the Lake City, Pokhara.

However, our Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek itinerary moves forward to Marpha Village. Marpha Village is famous for the apple orchards, so it is also called the Apple Capital of Nepal. Here, you can taste varieties of apple products including a branded wine called Marpha. If you love, why not take a few packs of Marpha?

Today, you trek downwards to Ghasa Village by enjoying the amazing Kali Gandaki River Valley and surrounding mountains. On the way, you will also see the world’s deepest gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge.

Walking for about 5-6 hours, you will stop at Ghasa, a small town serving with the clear views of the Annapurna Massif (8,091m) and the Dhaulagiri Massif (8,167m). Ghasa is popular for bird watching tour in Nepal as well.

By following the sloppy trail, you will descend towards the Kali Gandaki River Valley. The scenery during Ghasa Tatopani Trek is amazingly beautiful that you forget about the hardships if any.

After walking for about 5-6 hours, you reach to Tatopani, the place having “natural hot water.” Take a dip into the naturally hot water here so that it heals your body and muscles ache as well as skin diseases if any. It is believed that the hot water here has some medicinal characteristics and heals various diseases. On the other hand, it recharges your body with more energy to cover remaining distance of Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek.

After having delicious breakfast, you begin your trek towards Ghorepani, one of the most beautiful villages of the Annapurna Region. The trail gets a slight elevation today; however, the majestic views of the Annapurna and the Dhaulagiri Massifs help you cover the distance.

Walking for about 5-6 hours at a comfortable speed, you reach to Ghorepani Village. This is one of the largest Gurung Villages of the Annapurna Trekking Region. You can meet a few Gurkhas retired from the British and Indian Army as well as Singapore Police Force.

You may not know but due to the bravery the Gurkhas showed during the World Wars, they are recognized as the Brave Gurkhas.  You can talk with them to know more about their lives and experiences during the military services.

Today is one of the memorable moments of Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek. Early in the morning, you will do Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, also known as Annapurna Sunrise View Trek.

By walking along one of the largest rhododendron forests of the world, you reach Poon Hill before the sun rises. From Poon Hill (3,210m), you will enjoy the best sunrise views of the 8,000ers of the world. Along with Mount Annapurna (8,091m) and Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167m), you will see other prominent peaks of the region.

Then, you walk back to the hotel at Ghorepani and have some breakfast. Then, your team heads towards Tadapani, a Magar village of the Annapurna Region.

Today’s trail is one of the easiest of Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek with Annapurna Circuit. Witnessing the majestic views of the major peaks of the Annapurna Massif (8,091m), you stop at Ghandruk Village tonight.

Ghandruk is one of the largest Gurung villages of the whole Annapurna Region. It is on the way to Annapurna Base Camp Trek and Khopra Danda Khayar Lake Trek. This is famous for the Gurung Museum that gives you knowledge about their culture, tradition, traditional tools and technologies.

Walking across the dense rhododendron and oak forests, you will arrive at Nayapul, the gateway to Annapurna Trekking Region. Then, you drive in a private jeep or a public bus to reach to the hotel in Pokhara.

In the extra time, you can explore the major touristic destinations of the Pokhara Valley. The night life around the Lake Side is worth experiencing.

Today is Pokhara City Tour. If you prefer trying out some adventurous sports activities in Pokhara, you can drive or trek to Sarankot. Sarankot is one of the vantage points for sunrise views of the Pokhara Valley and majestic mountains.

Almost all the adventurous sports activities are launched from Sarangkot Hill (1,592m). Zip flyer, paragliding, ultra light flights, and hot air ballooning in Pokhara can be done for a lifelong memory of trekking in Nepal. Similarly, boating on the Phewa Lake and Pokhara bungee jumping are other activities you may prefer doing while in Pokhara. Or you can also visit a few museums in the valley as well.

Today, you will drive back to Kathmandu after having breakfast by witnessing the sunrise view of the natural beauty around the Pokhara Valley.

After arriving at Kathmandu, you will be transported to the hotel. In the evening, we invite you for the farewell dinner around Thamel. Cherish the typical Nepali food and drinks with some cultural shows.

Today is the last day of Annapurna Circuit with Ghorepani Ghandruk Trek. So, if you have some more time, we would love to arrange something exciting such as short treks around Kathmandu, white water rafting, or city tours. If not, our representative will take you to the TIA as per your flight schedule. Have a wonderful journey ahead!

Inclusion/Exclusion

  • Airport pick-up and drop off service,
  • Trekking Guide and Trekking porter (Two participant=1 porter =Maximum 25 kg of luggage )
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, &  accommodation during the trekking and Kathmandu following itinerary
  • Sleeping bags, down jackets, duffel bags and trekking sticks if required,
  • Trekking permit of National park,
  • TIMS(Trekking Information Management System )
  • Insurance and equipment for the trekking staffs
  • First aid kit
  • Kathmandu to To Syange bus service via Beshishahar
  • Muktinath to Pokhara Publics bus service and Pokhara to Kathmandu Tourist bus service,
  • Three star level hotel accommodation while you are in Kathmandu and Pokhara
  • Tea house accommodation during the trek
  • Farewell dinner in Kathmandu with cultural program in typical Traditional Nepali restaurant
  • Personal expenses
  • Drinks, beverages, hot shower,
  • Travel insurance and international airfare,
  • Tips for Guide and porter (trekking staff)
  • Meals & hotel accommodation in Kathmandu (with out itinerary)

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