Annapurna Circuit Trek — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (NPR 800–1,000 / ~£5–6). Check into a Thamel guesthouse or hostel dorm (Zostel Kathmandu, Alobar1000 or a simple family guesthouse ~£8–15/night). Use the afternoon to sort logistics: visit the Nepal Tourism Board office (Bhrikutimandap) or a licensed trekking agency to buy your ACAP permit (NPR 3,000 / ~£18) and TIMS card (NPR 2,000 / ~£12) — bring passport photos and passport copies. Hire or buy any missing gear (down jacket and sleeping bag rent for ~NPR 100–200/day each), get a Nepali SIM/eSIM with data (Ncell or NTC, ~£8), and change cash. Evening: dal bhat and momos in Thamel (~£5).

🚌Airport prepaid taxi (~£6); walking

🛏Thamel guesthouse or hostel dorm, Kathmandu (~£10)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Buy ACAP permit + TIMS card
• →Rent down jacket/sleeping bag
• →Buy Ncell/NTC SIM

Take a morning local or tourist bus from Kathmandu's Gongabu (Machhapokhari) bus park to Besisahar — 6–7 hours on winding mountain roads, ~NPR 700–900 (~£4–5) for local, ~£8–10 for a tourist coach booked through your guesthouse. Sit on the left for river views. Arrive mid-afternoon and check into a guesthouse in Besisahar (~£8–10). Walk the bazaar, eat dal bhat, and buy any last supplies. This is your last reliable ATM and pharmacy before the trail.

🚌Local bus Kathmandu → Besisahar (~£5, 6–7 hrs)

🛏Besisahar guesthouse (~£9)

• →Scenic mountain bus ride
• →Besisahar bazaar walk
• →Final ATM/cash stop

Join a shared jeep from Besisahar to Chame (NPR 2,000–2,500 / ~£13–16 per seat, 5–6 hours) — the road is rough and narrow but the scenery is spectacular. Break in Bagarchhap to see the distinctive stone-and-timber architecture, and look out for the waterfall viewpoint near Bung Chahara. Arrive in Chame (2,710m), check into a tea house (~£6–8 with meals bought separately), and take a short stroll up to Chame Monastery for your first big Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal views. Go to bed early — trekking starts tomorrow.

🚌Shared jeep Besisahar → Chame (~£15, 5–6 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Chame (~£7)

• →Bagarchhap village stop
• →Chame Monastery visit
• →First Annapurna II viewpoint

First proper trekking day, 5–6 hours. Walk out past the prayer wheels and gompa, cross the Marshyangdi on suspension bridges, and climb through pine and rhododendron forest with a narrow canyon section before the valley opens up. Stop for lunch in Dhukur Pokhari, then continue into Pisang. Where you stay depends on the route you take — the low road to Lower Pisang is easier; the high road via Upper Pisang has better views but adds time. Book a twin room in a tea house (~£6–8) and eat dinner in the bukhara-warmed dining hall. Drink plenty of water and go slow.

🚌Walking (~5–6 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Pisang (~£7)

• →Prayer wheel/gompa circuit out of Chame
• →Marshyangdi River bridges
• →Lunch at Dhukur Pokhari

Take the high route: a stiff climb from Pisang up to Ghyaru (3,670m), a beautiful Tibetan-style village with mani walls and one of the best Annapurna II viewpoints on the circuit. Continue contouring along the ridge to Ngawal (3,680m), ~6 hours total. Ngawal is quieter and less developed than Manang — good for acclimatisation. Tea house twin room (~£7). Because you're climbing above 3,500m now, watch for headache and breathlessness, sleep hydrated, and avoid alcohol.

🚌Walking (~6 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Ngawal (~£7)

• →Ghyaru viewpoint climb
• →Mani walls and monastery in Ngawal

A shorter, gentler day of ~4 hours descending to Bhraka (3,450m), where you can visit the small monastery said to date from the 8th century. Continue past barley and buckwheat fields and Gangapurna Lake (3,550m — worth a 20-minute detour) into Manang village. Manang has the best tea houses on the circuit, bakeries, an ACAP office, a health post and the Himalayan Rescue Association altitude clinic (free afternoon talks on AMS — worth attending). Two nights here, ~£10–12/night.

🚌Walking (~4 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Manang (~£11)

• →Bhraka monastery
• →Gangapurna Lake detour
• →HRA altitude talk

Do not skip this. A short morning hike up to the Choser viewpoint (3,700m) or to the Gangapurna glacier viewpoint, lunch back in Manang, then an afternoon walk up to the big stupa on the hillside above the village with 360° views. Total 3–4 hours of gentle walking. Rest, eat carbs, drink water, sleep well — this day is what gets you over Thorong La. Optional: visit the HRA clinic if you have any symptoms.

🚌Walking (~3–4 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Manang (~£11)

• →Choser viewpoint hike
• →Stupa walk above Manang
• →HRA altitude clinic visit

Short day, only ~9km and 4 hours, but you're now above 4,000m so take it slowly. The trail climbs gradually out of Manang through juniper and scrub, past yak pastures, streams and small chortens. Eat a big lunch in Yak Kharka, then do a short 1-hour acclimatisation walk above the lodge. Basic tea house dorm (~£6–8), cold showers if any. Set your alarm for an early start tomorrow.

🚌Walking (~4 hrs, 9 km)

🛏Tea house lodge, Yak Kharka (~£7)

• →Yak pastures and chortens
• →Afternoon acclimatisation walk

A short but demanding 3–4 hours up to Thorong Phedi (the base of the pass). Gradual ascent through alpine terrain, grazing yaks and streams. Thorong Phedi has very limited lodges — consider pushing 45 minutes further up to High Camp (4,850m) if you're feeling strong and acclimatised, which shortens tomorrow. Otherwise sleep low at Phedi. Book your room on arrival, eat early, charge devices while the solar power lasts, and go to bed by 8pm — you'll be walking well before dawn.

🚌Walking (~3–4 hrs)

🛏Tea house lodge, Thorong Phedi (~£8)

• →Alpine ascent to Thorong Phedi
• →Optional High Camp extension

The big day. Leave at 4–5am with a headtorch for the 3–4 hour climb to Thorong La (5,416m) — the highest point of the trek. Plod steadily, don't stop long in the cold, and expect strong wind. Celebrate at the prayer flags and pass sign, then descend steeply for 4–5 hours to Muktinath (3,800m), losing 1,600m. At Muktinath visit the temple complex and the 108 water spouts, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Accommodation: a guesthouse in Ranipauwa beside Muktinath (~£10). If the pass is closed for weather or you feel unwell, descend — no summit is worth AMS.

🚌Walking (8–9 hrs, dawn start)

🛏Guesthouse, Ranipauwa/Muktinath (~£10)

• →Thorong La Pass (5,416m)
• →Muktinath temple and 108 water spouts

Walk 500m out of Muktinath, then take a shared jeep or local bus down the Kali Gandaki gorge — the deepest gorge in the world. Stop in Kagbeni for a look at the medieval fortified village and, if you have time, in Marpha for lunch (apple brandy, dried apples, whitewashed Tibetan-style houses) and Jomsom for an ATM/bakery stop. Continue to Narchyang (1,400m), a Magar village that's only recently opened to trekkers. Stay with Narchyang Community Homestay (~£12–15 with dinner and breakfast, book ahead via their Facebook page or a Kathmandu agency). Afternoon walk to Narchyang waterfall.

🚌Shared jeep Muktinath → Narchyang (~£12, 4–5 hrs with stops)

🛏Narchyang Community Homestay (~£14 incl. dinner & breakfast)

• →Kali Gandaki gorge drive
• →Kagbeni fortified village
• →Marpha village stop
• →Narchyang waterfall walk

Morning walk up to Upper Narchyang (2,140m) with your host for a village tour — terraced fields, traditional Magar houses, and a look at everyday rural life. Walk back down for a soak in the Narchyang hot springs (small entry fee, ~NPR 100–200). Second night at the homestay (~£14). This is the cultural highlight of the descent — cash only, and buy a few local products to support the community.

🚌Walking (~4 hrs)

🛏Narchyang Community Homestay (~£14 incl. meals)

• →Upper Narchyang village tour
• →Narchyang hot springs

Local bus or shared jeep north along the Kali Gandaki to Tatopani (1,190m), ~1.5–2 hours, ~NPR 300–500 (~£2–3). Check into a riverside guesthouse (~£8–10) and spend the afternoon in the Tatopani hot springs — the classic recovery soak after Thorong La. If you're running short on time or energy, this is a sensible place to call it and bus back toward Pokhara; if you want to complete the full circuit to Poon Hill, continue as below.

🚌Local bus Narchyang → Tatopani (~£3, 2 hrs)

🛏Riverside guesthouse, Tatopani (~£9)

• →Tatopani hot springs
• →Riverside rest day

Start the climb to Poon Hill: from Tatopani up through terraced farmland and villages (Shikha, Chitre) to Ghodepani (2,860m) — a big, hot 6–8 hours gaining ~1,700m. Alternatively take a shared jeep partway (Tatopani–Chitre or Tatopani–Ghodepani, ~NPR 1,000–2,000) to save your legs. Tea houses in Ghodepani are plentiful (~£7–9). Eat early, charge devices, and set an alarm for the sunrise walk.

🚌Walking (~6–8 hrs) or shared jeep option

🛏Tea house lodge, Ghodepani (~£8)

• →Terraced village climb via Shikha
• →Rhododendron forest (in season)

Climb 45 minutes in the dark to Poon Hill (3,210m) for sunrise over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South — arguably the best viewpoint in the Annapurnas. Walk back to Ghodepani for breakfast, then descend 4–5 hours to Nayapul, or take a shared jeep down (~NPR 1,500). From Nayapul, a local bus or shared taxi to Pokhara takes 1.5 hours (~NPR 200–400). Check into a Lakeside hostel or guesthouse (~£10–15), shower properly, and eat a proper steak or wood-fired pizza by the lake.

🚌Walking + local bus Nayapul → Pokhara (~£3)

🛏Lakeside hostel/guesthouse, Pokhara (~£12)

• →Poon Hill sunrise (3,210m)
• →Descend to Nayapul

A well-earned rest day. Walk the Lakeside promenade, row a boat on Phewa Lake to the Tal Barahi temple (~£3), or hike/ride up to the World Peace Pagoda for sunset views over the Annapurnas. Optional extras: paragliding from Sarangkot (~£65–80 booked via GetYourGuide or any Lakeside agency), sunrise at Sarangkot by shared jeep (~£8), or the International Mountain Museum (~£3). Second night in Pokhara (~£12).

🚌Walking; local taxi ~£2

🛏Lakeside hostel/guesthouse, Pokhara (~£12)

• →Phewa Lake boat and Tal Barahi temple
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Optional paragliding (~£70)

Take a tourist bus from Pokhara's Lakeside bus park to Kathmandu — 7–8 hours, ~NPR 1,200–1,500 (~£8–9), departing around 7am. If your budget allows, the 25-minute flight is ~£65–110 (book early; last-minute fares go to £140+). Arrive in Kathmandu, check back into a Thamel guesthouse (~£10), and spend the evening eating and shopping for last souvenirs. Boudhanath Stupa is a great final-evening visit (~£2 entry).

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara → Kathmandu (~£9, 7–8 hrs) or optional flight (~£70)

🛏Thamel guesthouse, Kathmandu (~£10)

• →Scenic Prithvi Highway bus ride
• →Boudhanath Stupa evening visit

Final morning in Kathmandu — a walk through Durbar Square (or Patan if you have time), a last momo breakfast, then prepaid taxi to the airport (~£5–6). If you're not flying until later, the Garden of Dreams is a peaceful place to wait out the day. If you want an Everest scenic flight as a finale, book it directly with Buddha Air or Yeti Airlines (~£175–200, 1 hour from Kathmandu) for a dawn departure.

🚌Prepaid taxi to airport (~£6)

🛏—

• →Kathmandu Durbar Square
• →Garden of Dreams
• →Optional Everest scenic flight (~£185)