Classic Annapurna Circuit Trek

The best time to trek Annapurna Circuit is during the Autumn and Spring seasons, as the climate is favorable and the trekking route is rich in luscious greens. For a safe, memorable, and awesome experience, plan a trek between mid-September and November or March and June.

However, the trek is possible all around the year. If you can avoid rainstorms and sustain extreme temperatures, you can ascend during colder months to avoid the crowd.

The Annapurna Circuit trek usually takes 22 days to complete. However, the trek duration might vary depending on your chosen route and the packages you booked. If you have time constraints, you can customize this trek to suit the available days.

Though it might not be mandatory, booking your base camp trek in advance is better to ease the process, specifically if you plan for trekking seasons, as mentioned above.

Booking in advance secures your spot and ensures you and your trekking company are well-prepared for the trek. However, getting the trekking permits, booking accommodation and transport, and getting your visas might take time.

To trek to the Annapurna Circuit, you will require a moderate fitness level since you will walk at least 6-7 hours a day. You will also require good cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength to ascend quickly through rough terrain.

If you aren’t somebody who doesn’t perform physical training regularly, it is better to start training at least ¾ months in advance. Ensure you include cardio, flexibility exercises, and strength training in your workout to prepare your body for the trek.

To trek through the Annapurna Circuit, you will require two passes: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit and the TIMS card. You might need an additional restricted area permit to trek to the upper Mustang area. These passes can be obtained easily from the Tourism Board of Nepal.

The Annapurna Circuit trek generally costs $1550. However, the cost may vary depending on how you customize your food and accommodation, the variation of the trekking package, and the routes you choose.

The trekking cost doesn’t include any personal expense or charge for the services made upon request. Please check the packages for the price and find the amenities/services offered.

It isn’t mandatory to take travel insurance for shorter treks to the Annapurna region or to trek to the Annapurna Circuit. But it is advisable to take one to prepare in advance for possible catastrophic situations on the trek.

Yes, you can customize your itinerary according to your needs. We can add or minimize the acclimatization days, optimize the trekking route, and shorten or elongate the trek as you prefer.

However, if you have booked for our regular trekking package that moves as a group, customizing the itinerary just for an individual isn’t possible.

Some of the best ways to train for the trek are through regular cardio, focusing on breathing exercises, strength training, lifting weights, hamstring sketching exercises, and so on. You can also switch to climbing stairs instead of lifts, walking, or jogging instead of driving to smaller distances to prepare your body.

Additionally, going on regular hikes or climbing up the hills can be the best way to train for the trek.

To trek to the Annapurna circuit, you will need lightweight and warmer clothing, trekking poles, hiking boots, headlamps, sleeping bags, sunglasses, toiletries, and solar batteries.

It isn’t mandatory to get any vaccinations to trek to the Annapurna Circuit. However, you can check your country’s travel regulations and vaccinate yourself before visiting Nepal.

Typically, routine vaccines are available, including those against Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Rabies, and Cholera.

For any personal expenses other than those offered by the trekking company, you will need Nepalese rupees for your trek. However, having some USD or your home currency as a backup for emergencies or returns is better.

Make sure to exchange your currencies for Nepali rupees in Kathmandu to find the best rates.

To travel to Nepal, you will need a “Tourist Visa.” This visa is available on arrival for most foreign visitors except for visitors from African countries, Afghanistan, and refugees with travel documents.

Check the official website of the Department of Immigration for information regarding On Arrival and other tourist visas in Nepal.

It is possible to trek solo to the Annapurna Circuit. However, you must be prepared to adapt to the exciting yet exhilarating trek. You will need that additional physical and mental strength to trek solo.

A solo traveler must get the required documents to get the permit.

The trekking route to the Annapurna Circuit consists of rough rocky terrain, steep hills, stairs, and narrow trails. You will encounter suspension bridges, a biodiversity conservation area, luscious green forests, and locally inhabited villagers along your path.

While standard, three-star, and five-star accommodations are available in Kathmandu and Pokhara, the options might be restricted on the trekking route. Some of the popular stops in the Annapurna regions, like Ghandruk, Dhampus, Birethanti, etc., do have an option of luxury lodges, whereas in the rest of the areas, you will most likely find tea houses with clean rooms.

And yes, it is possible to get private rooms or rooms with attached bathrooms, but you will have to pay an extra charge.

You can reach Besisahar, the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit trek on a luxury tourist bus ride or on a jeep.

Yes, electricity and Wi-Fi are available in most teahouses en route to the Annapurna Circuit trek. However, it might be costly to access internet services and charge your devices at these stops, and the reliability of the connection is questionable, too. You can carry rechargeable solar batteries for electricity.

Since you will be traveling by road, there is no such restriction in the luggage that you can carry. However, we suggest you carry a lighter weight to ease the process of

The guesthouses and teahouses primarily serve Nepali, Tibetan, Thakali, and other ethnic cuisine, including Rice, Pulses, Bread, Noodles, Soup, Pasta, and Pastries. You will also have the option of drinks and continental cuisine.

Yes, showers are available on the Annapurna Circuit trek for an extra $2-$5 charge. Even the remote villages offer you a pail of hot water to shower for a few dollars, but it’s recommended that you avoid showering at higher elevations.

There are provisions for charging your electronics in rest houses, teahouses, or local stays. But remember to carry the required adapters (C type and D type) to fit your chargers.

En route to the Annapurna Circuit trek, the luxury lodges have proper commode-type toilets, whereas teahouses have clean but fundamental squat toilets. In emergencies, private areas along the trail can also relieve the pressure.

Yes, doing laundry on the trek to Annapurna Circuit is possible. However, the water is cold, so we suggest you do not do it unless necessary. Packing enough clothes is better than looking for laundry in elevations with cold water.

You are less likely to find a store to buy snacks and drinks on the trek as it is a remote area inhabited by fewer people. However, the tea houses along the trail sell biscuits, candies, and other snacks.

We advise you to carry protein bars, dried nuts, and fruits to snack when you want. You can bring a refillable bottle with a filter to drink water from sprouts or springs along the way.

You can find ATMs only in Pokhara. Other than that, no ATMs are along the Annapurna Circuit trek trail.

If you get altitude sickness on your way to the Annapurna circuit, let your trekking guide know about the situation. The guides are prepared with first aid required for such a situation.

Rest at the same spot and take anti-sickness medications. After you feel a little better, descend to a lower altitude. If the situation worsens, ask the guide to contact the head office in Kathmandu for a helicopter rescue.

You should pack warmer clothes, trekking gear, all your necessary medications, and your travel documents for the trek. Additionally, you should pack protein bars, dry nuts, and fruits for snacking on the trek, along with a refillable water bottle.

Even though the company will provide you with packaged water bottles along the journey, it is convenient to carry your own.

Medical facilities are very limited en route to the Annapurna Circuit trek. You can find limited medical services in major stops such as Pokhara. We suggest you carry all necessary medications in your backpack in Kathmandu or Besisahar, your starting point of the trek.

Water from natural sources looks clean in the Annapurna Circuit trek, but drinking it might be unsafe. You can purify the water using bottle filters, chlorinate it, or boil it to make it potable.

In case of emergency, the first thing you can do is contact our trekking guide. Our trekking guides are equipped with oximeters and necessary first-aid kits and trained to handle emergencies.

Besides, the guides will have all the necessary contacts to contact emergency rescue services such as helicopter rescue, air ambulance, or land rescue.

The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to rest properly after your trek, acclimate to the altitude, stay hydrated, and avoid alcohol while on the trek.

Whenever you feel sick due to altitude, stop immediately and rest for a while. Hydrate yourself and take medications to ease the pain.

You should never try to ascend or descend right away whenever you are experiencing altitude sickness. Let your trekking guide know about your situation and request an emergency rescue in case the condition worsens.

Acetazolamide (usually sold under the name Diamox) can help you with altitude sickness. As it reduces the severity of any observed symptoms as well as helps you adjust to high altitude quicker, Diamox is often suggested to treat acute altitude sickness.

Some other medications that can also help are Dexamethasone, Nifedipine, and Ibuprofen. It is safe to consult your physician and take the medications in advance to prevent allergies or any undesired reaction against the drugs.

You should be aware of any medical conditions that you might have before planning the trek. If you have pulmonary diseases, asthma, or any other breathing-related illness, it’s better to get it checked and prepared in advance with medication and stimulatory exercises.

Additionally, you should be aware of any allergies you might have before you trek. To prevent illness on the route, it is always best to avoid food, drinks, or agents that can instigate a hypersensitive reaction in your body.

It isn’t too safe to trek alone in the wilderness. If you are planning to trek to high-altitude terrains like the Annapurna Circuit, which can often have unpredictable weather, is prone to natural calamities, and involves risky and rough terrains, it isn’t safe to travel solo.

If you know the route very well and are mentally and physically prepared to trek alone, go for it. Otherwise, it is recommended to take along a travel guide who knows the route well to have a smooth trekking experience.

If you get injured during the trek, stop for a break and take the necessary first aid. If you have a serious injury that needs immediate attention, call for emergency rescue with the help of your trekking guide.

Since the trekking route takes you through conservation areas, it is obvious to see animals on the route. Although it is less likely to find a dangerous animal on the trail, it isn’t impossible. Leopards, cheetahs, musk deer, etc., can often inhabit mountainous regions.

Traveling in groups in such forest areas is better than encountering one. But if you do, don’t just run or instigate the animal; let it pass before you move.

The weather can be pretty unpredictable if you are trekking to the higher elevations of mountainous regions such as the Annapurna Circuit. Usually, the temperature is lower and can drop to freezing at night.

Besides, the higher elevation areas often have snow storms, soft rains, and chilled breezes.

Yes, indeed! The trek to Annapurna Circuit takes you to an elevation above 5000 meters where the temperature is low, oxygen is scarce, and the terrain is rough and risky. You must be physically fit and mentally composed to complete the trek successfully.