Key Facts

The Annapurna trek begins at Besisahar in the Marshyangdi river valley and concludes in the Kali Gandaki Gorge. Besisahar can be reached after a seven-hour drive from Kathmandu. The trail passes along paddy fields and into subtropical forests, several waterfalls and gigantic cliffs, and various villages. Annapurna Circuit has often been voted as the best long-distance trek in the world, as it combined, in its old full form, a wide variety of climate zones from tropics at 600 m asl to the arctic at 5416 m asl at the Thorong La pass and cultural variety from Hindu villages at the low foothills to the Tibetan culture of Manang Valley and lower Mustang.

The Annapurna Circuit trekking has been famed as a 300-kilometre trek in Nepal around the Annapurna mountain range in the Himalayas which reaches an altitude of 5,300 meters on the Thorung La pass, touching the edge of the fabled Tibetan plateau. The trek follows the ancient trade route between Nepal and Tibet which played a significant role in facilitating the flow of culture and religions in the remote region. The existing pilgrimage sites of Hindus and Buddhists in the region reveal the religious harmony among Tibetan Mahayana, Buddhism, Hinduism and the mysterious Bon - Po religion from the ancient time.

The trail follows Marshyangdi Valley north of Manang, crosses snow-covered Thorang La Pass (5430 m.) offering the spectacular views that spread from the northwest of Mustang to incredible mountain ranges of Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri to the south, passes Muktinath, an important site of Hindus and Buddhist pilgrimages. The journey continues to the south exploring the arid beauty of Tibetan plateau and crossing the world's deepest gorge backdropped by enchanting views of Mt. Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri and returns to Pokhara via Kali Gandaki River.