Often voted the best long-distance trek in the world. Circumambulate the massive Annapurna massif and conquer the treacherous Thorong La pass at 17,769 ft.
The Annapurna Circuit is a legendary 15-day journey that circles the entire Annapurna mountain massif. The true magic of this trek lies in its incredible ecological diversity. You begin your journey walking through lush, subtropical jungles filled with monkeys and waterfalls, eventually ascending into vast pine forests, and finally emerging into the stark, arid, high-altitude desert of the Mustang region.
The physical and mental climax of the expedition is the crossing of Thorong La Pass at 17,769 ft. At this altitude, oxygen levels are roughly half of what they are at sea level. Navigating this pass requires extreme endurance, strict acclimatization protocols, and profound respect for the Himalayan environment.
This expedition requires elite cardiovascular endurance. Trekkers must provide Strava/Garmin proof of running 10km in under 65 minutes. Prior high-altitude experience (above 13,000 ft) is strictly mandatory to join this expedition team.
Due to the 15-day length of this expedition, the major acclimatization and summit milestones are highlighted below.
The expedition starts in Kathmandu. A long, scenic drive takes us out of the Kathmandu valley to Besi Sahar. From here, we switch to rugged 4x4 vehicles for a thrilling off-road drive alongside the Marsyangdi river to reach our first teahouse in Chame.
After days of walking through pine forests, today the landscape changes dramatically. The valley widens into an arid, Tibetan-style high desert. You will be walking with constant views of Annapurna II and III. We arrive at Manang, the cultural hub of the region, where we will spend an extra day to acclimatize.
The air here is incredibly thin. We walk carefully along a ridge prone to rockfall to reach Thorong Phedi (base of the pass). Depending on the weather and team fitness, we will push another steep hour up to High Camp to make tomorrow's summit push slightly shorter.
We start at 3:00 AM to avoid the high-altitude winds that arrive later in the day. The climb is grueling, steep, and heavily snowed in. Reaching the prayer-flag-covered summit of Thorong La is an intensely emotional victory. The descent to the holy town of Muktinath is a massive 5,200 ft drop that will severely test your knees.