Classic Annapurna Trek – 15 Days
Trip Duration
15 Days
Group Sizes
1-16 People
Transportation
Land Transportation
Destination
Nepal
Max. Altitude
5416
Best Season
Mar-May, Sep-Nov
Activities
Difficulty
Difficult
Meals
Start & End Point
Kathmandu/Kathmandu
Accommodation
Travelling through the Annapurna Conservation Area, this 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek offers you views of the Annapurna Himalayas, along with Dhaulagiri, Fishtail, Tilicho, and Manaslu peaks. This classic trek covers about 155 km through the entire trek and takes us through several climate zones. We will start the trek at a subtropical level and make our way to the highland alpine terrain.
Culture-wise, most of the villages in the life changing Annapurna trek are dominated by Gurung, Thakali, and Magar communities, who are known for their helpful and lighthearted nature. Their culture, tradition, and practices can be seen throughout the trek. You will even get to see their traditional dance and musical night that they arrange for visitors and guests from afar.
Their Tibetan Buddhism-influenced culture is the result of religious influence, you will pass by many chortens and visit a couple of monasteries on the way. Their traditional dishes are also worth a try, especially the traditional Thakali dinner and lunch set.
The major landmarks of this Epic Annapurna trek will lead you through Thorong La Pass, the Tilicho Lake, and the Tilicho Base Camp. All of these destinations are worth a visit on their own. The Tilicho Lake sits at 4919 meters above sea level and is Nepal’s highest lake. This lake is not only a scenic treat but also a religious visit as it is considered sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist followers. Annapurna base camp trek is one of the most tourist visit destination in Annapurna region Annapurna Base Camp Trek 7 Days
We will also visit the Tilicho Base Camp at 4150 meters for an expansive view of the Marsyangdi Valley and the Tilicho Peak. In addition to that, we will also climb the Thorong La Pass, reaching an altitude of 5416 meters, the highest point of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek.
There are many other things that you should know before you decide to go on this beautiful journey to the Annapurna highlands. Here’s our best effort at clarifying our trek package.
Today is the first day of your 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek. It will be an exciting day as we enter the Annapurna region after a 6-hour drive through roadways and rugged rocky tracks. It is a 175 km long ride that’s scenic and bumpy at times. From Kathmandu, we will leave the valley and get to Thankot via winding roads up a hill. Then, we will drive to Naubise, Mugling, and Dumre.
Almost two-thirds of the drive today is on the Prithvi Highway, which is not in the best condition; it has many potholes, and it’s only a two-lane highway. The Trishuli River accompanies us all the way till we depart from the highway. From Dumre, we will reach Besisahar in about an hour, after which we will get on a jeep to get to Bahun Danda. Continuing the ride, the paved road now turns into a hilly gravel road as we reach Khudi village and the village of Bhulbhule before getting to Bahun Danda.
The 2nd day of the 15-Day Classic Annapurna Trek takes us to Jagat, a Gurung village 13 km away from our last night’s stop. From Bahun Danda, we will have to trek about 5 hours, including the breaks in between, to get to Jagat. The initial section of the trek descends alongside terrace farmlands on the slopes of a hill while the Marsyangdi River flows on the other side.
We will first descend to the village of Ghermu (1130 m), where traditional houses and a beautiful waterfall capture our attention. It’s a popular resting spot and we will spend some time there, relaxing. From Ghermu, we will move towards Syange village, crossing a suspension bridge in the process. We then ascend sharply over a series of stone steps that take us to our final destination of the day.
The village of Jagat is also a checkpoint where our Annapurna Conservation Area Permit will be checked. This village is very charming with stone-paved streets, vibrant farmlands, and traditional Nepalese and Gurung houses.
About 15 km from Jagat lies our destination of the day, the village of Dharapani. It will take sus about 6 hours to complete today’s trek, which gains us an elevation of 660 meters. Leaving the village of Jagat, we will get on an ascending set of stone steps, which take us to Chamje village. From there, our next destination is the village of Tal, which requires crossing the Marsyangdi River over a suspension bridge and ascending sharply through an oak forest. There are a couple of waterfalls along the way.
We will spend some time in Tal village before moving towards Karte. The trail to Karte is narrow at times, with some stone steps. We will soon cross a suspension bridge and ascend a little to reach Dharapani village, which has a huge stone gate to mark its territory. We will spend the night there, and you might get to see a nightly cultural performance arranged by the local community.
Day 4 of the 15-Day Classic Annapurna Trek requires almost 16 km of trekking over a period of 5 hours. By the end of the day, we will have gained 810 meters of elevation. The trail starts with a gentle uphill section passing by a forested trail and small settlements along with farmlands. We will soon reach the village of Bagarchhap, where we will rest a little.
From there, we have to trek through a thick forest of fir and pine trees, which offers a great scene of the Manaslu Himalayan range. This trial leads us to Danaque, our next resting spot. Moving on from Danaque, we will trek a sharp ascent that takes us to the village of Timang (2750 m), where a panoramic scene of the valley awaits us.
We will have a filling lunch at Timang village and descend to the settlement of Koto (2600 m) where traditional houses are abundant. This is also the last village before Chame. From Koto, we will gently ascend a trail that follows the Marsyangdi River upstream. We will soon reach Chame and spend the night there.
Today’s trek is 15 km long, gains us an altitude of 630 meters, and takes around 5 hours to complete. Leaving Chame, the initial portion of the trail is a gradual ascent via a forest of fir and pine following the path of the Marsyangdi River. We will also visit an apple orchard on the way. There are many, but we are on a mission to Upper Pisang, so let’s stick to just one.
We will soon reach Bhratang village, which is known for the huge apple farms and a juicery. From there, our trail turns a bit narrower as we make our way through a deep gorge. Above us is a huge curved rock that goes as high as 1400 meters. We will walk over wooden bridges accompanied by great scenes of the river and nearby peaks. After a while, we will reach Dhukur Pokhari, where we will take a break.
Continuing the trek, we will get on a gradual ascent via pine groves and reach Lower Pisang. The trails are now narrow with wide and open scenes of the valley and peaks. This village sits on a plain and wide land adorned with prayer wheels and traditional-style houses that add to the authentic countryside experience.
From Lower Pisang, it will take us about 45 minutes to get to Upper Pisang. On the way, we will pass by chortens and Mani walls accompanied by scenes of the Annapurna Himalayas and the Annapurna valley.
Day 6 of the 15-Day Classic Annapurna Trek is a climactic day as we will reach the town of Manang. Today’s trek stretches over 17 km, gains us 240 meters of elevation, and takes about 6 hours to complete. We will start the trek with a sharp uphill section, gaining 400 meters of elevation to get to the village of Ghyaru. This part of the trek takes about 1.5 hours to complete. This climb is difficult, so we will take it slow.
From Ghyaru, we will get on the track to Ngawal (3660 m), losing very minimal elevation. This part of the trek is pretty plain and easy. We will get to see a wide view of the Marysangdi Valley along with the giant Annapurna peaks in the distance. We will have a rest at Ngawal before moving towards Braga.
Our next stop, Braga, sits at 3470 meters of elevation, which means we will be losing elevation and descending. It is a gentle descent all the way to the village of Braga, where a centuries-old monastery sits. From Braga, the final leg to Manang is a simple, slightly ascending trail with farmlands and sparse woodlands.
Today is the only acclimatization day of the 15-Day Classic Annapurna Trek; it is more like a rest day as we will be trekking only 6 km (round trip) to visit the Milarepa Cave. This short trek lasts only 3 hours round trip and gains us an elevation of 700 meters. You might have guessed it from the numbers, this is going to be a steep hike.
From Manang, we will first go back to Braga and get on a bridge that has a board giving the direction to the Milarepa Cave. We will cross it and take a right turn, which leads us to the foothills. Now, the ascent begins, and we pass a forested trail that offers scenes of the Marsyangdi Valley and Annapurna peaks. On the way up, we will also get to see the huge glaciers of the region, along with herds of blue sheep grazing the small patches of grass along the ridge.
As we get closer to the cave, the trail turns steeper. The Milarepa Cave sits along a cliff and has chortens around it. The cave is named after the 11th-century Tibetan monk and poet, Jetsun Milarepa.
Day 8 of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek takes us to Khangsar village. This trek is only 7km long and takes about 3 hours to complete. It is the shortest trekking day of the trip and gains us around 200 meters of elevation. It is a slightly ascending trail that can be done very easily.
Leaving Manang, we will head west towards Braga and descend to a suspension bridge that crosses the Jharsang River. From there, we will ascend through pasture lands and a forest of Juniper to get to the village of Ghunsang. It is the last village before we reach Khangsar, so we will take a break there. The distance between the two is not that far, but the descent makes it time-consuming.
Today is yet another short trekking day of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek, and it is also the ultimate day of the trek since we will be going to Tilicho Base Camp. Our destination of the day is almost 6 km away, requiring a trek of 3 hours, with an elevation gain of almost 400 meters.
Leaving Khangsar, we will get on a slight uphill section to a small monastery, passing by several chortens. This part of the trek passes through a juniper forest with small bushes of buckthorns all over. We will also cross many small streams originating from a glacier above. After a long, exhausting climb, we will reach the summit of a hill (4650 m) where prayer flags flutter. From there, the path turns into a series of twists and turns as we descend down to the Tilicho Base Camp.
Day 10 of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek is yet another climactic day as we will visit the pristine Tilicho Lake and get down to Chauri Later afterwards. The total distance for today’s trek is 17 km, which requires a trekking time of 7 hours. The Tilicho Lake is the highest point of this trek, which gains us an elevation of 770 meters, and we will later lose this elevation as we descend to Chauri Latter village.
We will be making our ascent to Tilicho Lake early in the morning to avoid the afternoon winds. The trail is steep all the way to the lake. It is among the highest situated freshwater lakes in the world. We will spend some time there, click some photos, have some snacks and drinks, before moving back to the base camp. We will have our lunch at the Tilicho Base Camp and get on the road to Chauri Latter. Our final elevation of the day will be 4200 meters.
From Chauri Lattar, we will have to cover a distance of 7.5 km to get to Thorong Phedi. This will take just 3 hours to complete and gain us about 220 meters of elevation. Leaving last night’s accommodation, we will trek through a thin forest with occasional views of the Marsyangdi Valley and the surrounding peaks. We will pass the popular resting place of Yak Kharka and reach Thorong Phedi shortly after.
This village sits at the foot of Thorong La Pass, which we will be crossing the next day. So, we suggest you get as much rest as possible and sleep early.
Today is one of the longest trekking days of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek, we will climb the 5416 meters high Thorong La Pass and trek to Muktinath for a night stay. The total distance is 16 km, which requires 8 hours of trekking and a total loss of 1616 meters of altitude. Leaving Thorong Phedi, we will ascend sharply over a rocky terrain and icy trail to get to the top of Thorong La Pass. It’s a 4 km long trail to the top, gaining us 966 meters of elevation.
Just like the ascent, the descent is steep as well, covering over 12 km of distance to get us to Muktinath Temple. This temple is one of the highest-revered Hindu temples in Nepal. We will spend the night there.
Day 13 is the longest trekking day of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek, covering over 20 km, which takes about 7 hours to complete. The total elevation loss is 1080 meters. Leaving Muktinath, we will get on a descending trail through barren and dry surroundings. However, the scenes are not dry at all, the Nilgiti and Dhaulagiri peaks are clearly visible for the most part.
After a while of trekking, we will pass Jharkot village, where traditional charming houses are apparent. From there, we will move towards Kagbeni village and ultimately to Jomson, following the Kali Gandaki River downstream.
The next morning, we will leave the town of Jomsom early in the morning because the afternoon winds make it unsuitable for flights to take off, and it also brings clouds. We will have one last breakfast there before moving towards the airport. This marks the end of the trekking days of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek.
It will take us just 35 minutes to get to Pokhara, where we can spend the rest of the day taking a much-needed day nap and exploring the nearby attractions. You can ask the guide for some recommendations if you do not have any idea where to go.
Day 15 is officially the last day of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek. We will get up early in the morning, have a relaxing breakfast by the lake, and get on a bus to Kathmandu. This bus ride takes around 8 hours to complete.
1199 US$
This 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek starts with a scenic bus drive to Besisahar and a short jeep ride to Bahun Danda, the starting point of our trek. These rides in total take about 7 hours to complete. The next day, we will begin our trekking days with a long trek to the Gurung village of Jagat, sitting at 1300 meters above sea level.
Our 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek is a moderate trekking experience with some challenging ascents, but they are very manageable with bite-sized ascent portions. The porters will carry your heavy bags while the trek guide will lead the way; all you have to do is focus on the scenery and the trails. On a scale of 10, our trek experts have graded this a 6. However, the sharp ascents require great stamina and leg muscle power, so do not slack off on your preparation days.
The best season to visit the Annapurna region is the spring season, during this time you will experience a mild day temperature with flowers blooming and bright new leaves all over the hills, and great visibility. The other best option is the autumn season, which shares the same traits of spring but with fewer flowers and almost zero chances of rain. The monsoon rain sweeps away the dust in the air, providing the autumn season with the best visibility.
The maximum altitude of this 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek is 5416 meters at the top of Thorong La Pass. This is a risky elevation for altitude sickness, but since we will not be spending considerable time there, we are not at risk of altitude sickness. Generally, altitude sickness occurs when people climb to their highland destination too fast and spend the night there. We will be following the pace of the trekking guide and staying under 4500 meters of elevation for most of the trek.
In addition to that, you should keep yourself well hydrated to avoid this illness. Our guide will monitor your oxygen level daily to make sure that any early signs of altitude sickness can be addressed.
Accommodation options in the highlands of Annapurna are tea houses, inns, and lodges. Homestays are also a great option, but they do not provide the same services as tea houses or lodges, which can be an issue for most trekkers. During your time in Pokhara and Kathmandu, we will provide you with a 3-star hotel stay, which can also be upgraded to a 4-star or 5-star stay.
Generic dishes like pasta, macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, noodles, etc. can be found at most of the eateries along the way, but we recommend you try the traditional Nepalese and local dishes found along the route.
Local food like Kodo ko Dhido, Gundruk, Masyaura, Paphar ko Roti, Tama Aloo, Ghyu-Chaku, Sel Roti, Kinema, etc., are things you should taste at least once. Your drink options are limited to hot tea, hot chocolate, and locally made alcohol called Chhyang or Raksi.
The transportation costs as required by our 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek itinerary are covered by the trek package. This includes a drive to the starting point of the trek, the flight from the ending point of the trek, and any other transportation costs in between.
Trekkers only need the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) permit for this beautiful trek. Your permit fees are also covered by our trek package.
Preparing for this, the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) is easy; you just have to do cardio exercises for about 8 weeks before the start of the trek. You can also simply go on short hikes with a small backpack to simulate the real trekking situation. Working on your endurance and leg muscles is the best way to go if you are into gym culture.
Our 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek is priced at USD ______ per person, and this cost will cover most of your daily expenses, including daily meals, wages for porters and guides, daily accommodation, permit fees, transportation fees, insurance for porters and guides, and more.
The Annapurna region is one of the best-developed trekking destinations of Nepal since it is the most popular of all. Services like laundry, WiFi, stable electricity, and others are present for most of the trek. However, sometimes the Annapurna region faces power outages.
Things like an international flight to Nepal, personal travel and medical insurance, tips for the crew members, additional meals, upgraded accommodation, emergency medical services, additional accommodation, etc. are considered to be your extra expenses.
The city areas are great for comfort and luxury, which is why we provide the option of upgrades. Generally, we book a 3-star hotel room for our trekkers, which is the standard accommodation. However, you can also choose any 4-star or 5-star hotel of your liking. We can arrange your stay there as per their availability. This upgrade is not inclusive of the 15-day Classic Annapurna Trek package.
From Jomon to Pokhara, a small aircraft takes about 35 minutes, which is standard time, but it only leaves in the morning. If you get a private helicopter ride, you can break free of this restraint. In addition to that, views from he open doors of a helicopter are much wider and better in general. A helicopter ride is an upgrade, so it is not a part of the standard trek package.
The anti-clockwise route lets you acclimatize well at Thorong Phedi before you climb the 5416 meters high Thorong La Pass, while the clockwise route requires you to spend the previous night at Muktinath.
No, although paved roads have reached more villages than ever, they have not affected the trekking experience at all. The standard trekking route stays far from the paved roads. On a side note, the paved roads have made it possible for people with limited physical capability to experience the highlands of Annapurna.
You can add a hike to Ice Lake if you are looking to extend the journey. Likewise, a visit to Marpha is also a viable option where you can taste locally made apple wine.
1199 US$
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