Annapurna Circuit & Upper Mustang Trek

Upon arrival in Nepal, Jagadamba Holidays representatives will welcome you at Tribhuvan International Airport with a Jagadamba Holidays placard (Jagadamba Holidays signboard). In case of late night arrival, private transportation to the hotel will be arranged by the representative. Clients will be notified of tour briefings and group meeting times by a representative.

In the meeting we discuss the travel plans and services and introduce the trek or tour guide as per the itinerary. You must completely fill up a legally binding travel form and a non-liability disclaimer form. If any person’s tour payment is due, such person must pay at this meeting. Stay overnight at Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel.

After breakfast at the hotel, you depart Kathmandu early for Nagdi (930 m). We travel in Nagdi Bazar by private vehicle or daily scheduled bus. The road to Besishahar is very good. After Besishahar there is a gravel road till Bhulbhule. We walk for about an hour and a half to reach Nadi Bazaar and it is an easy walk to reach Nadi Bazar. Bhulbhule can be reached after about seven hours of travel from Kathmandu. From Bhulbhule, you have to walk for about one and a half hours to reach Nadi Bazar. After reaching there you should be fresh and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at Trekkers Holiday lodge in Nadi Bazar.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. We cross various suspension bridges, waterfalls and pass through paddy fields and forests. After reaching Jagat Rock, one can see Marshyangdi River below and the Rocky Mountains all around. The beehives on the cliff tops are the attraction for today. You have to walk for about six and a half hours to reach Jagat from Nadi Bazaar. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at Hotel Paradise in Jagat.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. Through rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests on the rocky slopes of the mountain, crossing narrow and steep valleys, we cross a bridge that takes us up a steep ascent and finally into a wide valley. After reaching the lake village, there is an opportunity to cultivate barley, wheat and potatoes. We have to continuously walk to reach Dharapani for some time. You have to walk for about seven hours to reach Dharapani (1,860 m) from Jagat. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at Hotel Gurkha’s Inn or similar standard lodge in Dharapani.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. From Dharapani, The trekking trail leads to steep slopes, as well as forested cliffs. After Danakyu village, you have to climb up to reach Tamang village where you can see the panoramic views of Manaslu, Lamjung, Annapurna and other mountains. We see many waterfalls with a panoramic view of Lamjung Peak, Annapurna II and Annapurna IV. On today’s trek, we have to travel through the villages of Tibetan culture followers, which act as a transitional period between the plains and the hills. We follow the flat path to Tanchok, Koto and finally reach Chame. You have to walk for about seven hours to reach Chame (2,710 m) from Dharapani. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Royal Garden Hotel or similar standard lodge in Chame.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. We first have to climb up to Talekhu through the old part of Chame and continue the flat path through the forest to Bhratang. The trekking trail goes up and down the slopes passing various streams and small settlements. After crossing a bridge, we headed towards Manang Valley. The Paungda Danda (Pangri Danda -4666 m) we saw is also fascinating. A panoramic view of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak can be seen from the final point of today’s trek. The landscape changes dramatically after entering the Manang Valley. You have to walk for about six hours to reach Upper Pisang (3,300 m) from Chame. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Hotel Manang Marshyangdi or similar standard lodge in Upper Pisang.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. The town of Pisang is the starting point of the upper reaches of Manang District. During today’s trek, we climbed to the Tibetan-style village of Braga. In Braga, we will also visit the Bhraka (Braga) Monastery. The houses here are built on top of each other with terraces. The main attraction is the Gompa, the largest in the Manang district, with a vast array of statues, placed on a high crag with a view of the entire village of Manang. On the way to Manang, trekkers can see the panoramic view of Annapurna, Pisang Peak and many other mountain peaks. When we reach Manang, we reach a windy and dry area. There are two routes from Upper Pisang to Manang village. We take the route through Upper Pisang via Ghyaru (3,670 m) as we can see the panoramic view of Annapurna Himal, Pisang Peak and other peaks. You have to walk for about seven and half hours to reach Manang village (3,540 m) from upper Pisang via Ghyaru and Nawal. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Tilicho Hotel or similar standard lodge in Manang.

An itinerary designed with an additional trekking day in Manang to help acclimatize trekkers. When we reach high altitudes, we need to acclimatize to avoid the risk of altitude sickness. Experts have said that travelers going to the Annapurna circuit should practice walking at the high altitude of Manang as they will be trekking at a high altitude from tomorrow. Manang is a wonderful place with beautiful natural surroundings and a short trip to Khangsar is also a great alternative trek on a pleasant day in Manang. However, a short walk to Manang’s Bhojo Monastery or Gangapurna Lake can also be done on our rest days in Manang Village. Stay overnight at the Tilicho Hotel or similar standard lodge in Manang.

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. We have a short walk day, we feel rejuvenated to continue our trek ahead towards Yak Kharka. As we pass tall trees towards alpine grass and junipers, we reach a meadow where there are a few horses and several yaks are grazing. Yak Kharka grasslands and a peaceful environment with steep slopes that are a perfect place for overnight stay here. Trekkers can also choose to walk for an hour to reach Ledar (4,200 m) above the sea level and spend the night there too. Compared to the previous day’s walk, today’s walk is not so difficult, the path is not so rocky, but the view of the Yak Kharka is fascinating. You have to walk for about four hours to reach Yak Kharka (4,000 m) from Manang. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Hotel Thorong Peak or similar standard lodge in Yak Kharka

After breakfast at the lodge, today’s trek will begin. The destination of today’s trek is from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi via Ledar. A trek from the eastern bank of Jarang Khola to Ledar helps acclimatize to the increased altitude. After walking for a while, we will cross the suspension bridge and reach Ledar village. Then we climb up from Ledar and reach Thorong Phedi. We will stay tonight at Thorong Phedi, surrounded by steep hills. A few blue sheep and snow leopard sightings have been reported in the area, while Lammergeiers and Griffons are more common here. Today the trekkers will get a chance to see the panoramic view of Mount Syagang, Mount Gudang, Mount Khatungkang, and Thorong Peak (6,144 m). You have to walk for about three hours to reach Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) from Yak Kharka. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Hotel New Phedi or similar standard lodge in Thorong Phedi.

Today, our trekking will start very early in the morning. The trek is relatively easy throughout the year, but can be difficult due to strong winds in the upper reaches. It is believed that this route has been used for transporting other commercial goods in and out of Manang district for hundreds of years. We will reach Thorong La pass after about a six hours trek. After reaching Thorong La pass, our trek will be rewarded with beautiful views of the massive snow peaks of Annapurna, Gangapurna and Khatungkang. As we reach a height of 5,416 meters above sea level we see the majestic Dhaulagiri in the distance. After some time of our trek, the path becomes less steep and enters grasslands and meadows and finally reaches Muktinath. In Hinduism, Muktinath refers to the place of Nirvana where there are temples and many monasteries, making it a holy place for Hindus and Buddhists alike. The main attraction of this place is the Jwala Mai Temple which has a waterfall and eternal flame as well as a holy water stream pouring 108 water streams which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. It takes about eight to nine hours to reach Muktinath (3,780 m) from Thorong Phedi. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at Hotel Grand Shambala or a similar standard lodge at Muktinath.

In the morning we will visit the Muktinath Temple of Lord Vishnu. After visiting the temple, we will return to the hotel and have half an hour free time for breakfast, then after today’s trek will begin. For Hindus, the region is “Mukti Kshetra” or the region of liberation or salvation. We also enjoy the breathtaking view of the Dhaulagiri peak. From Muktinath, we follow a trail part of the Jomsom trek where we descend through meadows, streams and fruit trees to finally reach Kagbeni. We will look around the old village and then move downwards. From Kagbeni we continue the trek to reach Jomsom and enter the Kali Gandaki valley. You have to walk for about four hours to reach Kagbeni (2,810 m) from Muktinath. Once there you should be fresh, and have free time for your personal activities. Stay overnight at the Shangri-La Guest House or similar standard lodge in Kagbeni.

Lo Manthang Excursion Day : Visit of the most important monasteries and the old summer palace (4220 m)

After breakfast, you should leave your room and store your luggage at the hotel and relax in the hotel lobby or explore the surrounding local market for last minute shopping for friends and family until you head to the airport for your flight back home.

Due to limited space at Kathmandu Airport, all airlines have requested to report at the check-in counter three hours before the actual flight departure time. Therefore, we will pick you up from the hotel three and a half hours in advance, as the estimated travel time to the airport is around half an hour.

We hope that your visit to Nepal and the activities you do during your visit will remind you to visit Nepal again in the future. As per the service policy of Jagadamba Holidays, your journey will conclude with a farewell at the airport. Have a safe and pleasant journey ahead. Thank you, see you again!