Nepal: Annapurna Circuit Spectacular hiking for enthusiasts! Trip code: Group size: Number of days: SNC 2-24 22 Detailed description Welcome In the heart of Nepal you will discover one of the most accessible and most beautiful parts of the Himalayas. From east to west the mountains of Manaslu, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri extend. The Annapurna Circuit is a spectacular trek via the quaint tea rooms with their wonderful views. You will be lead around the huge Annapurna massif. During the trek you can give some of your luggage to porters so that you need only carry a daypack. Before and after the trek you can enjoy Kathmandu and Pokhara. Day to Day schedule Below is a summary of the day-to-day description. Transport Route Overnight stay 1 Kathmandu Kathmandu 2 Kathmandu Kathmandu 3 Bus,OnFoot Kathmandu - Syanje - Jagat Jagat 4 OnFoot Jagat - Chamje - Dharapani - Bagarchhap Bagarchhap 5 OnFoot Bagarchhap - Chame Chame 6 OnFoot Chame - Bhratang - Pisang Pisang 7 OnFoot Pisang - Braga - Manang Manang 8 Manang Manang 9 OnFoot Manang - Yak Kharka Yak Kharka 10 OnFoot Yak Kharka - Thorung Phedi Thorung Phedi 11 OnFoot Thorung Phedi - Thorung La - Muktinath Muktinath 12 Muktinath Muktinath 13 FourWheelDrive Muktinath - Kalopani Kalopani 14 FourWheelDrive Kalopani - Tatopani Tatopani 15 OnFoot Tatopani - Sikha Sikha
16 OnFoot Sikha - Ghorepani Ghorepani 17 OnFoot Ghorepani - Poon Hill - Tirkedungha Nayapul - Pokhara Pokhara 18 Pokhara Pokhara 19 Pokhara Pokhara Pokhara - Kathmandu Kathmandu 21 Kathmandu Kathmandu 22 Kathmandu End of tour 20 PublicTransport Day to Day description Day 1: Kathmandu Welcome to Nepal! Flying into Kathmandu is an incredible experience with the Himalayas spread out before you. Your tour starts here. From 12 noon you should be able to check into your hotel room. You will also meet your tour leader at this time, in the hotel lobby. Today there are no planned activities; you will just spend time adjusting to your surroundings and readying yourself for the coming weeks. The Kathmandu Valley is the heart of Nepal and combines a beautiful natural setting with a collection of temples, monasteries and other wonderfully decorated buildings. Amidst the immense fertile rice fields surrounded on all sides by mountains, are the three royal cities, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Day 2: Kathmandu Two miles outside the city stands the great stupa Swayambunath, a beautiful sacred place of the Buddhists, which no one should miss. Bodhnath, an even bigger stupa stands a little further outside Kathmandu. Not far from here is Pashupatinath, one of the holiest places in the country, where many Nepalese and Indians bathe in the river Bagmati. It is also the best place to be cremated and there are always plenty of sadhu's, halfnaked mendicants with wild hair and drugged eyes. The sister city of Kathmandu, Patan, is fused to the capital. If at all possible, the old part of town has an even greater density of temples and monasteries than the capital. Patan is much quieter than Kathmandu and a respite from the bustle of the city. The third king s city is Bhaktapur. Smaller than its big brothers, Bhaktapur still has a genuine medieval flavour. Discover the cobbled alleys where inhabitants are engaged in herding cattle, turning pots or temple rituals. Day 3: Kathmandu - Syanje - Jagat Early in the morning you will depart by bus to Syanje (1100 m), a small village where the paved road ends and the trek will begin. The trail runs upstream along the Marsyangdi Khola, the river you will follow to the Thorung La pass. High above the river, the trail goes through a dense forest of pines and rhododendrons to Jagat (1300m), the first village with stone houses, inhabited by Tibetan Buddhists. Here you will spend the night.
Day 4: Jagat - Chamje - Dharapani - Bagarchhap This morning the path leads you up through the woods to Chamje (1430 m). This path climbs upstream to Chamje via a narrow, rocky valley to the village of Tal. At the spot where once was a lake (Tal means 'more'), the villagers now grow wheat, corn, potatoes, buckwheat and barley. Above the village, a waterfall of great height stands. The trail climbs through a forest of pines to the police station in Dharapani (1900 m). It lies on the junction of two valleys. Upstream along the Dhudh Khola is an ancient trade route to Tibet. Police officers ensure that the tourists are not allowed in this part of the valley. The climb continues up to Bagarchhap (2160 m), where the first Buddhist monastery (Diki Gompa) of the Marsyangdi valley is located. Day 5: Bagarchhap - Chame The path beyond Bagarchhap offers a nice view for the first few peaks of the Annapurna massif, including the pointed triangle of Annapurna II (7,937 m). The path winds through a dense tropical forest filled with waterfalls up to Latamrang (2400 m) where there are some lodges and a hot spring on the other side of the Marsyangdi. From the village of Koto Qupar it is not far to Chame (2670 m), the administrative center of the Manang district. This large town has stone houses, a few shops, a bank (which is rarely open) and a post office. Day 6: Chame - Bhratang - Pisang Today you can see subtropical forest gradually changing to pine forest. Beyond Bhratang (2850 m), is an original Khampa (refugee) village. It is phenomenal to see the sudden change of scenery. You enter a dry calm valley and emerge from a quite windy one, which only once a year can be harvested and where you will be shown the first yaks on pasture. Tonight you stay at the base of Pisang peak in the village with the same name. Day 7: Pisang - Braga - Manang You can choose from two routes to reach Manang. A steep, heavy route with breathtaking views of the Himalayan peaks to the south and east or the slightly easier, lower route. Close to Ongre village (3352 m), is an airfield that brings the two roads together again. The trail continues over the broad, dry valley floor, past unusual rock formations at one of the prettiest villages in the Annapurna region, Braga (3450 m). On three sides sandwiched between mountain walls, the village lies sheltered from the weather. The 500 year old gompa, situated on a mountain ridge above the village is worth visiting. On the path from Braga to Manang you see walls with mani stones, chortens and prayer flags everywhere. Day 8: Manang You take a rest day in Manang (3540 m) to acclimatize to the altitude and to prepare for the tough days ahead. The town is beautifully situated in the valley and is inhabited by Tibetan traders, who traditionally supported themselves through jewellery and salt from Tibet in exchange for grain and silk from India. Meanwhile the Manangi hooked onto the tourism demand and relatively luxurious lodges can be found in Manang, shops with souvenirs and tractor supplies. Day 9: Manang - Yak Kharka After a short walk you stop at some lodges, named Yak Kharka (4018 m). You sleep here, at this altitude an increase of 478 meters per day is enough. You have the rest of the day to wander around a bit, read and have a relaxing break.
Day 10: Yak Kharka - Thorung Phedi At this altitude, it can be pretty cold when the sun is not shining. You see little vegetation, only what juniper adorn the bare rock. With luck you can see some chamois or even a flock of blue sheep (bharal). At 4450 meters in altitude, you reach Thorung Phedi, a collection of lodges at the foot of the final climb to the pass. The shelters are located at the beginning of the path to the pass. Late arrivals will sometimes have to spend the night in the dining room. Day 11: Thorung Phedi - Thorung La - Muktinath You hit the road early today to try to pass Thorung La before the potential appearance of the infamous icy winds. The climb is very heavy and will take about four hours. The pass, 5,416 meters high, is marked by a few lines of chortens and filled with colourful prayer flags, the wishes of mortals carried away by the wind to the gods. Usually after a short stay at this great height, you start to descend to 1600 meters to Muktinath (3802 m). The trail starts steeply, but becomes easier as the path follows the grassy slopes above the Jhong Khola. You stay in the village of Muktinath. Day 12: Muktinath Muktinath is one of the most famous shrines in the Himalayas, for both Buddhists and the Hindus. There are 108 water springs at the shrine, a number very important in Hindu philosophy, while one of the most important Buddhist teachers, Padmasambhava, has meditated in the same village. You will then visit a Buddhist gompa and a Hindu pagoda, located in a barren landscape. Day 13: Muktinath - Kalopani The route from Muktinath continues by jeep to Kalopani. You drive downhill through an area that shows great similarities with the Tibetan plateau. The rivers and tributaries are deeply ingrained into the sandy floors. Small oases enliven the rugged landscape. The white Himalayan peaks stab blindly into the bright blue sky. You pass Jharkot, a fun and lively village on a ridge above the Jhong Khola valley. A red coloured gompa high on the edge of a cliff, welcomes you. You then follow a dry riverbed, passing Jomsom (2710m), the administrative center of the area. Now you arrive in the more popular part of the Annapurna area, where there are more amenities. The landscape begins to change, the valley closes and the pine forests begin to return. The jeep ride continues. You travel through the beautiful villages of Tukuche, Khobang and Larjung, located between many fruit orchards. Your accommodation lies at 2530 meters (in Kalopani) and from here you'll witness the 3 peaks of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Nilgiri.
Day 14: Kalopani - Tatopani Again you'll travel by jeep, down along the ancient trade route between Tibet and India. The valley has a rich history, which can be seen in the large number of settlements along the river. Large stone houses in the market towns are adorned with beautiful carvings. Colourful mule caravans still pull through the valley. Salt from the north will be exchanged for rice and cereals in the south. Through Lete, a beautiful village with defined gardens, you drive down to Ghasa (2010 m), a hefty descent. Beyond Ghasa you continue through an area that is regularly hit by landslides. The river here is narrow and turbulent, deeply ingrained into a gorge. We overnight in Tatopani (1190 m). This popular resort, nestled between jasmine and orange trees gets its name from the hot springs, which are found near the river. Here you can relax, immersed in warm water. You're sure to enjoy the view and the tasty food that is served in the various lodges. Day 15: Tatopani - Sikha Today we are back on foot. Leaving Tatopani behind, we start with a steep climb to Ghara (1768 m) where magnolia, citrus and banana trees and the vegetation is growing in this subtropical environment. The inhabitants leave corn and peppers drying on the roofs of their houses, the children are taught in the open air. We climb on through the villages Chitre (2316 m) and Sikha (1920 m). The slopes in the valley are largely quarried for the construction of terraces. In Sikha we sleep. Day 16: Sikha - Ghorepani It's a tough old process with a total increase of more than 800 meters before you reach Ghorepani. The last part of the strong ascent goes through a dense rhododendron forest to Ghorepani (2750 m), where you will overnight. Day 17: Ghorepani - Poon Hill - Tirkedungha - Nayapul - Pokhara If you want to enjoy the beautiful sunrise over the Annapurna range then you must get up early to hike to Poon Hill (3193 m). After the steep climb and breakfast at the lodge you follow the route to Tirkedungha. This long descent is one of the longest stages in the world. After you have passed Ulleri there are 3280 stone steps to go to Tirkedungha. You will be regularly visited by groups of monkeys as you travel through the narrow valley. The trail continues on an increasingly crowded inhabited mountain ridge, through Hille and Sudame Matathanti Birethanti, where a variety of lodges and souvenir vendors as well as a police presence, will greet you. On the road above the town of Nayapul a bus is waiting for you to journey the two short hours to Pokhara. Once in Pokhara again you can feast on a variety of delicious meals.
Day 18: Pokhara Pokhara is the only place in the world where mountains rise up to heights of over 4.5 miles. From the sub-tropical valley, where Pokhara lies, the north side of the mountains rises straight up to the highest peaks in the world. In the middle of this spectacle of rock, ice and snow is the Machapuchare, one of the smallest peaks in the region at µjust 4.3 miles high, although its µpushed-out position makes it appear the highest. Once a popular hippy haunt, Pokhara is situated in a picturesque location on a mountain lake, where you can swim, row or enjoy the stunning panoramic view from one of the tea gardens. The area is also ideal for cycling and walking. The small Barahi-Bhawani temple constructed on an island close to the waterside is definitely worth a visit, as is the Seti River Gorge, one of the stand-out natural features in the region. The gorge has been carved to a depth of 150 feet and is just 15 feet wide in places. The Mahendra Bridge in Pokhara-Basar is recommended for a good view. Day 19: Pokhara You may wish to go for a walk this morning to Sarangkot, which has an outstanding view of the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The panoramic mountains to the west and east of Machapuchare are the peaks of the Annapurna Mountains. Day 20: Pokhara - Kathmandu With a local bus (with reserved seats) you travel in about 8 hours (200 km) back to Kathmandu. Your last stay in this bustling city can be used for visiting one of the many villages and towns in the valley, buying all sorts of memories of this colourful country. Day 21: Kathmandu It is also possible to go rafting, our local agent can arrange for you. This sport has been increasing in popularity over the years. You can ride on a rubber raft on a wild river in the mountains without training or technique, a truly breathtaking experience. For those who do it for the first time, the Trisuli, Sun Kosi and Kali Gandaki rivers are a great challenge, with plenty of obstacles and a varied sporting environment. For the high season months, there are no special measures necessary against the cold, since both water and air are quite warm. Take a nice rain jacket anyway in addition to your swimsuit. In the winter, rafting is unpleasantly cold. Day 22: Kathmandu The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in Kathmandu until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of this Nepal. Your personal µmy.shoestring page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today. When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any posttour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 22) is not included.
More info What's included: transportation in (mini) bus; Jeep transfers Muktinath - Kalapani - Tatopani; nights in hotels and mountain lodges; permit Annapurna region; trek with experienced mountain guides and porters (one porter per two people); English speaking tour leader. What's excluded: international flights; meals; optional excursions; all entrance fees; visa; tips; booking fee; airport transfers; departure tax; travel insurance. Attention A single room is only available in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Travel documents Travelling with the correct travel documentation is your own responsibility. Please ensure your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the finish date of your trip. For Nepal, a visa is required for many nationalities in order to gain entry. Please check this information in good time before your trip commences as this information is always subject to change. You can check this information through a site such as this one. To arrange your visa, you should either contact your nearest Nepalese embassy or use an agency such as CIBT. Accommodation and transport
Transport The transportation to and from the area in which we walk is included. You will travel then with a private bus (no air conditioning). The route during the trek is largely made on foot. Only the two pathways to Kalopani and Tatopani, are made with 4WD jeeps. The route from Pokhara - Kathmandu is by local bus (with reserved seats). Airport transfers are not included. Accommodation We sleep in Kathmandu and Pokhara in 2-person rooms with private bathroom. Travellers who book alone share a room with another participant. We keep in mind to pair people of the same sex. If you would like a single room in Kathmandu and Pokhara then it can be arranged. Please select the single room supplement when booking. During the trek we stay in simple huts with small chambers for 2-persons (in the mountains there are no single rooms). The shared bathroom is limited and the food simple. You should bring a sleeping bag. Porters will carry the larger amount of your luggage (up to 7 kg per person, the rest you can leave in Kathmandu) and then the items you will need at hand, such as water, camera, jacket etc can be carried yourself in a day-pack. During your trip, it is possible to participate in 'single' excursions offered locally by the tour leader. These excursions are optional. To allow you to plan a budget for your trip we have provided you with an idea of the cost of these excursions. The price can change due to currency fluctuations. The amounts are therefore only meant to give you an indication of the cost. Entrance fees will often change and therefore are excluded from the prices displayed (unless explicitly stated). We display the prices in Euros/GB Pounds/US Dollars. When you are in your destination, it is possible to pay for the excursions in local currency. Single excursions Excursion Details Price Kathmandu - Cooking course Book at location In the evening you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Traditional Comfort Hotel in Kathmandu. You will learn to cook varieties of Nepalese cuisine such as Momos (dumplings), Rice, Lentil soups and various vegetable and meat dishes. Included: cooking course and dinner. Not Included: drinks, tips. 18
Kathmandu - Panauti & Namo Buddha hike Book at location Early this morning you will be picked up at your hotel and driven to Panauti village (1 hour). Go on an orientation walk of Panauti village and hike for 3 hours to reach Namo Buddha. The return hike takes you to Dhulikhel from where you drive back to Kathmandu. 24 Kathmandu - temples and stupas Book at location Kathmandu - Trishuli river rafting Book at location Pick up time at hotel in Kathmandu: 07.30 AM Estimated arrival back in Kathmandu: 04.00 PM Included: Private transportation & Hiking Guide Service The city tour of Kathmandu takes you to the most famous places of the city. You visit Swayambunath (Monkey Temple), the stupa in Bodnath and Pashupatinath, on the river Bagmati (the holiest place for the Nepalese Hindus). The sister city of Kathmandu, Patan, is fused to the capital and the old part of the city has an even greater density of temples and monasteries. Patan (locally known as Lalitpur) is much quieter than Kathmandu and a respite from the bustle of the city. You visit the Patan Durbar Square with its many temples. Entrance fees are not included in this excursion. The listed price is for a minimum of 5 participants; with fewer participants a supplement will be asked. Excursion schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): 09.30 - Departure from the hotel in Kathmandu 16:30 - End of sightseeing Included: transportation, English speaking guide Excluded: entrance fees, lunch, camera fees and tip Experience a thrilling days' rafting on the Trishuli river. This package includes tourist transportation to the rafting start point and a local bus back to the city. 28 42 Festival info
HOLI PHAGUA - WHOLE OF INDIA AND NEPAL The Holi feast of Phagwa or Holi is a colourful Hindu festival that is celebrated annually throughout India (and Nepal). This spring festival is the sign of the beginning of a new season and is known also as the harvest festival. It is also considered a victory party: the victory of good over evil. The old Hindu story around the festival is about Narasimha, an incarnation of the great Vishnu killing Hiranyakashipu, the great demon king. On the eve of the Holi the scene of burning Holika is re-enacted all over India. Wood fires are lit and a living object such as a plant is given up. Rice is thrown into the fire, which is considered a symbolic expulsion of evil. The ceremony also includes prayer, music and singing. The next day Hindus return to the scene of their fire and smear themselves with the ash. Then in the afternoon they sprinkle one another with scents, perfumes and dyes with different colours having different significances. During these holidays there is an atmosphere of freedom and happiness. Make sure you bring some old clothes, because most likely you will not be spared and you too will end up buried under coloured powders! News General information Tour leader Our tours are led by trained, local English speaking tour leaders. We know that our travellers appreciate being accompanied by these local tour leaders who, compared to their counterparts (living outside of the destination) have more detailed knowledge of their country. He/she knows the area well, can provide background information and ensure that the trip goes smoothly. He/she knows what to do if something were to go wrong, but is not a "walking encyclopedia". Therefore we would like to refer you to study a good travel guide (book) in advance of travel. Your tour leader understandably expects a tip at the end, if she/he has completed the job well. Shoestring pay the tour guides a wage which is higher than that of most adventurous travel companies. Our guideline for tipping is between 1, - and 2, - per passenger per day (the equivalent thereof). Sustainability
We know that travelling to remote corners of this planet has its effects. At Shoestring we really try to make an effort to keep our impact to a minimum. We try to avoid the use of plastic water bottles on our treks through Nepal and we do not dump our litter during our trips through Africa. All of our staff have been trained to take special care to ensure we make as little impact on the environment as possible. Furthermore we support a lot of local projects which are mostly related to clean drinking water or making sure that children get vaccinated against illnesses such as tuberculosis. On most tours you will be able to visit some of the projects we support through our local agents. Find out more about the different projects Shoestring are involved with, how you can make a difference and our environmental policies here Further important info...
We recommend preparing well before you go on this trip so please read about your destination and carefully check which vaccinations and other medications you might need. Here are a few important points. Prior to the trip After making your booking, if you have not heard whether your trip is definitely going ahead then it is safe to assume that this is the case. If we unexpectedly have to cancel the trip, we will let you know no later than three weeks prior to your departure. It is not common for a trip to be cancelled, so please do not worry unduly. Incidentally, even if the minimum number of participants is not reached, Shoestring can still choose to let the trip proceed anyway. Guarantee Shoestring offers a unique guarantee, but what does a "guaranteed price" mean? It simply means that you pay the price that appears on the website at the time of booking. We guarantee that price. Any price increases made later will not be passed on to you! Personal Information Make sure when completing your booking to fill all details in correctly. This includes your passport and personal information (such as gender, date of birth and first and last name as stated in your passport). These details are necessary for confirming any domestic flights or transportation tickets and at some hotels that form part of your itinerary. Check your (digital) receipt of your booking confirmation details to make sure they are listed correctly. You are responsible for providing correct information. Incorrect information can lead to you not being admitted onto a train or into a hotel! Further information for your trip No later than one week prior to departure you will find your departure letter on your personal myshoestring site. Any tickets for local flights/other transportation will be controlled by your tour leader and provided locally. Single travellers About a third of our travellers are single travellers. This does not have to cost more as you can share with one of the other travellers in your group. We of course keep in mind to pair you with someone of the same sex. If you would prefer a room to yourself then this is usually possible. Please indicate this when booking and the applicable supplement will be added. Feedback While we put a lot of effort into the execution of your trip, it still occurs that travellers have comments about various aspects. To ensure that these observations can be addressed immediately we ask that they are notified to the tour leader in writing whilst on tour. If comments are not communicated in writing to the tour leader during the trip then this will affect how we are able to handle any potential complaint after the trip has concluded. Newsletter We regularly send out a digital newsletter, our E -zine. Here you can read stories, offers, tips and latest news about our travels. Do you receive this newsletter? Sign up easily through this link. Kuoni Specialists Ltd Shoestring is part of Kuoni Specialists Ltd, a group of adventure travel companies that interact in various ways to ensure that the traveller gets true value for his/her money. Behind the scenes, there is cooperation in the field of purchasing and handling of the trips and for the traveller, it means that we have an enormous amount of extra resources behind us, in the event they should be required. Have fun with the preparations for your trip! Insurance
Travel insurance, including medical repatriation insurance, is mandatory. It is not included with our packages and it is your responsibility to purchase suitable travel insurance. Make sure that it covers all the activities that you are likely to undertake, such as rafting and trekking. Many free insurances that come with banking packages, credit cards etc, are quite often inadequate to cover you on our tours, so make sure you check the policy before you travel. You should enter your travel insurance details via your my.shoestring account and you are required to give a copy of your insurance policy to your tour leader upon arrival. Without proper insurance like this, you will not be allowed to join the tour as we will not be able to respond adequately in case of an emergency if you do not have the right insurance. Address Shoestring International Entrada 223 1114 AA Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, The Netherlands. www.shoestring.com You can call us on number +31 20 6850203 or +44 (0)1306 744797 and email us at info@shoestring.com Opening hours Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM (Local times in Netherlands).