Annapurna Circuit Trek: 18-Day Self-Launched Version

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid airport taxi to Thamel (~£4-5). Check into a Thamel guesthouse, buy a NCELL or NTC SIM at the airport or in Thamel (~£1.50 for the SIM, data packs from ~£3), and visit the Nepal Tourism Board office on Exhibition Road (open Sun-Fri) to collect your ACAP permit (~£16) and TIMS card (~£14 - cheaper still if you arrange a guide). Pick up any last trekking gear on rent in Thamel (down jacket ~£1.50/day, sleeping bag ~£1.50/day).

🚌Prepaid airport taxi to Thamel ~£4-5

🛏Thamel guesthouse, private room with hot shower (e.g. small family-run guesthouses off Chhetrapati or Paknajal)

• →Nepal Tourism Board permit office (ACAP + TIMS)
• →SIM card & data pack
• →Gear rental and ATM cash run in Thamel

The group tour drives to Syange then walks the last stretch. Do the same independently: catch the early tourist bus from Kathmandu to Besisahar (~7 hrs, ~£8-10, book a day ahead at one of the Thamel bus agents or via Klook/GetYourGuide), then a shared jeep from Besisahar to Syange or Jagat (~£5-7, 3-4 hrs on rough road). If the jeep runs late, stop at Jagat. Teahouse dinner and an early night.

🚌Kathmandu-Besisahar bus ~£9; shared jeep Besisahar-Syange/Jagat ~£6

🛏Teahouse in Jagat, twin room with shared bathroom (~£4-6, often included if you eat dinner there)

• →Scenic bus ride along the Trishuli River
• →Short acclimatising walk to Jagat if time allows

First proper trekking day: 6-7 hours through bamboo and forest, crossing the long suspension bridges over the Marsyangdi at Chamje and below Tal. Waymarking is decent but junctions are ambiguous, so download an offline map (Maps.me or AllTrails Annapurna Circuit) before you leave. Stop for lunch at Chamje or Tal, then continue up to Dharapani.

🚌On foot, ~12km

🛏Teahouse in Dharapani, twin room (~£4-6)

• →Suspension bridge crossings at Chamje and Tal
• →Village tea stops

A 6-7 hour day up the valley through the pine and rhododendron corridor; your first clear look at Manaslu and Lamjung Himal. Pass through Bagarchhap and Danakyu, then a cold climb into Chame, the district capital with hot springs just outside town. If it snowed overnight, ask teahouse families about conditions ahead.

🚌On foot, ~15km

🛏Teahouse in Chame, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Forest trekking with Manaslu views
• →Optional Chame hot spring soak

A short, beautiful day: 4-5 hours through Telekhu and the famous curved suspension bridge above the Marsyangdi, with Paungda Danda's huge rock face rising ahead. Upper Pisang (further, higher, better views) is worth the extra hour if you have daylight — it also helps acclimatisation.

🚌On foot, ~10km

🛏Teahouse in Upper Pisang, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Curved suspension bridge above the Marsyangdi
• →Monastery visit in Upper Pisang

Take the quieter upper route or the direct lower route to Braga, then detour to the ancient Braga Gompa before the final push to Manang. 5-6 hours. Manang is your last proper supply town: buy cash (ATMs exist but are unreliable), charge devices and load up on dried fruit and snickers.

🚌On foot, ~14km

🛏Teahouse or small guesthouse in Manang, twin room (~£6-8)

• →Braga Gompa visit
• →Manang village bakeries and shops

Non-negotiable altitude day. Walk 3-4 hours up to Khangsar, gaining a few hundred metres, then return to sleep low at Manang. Alternatively hike to Gangapurna Lake or the Manang glacier viewpoint. Hydrate hard, and consider buying Diamox locally if your doctor advised it.

🚌On foot, ~10km round trip

🛏Same Manang teahouse, twin room (~£6-8)

• →Khangsar acclimatisation walk
• →Alternative: Gangapurna Lake viewpoint

Short 4-hour walk with juniper forest and your first yaks, keeping altitude gain moderate. Stay at Yak Kharka rather than pushing to Letdar unless you're feeling strong. Teahouses here are basic — expect shared bathrooms and cold nights.

🚌On foot, ~9km

🛏Teahouse in Yak Kharka, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Juniper forest walking
• →Thorong Khola views

A 3-4 hour climb, gain only 400-500m and eat early. High Camp (4,925m) is an option for stronger trekkers who want to shorten pass day, but sleeping lower at Phedi is generally safer. Ask at your teahouse what time tomorrow's crossing should start (typically 4.30-5am).

🚌On foot, ~6km

🛏Teahouse at Thorong Phedi, twin room (~£6-8)

• →Steady altitude gain
• →Pass-day briefing with teahouse owners

The big one: start around 4.30-5am, gain 900m over ~4 hours to Thorong La. Weather can turn fast — headtorch, gloves, layers, snacks, and turn back if you feel altitude sickness symptoms. Descend 1,600m to Muktinath after a photo stop at the prayer flags. Reward yourself with the Muktinath temple area and a hot meal. Note: a registered guide is legally required for solo foreign trekkers, so arrange one in Kathmandu or Manang.

🚌On foot, ~14km

🛏Guesthouse in Muktinath/Ranipauwa, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Thorong La Pass sunrise crossing
• →Muktinath temple visit

An easier 6-7 hour day descending the windswept Kali Gandaki Valley through Kagbeni's Mustang-like landscape and Jomsom's airstrip town. Marpha is a pretty Thakali village famous for apple orchards and brandy — sample a glass (small producer stalls, ~£1).

🚌On foot, ~18km

🛏Thakali guesthouse in Marpha, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Kagbeni and Jomsom village walk-through
• →Apple brandy tasting in Marpha

7 hours through apple country, Tukuche, Larjung and Kalopani with Dhaulagiri filling the sky behind you. The trail drops through the deepest gorge in the world between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. Keep an eye out for the rare danphe (impeyan pheasant).

🚌On foot, ~17km

🛏Teahouse in Ghasa, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Dhaulagiri views
• →Village tea stops in Tukuche and Kalopani

Down through Kopchepani and Dana to Tatopani, then straight into the hot springs pool beside the river (~£1.50 entry). Legs will thank you. 5-6 hours of descent.

🚌On foot, ~14km

🛏Guesthouse in Tatopani, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Tatopani riverside hot springs
• →Kali Gandaki gorge walking

Take the day off exactly as the group tour does: two more soaks in the springs, wander the village and nearby farms, or day-hike a little of the next section to preview tomorrow. Cheap day with lots of dal bhat.

🚌No transport needed

🛏Same Tatopani guesthouse, twin room (~£5-7)

• →Multiple hot spring visits
• →Village wandering and countryside walk

A big climbing day: ~1,700m of ascent over 7-8 hours via Ghara and Shikhar. Steady pace, and remember you climb through forest so shade helps. Ghorepani is a busy crossroads teahouse village — book a room on arrival or by phone the previous evening in high season.

🚌On foot, ~16km

🛏Teahouse in Ghorepani, twin room (~£7-9)

• →Long uphill trek
• →Himalayan panoramas opening up

Up at 4.30am for the 45-minute climb to Poon Hill for sunrise over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South, back to Ghorepani for breakfast, then the long descent via Tikhedhunga and its brutal stone steps to Nayapul. Shared jeep or local bus from Nayapul to Pokhara (~£2-3, 1.5 hrs). Check into a Lakeside guesthouse and eat something that isn't dal bhat.

🚌On foot ~18km; shared jeep/bus Nayapul-Pokhara ~£3

🛏Lakeside or Baidam guesthouse in Pokhara, private room (~£10-14)

• →Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint
• →Descend to Nayapul

Take the tourist bus back to Kathmandu (~7-8 hrs, ~£10-13) or, if you want to save a day, a 25-minute flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu (~£60-90 booked direct with Yeti/Buddha Air). Return to a Thamel guesthouse, then hit the streets: souvenir shopping, momos, and a proper bar crawl.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara-Kathmandu ~£12 (or flight ~£75)

🛏Thamel guesthouse, private room (~£10-14)

• →Thamel shopping and cafés
• →Farewell dinner in Kathmandu

Last breakfast, grab last-minute souvenirs, and take the prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport. Leave buffer time for Kathmandu traffic.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£4-5

🛏None

• →Departure