Annapurna Round Trek

Nepal uses the Nepalese Rupee as its currency. It is viable to carry NPR (Nepalese Rupees) to pay for the meals and other services you use along the way because all the prices for the services, meals, drinks, etc are quoted in NPR.

You can bring US$/GBP/AUS $/Euro and exchange them at an exchange booth on every street in Thamel. However, they don’t follow the rate published by the Central Bank of Nepal.

Make sure that the foreign currency notes you bring are not old, torn, or faded as it is difficult to exchange them.
For better rates, you can go to the local bank in Kathmandu with your passport and it may take between an hour to hour and half, and they only do cash service till 3 pm local time. Saturday is a bank holiday and Friday is a half holiday.

Getting cash out of an ATM usually gives the best exchange rate but they will charge around $5 on each transaction. In a single day, you can withdraw NPR 100000 only but not more than NPR 35000 in one transaction. This means you have to make multiple transactions and on each transaction, you will be charged around $5. If you are planning to use cards to withdraw cash from an ATM booth, make sure to inform your card issuer that you will be using it outside Europe/America/Australia.

The itinerary we have planned is subject to change locally due to unavoidable circumstances. In such an event, the extra cost incurred is subject to be covered by you. Unavoidable circumstances we generally categorize are:

Airport closure. Flight delay or cancellation
Extreme weather
Natural Disaster
Pandemic
Political Unrest, riots, and demonstrations. Road Closure due to landslides, broken bridges, accidents, etc. Health issues experienced by guests Common accidents that can occur such as slips and falls, ankle twists, etc.

You are allowed to carry 5 kg as hand luggage and 10 kg as checked luggage. If your bag exceeds the weight limit, you can pay extra fees, but it is advisable to stay within the limit.

Please bring a maximum of 10 kg. per person to ensure porters are not given more than 20 kg to carry in total. If you are solo then you can bring a maximum of 20 kg.

You can store your excess luggage at the hotel free of cost. Fill up the luggage storage and bring it back on collecting.

Yes. We can arrange to transfer your excess luggage from Kathmandu to your hotel in Pokhara while you are trekking. Before departing for the Annapurna Circuit Trek, simply provide us with your luggage tag and storage receipt, and we will take care of the rest.
This service is available for a small additional fee and allows you to trek with only the essentials while ensuring your belongings are waiting for you when you arrive in Pokhara.

The quality and the quantity of drinking water on Annapurna Circuit Camp plays a vital role. There are four options you have available to you for drinking water on this trek.

Purification pills:
Purification pills are the cheapest and easiest methods to purify the water. But they alter the taste of water. You can buy water purification pills at the local pharmacies in Kathmandu.

Water filter:
Water filters are another effective method for purifying water on Annapurna Circuit Trek. Various devices are available for this purpose, with two common types: external filters and internal filters integrated into bottles. External filters typically use a pump or gravity to purify water, while internal filters are built into water bottles for convenience. Although water filters are slightly more expensive than purification pills, they have the advantage of preserving the natural taste of water.

Boiled water:
Boiled Water is available at most of the tea houses at extra costs. The price ranges between 2-600 Rs per liter. If you want to use the boiled water, make sure your water bottle is heat-resistant.

Bottled water:
Bottled water is available at tea houses and small trailside shops. Using bottled water is the easiest way to access drinking water. The cost for bottled water ranges between Rs. 100 to 400 per liter. It is not environmentally friendly, so we recommend avoiding its use unless absolutely necessary. An exception is at Gorakshep, where the water may appear dirty and might not be suitable even with filters or purification tablets.

The lodges in the Annapurna region are often called tea houses though the tea itself is one of the many things they sell. They primarily provide accommodation and meals but also provide other services like hot showers, towels, laundry internet, recharging the electronic devices. A typical tea house has a communal dining hall with a chimney which they lit after 5 pm(except above 3000m)

Accommodations in Annapurna Region are basic and functional. Rooms usually have twin beds with a small table, a window and a bulb. The beds in tea houses are not spacious enough but enough for one person. The beds often come with blankets but it is still good to have your own sleeping bag. The tea houses in the Annapurna region do not have heating. Most of the tea houses in Annapurna region have electricity, and those that don’t are equipped with solar back ups. So you don’t need to spend a night without a light but a charging facility is not available at your room. Toilets and bathrooms are not attached to your room so you will need to use shared facilities, most of which are western-style.

The range of food you will get to eat on Annapurna Circuit Trek is diverse. The menus are filled with a list of traditional Nepali dishes and western cuisines. While the food available in Annapurna Circuit Trek might not be gourmet, but they are filling and meet the trekkers demands to many extent. Here is the overview of the foods.

Traditional Food:
Dal Bhat: Combo meals of rice, lentil and mixed vegetables. Served as lunch or dinner.

Momos: Dumpling filled with meat and vegetables. Served as lunch or dinner

Tibetan Bread: A deep fried bread served with jam/honey/vegetable curry. Served as breakfast, lunch or dinner

International Food:
Pasta, Pizza, Burger, fried noodles: Served as lunch or dinner
Pan cakes, porridge and Eggs: Served as breakfast
Soup: Garlic soup is very popular and often considered as a remedy for AMS.

Breakfast: Porridge, Eggs (in different styles). Tibetan bread, pancakes, chapatis, bread/toast, butter and Jam.

Most teahouses along the route offer Wi-Fi, particularly in villages such as Chame, Pisang, Manang, Muktinath, and Jomsom. Wi-Fi is usually sufficient for messaging, emails, and occasional photo uploads, but speeds can be slow, especially in the evenings when many trekkers are online. Some lodges may charge an additional fee for Wi-Fi access at higher elevations.

For mobile data, Nepal has two major network providers: Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell. NTC generally provides better coverage in remote and high-altitude areas, while Ncell often performs well in lower valleys and towns. For the best coverage throughout the trek, we recommend purchasing an NTC SIM card or carrying both NTC and Ncell SIM cards if your phone supports dual SIM.

Mobile data and phone signals are generally available between Besisahar and Manang and again from Muktinath to Pokhara. However, connectivity becomes weak or disappears completely on the approach to Thorong La Pass. Expect little or no network coverage from Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi until you descend to Muktinath after crossing the pass.

We recommend purchasing your SIM card in Kathmandu before starting the trek, downloading offline maps, and informing family and friends that there may be periods without internet or phone service during the Thorong La crossing.

Rating the difficulty level of Annapurna Circuit Camp is always a subjective matter, and depends on person to person. But generally speaking, the difficulty level of the Annapurna Circuit Trek is rated moderate to challenging due to its length, daily walking hours, elevation profile. The total length of the Annapurna Circuit Trekking is roughly 140 km which you have to cover in just 14 days. The daily walking hours range anywhere between 4 to 8 hours. So an average fitness level is a must for Annapurna Circuit Trek, and some training before is strongly recommended. Please review the training plan we have outlined. But the key is to pace yourself no matter how fit you are at sea level.

Trekking to Annapurna Circuit Camp involves the possibility of getting AMS. The altitude gained and lost en route can affect you on different days in different ways. It is quite obvious to experience mild symptoms such as mild headaches and nausea. There is no fixed way to prevent altitude sickness as it can impact your body from various perspectives depending on your medical history, age, rest, food and water intake. The general guidelines to avoid are to eat and drink properly, sleep well, avoid speeding up the pace, and have a positive mindset. It is very important to prioritize safety and listen to your body. If the symptoms seem too severe, get down, regardless of how close you are to the top and how fit you are.

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the challenging treks in Annapurna Region and in the entire Himalayan Belt. Considering doing it without proper exercise may put you in a very difficult situation. So the key is not to underestimate the Annapurna Circuit Trek and mistake it for being easy. We have outlined some training plans you may consider following.

Yes, you can do a solo trek to Annapurna Circuit Camp but it is important to have past experience on high altitude trekking and the ability to adapt with altitude, navigate, and manage logistics.

We highly recommend hiring a guide or at least a porter for support and managing logistics. During the high season, tea houses at higher altitudes can fill up quickly due to their limited capacity, and you may find yourself moving from one tea house to another, struggling to secure a room. A guide can handle this for you. If you fall ill or need assistance, or if you're unsure about what to do, your guide can advise you on the best course of action. Even in the high season, weather conditions can disrupt flight schedules, potentially leaving you stranded for days. With a guide, you’ll have someone to navigate these challenges and find the best possible solution.

If you are a beginner hiker and do not lead an active life, then Annapurna Circuit Camp can be more challenging than you have thought. It’s because you have to walk 6/7 hours, with around 11/12 km every day to cover, on varied terrain, with low oxygen. However, even if you don’t have experience, if you lead an active life, and train for at least 8 weeks before the trip it is possible to do Annapurna Circuit Trek without any significant challenges. We strongly advise having a supporting staff to carry your backpack. If it is possible it is good to book a private trip and allocate one extra day, then what experienced hiker.

The total distance of Annapurna Circuit Trek is 140 km. This does not cover the overland and flights.

The best time for Annapurna Circuit Trek is Spring and Autumn. Both seasons are around the monsoon.
Spring: Spring is considered the best time because of its warmer temperature, longer days and rhododendron flower that adds extra flavour. Trekking to Annapurna in the spring season offers good weather, creating favorable conditions for internal flights and stunning views.

Autumn: Autumn is another great season to trek to Annapurna region because of clear sky and stable weather, favourable temperature, and festive atmosphere. Since Autumn is followed by monsoon, trekking in early autumn offers green, fresh and colorful landscapes.