Annapurna Circuit

As you descend from the clouds over the majestic Himalayas, you will see the bustling city of Kathmandu where we will start and finish our adventure. A Himalayan Heroes representative will be waiting for you as you exit the airport. They’ll accompany you to your hotel not far from the tourist haven of Thamel. After lunch, we’ll visit Pashupatinath Temple where you’ll see corpses cremated in a traditional Hindu ceremony on the banks of the Bagmati River. Later in the evening, we will have a welcome dinner at an authentic Nepali restaurant to get to know one another, have the first of many culinary masterpieces, and be entertained by a cultural show.

Today is the day the adventure starts proper. The traffic in Kathmandu is similar to that in many developing countries so we try to avoid it the best we can by getting an early start. A quick breakfast while the support team load the backup vehicles with your luggage before a refresh of the rider briefing and getting the keys to your motorcycles.

Keep your wits about you as we head out of the city. We’ll need to corner mark so we don’t get lost getting out of the city. The road to Pokhara is considered a highway so it will be busy and we’ll need to overtake slow-moving vehicles. Stay focused and only do so when it is safe. The serpent-like highway leads us right into Pokhara which is Nepal’s second biggest city so we’ll need to carefully corner mark again. A huge day in the saddle means you’ll enjoy the beer at the end of the day even more!

As the roads become challenging, rough, and unsealed with many river crossings for the next 4 days, we ask people to pack lightly, taking only what is necessary until we return. Starting on the tarmac, we’ll end up on some great off-road routes that provide fantastic mountain vistas, picturesque terraced farmlands, and an opportunity to walk on one of Nepal’s famous suspension bridges. There is a continuous change in the topography with every twist and turn until we arrive at Kalopani.

A short ride through some of the most amazing landscapes of the adventure will see us tackle a large river crossing in Lower Mustang. The road to our hotel is spectacular as we travel through several remote villages. Muktinath is the highest elevation we reach and while you might be short of breath walking around the village exploring, it is unlikely you will suffer from altitude sickness. Muktinath is part of the Annapurna Circuit, and you’ll encounter many trekkers from across the globe here.

Heading back down, we’ll stop in Kagbeni for a short visit to the local monastery where many Yogis come to isolate themselves in the caves overlooking the village to practice their meditation and rituals. We’ll then continue to Tatopani to soak in the hot springs. “Tato” means ‘hot’ and “Pani” means ‘water’, it’s obvious to see how this town was named.

Although you have ridden this road a couple of days earlier, you’re going to see the gorges from a totally different perspective. It’ll give you a chance to really soak up what you might have missed the first time or to stop and take that Pulitzer prize-winning photo. A short day allows us to relax and celebrate the first part of the adventure…and prepare for the tough part about to come!

A big day beckons as we have a long ride along the highway and off-road trails into the Eastern part of the Annapurna Circuit. As soon as we turn off the highway, it turns to dirt roads and starts to climb as we follow the Marsyandi River up the valley. The village of Bhulbhule is where we end the day.

After the big day yesterday, we’ll have a late start and take about 5 hours to cover about 85kms of dirt valley roads into the final trekking village of the Annapurna Circuit. From Manang, trekkers continue anticlockwise around the circuit to Muktinath where we were a few days earlier. Only Tony Bou could do it on a motorbike so we’ll explore on foot. We’ll visit Gangapurna Lake, a glacier lake that lies at a height of 3,540 meters and is under the gaze of the mountain that feeds it – Gangapurna Peak (7454 meters). We can also visit the local villages and indulge in some local culture. 

Today is the toughest day of the adventure. We’ll do both dirt sections of the previous two days in just one day. Let’s go! We start early and make our way down the valley stopping for a couple of chai breaks and lunch. Our destination is arguably the village with the most stunning views of the Himalayas in the whole country. It is situated on an old spice route with India and is home to the Newari people. Bandipur is a drop of quietness and calm in the middle of messy noisy Nepal. 

Siddha Gufa Cave day of leisure, spend it recovering from the night before or visit the local shops, take a canoe ride on the nearby Phewa Lake or catch a cable car to the World Peace Pagoda or even visit one of the five museums and if you’re feeling adventurous then you could go parasailing.

With only 6 hours on the road today, we have a bit of time to explore the Siddha Gufa Cave which is the largest in Nepal. We head east alongside the Trishuli River with rice paddies filled with hard-working people trying to make a living. We ride through some small villages, returning the vigorous waves directed at us while trying to soak in the last remaining views of the Himalayas. We emerge from the snaking roads into the mayhem of Kathmandu. Upon arrival at the hotel, we’ll have time to hit the town and celebrate our fantastic achievement with dinner at a local Nepalese restaurant with great food and atmosphere.

This is a free day for last-minute shopping and packing until being transferred to the airport for your departure back to monotony 🙂

After breakfast, we get transferred to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport for an early morning flight to Lukla (2880m). This 45-minute flight provides a magnificent entry to the trek as it highlights the snowline of the Himalayan Range in the north and the rugged landing at the Lukla airport which is said to be one of the most spectacular flights in the world.

Upon arrival, we meet the Sherpa team who’ll distribute the equipment to the Porters and Dzhopke (a cross between and cow and a Yak used to carry loads). During this break, you are welcome to explore this bustling town on top of a hill with rows of houses, hotels, and shops lining both sides of narrow cobbled streets.

The trek starts by following the trail leading in the northwest direction, which immediately descends from the end of the village on a trail through the open hillside. The trail is well defined and there are many shops and lodges catering to the trekkers. We cross a recently constructed suspension bridge (100 meters long) at the very beginning of the journey. From there we follow the regular trail passing the small villages of Chaurikharka (2713m) and Ghat (2550m), with shops and restaurants on the way until we descend to the river at Phakding (2652 m).

Leave the main village and follow the trail on the left bank of the Dudh Koshi River. It is a pleasant walk for the first half of the day as one passes through agricultural countryside, small wayside villages, and a monastery. We cross the Dudh Koshi at Benkar where there are tantalizing glimpses of the snow peaks Kusum Khangaru (6369m) and Thamserku (6623m). Just before lunch, there is a steep climb of about 20 minutes to arrive at Monjo for Lunch.

After lunch, we trek up to the check post to check the permits and enter the Sagarmatha National Park. Descend for 10 minutes and then cross a suspension bridge to arrive at Jorsale (2800m). We then pass through several small villages surrounded by beautiful pine forests. This is a busy trail with our first good views of the west ridge of Kusum Khangaru (6339m). Follow the Dudh Koshi River, crossing a rickety suspension bridge, which is in a dilapidated condition, and then slowly climb up a very steep trail to Namche Bazaar. Near half waypoint, we enjoy our first views of Mt. Everest (8848m), Nuptse (7879m), and Lhotse (8383m) – the big three. The climb takes nearly 3 hours as the altitude makes breathing a little difficult. Although we arrive at a gate with a sign saying, “Welcome to Namche Bazaar” it is a tad misleading as it takes another 20 minutes to arrive at the main town.

Upon arrival at Namche Bazaar (3447 m), we check into the lodge. This prosperous town is the largest in Khumbu. Mt. Thamserku (6648 m) and Kwangde Ri (6624 m) loom above the east and west of the village. The sacred mountain Khumbila (5707 m) dominates the skyline along the west.

Explore around the Everest View Hotel to see Mount Everest and a day trek to Khumjung Sherpa.

After breakfast, we trek to Lukla. From Namche Bazaar head towards the southern end of the bazaar and descend steeply all the way to the confluence of Dhud Koshi and Bhote Koshi River, cross the great bridge again, and then continue back to Jorsale where we leave the national park before continuing on to Monjo. From here we pass the village of Monjo and It is interesting to watch others starting enthusiastically on the trek ahead as we head down to the village of Phakding. Today we retrace our steps along the Dudh Koshi, crossing to the western bank at Benkar. It is a beautiful and easy walk through blue pine and rhododendron forest, back-dropped with views of Kusum-Khangaru (6179 m). In the afternoon we ascend out of the river valley back to the airstrip and our lodge accommodation at Lukla. We’ll stay overnight in surely what is one of the most surreal villages on the planet. Two weeks in Nepal is nearly at an end and the celebrations with our Sherpa companions will be epic.

We’ll catch an early morning flight back to Kathmandu for some last-minute shopping etc before being transferred to the airport for your trip home.