Annapurna Circuit in Two Weeks

Yes. Our 15-day itinerary keeps everything we consider essential in the Annapurna Circuit up to Jomsom: the high route through Ghyaru and Ngawal, Manang, acclimatization at Praken Gompa, Tilicho Lake, Thorong La Pass, Muktinath and Mustang.
What we’ve shortened isn’t the acclimatization time needed before Thorong La, but the later part of the trip: from Jomsom we head to Pokhara instead of continuing along the Kali Gandaki, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal as in our full 22-day Circuit.

The two itineraries are identical up to Jomsom. The two-week version ends the trek here, with an overnight stay in Pokhara before returning to Kathmandu.

The full Circuit, on the other hand, continues along the Kali Gandaki valley toward Tatopani and Poon Hill, ending on Annapurna’s southern side at Mardi Himal. If you have three weeks, it’s the most complete trip; if you have two weeks, the shorter version still keeps Tilicho Lake, Thorong La and Mustang.

It mainly depends on the altitude you want to reach and the kind of landscape you’re after. Annapurna Base Camp reaches 4,130 meters and enters the great natural amphitheater of the Annapurna Sanctuary.

The Annapurna Circuit in two weeks, on the other hand, reaches 5,416 meters, crosses Manang, reaches Tilicho Lake, climbs over Thorong La and enters the desert landscape of Mustang.

For variety of scenery and culture, we prefer the Annapurna Circuit, as long as there are no particular concerns about high altitude.

It’s suitable for healthy adult hikers with an adaptable spirit who are already used to walking in the mountains. No previous experience in the Himalaya or climbing skills are required, but you need to be prepared to walk for several consecutive days and cross above 5,000 meters.

We recommend arriving at the starting point used to 6–8 hour hikes, gradually increasing distance and elevation gain in the weeks beforehand. Treks with 800–1,200 meters of elevation gain and regular cardiovascular exercise are especially useful.

More than speed, what matters is the ability to keep a steady pace for many hours and recover well to set off again the next day.

Most days involve about 5–7 hours of walking covering 10–15 km. Some stages are longer: the Tilicho Lake day and the Thorong La day can take 8–9 hours.

Elevation gain varies a lot from one stage to the next and is spread out gradually during the ascent toward Manang and the higher altitudes.

Yes, because we haven’t shortened the part of the itinerary dedicated to acclimatization. In Manang, we spend an extra day climbing up to Praken Gompa, at nearly 4,000 meters, before returning to sleep at a lower altitude.

In the following days we reach Tilicho Lake at 4,919 meters and continue through Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi. Before the Thorong La, we spend several days at altitude, exactly as we do on our full Circuit.

The Thorong La doesn’t require mountaineering skills or climbing under normal trekking conditions. The difficulty mainly comes from the altitude of 5,416 meters, the length of the day, and the weather conditions.

That’s why we only tackle it after several days of acclimatization, and we normally set off very early in the morning.

Because it’s one of the stages we simply wouldn’t sacrifice to shorten the trip. Tilicho Lake sits at 4,919 meters and is considered the highest lake in the world in Nepal.

Besides being one of the most spectacular spots in the Annapurna region, this detour allows more time at high altitude before tackling the Thorong La.

We especially recommend spring, between April and May, and autumn, particularly November. These are normally the most favorable periods for stable weather and mountain visibility.
In winter, snow and ice can make crossing the Thorong La more difficult or temporarily impossible.

English is always guaranteed. On this itinerary the group is led by Bibi, a Nepalese partner of Himalaya Exped and certified local guide, who speaks both Italian and English.
Italian-speaking support is therefore guaranteed for the entire duration of the trek.

Yes. The Annapurna Circuit is one of the routes for which Nepalese regulations require an authorized guide and the TIMS Card. A permit for the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) is also required.

Himalaya Exped arranges the guide and all necessary permits directly before the trek begins.

In Kathmandu, we’ll give you a duffel bag to hand over to the porters. We typically allow one porter for every two participants, with a maximum of 13 kg of personal luggage per person. The duffel bag is carried to the next stage and will be waiting for you once you reach the lodge.

We understand this concern, but the issue isn’t whether to use porters — it’s how they’re treated. Working as a porter or guide is one of the few tourism-related income opportunities for many families in the mountain regions, and refusing their work on principle doesn’t necessarily help them.

At Himalaya Exped, porters are part of the team. We work with local people and guarantee fair working conditions, insurance coverage during the trek, and strict weight limits on the loads they carry. We typically allow one porter for every two participants, with a maximum of 13 kg of personal luggage per traveler.

For us, responsible tourism doesn’t mean taking work away from local communities — it means making sure that work is done with dignity, safely, and with fair pay.

During the trek you’ll carry only a light backpack, around 20–25 liters, with what you need during the day: water, a waterproof jacket, a warm layer, sunscreen, sunglasses, documents, camera, and small personal items.

The rest of your gear travels in the duffel bag entrusted to the porters.

Everything you don’t need during the trek can be safely stored at the hotel in Kathmandu and picked up on your return. Along the way, you only need to carry your trekking duffel bag and small daypack.

During the trek we sleep in tea houses and lodges in the villages, usually in simple double rooms. In the more developed towns you can often find rooms with a private bathroom, while higher up it’s more common to have shared bathrooms.

Our guides always try to book the best accommodation available, but a private bathroom can’t be guaranteed at every stage. Rooms are normally unheated; lodges at higher altitude often light a stove in the shared dining room.

In Kathmandu and Pokhara, on the other hand, we stay in 3-star hotels in double rooms with private bathroom and breakfast included.

Yes. Lodge rooms at higher altitude are unheated, and it can get very cold at night. We recommend a sleeping bag suited to low temperatures, with a comfort rating of -20 °C.

If you don’t own one suited to Himalayan conditions, you can rent one in Kathmandu before departure.

Himalaya Exped provides 2 liters of drinking water per participant every morning, to be carried in your own water bottle or thermos. In lodges, it’s usually possible to buy extra boiled or bottled water.

Water straight from taps, fountains or streams should never be drunk without first boiling, filtering or treating it with a water purification product.

Lodges serve simple but fairly varied food. Nepal’s signature dish is Dal Bhat: rice, lentil soup, vegetables and curry — nourishing and especially suited to trekking days.

Noodles, soups, fried rice, potatoes, pasta, eggs, momo and various vegetarian dishes are also common. As altitude increases, the choice becomes more limited. Our guides tend to recommend simple dishes, and in the more remote lodges often vegetarian ones too, especially when there’s no guarantee that meat has been properly stored.

They’re not essential, but it can be handy to bring along some bars, dried fruit or supplements you’re already used to using on hikes. We especially recommend bringing products you know you tolerate well, rather than trying something new for the first time during the trek.

Temperatures change dramatically during the trip, since we pass through very different environments and altitudes. In the lower valleys and in Kathmandu or Pokhara, days can be mild or even warm, while temperatures drop quickly as you climb toward Manang, Tilicho Lake and Thorong La.

Above 4,000 meters, it’s normal to find below-zero temperatures at night and in the early morning. The Thorong La stage starts very early and can be particularly cold, especially if it’s windy or on departures closer to winter.

With sunshine, though, even at altitude during the day the perceived temperature can feel pleasant. That’s why dressing in layers is essential.

Yes. Most lodges let you charge phones, cameras and other electronic devices. At lower altitudes, charging may be free, while higher up it’s common to be charged a small fee, and electricity may only be available at certain times of day.

We still recommend bringing a high-capacity power bank, especially for the days between Manang, Tilicho Lake and Thorong La, where power availability is more limited. At high altitude, the cold also drains battery life faster.

Yes, but don’t expect to be connected at all times. In the lower villages and main hubs like Chame, Pisang and Manang, mobile coverage is generally good, and many lodges also have Wi-Fi, sometimes for a fee.

Climbing toward Tilicho Lake, Yak Kharka and Thorong La, the signal becomes much less reliable and can disappear completely in some stretches.

We recommend buying a Nepal Telecom (NTC) SIM card at the airport or at one of the shops near your hotel, since it generally offers better coverage than Ncell in the mountains. After Thorong La, the connection gradually becomes more stable towards Muktinath and Jomsom.

During a trek in the Himalaya, it’s normal to spend a few hours or even entire days without a reliable connection: before you leave, we recommend downloading anything you might need offline onto your phone.

For travelers arriving from Italy, there are normally no mandatory vaccinations required to enter Nepal, except in special cases related to travel from or transit through countries at risk of yellow fever.

It’s still advisable to be up to date with routine vaccinations and to check with your doctor or a travel medicine center which vaccines are recommended for Nepal, such as hepatitis A and typhoid, depending on your health and the type of trip.