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Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake & Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (24 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/11

Duration18d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Annapurna Circuit Day-by-Day: Teahouses, Temples & Tilicho

You’ll walk ancient trails from lush villages to high alpine passes on this Annapurna Circuit trek with Tilicho Lake. Expect early-morning starts, steaming plates of dal bhat in smoky teahouses, and honest laughter with your local guide. Cross Thorong La Pass before sunrise and soak tired legs in Tatopani’s hot springs — these are memories you’ll carry long after you leave Nepal.

18d

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and Kathmandu Stay

Arrival at Kathmandu Airport and hotel transfer

Day 2 — Drive to Syange via Besishahar

Drive from Kathmandu to Syange with lunch stop

Day 3 — Trek Syange to Dharapani

Trek from Syange to Dharapani

Day 4 — Trek Dharapani to Chame

Trek from Dharapani to Chame

Day 5 — Trek Chame to Pisang

Trek from Chame to Pisang

Day 6 — Trek Pisang to Manang

Trek from Pisang to Manang

Day 7 — Manang Acclimatization Day

Acclimatization hike to Gangapurna lake or Melarepa cave

Day 8 — Trek Manang to Yak Kharka

Trek from Manang to Yak Kharka (optional Ledar hike)

Day 9 — Trek Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi

Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi

Day 10 — Cross Thorong La Pass to Muktinath

Cross Thorong La Pass and trek to Muktinath

Day 11 — Trek Muktinath to Marpha

Visit Muktinath temple and trek to Marpha

Day 12 — Trek Marpha to Kalopani

Trek from Marpha to Kalopani with village visits

Day 13 — Trek Kalopani to Tatopani

Trek from Kalopani to Tatopani and hot spring dip

Day 14 — Trek Tatopani to Ghorepani

Trek from Tatopani to Ghorepani

Day 15 — Hike Poonhill and descend to Tadapani

Hike to Poonhill viewpoint and trek to Tadapani

Day 16 — Trek Tadapani to Ghandruk and drive to Pokhara

Trek to Ghandruk and drive to Pokhara

Day 17 — Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu

Bus ride from Pokhara to Kathmandu

Day 18 — Airport Transfer and Departure

Transfer to Kathmandu airport for departure

The Experience

First thing I remember is the old man in Syange handing me a cup of salty butter tea — he grinned when I made a face (it’s an acquired taste, honestly). Our guide, Suman, just laughed and said, “You’ll get used to it.” The first days on the Annapurna Circuit trek felt like wandering through someone else’s backyard: Brahmin women in bright saris waving from their porches, kids chasing chickens across muddy paths. We’d stop for dal bhat lunches in tiny teahouses where the air smelled like woodsmoke and cardamom. Sometimes you’d hear bells from a distant temple or just the river below — that sound sticks with you.

Climbing up past Manang was when things got real. The air thinned out; my breath sounded loud inside my scarf. Suman pointed out yaks grazing near Yak Kharka (I tried to pet one — bad idea). Nights were cold but the stars were ridiculous — so many I kept waking up to check if they were still there. One morning we hiked up to Tilicho Lake before sunrise. It was so quiet you could hear your boots crunching on frost. The water looked almost fake, this weird blue-green under all that white rock. I didn’t expect to feel so small and so awake at the same time.

Crossing Thorong La Pass was tough — we left before 5am because Suman said the wind gets wild after ten (“Trust me,” he kept saying). My hands went numb even inside gloves. At the top everyone hugged each other without really saying anything; it was too cold for words anyway. Coming down into Muktinath felt like landing on another planet: prayer flags everywhere, pilgrims lighting incense at sunrise, and this smell of juniper smoke in the air. I still think about that view back toward the pass — it’s hard to explain what it does to your head.

The last days felt softer somehow: apple orchards in Marpha (the cider is strong), hot springs at Tatopani where trekkers soak together and compare blisters, old women selling dried apricots by the roadside. In Ghandruk we met a Gurung family who invited us for tea; their little boy tried teaching me a folk song but I definitely butchered it. By then my legs were tired but my brain was wide open — you know? The Annapurna Circuit trek isn’t just about mountains; it’s all these small moments strung together.

What’s included

Your trip includes airport transfers in Kathmandu, all trekking permits (ACAP/TIMS), porter service (one porter per two trekkers), an experienced English-speaking local guide throughout the Annapurna Circuit trek with Tilicho Lake extension, teahouse accommodation along the route plus comfortable hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara with breakfast each morning before heading out again.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Accessible Adventure Pvt. Ltd