How Many Days to Trek the Annapurna Circuit?

Reti and I are serial travellers who have been on many adventures. Still, the Annapurna Circuit Trek was a true highlight of our lives. Despite a constant tired body, leeches and a bout of altitude sickness we would return to do the Annapurna circuit in a heartbeat.

We want to share our tips so that you can experience the beauty of this Himalayan region as well.  So we have written this article to help you plan your Annapurna trip and decide how many days you need to complete the circuit.

How Many Days to Trek the Annapurna Circuit? The Annapurna Circuit Trek can be made as short or as long as you like. However, an ideal number of days to complete the Annapurna Circuit is 21 days. Allowing 21 days gives you plenty of time to acclimatise and explore side treks such as Tilicho lake. 

Although 21 days is an ideal number to trek the Annapurna Circuit, you can lengthen or shorten this depending on your travel dates and time limitations. Due to road developments and an airport in Jomsom, trekkers can now shorten their trek to as little as 10 days. Every traveller will have unique time restraints, so we have listed a variety of Annapurna circuit itineraries of various lengths for you to check out.

Annapurna Circuit trek itinerary 2023 - STINGY NOMADS

Village Along the Annapurna Circuit Trek

Why we recommend the 21 Day Annapurna Circuit Itinerary:

Acclimatisation: We noticed a few people rushing through the trek and some did not cope well with acclimatisation. One man who was aiming to complete the trek within 10 days had to rush back down via jeep because he become seriously ill with altitude sickness.

Another friend of ours had to turn back at Manang due to altitude sickness, he too was trying to complete the trek too fast. Everyone’s body handles altitude slightly differently, so giving your body adequate time to adjust slowly is your best chance at avoiding getting struck by altitude sickness.

Rest: Having 21 days to complete the Annapurna circuit gives you ample time to take rest if your body needs it. It was definitely nice to be able to listen to our bodies and take rest days now and then. The 21 day itinerary below suggests rest days that made sense to us, but there is no reason you can’t choose when and where you decide to take your rest.

Take it all in: The scenery along the Annapurna Circuit is incredible and the historic villages feel as though they have been taken straight out of a story book. Why rush past and not take the time to enjoy it all? The best aspect of having 21 days to complete the circuit is that you can take your time and absorb your surroundings, rather than rushing past looking at your feet the entire time.

Limit your  time in a vehicle: Travelling via vehicle through the Annapurna circuit is extremely uncomfortable and can be very draining and dangerous. Road conditions are poor and journeys are long and arduous.  By giving yourself 21 days to complete circuit you are reducing the amount of hours that you will need to travel by bus or jeep. Trust us, we would choose to walk any day!

Take side treks and off the beaten path routes: Having plenty of time allowed us to take side treks such as Tilicho lake. Tilicho lake is an absolutely unmissable natural beauty, so having the few extra days needed to do this side trek made our trip that much more memorable.

Other incredible locations such as Ngawal, Ghyaru, Marpha, Terri & Kagbeni are just some of the other off the beaten path villages that we were able to enjoy. Many trekkers miss out on seeing these incredible villages due to time limitations…don’t let that be you if you can help it.

Annapurna Circuit Itineraries:

Tilicho Lake Trekking, Trek to Highest Lake Tilicho in Annapurna
Tilicho Lake

10 Day Annapurna Circuit Itinerary

Keep in mind, this shortened version of the trek involves some uncomfortable driving on pretty precarious roads.  We would only recommend this itinerary if you have limited time. If you have any spare days up your sleeve we highly recommended using them and opting for a longer version of the trek.

Jagsat  to Muktinath = 93km

Day 1:  Travel by bus or jeep from Pokhara to Jagat

Day 2:  Jagat – Tal 15km 9km

Day 3: Tal – Chame 25km

Day 4: Chame – Lower pisang 14km

Day 5:  Lower pisang – Manang 15km

Day 6: Manang Acclimatisation day

Day 7: Manang – Yak Kharka 9km

Day 8: Yak Kharka – Thorung Phedi 7km

Day 9: Thorung Phedi – Muktinath 15km

Day 10: Muktinath – Jomsom via Jeep – Then fly to Katmandu same day.

Annapurna Circuit Trek

14 Days Annapurna Circuit Itinerary

Bhulbhule to Tatopani = 188km

Day 1: Bus or Jeep from Pohkara to Bhulbhule then trek to Ngadi Lamjung

Day 2: Ngadi – Jagat 15km

Day 3: Jagat – Karte 15km

Day 4: Karte – Chame 16km

Day 5: Chame – Pisang 13km

Day 6: Pisang – Manang 17km

Day 7: Manang Acclimatisation day

Day 8: Manang – Yak Kharka 9km

Day 9: Yak Kharka – Thorung Phedi 7km

Day 10: Thorung Phedi – Muktinath 15km

Day 11: Muktinath – Marpha 22km

Day 12: Marpha –  Ghasa  23km

Day 13: Ghasa – Tatopani 20km

Day 14: Bus back to Pokhara

21 Day Annapurna Circuit Itinerary

Our recommended Itinerary!

Bhulbhule to Tatopani = 188km

Day 1: Bus or Jeep from Pohkara to Bhulbhule then trek to Ngadi Lamjung

Day 2: Ngadi – Ghermu 9km

Day 3: Ghermu – Tal 15km

Day 4: Tal – Chame 25km

Day 5: Chame rest day / enjoy hot pools

Day 6: Chame – Upper Pisang 14km

Day 7: Upper Pisang – Ngawal 19km

Day 8: Ngawal – Manang 10km

Day 9: Manang Acclimatisation day

Day 10: Manang – Khangsar 11km

Day 11: Khangsar – Tilicho Lake return 8km

Day 12: Khangsar – Yak Karta 7km

Day 13: Yak Karta – Thorung Phedi 6km

Day 14: Thorung Phedi –  Muktinath 16km

Day 15: Rest day in Muktinath

Day 16: Muktinath – Kagbeni via Jhong 12km (Visit Terri Village optional)

Day 17: Kagbeni – Marpha 14km

Day 18: Marpha Rest Day

Day 19: Marpha –  Ghasa  23km

Day 20: Ghasa – Tatopani 20km

Day 21: Bus back to Pokhara

Annapurna Circuit

25 Days Annapurna Circuit Itinerary

Bhulbhule to Pothana = 240km

Day 1: Bus or Jeep from Pohkara to Bhulbhule then trek to Ngadi Lamjung

Day 2: Ngadi – Ghermu 9km

Day 3: Ghermu – Tal 15km

Day 4: Tal – Chame 25km

Day 5: Chame rest day / enjoy hot pools

Day 6: Chame – Upper Pisang 14km

Day 7: Upper Pisang – Ngawal 19km

Day 8: Ngawal – Manang 10km

Day 9: Manang Acclimatisation day

Day 10: Manang – Khangsar 11km

Day 11: Khangsar – Tilicho Lake return 8km

Day 12: Khangsar – Yak Karta 7km

Day 13: Yak Karta – Thorung Phedi 6km

Day 14: Thorung Phedi –  Muktinath 16km

Day 15: Rest day in Muktinath

Day 16: Muktinath – Kagbeni via Jhong 12km

Day 17: Kagbeni – Marpha 14km

Day 18: Marpha Rest Day

Day 19: Marpha –  Ghasa  23km

Day 20: Ghasa – Tatopani 20km

Day 21: Tatopani to Ghorepani

Day 22: Ghorepani – poon hill return  1km

Day 23: Ghorepani – Ghandruk 15km

Day 24: Ghandruk – Pothana 15km

Day 25: Pothana to Phedi 6km then catch jeep or bus to Pokahara

The Annapurna Circuit – Part 2 – Chame to Yak Karta •

Yaks near Yak Karta along the Annapurna Circuit Trek

Annapurna Circuit Length

To trek the full Annapurna Circuit from Bhulbhule to Pothana you will be walking just over 240km. This will take you approximately 21 days to walk.

How do I get to the Annapurna Circuit?

The best way to reach the Annapurna Circuit is via Pokhara, and mant trekkers use use Pokhara as a base for the trek. Pokhara is a beautiful, small city located on a lakes edge and is a great place to spend a few days before and after your trek.

You can leave your luggage at your guest house in Pokhara as well as arrange your trekking permit and purchase any trekking equipment you might need.  From Pokhara you can catch a four hour bus or jeep to Besisahar and then onto Bhulbhule where you can begin your Annapurna Circuit trek.

Where to Stay in Pokhara?

If you are trekking in high season it’s best to book your Pokhara accommodation in advance as the tourist numbers swell and guest houses book out fast. Below is our list of suggested guesthouses in Pokhara.


Nepali Cottage Guest House
$8USD/ NPR900
This is where we stayed during our time in Pokhara and it was a great budget stay with clean rooms and friendly service. The best things about Nepali Cottage Guest House is its excellent location centrally located and across the road to the most amazing sandwich shop in Pokhara!

Peace Eye Guest House
$17USD/ NPR2000
A peaceful family run guest house with friendly service and well decorated rooms. Most importantly Peace Eye features lovely  hot showers & strong Wi-Fi two things that can be hard to find at this price in Nepal.

Three Jewels Boutique Hotel 
$25USD/NPR2800
Some reviewers have called this best-kept secret in Pokhara. Three Jewels is a family run hotel with attentive and caring service. This hotel is located centrally to the main tourist area of Pokhara and features clean and cosy rooms, lovely garden area and buffet breakfast is available every morning at its on-site restaurant.

Hotel White Himal
$41USD/NPR4600
An elegant stay in Pokhara for those wanting a bit of luxury. A quiet escape but also located close to the main tourist areas. Featuring The lake, mountain and city views this hotel pays extra attention to detail to make your stay memorable.

Cheers, Native Travellers
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