About The Retreat
Trek the Annapurna Circuit - a bucket list experience - over a 15 day adventure, 9 day trek - via Throng La pass of 5416m and through the Annapurna Sanctuary past Poon Hill 3210m 🥾 Adventure in stark nature at its finest. Feel physically challenged. The difficulty of this trip is 'strenuous' and would be suitable for anyone with some trekking experience and a good level of fitness. Highlights include: ☀️ Sunrise at Poon Hill ☀️ Varied scenery of natural beauty and charming mountain villages ☀️ Hot Springs at Tatopani ☀️ Delights of Nepali cuisine ☀️ Sense of accomplishment after completing Thorong La pass, 5418m ☀️ Beautiful panoramic views of ‘Fishtail’ Mountain and Annapurna South ☀️ Relaxing in Pokhara post trek There will also be optional, impromptu yoga on the mountain as we go through our adventure.
Itinerary
1Day 1
6:00AM - 5:00PM
Airport pick up to bring you to your comfortable accommodation to all meet each other at a delicious restaurant
2Day 2
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Bus to Besi Sahar and then jeep to Dharapani (1860m). Yoga on arrival before dinner
3Day 3
6:00AM - 6:45AM
Morning 45 min optional yoga
8:00AM - 2:00AM
Trek Darapani to Chame (2680m) 6hrs. 15.5 km
4Day 4
6:15AM - 7:00AM
Morning 45 minute yoga on patio
8:00AM - 2:00AM
Chame to Upper Pisang (3300m). 14.5km (5.5hrs)
5Day 5
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Upper Pisang to Manang (3500m). 17km (6-7hrs). 30 mins yoga pre lunch en-route
6Day 6
7:00AM - 11:00AM
Rest day – acclimatisation walk 45min up 1hr yoga overlooking the mountains and valley
7Day 7
6:30AM - 7:00AM
Morning yoga on the balcony
8:00AM - 11:00AM
Manang to Yak Kharka (4010m). 10.5km (3.5hrs).
1:00PM - 2:00PM
After lunch we do an acclimatisation walk 45min up and meditate at the top.
8Day 8
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi (4450m) 7.3km (3hrs) where we leave our bags and walk up to High Camp (4900m) 1hr up 400m for lunch and acclimatisation before going back down to Thorong Phedi to sleep at a lower altitude to prevent against altitude sickness.
9Day 9
4:00AM - 9:00PM
From Thorang Phedi we start in the dark at 5am and walk up the steep ascent to High Camp and over the Thorang La Pass (5430m) before descending down to have lunch in Charabu (4230m) then onto the infamous Bob Marley Guest House in Muktinath (3800m) 16.4km, 9hrs, 900m ascent, 1600m descent
10Day 10
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Muktinath to Tatopani (1200m) via bus / jeep 5/6hrs. Acting as a rest day. Post lunch restorative yoga – 1hr. The delight of being able to rest the muscles in the hot springs as kick back with a cold drink.
11Day 11
6:00AM - 4:00PM
Tatopani to Ghorepani (2800m) 7/8hrs, 16.9km 1700m ascent.
4:00PM - 4:45PM
Yoga on arrival for those with the energy
12Day 12
4:00AM - 9:00PM
Early wake up for a breath-taking sunrise view of Annapurna from Poon Hill (3200m) 45min, 400m ascent, 1.5km, then breakfast before descending down via Ullery where we’ll order lunch at do 45min of yoga. After lunch we’ll depend down to Hille to get a taxi back to Pokhara. 10km, 4 hrs
13Day 13
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Free day in Pokhara with lots of activates to choose from (although I predict you will want to be doing a relaxing whole lot of nothing to repair – a lovely massage may be just what you need)
14Day 14
6:00AM - 9:00PM
7am bus back to Kathmandu. For our last evening we will go for drinks in Boudhanath which has one of the largest unique structure’s stupas in the world. Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Boudhanath. The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha. We’ll enjoy a drink together before going back to Thamel for our last supper.
15Day 15
6:00AM - 9:00PM
Breakfast in the hotel then time to say farewells and head onto your flight home
What’s Included
Qualified trekking guide
Porter to carry a big bag of 15kg - shared between two people
Yoga Teacher - optional yoga in the mountains
Permits for trekking
All accommodation
Transfers within Nepal
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trek
Not Included
Flights to Nepal
Visa fees – (15 days: $30)
Travel insurance up to 6000m with helicopter evacuation – Travel Insurance – Trailfinders
Lunch and dinners in the cities
Tips for local guide and porter
Vitamin supplements
Additional activities in Pokhara
Kit
Personal expenses, including but not limited to: phone calls; laundry; costs of alcohol; recharging batteries; additional porters; bottled or boiled water; and showers; among others
Frequently Asked Questions
Any recommendations on which high altitude trekking insurance to buy – that would include everything we need (heli evac + covid cover etc.)? (brand/company)
I recommend using Trailfinders or another travel insurance covering helicopter evacuation in Nepal up to 6000m. Last I checked, with Trailfinders, it was £102 for 15days with a £500 excess if you were to need to use the insurance.
What kind of bags/suitcases should we bring? Shall we have a smaller backpack for the day hikes, assuming the rest of our things (incl. sleeping bags/stuff we need overnight) will be carried by the porters (and those can be in the suitcases or duffel bags)?
You will need a day back pack (ideally with waist straps) to carry what you need for the days walk – a warm layer, water, sun cream, sun hat, gloves, warm hat. For the porter to carry, if you have a large travelling backpack, that would be ideal. Otherwise, you can have suitcase and they will arrange a duffle bag for you for the porter to carry your things you need for overnight. You will have 7.5kg each to be carried with a porter. Ref sleeping bags, you can borrow from the company we work with on the ground if you do not have one, but they are not sanitized in between usages, so maybe a sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk) would be preferable.
What is the toilet situation along the trek and is there anything we should know? Is it worth investing in a urinal device for ladies, or not really required?
All guesthouses have toilets – roughly every hour or two there is a Guest House in lower altitudes – as we get into the higher altitudes – toilets are squatting toilets in Guest Houses, and Guest Houses become less frequent – on the pass day there will be places to find privacy but no guest houses until close to the end. Best to be prepared for all hygiene conditions. The urinal device not needed.
How often will there be hot showers on the way?
Hot showers are in every Guest House until higher up where a hot water bucket can be arranged – additional fees for showers / hot water buckets are not included in the price – generally fees only apply in higher altitude Guest Houses. ($1-5 per hot shower / water bucket)
If I get my period during the trek, do you have any tips on how to prepare taking this into account?
I recommend having tampons and Tampax, hand sanitiser, bag to keep waste with you, and a small pack of wipes for when you need to find a private place away from the trail – all can be easily done and not something to worry about.
What is the drinking water situation? Shall we bring a reusable water bottle, not to use the plastic ones? What about the water purification tablets – would those be useful/necessary?
Best to have a bottle with a purifier/ filter incorporated. You can get some tablets in Kathmandu if you want, but chorine tablets are not good for our microbiome so I generally try and avoid taking them were possible. You can also buy safe drinking water / boiled water along the way or water bottles – but this contributes the the plastic problem in Nepal so I would advise against it.
What’s the mobile signal and wifi availability along the trek?
Most of the places we’ll be staying over night will provide wifi at a cost ($2), but the signal is relatively bad in the mountains for UK networks. You can get a local sim card from the airport if you want.
Do you have any specific vitamins/supplements you would recommend pre- and during the trek?
Omega 3, spirulina & magnesium
How much money will I need outside of what’s included:
Good to have equivalent of £300 in Nepali cash – we will take you to a ATM in Kathmandu when you arrive. You could get away with spending less. You will need cash for any additional drinks in the mountains (eg. beer, mineral water, fizzy drinks, snacks, wifi, sometimes a shower charge, sometimes a phone charge) money for meals in the cities, entrance to cultural sites, additional activities and taxis, meals aren’t expensive but alcohol is charged closer to western prices, Nepal is a great place to buys gifts cheaply or enjoy a massage cheaply. We will all be giving tips to our local guide and our shared porter.
