Annapurna Circuit Trek

Best time to do Annapurna Circuit Trek is during spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November). HSJ can however organize the trek at any time of the year with absolute saftey while still availing you to have memorable experience.

This package of Annapurna circuit trek is 16 Days long. The number of days can vary depending on the routes and transportation modes, offers and packages you choose. We can also customize this trek for you to finish in lesser days if you are short in time.

Altitude: 5416m This trek requires you to walk 5-6 hours per day with a light day pack. Walking in higher altitudes is more physically demanding than walking in lower altitudes, however, the pace of the trek will vary in compensation. If you are in excellent health with average physical fitness and have strong determination, you will complete a difficult trek successfully. Exercising, particularly jogging and climbing stairs regularly for some weeks prior to your arrival is recommended to enhance your strength and fitness. Past hiking experience would be an asset, but no technical skill is required. It is slightly challenging, uphill and downhill, walking close to mountain views and walking through the beautiful mountainous forests.

While it is possible to do Annapurna Circuit Trek independently, the need of guide is misunderstood often. Guide is more than just someone that helps you with navigation, guide with knowledge of locality, way of life and also being responsible to attend to your other needs like finding you comfortable accommodation. Having a porter will help you carry your gears and belongings and you can travel at your pace while enjoying your trek. A guide can arrange for permits and TIMS for you and dealing with all other technical aspects of trekking.

It is easy and safe trek that people can do this trek independently. Indeed, it is secure and not risky trek. While there is always the possibility of avalanche because it is in mountainous areas, this is usually not dangerous. It's not a complex walk, the pitch is not rough, no tough moves, no sharp hits. That said, accidents can occur on any walk, so caution is of course required. A responsive acclimatization is important.

You will have working network connectivity in most parts of the trails. However at the higher altitude, the network may become sluggish and unreliable. The stops at the tea houses will have working connection and most of them would have Wi-Fi connectivity too. You may have to pay some extra charge for Wi-Fi connection and electricity at the higher altitude.

Global passengers will be protected by insurance when treking in Nepal. Although Nepal is normally very secure, trekking at high altitudes is physically difficult and often risky. Altitude sickness is common during hiking tours in Nepal, particularly among foreign hikers who may not have taken the right time to acclimatize. Such rescue and related emergency procedures are costly and passengers are forced to pay for these services out of their pockets, unless they are covered by insurance plans.

The break during the trek depends upon the travelers and guide. Needless to say frequent breaks are needed while ascending. Only one break is taken for the lunch. Usually travelers carry their dry snacks which they can eat while on the trek and in between the breaks. There will be break to refill the water on the way.

Yes, Himalayan Social Journey is flexible travel partner. It is possible to organize the private trip or private group trip to Annapurna Base Camp. The minimum people for the group is 2 however supplementary charge will be applicable for the solo traveler wanting to do private trip.

Supplementary charge will be applicable for the solo traveler wanting to do private trip. You will also have the option to share the room with another solo traveler depending on your and their consent and interest. Even if you pay supplementary charge for the single room, it is possible that during peak seasons you will end up sharing rooms due to lack of availability of the room.

In the average, you will be walking for 5-6 hours each day during the Annapurna Circuit Trek.

Insurance of the guide and porter is covered by the company. All our guides and porters are properly insured.

Yes, children are allowed to do the trek, however it is safe to not bring children under the age of 15 to do the trek as they may find it difficult and not able to walk. This could affect your trekking experience as well. The altitude is also high as they may have risk of altitude sickness.

No, there is no age limit to do the trek. If the person is healthy and physically fit, they can do the trek. We have had elderly people over 60 this trek with us and hence we can vouch that older people can do this trek as long as they do not have significant health issues.

You will have teahouse or guest house accommodation while on the trek. Tea houses can be multi-story concrete buildings with private rooms in lower elevations. The higher you step up, the simpler the accommodation is. Accommodation will involve a single dorm space in the base camp. Guide will arrange for the adequate, clean and hygienic place for you to spend overnight and you will eat at the same place you will stay in. Most of the places shall have attached bathroom and hot shower however over the higher altitude, it is likely that you may have to pay extra sum for the same.

Liquid need of body while trekking is about 3-5 liters a day (13-21 cups). Several findings suggest that drinking carbohydrate and electrolytes (such as sports drinks) in a liquid is safer than moisturizing water at altitude alone. There is also a study done on the effect of tea in reducing the fatigue and mood boosting. Results have been positive. This being said apart from water, you can drink green tea, masala tea, and ginger tea and garlic soup.

The Tap water supplied along the trails are considered safe for drinking and local people drink it without treating, however for the foreigners, it is best that the tap water be only drunk after purification. There are two good options for having proper drinking water during the trek. You can bring water purification tablets or fill your bottle for a nominal fee from the recognized and regulated "pure water" stations along the trek. As the last alternative, you can also purchase bottled water at the lodges but this is not recommended. It is very important that you drink at least 3 litres of pure water daily during the trek.

You may have to apply and obtain necessary TIMS and Permits yourself if you are trekking solo or independently. If you are hiring trekking agency or guide, this will be taken care for you.

No, the company does not provide trekking poles, you will have to manage it on your own or our guide can help you buy it when you are in Nepal. The pair of trekking poles cost from $10-$15.

Yes, we do provide sleeping bags. The sleeping bags we provide are of good quality. They help you sustain the colder climate in Nepali mountains up to -25 degree Celsius of temperature. However if you need the one of your own, you can buy one here. Your guide shall assist you to get it here. Keep the track of the weather forecast of the area and pack your clothes accordingly. This would help you be prepared for the type of weather Nepali Mountains are accustomed to.

People generally describe it as - An unforgettable trek and experience to see mountain scenery, ever-changing landscapes, breathtaking picturesque nature and memories of mankind.

With consideration to altitude and route even though Annapurna Base Camp is considered easy, people find both Annapurna Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit Trek, fairly same with consideration to the grade.

On the lower regions of the Annapurna Circuit trek, the weather is generally warm. The days have an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. The nights are slightly colder at 7-8 degrees Celsius. The higher altitudes are colder.

You can get a visa in Kathmandu airport upon your arrival at USD 30 (or equivalent in other major currencies) for a 15 days visa, USD 50 for a 30 days visa and USD 125 for a 90 days Multiple visas, and you can also extend it later on if you wish. They have newly installed technology (visa machine) which makes it no longer necessary to have a passport photo. Important! Please bring 3 photos for your trekking permit, TIMS and for others.

Besides trekking packages and tour operation, we arrange international air tickets to the major airports of all over the world. Himalayan social journey travel agency is the one-stop travel solution company; we offer all travel related product at the best possible rates with excellent services.

Please keep this thing in your mind that there are some airport touts and scam artists who take advantage of tourists. They might offer to carry your luggage and they want a large amount of money. Sometimes they intimidate our drivers and even take away their signs. Anyway...if you want someone to help you with your luggage you can give them NOT MORE THAN 1 - 2 DOLLARS. This is a small hassle that tourists sometimes face upon arrival at the airport. Do not stress about this but just be aware not to give more than a few dollars for their luggage handling if you choose to take someone's services. Nepalese in general are very kind and hospitable people.

Some major currencies (USD, AUD and EURO) are accepted for both visas and in general. There are plenty of ATM's in both Kathmandu and Namche and credit cards are accepted in limited shops and many restaurants. Please note that only Nepali rupees are accepted on the trek.

Generally, the orientation meeting is scheduled in the Kathmandu hotel at 4 or 5 pm and this will be informed by our representatives after your arrival. The tour starts with an orientation meeting and ends up after the scheduled trip after the breakfast.

If you plan to arrive early or depart late please make sure you make extra hotel arrangements by contacting [email protected] And if you'll be spending extra time in Nepal please let us know. We will book your extra night accommodation at same trip hotels

For each tour date, there will be several separate groups. Each group will have a maximum of 14 people with its own experienced English speaking guide. During the trek, there will be a suitable number of porters to carry your luggage.

The cost of our trip is based on a twin-sharing basis so there will be two people accommodated in each room for the duration of the tour. If you prefer private accommodation or you are a solo traveller, you'll find the option for "single supplement". Additional cost will be applicable as a Single Supplementary Charge for the single room during the trip.

No refund will be made for 20% deposit amount in case of cancellation of trip for any other else reason. Having paid the full amount of any trip, you will get your money back but still, cancellation charge (20%) is invoiced to you. And for the voucher holders, since you have purchased the voucher from the deal companies, we have to follow their cancellation policy. But for both the conditions, we are flexible to postpone your trip in any later days. Written notification of your cancellation should be made to cancel any trip.

Sometimes travellers are unable to finish the scheduled trek due to the various reasons or they ended up not completing the trek/tour for health or personal reasons. In this case please realize that we cannot offer you any refunds for unused days on the tour/tour. You have to understand that our costs are the same as we have an obligation to pay our guides and porters for the time they have committed.

All the breakfast during your trip is included but the lunches and dinners are not except welcome dinner in the first day at the local restaurant. Meals during Kathmandu stay and trekking days cost from $5 to $8 per item depending on what you choose to eat.

There will not be any problem for vegetarian, most of the lodges serve vegetarian meals. We always recommend our clients to eat vegetarian meals to avoid food poisoning, eating heavy meals and non- vegetarian meals at a high altitude is not really safe for the stomach.

You have to manage yourself for the drinking water. There are two good options for having proper drinking water during the trek. You can bring water purification tablets or fill your bottle for a nominal fee from the recognized and regulated "pure water" stations along the trek. As the alternative, you can also easily purchase bottled water at the lodges. The bottled water costs USD 2$ - 4$ per litre. It is very important that you drink at least 3 litres of pure water daily during the trek.

The width of Nepal is only about 200 km on an average, but within this short distance, the altitude of the land rises from 60 m up to 8,848 m. Hence the weather depends upon the altitude of the place in Nepal. However, in general, Nepal has four climatic seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

Spring starts from March to May. The temperature of this season fluctuates between 20C to 30C (68F to 86F). Summer starts from June last to August. These are also the monsoon months with occasional evening-thunderstorms and hot temperature. Autumn starts from late September and ends by November. During this period, the climate is generally dry and mild with temperature fluctuating between 20C to 30C (68F to 86F). Winter starts from December until February. The mornings and evenings are very cold while the afternoon is pretty sunny. The temperature during these months rises from 10C to 20C (59F to 68F). At higher altitudes, it is cold during the winter months.

The trip hotel in Kathmandu does provide free storage services. So you can store your luggage and clothing that are not required for the trekking and you can collect it after your Trek and Tour.

There are telephones in some villages along the trekking routes from which you can make international calls. All our guides carry local sim cards both Nepal Telecom and N-cell in order to update the whereabouts and situation of our every client. You may pass the number of our guide to your family for the callback or you can make a call from the guide’s mobile and pay him directly for the international call too. Also, we have kept a satellite phone at Dingboche, which has a poor connection to the network of phones. Our guides use it during the case of emergency and also clients can use them by paying its rental fee. During the tour there will be easy access for International cal through cyber and communication Center. You will get Wi-Fi connection too in some of the places in the mountains for the extra cost. 

Remember to bring TWO and THREE pin travel adapters! You can also buy the adapters in the supermarkets or electronic shops in the Kathmandu. Our guide can help you with it.

It’s difficult to give an exact amount of money that you should bring. Costs will vary according to how much you want to spend for shopping and where and what meals (lunch & dinner) you want to eat. Trekkers find that around $20 (for lunch & dinner) a day is reasonable for the trekking days. You may have to pay for Wi-Fi, electricity and hot showers too (up in the mountains during the trek). Hence allocating the allowance for each day accordingly would suffice. 

• Daypack (rucksack)
• Backpack (a porter will carry it) Recommended size: about 50-litre capacity (10-12 KGS per person) if you are travelling with a friend you can share one pack between the two of you.
• Well-worn hiking boots or shoes
• A pair of sandals
• Sleeping Bag (HSJ will provide if you do not have your own)
• A one-litre hard water bottle to be filled up along the trekking trail
• Warm jacket Light-weight cotton clothing
• Waterproof jacket (a fold -away windcheater is fine)
• Light sweater
• Bath towel
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses
• Sun cream
• Knee supports (optional for the downhill portions of the trek)
• Trekking pole
• Water purification (Himalayan Social Journey will provide
• water purification tablet)
• Small First-aid-kit (Himalayan Social Journey will also provide one)
• Headlamp (preferable) or Flashlight (torch)
• Camera
• Loose stomach and nausea medicine
• Toiletries for the trek (toilet paper, soap, Towel shampoo etc...)

If you have purchased a voucher from any deal company, please come in contact with us with the voucher code (redemption code) so that the voucher can be redeemed on time. Since we need time to purchase your domestic air ticket and make other arrangements, kindly confirm your spot with your suitable date at-least 2 months prior to the commencement of the tour. Your booking on a particular tour date is subject to availability of spots. You can redeem you voucher through this link too : https://hsj.com.np/voucher-redemption

If you plan to arrive early or depart late please make sure you make extra hotel arrangements by contacting [email protected] And if you'll be spending extra time in Nepal please let us know. We will book your extra night accommodation at same trip hotels, Hotel Holy Himalaya , Himalayan Suite Hotel, Hotel Mulberry, Aloft Hotel, and Gokarna Forest Resort for your convenience. 

If you would like to book extra activities such as Paragliding (100pp), Bungy jump (70pp), Mountain flight (USD 180pp), Heli Tour (USD 800pp –based on 5pax) Bhaktapur Sightseeing many more programs. You can book by contacting us at [email protected] For longer excursions such as Bhutan, Tibet, India, and any other treks also, we can help but please contact us immediately at [email protected]

For the trek, we'll have one porter for two people as per group size. The porter will carry 12-15 kg per person luggage during the trek. You need to carry your day pack to keep your personal belongings such as wallet, camera, water bottle, dry snack, headlight, gadgets, etc. The safety and concerns of our porters is our collective responsibility. We take our responsibilities towards them and their safety concerns strictly. On your part, please carry only things that are of absolute necessities.

A general rule of thumb for tipping is USD 50-60 for guide and porter if you are fully satisfied with their service. So we suggest you allocate a minimum of USD 50 for tipping. This is just a guideline and you may tip whatever /how much you think is appropriate for the services rendered which made your trek a memorable one.

If you are considering to donate, School supplies (pens, notebooks, coloured pencils, etc...). These gifts can be directly turned over to our company when you arrive in Kathmandu. And we will manage them to distribute through our proper channels.
As for your the need of much of your trekking clothes and tour supplies and gears, they can be easily purchased in Kathmandu near our hotel at good prices. Bring hiking boots/shoes from your country. The Nepali ones are not recommended. Your guide will assist you to get anything you may need here.

We are committed to providing the best services which will give you a once in a lifetime journey. We perform our duties honestly & seriously to make your journey very smooth & pleasant. However, the entire programs in Nepal are conducted strictly under the rules and regulation of their policies. So in this case, we will give options to choose a different itinerary for an enjoyable holiday. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.

The sleeping bags we provide are of good quality. They help you sustain the colder climate in Nepali mountains up to -25 degree Celsius of temperature. However if you need the one of your own, you can buy one here. Your guide shall assist you to get it here. Keep the track of the weather forecast of the area and pack your clothes accordingly. This would help you be prepared for the type of weather Nepali Mountains are accustomed to.

The size of the duffel bag that we provide is 60-70 liter.

Yes, you will have free access to the power in the city areas however with your ascends to the mountain and as you climb to higher altitudes, extra charge would be applicable for the use of power supply or wireless internet connections.