Annapurna Circuit Trek

Best time to trek to Annapurna Circuit

Trekking to the circuit of Annapurna is possible at any time of year. The best time for Annapurna Circuit trekking is during autumn (September, October and November). The time between mid-September and mid-November is the perfect time to go. Spring is the second best time after autumn. Spring is a season of colours. During these times, the weather and temperature conditions in the Annapurna region will remain perfectly stable.

Trekking Difficulty: Moderate

You need to have a minimal level of fitness to complete your trek. A tough trek requires an average of 6-8 hours of walking per day. In addition, you will have an altitude of about 600 m and a distance of 15-20 km.
As the Annapurna Circuit Trek is a high altitude trek, proper acclimatization and daily hydration is important. Altitude sickness is a significant threat, because even the most seasoned hikers fall victim to this disease.
The fitness program will consist of aerobic events such as running, swimming, cycling, etc. Trekkers should also eat a balanced and nutritious diet with high levels of carbohydrate and protein intake.

Accommodations And Meals In The Annapurna Circuit Trek

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is a teahouse trek like most of Nepal's treks. In general, tea houses provide a single room with twin beds. In the common room, you can charge your phones at a certain discount. Hot showers usually cost about USD 1 in teahouses. WiFi is available at a lower elevation, but you don't expect these facilities as you move up the trails.
In addition, the meals provided in the teahouses are simple and you'll get the Nepalese "Dal Bhat" meal served in most teahouses. In addition, you can also enjoy a limited variety of World cuisine including pizza , pasta, burgers, etc. You need to book these reservations early, particularly in the offseason, in order to be free from any problems.

Drinking water during the trek

Planning to have at least two liters of water when trekking every day is a smart way to start. Filling up water is quick. Taps in, out or in guesthouses mean that there are plenty of places to fill your bottles and/or your water bladders.This could be where you stay, a lunch stop, or a shared public tap used by locals. Use an efficient sterilization method to make sure your water is safe and not contaminated in anyway.Bottled water is available to buy throughout the trek, but we would advise against this for a number of reasons.You do not need them if you use sterilization method. Environment concerns are there and also buying water is expensive up in the mountains.

Connecting with your loved ones back at home while on trek

Free WiFi and charge is generally available (with some exceptions) you can find free WiFi and charge, most places charge a modest fee (e.g. Rs100-400) to use WiFi or charge; WiFi is available at Thorung Phedi and High Camp for Rs200. WiFi can be unreliable, sluggish or unusable. Be prepared to be out of touch with the world for up to a week at high altitudes.
To improve your connectivity, carry your phone to the Nepal SIM, you'll get more than you'd think (GPRS/EDGE speed).
Village electricity could be perfect during your stay. Villages above 4000 m tend to be the latter. Tea houses can have the potential to charge you either from solar sources or from a battery bank.but it is most wise to either have your own or not depend on electronic devices.

Obtaining Trekking Permits

You will need to arrange both the Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) permit and the Annapurna National Park Permit (sometimes also known as the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit). HSJ will arrange for your trekking permits.

As of 2019, the permits will refund a minimum of USD $50: the APC Permit is USD $30 / NPR 3,000 per person, while the TIMS Permit is USD $20 / NPR 2,000 per person.

These will need to be checked at different checkpoints along the trek.

Make sure you also bring a minimum of 4 passport photos for your trekking permit!

List of Equipments you will need for trek

Clothing

·         Trekking boots

·         Short-sleeved Trekking shirts

·         Trekking pants and jackets

·         Thermals underwear

·         Long-sleeved Trekking shirts

·         Insulating down jackets

·         Woolen cap

·         Trekking Gloves

·         Raincoats

First Aid

·         Diamox tablets

·         Sanitary pads / Tampons

·         Anti-nausea Medicines

·         Band-aids

·         Mosquito and insect repellents

Toiletries

·         Soap

·         Toilet Paper

·         Shampoo

·         Sunscreen

·         Moisturizer

·         Hand sanitizer

Accessories

·         Sunglasses

·         Sleeping bag

·         Cameras

·         Batteries

·         Water Bottle

·         Solar Chargers

·         Hot water Thermos

Important Documents

·         Passport

·         Travel Permits

Ensuring your safety

We suggest taking out an insurance plan for your individual accountability, accidents and illnesses during the service.

Regarding the type of activity, you may be asked to show a certificate of insurance for help and support, sanitation and search. This service is private and not free in Nepal, the helicopter will not take off until it is convinced to pay for the insurance.

Carrying Extra money

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 would also have to pay for hot showers, Wi-Fi and charging. 

As for the tips, A general rule of thumb for tipping is USD 25 for the guide per traveller and USD 25 for porter between two travellers 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

Luggage per one person

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 daypack to keep your personal belongings such as wallet, camera, water bottle, dry snack, headlight, gadgets etc.

Single Supplementary

There will be two people accommodated in each room for the duration of the tour. If you prefer private accommodation, you'll find the option for "single supplement" of USD 250. Important:  Please note that during the trek there are some lodges which won't have sufficient rooms to provide private accommodation. So, even if you purchase single supplement you will end up sharing a room for some days of the trek.

Travel and Transportation Modes 

By Bus: Touring to and from city destinations is done on a private vehicle such as a car, jeep or microbus. Luxury tourist buses, which are only hired by the company for the most part, make the long distance travel. You will may have to take a public bus on some trip, but you do not need to worry about your protection or comfort because you ride with our guides and support staff in a group.

By air: Transportation by plane is available to fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu at the end of the trek. Please check includes and excludes option for your transportation options included and excluded from the price.

This Tour with HSJ

Guides and Porters

Our local Nepali team is one of the most experienced, hospitable and respected trekking outfits in Nepal. The team is fully licensed and affiliated with the Trekking Agency's Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nepal Tourism Board, Govt. of Nepal, Sustainable Tourism Network, Himalayan Rescue Association and Kathmandu Environmental Educational Project. You will be provided with the professional and an experienced English speaking trekking guide with the good knowledge of the place and the trek. The trekking crew is skilled with the experience of over 10 years, well-trained, friendly guide and, courteous and helpful porters, assured of a wonderfully memorable experience.

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.

Other Programs and services we offer with this trip

• Welcome and Farewell dinner

• Yoga Classes

• Spa services

How do we make sure you get the best experience of this trek?

We are your completely flexible travel partner. Want to follow different route? We have you covered. Have extra time in Nepal? Excellent! We have more add-on tours like Chitwan Jungle Safari, Cable Car ride to Chandragiri hills, Cooking and Yoga classes in Kathmandu and so on. Would like to customize the trip? Well, why not? Give us your ideas and we will prepare complete itinerary for you. Do you want to use different standard of accommodations than provided in the itineraries? Of course! You absolutely can. From your arrival until you departure, your wishes are our command. Feel free to make the request.

Last minute booking

It is best to book in advance but for those who cannot, for whatever reason, make a last minute reservation special arrangement for Himalayan Social Journey. In the case of last minute reservation, 100% tour payment will be approved within 24 hours. We try to operate a trek at any time but we are not liable for the delay in case of last-minute reservation, because of uncontrolled changes such as weather and the availability of accommodation.

Feedbacks

Throughout the years of business, we have always put the customers feedback as our inspiration towards making our company great travel partner. With many ups and downs, and good and not so good feedbacks we have reached where we are now. At the end of the trek, while you are with the crew during farewell dinner, we would appreciate if you give us your valuable feedback, account of good and bad experiences, recommendations and also your honest rating to our trip advisor page.