Annapurna Circuit trek

You may have noticed that our prices for Nepal are generally much lower than other companies. This is because we have chosen not to include food and drinks in the teahouses within our trek cost. Our reasoning for doing this is as follows - as the quality of lodges has improved, so has the food. It used to be the case that the only meal available was Dahl Bhat - boiled rice with a very thin lentil dahl. This is what the porters will eat almost exclusively and you will often hear them joke "Dhal bhat - 24 hour power". It might be 24 hour power for a Nepali who has lived on it all his life but for anyone else it is pretty unappetising fair on a regular basis. Fortunately, all but the most remote lodges now offer an extensive menu of food including local delicacies such as Yak Steak with blue cheese sauce and more western alternatives such as calzone and chips as well as the standard Dhal Bhat.

We have found over the years that our guests require different intakes of food to suffice their energy needs and where some are content with Dhal Bhat everyday, others wish to sample the menu. We therefore decided that rather than restrict the options available to our guests with a set menu, we have handed over the choice to you; you can choose what you want to eat at the lodges, and settle your own bill in the morning. While you can eat heartily for very little money at any lodge, we do recommend that you budget £30-35 ($40-45) per day for meals and drinks. This will ensure that you not only have plenty of food, but that you enjoy your trek a lot more.

One word of advice, place your meal order as soon as you can upon arriving at the lodge as it is strictly ‘first ordered, first served’, and the best lodges are quite busy at meal times.

Your full day by day itinerary shows what is included in terms of hotel accommodation and meal basis. All of our pre- and post-trek nights are in comfortable 4* hotel accommodation based in the Thamel District of Kathmandu.

You will be staying at teahouses, situated in villages along the trail. The standard of accommodation still varies hugely but on the most popular routes there is generally plenty of clean, well kept accommodation. Rooms are normally twin shares and consist of two wooden bench beds per room with mattresses and sheets. Most will provide blankets but we would certainly recommend bringing your own good quality 4 season sleeping bag unless you are used to sleeping rough in freezing conditions. Whenever possible we will try to book en-suite rooms, but availability is very limited. Generally along this trek bathroom facilities will be shared and it will be a short walk to reach them so footwear to use at the teahouses is essential if you don't want to spend the entire trek in your boots. Showers are not always available and it tends to be just the communal areas that are heated.

Wifi is available in almost all villages and you will be able to access the luxury of hot showers at some teahouses. If you wish to use these sundry items then expect to add an additional $15 per day to your food budget. We do probably over-estimate the food cost, but there is no ATM until you reach Jomsom, so you have no access to money until this point. We would rather you have too much money with you than not enough.

Dining in the lodges will be in a large open room with tables round the outside and a fire in the centre. Our guides try to make sure we secure you a spot away from the door and nearer to the fire but can't always guarantee this.

The toilet situation is something a lot of our guests want to know about! In Nepal, the hotel we use has western flushing toilets. On the trek itself, the teahouses will have squat toilets or "posh squats". This will most likely be a tiled squat toilet with somewhere to wash your hands. We recommend bringing toilet roll with you as you won't find any in the toilets, however you will find it is available to buy at most teahouses.

We insist on using a high standard of vehicle and driver for all of our transfers. In Nepal it is not a legal requirement to have seatbelts fitted in the back of vehicles, and while we try to use vehicles that do have rear seatbelts fitted, this cannot always be guaranteed. If you are unhappy about any aspect of the vehicle or the standard of driving, please speak to the driver or our local office immediately.

The internal flights from Jomsom to Pokhara and Pokhara to Kathmandu operate an absolutely strict maximum limit of 10kg for your main equipment bag and a maximum of 5kg for your day sack. Your baggage will be weighed by the airport staff so it is important that you do not exceed these limits.

The porters can carry up to 15kg in the main equipment bag, so there is scope for your bag to be slightly heavier while you are on the trek. However, you may need to move items into your daysack for the flight out of Jomsom.

Duffel bags

You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.

All items must be packed in your main equipment bag. They should not be attached to the outside, as we are not responsible if items fall off when the bags are being carried on the trek.

There are several ways to get to Nepal from Europe and the USA all of which involve an international flight to Tribhuvan International Airport which is the main airport in Kathmandu.

There are a lot of flights that fly to Kathmandu through the Middle East. Qatar, Gulf and Air Emirates offer daily flights from Europe and the US to Kathmandu, with a stopover at their central hubs. You must be careful though, as some of these layovers are very long indeed. Check the schedules carefully, and consider using Qatar. They seem to have the shortest layovers (at Doha) by a substantial margin.

The other alternative is to fly via Delhi, with BA , Air India or Jet and then catch a shorter flight up to Kathmandu. Again be careful of long layovers and be warned - some of the reviews for Air India are less than glowing!

If you are changing airlines or re-checking your luggage at an airport on route, please ensure you leave a minimum of 3 hours between flights. This will account for any delays on arrival, travel time across airports (this can take longer than you think) and time taken to re-check baggage.

Travelling Responsibly

Here at Kandoo, we like to support our guests to make their travel more sustainable. As of 2025, we are offsetting the carbon on all of our trips from arrival in destination to dropping you back off at the airport. As we don't include flight travel in our trips these aren't included in our offsetting calculations, so we are providing you with the calculator below for you to do this yourselves.

eC02 Flights Calculator

Your pre-trek briefing will be at 4pm the evening before the trek begins, at your hotel. The briefing is an opportunity for your guide to check you are fully prepared and also an opportunity for you to ask any final questions. We will carry out your baseline health check which will be used to spot any early signs of altitude sickness after you start trekking.

The Nepali Rupee is a closed currency so you will not be able to buy this before you arrive. If travelling from the UK or the US, it is advisable to travel with your home currency and exchange this in Kathmandu. It is very important that bills be new (less than 10 years old), crisp and untorn. We recommend changing currency in Kathmandu rather than at the airport as you will get a much better exchange rate. There are exchange kiosks less than a 5 minute walk from the hotel and your guide will be happy to assist you in finding these should you need them to. Alternatively all the hotels in Kathmandu will change small amounts of money for you.

We recommend that you take local currency on the actual trek with you, as the teahouses prefer local currency. You will also get a more favourable exchange rate in Kathmandu than in the mountains. If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.

In Kathmandu a meal for two at a mid range restaurant will cost ~$20. A taxi will generally start on a base rate of $0.45 and then charge $0.4 for every km. Or you can ride the bus which will be around $0.15 for a 5km journey. Souvenirs in Kathmandu are generally on the cheaper side too.

Whilst on the trek, we recommend that you budget £30 - £35 ($40 to $45) per day for meals and drinks.

You may also want to be prepared to pay for the cost of a helicopter which can fly in bad weather (around US$300-500 per person), in the case of your flight to or from Pokhara being postponed due to bad weather conditions.

Our recommended guidance for spending budget in Nepal would be between $500-800 (depending on the length of the trip and your meal preferences) on top of your tips, to give you ample money for souvenirs and treats.

We realise that tipping may not be a common practice in all countries but for Nepal it is a standard practice that all operators support. The decision on how much to tip should be determined by how well the team served you while you were on the trek. Tips are always discretionary and if you are not happy with the service you have received you do not have to pay tips. Tips can be made in US dollars or Nepali Rupees. It is very important that US bills be new (less than 10 years old), crisp and untorn.

We are members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and follow their guidelines when recommending tip levels for guides and porters. We would suggest you budget $200 per trekker for your tip contribution on this route. The group tip can be given to your porters and guides during your celebratory meal in Jomsom on the final night of your trek. You will then say goodbye to your porters the following morning.

Please double check that your passport is valid for 6 months beyond the date of arrival in Nepal. We recommend that you take a photocopy of your passport and keep it separate from the original, and this will be useful if the original is lost while you are travelling. You must carry your passport on the trek with you, as it is required for internal flights.

Most visitors to Nepal (including nationals from the UK, Europe, USA and Australia) require a tourist visa to enter Nepal. To secure a visa you will need to present proof that you have a return ticket, and proof that you have sufficient money to support yourself during your stay in Nepal. Visa can be obtained online at: https://uk.nepalembassy.gov.np/visa/. Visas are valid for 6 months from the date of issue, so do not send off your application too early.

The other option is to queue and pay for a visa on arrival at Kathmandu Tribhubhan International Airport. This will need to be paid for in cash. We highly recommend securing a visa before departure as this will ensure you have no problems passing immigration, as well as speed up the process of clearing immigration. You will need at least one blank visa page in your passport. Certain nationalities not mentioned above must apply for a visa in advance, so check with your local Nepalese Embassy or online at: https://www.immigration.gov.np/page/visa-on-arrival. If you are flying into Kathmandu, your entry point will be Tribhuvan International Airport.

For most of our trips, you may be ok with a 15 day tourist visa which costs USD30 (around GBP25). However, if you are adding any extra days in Kathmandu you would then require a 30 day tourist visa which USD50 (around GBP40). Visas can be extended once you are in Nepal, but overstaying your visa is taken very seriously, and can result in your being detained or not allowed to leave without paying a fine. In Kathmandu airport they will assume you are paying in your home country currency so make sure you have the amount you need for your visa, or to extend your visa, in cash in your home currency. For smaller currencies, USD will be the best replacement.

The standard vaccinations required are diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A, but you should always consult your doctor or travel clinic for the most up to date advice.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully and adequately insured for the duration of your trip. Please ensure that all activities, excursions and destinations in your itinerary are included in your travel insurance policy, in addition to your regular cover for cancellation and medical expenses. For the Annapurna and Everest Regions, we recommend cover up to 6000m of altitude. If you are climbing Mera Peak or Island Peak you will need cover for trekking up to 7000m of altitude.

Please take a copy of your insurance policy to the pre-trek briefing, as the guide will need to collect your insurance details. We also ask that you keep a copy of your policy summary (containing policy number and the emergency contact number for your insurer) in your day sack at all times, so that we can access this information should we need to contact the insurer on your behalf.

Malaria

There is no risk of malaria in Kathmandu and or on the majority of Himalayan treks that we operate, due to the altitude. However, there is a risk of malaria in areas of Nepal below 1,500m, particularly in the Terai district, the lowland region of Nepal adjacent to the Indian border. This region includes Chitwan National Park, so if you are planning a safari extension to your trek, you need to plan anti-malarial medication for this part of your trip. In addition to taking medication, we would recommend you take every precaution to prevent mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved trousers and shirts at dusk and dawn when the mosquitos are active, and by using a DEET based mosquito repellent.

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness, also called Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), hypobaropathy and soroche, is an illness caused by exposure to low air pressure, especially low partial pressure of oxygen, which many trekkers experience at high altitudes. AMS is caused by exerting yourself at high altitudes, especially if you have not been properly acclimatised. It is most common at altitudes above 2400 metres. All our routes in Nepal have been designed to aid your acclimatisation wherever possible, but the following will also help your body adjust:

Slow and steady. You need to keep your respiration rate low enough to maintain a normal conversation. If you are panting or breathing hard, you must slow down. There is no pressure on you to keep up with other members of your group.

Drink much more water than you think you need. Proper hydration helps acclimatisation dramatically. You need to drink at least three litres each day.

Diamox

There has been a lot of research on Diamox that shows it has been reasonably well proven to be helpful in avoiding AMS by speeding up the acclimatisation process. In the UK it is a prescription drug which must be prescribed by a doctor, but some doctors are reluctant to prescribe it. The concern is that by taking Diamox, people believe that they are immune from AMS and can ignore the symptoms. In reality, although Diamox can help prevent the symptoms, should symptoms still develop it means that you are not acclimatising and you have to take notice. Diamox is taken before you start trekking to prevent altitude sickness, not once you are on the trek and symptoms have developed.

Dehydration

You can easily become dehydrated at high altitudes. The lower air pressure forces you to breathe more quickly and deeply, and you lose a lot of water through your lungs. You will also be exerting yourself, and sweating, and may even suffer from diarrhoea. As a result, you will have to drink much more water than you normally would so you should drink at least 3 litres of fluids every day while trekking. Even when you do not feel thirsty you have to drink this amount as a minimum, preferably more. Stay on the look-out for signs of dehydration in yourself and your fellow trekkers. The most common symptoms include thirst, dry lips, nose or mouth, headache and feeling fatigued or lethargic.

We recommend that wherever possible you use your own gear for your trek as this is the best way to ensure your comfort and enjoyment. We recognise though that the cost of some items is very high and this may not be possible.

Duffel bags

You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.

We do not have any other gear available for rental but there are many places offering gear for rental in Kathmandu and we can recommend a number of places for you. The quality of rental gear is very variable and it is your responsibility to check carefully the condition of any item you rent. We accept no responsibility for the quality of equipment hired. An indication of the likely rental costs is below.

Four Season Sleeping Bag - $2 per day

Down Jacket - $2 per day

Trekking Poles - $1 per day

Most of the rental shops close around 8pm, so if you are arriving on a late flight the day before the trek starts there will not be an opportunity for you to visit a rental store. If you are planning on renting equipment, you need to make sure you have allowed sufficient time at the beginning of your trip.

All rental equipment is included in your overall trekking bag weight, so make sure you have allowed for this when packing your bag at home. A sleeping bag will weigh around 2kg.

HEADGEAR

Warm beanie style hat – knitted or fleece

Buff - Essential to prevent the cold air reaching your lungs and causing "Khumbu cough"

Sun hat – preferably wide-brimmed for protection

Sunglasses – high UV protection

Headlamp (plus extra batteries)

UPPER BODY

Thermal or fleece base layer (x2)

Long sleeve shirt/tshirt – light or medium weight, moisture wicking (x3)

Short sleeved shirt/tshirt – lightweight, moisture wicking (x2)

Fleece or soft shell jacket (x2)

Insulated jacket – down or primaloft

Lightweight water/windproof hard shell outer jacket

Gloves – lightweight, fleece or quick drying fabric

Waterproof Gloves or mittens – heavyweight, insulated, water resistant

LEGS

Leggings – thermal or fleece base layer (x1)

Trekking trousers – light or medium weight (x2) – convertible trousers work well

Waterproof hard shell trousers – ski pants work fine (x1)

Gaiters

FEET

Trekking boots – mid weight with good ankle support

Training shoe or similar – to wear around the teahouses

Micro-spikes – required for snowy conditions on the Thorung La pass

Mid-weight trekking socks (x5 pairs)

Breathable, high-wicking liner socks (x3 pairs)

Thermal trekking socks for upper reaches of your trek (x1 pair)

GEAR

Small Rucksack or Daypack (30-40 litres) to carry water and personal items

Main equipment bag – max weight when full should be 15kg. This weight restriction includes your sleeping bag. Your duffle will be carried by a porter

Sleeping bag (4 season or -10 Deg C) and compression sack

Trekking poles

Water bottle or hydration bag – must be able to carry 1.5-2L of water

Microspikes

OTHER ACCESSORIES

Sunscreen - high SPF

Lipbalm - ESSENTIAL in Nepal!!

Toiletries, including wet wipes and hand sanitiser – please carry all rubbish back off the trail

Toilet paper - you won't find any in the toilets, but it is available to buy at most teahouses

Camera and spare batteries

Plug adapter, for charging devices in teahouses and hotels

Personal medication and first aid kit

Personal snacks and energy bars – dried fruit and nuts are also a good source of energy

Isotonic drink powder / energy drink powder to mix in with your water. This improves flavour and helps replace electrolytes

Microfibre towel for wiping hands and face each day

Ear plugs, if you are a light sleeper

Pee bottle, useful for late night toilet needs

Dry bag (only required if your main duffle bag is not waterproof)