Annapurna circuit trek is an allrounder trek in the Annapurna region. This trek provides you with the magnificent views of the Annapurna mountains along with the Tilicho lake. The passes along the road act as a popular viewpoint for the trekkers.
Annapurna circuit trek cost depends largely on your trek route and the quality of services you desire. Based on various things like transportation, accommodation, food and drinks, guides, etc, the Annapurna Circuit trek cost varies.
The main determinant of the Annapurna Circuit trek cost is the trek route you decide to take. Whether you decide to include Tilicho lake in your trek or not takes a day or two off your trek. This leads to the cost changes in the Annapurna Trek cost.
Highlights
Thorong La Pass
Thorong La Pass is a ridge at an astonishing height of 5416 meters. Also known as one of the highest passes of Nepal, Thorong La Pass provides you with the most beautiful views of the Annapurna mountains along with Dhaulagiri and Manaslu. This has become a famous viewpoint among the trekkers in the region. It is one of the main attractions in the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Tilicho Lake
Tilicho lake is one of the highest lakes in Nepal and in the world as well. At the altitude of 4919 meters, it is a popular attraction among the people trekking the Annapurna region. Especially with the Annapurna Circuit trekker, Tilicho lake has become a famous destination. People add a few days in their trek to visit this sacred and beautiful lake at the foot of Annapurna Mountains.
Muktinath Temple
A popular destination among pilgrims and culturally motivated trekkers is the Muktinath temple. Famous for its sacred and cultural visitors from both Buddhists and Hindu worshippers, the temple is never really empty. With the sacred 108 sprouts of purity, worshippers are always coming to the temple to show their devotion through either bathing in the freezing cold water or by lining up in front of the gods.
Poon Hill Sunrise
Apart from the viewpoint at Thorong La pass with the beautiful views of the mountains, the Circuit trek has another popular viewpoint. Popular for the views of the mountains as the sun hits the mountains early in the morning, Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint is always crowded with trekkers. Trekkers wait to catch a glimpse of the sunrise on the snowy caps revealing the beautiful valleys underneath in the early mornings at Poon Hill.
Tatopani
With a lot of stories regarding the medicinal properties of the natural hot springs at Tatopani, people have made this their favorite spot in the trek. After the tiring walk for days on end on the rocky remote trails and twists and turns, what would feel better than a warm bath? And nothing could top it if it is a natural hot spring with rumored medicinal properties.
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Annapurna circuit trek package cost
The 17 days Annapurna Circuit trek package provided to you by Good Vibe Adventure costs you $965 per person. The cost is for a 17 days trek of the Annapurna region including the highest pass of the region Thorong La pass and Poon Hill sunrise view. The cost provides you with a range of activities and facilities.
Cost Includes
- Airport pick up and drop in private vehicle
- All ground transportation in a public bus or tourist bus as per your requirements
- 2 nights stay in Kathmandu in 2-star hotel
- One night stay in Pokhara in 2-star hotel
- Lodge and tea house accommodation during the trek
- Three-course meals a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Professional, licensed guide
- A porter assigned to two trekkers
- All costs of the staff
- Tax
- Permit charges
- Entrance Fees
- Good Vibe Adventure’s t-shirt, sleeping bag, a down jacket, and a trekking map
- Emergency Helicopter Rescue service arrangements which will be paid off by your Travel insurance company.
- Exclusive Medical Kit Bag.
- Farewell Dinner
Cost Excludes
- International airfare charges.
- Nepal Visa fee
- City sightseeing entry fees
- Travel and rescue insurance (necessary).
- Lunch and Dinner in Pokhara and Kathmandu city
- Personal expenses during the trek like phone calls, laundry, bar bills, internet, bottle or boiled water & Hot Drinks Tea and Coffee, Hot Shower, charge for electrical devices, Heater during the Trek and Sweet things like desert).
- Extra night accommodation and meals will cost you more.
- Tips for the guide, porter. (Tipping is voluntary).
- Any other expenses which are not mentioned in the itinerary or the cost inclusions.
Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost Factors
Transportation
One of the major cost factors for the Annapurna Circuit trek cost is the Annapurna circuit trek transportation cost. You can choose which routes to travel by bus or private car as the routes are mostly modernized.
If you travel from Kathmandu to Besisahar in a public local bus, it will cost you around USD 10 per person.
However, if you want to get to Besisahar from Kathmandu, you will pay around USD 110 for the whole ride.
You can do this trek anti-clockwise starting from Pokhara. For this, you will have to take a flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara which will cost you around USD 110. However, professional guides do not recommend this route as it has high chances of you getting altitude sickness.
Accommodation
Another determinant of the Annapurna Circuit trek cost is Annapurna Circuit Trek Accommodation cost. The main regions for the high changes in cost due to accommodation are the cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara. There are many options for you to choose from in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
You will be provided with a 2-star hotel; as per the package.
You can change the accommodation as per your requirement. You can also find 3-star hotels for accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara., these will cost more.
If you want a luxurious feel and accommodation, you will have to pay more for the rooms. You can inform the company and they will make similar required preparations. The cost of tourist hotels in Kathmandu for 2 days ranges from $110-250.
As you reach the higher altitudes, your accommodations will be limited to teahouses and lodges. The lodges and tea houses provide you with clean rooms with twin beds and clean attached bathrooms. These lodges are arranged by your trekking company.
Permit costs
Annapurna Circuit Trek cost includes permit costs. There are various permits and entry cards. Your trekking company will arrange the trekking permits and entry cards for you and will have the cost included in their package.
However, if you want to learn about the permits that are required for the Annapurna Circuit trek, Annapurna Circuit Trek permit costs are explained below.
TIMS card which costs USD 20 per person if you are an individual and USD 10 if you are in a group. The Cost of the TIMS card is only USD 6 for SAARC country citizens.
Annapurna Conservation Area permit costs NRs 3000 which is approximately USD 30 but if you are a SAARC national, it costs you only NRs 200.
Guide and porter cost
For a fulfilling and comparatively easier Annapurna Circuit trek experience, a guide and porter is a must. You can complete the circuit trek without a guide or a porter as well. If you are a professional trekker with proper knowledge of the region or the map, you can do without a guide as well.
Also if you are physically competent that you can complete your trek while carrying a 15 kilograms luggage with you throughout the way, you can do so.
But if you are not a beginner and not really knowledgeable about the routes, it is better to be safe than sorry and hire a guide. A guide will help you discover the easiest, safe and beautiful routes so you can be safe while enjoying the best views. A professional guide in the Annapurna region charges you around USD 30- 35 per day. The guides are usually hired by your trekking company so you don't have to worry about it at all.
Similarly, you can enjoy your trek without having to carry your luggage with you at all times weighing you down. So you can just rest easy and hire a porter to carry your luggage for you. They can carry around 20 kgs of luggage. They charge you around USD 18-20 per day. The porters are also hired by your trekking company. Usually, one porter carries the luggage of two people at once.
Food and drinks cost
The food and drinks are available in a wide range of choices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. You can get a decent meal ranging from $3 to $30. The meals in the cities are mostly in restaurants and cafes with different menus.
However, during your trek, you will be dining in tea houses. The main food you will be provided is Dal Bhat. You can find many tea houses with modern menus like pizzas and noodles and baked goods but as you get higher up, the menus slowly have less food. The food also gets kind of expensive in the higher altitudes. The cost of a meal during the trek ranges from USD 5-10.
Also, you can get drinks in the city easily. However, the drinks in the higher altitude range from bottled drinking water to authentic masala teas and coffees.
The bottled water costs from USD 1 to 5
Masala teas cost from USD 0.5 to 2
Hot water per cup costs from USD 0.5 to 2.
Trekking equipment cost
Another major part of the Annapurna Circuit trek cost is the trekking equipment cost. Annapurna Circuit Trek is a moderate to difficult level trek. This means you will require quality trekking equipment to complete the trek and have a safe journey throughout the trek.
The cost of the trekking equipment depends on an individual and varies from person to person. If you are a professional trekker, you can easily manage the trek. But if you are a beginner, you will need quality trekking gear.
Most trekking equipment is rented by the trekking company as well to be returned after the trek is over. However, it is better to invest a little into your trekking equipment as they will be per your preferences and requirements and last you a long time.
Some of the major trekking equipment you will need for your Annapurna Circuit Trek are listed below:
- Warm sleeping bag
- Duffel bag and a day pack
- Warm and waterproof jacket
- Trekking trousers and shirts with a second layer fleece if you are traveling in the colder days
- A lightweight high-quality trekking boots
- Hiking boots
- Headlight
- Pair of regular shoes or sandals to give your feet a break or for when you want to take a stroll
- Warm gloves and socks along with inner and outerwear
- Trekking Poles
An estimated cost of all the required equipment for the Annapurna Circuit trek amounts up to USD 500. You can, however, rent this equipment from the trekking company as well.
Miscellaneous cost
Other than the transportation, accommodation, food and equipment costs, there may be other factors that incur costs during the Annapurna Circuit Trek. These additional trek costs are known as Annapurna Circuit Trek Miscellaneous costs.
These costs include the cost of personal extra costs incurred like charges of charging electrical devices, hot showers, the cost of extra drinks on the road or the tips to be provided to other staff during your trek.
These miscellaneous costs may also include the cost of first aid kits or things you bought as souvenirs or other items. The miscellaneous costs totally depend on your preferences and your desires. These are the costs that you can cut for a budgeted travel package.
Best Time for Annapurna Circuit Trek
The best time for Annapurna Circuit trek is categorized as Autumn and Spring and then winter while summer is not preferred by many trekkers. The months of September to November and the months of March to May provide you with clear views and abundant food and accommodation arrangements.
Being the peak season for Annapurna Circuit Trek, the food and accommodation cost is comparatively easy to find but kind of expensive and crowded. The peak seasons cause the prices to rise for these treks.
The months of December to February are considered freezing cold but with proper preparation, you can enjoy the snow falls in the Annapurna region during this time.
The summer season, however, is very rainy in Nepal. This causes the roads to be slippery and muddy. So many people avoid the summer season Annapurna Circuit trekking.
But if you carefully plan out your trekking plans, you can get cheaper deals on the offseason flights and packages.
Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary Outline
Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu
Max Altitude :1350m
Day 2: Drive to Syange/ Jagat for 5hrs
Max altitude :1330m
Day 3: Trek to Dharapani for 5hrs
Max Altitude: 1960m
Day 4: Trek to Chame for 5hrs
Max Altitude: 2630m
Day 5: Trek to Pisang for 4/5hrs.
Max Altitude: 3300 m
Day 6: Trek to Manang for 5hrs.
Max Altitude: 3540m
Day 7: Acclimatization day at Manang village (you can trek to Tilicho)
Max Altitude: 3540m
Day 8: Trek to Yak Kharka for 4hrs
Max Altitude: 4050m
Day 9: Trek to Thorong Phedi for 4hrs
Max Altitude: 4425m
Day 10: Cross to Thorung la pass then trek down to Muktinath for 9hrs
Max Altitude: 5416 m
Day 11: Trek from Muktinath to Jomsom for 5hrs
Max Altitude: 3800 m
Day 12: Drive to Tatopani either by local bus or private jeep.
Max Altitude: 2760 m
Day 13: Trek to Ghorepani for 9hrs
Max Altitude: 2880 m
Day 14: Trek to Hille for 5hrs
Max Altitude:1500 m
Day 15: Trek to Nayapul and an hour drive to Pokhara.
Max Altitude: 1010 m
Day 16: Fly/Drive back to Kathmandu.
Day 17: Final Departure from TIA
Tips for Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost Reduction
- Carry a few sachets of tea bags so you can save some money on teas and coffees in higher altitudes.
- Try finding off-season deals as the prices of packages and flights highly decrease during the off-season times.
- Carry a water bottle and water purifiers with you so you don't have to buy bottled water all throughout your trek.
- If you can’t afford it, rent the trekking equipment instead of buying them.
- Tipping the staff is voluntary and tips shouldn’t be very high, only 10 percent of the total cost so don’t worry about tipping too little.
Why Choose a Local Trekking Company?
The total cost of the Annapurna Circuit Trek if you decide to travel on your own sums up to almost USD 1200. So it is better for you to get the best deals from local companies as they are more knowledgeable about the price ranges in the region. With local businesses and trekking companies, you can easily get better rates at accommodations and food.
Collaborating with Good Vibe Adventure, you get to enjoy the trek for 17 days with all the problems taken care of for you. All you have to do is prepare yourself mentally and physically for the trek. All the other preparations like food, transport, accommodations are taken care of for you by the company. All this at the rate of only USD 965. This is a great deal as it would have cost you a whopping USD 1200 if you planned it all by yourself.
So, keep calm and let Good Vibe Adventure handle all the processes for the trek including your permits and accommodations and transportation to the trekking point and back. You can enjoy yourselves basking in the glorious views of the mountains and the culture along the way. We will make sure you enjoy the comfort and safety you would’ve guaranteed yourselves throughout the trip and make this a memorable trek during your lifetime.
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