Everything You Need To Know To Trek Annapurna Circuit Independently

Trekking the Himalayas in Nepal can sound intimidating. Many think that it is an experience accessible only to seasoned trekkers or those who can afford to use expensive trekking companies. Well, with enough research and planning, you can absolutely trek in the Annapurna Circuit independently – and on a budget just like we did!

The almost 300-kilometers Annapurna Circuit is challenging but rewarding trek. It is arguably still one of the best treks in the world which crosses two different river valleys and encircles the Annapurna Massif. If you open yourself to this experience, we guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Getting to Nepal

Fly into Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport and spend at least two or three days in the city – relax, getting your trekking permit, and shopping for supplies. We stayed in Thamel where is considered a backpackers haven. It is accessible by bus from airport with lots of guesthouses/ hotels to choose from. There is no lack of food places, and many gear shops for you to bargain with. 

Visa

Most nationalities can get either a 15/30/90 days visa when arriving into Nepal either by flight or overland. 

15 days – US $ 25.00 for 15 days single/multiple entry.

30 days – US $ 40.00 for 30 days single/multiple entry.

90 days – US $ 100.00 for 90 days single/multiple entry.

I, personally was quite impressed by the swift visa procedures. Maybe it was a low-peak trekking season, thus it doesn’t looks as hectic as what I’ve read online.

Simply place your machine readable passport ID page over the scanner on the lower left. Make sure the barcode bit of it is directly over the black part of the scanner. If successful, just press “confirm” on the touch screen. You’ll be prompted to enter in your hotel details and length of stay. You may enter “29” under “Ward” to represent Thamel and “District” is Bagmati. The machine will then take a photo of you, so keep your photos for applying your trekking permits. Confirm all your details and collect the slip of paper printed out. Confused? Wave to the friendly staff around to help you.

The payment does not have to be United States Dollar (USD) or Euro (EUR)! They accept a wide range of currencies: Australian Dollar (AUD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Singapore Dollar (SGD), Danish Kroner (DKK), Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), Pound Sterling (GBP), Swiss Franc (CHF), Emirati Dirham (AED), Qatari Riyal (QAD), Saudi Arab Riyal (SAR), South Korean Won (KRW), Japanese Yen (JPY), Chinese Yuan (CNY), Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), Thai Baht (THB).

After payment, queue up at the immigration counter on the right. There are counters for 15/30 days visa and for 90-days visa so do make sure you queue up the correct lane. Present your passport and visa receipt to the officer, and you’ll get a sticker visa on your passport’s page within minutes!

SIM Card

We bought a Ncell SIM card from the airport. Alternatively, you can easily get one or recharge your card at most shops in Thamel. Documents required buying a Sim in Nepal:

1. Copy of Passport
2. Passport-sized photograph
3. Sim Registration form
4. Copy of Visa 

Wi-Fi

Surprisingly, almost every guesthouses we stayed had Wi-Fi but do not expect strong connection. And, the higher the altitude, the Wi-Fi rate goes from being free to US$1-US$3 for 24 hours. But hey, we were in the Himalayan mountains so just enjoy being with the nature! 

Electricity

For Nepal, there are three associated plug types: C, D and M. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins, plug type D is the plug which has three round pins in a triangular pattern and plug type M has three round pins. Nepal operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

It’s a common issue to have power failure in Nepal, even in big cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara. Bear in mind to have touch light with you and keep in a compartment where you can reach out easily.

Currency

The legal currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupees (NPR). I would recommend to change your currency in Nepal itself as the rate will be much better. By right, you’re supposed to change your remaining Nepalese Rupees to US Dollar at the airport, but the counter did not open when we were there.

Trekking Seasons

The best time of the year to hike Annapurna Circuit is Autumn – from September to November. And then – Spring, from Mid-March to Early-May. Summer, June through September is the monsoon season, when as much as 70% of the annual rainfall occurs. This is also when rocks fall and landslides are most likely to occur. December through February will be too cold to trek but there are people still do it anyways.

We did our trek from Mid-April, which was considered low-season as we hardly met more than 5 trekkers each day. We were glad to trek during this period as the guesthouses were mostly empty which made us easy to bargain for free private room and request for extra blankets. Right until we reached Annapurna Sanctuary Trek (ABC), we got to meet more tourists crowd.

Weather

There are no rules for the weather in the mountains. Over the 23-days trek we experienced 4 seasons with gorgeous sunny days with temperatures up to 25°C and then days below freezing temperatures, the lowest was a chilly -5°C (this was close to the Thorong-La Pass above 5,000-meters). The wind can suddenly arrive from no-where and you turn a corner to nearly get blown over, this was definitely the case walking through ‘Windy Valley’ (from Kagbeni to Marpha).

Insurance

To get ACAP and TIMS permit, you need to have a travel insurance. The travel insurance should at least cover trekking altitude of up to 6,000-meters, or even better with emergency evacuation at mountains. There isn’t any insurance company in Singapore which offers such package for independent trekkers. So…..we decided to make do with a basic travel insurance and bluff our way through.

Trekking Permits

You will need to apply your Trekker’s Information Management System card (TIMS) and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) in Kathmanthu or Pokhara. These documents are required to check-in at various checkpoints along the trek. The whole process is fairly straightforward and we spent less than 1-hour to get both permits done. 

TIMS costs 2,000 NPR and ACAP costs 2,260 NPR. Do bring at least 4 passport-sized photos (2 for each permit), insurance policy number, the time frame of your trek, the route of your trek.

There are many different treks in Nepal located extensively throughout the country. Each trek route requires different trekking permit needed and prices vary as well. Of course, make sure you go to the correct counter to apply for your permit.

And do not leave without getting some free trekking maps! Instead of spending money to buy complicated maps for the trek, we think these maps are good enough.

Packing List

For Him:

• 3 x Dry-fit Tee
• 2 x Long Trekking Pants
• 2 x Boxers
• 2 x Pairs of socks
• 1 x Cap
• 1 x Long Sleeve Shirt
• 1 x Rainproof Windbreaker
• 1 x Towel
• 1 x Down Jacket
• 1 x Sunglasses
• 2 x Buff
• 1 x Trekking Shoes
• 1 x Flip-Flops
• 1 x Toiletries bag
• 1 x  Fleece Jacket (1000 NPR/ US$10)
• 2 x Trekking poles (1000 NPR/ US$10)

For Her:

• 2 x Long Sleeve 
• 3 x Dry-Fit Tee
• 1 x Zip-off Trekking Pants
• 1 x Long Skirt
• 2 x Long Leggings
• 25 x Disposable Underwear
• 2 x Sets of undergarments
• 1 x Towel
• 1 x Fleece Jacket
• 1 x Rainproof Windbreaker
• 1 x Shawl 
• 3 x Pairs of socks
• 1 x Trekking Shoes
• 1 x Flip-Flops
• 1 x Trekking Poles
• 1 x Sunglasses
• 1 x Toiletries bag

Gadgets:

• 1 x GoPro 
• 1 x Compact Camera
• 2 x Smart Phones
• 1 x Universal Adapters
• 1 x Multiple Plugs
• 1 x Extra Memory Card
• 4 x Power Banks
• 2 x Headlights

Others

• Dettol Wipes
• Baby Powder
• Water Bottles
• LifeStraw
• Ginger Tea with Lemon Sachets
• Coffee Sachets
• Toilet Roll
• Whistles
• Basic First Aid (Band-aids, Alcohol Swipes, Charcoal pills)
• Sunscreen

Budget

Basically our only expenses in the mountains are accommodation, food and drinking water. Here’s a rough breakdown on how much both of us spent over the 23-days trek:

Accommodation: 4,000 NPR (US$37)

Food: 55,670 NPR (US$520)

Drinking Water: 545 NPR (US$5)

Accommodation

The Annapurna Circuit winds its way through towns with plenty of accommodation to offer. Room prices range from 100 – 500 NPR (US$1-5) per room. Generally, they will have a cozy common area with a fireplace and good company. All guesthouses come with a “restaurant” where you are expected to dine in (dinner & breakfast). If you did not, they will charge higher rate for the room.

We didn’t pay for any accommodation until Thorong High Camp. We (basically me) always try my luck and ask for it – can you give us a free room, if we eat dinner and breakfast with you? And it works! They usually show you the room first, and you can make a deal if you are satisfied with the room. There are many others trekkers we spoke to had been paying for accommodation.

The higher you ascend, especially once you start Annapurna Sanctuary Trek (Annapurna Base Camp Trail) where there are limited guesthouses, all necessities such as hot shower, Wi-Fi and power charging will be additional charges.

Food

The meals on the trek are basic with choices ranging from porridge, pancakes, and eggs for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, we usually choose between Dahl Baht, fried potatoes with mixed vegetables, or noodle soup. Meal prices typically range from 250 – 650 NPR (US$2.50 – US$6.50).

You will find small shops dotted along the trail and in small villages you pass. Be aware that goods get more expensive the higher you ascend. We stocked up our snacks at two places: Kathmandu and Chhomrong. Manang is also a good place to stock up your snacks at cheaper price. 

Water

Make sure to stay hydrated! 1 liter of bottled water in Kathmandu may cost you 25 NPR (25 cents), though further up the trail it is not unusual to pay 200 NPR (US$2) per bottle. Nevertheless, you can save money and environment by either using water purification tablets or fill up at safe water stations available throughout the trek. For us, we used Lifestraw to drink from waterfalls and lakes.

The safe water drinking stations are available in: Jagat, Tal, Bagarchhap, Chame, Pisang, Humde, Manang, Churi Letdar, Mukinath, Kagbeni, Jomsom, Marpha, Tukuche, Larjung, Lete, Ghasa and Birethanti.

Trekking Route

Our trek started in Besi Sahar (an 8-hours bus ride from Kathmandu’s Gongabu Bus Park) and ended in Landruck where we took a jeep to Pokhara.

Read More: Annapurna Circuit Trek – Our Day-To-Day Itinerary And Expenses

Our day-by-day route:

Besi Sahar – Ngadi – Jagat – Bagarchhap – Chame – Upper Pisang – Manang – Acclimatization in Manang – Seeri Khadka – Tilicho Base Camp – Tilicho Lake – Seeri Khadka – Ledar – Thorong High Camp – Muktinath – Marpha – Kalopani – Tatopani – Ghorepani – one more day in Ghorepani – Gurjung – Dovan – Annapurna Base Camp – Chhomrong – Pokhara

What to Expect from the Trek

The trek goes through from lush green jungle and farming areas through to barren and rocky mountains. The paths can be wet, muddy, slippery, rocky, dusty and lined with snow. The Annapurna Circuit definitely takes you through some of the most beautiful landscapes Nepal has to offer!

Be prepared for all weather conditions. The weather to be hot and humid at the start. As you go higher, it gets cooler. You’ll likely to start off in shorts and a t-shirt and finish in a jacket and pants. The trail is well-marked with red and white markers, and there are guest houses in every 5 – 10 kilometers. As from our experience, the locals were happy to help us when we asked for directions!

Expect to be both mentally and physically challenged. Trek at your own comfortable pace and take some moments to enjoy your surroundings. After-all, this is all the fun part in completing Annapurna Circuit!

Lastly, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @wanderrsaurus on Instagram!

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