Itinerary

Departures & Availability

All trip prices are per person based on double occupancy, are subject to change without notice and do not include airfare. All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars.

Gears And Equipment

Trip Information

Equipment Checklist

The gear and equipment you require for the trek depend on personal preferences and the season you are trekking. However, here is a list of probable items we recommend our clients bring to the trek. We advise you to pack only the basics, and if you have extra luggage, you can store them for free at the Friendship World Trek store. Though porters will carry your luggage, the luggage weight limit per trekker is 9 kg. We provide one porter for two trekkers, so we advise you to pack your things with a fellow trekker in a duffle bag.

Head

• Sun hat or scarf
• Winter hat or insulating hat or a wide-brimmed hat
• Headlight with extra batteries

Face

• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Face/body wipes

Hands

• Lightweight gloves
• Heavyweight winter gloves

Body

• Hiking shirts
• Long-sleeved shirt
• Polypropylene underwear
• Down jacket (available for rent in Kathmandu)
• Sweater
• Waterproof jacket and pants
• Hooded rain jacket
• Fleece jacket
• Lightweight cotton pants
• T-Shirt (bring lightweight wool)

Footwear

• Hiking boots
• Thick wool socks (Take an extra pair of thick light socks)

Essential gear

• Backpack or daypack (Size depends on whether you take porter or not)
• Water purification tablets
• Trekking pole
• Thermal bottle
• Sleeping bag (-15 degree bag is best in high altitude trekking)

Toiletries

• Medium size drying towel
• Deodorant floss
• Biodegradable bar soap
• Nail clippers
• Small mirror
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste

Personal accessories

• Money
• Watch
• Cell phone
• Camera

Extra items

• First aid kit
• Extra passport-size photos and photocopies of passport
• Notebook and pen
• Binoculars

Arrival (free airport pickup)

Friendship World Trek provides free airport-to-hotel transfer during arrival and hotel-to-airport transfer during departure. Hence, please send us your flight details as soon as you book your trip. We provide this service, so you do not need to worry about navigating a foreign country that speaks a different language. Moreover, we want you to know that we are always near your if you need help. When you arrive at the airport, you will find our company representative holding a pamphlet with your name. After greeting you, our representative will present you with a garland and then take you to your hotel.

Trek start

You will arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) by three pm, at least one day before the intended trek departure day for last-minute trek preparations. If, in case, you missed the online trip briefing, it will also provide us time to conduct an in-person trip briefing. During the trek briefing, we will provide you with vital information about your trek and go through your luggage to ensure you have not missed packing any essential items. On the trek departure day, we will board a local bus to Bhulbhule. The bus will follow along the Prithivi Highway to Dumre and then turn northwards, reaching Besishar and finally to Bhulbhule (845m), your trek start point.

Accommodation

You will spend ten nights in the trek region at the best available lodges/teahouses. Out of these ten nights, you will spend seven nights in rooms with an attached bathroom at Jagat, Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, Manag (2N), and Muktinath. You will stay in standard rooms in Bhulbhule, Yak Kharka, and Thorang Phedi. All rooms are twin sharing basis. In Pokhara, you will stay in Silver Oaks Inn in a room with an attached bathroom.

You will require at least a one-day hotel stay at Kathmandu before beginning the trek and one more after trek completion. However, this package does not include these stays. You are free to choose your own hotel based on your preferences.

Meals

Annapurna Circuit with Jomsom Trek 15 Days trek takes you to high elevations in the vicinity of the highest mountains on earth, and to complete this mammoth trek, you will need enough nutrient-rich food. We will arrange plenty of nutritious food throughout your hike, but you will not have all the options that large cities provide.

This trek package includes eleven breakfasts, nine lunches, and nine dinners in the trek regions. Your food choices include traditional local, Asian, and Western cuisine, but as you reach up, your food choices get limited. We suggest you try popular Nepali foods, dal (lentils), bhat (rice), tarkari (curry), momo (dumplings), and Chow Mein (noodles)

During the trek, we highly recommend you take plenty of liquids, ginger, green and lemon tea, hot lemon, garlic soup(must), and fresh vegetables at high altitudes. Though non-veg items are available in the trek regions, we don’t recommend them for hygiene concerns. We also encourage you to avoid alcoholic drinks, dairy items, caffeinated drinks, and hot chocolates.

All personal bills (alcoholic, hot (tea, coffee), and cold drinks) in tea houses/lodges/cafes except standard meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner with seasonal fruits) are excluded from the package. Note that this package doesn’t cover lunch and dinner in Pokhara.

Luggage

We assign porters to carry your luggage, but your weight limit is 9 kg. One porter will carry the luggage of two trekkers, but no more than 18 kg combined weight. We suggest you bring only the essential things to the trek. You can store your excess luggage at the Friendship World Trek store. We will check your luggage at the trek briefing to ensure you have not missed packing the essentials. In addition, we expect trekkers to carry a small backpack for valuable items, essential documents, and often used items, like a water bottle.

Typical day

Each trekking day will bring a new experience, including hiking, enjoying the scenery, taking pictures, exploring villages, and tasting local food. As you explore new places, our expert guide will provide you with information about these places. We assign porters to carry your luggage, but you need a small backpack to keep your essentials safe. Your day begins with an early morning hot cup of tea/coffee. The trek starts around 7 to 8 am, depending on the trail length and the nature of the trek.

You will have lunch around midday, often en route to that day’s destination. After lunch, you will rest for about an hour and then continue the trek. Most afternoon treks will be shorter, lasting only a few hours. Once you reach the destination for the day, you can snack on your extra dietary food and then explore the new place.

We serve dinner around 6 to 7 pm. After dinner, your trek leader will brief you about the next day. After this briefing, and before heading to bed, you can entertain yourself by engaging in activities like playing cards, monopoly, or chess, reading books, watching documentaries, or learning light and fun Nepali words.

Electricity and water

You can easily buy bottled water from en-route shops or at lodges/teahouses/hotels you will be staying. However, some trek regions may not allow plastic bottles. So, it is better to bring a water bottle and fill it with boiled water available at tea houses/lodges. We also advise you to use purification pills. If you do not have water purification pills, we can provide them. However, you should not drink from the taps, wells, or rivers in trek regions because the water may not be potable. Trek regions have electricity. You can charge your electronic devices such as cell phones, cameras, power backups, and laptops at lodges/hotels/tea houses you are staying in. You might need to pay a small fee.

Communication

Similarly, you can use the Internet to communicate with your friends and families from lodges/hotels. However, you might need to pay a service fee. You can buy a local sim in Kathmandu, but the signals may not be strong enough at high elevations. Friendship World Trek office remains in contact with all its trek teams at least once a day through the lead guide using mobile. We want to ensure that all treks progress as planned.

Tipping

Nepali culture accepts tipping and views it as a validation of good service. We expect you to tip based on the service received, the length of the trek, and the cost of the trip. It is always best to tip collectively at the end of the trip.

Trek End

Your trek will complete the day you get to Pokhara, where you will spend the last night of the trek package. The following day, we will board you on a tourist bus to return to Kathmandu. After around a six to seven hours drive, you will reach Kathmandu. Later we will organize a farewell dinner in Kathmandu. If you want, you can fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu at your own expense (not included in the trek package).

Feedback

After you complete your trek, Friendship World Trek will organize a farewell dinner at Kathmandu. After the dinner, we will present you with a trek completion certificate, and it is also an opportune time to provide feedback so that we can better serve our future clients.

Useful Info

We advise you that the itinerary listed above is a general guideline. In rare cases, we might need to modify the itinerary due to unavoidable circumstances, such as unstable weather, unavailability of lodging, or inaccessibility. In such cases, you cannot hold us accountable for the delays or circumstances that might arise due to delays.

If itinerary adjustment is required or there is a need to divert to other trails, the trek leader has the authority to decide on which trails to take, keeping in mind the interests of the group members. We also advise you to add a few days to the trek package. It will ensure you will not miss your international flight back home.

Trip extension

After completing the Annapurna Circuit 15 Days trek, you might want to stay a couple of days extra in Nepal. If you decide to stay for a few more days, we can arrange fun activities. There are several options – sightseeing in and around Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan jungle safari, rafting, paragliding, canoeing, and maybe another trek.

Departure

On the day of your flight from Kathmandu Airport back to your home country, our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport. We hope you enjoyed your trek and will return soon for other exciting adventures.

Trek season

Since you cannot escape the influence of the weather, you need to pay attention to the weather as you plan this trek. The trek gets easier in certain seasons, but you can complete the Annapurna Circuit 15 Days trek throughout the year. If you love easy treks, we suggest you choose the spring (March-May) and autumn (Sept-Nov) seasons. During these seasons, the skies are clear, there is no rain, the paths are in perfect condition, and you can get clear views of the picturesque terrain.

The winters are cold, with snowfalls in the trek region, while the monsoon season, which coincides with summer, brings in a lot of rain. So treks during these seasons become challenging. However, some trekkers enjoy overcoming challenges and decide to trek the Annapurna Circuit during these months. Friendship World Trek organizes safe and secure Annapurna circuit treks throughout the year. Here is a summary of the trek conditions you will face in high trek elevations during different seasons.

March-May (Spring): The weather is mild, the rainfall is low, and the trek conditions are perfect. The average daily temperature at high elevations ranges from 0 to 8 °C. Lower trek regions are warmer, making your trek quite comfortable. Trekking season dawns after March. By April, the trek routes are adorned with red, pink, and white rhododendron flowers, making your trek experience life-lasting. From mid-March and lasting till mid-May, the temperatures start to increase. Yet, the temperatures remain cool, and the skies are clear, allowing you to enjoy the clearest views of the mountains.

June to August (Summer): Nepal experiences summer from June to August, but the monsoon also becomes active during summer, bringing a lot of rain to the trek regions, making the trek trails wet and slippery. Monsoon often begins around the end of June and continues till the second week of August. Daytime temperatures range from 10 to 23°C, while the nights are a little cooler at 5 to 10°C. Most mornings are clear, but clouds start building in the afternoon and disappear at night. Despite trek difficulties, the blooming plants during this season provide a green cover to the valleys, providing lush overall views.

September to November (Autumn): Autumn (September, October, and November), like spring, attracts travelers from around the world to this region. Mild wind, moderate temperatures, and low precipitation make autumn a perfect trek season. The sun shines brightly, the days are warm, the skies are clear, and you can get superb views of the mountains. The nights are also cool, and the starry skies provide you time to gaze into the heavens. Monsoon retreats in early September that results in warm to mild days. Daytime temperatures can reach 20°C in high altitudes, but the nights are colder at around 5°C. The monsoon greens now look golden, providing a stunning contrast to the bright blue skies. The grains start to ripen in the lower valleys, and the Dashain and Tihar festivals add a festive mood to the whole trek region.

 December to February (Winter): Annapurna circuit treks during winter are mildly popular. The higher regions of the Annapurna circuit trek regions get very cold, with the daytime temperature reaching as low as -10 °C. However, some trekkers prefer to see the trek regions during the winter, braving the snow and cold temperature. The coldest time in the trek regions starts in December and lasts through early February. After late February, the weather warms up with the sunshine. Though winters are cold, the skies are very clear, and snow-capped mountains look incredible. It is also the season when the trails are least crowded, allowing you to enjoy the mountain peace. Winter is not the right season for new trekkers, but experienced trekkers will find no problems.

The weather in the Himalayas (at high altitudes) is very unpredictable, and the temperatures can change quickly.

Trek difficulty

Annapurna Circuit Jomsom Trek is a challenging but equally rewarding trek. If you are normally fit, you can certainly complete this trek. You do not require prior hiking experience, though it may be useful. However, please remember that the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy your trek. Hence, we advise you to participate in stamina-building exercises, such as swimming, cycling, jogging, or even a long day trek with a small backpack, a few weeks before the trek departure date. However, if you suffer from serious health conditions, such as heart, lung, or blood diseases,  you must consult your doctor before booking the trek.

Trek safety

This Annapurna Circuit 15 Days package includes a rest day in Manang (3,540m) for acclimatization to avoid altitude sickness, also called acute mountain sickness. There are several ways to minimize getting altitude sickness. We have designed the itinerary to minimize the chances of getting altitude sickness. You will start at 845m at Bhulbhule and gradually elevate, reaching Manag (3,540m) after five days. We believe this time is enough for your body to cope with high altitude.

Our trekking guides have completed extensive first aid training and are ever ready to respond if altitude sickness or other ailments strike. Your trek guide will use oximeters to monitor your oxygen level so that altitude sickness is detected earlier.  With Friendship World Trek, your health is in reliable hands. Our trek leaders will suggest ways to avoid altitude sickness. If someone in your group shows signs of altitude sickness, your group leader decides whether to proceed with the trek or descend immediately.

Friendship World Trek guarantees client safety, security, and satisfaction. We carry standard necessary gear, equipment, and first aid kits. In emergencies, we will arrange a helicopter evacuation in coordination with your insurance provider. Further, you will trek in a group for an added layer of safety.

FWT team

During the trek, our well-experienced guide/Sherpa will be with you to ensure a rich trek experience. Our crew members come from the high Himalayas and have phenomenal endurance at high altitudes. All our crew members are precious to us. We pay them well and cover their clothing, food, lodging, and insurance during the trek/expedition. They also receive medical care when ill or injured. We believe that only happy persons can keep others happy. Hence, we leave no stone unturned to keep our crew satisfied.

Our trek leaders have:

• Completed intensive wilderness first aid training
• Government-authorized trekking guide certificate
• Fluency in speaking English and other major languages
• Completed conservation and biodiversity training
• Rock climbing experience

Visa

All foreigners, except Indians, require a visa to enter Nepal. Most foreigners are eligible for an on-arrival visa. To apply for an on-arrival visa, you will need a passport valid for at least six months, a visa application fee, and a passport-size photo. The current visa fee for a 30-day stay is USD 50, and you can pay this amount in cash. Children under 10 get free visas.

SAARC (Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) countries and Chinese citizens are eligible for free visas.  Citizens from some countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, and Afghanistan) may not receive a visa on arrival. So, if you hold a passport from these countries, you must contact your local Nepalese embassy.

Annapurna Circuit with Jomsom Trek Route Map

Gallery

FAQS