Cross a Himalayan pass above 5,000 metres and drop into the Kali Gandaki, the deepest gorge on Earth.
The Annapurna Circuit is the classic long trek of Nepal: sixteen days that carry you from subtropical rice terraces around Pokhara, up through pine and rhododendron forest, past yak pastures and mani walls, to the wind-scoured Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres. On the far side, the trail drops into Mustang's rain-shadow desert and the Kali Gandaki gorge, before threading back through Gurung and Thakali villages with sweeping views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Machapuchare's unmistakable fishtail summit.
Unlike the single-valley Everest routes, the Circuit changes character daily — you'll walk through half a dozen distinct climate zones and as many ethnic regions in the space of two weeks. Nights are spent in stone-built teahouses run by the same families for generations, and the route finishes with a side trip to Poon Hill for one of the most photographed sunrises in the world. It's demanding at altitude but doesn't require technical skill, making it the trek serious hikers choose for variety over any single dramatic peak.
