Annapurna Region

The Annapurna region, is situated in the center of the Nepalese Himalaya, and occupies about 80 km of land between the Marsayangdi River in the east and the Kali Gandaki River in the west. This region is the most diverse and popular trekking area in Nepal.

Annapurna region, attracts the largest number of trekkers every year in Nepal. Here you will find everything the Himalayas have to offer, accessible along a selection of well-maintained trails that snake in and around the 55-kilometre Annapurna massif (8,091m), separated from the gargantuan Dhaulagiri (8167m) by the Kaligandaki, the deepest gorge in the world. Trekkers encounter the interesting Thakali people in this region.

Most trekkers will have heard of the legendary Annapurna Circuit. But if the lung-busting slog over the 5416m Thorung pass doesn’t suit you, there are many other trails that offer superlative panoramas and the cultural traditions of a whole spectrum of ethnicity. And though roads are bringing change to the region, new trails are being blazed for the faithful. Up north at the border with China, the mystique of the walled city of Lo Manthang remains intact. Even in Nepal’s most trekked places, a trail less traveled is never far away.

Annapurna I (8091m) was the first eight-thousand to be summited, in 1950, when Maurice Herzog and his team turned away from the daunting prospect of the Great White One, Dhaulagiri (8167m). Ever since, tourists have flocked to the lake city of Pokhara to admire the iconic vistas of Machapucchare (6993m) and the peak-studded Annapurna range. The region was designated a Conservation Area in 1992, paving the way for a pioneering model of sustainable tourism.

▼ TO DO IN ANNAPURNA REGION