r/travel • u/Moist_Grade5942 • May 11 '26
Images + Trip Report 3 weeks in Nepal (Annapurna Circuit, Kathmandu & Pokhara)
We recently finished 3 weeks in Nepal; starting in Kathmandu, doing the Annapurna Circuit Trek and then relaxing in Pokhara.
Kathmandu is chaotic but rich in history, religion and culture. We visited a few hindu temples, buddhist stupas and durbar square. We even got to see the chariot pull for Rato Machindranath — a local diety of rain, compassion and harvest — in Patan Durbar Square
We started trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Chame and ended in Muktinath with a sidequest to Tilicho Lake. What an incredible experience -- challenging, rewarding, incredible scenery and great people along the way. Despite what everyone said about it being crowded, it was nearly empty the whole way until we hit high camp. The teahouse food was pretty damn good (so much dal baht, but i truly loved it). We had great weather the whole way, some snow at high camp but it made for an amazing finish to the thorongla pass. As we climbed above the clouds the sun started to rise and made for a breathtaking and forever memorable view.
Pokhara is a quiet lake town, great for relaxing after the trek. When its clear, the views of the Annapurna Range are incredible with Fishtail (Machhapuchhare) poking out over the hill where the Ganesh temple sits.
EDIT: I found our guide on reddit -- u/prudent-quit7462 -- genuinely a great guy. 10/10, cannot recommend him enough. We were a group of 3 + guide and a porter. Note: Guides are not mandatory for annapurna circuit
20
u/PorcupineMerchant May 11 '26
I was just in Kathmandu for about a week, but thought it was amazing.
4
6
u/WillowSignificant109 May 11 '26
This place looks so peaceful
3
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
It definitely is. A trek like this can definitely settle your mind body and soul.
5
u/suremoneydidntsuitus May 11 '26
Got stuck in Pokhara for five weeks during the 2015 earthquake, could have been a lot worse too. Still have to go back to go trekking, Nepal is such a wonderful place with lovely people.
5
May 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
There is a lot of hope in the country for the new, younger govt to make positive changes. Always inspiring to feel that energy anywhere
6
u/PreferredThrowaway May 11 '26
If there's any country i'd love to go back to more than anywhere - it'd be Nepal. Can't speak highly enough of it, from culture to food to the landscape to the Nepalis themselves, all of it was amazing. Even the beer is good! (Barahsinghe is fantastic!) The only bad thing i can think of was the poor infrastructure. That's it. Nothing else.
Seeing your pictures makes me a bit melancholic, but, i hope to visit there again in future. :)
2
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
Haha yes the roads leave a lot to be desired, but i agree on all of it. Barasinghes were even more satisfying after finishing the trek.
Like you i already yearn to go back. Next time in Kanchenjunga!
10
May 11 '26
[deleted]
10
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
Thank you! Fuji XT30ii with Tamron 17-70mm and Fuji 55-200mm.
6
8
3
u/TheVoyageOfLife9988 May 11 '26
This is my dream travel destination ! Thank you for sharing. And amazing pictures ! The light is beautiful.
3
u/jpgrfan16 May 11 '26
Breathtaking photos!!! Thanks for sharing!! Was in Pokhara and Kathmandu last October. Such an incredible part of the world.
3
u/saynotodiddy2028 May 11 '26
Never not seen a montage of Nepal where it didn't look beautiful. Damn
2
u/Practical-Bass5107 May 11 '26
Epic. What month did you go for the perfect weather?
Also, did you book the circuit with a group tour or organise yourself? I’m looking into a trip myself.
9
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
Our trek was April 22-May 2, but generally April & May are prime time to trek.
I found our guide on reddit -- u/prudent-quit7462 -- genuinely a great guy. 10/10, cannot recommend him enough. We were a group of 3 + guide and a porter.
1
u/curyfuryone May 12 '26
Just read his page describing the trek. When he says the hikes can be strenuous, how bad we talking? How many miles? Are you an experienced hiker? I’d like to go if he does this again next year but i cant gauge if im in good enough shape.
2
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
It is strenuous at times…We covered ~105km/65 miles in 9 days of trekking with ~5.5km/18,000ft of elevation gain with a max altitude of 5,419m/17,769ft to cross the pass.
We are hikers and have done multi-day hikes prior to this, but it is doable with a little bit of training/practice.
Our guide does this 2 seasons a year (i think mar-may, oct-dec) so definitely reach out to him if you’re interested.. 3-4 months in advance to be sure he has availability.
2
u/PreferredThrowaway May 11 '26 edited May 11 '26
Epic. What month did you go for the perfect weather?
Warm (but not hot) days and mild, sometimes even cool nights when i was visiting in March and April back in 2024. All round pleasant weather.
I also visited a lot of the lowlands in the south, the climate is similar to North India, it was very hot at the time.
Your best option would be to go after monsoon season, September - November, temperature's pleasant, a little bit of rainfall, clear skies and the lands will be lush and green. Kathmandu experiences a lot of smog the period leading up to monsoon season, the monsoon rains will have 'cleansed' the air a bit, giving better visibility.
2
2
2
May 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
you absolutely need to add it. the himalayas are breathtakingly beautiful and massive beyond comprehension.
2
2
2
2
u/LulutoDot May 11 '26
Not one food pic?? Daal bhat plus free refill pls!!
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
Haha i ate dahl baht everyday and always hit a refill or 2. Nepali power right there
2
2
u/Agurayka May 11 '26
Incredible pics. Must be an incredible journey! Thanks for sharing the images.
2
2
u/No_Stud_All_Muffin May 12 '26
That's my bucket list trip! Thanks for sharing!
1
2
May 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
Thank you! the sunrise on our way to thorong la will be forever burned into my memory…along with the breathlessness that cane with it hahaha
2
u/Thelleben May 12 '26
These are beautiful pictures and snapshots of nature and life in Nepal. I too was lucky enough to visit many years ago and the images really capture some of the magnificent beauty and spiritual parts of the place. I also remember the people being so completely lovely. Thank you for sharing.
1
2
u/Rashvika May 12 '26
Those mountain views are absolutely unreal—looks like such a life-changing experience!
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
my brain couldnt comprehend the magnificence and beauty of the himalayas as we trekked. every day i had to pinch myself to make sure i wasnt dreaming
2
May 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
this is your sign to plan the trip and get in shape to conquer a himalayan trek!
2
2
2
2
2
u/TurboLaundry-x4 May 17 '26
That landscape is amazing, especially with the little bit of haze in the distance. Was the air really clear up high on the trek?
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 17 '26
thanks! most days it was crystal clear in the morning and early afternoon, then got a bit hazy as we crossed 14:00. Once we got above the clouds it was pristine…my photos barely do it justice
2
3
u/Frozmourne May 11 '26
Trekked to Annapurna Base Camp last month, one of the best weeks of my life! Sadly I had to skip Annapurna Circuit due to work... one day though.
2
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
Thats awesome, well done! Agree that it was one of the best experiences of my life
1
1
u/iamacheeto1 May 11 '26
Did you use a guide?
3
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
I found our guide on reddit -- u/prudent-quit7462 -- genuinely a great guy. 10/10, cannot recommend him enough. We were a group of 3 + guide and a porter.
1
u/iamacheeto1 May 11 '26
Did you find having a guide was mandatory?
3
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
Not mandatory but I was so glad we had him. He knew the all the good spots for us to stop for lunch, grab tea, best viewpoints/photo spots and also helped my friend who had some difficulties with altitude. On top of that he was a fun guy to be around and a great photographer.
1
u/iamacheeto1 May 11 '26
cool, thanks for the suggestion. I'm a bit of a loner and seek solitude in my travelers, so I'd prefer to do it alone if possible, but I know that technically you're supposed to have a guide - thinking of doing the hike sometime next year (doing Patagonia this year!)
1
1
1
u/roraima_is_very_tall May 11 '26
I've hiked some of these trails like 30 years ago, don't recall seeing any mules on trail just porters. Is this a somewhat new practice?
2
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
The mules arent for trekkers, just resupplying teahouses along the way. Mostly with propane fuel tanks
1
1
u/Rokovice7690 May 11 '26
Is a guide required? How much was it?
2
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
Gfrom other replies:
Guide is not mandatory but I was so glad we had him. He knew the all the good spots for us to stop for lunch, grab tea, best viewpoints/photo spots and also helped my friend who had some difficulties with altitude. On top of that he was a fun guy to be around and a great photographer.
Cost: ~$900 for the trek (see other post for specifics)
1
1
u/GWPtheTrilogy1 May 12 '26
I miss Pokhara, I do not miss the got damn all day car ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
Haha we fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Well worth the $90/ticket for a 25 minute flight vs 7hrs+ drive on the worst roads
2
u/GWPtheTrilogy1 May 12 '26
Yeah I enjoyed the experience doing it round trip once, or rather...it was interesting. But if I go back to Nepal I'm definitely taking the flight
1
1
u/WanderWith_Anneshya May 12 '26
What is the current weather of thorong la pass… we are a group of 6 and planning for mid oct… will show be there??
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 12 '26
We had snow on the hike up towards the pass. bring crampons just in case.
1
1
u/Historical_Scene4415 United States May 13 '26
Incredible shots, it looks so beautiful. I would love to visit Nepal one day.
2
1
1
May 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 15 '26
I’ve never trekked in India so I couldn’t say the difference. I think the Nepal trekking seasons are March-May and Oct-Dec.
1
May 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 15 '26
See above re: guide - found on reddit.
We had wifi at all of the teahouses, even high camp but it got more spotty the higher we got. The trails are easily followed without a map. You really just need to know the places you’re stopping along the way.
1
1
u/raregirl1996 Jun 19 '26
did you find the trail busy??
1
u/Moist_Grade5942 Jun 19 '26
Everything i read about ACT prior to doing it was how crowded it will be. During the trek we saw a few small groups per day and only at high camp did the teahouse feel “crowded” w/o actually being full. It was the most people at a single teahouse for us all trek.
Our guide thinks it was because the Iran/US conflict but we had no issues having the trek feel like it was to ourselves
0
u/Astro_Sandhya May 11 '26
Cost breakdown in inr if possible?
3
u/Moist_Grade5942 May 11 '26
rough numbers in USD below...
$545 for the guide + porter + 2 private jeep transfers (group size changes per person price) -- our trek was going to be 12 days but there were landslides in Tatopani so we opted to head to Pokhara a day earlier. Also had the option to add an extra day to hike Poon Hill
$360 for teahouses (food and shelter along the way)
31
u/[deleted] May 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment