Hiking the Annapurna Circuit

My wife and I hiked the Annapurna Circuit in April 2018, and it was one of the best trekking experiences of my life. Each day felt different, there was sheltered accommodation, and the hiking through the largest mountains in the world was truly epic. On the highest day we hit 5,416m (17,760 ft) via the Thorong La Pass. We preferred this trekking experience to Mount Kilimanjaro because it was less of an ‘up and back’ and felt more relaxed.

Here are a few recommendations:

Guide/Porter: You don’t really need a guide or a porter but it’s a nice way to support the locals, and is inexpensive. A porter is more useful than a guide. On some of the harder days, carrying a day pack makes the hike a lot easier than carrying all your gear. You can sort this out easily when you arrive into Kathmandu, through your hotel.
Gear: Don’t overpack. You can re-use good quality ski gear (here are my tips – make sure to layer) and the packing list is similar for clothing for Kilimanjaro. A good sleeping bag is essential to stay warm on the huts on the way. Pack some blister pads. Use hiking poles.
Add on the Ice Lake day hike in Manang: Stay two days in Manang. You can do laundry here and watch movies at the ‘cinema’. The Ice Lanke was a really awesome day, albeit a little challenging (4,600m and about 8 hours long). One of my favourite days of the trip. We were supposed to go to Tilicho lake but the path was closed because of avalanches.
Complete the “half circuit” and fly back: Our trek was 15 days, and we started in Besishar and ended in Jomsom, where we flew to Pokhara a little over half through the full circuit. A lot of the research shows the last half of the circuit as a bit of a ‘grind’ with cars on the road adding to a less pleasant, more dusty experience.
Hang out in Pokhara after to relax: This is a chill, hippy city in Nepal. We had massages, good food, did some yoga and a few relaxed hikes and boat rides. We also treated ourselves to a nice hotel. It was wonderful to spend 2-3 days here relaxing after the trek.
Lodging: Accommodations are all pretty similarly priced in the villages along the way. If you arrive earlier, you’ll get a better pick of the available rooms. We were also able to “shower” (mostly out of a tap or bucket) every few days.
Food: Pack some chocolates, or other tasty snacks but know that you’ll have hot meals for lunch and dinner along the way and plenty of places to stop for tea. I’d recommend eating mostly vegetarian, and mostly Dal Bhat.
Leisure: Get a local sim card so you can communicate on the trail (no-wifi) and bring your Kindle to read in the evenings. Bring a deck of cards too. The scenery is epic but modern phones can probably suffice, unless you’re an avid photographer.