Annapurna Circuit vs Ghandruk Loop

Pick Annapurna Circuit for

adventure, a real challenge, photography

Pick Ghandruk Loop for

tight budgets, family trips, first-timers, fewer people, an easier walk, a smaller budget, fewer days

Annapurna Circuit compared with Ghandruk Loop
	Annapurna Circuit	Ghandruk Loop
Region	Nepal, Lamjung–Manang–Mustang, Gandaki	Nepal, Kaski, Gandaki
Highest point	5,416 m	1,940 m
Difficulty	Difficult	Easy–moderate
Trek distance	about 160 km	about 30 km
Days on the ground	12–14	4–5
Best months	Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov	Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb
Snow likely	Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar	Jan
Crowds in season	Busy	Moderate
Daily spend	about ₹3,500	about ₹2,800
Gateway	Pokhara / Kathmandu	Pokhara
With kids	Not advised	Great
With seniors	Not advised	Good
Permits	ACAP + TIMS. Check current guide rules for your nationality.	ACAP permit. Check current guide rules.
Season	❄︎ Jan ❄︎ Feb ❄︎ Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov ❄︎ Dec BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely	❄︎ Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely

Annapurna Circuit: when to go

BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely

BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely

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