Ghandruk Loop vs Annapurna Circuit

Pick Ghandruk Loop for

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

Pick Annapurna Circuit for

adventure, a real challenge, photography

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

Ghandruk Loop: when to go

BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely

BestPossibleNot recommended❄︎Snow likely

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