The story of a place
A Himalayan world of high peaks, deep valleys and inhabited trails.
Annapurna is a mountain region with many possible journeys. A short foothill walk, the sanctuary approach and a long circuit make different demands and reveal different aspects of the range. The great peaks matter, but so do the changes in vegetation, settlement and scale along the way.
Treat the route as the central decision. More distance does not necessarily produce a richer experience, and a famous itinerary may not suit the time or conditions available. A good plan leaves room for weather and a pace appropriate to the individual traveller.
The essential experience
Make time for this.
Choose a route with time to notice the transition from inhabited valleys to the higher mountain environment.
Explore the highlights
Look a little closer.
Annapurna’s inhabited valleys give the high Himalayan peaks a human foreground.
Changing habitats
Observe the shift from cultivated land to forest and high terrain.
Valley scale
The foreground gives the peaks their dimensions.
Mountain communities
Allow everyday life to be more than a passing photographic subject.
For the curious reader
History, landscape
and context.
Annapurna (Nepali: अन्नपूर्ण) is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent. Maurice Herzog led a French expedition to its summit through the north face in 1950, making it the first eight-thousander to be successfully climbed. The entire massif and surrounding area are protected within the 7,629-square-kilometre (2,946 square miles) Annapurna Conservation Area, the first and largest conservation area in Nepal. The Annapurna Conservation Area is home to several world-class treks, including Annapurna Sanctuary and Annapurna Circuit.
Background reading: an abridged extract from Annapurna, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened for this guide. Retrieved 22 September 2026. Source revision ↗.
Turn curiosity into a visit
Plan your visit.
- Physical demands
- From moderate walks to demanding high-altitude trekking.
- The practical detail
- Do not copy a daily distance schedule without considering its elevation changes and your own circumstances.
Before you set off.
Your ticks stay in this browser.Through the seasons
A place in the world
Find your bearings.
Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.
Map: Natural EarthA closer view.
Load the local map to explore the surrounding area. Map tiles require an internet connection.
- 1Annapurna HimalOpen directions ↗ · Location reference ↗
A sense of place
In pictures.
Keep looking.
10 photographs, with full-size views and individual credits.
Go a little further
.jpg){kind=link}
