Annapurna  hiking & trekking holidays – information on trekking in Annapurna  region including flora, fauna, people , culture and  a selection of trekking itineraries .

Annapurna is the most popular of the trekking regions of Nepal, receiving more trekkers every year than even Mt Everest region . The mountains are superbly  beautiful , the cultural experience is great  and the access to the region is easier .

Starting from sub tropical low hills near  Pokhara  the Annapurna region stretches  to the high  alpine valleys and arid deserts of Tibetan plateau on the other side of the Himalayas, the region offering  a truly diverse landscape, culture, flora and fauna for the trekkers. For the same reasons,  the Annapurna circuit trek is regarded as one of the top ten treks in the world . Other popular treks in this region include the Annapurna base camp trek and Ghorepani Poon hill trek .

There are altogether five mountains on the Annapurna chain  

Annapurna I 8091m
Annapurna II 7937m
Annapurna III 7555m
Annapurna IV 7525m
Annapurna South 7273m

Besides the Annapurnas, you will also see the following high mountains during  Annapurna trekking.

Dhaulagiri 8167 m.
Mt Fish Tail  6997m. ( Mt Machhapuchare)
Nilgiri , Tukche etc.

Annapurna region offers a number of hiking tours suitable for people of different fitness level or people with  different length of holiday. The lodges on this region are better , the food is good and the trek itself is less strenuous than that in  the Everest region . There are several short treks ideal for families or people who just want to experience the Himalayas with a soft hiking . Another good thing about Annapurna trekking is most of these treks start from the relaxing lake town of Pokhara .

Popular Annapurna Trekking Holidays

Ghandruk trek

Ghorepani trek

Annapurna panorama trek

Annapurna Base Camp trek

Annapurna circuit trek

Mustang Trekking

Tilicho lake trek  

The lower hills of the Annapurna region is inhabited by Brahmins and Chhetris , the mid hills by the ethnic Gurungs  and Thakalis and the higer altitudes by  the people of ethnic Tibetan origin . The culture , dresses and the architecture of the buildings differ on different altitudes t of this region.

Not only the high and beautiful mountains, the region offers some ancient temples and monasteries, secluded villages in the Himalayas where people are living now as they lived 1000 years ago,  there are fertile valleys to dry windy deserts and world’s deepest gorges to  the world’s highest lakes . Annapurna trek thus gives the trekkers an unmatchable experience in a single trip  not found anywhere else on the earth .

 The region has a rich flora and fauna .You will find forests of  schima and chestnut while trekking up to  2000 m . Several species of  oaks and rhododendrons are found in temperate zones upbto 3000m.The rhododendron , which comes in 30 different species,  is the national flower of Nepal.  The Ghorepani area is the place to watch it and the blooming season is mid March to first  week of April.

There are plenty of birdlife found in Annapurna region. Among the mamals, snow leopards, wild sheeps, deers, wild goats , monkeys of different species are  the common ones .

The Annapurna region is protected by Annapurna Conservation Area Project  which issue entry permits/ trekking permits to visit the region .