Annapurna Circuit Trek Packing List

For experienced hikers who carry their own 35 to 40 L bag and pack only what they need. You carry about 7 to 8 kg and wear the rest.

Clothing and Footwear

Gear, Health and Documents

For trekkers who carry the full kit in their own 45–55 L backpack. The whole list weighs 12 kg at most, including what you wear, so you carry about 10 kg.

Clothing and Footwear

Gear and Sleeping

Health, Food and Documents

You carry a daypack of about 5 kg, and your porter carries a duffel of about 10 kg. One porter carries 20 kg for two trekkers.

Wear on the Trail

In Your Daypack

In the Porter Duffel

Weights in the tables are typical figures, so check your own gear. Light trekkers carry about 7 to 8 kg, trekkers without a porter about 10 kg (12 kg with what they wear), and trekkers with a porter about 5 kg in the daypack. The Google Sheet checklist has one tab for each list.

Get the free Google Sheet checklist: tick items as you pack, filter by season, and watch your pack weight update. It has one tab for each list, and you can download it as an Excel (.xlsx) file.

• View the packing checklist in Google Sheets

• Download the packing checklist as Excel (.xlsx)

1. Enough cash. Besisahar has the last reliable ATM; Manang's often fails.

2. Headlamp. Tilicho and Thorong La days start at 4 am in the dark.

3. Insulated bottle cover. Water freezes on the pass morning.

4. Microspikes. Snow can cover Thorong La in any season.

5. Power bank. Charging is paid from Chame upward and limited at Thorong Phedi.

Nights get colder as you climb, so warm gear matters most from Manang upward.

The lower Marsyangdi Valley gets heavy monsoon rain from June to September. From Manang onward, the route sits in a rain shadow and stays much drier.

Packing for Spring (March to April)

Bring full winter layers, because Thorong Phedi nights fall to -9°C in March. Add microspikes and gaiters early in the season, when deep snow is possible near the pass.

Packing for Autumn (October to November)

Autumn has the clearest skies, but nights get colder each week, down to -10°C at Thorong Phedi in November. Keep microspikes in your bag: snow closed Thorong La from 30 September to about 6 October 2026.

Packing for December, May and September

• December: warmest sleeping bag, microspikes and gaiters; Thorong Phedi nights drop to about -12°C.

• May: a good rain jacket for pre-monsoon cloud.

• September: rain gear, a pack cover and leech socks for the wet lower trail.

We do not recommend January–February (snow often closes the pass) or June–August (landslides block the roads).

Wear thin layers that you add or remove during the day. Clothes dry slowly above Manang, so choose quick-dry fabrics.

Base Layers

Bring 2 to 3 quick-dry tops and 1 to 2 thermal sets. Keep one clean thermal set only for sleeping above Manang.

Fleece and Down Jacket

Wear the fleece while walking on cold mornings. The hooded down jacket (about -15°C) is for evenings and the 4 am Thorong La start; you can rent one in Thamel or Lakeside.

Waterproof Shell and Trekking Pants

A waterproof jacket and pants protect you from rain on the lower trail and wind on the pass. Bring 2 pairs of trekking pants.

Hat, Gloves and Sun Protection

Pack a beanie, a wide-brim sun hat, a buff, and both liner and insulated gloves. Category 3–4 sunglasses protect your eyes from snow glare at Tilicho Lake and Thorong La.

Wear waterproof mid- or high-ankle boots that you have broken in on long walks at home. Bring 4 to 5 pairs of trekking socks, 1 thick pair for sleeping, and light sandals for teahouse evenings.

Bring a sleeping bag rated to about -15°C comfort, because rooms at Tilicho Base Camp, Thorong Phedi and Thorong High Camp are not heated. A liner adds warmth, and earplugs help in busy October lodges. Keep your phone, power bank and water bottle inside your bag at night.

These are the two hardest days of the trek, and both start before sunrise.

Thorong La Pass Day (5,416 m)

On Day 11, you walk from Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) over the pass to Muktinath (3,800 m): about 15 to 16 km in 8 to 10 hours, starting at 4 am. Carry a headlamp, down jacket, warm gloves, an insulated bottle, snacks, sunglasses, trekking poles, and microspikes if there is snow. There is no phone signal until the descent near Muktinath.

Tilicho Lake Side Trip (4,919 m)

On Day 7, you walk from Manang to Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m), about 15 km in 7 hours, crossing an active landslide zone after Shree Kharka. On Day 8, you climb about 770 m to the lake and walk back down to Shree Kharka. Carry your down jacket, 1 to 1.5 L of water, snacks, and poles.

Daypack and Porter Duffel

Your 25 to 35 L daypack holds 4 to 5 kg of what you need during the day. We give you a free duffel when you hire a porter; keep it near 10 kg and pack clothes in dry bags.

Trekking Poles and Headlamp

Poles protect your knees on the 1,600 m descent from Thorong La to Muktinath. A headlamp is needed for pre-dawn starts and teahouse power cuts.

Water Bottles and Purification

Carry 2 L in total and use 3–4 purification tablets per day. Boiled water costs more the higher you go, and one insulated bottle stops water freezing on the pass.

Keep toiletries small, and use SPF 50+ sunscreen every day. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine before you travel. On the Manang rest day (Day 6), the Himalayan Rescue Association gives a free altitude talk at 3 pm in spring and autumn.

Bring a 10,000 to 20,000 mAh power bank, because charging is paid from Chame upward and limited at Thorong Phedi and High Camp. Nepal Telecom has 4G in Chame and Manang, but there is no signal from Thorong Phedi to Thorong La.

Carry your passport (valid 6+ months), 2 to 4 passport photos, and insurance that covers trekking to 5,500 m and helicopter rescue (a rescue costs about USD 2,500 to 5,000). We arrange your ACAP permit. Bring NPR 2,500 to 4,500 per day plus 2 to 3 extra days, and withdraw it in Kathmandu or Besisahar, which has the last reliable ATM.

Four days are on rough, landslide-prone roads: Kathmandu to Besisahar (176 km, 7 h), the jeep to Chame (65 km, 5 to 6 h), Muktinath to Pokhara (183 km, 7 h) and Pokhara to Kathmandu (7 h). Keep a buff for dust, motion-sickness tablets, snacks, water and a warm layer in your daypack.

Rent a down jacket, sleeping bag, poles and microspikes in Thamel (Kathmandu) or Lakeside (Pokhara). Check zips, the sleeping bag's rating label and pole locks before you pay. Bring boots, base layers and medicine from home, as shops on the trail have little choice.

With this list, you are ready for every stop from Besisahar at 760 m to Thorong La at 5,416 m. Download the Google Sheet checklist, tick items as you pack, and keep your porter bag near 10 kg.