Annapurna Circuit
One of Nepal's best-known treks — and a genuinely good first choice for trekking with a dog.
- Permits
- ACAP
- Guide
- Not required
- Time
- 5–14 days
- Local dog aggression
- Chame: High · East side: Medium · North side: Low
- Other dangers
- Altitude, cattle, horses
- Can combine with
- Annapurna Base Camp · Manaslu Circuit
Overview
The Annapurna Circuit is one of Nepal's most famous treks, circling the Annapurna massif through valleys that change dramatically from place to place — no two days on this route look the same. For the wider route history and general background, Wikipedia's Annapurna Circuit page is a good starting point; this page sticks to what actually matters if you're bringing a dog along.
Aside from the aggressive dogs in a couple of spots, it's a genuinely good first trek to attempt with a dog — it's straightforward to turn back early if something goes wrong, and it's one of the best treks going for variety and scenery.
Good to know
The terrain shifts a lot along the way — subtropical forest low down, giving way to high alpine desert beyond Manang — so it's worth packing for both extremes for your dog, not just yourself. Water is generally easy to come by along the trail.
From someone who's done it four times
I've done this trek four times now, and it's one of my favourites precisely because it changes so much from place to place — no two days feel the same. I'd avoid peak season though; it gets seriously overcrowded. Some people take a jeep straight to Manang, but I think that means missing some of the best parts, particularly around Upper Pisang.
Unless you enjoy walking beside jeep roads, I'd start from Koto or the Apple Farm, which lets you skip the dogs in Chame — the one properly bad spot on this route. I'd also strongly recommend the side trip to Tilicho Lake: the views are stunning, and it gives you useful time to acclimatise before crossing the pass. These days, most people head down from Muktinath by jeep or bus, since much of the old trail on the west side has been replaced by road. Worth doing while you still can — the development is coming fast.
Photos from the trek
Dog-friendly tea houses on this route
We haven't logged specific tea houses for this route yet — check the Tea Houses page as we add them, or get in touch if you know one that's happy to take dogs.