Find out about my first day on the Annapurna Circuit. First off, I will take the bus from Pokhara to Besisahar and then trek from Besisahar to Bahundanda. This is a good way to begin the Annapurna Circuit at a fairly relaxed pace!
Are you interested in what to expect on your first day on the Annapurna Circuit? I will share my experience, from getting the bus to Besisahar to trekking to your first stop.
After many late nights of preparation, it was finally time to hit the road to begin our trekking adventure. The journey from Pokhara to Bahundanda will consist of two buses and an afternoon of hiking.
However, let’s get into it in detail so that if you are planning your own Annapurna trip, you will know exactly what to expect on the first day.
🥾 Do You Need A Guide: Technically yes you do need a guide or porter since the requirements were updated in 2023. However, this is yet to be enforced and many travelers still hike it solo. I recommend the Facebook Group Annapurna Circuit Trek for the latest updates on this.
Day One: Bus From Pokhara to Besisahar & Trekking To Bahundanda
🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Nepal: 12Go Asia
Overview Of The Journey
Pokhara (1400m) to Besishar (820m) – 5 hour bus journey
Besisahar (820m) to Bhulbhule (840m) – 1 hour bus journey
Bhulbhule (840m) to Ngadi (890m) – 4 km hike which takes 1 hour
Ngadi (890 m) to Bahundanda (1310m) – 4 km hike which takes 2 and a half hours
🥾 READ MORE: MY FULL ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT ITINERARY
Taking The Bus To Besisahar From Pokhara
Having purchased ‘tourist bus’ tickets from our hostel in Pokhara, we expected a similar journey to the other tourist bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Though, that is not what happened.
Before I get too into details, I will give you a rundown of that morning.
Unfortunately, I woke up at 2 am with a horrible bout of the infamous Delhi belly. After spending the next couple of hours running between my bed and the bathroom, the alarm goes off to start walking to the bus station.
Full of gastro tablets and antibiotics, I waddle the half-hour walk to the station.
The tourist bus leaves for Besisahar at around 6.30 am each day.
What Is The Distance Between Pokhara & Besisahar
The distance from Pokhara to Besisahar is approximately 106 kilometers / 65 miles.
The travel time by bus is between 4 to 5 hours.
How To Purchase Bus Tickets
Unfortunately, you cannot purchase your bus tickets to Besisahar online through normal ticketing platforms such as 12Go Asia.
Instead, these are more commonly used for more popular routes between cities, like from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
I recommend booking your tickets through a local agency in Pokhara. They will have contacts on the ground for this bus service and can ensure you get a seat so you can start your adventure.
About The Tourist Bus To Besisahar
At the tourist bus station, there are plenty of vehicles taking people all around the country. However, we are directed to one bus, which is a far cry from the regular-looking tourist buses.
Our luggage is chucked on top and strapped in while we pile on with all the other foreigners.
One guy demands that the driver put a tarp over the bags, which he hesitates to do. Luckily, this tourist pushes, and the driver gives up (it also ends up raining the majority of the journey).
The bus is not full yet, about three-quarters of the seats are empty, which means a more comfortable journey.
However, before we know it, just like a tsunami, a wave of locals suddenly squeezes onto the bus. Chickens, rabbits, and children are all passed around at once. I wish I was lying, but I am not. Every spare seat and any space remaining in the aisle of the bus are quickly filled.
With a chicken on my lap and a rabbit on my partner, the bus lurches forward, indicating it is time to depart.
I am not going to recall the mentally painful next 5 hours of our journey, though let’s just say it included a lot of spitting, screaming children and the beautiful squat toilets.
By the time we get to Besisahar, it is around lunchtime. We are ready to stretch our legs and hit the road.
However, before we can think about doing that, we must check into the TIMS office so they can keep track of us on the trail. As we were on a bus with a whole bunch of tourists doing the exact same thing, there was quite a line for the TIMS check-in.
But now we are on the Annapurna Circuit, so we can take our time and enjoy nature.
Besisahar To Bhulbhule Local Bus
After checking into the TIMS office, we decided that the best option for us was to take a local bus from Besisahar to Bhulbhule.
The problem is this would not arrive for another hour.
I convince a shop owner to let me use the bathroom, and we sit back and watch most of the group bargain with jeep drivers to take them further up the trail.
About The Local Bus To Bhulbhule
The bus costs $1.50 / 200 NRS, which is impossible to miss as the large, brightly colored vehicle rolls up the street.
We load onto the small bus, ducking to avoid hitting our heads on the roof and squeezing into a seat. This is definitely a local bus rather than a tourist bus, as only a small Nepali person could comfortably fit on this seat.
Not some white westerner who is nearly 6 feet.
Holding on tight around the corners and over the many bumps in the road, I cannot wait to get out and start walking. I must say that the bus journeys in Nepal have taught me to be very patient.
Finally arriving in Bhulbhule, we pile out like sardines in a tin. Some people we meet on the tourist bus decide to stay on until the last stop of Ngadi and have lunch before starting their trek.
We decide to deal with it, eat my first bite of the day, a Snickers bar, and continue the walk.
🥾 READ MORE: MY FULL ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT ITINERARY
Hiking Bhulbhule to Ngadi
Waving goodbye to the bus as it splashes through the puddles, we follow, walking behind until it disappears around a corner.
Now, it was time for the last part of the journey to Bahundanda. Passing by a fast-moving river and large concrete industrial buildings, this part of the trek is often recommended to be missed. With potholes and puddle-filled roads, it certainly is nothing exciting, but we are happy just to be off the buses.
We are using Maps.Me to avoid getting lost. There are a lot of different paths around here to nearby villages and no real signage. Locals point the way when we look confused, so they are used to it.
It is a relatively flat walk between Bhulbhule and Ngadi, only increasing by 50 meters over 4 kilometers. Arriving we see our friends enjoying tea in the sunshine.
One of the locals invites us in for lunch, though we decide to head on. She then recommends a place to stay in Bahundanda, Mountain View Hotel.
🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Nepal: 12Go Asia
Ngadi to Bahundanda
Between Ngadi and Bahundanda, you truly get the first beautiful views on the trail. Gorgeous green, lush rice terraces line the path, making the walk a bit more worthwhile.
Stopping fairly often with my camera our other friends, a couple of Brits and Russians, catch up to us. We take a more leisurely pace and decide to stay in the same teahouse tonight.
Climbing 420 meters over 4 kilometers, this is the trail’s first real uphill. However, it’s nothing compared with what is to come.
With one last push up the stairs, we arrive in Bahundanda, greeted by our friends who have been ‘shopping around’ for a place to stay. We are the first group to arrive for the day, so we have the top pick of accommodation.
Staying in Bahundanda: Mountain View Hotel
After looking at a couple of options, we decided that the best deal for us would be the Mountain View Hotel. Apart from the name, they have clean-ish rooms, decent blankets, and nice views of the surrounding villages.
The room is free if we purchase dinner and breakfast through them. There is charging in the main building, and there is Wi-Fi, which costs 100 NRS / $0.75, though we find out the hard way that it does not actually work.
After settling in, we take turns jumping in the shared bathroom shower, trying to make the most of hot water before we reach higher elevations where it is scarce.
Afterward, we head out to a little table to play cards and have dinner. I get a basic meal of Tibetan bread with jam because my stomach is upset.
Enjoying the mountain views until it gets dark, we order breakfast and head off for an early sleep, as it has been a long day of traveling.
Wrap Up: Day One On The Annapurna Circuit
After a busy day of transport, it was finally time to relax. Tomorrow would be our first day of pure hiking, with no buses or taxis whatsoever, and I was looking forward to it.
Surprisingly day one went pretty damn smoothly, apart from the cramped bus journeys. Nevertheless, everyone was feeling good and ready to do some more trekking tomorrow.
Up Next: DAY TWO – BAHUNDANDA TO TAL ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
🥾 READ MORE: MY FULL ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT ITINERARY
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Want more Annapurna Circuit Inspiration? Check out….
- DAY ONE: POKHARA TO BESISAHAR – STARTING THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
- DAY TWO: BAHUNDANDA TO TAL
- DAY THREE: TAL TO TIMANG
- DAY FOUR: TIMANG TO CHAME
- DAY FIVE: CHAME TO UPPER PISANG
- DAY SIX: UPPER PISANG TO NGAWAL ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
- DAY SEVEN: NGAWAL TO MANANG ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
- DAY EIGHT: MANANG REST DAY ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
- DAY NINE: MANANG TO YAK KHARKA ON THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
- DAY TEN: YAK KHARKA TO THORONG PHEDI (BASE CAMP)
- DAY ELEVEN: THORONG PHEDI TO HIGH CAMP
- DAY TWELVE: HIGH CAMP TO MUKTINATH VIA THORONG LA PASS
- DAY THIRTEEN: MUKTINATH TO JOMSOM
- DAY FOURTEEN: FLYING JOMSON TO POKHARA – FINISHING THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on it and purchase something, I get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. As always all opinions are my own and your support is much appreciated.
Photo credit: “Pokhara Bus Station” (CC BY 2.0) by TaylorAndYumi . “De Bhulbhule à Ngadi” & “De Ngadi (920m) à Chamje (1350m)” (CC BY 2.0) by Jerome Bon . “Room In Bahundanda” & “More Rice Fields” (CC BY 2.0) by Nick Watts .
This is one of my dream hikes, and I am looking forward to reading what you get up to over the whole trek. Those buses sound like the local buses we caught in Sri Lanka – was there blaring local music too? :-)