Annapurna Circuit Teahouses: What the Rooms Are Really Like
On the Annapurna Circuit you sleep in teahouses: simple family run lodges with twin rooms, a shared dining room and mostly shared bathrooms. In Chame and Manang they are fairly comfortable, and some have rooms with attached bathrooms. Above Manang they get more basic, and Thorong Phedi before the pass is the simplest night of the trek.
Bedrooms are not heated, so everyone gathers around the dining room stove in the evening. Hot showers, charging and WiFi usually cost a little extra, and most lodges expect you to eat where you sleep.
- Rooms: twin beds, pillow and blankets, usually shared bathrooms
- Attached bathrooms: at some lodges, mostly in Chame and Manang, often for a small extra charge
- Heating: none in bedrooms, a stove in the dining room
- Hot shower: around USD 3 to 5
- Charging: around USD 2 to 3 per device
- WiFi: around USD 2 to 4 per day where available
- Most basic night: Thorong Phedi, before the pass
- Last updated: October 2026
Prices and facilities vary from lodge to lodge and can change through the season, so treat these figures as a guide.
In This Guide
What Is a Teahouse?
A teahouse is a small family run lodge. You get a simple room with two single beds, and you eat in a shared dining room with the other trekkers. Many have been on the trail for decades, and the family usually cooks, runs the lodge and lives there too.
On our Annapurna Circuit trek, your rooms are booked and included, twin sharing on every trekking night. You pay for food and small extras as you go.
What the Rooms Are Like
- Beds: two single beds with a thin mattress, pillow and blanket. Blankets are not enough on cold nights, so bring your own sleeping bag.
- Walls: often thin wood or plywood. You will hear your neighbours and early starters, so bring earplugs.
- Heating: none in the bedrooms. Above Manang the room can feel almost as cold as outside.
- Light and power: a light in the room and sometimes a socket, but many lodges only let you charge in the dining room.
- Storage: very little, so keep your things packed in your duffel or daypack.
- Single rooms: often possible lower down when the lodge is not full. Higher up and in peak season, expect to share. Ask us before you go if you want a single room where possible.
Bathrooms and Hot Showers
In Chame and Manang you will find western toilets and hot showers, and some rooms have their own bathroom. Above Manang, toilets are usually shared and often squat style, and at Thorong Phedi some are outside.
Hot showers cost around USD 3 to 5. Lower down they are heated by solar or gas. Higher up the water can be lukewarm or come in a bucket, and on cloudy days it may not be hot at all. You do not need to shower every day. Wet wipes and a clean base layer go a long way, but take used wipes with you rather than putting them down the toilet.
Charging, WiFi and Phone Signal
- Charging: around USD 2 to 3 per device, usually in the dining room. Power cuts are common above Manang, so bring a power bank.
- WiFi: around USD 2 to 4 per day where available. It is slow and gets less reliable higher up, so do not count on it for work calls. See our guide to WiFi on Nepal trekking trails.
- Phone signal: works in many villages, but there are gaps. Save important information before you set off.
The Eat Where You Sleep Rule
Teahouses keep room prices low and make their money on food. That is why most expect you to eat dinner and breakfast where you sleep. If you eat somewhere else, many charge a higher room rate.
Food prices also rise as you climb, because everything is carried up. See our Annapurna Circuit food prices guide for real menus and prices from 9 teahouses on the route.
Annapurna Circuit Teahouses Village by Village
These are the overnight stops on our 16-day trek. Lodges differ, so this is a general picture, not a promise about one particular room.
Chame (2,670m)
A big village with a good choice of lodges, some with attached bathrooms and reliable hot showers. A comfortable first night after the jeep ride up the valley.
Upper Pisang (3,300m)
Quieter and more traditional than Lower Pisang, with stone houses and big views of Annapurna II. The lodges are simpler, with mostly shared bathrooms, but the setting is one of the best on the trek.
Ngawal (3,660m)
A small village on the high route, with fewer lodges than Manang but quiet nights and open mountain views. From here on, your sleeping bag really earns its place.
Manang (3,540m)
The best lodges on the circuit. Many have attached bathrooms, good hot showers, bakeries and cafes. You spend two nights here to acclimatise, so it is the place to rest, organise your kit and charge everything.
Yak Kharka (4,110m)
Simple lodges with shared bathrooms. It gets cold as soon as the sun goes down, so keep your warm layers close and do not count on a hot shower.
Thorong Phedi (4,450m)
The most basic night of the trek. Thin walls, cold rooms, shared toilets and a busy dining room as everyone gets ready for the pass. In peak season rooms fill up, so it helps to arrive in good time. Eat well, lay out your clothes and get to bed early.
Muktinath (3,800m)
After Thorong La, Muktinath feels like a treat. Lodges here serve trekkers and pilgrims, with hot showers and a wider menu.
Kagbeni (2,800m) and Marpha (2,670m)
Old stone villages with some of the nicest lodges on the trek. Marpha is famous for its apples, apple pie and apple brandy, and its lodges are clean and comfortable.
Thorong Phedi or High Camp?
Some trekkers sleep at High Camp, at about 4,850m, instead of Thorong Phedi at 4,450m. High Camp makes pass day about an hour shorter, but you sleep 400m higher, the lodges are even more basic, and dorm rooms are common in peak season.
Our itinerary sleeps at Thorong Phedi and starts early on pass day, which keeps your highest sleeping altitude lower. Your guide makes the final call on timing, based on how the group is feeling and the weather.
What to Bring for Teahouse Nights
- A warm sleeping bag. A comfort rating of around -10°C suits most of the year. In winter, bring a warmer one.
- A sleeping bag liner for extra warmth and to keep your bag clean.
- Earplugs and an eye mask.
- A headtorch for night trips to the toilet and early starts.
- A power bank.
- Flip-flops for shared showers.
- Toilet paper and hand sanitiser. Higher lodges often do not supply them.
- A quick dry towel.
- Warm layers for indoors. Dining rooms can be cold until the stove is lit.
See our Nepal trekking packing list for everything else.
Tips for a Better Night
- Charge everything in Manang, where power is more reliable.
- Ask the price of showers and charging before you use them, so there are no surprises on the bill.
- Keep your phone and batteries in your sleeping bag on cold nights.
- For extra warmth, fill a proper hot water safe bottle with boiled water, close it tightly and wrap it in clothing. Never use a thin plastic bottle.
- Pack your bag and lay out your clothes the night before an early start.
- Pay your bill the evening before pass day.
- Carry enough cash in Nepali rupees. Lodges do not take cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are teahouses like on the Annapurna Circuit?
Simple family lodges with twin rooms, blankets and a shared dining room. They are fairly comfortable in Chame and Manang, and basic above Manang, especially at Thorong Phedi.
Do Annapurna Circuit teahouses have hot showers?
Most do, for around USD 3 to 5. Higher up the water may be lukewarm, come in a bucket or not be available at all.
Are there attached bathrooms on the Annapurna Circuit?
At some lodges, mainly in Chame and Manang, often for a small extra charge. Above Manang, bathrooms are usually shared.
Is there WiFi on the Annapurna Circuit?
In most villages, for around USD 2 to 4 a day. It is slow and less reliable higher up, so do not depend on it.
Are teahouses cold at night?
Yes, especially above Manang. Bedrooms are not heated, so you need a warm sleeping bag and warm clothes to sleep in.
Do you have to eat where you sleep?
Most teahouses expect it, and many charge a higher room rate if you eat elsewhere.
Do I need to book teahouses in advance?
In peak season it helps, especially at Thorong Phedi. On our trek, your rooms are booked for you. A specific room or attached bathroom cannot always be guaranteed.
