Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Duration
- 13 days
- Max altitude
- 4,130 m
- Difficulty
-
Moderate
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Spring (Mar–May)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $1,065.00
Overview
Into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial amphitheatre ringed by peaks with only one narrow way in. You go from farmland to a bowl at 4,130 m with mountains on every side of you, and the change happens in about a week.
Every departure is private and led by a government-licensed Nepali guide, so the plan flexes to your party and to the mountain. Permits, park fees and local taxes are inside the price you see.
Read the full day-by-day itinerary, or see how this trek compares with Everest Base Camp if you’re deciding between the two.
Trip highlights
- The Annapurna Sanctuary, enclosed on all sides
- Machhapuchhre Base Camp on the way in
- Hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the way out
- Reaches 4,130 m without a technical day
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400 m) and transfer to your hotel 1,400 m Hotel
One of our team meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and drives you to your hotel in a private vehicle. Later in the day we hold the pre-trip meeting, where you meet your guide and can ask anything about the trek.
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Day 2: Tourist bus to Pokhara (820 m), 7 to 9 hours 820 m Hotel B
Our staff collect you from the hotel at 6:30 am and take you to the tourist bus, which leaves around 7:00 am. Seven to nine hours along the Prithvi Highway to Pokhara, on the shore of Phewa Lake, with Annapurna and Machhapuchhre to the north on a clear evening. Overnight in Lakeside.
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Day 3: Drive to Birethanti (1,039 m), trek to Ulleri (2,020 m) 2,020 m 4-5 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
About two hours by private vehicle from Pokhara to Birethanti, where the trek starts. The trail follows the Bhurungdi Khola up to Hile (1,495 m), a large village with shops and teahouses, then climbs a long flight of stone steps to Ulleri, a Magar village with its first proper mountain views.
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Day 4: Trek to Ghorepani (2,840 m) 2,840 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
The trail climbs more gently from Ulleri through oak and rhododendron forest, past Banthanti (2,250 m) and Nangethanti (2,460 m), to Ghorepani on its ridge.
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Day 5: Poon Hill (3,210 m) at sunrise, then trek to Chuile (2,284 m) 3,210 m 7-8 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
A pre-dawn climb of an hour or so to Poon Hill for sunrise over Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli. Back down to Ghorepani for a hot breakfast, then along the forested ridge to Deurali (2,960 m), down to Banthanti for lunch, and on past Tadapani to Chuile.
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Day 6: Trek to Sinuwa (2,360 m) via Chhomrong 2,360 m 6-7 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Through forest and over suspension bridges to Ghurjung, then on to Chhomrong (2,140 m) for lunch, with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre close above the village. After lunch the trail drops steeply down stone steps to the Chhomrong Khola, and a hard climb through dense forest on the far side brings you to Sinuwa.
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Day 7: Trek to Deurali (3,230 m) 3,230 m 6-7 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Up to Upper Sinuwa, then down a steep bank to Bamboo, a cluster of lodges in a bamboo forest at the bottom of the gorge. The trail stays on the west side of the Modi Khola, past waterfalls and Hinko Cave, climbing steadily to Deurali.
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Day 8: Trek to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) 4,130 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Up the valley to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m), where the Sanctuary opens out and the peaks close in on every side. Climbing Machhapuchhre itself is forbidden, but the base camp gives a rare close look at it. The last two hours bring you to Annapurna Base Camp, below the south face of Annapurna I.
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Day 9: Descend to Bamboo (2,345 m) 2,345 m 6-7 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Sunrise in the Sanctuary, then back down the same trail, dropping around 1,700 m to Bamboo beside the Modi Khola, with views back to the Annapurna range, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre.
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Day 10: Trek to Jhinu Danda (1,780 m) 1,780 m 4-5 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Back up to Sinuwa and Chhomrong, then a very steep descent to Jhinu Danda, where a short walk down to the river brings you to the natural hot springs.
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Day 11: Trek to Syauli Bazaar (1,170 m), drive to Pokhara 820 m 3 hrs Hotel B/L
About three hours along the Modi Khola to Syauli Bazaar, one of the easiest walks of the trek and the end of the trail. From there a private vehicle takes you back to Pokhara, two to three hours, the first part on a rough dirt road and the rest paved from Nayapul.
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Day 12: Tourist bus back to Kathmandu (1,400 m), 7 to 9 hours 1,400 m Hotel B/D
The morning bus back to Kathmandu, seven to nine hours. In the evening we host a farewell dinner, with your guide and one of our office team.
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Day 13: Departure 1,400 m B
Our airport representative takes you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home.
Altitude profile
The climb, day by day
Comfort tiers
Choose your level of comfort
| Amenity | Standardfrom $1,280.00 | Comfortfrom $1,510.40 | Luxuryfrom $1,856.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu hotel | 3★ | 4★ | 5★ |
| Trail accommodation | Standard teahouse | Best lodge in each village | Premium lodge where the route has one |
| Porter support | Shared porter | Private porter, lighter load | Extra porter, carry almost nothing |
| Transfers | Shared | Private | Private, throughout |
What's included
Included
- Included: In Kathmandu: two nights in a 3-star hotel with twin-sharing rooms and breakfast, one before the trek and one after
- Included: In Pokhara: two nights in a lakeside hotel with twin-sharing rooms and breakfast, one before the trek and one after
- Included: During the trek: best available twin-sharing lodge accommodation for 8 nights
- Included: Full board meals during the trek: breakfast, lunch and dinner every day on the trail
- Included: Tea or coffee up to three times a day on the trail
- Included: Fresh fruit after evening meals on the trail
- Included: A farewell dinner in Kathmandu
- Included: Airport pickup and drop-off in a private vehicle
- Included: Tourist bus between Kathmandu and Pokhara, both ways
- Included: Private vehicle from Pokhara to the trailhead at Birethanti, and from Syauli Bazaar back to Pokhara
- Included: Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
- Included: Experienced, wilderness first-aid trained, government licensed, English speaking, locally recruited trekking guide (2 guides for group size more than 7 people)
- Included: Porters during the trek for carrying luggage (1 porter for every 2 clients)
- Included: Wages, accommodation, meals, gear, insurance, and medications for all staff
- Included: Down jacket and sleeping bag on loan for the trek
- Included: A 70-litre trekking duffel bag for each traveller
- Included: Souvenir set with an Annapurna Base Camp trek map, T-shirt and cap
- Included: Trek completion certificate
- Included: All administrative expenses and government taxes
Not included
- Not included: Lunches and dinners while in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Not included: Travel insurance
- Not included: International airfare
- Not included: Nepal entry visa fees
- Not included: Hot showers for the trek
- Not included: All kinds of cold drinks, such as bottled water, Coke, Fanta, juice, and similar beverages
- Not included: Device charging and WiFi internet
- Not included: Personal trekking equipment
- Not included: Tips for trekking staff and driver
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller | $1,280.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 travellers | $1,065.00 | $215.00 |
| 4 to 6 travellers | $1,000.00 | $280.00 |
| 7 or more | $935.00 | $345.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
Traveller reviews
What travellers say
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