Ten days from Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) and back, starting with sunrise from Poon Hill above Ghorepani and crossing to Chhomrong before following the Modi Khola gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary. Two of the region's best viewpoints in one trek, finishing at the Jhinu hot springs.
Ten days from Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) and back, starting with sunrise from Poon Hill above Ghorepani and crossing to Chhomrong before following the Modi Khola gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary. Two of the region's best viewpoints in one trek, finishing at the Jhinu hot springs.
This is the classic way to reach Annapurna Base Camp from Pokhara. Instead of walking straight up the Modi Khola, we start at Nayapul and climb through Ulleri to Ghorepani, catch sunrise from Poon Hill, then cross the forested ridges by Tadapani to Chhomrong. From there the trail follows the Modi Khola through bamboo and rhododendron forest into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial basin ringed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhre.
The first three days warm you up on lower ground. Ghorepani sits at 2,874 m and Poon Hill at 3,210 m, so you have already been above 3,000 m before you head up the gorge. That, and nights at Chhomrong, Bamboo and Deurali on the way up, helps your body adjust before the final climb past Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m) to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m).
After sunrise at base camp we come down quickly, staying at Bamboo and then Jhinu Danda, where the hot springs by the river are a short walk below the village. On the last morning we walk down to the road at Siwai and drive back to Pokhara.
The trail is non-technical but there are a great many stone steps, especially between Tikhedhunga and Ulleri and around Chhomrong. Expect five to seven hours on the trail most days. Teahouses are simple, warm and friendly, with menus cooked to order; rooms become more basic and colder above Bamboo. Your guide sets a steady pace, checks your health every evening and watches conditions in the avalanche-prone section above Himalaya.
This trek suits fit walkers who have not been to altitude before. Expect five to seven hours of walking on most days, on uneven trail with thousands of stone steps: the climb from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri and the staircases around Chhomrong are the hardest sections. The highest night is at 4,130 m. Start training eight to twelve weeks before departure with weekly hill walks of five to six hours carrying a light daypack, stair or step sessions to prepare your legs for the climbs and long descents, and two or three cardio sessions a week such as running, cycling or swimming. Leg strength work such as squats and lunges protects your knees. If you have a heart or lung condition, talk to your doctor before booking.
We leave Pokhara early and drive about an hour and a half to Nayapul. After the ACAP checkpoint at Birethanti the trail follows the Bhurungdi Khola past waterfalls and terraced fields to Tikhedhunga. From there a long stone staircase of several thousand steps climbs to the Magar village of Ulleri, where the first views of Annapurna South open up.
The climb continues more gently through Banthanti and Nangethanti into thick forest of oak and rhododendron, which flowers red and pink in March and April. We reach Ghorepani, a ridge-top village of lodges, in the early afternoon, with Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South visible from the upper village in clear weather.
We set off by head torch at about 4.30 am for the 45-minute climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m), where sunrise lights up Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, Nilgiri, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre. After breakfast back in Ghorepani we follow the forested ridge east past Deurali and down through Banthanti to Tadapani, a small lodge settlement facing Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre.
We descend through rhododendron forest past Chuile to the Kimrong Khola, climb over the ridge at Gurjung and contour round to Chhomrong, the largest Gurung village in the upper Modi Khola valley. From the village terraces Annapurna South and Hiunchuli stand straight up the valley, and Machhapuchhre rises to the east.
Hundreds of stone steps lead down to the Chhomrong Khola and up again to Sinuwa. Beyond, the trail contours through oak and rhododendron forest to Kuldhigar, then drops into the dense bamboo groves that give Bamboo its name. The gorge narrows here and the lodges sit close to the roar of the Modi Khola.
We climb steadily beside the river through Dovan to Himalaya, where the forest gives way to scrub, then past the overhang at Hinku Cave into the upper gorge at Deurali. Above Hinku the trail crosses avalanche paths, and your guide checks conditions with the lodges before we go on.
An early start takes us past Bagar into the Sanctuary. We stop for tea at Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m) beneath the west face of Machhapuchhre, then climb gently over grassy moraine for about two hours to Annapurna Base Camp, surrounded by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhre. Take it slowly and drink plenty of water.
Before breakfast, watch the sun reach the summit of Annapurna I and work its way down the south face. Then we descend past Machhapuchhre Base Camp, Deurali, Himalaya and Dovan to Bamboo. It is a long day, mostly downhill, and you will notice the thicker air.
We climb back to Kuldhigar and Sinuwa, cross the Chhomrong Khola and make the last big climb of the trek to Chhomrong. From the top of the village a steep descent brings us to Jhinu Danda. The natural hot springs by the river, about 20 minutes below the village, are the best way to end the trek.
A short walk down from Jhinu Danda to New Bridge and along the Modi Khola brings us to the jeep road at Siwai. Our vehicle drives you back down the valley to Pokhara, about three hours, arriving in the afternoon.
Permits we arrange: Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP)
You sleep at 3,200 m at Deurali and 4,130 m at Annapurna Base Camp. Starting via Ghorepani and Poon Hill gives your body a few days at 2,000 to 3,200 m before the gorge, which helps. Mild headaches and poor sleep are normal; vomiting, confusion, severe breathlessness at rest or loss of balance mean descending at once. Your guide measures your oxygen saturation every evening and can take you down quickly, because the trail drops steeply back down the valley.
Between Himalaya and Machhapuchhre Base Camp the trail runs below slopes that release avalanches after heavy snow, mainly from December to April. In January 2020 an avalanche near Deurali swept away trekkers and guides. Your guide checks conditions before entering this section, keeps the group moving through the marked danger zones and will wait at Bamboo or Deurali after fresh snowfall.
The whole route lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so every trekker needs an Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) entry permit. The fee for foreign nationals is NPR 3,000 per person; children under ten do not pay. We apply for it in Pokhara before you start, so we need a clear scan of your passport photo page and one passport photo. Your guide carries the permit and shows it at the ACAP checkpoints along the trail. Nepal Tourism Board rules introduced on 1 April 2023 require foreign trekkers to walk with a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. A separate TIMS card is not checked on Annapurna routes at present; ACAP is the permit that matters here. Every trek we run is led by a licensed guide, so you meet the rules as they stand and nothing changes for you if enforcement tightens.
The trek starts and ends in Pokhara. You can reach Pokhara from Kathmandu by a 25-minute domestic flight or by tourist bus (six to eight hours). Plan to arrive the day before the trek, as we leave early on day one, and allow a spare day before any international flight home from Kathmandu in case weather or road delays hold you up.
There are no ATMs on the trail once you leave the road, so draw Nepali rupees in Pokhara for drinks, snacks, hot showers, battery charging, wifi and tips. Prices rise the higher you go because everything is carried up by porters or mules. Most teahouses charge a small fee for charging phones and cameras, and a power bank saves money and worry. Mobile signal is patchy; many lodges sell wifi by the hour.
Do not drink untreated tap or stream water. Many villages have refill stations selling treated water, and lodges will fill your bottle with boiled water for a small charge. Bring a filter, purification tablets or a UV pen and two one-litre bottles. Refilling instead of buying bottled water keeps plastic out of the conservation area.
October and November are the clearest months, with cold nights at base camp. March to May is warmer and the rhododendrons around Ghorepani and Tadapani are in flower, but afternoon cloud is common. December to February is clear and cold; snow can lie at Ghorepani and may close the trail above Deurali. The monsoon from June to September brings rain, leeches and cloud.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Base layers: two moisture-wicking tops and one pair of thermal leggings
Fleece or light insulated jacket
Down jacketWe provide
On loan from us for the trek
Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
Showers are common in spring and the trail can be wet into early October
Two pairs of trekking trousers and a pair of shorts
Warm hat, sun hat and buff
Liner gloves and insulated gloves
Trekking socks (four pairs) and underwear
Broken-in waterproof trekking boots with ankle support
The stone staircases are hard on new boots
Sandals or light shoes for the evenings
Daypack of 25 to 35 litres with rain cover
Your porter carries the main bag
Duffel bag for the porter, kept to about 10 kg per trekker
Sleeping bagWe provide
On loan from us; a liner adds warmth and hygiene
Trekking polesRent locally
Easy to hire in Pokhara; they save your knees on the descents
Head torch with spare batteries
Needed for the pre-dawn walks
Two one-litre water bottles
Water filter, purification tablets or UV pen
Power bank and charging cables
Sunglasses with UV protection
Altitude medicine such as acetazolamide, after advice from your doctor
Sunscreen (SPF 50) and lip balm with SPF
Personal medicines, blister plasters and rehydration salts
Hand sanitiser, quick-dry towel and toiletries
Passport, with a photocopy and two passport photos
Travel insurance policy details
Your guide keeps a copy with the emergency contacts
Nepali rupees in cash for the trail
No ATMs once you leave the road
Snacks such as energy bars or nuts
Starting through Ghorepani gives you sunrise from Poon Hill over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, which you would not see on the direct route, and lets you warm up on lower ground before the climb into the Sanctuary. The extra height early on also helps acclimatisation.
It is a moderate trek with no technical sections. The challenge is the number of stone steps and five to seven hours a day on foot, finishing at 4,130 m. If you can walk all day on hilly ground and repeat it the next day, and you train for two or three months, you should be fine.
Poon Hill is 3,210 m, Ghorepani 2,874 m, Machhapuchhre Base Camp 3,700 m and Annapurna Base Camp 4,130 m. You may see slightly different figures elsewhere, especially for Ghorepani, which is also given as 2,860 m.
Nepal Tourism Board rules from 1 April 2023 require foreign trekkers to walk with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency. On Annapurna routes only the ACAP permit is checked at present, not a TIMS card. Our trek includes both a licensed guide and the ACAP permit.
The trek starts with a morning pick-up from your Pokhara hotel and finishes with a drop-off there in the afternoon of day ten. Hotel nights in Pokhara are not part of this trek, but we are happy to book one for you.
Teahouses serve dal bhat (rice, lentils and vegetable curry, with free refills), noodles, pasta, momos, eggs, porridge and pancakes. Your three meals a day are included. Menus get shorter and prices higher the further up the valley you go.
Most lodges have power for charging, usually for a small fee, and wifi for a fee. Signal is patchy in the gorge above Sinuwa. Bring a power bank.
Your guide decides each morning whether the trail above Himalaya is safe. After heavy snow we wait at a lower lodge until the avalanche risk drops, and if we cannot reach base camp we turn around rather than take chances.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek
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