Annapurna Base Camp Trek hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Annapurna Base Camp trek, also called the Annapurna Sanctuary trek, climbs from the foothills above Pokhara to the foot of the south face of Annapurna I (8,091 m). The trail follows the deep Modi Khola gorge into the Sanctuary, a high glacial basin closed in on every side by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna, Annapurna III and the sacred, never-climbed Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), the "Fishtail". It is not the Annapurna Circuit: the Circuit goes round the whole massif over the Thorong La, while this trek goes straight into the middle of it and comes back out the same valley. You sleep and eat in teahouses (simple family lodges) every night, so you carry only a day pack and a sleeping bag, or a little more if you have no porter.

The route

This guide follows the classic ascent from Nayapul (1,070 m), 42 km by road from Pokhara. The trail climbs past Birethanti and Kimche to Ghandruk, the big Gurung village with stone houses and views of Annapurna South. From there it crosses Komrong Danda, drops to the Kimrong Khola and climbs to Chhomrong (2,170 m), the last real village. After Chhomrong the trail goes down stone steps to the river, up to Sinuwa and into bamboo and rhododendron forest past Bamboo, Dovan and Himalaya to Deurali (3,230 m). The last day climbs past Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC, 3,700 m) onto the moraine meadows of the Sanctuary and Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m).

The line on this page is one way, Nayapul to ABC: about 43 km, split into 5 stages of about 8.7 km. There are thousands of stone steps, and the walk up gains 4,500 to 5,000 m in total because the trail keeps dropping into side valleys. The way back uses the same trail to Chhomrong, usually in 2 to 3 days: ABC to Bamboo or Dovan, then down to Jhinu Danda, with natural hot springs 20 minutes below the village, and out by jeep from Siwai or New Bridge, or via Ghandruk.

Highlights

• Sunrise at ABC: first light on the south face of Annapurna I and on Machhapuchhre, with glaciers all round
• Machhapuchhre Base Camp: the classic view of the Fishtail, which by local tradition is not climbed
• Ghandruk and Chhomrong: Gurung villages with terraced fields, slate roofs and a small Gurung museum in Ghandruk
• The Modi Khola gorge: waterfalls, bamboo and rhododendron forest that flowers red in March and April
• Jhinu Danda hot springs: a soak on the way down

When to go

The best months are October and November, with clear skies and stable weather, and March to May, when the rhododendrons flower but clouds build in the afternoon. These are also the busiest months, when Bamboo, Deurali, MBC and ABC fill up. December to February is clear but cold, with snow above Deurali and a real avalanche risk. June to September is the monsoon: daily rain, leeches, landslides on the lower trail and roads, and few views. Check the weather and the trail before you go in any season.

How many days do you need?

Allow 5 days up and 2 to 3 days down, 7 to 9 days from Pokhara. Many walkers save a day by taking a jeep to Ghandruk, Kimche or Siwai and starting there. Add a day to sleep at MBC between Deurali and ABC: it splits the 900 m climb, helps with the altitude and gives you a second chance at clear morning views. A longer version starts over Ghorepani and Poon Hill and joins this route at Tadapani and Chhomrong.

Permits and booking

Every foreign trekker needs an Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) entry permit: NPR 3,000, or NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, free for children under 10. Buy it online at epermit.ntnc.org.np or at the permit counters in Kathmandu or Pokhara, because at a trail check-post it costs double. Show it at the check-posts and keep it to the end.

Since April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has issued TIMS cards (NPR 2,000) only through registered agencies, which means foreign trekkers are officially expected to walk with a licensed guide. Checks in the Annapurna region have been patchy, but plan for the rule: a local guide or a guide and porter also help with lodge bookings, which matter in peak season at Bamboo and above. Your guide, or the lodge where you sleep the night before, can phone ahead to the next one.

Getting there and away

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara (about 25 minutes) or take a tourist bus (6 to 8 hours). From Pokhara, local buses and taxis go to Nayapul in about 1.5 to 2 hours, and shared or private jeeps run on rough roads to Ghandruk, Kimche and Siwai near Jhinu Danda. The last village with road access on this route is Ghandruk or Jhinu; above Chhomrong everything is carried in by porters and mules.

Money, phone signal and charging

Bring all the cash you need in Nepali rupees from Pokhara: lodges and shops on the trail rarely take cards, and you should not count on finding an ATM. Food and drink prices rise with altitude, and at the top a hot shower, a battery charge or Wi-Fi each cost a few dollars extra. Mobile signal is good in the lower villages and patchy above Chhomrong. Most lodges sell Wi-Fi, but it is slow and often off at ABC.

What to pack

A sleeping bag rated to about -10 °C (lodges give blankets, but ABC is below freezing at night most of the year), a warm down jacket, hat and gloves, waterproofs, broken-in boots, trekking poles for the steps, a head torch, sun protection for snow glare, water purification (the conservation area discourages bottled water) and a basic first-aid kit with blister care. Leave spare luggage in your Pokhara hotel.

Difficulty and safety

The trek is moderate to hard. The paths are clear and well used, but the days are long, with steep stone stairs up and down, and the last day takes you above 4,000 m. Altitude sickness can affect anyone above about 3,000 m: go slowly, drink plenty and sleep at MBC if you can. If you have a headache with nausea or dizziness, do not go higher; if it gets worse, go down. Between Himalaya, Deurali and MBC the trail crosses avalanche paths: an avalanche at Deurali buried four Korean trekkers and two Nepali guides in January 2020, so in winter and spring ask at the lodges and wait if the path is closed. In an emergency call 100 (police) or 1144 (Tourist Police). Above Chhomrong the only fast way out is a helicopter to Pokhara, arranged by your guide, lodge or insurer, so carry insurance that covers trekking to 4,200 m and helicopter evacuation.