Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Your journey to the Annapurna Base Camp trek starts when you land in Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. You can also obtain a visa at the airport also and buy a SIM card; we prefer you to buy an NTC for the trek. There will be a person from Majestic Trails Nepal waiting outside, waiting for you, holding the Majestic Trails Nepal signboard.

After that, you will get into the vehicle. Your hotel is 30 minutes away from the airport; sometimes it could take longer depending on traffic jams. Your hotel is in Thamel, which is a tourist hub, perfect for you. At the hotel, you will meet the Majestic Trails Nepal owner and have a meeting about the trip; at the same time, you will meet the guide also and you will get the equipment that needed for you need. 

After that, it’s a free day. You can explore Thamel. If you have time on that day, you can also go to Monkey Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, too.

Today, you will go to Pokhara, a really beautiful city. Early morning, you and your guide will go to the Kathmandu tourist bus park, which is not far from your hotel, just a 5-minute drive. You will get into the tourist bus. The bus journey is 210 km long from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and the ride will be for 7–8 hrs, depending on the traffic. The road will be bumpy in some parts, but the view is absolutely amazing. You will pass terraced fields, traditional houses, rivers, temples, forests, hills, and mountains.

If you want, instead of the drive, you can also choose the flight also; you have to add 105 dollars for that, and you will have a 25-minute scenic flight to Pokhara. You will also have time to explore more things on the same day. After you reach Pokhara, your hotel is near the Lakeside, which is another tourist area. At a 10-minute walk from the hotel, you can reach the really beautiful Lakeside and have a good dinner and rest for the tomorrow's hike and drive day.

Today, you drive to Birethati (1,110 m / 3,644 ft) and trek to Ulleri (1,960 m / 6,430 ft). You will leave at around 7:00 am in the morning after breakfast from Pokhara and drive to Birethati, which is around 50 km, and the drive will be approximately 90 minutes. By watching the view of the Annapurna ranges, you will reach Birethati. Birethati is the first checkpoint we have to check in at and the starting point of the 14-day Annapurna Base Camp trek.

From here, we will start walking. For the first 3 hours, we will walk on the off-road and beside the river and forest. During the season, vehicles will pass by you. After 3 hours, depending on your pace, we will start to walk from the trails and reach a traditional village called Tikhedhunga, which means “sharp stone,” standing at an altitude of 1,540 m. Leaving Tikhedhunga, we will cross 2 suspension bridges. You might see some local fishers fishing also.

Our last part will be a steep uphill all the way to Ulleri. The uphill is famous for 3,000 stone steps. That uphill will take around 2 hours, depending on your pace. After you walk 1 hr, on the right side, if there are no clouds, you might see Annapurna South 7,219 m / 23,684 ft. After the uphill, you will reach the hotel. The hotel in Ulleri is nice. You will get a comfortable room with an attached bathroom.

After you have breakfast at the Ulleri hotel, today you will go to a place called Ghorepani at an altitude of 2,880 m / 9,449 ft. Ulleri is at 1,960 m / 6,430 ft, which means today you have to go around 930 m / 3,051 ft up. Today, the walking distance is 8 km / 5 miles, with the walking duration around 4–5 hours.

For the first 45 minutes, you will climb the stone stairs. On this walk, you will see how the people stay here, the farmers, and pass many teahouses. While walking these trails, you will start to see mountains like Fishtail, Hinchuli, and Annapurna South. You will reach a place called Banthati, which means “ban” is forest/jungle and “thati” is where people used to come and rest.

After some time walking from there, you will enter the forest, which is a really beautiful walk. You will cross some wooden bridges, rivers, and waterfalls. You might also see langurs, which are a type of monkey. Now you will walk 2–3 hours on the off-road. The forest you are walking through now is the biggest rhododendron forest in the world.

If you are hungry, you can have lunch in a town you will pass in the middle. Now you will walk on the road for some time because local people built a new road that connects Pokhara to Ghorepani around 26 November 2026. Before reaching Ghorepani, there will be a checkpoint. After completing the entry there, you will move forward to the village that comes right after the checkpoint, which is also called Ghorepani, but we call it Lower Ghorepani. That is not where we will stay. From there, we will walk another 15 minutes uphill on stone stairs to Upper Ghorepani.

The reason we choose to stay there is the view. If there are no clouds, we will see the whole Annapurna range and the Dhaulagiri range. The room is also better with an attached bathroom. After you reach, you can walk around the town and play some basketball if you like because there is a basketball court. Today, you might need to sleep early because tomorrow we have to go early in the morning to see the sunrise at Poon Hill.

Today will be one of the most beautiful days of this Annapurna Base Camp trek. You will wake up around 5:00 am in the morning, but the exact time depends on the sunrise (which depends on the month you visit) and your walking pace. The guide will tell you the wake-up time the day before, after dinner, and during the briefing.

The plan for today is to hike to Poon Hill and come back the same way, then trek to Tadapani. The total walking duration will be 6–7 hours. After waking up, without breakfast, you will hike to Poon Hill, which takes only 45 minutes – 1 hour. On this hike, you do not need to pack your duffel bag or carry heavy items in your daypack; you just need water, a jacket for the cold, gloves, and a camera to take pictures.

The hike to Poon Hill might be a little difficult because you are going from 2,880 m / 9,449 ft to 3,210 m / 10,531 ft. The trail is stone stairs all the way to Poon Hill. Poon Hill means “Poon,” referring to the ethnic group of people staying here. From Poon Hill, you will see the most beautiful sunrise on the top of Annapurna South and Dhaulagiri turning golden. You will also see mountains like Annapurna Fang, Fishtail, Hinchuli, and a little peak of Annapurna I.

Poon Hill is just a viewpoint, but there is a teahouse which will be very busy during peak season. If you want, you can grab hot drinks. After spending some time there, you will come back the same way to the hotel, have breakfast, and get ready to hike to Tadapani.

After that, you will walk 5 minutes on flat trails and start ascending uphill all the way to Thapladanda, at an altitude of 3,160 m / 10,367 ft. The uphill walk will take around 1 hour and 45 minutes. After that, you will start descending all the way to Banthati at an altitude of 2,660 m / 8,727 ft. The downhill walk will be beautiful, but you need to be careful because tree roots come out, and you might slip, so descend slowly.

At Banthati, you will have lunch. After lunch, a 25-minute downhill walk is followed by the last part, which will be uphill with a mix of stone stairs, steep and flat, for the very last 10 minutes before reaching Tadapani. Tadapani is a small village with 9–10 guesthouses, but the view is absolutely amazing. Now you are coming closer to Annapurna South, Hinchuli, and Fishtail.

This is the day you will reach the really beautiful village called Chhomrong. The distance from Tadapani to Chhomrong is 8.5 km/5.2 miles, and the walking duration will be 5 hours only. Today is a short day, and you might reach Chhomrong around lunchtime as well. After a warm breakfast at Tadapani while seeing Annapurna South and Fishtail, you will start your walk.

The first section will be downhill. For the first 45 minutes, you will walk downhill through the forest, which could be slippery, so take it slowly. You will hear the sound of birds, which will be nice. After 45 minutes, we will leave the forest, but there is still downhill walking on stone stairs. You will walk around 1 hour and 30 minutes downhill, passing stupas and old villages, and reach near the river. Then you will cross a suspension bridge, walk uphill for 15 minutes, and reach the school in the Gurung village.

For the next 30 minutes, you will walk through the fields, where you will see people growing vegetables like tomatoes and cabbage. You might also see locals making local alcohol (raksi). If you are hungry, you can have lunch here. If not, you can walk another 2 hours and reach Chhomrong for lunch and stay.

Because it is a short day, you will get a chance to explore the village and rest as well. In Chhomrong, there is also a bakery where the chocolate cake is delicious; you can try it there and rest for tomorrow.

This is the day you will officially enter the Annapurna Sanctuary. Today you will go to a place called Dovan, which is a small town with only 4 teahouses, which means it will be busy. This is why you need to book early so we can reserve the room there in advance. The distance from Chhomrong to Dovan is 9 km / 5 miles, and the walking duration will be around 5 hours.

After a good breakfast at Chhomrong, you will walk stone stairs for 10 minutes and reach the last checkpoint. You will make your entry there and continue your downhill walk again. After walking 10 minutes, you will reach one stupa, where you can light a lamp for a good trek and better health. They do not take any charge; you can donate as much as you want.

After praying at the stupa, you will walk 30 minutes downhill, passing old houses, and cross a suspension bridge. After that, you will have a 2-hour uphill walk all the way to a place called Upper Sinuwa. There are two Sinuwas: Lower and Upper. This uphill can be tiring, not because you are exhausted, but because the sun will be strong at that time and due to the heat.

At Upper Sinuwa, you can have cold drinks while watching Fishtail Mountain closely. The mountain got its name because the peak looks exactly like a fish tail. After that, you will continue your walk to a place called Bamboo, which will take around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Now you will see more bamboo trees and rhododendrons. You might feel a little chilly because you will be walking in the forest. You will have lunch at Bamboo.

After having lunch at Bamboo, you will continue your walk for another 1 hour and 30 minutes and reach Dovan for the stay.

Today, you will go to a place called Deurali, which is at an altitude of 3,200 m / 10,499 ft. The distance from Dovan to Deurali is 8 km / 4.97 miles. You will walk today for 4–5 hours only, but you are going from 2,660 m / 8,727 ft to 3,200 m / 10,499 ft, so you might feel a little tired. With the right breaks and the right walking pace, you will be fine.

For the first 15 minutes, you will walk through the forest, so you might feel a little chilly. After 15 minutes, you will reach Upper Dovan, which has 2 teahouses. After having a short break, we will continue our walk for another 20 minutes. The trail is a mix of ups, flats, and downs, and you will reach a temple. Behind the temple, there is a unique waterfall as well. This is a great photo spot, and we get lots of photos here from our guests. Villagers also come here to pray. The village believes that if you take meat from here, then the weather will be bad and there will be some bad incidents, so they ban meat from this place.

After praying at the temple, we will climb 180 m / 591 ft from here to a place called Himalayan. It will take around 1 hour and 12 minutes. Himalayan is at 2,900 m / 9,514 ft and has 3 teahouses. A special thing about this place is that there is a coffee machine, which means you can have an Americano, a cappuccino, a café latte, and many more at 2,900 m, which feels really nice. You can have lunch here if you are hungry.

From here, it will take 2 hours to reach Deurali. The first 1 hour is stone stairs uphill, and you will reach Hinku Cave, where there is a big rock, and you can rest under it. From there, you can see Deurali, where you are going to stay tonight. From there, you will go downhill for 30 minutes and cross a river. During snowy times, it can be dangerous, so you need to walk carefully. After that, there will be another 30 minutes uphill to reach the hotel.

Deurali will be colder compared to Dovan, Chhomrong, and Tadapani. The dining hall will be colder than the Annapurna Base Camp dining hall. From Deurali, you can see a Gautam Buddha statue (who started Buddhism) on the mountain, which was created naturally and looks like Buddha is meditating. If you zoom in, it is all stone, which feels a little crazy. You will rest here and get ready for tomorrow, the Annapurna Base Camp day.

Today is the day why you joined the trek. Today you are going to reach Annapurna Base Camp, which is situated at 4,130 m / 13,550 ft, from Deurali at 3,200 m / 10,499 ft. Today, you are going around 930 m / 3,051 ft higher. The distance from Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp is 8 km / 4.97 miles. This day is going to be one of the most beautiful days of your life, where your dream comes true to reach Annapurna Base Camp.

The walking duration will be around 5 hours, depending on your pace, because you will be walking at a high altitude, so your pace will be slower compared to a low altitude. It is good to take time and enjoy the moments. At the same time you usually have breakfast, you will eat and start walking.

The first 5 minutes are downhill near the Modi River. There will be two separate ways; if there is avalanche risk or snow, most of the time villagers take another route crossing the river. Otherwise, you will take the left side, doing some uphill for 10 min and then walking along the bank of the river for 40 min. While walking this part, you will start seeing Gangapurna and Annapurna III in the middle of the two mountains.

After that, an uphill section will start for around 1 hour, all the way to Machhapuchre Base Camp at an altitude of 3,700 m / 12139.11 ft, which usually takes 2 to 3 hours in total from Deurali. That means you are going to reach the base camp of the unclimbed mountain Machhapuchre (Fishtail). There are 5 teahouses where you can have hot drinks, or you can have a light lunch if you are hungry; it all depends on you.

After that, we will start walking toward Annapurna Base Camp. Now the remaining distance will be 4 km / 2.48 miles, with a walking duration of around 2 hours. The first 1 hour part is uphill, and from the start of walking from Machhapuchre Base Camp, you will begin to see beautiful Annapurna South, Hinchuli, and Annapurna Fang. Annapurna I will open up after 1 hour on the right side. That means we are now behind the mountains we started seeing from Ghorepani, Tadapani, and Chhomrong.

After 1 hour, you will reach Mirror Lake. The water level of the lake is sometimes more or less, depending on the month you visit. After Mirror Lake, you will see Annapurna Base Camp, but it will take another 1 hour to reach. This part is gradually uphill, which makes it easier, and you will reach the Annapurna Base Camp signboard, where you will celebrate your dream of reaching here. After that, you will walk another 10 minutes to reach the teahouse.

Annapurna Base Camp has only 5 teahouses, which means it will be busy. After reaching Annapurna Base Camp, you can go to the Annapurna Base Camp viewpoint, which is just a 3-minute walk from the hotel, and see the glacier and the 10th-highest mountain in the world, Annapurna I. You can also see one of the most beautiful sunsets on Machhapuchre Mountain.

Today you are going to wake up at sunrise time because the viewpoint is just 3 minutes away from the hotel. You can wake up around 8 minutes before sunrise time, which will be given by the guide during the briefing the day before. You are going to see another amazing sunrise view, where the sun hits the peaks of Annapurna South, Annapurna Fang, and Annapurna I and turns the mountains red.

After taking lots of pictures, especially with the prayer flags and the giant Annapurna behind you, you will come back to your teahouse, have breakfast, pack your bag, and get ready to go down all the way to Bamboo at an altitude of 2,300 m / 7,546 ft. You will go back the same way.

While going downhill, you need to be careful. During the snow, it will be slippery, and even without snow, it can still be slippery because there are small stones, especially on the downhill section up to Machhapuchre Base Camp. Today, it will take around 7 hours because we have to cover a distance of 18 km / 11.18 miles. The walk from Annapurna Base Camp to Bamboo will be the longest day during the 14-day Annapurna Base Camp trek.

While going downhill, the walk will be equally beautiful, and you will see different angles and realize how much you walked up. Today, you will reach Bamboo around 4–5 pm, which means you will have lunch at Himalayan. After reaching Bamboo, you can have a hot shower, rest your legs, and get ready for tomorrow’s downhill walk.

Today you are going to a place called Jhinu Dada, which is the last night of the trek. After having breakfast at Bamboo, you will start walking. You will have lunch at Chomrong. Today, the total distance will be 12 km / 7.46 miles, and the walking duration will be around 5 hours.

Jhinu Dada is located at an altitude of 1,760 m / 5,774 ft and has around 7–8 guesthouses.

Another special thing about today is that you can go to the Jhinu Dada natural hot spring. It is approximately 25 minutes downhill from the hotel where you will be staying. The natural hot spring is located near the riverbank. Before going there, you should carry a towel and clothes. There are no shops, so you need to carry everything you need with you.

You can go there, relax for around 2 hours, walk back to the hotel, and celebrate the last day of the trek.

Today you will go back to Pokhara with lots of memories. After breakfast, you will walk 15 minutes downhill and cross the longest suspension bridge during the trek, which is around 282 m long. Some guests feel scared while crossing it. After that, you will walk for another 10 minutes and get into a private jeep, then drive for around 3 hours to Pokhara.

You will have accommodation at a 3-star hotel, where you can sleep in a comfortable bed today. In the evening, you can walk around Lakeside and try some street food.

Today, you will drive to Kathmandu. Around 7 a.m., you will leave the hotel and go to the tourist bus park, then drive to Kathmandu, which will take approximately 7–8 hours. Alternatively, if you add USD 105, you can fly back to Kathmandu.

After you arrive at the hotel, you will have a meeting with the owner to share your feedback about the Annapurna Base Camp trek. You will also need to provide your departure time so we can arrange the vehicle for you. If you would like to extend your stay, we can help with that as well.

In the evening, you can visit the shops to buy gifts for your family and yourself.

According to your departure time, there will be a taxi and representatives from Majestic Trails Nepal to say goodbye to you.