In short: the Annapurna Base Camp trek suits fit first-timers and regular walkers who want a full ring of Himalayan peaks without a high pass or a mountain flight. It runs 9 days from Kathmandu, sleeps once at the sanctuary at 4,130 m and is graded moderate. Prices start from USD 499 per person on Budget, USD 799 on Standard and USD 1,400 on Luxury.
Trek Highlights
- 9-day private trek to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m), the inner sanctuary of the Annapurna massif, ringed by 7,000m and 8,000m peaks.
- Stand at the foot of Annapurna I (8,091m), the world’s tenth-highest mountain and the first 8,000m peak ever summited (1950).
- Honest 9-day routing: enough days to walk in, sleep at ABC for one night, and walk out safely. Operators selling 7-day versions skip the Chomrong acclimatisation cycle.
- Private guide and porter ratio that does not change based on group size. No shared-group surcharge gimmicks.
- 10% deposit to lock dates, balance paid in person in Kathmandu. No full prepayment required to a foreign trekker you have never met.
- Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center work at Saldum, where 70 children are taught by one dedicated teacher.
Why I built this trek the way I did
I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. Annapurna Base Camp is the trek I recommend to people who want a serious Himalayan walk but are not yet ready for the time and altitude of Everest Base Camp. The high point is 4,130m, which is significant but not extreme. The 9-day shape gets you in and out without rushing.
The route follows the Modi Khola gorge through Chomrong and Bamboo before the long climb to Machapuchare Base Camp and then ABC itself. The sanctuary is what people remember: a ring of 7,000m and 8,000m peaks closing around you in a perfect amphitheatre, with Annapurna I (the world’s tenth-highest mountain) at the top of the cirque. There is nowhere quite like it on the Annapurna circuit, and it is the closest you can get to standing inside a Himalayan giant.
I run this as 9 days because that is the honest minimum needed to walk in, sleep at ABC for one night, and walk out safely. Operators selling 7-day versions skip the Chomrong acclimatisation cycle, which is what increases AMS risk on the Bamboo to Deurali push. Our 9-day pace gives you a full night at Chomrong on the way up and a clean descent profile back down.
We run this as a private trek by default, and we never add strangers to your booking. If you would rather have company on the trail, you can choose to join one of our fixed departures instead. Either way the price per person is the same. Your pace, your rest days, your conversations at dinner. We do not change the guide-to-porter ratio when the group is smaller. Your guide and porter are with you whether you are two people or six.
Every booking on this trip helps us pay the teacher’s salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum, where 70 children get free education. The salary is currently funded out of my own pocket. Your trek is what makes that sustainable.
The mountains appear all at once. You round a bend on the moraine trail above Chomrong, the bamboo thins, the cloud lifts, and suddenly you are standing inside a ring of ice. Annapurna I (8,091m) fills the northern sky. Annapurna South closes the west. Machhapuchhre, the sacred Fishtail, rises to the east with its twin summit catching the first gold of morning. Between them, glaciers tumble into a bowl of silence so deep you can hear your own heartbeat. This is the Annapurna Sanctuary, a natural amphitheatre at 4,130 metres (13,550ft) that the Gurung people have considered sacred ground for centuries. No roads reach here. No helicopters land. The only way in is on foot, and you have just walked it.
This 9-day trek takes you from Pokhara, Nepal's lakeside adventure capital, through terraced hillsides and Gurung villages, up through rhododendron forests that blaze crimson in spring, past bamboo groves and waterfalls, and into the heart of the Annapurna Conservation Area. You'll sleep in teahouses run by families who have hosted trekkers for generations, eat dal bhat and Nepali momos cooked over wood fires, and soak tired muscles in the natural hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the way down. It is one of Nepal's most rewarding treks packed into just nine days, designed by Shreejan Simkhada, whose family has been guiding people through these mountains across three generations.
What Makes This Trek Special
- Stand inside the Annapurna Sanctuary, a 360-degree amphitheatre of peaks above 7,000 metres, with Annapurna Base Camp at its centre (4,130m / 13,550ft)
- See Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) from closer than almost any other trail in Nepal. No climbing permit has ever been issued for this sacred peak, and from ABC, its sheer south face fills half the sky
- Walk through Ghandruk, one of Nepal's most beautiful Gurung villages, where stone houses with slate roofs sit among terraced fields and the Gurung cultural heritage is still very much alive. You'll pass prayer flags strung between stone houses and hear stories of mountain gods
- Soak in the natural hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the descent, where a riverside pool heated by geothermal springs sits beneath the forest canopy
- Trek through rhododendron forests that explode in red, pink and white blooms from March to May, creating one of the most spectacular spring displays in the Himalayas
- Complete one of Nepal's classic high-altitude treks in just 9 days, making it achievable even with limited annual leave
- All permits included (ACAP and TIMS), so you don't need to spend a day in Kathmandu queuing at government offices
- Small groups of 1 to 20, always with a Nepal government well-trained guide who knows this trail intimately
- Three tiers (Budget, Standard, Luxury) so you can choose the comfort level that suits you without compromising on safety or expertise
- Every booking supports education for 70 children in rural Nepal through the Nagarjun Learning Center
9-Day Overview
Your journey begins and ends in Kathmandu, but the trek itself starts from Pokhara, reached by a scenic drive through Nepal's middle hills. From Pokhara, you travel to Nayapul, the traditional trailhead for the Annapurna Sanctuary route. The first days climb through Ghandruk and Chomrong, two of the most photographed villages in the Annapurna region, where terraced fields cascade down hillsides and the mountain panorama grows wider with each hour of walking. Beyond Chomrong, the trail enters the Modi Khola gorge, passing through bamboo forests, past waterfalls, and up through increasingly stark alpine terrain to Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC). From MBC, a final morning walk across the glacial moraine delivers you to Annapurna Base Camp itself. The descent follows a different line through Jhinu Danda, where the hot springs provide a perfect end to the mountain days before returning to Pokhara and then Kathmandu.
Before You Arrive
Please arrive in Kathmandu the day before your trek starts. This gives you time to recover from your international flight, meet your guide, and do any last-minute gear shopping in Thamel if needed. We arrange your hotel and airport transfer, so you can step off the plane knowing everything is sorted. Make sure your Nepal visa and trekking insurance are in order before you fly, and bring enough Nepali rupees for personal spending on the trail.
Online Briefing
After you book, we schedule a video call to walk you through everything: what to wear, what to pack, what the teahouses are really like, how acclimatisation works on this route, and anything else on your mind. This is also when you share your hotel preferences in Kathmandu and Pokhara so we can match the right accommodation to you. No question is too small.
Transport
All three tiers travel the same route: Kathmandu to Pokhara by road (approximately 6-7 hours), then Pokhara to Nayapul (about 1.5 hours) to reach the trailhead. The return follows the same route in reverse. The difference between tiers is the vehicle. Budget trekkers travel by local tourist bus or shared vehicle, which is comfortable, safe and well-used by Nepalis and travellers alike. Standard trekkers ride in a shared tourist vehicle with more legroom and air conditioning. Luxury trekkers get a premium private vehicle with extra comfort for the long drive. There are no flights on this itinerary; everything is by road, which keeps costs down and gives you more of Nepal's countryside. For a full breakdown of what trekking in Nepal actually costs, see our complete cost guide.
Your Trek, Your Way
Every trek we run is arranged privately for your group. You won't be paired with strangers unless you choose to join a public departure. Whether you book as a solo trekker, a couple, or a group of friends, this itinerary belongs to you. Want to add a rest day? Spend longer in Ghandruk? Extend to include Poon Hill? We can adjust. Our three tiers (Budget, Standard and Luxury) give you genuine choice over accommodation, meals, porter support and transport without affecting the route itself. Same expert guides. Same safety standards. Three comfort levels. Read more about what the price difference actually buys or explore our budget trekking guide.
Difficulty
We rate this trek Moderate. That rating reflects the combination of altitude, terrain and daily walking hours rather than any single extreme element. You'll reach 4,130 metres at ABC, which is high enough for altitude sickness to be a genuine concern. The ascent from Chomrong involves thousands of stone steps, both up and down, and the infamous Chomrong staircase is a test for even experienced trekkers. Daily walking ranges from 4 to 7 hours over uneven trails, river crossings on suspension bridges, and sections of exposed moraine near the base camp. The trail gains altitude rapidly once you leave the Modi Khola valley, so good cardiovascular fitness and proper acclimatisation habits matter. Our guides carry a pulse oximeter and monitor your oxygen levels daily, and we build the itinerary with a steady altitude gain profile. If you can comfortably walk 6-7 hours a day on hilly terrain, you can do this trek. If you have concerns, read our beginner's guide to Nepal trekking.
Annapurna Base Camp at a glance
| Duration | 9 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m |
| Region | Annapurna Conservation Area, from Pokhara |
| Difficulty | Moderate, no technical climbing |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) and TIMS card |
| Best months | October to November and March to April |
| Group size | 1 to 20 people. Solo is welcome, and every trek is private |
| Starts and ends | Kathmandu, with the drive to Pokhara, the walk from Nayapul, and the drives back |
| Walking per day | 5 to 7 hours, with a 7-hour day to Deurali |
| From price | USD 499 Budget, USD 799 Standard, USD 1,400 Luxury (1 to 4 people) |
Best time to trek to Annapurna Base Camp
| Season | Months | What it is like | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | October to November | Clearest and most reliable; the main season | Best overall |
| Spring | March to April | Warm, rhododendron forest in flower on the lower trail | Great, second season |
| Winter | December to February | Cold and quiet, with snow and avalanche risk on the approach to the sanctuary | Only with care |
| Monsoon | June to mid-September | Rain, leeches, cloud and higher avalanche and landslip risk | Avoid |
Month by month: when to go
| Month | Rain at Pokhara (mm) | Typical night low at base camp (C) | On the trail | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21.6 | -14 | Cold at Deurali and base camp, and snow can sit for a long time above 3,000 m | Hard, not for a first winter trek |
| February | 35.1 | -12 | Cold, with snow on the upper trail | Hard, not for a first winter trek |
| March | 63.7 | -9 | Long sunny days and nights that warm step by step | Good |
| April | 141.7 | -5 | Good, with flowers on the lower trail and more cloud later in the day | Good |
| May | 354.7 | -1 | Between spring and monsoon, and the least reliable month for views | Possible with care |
| June | 648.2 | 4 | Monsoon. Wet, cloudy and leech-prone | Not recommended |
| July | 941.0 | 7 | Monsoon, the wettest month | Not recommended |
| August | 839.4 | 6 | Monsoon | Not recommended |
| September | 635.0 | 4 | Rains easing but still wet | Not recommended |
| October | 159.2 | -1 | Rain drops back and the sunshine returns. Late October is better than early October | Best |
| November | 17.2 | -6 | The clearest and driest days, with colder nights | Best |
| December | 11.5 | -9 | Possible early in the month, hard from mid-month | Possible early, hard later |
Rain is the Pokhara record (1991 to 2020). The night lows at base camp are typical figures for 2015 to 2024 and are a guide, not a forecast. Our view is our own judgement. The full tables, with sunshine hours and wet days, are in Annapurna Base Camp best time, month by month.
Permits
Annapurna Base Camp is an ordinary Annapurna route, so there is no restricted-area permit. You need two, and we arrange both and include them in your trek price.
| Permit | Foreigner | SAARC |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,000 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 | NPR 1,000 |
What the price covers, and what it does not
You need two permits: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP, NPR 3,000) and a TIMS card (NPR 2,000), so NPR 5,000 per foreign trekker. Annapurna Base Camp is not a restricted area, so there is no special permit. We arrange both and include them in your price. See Annapurna Base Camp permits explained.
Not in the price: your international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 50 for 30 days on arrival), travel insurance bought at home with helicopter cover, your Kathmandu hotel, tips for your team, and on Budget your meals (about USD 15 to 25 a day, and more as you climb).
A 10% deposit (about USD 50 on Budget) confirms your dates. You pay it by card through Himalayan Bank's secure gateway, and you pay the balance when you arrive in Kathmandu, in US dollars or euros, in cash or by card (card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge). If your plans change we move your trip to any date within a year, free, with 72 hours' notice. The deposit itself is not refunded if you cancel. If we cannot run the trip ourselves, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank and card charges and any money already spent for you on permits and flights.
Getting there
No flights are needed. Day 1 is the drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (820 m), usually 7 to 8 hours. On day 2 you drive to Nayapul and walk to Ghandruk. After base camp you walk down by Bamboo and Jhinu Danda, drive from Nayapul to Pokhara on day 8 and back to Kathmandu on day 9. Budget travels by local vehicle, Standard by shared tourist vehicle and Luxury by private vehicle. If you are already in Pokhara, our 7-day version from Pokhara saves you the two long drives. Annapurna Base Camp in 5, 7 or 9 days helps you pick.
Safety and altitude
The climb is more gradual than on Everest, and you sleep at 4,130 m for one night only. The nights run Ghandruk (1,940 m), Chomrong (2,170 m), Deurali (3,174 m) and base camp, then you drop to Bamboo (2,310 m) and Jhinu Danda (1,780 m). Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and checks you daily. If you get a headache, feel sick or sleep badly, tell your guide, and we do not go higher. The upper sanctuary has avalanche terrain after fresh snow and in the winter and monsoon months, and your guide's call on whether to go up is final. Your insurance must cover trekking to 5,000 m and helicopter evacuation. See how difficult Annapurna Base Camp is.
Packing basics
Boots you have already walked in, layers for cold nights at Deurali and base camp, a down jacket, a waterproof shell, a warm hat and gloves, sunglasses, sun cream and a head torch. Poles help on the Chomrong stone staircase and the long descents. If you do not own a sleeping bag or down jacket, tell us at your online briefing and we will lend you ones. What to bring, lend and leave behind lists it all.
Budget, Standard or Luxury: what actually changes
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter | None. You carry your own bag | 1 porter for every 2 trekkers | 1 dedicated porter for every trekker |
| Meals on the trek | Not included, you pay at the teahouse | All meals | All meals, fruit and nuts, and unlimited soft drinks |
| Rooms | Shared | Private | Private deluxe with ensuite bathroom |
| Transport | Local vehicle | Shared tourist vehicle | Private vehicle |
If you are going alone, Luxury still gives you your own dedicated porter. On Standard there is no porter, because porters are shared one between two trekkers, so your guide carries up to 10 kg of your bag instead. Budget never has a porter. You can add a porter of your own on any tier for USD 25 per day, plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge on top.
Kathmandu hotel nights are not included in any trek tier, so tell us your budget at the online briefing and we will book them for you. We name your guide once you have booked.
Trekking as a group?
Bring your own group — friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for — and any of the three comfort levels can run as a private group on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same; we never put strangers in your group. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:
| Group size | Budget (per person) | Standard (per person) | Luxury (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 people | US$499 | US$799 | US$1,400 |
| 5-8 people | US$449 | US$749 | US$1,349 |
| 9-12 people | US$399 | US$699 | US$1,299 |
| 13-20 people | US$349 | US$649 | US$1,249 |
The organiser treks free. Get fourteen or more paying trekkers together and whoever organised the group joins the trek free. The one thing the organiser still pays is their own flights and permits, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person and cannot absorb, and we cover the rest. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates — from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty, and we never merge you into another trip.
Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trek, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.
Compare Our Three Packages
| Feature | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | USD $499 | USD $799 | USD $1,400 |
| Meals | Not included (order and pay at teahouses) | 3 meals daily + tea, fruits and 2L water | All meals + all drinks (except alcohol) |
| Room | Shared teahouse room | Private twin with attached bathroom | Private deluxe with bed heater |
| Porter | Not included | 1 porter per 2 trekkers | 1 porter per trekker (carry nothing) |
| Guide | 1 guide per group (assistant at 8+) | 1 guide per 6 trekkers (assistant at 7+) | 1 guide per 2 trekkers, plus an assistant guide for every 2 more |
| Transport | Local vehicle | Shared tourist vehicle | Luxury private vehicle |
| SIM & Data | SIM card only | SIM with limited data | SIM with unlimited data (see our SIM card guide) |
| Best for | Backpackers and independent travellers | Comfort trekkers, couples, families | Premium experience seekers |
Himalayas for Every Budget. Same expert guides, same safety, three comfort levels. Every tier includes all permits, a Nepal government well-trained guide, airport transfers and 24/7 emergency support. The only things that change are the comfort details. Read our full comparison of what the price difference actually buys or explore luxury trekking in Nepal. Note: in Pokhara, only breakfast is included at your hotel across all tiers; other meals in Pokhara are at your own expense and choice, giving you the freedom to explore the city's lakeside restaurants. Check our guide on WiFi and charging on the trail so you know what to expect above Chomrong.
Trekking that doubles as funding
The Annapurna sanctuary is one of the world’s most photographed amphitheatres. It is also one of the most affordable bookings on our site, and the share it sends to the Nagarjun Learning Center matters. The centre runs out of Saldum village in central Nepal and gives seventy children free education and two hot meals a day, year round. It is a registered charity and listed on the UN Partner Portal. My mother is the founder. None of this is a donation — it is built into your trek price.
