Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek follows the Modi Khola river deep into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial basin completely enclosed by peaks over 7,000 meters. Machapuchare, the sacred fishtail mountain, stands guard at the entrance, and inside the sanctuary, Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Gangapurna form a wall of ice and rock around you. The basecamp at 4,130 meters feels like standing at the bottom of a giant stone cathedral.
The trek begins in the warm foothills near Pokhara and climbs through bamboo forests, past cascading waterfalls, and through Gurung villages where stone houses are built into the hillsides. Chomrong village, perched on a ridge at 2,170 meters, is a highlight with its sweeping views of Machapuchare and Annapurna South. This moderate trek takes about 10 days and is one of the most popular routes in Nepal because it delivers stunning mountain scenery without requiring technical skills.
Itinerary
After breakfast, you drive 200km northwest from Kathmandu to Pokhara which takes around 6-7 hours via tourist bus. It is an adventurous drive with scenic view of terraced rice field, stunning landscape, Trisuli and Marsyangdi Rivers and panoramic view of Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, Lamjung Himal and Annapurna Himalayan Range. You stop at 12:00 PM for lunch on your way to Pokhara.
Overnight at Lodge in Pokhara
After having breakfast, you drive to Nayapul from Pokhara via private car. It takes around 1.5 hours to get to Nayapul(1070m) and you will begin the trek to Jhinu Danda. It is an easy walk of 4 hours to reach Jhinu Danda. You can explore greeneries and rivers along the way.
Overnight at Lodge in Jhinu Danda
Today you trek to Bamboo via Chomrong. You climb down via countless steps and cross the suspension bridge over Chhomrong Khola. From this place, you will be ascending till you reach Sinuwa and walk through dense rhododendron forest to Kuldihar. Then you take an easy descent to Bamboo.
Overnight at Lodge in Bamboo
Taking a steep ascent through the dry and cold bamboo forest, the forest path opens up as we reach to Himalayan Hotel situated in Deurali. You get to see spectacular scenery around. You then go upwards through a steep path along a damp and dry forest towards Hinku Cave. From this spot, you will be descending down to reach the river and then onwards you ascend up the ridge to Deurali. The vegetation starts getting thinner and the view becomes astounding.
Overnight at Lodge in Deurali
Today you climb from Deurali to Machhapuchhre Base Camp which is quite strenuous and takes around 2 hours. From MBC, you get remarkable views of Machhapuchhre along with Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gandharvachuli and Gangapurna – the rewarding experience. The vegetation disappears on your way to ABC and the trekking route opens up as you enter Annapurna sanctuary. From here, you get tantalizing views of the near-vertical south face of Annapurna rising above you. The sanctuary offers the dynamic view without anything impeding the 360-degree panorama. From BC, you get the best view of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Hiunchulu and other peaks.
Overnight in Annapurna Base Camp
Today you wake up early in the morning to enjoy the sunrise view over Annapurna Himalayas. After some magical time at BC, you retrace your steps back downhill into the tree line with few short ups to reach at Bamboo. After Bamboo, you will be walking along the Modi River gorge and then climb up to Khuldi-Ghar into the forested area and make a gradual climb to Sinuwa (2,330m).
Overnight at Lodge in Sinuwa
From Sinuwa, you descend down to Chhomrong Khola and cross the suspension bridge that takes you to the top of Chhomrong village. Then you descend down all the way to Jhinu village perched on the ridge top with amazing landscapes and rolling green hills. A short descend via stone stairs takes you to Nayapul, followed by a short walk to Siwai. From here you drive back to Pokhara to conclude your trek.
Overnight at lodge in Pokhara
From Pokhara, you drive back to Kathmandu, an adventurous journey filled with diverse landscapes and changing topography. It will take about 6-7 hours. You can relish the drive with the greenery, rivers and terrace farming. After you arrive at Kathmandu, you can head to your inn to take some rest or you can visit around Kathmandu.