Annapurna Base Camp Trek

 

Overview

“The mountains had bestowed on us their beauties, and we adored them with a child’s simplicity and revered them with a monk’s veneration of the divine. Annapurna,” 

Maurice Herzog 

                                    Trekking in the Annapurna region is one of the most classic trekking trails offered by Himalayas. It is no wonder that this trekking route is wildly popular among the first time as well as returning trekkers, as this region is blessed with the best of landscapes, culture and hospitality that Nepal has to offer. The region derives its name from Mt.AnnapurnaI(8091m), the 10th highest mountain in the world which was first summited by two French climbers, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal in 3rd June 1950.  

Spring as well as fall is the best trekking time, as it is impossible to traverse through Thorang La pass (5,400m) during winter because of snow. There are various trekking options in Annapurna region, depending upon your time and need and the trek though demanding, can be done by even novice trekkers that are in good fitness form. The journey begins from Kathmandu, the national capital and then we drive to another picturesque city Pokhara. The major highlights of this trek include descent into the deepest gorge in the world- the Kali Gandaki. This hike involves trekking through subtropical jungle to high-altitude plateau and variety of flora and fauna will grace your way; from rhododendron, pine and bamboo forests to view of majestic mountains that garland the sky and small welcoming Gurung villages that are rich in local way of life. 

Rare are the places endowed with so many diverse landscapes as Annapurna region and this trek is especially designed to let you experience the totality of what this region has to offer. Annapurna Base Camp trek also known as ABC trek is one of the most popular trekking destination and there aren’t many trekking routes that bring you close to the base of many tallest mountains in a short period of time as this one does. This trek is usually concluded in 12 days.

Annapurna base camp trek encapsulates both the natural and cultural riches of this region and thus more of a complete package leading into immensely satisfying experience for our visitors. Nepal’s largest protected area, “Annapurna Conservation Area”, covering 7,629 km2 (2,946 sq. mi) lies in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas across the districts of Manang, Mustang, Kaski, Myagdi and Lamjung. This trek will take you from lower elevation to the highest, i.e. Thorang La Pass and throughout your journey, you will encounter small Gurung villages with terraced rice paddies, lush green rhododendron forests, pine and maple trees, deep gorges, high altitude landscapes whilst magnificent Mt. Annapurna watches over throughout your journey.

The astounding view of Machhapuchhre, Himchuli, Lamjung Himal, Fang, Annapurna I, II, III, Annapurna South and Gangapurna will be an amazing treat to the lucky ones who venture out in this part of the Himalayas. Once you reach the base camp (4,130m), you will be in a very good vantage point to savor the panorama around you and that will be the perfect climax to your wonderful journey.  

March, April, May, September, October, November would be the most ideal time to do this trek. Also, some tourists do travel this region during the months of December and January as well (depending upon snow level). Although, it is advisable to contact us  to make sure which lodges are open during winter. Almost all the lodges in this region are well equipped and provide varieties of food (from rice and lentils to pizza) and beverages depending upon your taste.

Some people say ABC trek is shorter and less intense version of EBC trek, where instead of circumnavigating the mountains, this trek takes you to the base camp. ABC trek deserves to be on everyone’s bucket list, for this trek will leave a beautiful imprint in lives of all those who tread on it’s trail.

Itinerary

Trek Venture Nepal airport representative will be receiving you at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu displaying Trek Venture Nepal signboard outside the airport terminal. You shall be transferred to your respective hotel in private tourist vehicle.

Overnight at hotel. No meals included.

After a delicious breakfast in the hotel, at 8.30 am, you will start city tour around the valley with professional tour guide. You will visit one of the most important Hindu temple of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the bank of Bagmati river. Then after Pashupatinath it comes another World Heritage Site, it is Boudhanath Stupa which is also regarded as the oldest and holy place for Buddhism. It was built in 5th century. We will have our lunch in Boudhanath with a beautiful view of big standing stupa in front of us. And after that, we will drive to Kathmandu Durbar Square which is rich in famous pagoda style temples in Nepal. There you can see the only living goddess Kumari on her home which is along the entrance of square. We will return to our hotel around 3 pm and will prepare for the trek.

Overnight in hotel. Breakfast included

Trek Venture Nepal staff will receive you from your respective hotel at 6.30 am and take you to the tourist bus station. The bus journey will start after an hour with offering a beautiful view of hills and rivers. Beautiful city in the band of Phewa lake with panoramic views of first glimpse of Annapurna and Machapuchare which is seen like a tail of a fish in the north, Manaslu in the east and Dhaulagiri in the west.

Overnight in Hotel. Breakfast included

e start our journey to Annapurna Base Camp from our hotel after breakfast early in the morning. We drive towards Nayapul on a Jeep and check in our ACAP & TIMS permit at the checkpost. After that, we drive towards the start of our trekking route Jhinu Danda. We will pass through many small villages along the way and cross the 287-meter-long suspension bridge of Kimrong Khola connecting Jhinu Danda and Kimrong Khola Valley. You can see the caution sign, "Please stop and wait while mules are walking over the bridge”.

The view of the valley and Kimrong River below the bridge is amazing, you can also see the helipad engraved after crossing the bridge. After crossing the bridge we ascend to Chomrong Village on a heavy stairs pathway which takes about 3 hours. After reaching Chomrong village you can witness the Gurung ethnic community with a lot of beautiful lodges. You can enjoy the views of majestic mountains from your lodge windows. Overnight spend at Chhomrong.

After our breakfast at Chromrong, we leave this beautiful village of Gurung inhabitants and trek towards Dovan. The total distance from Chomrong to Dovan is 8.6 kilometers / 5.3 miles, which takes about 5 to 7 hours of trekking distance.

The first part of the trek takes us through a set of stone steps for about 10 minutes until we reach the Annapurna Conservation Area recheck post. Following that, we start descending on the stone steps for a good hour until we reach a suspension bridge. Crossing the bridge takes us to Upper Sinuwa full of heavy stairs. Your legs will get used to ascends and descends by now so it won’t be a big deal.

After Upper Sinuwa the route is beautiful & easy through the forest & cascades where we will see the giant view of Mt. Macchapuchre before reaching Bamboo. After lunch in Bamboo, we head for Dovan which is 2 hrs away.

The village of Dovan is at a height of 2520 m and we trek through forests, rocky slopes, and thickets of bamboo passing through the village of Sinuwa and Bamboo. Stay overnight at Dovan.

We start our day early in the morning as this is the longest day of our trek. The first place we'll reach is the Himalayas, 2920 m, where we take a break for tea. There is a gorgeous waterfall & a local goddess temple called Pujinam Baraha Mandir on the way in between the Dovan and Himalayas.

After the tea break, we head towards Deurali, where we will cross the Hinku cave & main avalanche-prone zone. Hinku Cave is a resting place for trekkers that was used by Shepherds decades ago.

We trek towards Deurali (3,230m) for 1.5 hours all the way down through rocky paths and stop for lunch in Deurali, a village surrounded by hills from all sides that offer views of hills and rocky landslides.

After our lunch, we trek through the rhododendron forests to the Hinku Cave. There’s a temple along the trekking trail between Dovan and Himalaya with a gorgeous waterfall covering an entire cliff wall across from it called Pujinam Baraha Mandir. After 2.5 hours through the Annapurna Valley, we reach the Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3,700m).

After reaching MBC, we enjoy the views of Machhapuchre and Annapurna Range.

The total distance is 13km, which takes almost 6-7 hours of trekking.

Since we are at a height of over 3500 meters, trekkers are susceptible to altitude sickness. Generally, altitude sickness gets you while you are most vulnerable, that is, during your sleep. So, if you feel uneasy waking up in the morning, make sure that you let the trek guide know.

On the fourth day of our trekking, we will finally reach the Annapurna Base Camp after trekking about 2.9km | 1.8 miles on about 2 to 3 hours up to Nepal Annapurna Base Camp from Machhapuchhre Base Camp.

We explore ABC for the whole day and enjoy the mesmerizing views of Annapurna I (8091 m/13,549 ft), Annapurna III (7555 m/24787 ft), Annapurna South(7219 m/ 23684 ft), Machhapuchhre (6993 m/22963 ft), Gangapurna (7455 m/24459 ft), Khangsar Kang (7485 m/24557 ft), Hiunchuli (6441 m/21132 ft), Singhu chuli (6501 m / 21329 ft), Gandarba chuli (6248 m/20499 ft), Bharha Chuli(7647m/ 25088 ft) and many more.

At the base camp, we will spend the whole day admiring the scenic landscape and taking memorable pics that will last in your memories for years to come. You will also find a statue of Maurice Herzog, the first person to climb the Annapurna I peak in 1950. Another statue in the memory of Park Young-Seok can be seen there, who was a famous South Korean mountaineer. He, unfortunately, lost his life scaling the Annapurna South peak in 2011.

It can get really cold real soon at the base camp, so make sure that you are well-clothed. After a whole day surrounded by the peaks and indulging in snow, we stayed overnight at ABC.

We wake up early in the morning to witness the mesmerizing sunrise which illuminates the snow-capped Annapurna Mountain Ranges and mostly the Annapurna I.

We trek back to Dovan from Annapurna Base Camp(ABC) which nearly takes 6 hours as the trekking distance is 13 kilometers but, the trekking path towards Dovan is mostly downhill as we pass through MBC and Deurali finally reaching Dovan. Enjoy the traditional Gurung community, as well as Gurung cuisines in the village of Dovan. Overnight stay in Dovan.

We start our trek early in the morning as we have a lot to cover today. The trekking route is almost 13 kilometers from Dovan to Jhinu Danda Hotspring and we need to cover some trek on an upward path and it takes 6-7 hours to cover all the distance. We take the route toward Bamboo which is mostly downhill with some ups, and after crossing this village surrounded by greenery we move towards Sinwa. After Lunch and some rest at Sinwa, we trek towards Chhomrong Village. The trail from Sinwa to Chhomrong is mostly uphill.

After Chhomrong Village we take the stairs down to the beautiful village of Jhinu, a famous village that harbors a natural hot spring. Enjoy your relaxing time, as you immerse yourself in the warm, mineral-rich waters, all fatigue and soreness melt away, replaced by a profound sense of relaxation. Overnight stay at Jhinudanda.

We start our final day of trek after breakfast and if you wish to dip in the hot springs, then we can start the trek after that. The trekking route from Jhinu Danda to Siwai is nearly 4.4 kilometers and takes nearly 2 hours trekking. (If you prefer the skip trekking parts you can take a jeep from Jhinudanda as well.) After reaching Siwai, we drive back to Pokhara on Jeep which nearly takes 2.5 hours. While most of the sections are Asphalt ( blacktopped ) roads, some sections are bumpy, so enjoy your ride to Pokhara with views of the Seti River along the way. The checkpost in Nayapul also checks your permits before exit.

We will be driving back to Kathmandu in the morning.
If you are interested in extending the trip, there are many options such as Chitwan jungle safari, river rafting adventure, Kathmandu shopping tour, mountain biking and other activities.
In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances
Overnight in Hotel. Breakfast included

The trip ends today. Trek Venture Nepal airport representative will drop you at the international airport in Kathmandu for your flight departure from Nepal.

Price Includes

  • Pickups and drop-offs from airport/hotel
  • Hotel in Kathmandu (B&B)
  • Hotel in Pokhara (B&B)
  • Accommodation at Teahouse/Lodge during the trek
  • All three meals (BLD) per day during the trek/climb
  • Wages, lodging, accommodation, insurance and meals for the guide and porter
  • Professional, well-trained and multilingual guide
  • Strong, experienced and capable porter
  • Domestic flight tickets as well as airport taxes
  • All taxes (government and local), necessary paperwork works and permits
  • First-aid kit
  • Complimentary trekking map for the group
  • Extra porters (if need be) to carry all camping supplies during the trek
  • Trek permits, TIMS card, and required trek documents

Price Excludes

  • Visa fees
  • Travel and Emergency Helicopter Evacuation Insurance
  • Meals( Lunch & Dinner) & other expenses during Kathmandu( breakfast included at Hotel)
  • Any types of bottled/boiled water, soft drinks or Alcoholic drinks during trek
  • Personal expenses like hot shower, laundry, unforeseen cost due to bad weather, flooding, landslide, urgent helicopter evacuation, etc.
  • Trekking gears and clothing
  • Tips for guide, driver and porter
  • Climbing gears & personal Equipment
  • Any other expenses not listed above.

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek
From $ 450 $ 450
/ Adult

Sonam Sherpa

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