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Price(per-person)
Region
AnnapurnaDuration
15 daysAccomodation
Tea-House (Lodge)Altitude
4130 mMeals
Breakfast/Lunch/DinnerDifficulty
ModerateActivity
Trekking (5 hours average daily walk)Season
March, April, May, September, October, NovemberStart End Point
Kathmandu - KathmanduGroup Size
2-30Total Distance
87 km / 54.5 milesTransportation
Flight and Private vehicle
Annapurna Base Camp Trekking is a magnificent destination amidst the amphitheater of giant snow-dusted mountains that can be an adventure for all travelers and age groups. The walk reaches you to the heart of the staggering and towering Annapurna Himalayan range of peaks.
Stand beneath Mt. Annapurna-I, which soars high at 8,091 m/26,545 feet, the first 8,000-meter peak ever climbed in the history of mountaineering. It was summited by French Expeditions in 1950.
The journey begins with an interesting walk following the Modi River upstream right up to its glacial source at Annapurna Base Camp. The highest point of the adventure is at 4,130 m, within an array of peaks of massif Annapurna Himalayas. It is the shortest and most scenic base camp trek in the Himalayan region, starting and ending at beautiful Pokhara. The journey follows to the mid-hills and traditional Gurung villages of Ghandruk. Then heading up and down to Chomrong, the last permanent village and the gateway to Annapurna Base Camp.
From Chomrong onwards, you walk in the wilderness within a pristine forest to reach the Modi River gorge at Bamboo and Dovan. A temporary settlement with several simple lodges. As the walk progresses heading for a steep climb above the tree lines to reach Machhapuchare Base Camp. Located bottom of staggering Mt. Machhapuchare Himal the famous Fish Tail peak.
Then entering the picturesque Sanctuary, the name given by early pioneers and explorers, as the Sanctuary of Gods or Mountain spirits. Annapurna Sanctuary is an overwhelming valley enclosed and well-hidden by towering snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna Himalayan range. Finally, the walk leads beneath the gigantic Annapurna-I, Vara Shikar/ Annapurna Fang, and Annapurna South peaks.
Enjoy the glorious scenery of Snow Mountains in the comfort of a nice lodge, and rooms with a beautiful view. After enjoying a wonderful experience at Annapurna Base Camp, our return journey is downhill with a few ups to Chomrong.
From Chomrong, on an alternative route down to Jhinu village, a place with natural hot springs to enjoy. After enjoying a fabulous time and experience on the hills of Annapurna Himalayas we then conclude the walks with an exciting drive back to beautiful Pokhara.
The best about this great adventure to Annapurna Base Camp Trekking is a combination with all the highlights of the southern region of Annapurna Himalayas, with Ghorepani and scenic Poon Hill which makes this trek more exciting and worth the experience.
Food and accommodation are important, besides the best seasons for trekking to Annapurna Base Camp. After staying in a nice tourist standard hotel in Pokhara, the food and lodge accommodation around villages depend upon the teahouses.
En route to designated overnight stops in main villages like Ulleri, Ghorepani, Chomrong, and Jhinu, the lodge accommodation is nice and with a comprehensive food menu to enjoy the various items of food served upon request. In Nepal, the favorite and common meal is Nepali Dal Bhat, boiled or steamed rice. It is served with mild curry of seasonal vegetables, including Dal, a lentil bean soup with homemade pickles, and hot sauce as options.
The food menu lists from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to snack items. Breakfast from oats porridge, and cereals to cornflakes with toast/ chapattis, and pancakes includes a choice of egg variation. Lunch and Dinner from Continental, Chinese, Indian, Nepali, and Tibetan main course with a choice of soups but cooked in Nepali style.
The lodge accommodation and food are best in Ghandruk, Chomrong, and Jhinu villages, from Chomrong to Annapurna Base Camp the lodge accommodation has basic facilities but with nice and cozy rooms.
For private, or single rooms supplements, are available depending on the flow of trekkers. After Chomrong, the places en route are temporary settlements with lodges for travelers. The rooms are on a shared basis with common bathrooms and toilets due to harsh terrain conditions. The plumbing systems for running cold waters freeze in the morning, evening, and nighttime.
Due to freezing temperatures from Deurali onward, using hot showers is at an extra cost. All lodges have electricity to light the large dining room powered by local hydro or solar power. Charging electronic devices is available at an additional cost per hour, with separate fees for each gadget. Internet and Wi-Fi are available, but it is slow and disturbing in some places due to weather conditions.
Nepal is a country of great diversity of landscape and people with their age-old religions, cultures, and heritage. The mid-hill people around the Annapurna Himalayas and Mid-West Nepal are the Magar and Gurung hill tribes. The Gurung are the inhabitants of the southern hills of the Annapurna Himalayas.
On the trek, you can visit the major villages of Ghandruk and Chomrong with the Gurung people. They follow Buddhist religion and culture as well as the Bon sect of pre-Buddhism, worship of nature and mountain spirits.
Every house is adorned with Buddhist prayer flags of white, blue, red, green, and brown which represent the five elements on earth. These colors symbolize clouds (or water), thunderbolts (or fire), vegetation, and soil, reflecting the balance of nature in Buddhist culture. The Gurung also practiced Shamanism, an ancient religion characterized by the belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits.
Gurung also celebrates Hindu festivals, but their main event is Tamu Lhosar. New Year is based on animals and bird cycles, and at present (2023) year is the year of the Rabbit. The festival falls in December or January, similar to the Tibetan and Chinese New Year but it occurs in different months. At Ulleri and Ghorepani villages inhabited by the Poon-Magar Hill Tribe also follow both Hindu and Buddhist religions.
The trekkers joining for Annapurna Base Camp or other adventures around Nepal Himalayas must be aware of the geographical structure of Nepal. Nepal is a country of highlands of mid-hill to higher mountainous landscapes and terrains. The walk leads to an up-and-downhill path with few gradual sections to enjoy.
The only flatland is the low sub-tropical Terai belt around southern Nepal. En route to Annapurna Base Camp, start with steep ups for some hours with a few short downhill. From the Deurali 3,300 m onwards to Machhapuchare Base Camp at 3,720 m high, is a steep up for a few hours.
The trek becomes more pleasant, with a gradual and winding path leading to Annapurna Base Camp, after entering the sanctuary from Machhapuchare Base Camp. The return journey to Jhinu, the final stop of the trek, involves mostly downhill walking. However, it also includes short climbs followed by long descents on stone-paved steps through charming villages.
Price Starts From $ 1360
The items mentioned on the list are recommended by us but not compulsory so you can pack your stuff according to your necessity. Women Adventures lends you down jackets, fleece liner and sleeping bags as a part of their service but if you have your own then you can bring it according to your preference.
