Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Day 1 • Arrive Kathmandu

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal (KTM). A Mountain Gurus representative will transfer you to our hotel in the bustling tourist district of Thamel. Our trek begins here, in Nepal’s vibrant capital city, surrounded by shops selling Nepali handicrafts, restaurants and ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples. In the late afternoon we gather for a trek orientation and welcome dinner.

Accommodations: Hotel in Kathmandu
Meals Included: Welcome Dinner (D)

Day 2 • Flight to Pokhara • Nayapool / Ulleri • 6400 feet

We transfer to Kathmandu’s domestic airport for our morning flight to Pokhara. From the plane, we enjoy incredible views of the lush, terraced farms of the Himalayan foothills and the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges high above them. From Pokhara, we drive to the village of Nayapool, and then on to Ulleri, home to Nepal’s Gurung ethnicity.

Driving Time: 3-4 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Ulleri
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 3 • Ghorepani • 9,429 feet

Today we set out on foot for the first hiking leg of our journey into the heart of the Annapurna Massif. From our cozy lodge in Ulleri, we walk through the verdant foothills of the Himalayas, ascending red dirt paths through Rhododendron forests and villages surrounded by lush terraced gardens until we reach Ghorepani, our destination for the night. Ghorepani means “Horse Water,“ named for the water troughs once used by passing traders.

Vertical Ascent Trekking: 3,100 feet
Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Ghorepani
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 4 • Poon Hill • 10,531 feet • Tadapani

Today we rise early to climb Poon Hill, one of the best mountain viewpoints in all of Nepal. We watch the sunrise illuminate the magnificent Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges, then descend back to Ghorepani for brunch. In the afternoon, we cross Deurali Pass (10,137’) and trek through tropical forest to Tadapani, which means “Far Water.”

Vertical Ascent Trekking: 1,100 feet to Poon Hill
Vertical Ascent Trekking: 1,500 feet to Deurali Pass
Trekking Time: 1.5 hours roundtrip to Poon Hill, 4-5 hours to Tadapani

Accommodations: Lodge in Tadapani
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 5 • Chhomrong • 7,200 feet

Today we descend through lush rainforest, where mosses sway from the tree branches and the scent of flowering trees fills the air. We pass a woodcutter’s saw-station and emerge onto farmland on the side of a deep valley. The trail descends into this valley past cowsheds and small houses where local farmers tend their terraced fields. We take a bridge across the river, then ascend the far side of the valley until we crest a hill above the much larger Modi Khola Valley. Shortly later we arrive in Chhomrong, a relatively large village flanking a steep stone staircase on the side of the valley. Chhomrong is the last major inhabited settlement on the way to Annapurna Base Camp.

Vertical Descent Trekking: 1,400 feet
Trekking Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Chhomrong
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 6 • Dovan • 9,850 feet

Following a well worn trail, we descend into the Modi Khola Valley. We ascend gently through forests of rhododendron and bamboo while keeping an eye out for monkeys. Eventually, we reach a fork in the trail and bear right to the tiny settlement of Bamboo, where we take a welcome break for lunch in one of the teahouses near the river, tinted turquoise with glacial flour. In the afternoon, we leave the river and climb again though wet rhododendron forest to our lodge in Dovan.

Vertical Ascent Trekking: 2,600 feet
Trekking Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Dovan
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 7 • Machhapuchhre Base Camp • 12,100 feet

Today we enter the Annapurna Sanctuary! As we leave the outskirts of Dovan, we catch sight of spectacular waterfalls cascading from the massive glaciers high above us. Our trail steepens. We ascend through the tiny hamlet of Himalaya and then pass Hinku Cave, where a massive overhanging boulder has sheltered travelers for many centuries. These days, it is also home to a band of monkeys. As we leave the village of Deurali, the valley narrows. Fish Tail Mountain towers high above us as we walk into Machhapuchhre Base Camp and the grand landscape of the Annapurna Sanctuary.

Vertical Ascent Trekking: 2,300 feet
Trekking Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Machhapuchhre Base Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 8 • Annapurna Base Camp • 13,550 feet • Himalaya

Today, we immerse ourselves in the spectacular scenery that surrounds us. From camp, we sip our morning tea as the rising sun illuminates the massive south face of Annapurna I (8,091 meters). Ten peaks taller than 6,000 meters tower just above us, including Annapurna South, Annapurna III and Hiunchuli. After breakfast, we trek higher into the Sanctuary, where the deep silence is broken only by the roar of distant avalanches. In the late afternoon, we retrace our steps back into the lush bamboo forests and down to the Himalaya Guest House at 9,300 feet, or, closer, to Dovan.

Vertical Ascent Trekking: 1,400 feet to Annapurna Base Camp
Vertical Descent Trekking: 2,800 feet
Trekking Time: 2 hours to ABC, 4-5 hours to Himalaya, or 3-4 hours to Dovan

Accommodations: Lodge in Himalaya
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

Day 9 • Jhinu Danda • 5,700 feet

Leaving the towering peaks behind, we descend back down the Modi Khola Valley past Chhomrong, with the river’s turquoise water far below us. A long descent on a well-built path takes us to Jhinu Danda, where we spend the night.

Vertical Descent Trekking: 3,600 feet
Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Accommodations: Lodge in Jhinu Danda
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, D)

*** Or continue to Base Camp if climbing Tent Peak ***

Day 10 • New Bridge to Pokhara

This morning, we cross one of the longest suspension bridges in Nepal. We then trek to a small roadside village, where we meet our jeep drivers for the return to Pokhara. After lunch, we are free to explore Pokhara’s picturesque shops and bazaars on the shores of beautiful Phewa Tal beneath the peaks of the Annapurna Range.

Trekking Time: 1 hour
Driving Time: 3-4 hours

Accommodations: Hotel in Pokhara
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch (B, L)

Day 11 • Contingency Day • Pokhara or Flight to Kathmandu

Today is an extra contingency day if needed for acclimatization, inclement weather or other delays. We spend the day exploring Pokhara or fly back to Kathmandu.

Accommodations: Hotel in Pokhara or Kathmandu
Meals Included: Breakfast (B)

Day 12 • Flight to Kathmandu

We say farewell to our staff and depart to Kathmandu on an early morning flight. The rest of the day remains flexible depending on the desires of the group. Some in the group may simply want to relax and shop in Thamel, while others may tour Kathmandu’s many world heritage sites. This ancient city is home to Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in Nepal, and the enchanting Buddhist temples of Boudhanath and Swayambunath, as well as many other wonderful museums and holy sites.

Accommodations: Hotel in Kathmandu
Meals Included: Breakfast (B)

Day 13 • Depart Kathmandu

Transport to Tribhuvan International Airport for flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast (B)