Annapurna
Annapurna Base Camp
A climb up the Modi Khola gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary, ringed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South and Machapuchare.
- Walking days 5–11 days
- Highest point 4,130 m
- Level Challenging
- Permits 5,000 NPR (≈ €29)
- Start Pokhara
- Mandatory guide, checks vary
At a glance
From Pokhara, a jeep takes you up to the foot of Chhomrong. You go down and back up Chhomrong's long stone staircases, follow the narrow Modi Khola gorge via Bamboo and Deurali, and emerge into the Annapurna Sanctuary: base camp (4,130 m) is surrounded by peaks over 7,000 m.
It's a short trek with no pass, where the gradual ascent is usually enough for acclimatisation. You come back down the same trail as far as the hot springs at Jhinu Danda.
Highlights
- Sunrise at base camp, facing Annapurna I and Machapuchare
- A short trek, doable in under a week from Pokhara
- The Jhinu Danda hot springs at the end
- The option of starting with Poon Hill
Drawbacks
- The stairs: a steep descent and climb at Chhomrong, to be repeated on the way back
- Out and back on the same trail
- Few lodges above Deurali: full in high season
In pictures
Route
Out and back from Chhomrong; you can also get there via Poon Hill and sleep at Machapuchare Base Camp for a gentler ascent.
- Road (bus)
- Track (jeep)
- Chosen route
- Other possible trails
- Optional side trip
- Possible start or finish
Drag the “Start” and “Finish” labels to another served point, or tap a point. The “+” buttons add a side trip. Zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll wheel), then drag the map to move around.
How do I use it in a hiking app?
The file contains the route you chose on the map (start, finish, side trips), with altitude, and a marker for each night, pass and viewpoint.
- Organic Maps or Maps.me (free, offline): download the Nepal map before you leave, then open the GPX file from your phone and choose the app.
- OsmAnd: menu “My places” → “Tracks” → “Import”.
- Komoot, Gaia GPS, Wikiloc, Garmin: use the app's or website's “Import a GPX file” feature.
With no signal, your phone's GPS still works: you can see your position on the track. The track is indicative: on the ground, waymarks and advice from the lodges come first.
Itinerary
- D 0Chhomrong2,170 m
- D 1Bamboo2,310 m+140 m6 km600 m260 m
- D 2Deurali3,230 m+920 m6 km850 m0 m
- D 3Annapurna Base Camp4,130 m+900 m6 km940 m30 m
- D 4Bamboo2,310 m−1,820 m13 km30 m1,820 m
- D 5Jhinu Danda1,780 m−530 m8 km510 m1,090 m
- Chhomrong — Shared jeep from Pokhara to Siwai, Kyumi or New Bridge (3 to 5 hrs, about 1,000 to 1,500 NPR (≈ €6 to €9); 10,000 to 15,000 NPR (≈ €58 to €87) by private jeep), then walk up via Jhinu Danda.
- Jhinu Danda — Hot springs 20 min below, beside the Modi Khola. Then down to New Bridge or Siwai and a jeep to Pokhara.
Elevation
Permits
The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), checked at Chhomrong among other places. The TIMS card is handled by the agency providing your guide; in practice, checkpoints in the region only check the ACAP.
Conservation area
ACAP permit (Annapurna)
3,000 NPR (≈ €17)
At the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu (Bhrikutimandap) or Pokhara (Damside), in cash, with your passport and 2 photos. Or online at epermit.ntnc.org.np (card, +2.9%). Bought at the checkpoint, it costs double.
Trekker card
TIMS card
2,000 NPR (≈ €12)
Issued only by a licensed agency since April 2023: it goes hand in hand with hiring a guide. See the Guide and porter page.
Guide
Mandatory guide, checks vary
As for all treks in the Annapurna Conservation Area, a licensed guide has in theory been mandatory since April 2023, with patchy enforcement on the ground. Ask in Pokhara just before you set off.
A guide is useful if there's snow: they'll know whether the stretch between Deurali and MBC is safe. See Guide and porter.
A guide for this trek? The Guides Nepal directory lists guides, porters and agencies who know this trek, with their licence checked, the languages they speak and traveller reviews.
Transport
Getting to the start
Pokhara → Siwai, Kyumi or New Bridge
Jeeps from the Baglung bus park or Hari Chowk. Private jeep: 10,000 to 15,000 NPR (≈ €58 to €87). Roads cut by landslides during the monsoon.
Pokhara → Nayapul
Local bus from the Baglung bus park, for those starting with Poon Hill or Ghandruk.
Getting back
New Bridge or Siwai → Pokhara
Same shared jeeps; easy to find in the late morning.
When to go
IdealPossibleNot advised
October–November: the clearest skies. March–April: rhododendrons in bloom, a little more haze.
December to February: possible snow above Deurali and avalanche risk in the gorge. Monsoon: rain, leeches and cloud over the peaks.
On the trail
| Accommodation | Lodges all the way to base camp, often dormitories higher up. Menus and prices are set by lodge committees and are the same within a village. |
| Meals | Dal bhat around 500 NPR (≈ €3) lower down, 900 to 1,200 NPR (≈ €5 to €7) at MBC and ABC. No meat beyond Chhomrong: the sanctuary is sacred. |
| Budget | About 25 to 40 USD (≈ €22 to €36) a day, excluding guide and transport. |
| Money | No ATM after Nayapul: withdraw cash in Pokhara. |
| Connectivity | Decent in Ghandruk and Chhomrong, weak or none between Bamboo and Deurali. Paid, slow wifi in most lodges. |
| Water | Plastic bottles discouraged, often unavailable higher up: use the ACAP filtered water stations to refill your bottle. |
Good to know before you go
What about the visa? A two-week trek plus a few days in Kathmandu and Pokhara quickly adds up to more than 15 days: get the 30-day visa. The calculator on our sister site Visa Nepal shows the cheapest length.
Which visa length?Comments
A question, recent news from the trail, your own experience? Share it here.
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