Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek (ABC) is one of Nepal’s most popular treks. It’s an incredible trip across a unique landscape and culture, full with breathtaking mountain views, terraced farms, tiny Gurung settlements, and a great variety of flora and fauna. It is the 10th highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres (26,545 ft) above sea level and is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent.
Itinerary
Pickup from airport
If early flight will go for city tour and Pashupati aarati.
If late flight then will go for accommodation and after refreshing then, Prepare for a briefing on Everest Base Camp Trekking
The evening includes a welcome supper in a lovely and traditional Nepalese restaurant.
After breakfast visit to Durbar Square (with temples dating back to the 12th century), Boudhanath Stupa (a world heritage site), and Pashupatinath Temple (the country's most important Hindu temple, on the banks of the Bagmati river)
Shopping for trekking.
We take an early morning flight to Pokhara, the beautiful lake city and catch great views of the Himalayas from the right side of our airplane. After landing in the Pokahara airport, we drivr to kimchee (2-hour drive on a comfortable private vechicle) and start the trek. From kimchee, we trek to Ghandruk, a beautiful village mostly inhabited by the gUrung community. If time permits, we also visit the Gurung Museum today. Overnight in Ghandruk.
Wake up for a fulfilling breakfast and continue to walk towards Chomrong. Today the total walking hours is 6 hours. The walk initially is a hilltop walk to reach the village top of Ghandruk. After reaching the top the path is then a short descent and flat until reaching Kimrong Dadha (ridge). Lunch is served in teahouses or lodges at Kimrong Dadha. Here after a short break head downhill into the lush forest feeling the cool breeze that rejuvenated every visitor. Afterward, reach the foot of Kimrong River where few settlements are present.
From there continue to walk for about an hour to reach another hilltop. The climb is a stone steps with a gradual uphill. Upon completion, we reach Chomrong Village. Chomrong is a similar village to Ghandruk which is the last permanent settlement on-route to Annapurna Base Camp within Sanctuary. Settle in Chomrong, and get served local lunch and dinner. Have rest and stay overnight at Chomrong village.
The day starts with a fulfilling breakfast. After breakfast, prepare to set out on the trail to the Annapurna Base Camp map. Leaving Chomrong march towards Dovan which takes about 6 hours depending upon the pace. After Chomrong head downhill to cross the suspension bridge over the Chomrong River with an uphill walk to reach Sinuwa Dadha (Ridge). Sinuwa Dadha has a couple of Teahouse and shops. After moving past Sinuwa the walk leads into a forest area with winding ups and then descending into woodland covered with dense bamboo grooves known as Bamboo.
Bamboo is the lunch stop for the day with small settlements to cater to the needs of trekkers in the Annapurna region. Bamboo is a small village where visitors can see a river gorge surrounded by a forest of rhododendrons, pines, and bamboo. From Bamboo walk gradually into the woods to reach Dovan. This section is particularly easy however Dovan is comparatively remote as compared to Chomrong. Upon reaching Dovan settle in an accommodation place, have dinner, and stay overnight at Dovan.
After breakfast make necessary preparation to trek towards Machhapuchre Base Camp. Begin the walk towards Machapuchare Base Camp with an uphill walk. The walk leads into a forest passing through many waterfalls, and a lonely place known as the Himalayan Hotel. Himalayan Hotel is a gateway to Deurali and is located just beside an overhanging cave known as Hinko. Hinko is just beneath Annapurna South and Huin Chuli Peaks.
Walking past Himalayan hotel we move downhill near Modi River. After a short climb, we reach Deurali which is prominent as the presence of tall tree lines stops and gets replaced by short alpine bushes. The walk continues uphill following the Modi River right up to Machapuchare Base Camp located at the bottom of North Face of Machapuchare Himal “Fish Tail.” Upon reaching base camp settle in a teahouse, rest have dinner, and stay overnight at Machhapuchre Base Camp.
Today is the main highlight of the whole trek. Today after breakfast make all the preparations for embarking towards Annapurna Base Camp from Machhapuchre Base Camp. The route is comparatively easy with some ups and downs only. The time to reach ABC from MBC is about 3 hours for slow and steady walkers. If the time of trek is not during the snowy season you can see greeneries around the Annapurna Base Camp however it is not that appealing as compared to the snowy season.
Upon reaching the base camp you can see mountain peaks like Annapurna massif’s Annapurna I (8,091 m/ 26,545 ft), Annapurna South (7,219 m/ 23,684 ft), Annapurna III (7,555 m/ 24,786 ft), Gangapurna (7,455 m/ 24,457 ft); Dhaulagiri Range’s Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m /26,795 ft), Dhaulagiri II (7,751m/ 25,430ft), Dhaulagiri III (7,715 m/ 25,311ft); and others such as Himchuli (6,441 m/ 21,131 ft) and Machhapuchre (6,993 m/ 22,942 ft). After exploring the base camp settle in an accommodation place have dinner and stay overnight in Annapurna Base Camp.
After enjoying a lovely morning in Annapurna Base Camp prepare for the return journey towards Bamboo. The journey today will take almost six hours and lead travelers downhill with short ups and downs. During this section, you will leave the high-altitude region and return to tall trek lines and lush vegetation. The walk is a descent through the previous Annapurna Base Camp route leaving the artic zone and Annapurna Sanctuary behind
After arrival in the Bamboo village settle in an accommodation place, have dinner, and stay overnight at Bamboo.
The trip back to Chomrong is an up-and-down path. At the summit of Chomrong Hill, our route takes a detour to a lovely hill village called Jhinu, which is perched on a crest and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and rolling hills.
For those who are interested, Jhinu offers a relaxing natural hot spring. It's just a short half-hour walk downhill to the hot spring, which has two lovely warm pools along the flowing Modi River. After rejuvenating at the hot spring return to the accommodation place for dinner. Have rest and stay overnight at Jhinu Village.
This is the last day of the short Annapurna Base Camp trek. Today we continue the return journey to Pokhara. After leaving Jhinu Village with a fulfilling breakfast, we move towards the roadhead. The trekking route passes through a nice pleasant downhill walk within warmer farming fields. Visitors are again welcomed by paddy field areas until they reach the driveway road. After reaching the driveway road trekkers finally board the private vehicle which will drive through the scenic valley until reaching Pokhara.
Upon reaching Pokhara the sightseeing around the area continues. Afterward, have dinner and stay overnight at Pokhara.
Fly back to Kathmandu and have farewell lunch from company and marking the end of the Journey.
Inclusions
- 1. Airport Transferred
- 2. Professional English Speaking Guide in City tour as well as in trekking
- 3. Accommodation in 3 Star at Kathmandu, during trekking tea house & lodge
- 4. Welcome dinner & Farewell lunch with Nepali Cultural Program at authentic nepali restaurant.
- 5. Sightseeing as per itinerary
- 6. First-aid kit
- 7. Domestic Flight Cost (PKR-KTM-PKR)
- 8. 3 meal a day during trekking days except Kathmandu city tour day.
- 9. Annapurna Conservation permit fee
- 10. Porters
Exclusions
- 1. International flight fair
- 2. Travel Insurance
- 3. Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu except welcome and farewell dinner.
- 4. Drinks & BBQ (including coke, hot chocolate, tea,
- 5. Chartered Helicopter (Until and unless Emergency)
- 6. All trekking equipment ( Trekking pole, trekking shoes, down jackets, Bags)
The hike to Annapurna Base Camp is comparatively less difficult than the Everest Base Camp the journey. The reasoning for this is that trekking to Annapurna Base Camp necessitates shorter trekking days, maximum elevations of 4,130 m/13,550 ft, and minimum number of days spent at higher elevations. Additionally, the air in the Annapurna region has higher oxygen levels than in the EBC journey due to the presence of lush trees at lower altitudes. The Annapurna Base Camp journey starts at an elevation of 2,625 feet/800 meters, giving enough time for acclimatization. While the trip to Annapurna Base Camp may be simpler than the one to EBC, both climbs demand the same degree of fitness. Since the trek is essentially a lengthy walk at low heights across the green hills on the southern slope of the Annapurna range, participants do not need to possess technical expertise or talents in rock climbing or mountaineering. The only thing that makes the nine-day climb difficult is how many uphill and downhill treks there are (11 days total, including arrival and departure). If you are pressed for time, you can complete the walk in 7 days by using the shortest path.
March through May are the finest months to undertake the Annapurna Base Camp Trek during the pre-monsoon season. Trekking is also recommended in the post-monsoon months, which run from late September to December. Although it is possible to climb to Annapurna Base Camp in February and early September, the aforementioned window of time is the most ideal for this trek.
You should feel comfortable that our knowledgeable trek leaders, who have many years of trekking expertise in Nepal, will have you in good hands. All of our guides—also referred to as MSSTE devoted Guides—are natives who have extensive knowledge of the mountain, its inhabitants, their customs, health, cleanliness, and most importantly, your safety. They will be able to converse with you throughout the walk because they speak English well. Our guides are enthusiastic about what they do and will make sure your trekking experience is both safe and fun.
For the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, you should bring only what you need to last for at least eight days. You won’t be able to enjoy your trip across the Himalayas if you don’t pack sensibly. You will spend the entire trek sleeping in tiny lodges or teahouses because it is a lodge-to-lodge trek. At higher heights, especially during the winter months, it might get colder, so you should be outfitted with appropriate gear. Please refer to our extensive packing list for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek for specific details on what to bring on the hike.
