ZWZ W.
I did ABC trek with them last October. I just loved their services and guide was very knowledgeable with this region and very experienced. Will do more trek with them in future.
01The short way in
Overview
This Annapurna Base Camp trek is the short, budget-friendly way into the Annapurna Sanctuary, done in five days by taking a jeep to the road head at each end. From there you walk up through terraced villages and rhododendron forest, past Chhomrong and Sinuwa, following the Modi Khola into the great amphitheatre of peaks that ring Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 metres. Machhapuchhre, the fishtail mountain, stands right above you, and Annapurna I, the tenth-highest mountain on earth, closes the head of the valley. It is one of the most rewarding treks in Nepal for the time it takes.
ModerateDifficulty
4,130 mMax altitude
Spring and autumnBest season
Annapurna Base CampHighlight
02Day by day
The itinerary
Starts inPokhara
- Drive by shared jeep from Pokhara to the road head
- Start the walk, dropping to Jhinu and on towards Chhomrong
- Lunch at Chhomrong, the gateway village to the sanctuary
- Cross the suspension bridge over the Modi Khola and climb to Upper Sinuwa
- Overnight in a teahouse at Upper Sinuwa
- Walk through bamboo and rhododendron forest above the river
- Pass Bamboo and Dovan, gaining height steadily
- Catch your first close views of Machhapuchhre, the fishtail peak
- Continue up the narrowing valley to Deurali
- Overnight in a teahouse at Deurali
- Climb into the open Annapurna Sanctuary
- Stop at Machhapuchhre Base Camp for the views
- Continue up to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 metres
- Spend the afternoon among the ring of peaks, with Annapurna I above
- Overnight at Annapurna Base Camp
- Wake for sunrise on the peaks, if the morning is clear
- Begin the long descent back down the valley
- Retrace the trail through Deurali and Dovan
- Drop to Bamboo for the night
- Overnight in a teahouse at Bamboo
- Descend through the forest and climb back to Chhomrong
- Walk out to the road head
- Meet the jeep and drive back to Pokhara
- Trek ends in Pokhara
Ends inPokhara
04Packing
Things to carry
- Broken-in trekking boots
- Warm layers and an insulated jacket
- Hat, gloves and a buff
- Sun protection and a refillable water bottle
- A light daypack and a headtorch
05Questions
Good to know
It is a moderate teahouse trek with a lot of stone steps and steady climbing, rather than anything technical. This five-day version is quite compressed, with some long days, so a reasonable level of fitness helps, but there is no climbing skill or special equipment needed, and your guide sets the pace.
Annapurna Base Camp sits at 4,130 metres, at the head of the Annapurna Sanctuary, ringed by peaks including Annapurna I at 8,091 metres and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre. It is high enough to feel the thinner air, which is why the trek is paced to let you adjust on the way up.
Yes. Since April 2023, trekkers in Nepal's protected areas must go with a licensed guide and carry the paperwork. The trek needs an ACAP entry permit and a TIMS card, both of which we arrange for you before you set off, along with a licensed guide on every departure.
Annapurna Base Camp is high enough that mild altitude symptoms are possible, and this short itinerary gains height quickly, so it matters to walk at a steady pace, drink plenty of water and tell your guide how you feel. Your guide is trained to watch for symptoms and to adjust the plan if needed.
Taking a jeep to the road head at each end cuts out days of walking on the lower trail, which brings the trek down to five days and keeps the cost lower. You still reach Annapurna Base Camp itself; you simply skip some of the lower approach that longer itineraries include.
You stay in teahouses, the simple family-run lodges along the trail, with a basic room and a shared dining hall serving hot food such as dal bhat. They are comfortable and sociable rather than luxurious, and get simpler and colder the higher you go.
Broken-in trekking boots, warm layers and a good insulated jacket for the base camp, a hat and gloves, sun protection, a refillable water bottle and a light daypack. Nights are cold high up. Your guide sends a full packing list when you book, and gear can be hired in Pokhara.
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from September to November, are the best seasons, with the most stable weather and clearest mountain views. Spring adds rhododendron blooms in the forest. Winter is cold with snow risk high up, and the monsoon brings rain, cloud and leeches on the lower trail.
06Reviews
What travellers say
5.0
out of 5
1 review
07About the trek
Into the Annapurna Sanctuary in five days
Annapurna Base Camp is the classic short trek in Nepal: a walk into a high mountain amphitheatre, the Annapurna Sanctuary, ringed by some of the biggest peaks on earth, and reachable in under a week. This budget version keeps it to five days by using a jeep to the road head at each end, so you spend your time on the best of the trail, climbing through villages and forest to a base camp at 4,130 metres with Machhapuchhre and Annapurna I standing right over the lodges. It asks a good level of fitness but no technical skill, which is why it is so many people's first Himalayan trek.
What the Annapurna Base Camp trek covers
Over five days you walk in from the road head near Pokhara, up through Chhomrong and Sinuwa and the forest along the Modi Khola, to Annapurna Base Camp and back. The route gains height steadily, with teahouses each night, and the jeep at each end cuts out the longer lower approach. Your guide handles the permits, the lodges and the pace, and watches for how you are coping with the altitude. For a much gentler taste of the Annapurna foothills, our Ghorepani Poon Hill trek reaches a famous sunrise viewpoint in just two days.
How hard it is, honestly
This is a moderate trek made a little tougher by being short. The trail is almost all stone steps, up and down, and the compressed schedule means some long days, so hill fitness makes a real difference to how much you enjoy it. There is nothing technical, no ropes or crampons, and the highest night is at 4,130 metres, which is high enough that the air feels thin but well below the extreme altitude of a trek like Everest Base Camp. If you can manage long days on your feet, you can do this trek.
Altitude, permits and staying safe
Annapurna Base Camp is high enough that mild altitude symptoms are possible, so the golden rules apply: walk steadily, drink plenty, and tell your guide how you feel. Because this itinerary climbs quickly, your guide keeps a close eye on the group and will slow down or adjust if anyone is struggling. The trek needs an ACAP permit and a TIMS card, and since April 2023 a licensed guide is required in Nepal's protected areas; we arrange all of that before you arrive, which is exactly the kind of thing a local operator is for.
Best time to go and what it is like
Spring and autumn are the seasons to come, for stable weather and clear peaks, with spring adding rhododendron colour to the forest. You sleep in teahouses, simple lodges with hot food and shared dining rooms that get more basic and colder as you climb. Mornings at base camp, with the sun hitting Annapurna and Machhapuchhre, are the reward for the steps. For a bigger Himalayan objective once you have the trekking bug, see our Everest Base Camp trek.