Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp trek from Kathmandu is a ten-day teahouse trek that carries you from the capital into the Annapurna Sanctuary at 4,130 metres and back. After the drive to lakeside Pokhara you trek in through the Gurung village of Ghandruk, climb past Chhomrong and the bamboo forests of the Modi Khola, and reach base camp for a dawn that lights up Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli in a single glacial amphitheatre. It is graded moderate, walked on well-worn trails with comfortable lodges each night, and finishes with a soak in the Jhinu Danda hot springs. This from-Kathmandu version includes the road transfers both ways, so it suits trekkers basing themselves in the capital.
The itinerary
- Scenic 5 to 6 hour drive through river valleys and hills
- Check in at lakeside Pokhara and relax
- Optional 30-minute flight in place of the drive
- Short drive up to Ghandruk, a traditional Gurung village at 2,012 m
- Explore the stone-paved lanes and village museum
- First close views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre
- Trek through forest, terraced fields and suspension bridges
- Arrive Chhomrong (2,170 m), the gateway to the Sanctuary
- Evening mountain views over Annapurna South
- Descend stone steps to the river, then climb through bamboo forest
- Quiet, shaded trail deeper into the Modi Khola valley
- Overnight at Bamboo (2,600 m)
- Follow the valley through thinning forest into alpine terrain
- Dramatic cliffs and glacial views open up
- Overnight at Deurali (3,200 m)
- Climb via Machhapuchhre Base Camp into the glacial basin
- Reach Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m
- A 360-degree amphitheatre of Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli
- Dawn over the Annapurna range from base camp
- Long descent back down the valley
- Overnight at Bamboo
- Descend to Jhinu Danda (1,780 m)
- Relax in the natural riverside hot springs
- Quiet evening in the village
- Short drive from Jhinu back to Pokhara
- Rest of the day free around Lakeside
- Return drive to Kathmandu, or an optional 30-minute flight
- The trek concludes on arrival
Things to carry
- Layered clothing including a warm down jacket for base camp
- Broken-in trekking boots and warm socks
- A sleeping-bag liner, hat, gloves and a buff
- Sunglasses, sun hat, high-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- A refillable water bottle with purification, a daypack and a power bank
Good to know
Complete guide
Annapurna Base Camp is the trek most people picture when they imagine walking in Nepal: a week or so of villages, forest and river valley that ends inside a ring of 7,000 and 8,000 metre peaks. Doing it from Kathmandu means the capital's transfers are built in, so you can start and finish where you land. Here is how the trek works and what to know.
What the Annapurna Base Camp trek from Kathmandu covers
The route runs Kathmandu to Pokhara, then in through Ghandruk, Chhomrong and the Modi Khola valley to base camp at 4,130 metres, returning past the Jhinu Danda hot springs before the drive home. The two ends are travel days by road or optional flight; the heart of the trip is six days of teahouse walking. If you are already in Pokhara or want to skip the transfers, a Pokhara-start version covers the same trail in fewer days, and the shorter budget Annapurna Base Camp trek trims it further with jeep support.
How hard it is and how the altitude feels
This is a moderate trek, not a technical one, but the days are honest: long stone staircases, steady climbs and a top night at 4,130 metres. The height gain is gradual enough that serious altitude sickness is uncommon, though you may feel the thinner air near base camp. Walk slowly, hydrate well, and treat any headache seriously. A few weeks of hill walking before you come makes the biggest difference to how much you enjoy it.
Permits, guides and teahouses
You need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and a trekkers' information card, and since April 2023 a licensed guide is mandatory in the region; we arrange all of this. Nights are spent in teahouses, family-run lodges with simple twin rooms and a warm dining room, so you carry only a daypack. Bring a sleeping-bag liner, a power bank and small cash for charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers.
A gentler alternative
If base camp feels like a lot for a first trek, the same region has an easier introduction. The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek reaches a famous sunrise viewpoint over Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in a fraction of the days, on shorter walking hours, and pairs naturally with a later return for the full Sanctuary.
