Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp trek from Pokhara is an eight-day teahouse trek that runs straight from the lakeside city into the Annapurna Sanctuary at 4,130 metres and back. You drive up to the Gurung village of Ghandruk, then walk in through Chhomrong, the bamboo forests of the Modi Khola and the alpine terrain above Deurali to 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. Starting and ending in Pokhara keeps the trip tight, so it suits trekkers who are already in the lakeside city or flying in to it.
The itinerary
- Scenic 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Pokhara up to Ghandruk (2,012 m)
- Explore the traditional Gurung village and its stone houses
- Sunset views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre
- Descend terraced fields towards the Modi Khola, then climb through forest
- Arrive Chhomrong (2,170 m), the gateway to the Sanctuary
- Evening mountain views over Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre
- Drop down stone steps to the Chhomrong Khola, then climb through dense forest
- Quiet, shaded trail past Sinuwa deeper into the valley
- Overnight at Bamboo (2,600 m)
- Follow the Modi Khola past Himalaya and Hinku Cave as the forest thins
- Alpine terrain and glacial cliffs open up around you
- Overnight at Deurali (3,230 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 (2,600 m)
- Descend through forest and villages, passing Chhomrong again
- Arrive Jhinu Danda (1,780 m)
- Relax in the natural riverside hot springs
- Short drive from Jhinu back to Pokhara
- The trek concludes on arrival at Lakeside
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. Starting from Pokhara keeps the trip lean, with the lakeside city as both the launch pad and the finish line. Here is how the trek works and what to know.
What the Annapurna Base Camp trek from Pokhara covers
The route runs Pokhara to Ghandruk by road, then in on foot through Chhomrong and the Modi Khola valley to base camp at 4,130 metres, returning past the Jhinu Danda hot springs before the short drive back to Pokhara. There are no long transfer days at either end, so almost the whole trip is teahouse walking. If you want an even tighter schedule, the shorter budget Annapurna Base Camp trek trims it further with jeep support to the trailhead.
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.
