Nepal’s enthralling beauty allows travelers to experience heavenly experiences without traveling to heaven. This makes Nepal one of the top travel destinations for tourists, adventurers, and nature lovers alike. 

Planning a trek with your family or friends is one of the best ways to enjoy Nepal’s beautiful hills and mountains. Trek to one of Nepal’s numerous hills and mountains allows an individual to enjoy the beauty of Nepal, including the sceneries of rivers, mountains, forests, and many more. Furthermore, it allows you to interact with new people with a different perspective on life.

After completing numerous treks in Nepal, I also learned about the thrilling adventures you could have while learning so much about life, nature, and people of different cultures. On top of that, the trek to the Annapurna Base Camp, which was quite challenging, to be honest, was one of my favorites among the rest due to all the awesome days I got to enjoy while there. 

If you, too, want one of the best trekking experiences for yourself or your friends or family, this is a guide to help you do the Annapurna Base Camp trek. At the same time, I, too, will get to relive that crazy experience again and think about the beauty of the Himalayas.

Why should I Trek to the Annapurna Base Camp?

Any random picnic or family gathering can be a great escape from an individual’s day-to-day life. However, a trek to the Annapurna mountain range base camp would be ideal if you were looking for a vacation and wanted to enjoy mother earth’s gift and experience a physically and spiritually fulfilling journey.

In addition, you would be able to see breathtaking hills, villages, and mountains. You can enjoy a wide variety of gorgeous scenery along this trek, from tranquil villages to powerful glaciers and breathtaking mountain views.

How do I prepare for the trek to the Annapurna Base Camp?

Trekking the Annapurna Base Camp is most enjoyable in the shoulder seasons that precede monsoon and just before winter, such as spring or autumn. Furthermore, before starting the trek, be sure that you are in good physical shape and sound health. Getting travel insurance can be a great idea in this situation.

The trek starts from Pokhara, located at 822 meters or around 2700 feet of altitude. Likewise, our destination, the Annapurna Base Camp, is located at 4,130 meters or 13,550 feet.

A trip to such an extreme elevation may result in altitude sickness or even breathlessness, so those with lung issues or similar conditions should avoid the trip. Likewise, you must take all the necessary precautions before embarking on this journey. 

Moreover, you will need to walk constantly in a cold climate for many days. Therefore, you will need to bring along the following materials.

  • Well-fitting gloves, socks, and shoes or boots
  • Water bottles and thermos
  • Trekking sticks
  • Portable fire stoves
  • Warm clothes, including jackets, sweaters, and thermal wears
  • Snow Glasses and flashlight
  • Moisturizers and lip guard

All these items are ideal for the expedition, as mentioned above, though not all are essential. Annapurna base camp trek is popular among frequent travelers, so many hotels and homestays offer these supplies at a higher cost than usual.

The Trek Starts

To begin the journey, people outside of Nepal must obtain a Nepalese visa and get to Kathmandu. If you are already in Kathmandu or anywhere else in Nepal, you must travel to Pokhara via plane or another mode of transportation.

The trek starts after you reach Kande or Nayapul from Pokhara. The trek might take 5 to 15 days for a healthy individual, depending on their pace and activities. During the evening, you can choose to stay in the various homestays available in the areas. 

Plan your day to hike to Ghorepani village from Ulleri and enjoy the beautiful view of forests full of rhododendron trees along the way. You need to stay overnight at Ghorepani for the night.

On the third day, it'd be great if you woke up early and hiked up to the beautiful Poon hill. This 1-hour uphill climb will allow you to view a stunning sunrise over the Annapurna. Then, you can continue with the trek for the rest of the day to reach Tadapani at the end of it.

On the fourth day, you need to reach Chomrong. Start your descent to Kimrung Khola and reach the base of Hiunchuli, where the beautiful Chomrong village lies through some difficult steep stairs. There, you'll get to enjoy the stunning view of fishtail mountain and Annapurna itself.

Start the fifth-day trekking through the woods for about 2 hours to reach Kuldi. Furthermore, continue your trek until you reach the Modi river and walk up to Doban. Take a break and spend the night there.

You'll trek 14 kilometers on day six, which might take about three hours. During this time, you'll pass through Deurali, walk towards the west bank of Modi River, and rest near the Fishtail Base Camp.

You will reach the highest point on your trek on the seventh day. I hope you take care of your body as per its need and eat well. Walk up from Fishtail Base Camp to reach the Annapurna Base Camp at an altitude of 4,130 meters. Views from either of these base camps are equally incredible, so take in what you experience and enjoy the moment.

Enjoy the morning with a beautiful sunrise and all the beautiful mountains such as Himchuli, Annapurna 1, Macchapucchhre, Tent Peak, Annapurna South, Gangapurna, and Annapurna 3 right there near you. Start your descent back to Pokhara via Bamboo.

As you descend Chhomrong's steep staircases, you will reach Jhinu Danda. From Jhinu Danda, you can enjoy the hot springs of Modi Khola if you walk for about 20 minutes.

By the tenth day, I hope you adapt to long walks because you must reach Pothana through Tolkha and Deurali, probably the longest distance in a day. However, it'll be easier this time as you'll primarily descend down the previously climbed roads.

For the eleventh and the final day, hike down to Phedi for about 2 hours, passing through Dhampus after you've had your breakfast. Well, from there, you'll reach Pokhara after an hour-long drive. Finally, get to a hotel and get some well-deserved rest.

You’ll return home with a memory that will last a lifetime after an exciting couple of weeks.

Finally, a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp can be an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience for you. It certainly deserves its reputation for its rich history, spectacular views along with the hospitality of the people. Pokhara Info is here to make sure of that.

  Pokhara Info