Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Chitwan Jungle Safari, 11 Days is an 11-day jungle safari and trek to base camp for fit walkers who want animals and Annapurna Base Camp in one trip. It reaches 4,130 m (Annapurna Base Camp) and is graded Moderate: two flat jungle days, then seven days of walking with the Chomrong staircase and a night at 4,130 m. It costs from USD 1,510 per person (Budget, couple). The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Annapurna Base Camp with Chitwan at a glance
| Duration | 11 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | 4,130 m / 13,550 ft (Annapurna Base Camp). You sleep there |
| Grade | Moderate. Seven trekking days of 2 to 7 hours on stone steps. No technical skill needed |
| Best months | Mid October to mid November, then March and April |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Starts and ends | Kathmandu. Road to Chitwan and Pokhara, fly Pokhara to Kathmandu |
| Wildlife | Jeep safari, dugout canoe, jungle walk, birdwatching and Tharu culture. No animal rides |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area, TIMS, Chitwan National Park fee. All included |
| Hotels | 2 nights at a Chitwan jungle lodge and 2 nights in Pokhara are included. Kathmandu nights are not |
| From price | USD 1,510 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 2,035, Luxury USD 2,790 |
Why I built it this way
Annapurna Base Camp is the trek most of my guests ask about, and many of them also want to see a rhino. This trip puts both in one booking. You start with two nights beside Chitwan National Park, where you look for rhinos, birds and crocodiles from a jeep and a dugout canoe, then drive to Pokhara and walk the seven-day Annapurna Base Camp trek, and fly back to Kathmandu.
I put the jungle first on purpose. It is flat and warm, and it gives your legs two easy days before the steps of Ghandruk and the Chomrong staircase. It also means you finish the trip with a hot shower in Pokhara and a short flight, not a long drive. The trek is the same as our Annapurna Base Camp trek of 7 days from Pokhara. It is not an easy walk: you sleep at 4,130 m, and there is no acclimatisation night between Chomrong and base camp. Read How Difficult Is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek? Honest Rating for 2026/2027 and Chitwan Jungle Safari: Tigers, Rhinos, and What to Actually Expect before you choose.
We do not sell animal rides. Our Chitwan days are a jeep, a dugout canoe, a walk with a naturalist, Tharu culture and birds. Customers find us because of that. If you want more time in Chitwan or on the mountain, ask me and I will price an extra night.
Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not included, so you choose your own (our family homestay is USD 15 per person per night). Two Chitwan nights and two Pokhara nights are included, and so are all the road transfers and the flight back. Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum. The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
Best time to go, month by month
Rain and temperature in Pokhara are 1991 to 2020 averages, and the base camp nights come from our Annapurna Base Camp month-by-month guide. The Chitwan notes come from our Chitwan seasonal guide. Neither is a forecast.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cold and clear, with snow on the upper trail. Pokhara 19.9 C by day and 7.1 C at night, 21.6 mm of rain. Deurali nights near minus 7 C and base camp near minus 14 C. Chitwan has cool, foggy mornings. | Hard, not for a first winter trek |
| February | Cold, snow can sit above 3,000 m. Pokhara 22.7 / 9.7 C, 35.1 mm. Base camp nights near minus 12 C. Chitwan is cool, with thin cover. | Hard |
| March | Spring begins. Rhododendron starts low down, mornings are clear. Pokhara 27.1 / 13.1 C, 63.7 mm. Base camp nights near minus 9 C. Chitwan is getting hot. | Good |
| April | Warm, flowers on the ridges, more afternoon cloud, busier. Pokhara 30.0 / 16.1 C, 141.7 mm. Chitwan can reach 35 to 40 C. | Good |
| May | Hot low down, cloud and storms build. Pokhara 354.7 mm and 18.3 rain days. Hot in Chitwan. | Possible with care |
| June | Monsoon: cloud, rain, leeches and slippery trails. Pokhara 648.2 mm. Chitwan has floods and some lodges close. | No |
| July | Monsoon and the wettest month: 941 mm at Pokhara, 25.6 rain days. | No |
| August | Monsoon. Views are mostly lost: 839.4 mm at Pokhara. | No |
| September | The rains are easing but the trails are still wet and leechy: 635 mm at Pokhara. | No |
| October | Drying out and clearer each week: 159.2 mm at Pokhara. Busy around Dashain. Chitwan is lush and clear at 25 to 30 C. | Best, from mid month |
| November | The clearest skies of the year: 17.2 mm at Pokhara. Cold nights at base camp. It is peak season in Chitwan too. | Best |
| December | Clear and cold, 11.5 mm at Pokhara. Possible early in the month, hard from mid month. Chitwan is cool, with misty mornings. | Early December only |
Chitwan is best from October to March, and Annapurna Base Camp is best from mid October to mid November and in March and April, so late October, November and March suit both. Chitwan is hot from April and floods in the monsoon. One price applies all year.
Starting dates for 2027
You choose your start date, because every trip is private. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates for 2027 are the expected ones from public calendars, and the government confirms them each year.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| March 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Spring starts. Clear mornings, cold nights at base camp. Chitwan is getting hot. | Good, from mid March |
| April 2027 (Nepali New Year 14 April) | Warmer, with flowers on the ridges and more afternoon cloud. The lodges fill up, and Chitwan can reach 35 to 40 C. | Good, hot in Chitwan |
| Early October 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, not yet announced) | The rain is leaving. Dashain fills the buses and some lodges close. Ask us what is open. | Avoid the Dashain days |
| Mid October to mid November 2027 (Tihar expected 29 to 31 October) | The best weeks: dry and clear, cold at the top, with Chitwan lush and comfortable. Busy on the main trail. | Best |
| December 2027 to February 2028 | Clear and very cold. Snow on the upper trail can close the way to base camp. Chitwan is cool and misty. Tell me your dates and I will say what our guides know. | Only with care |
Tell me your dates and I will tell you what I know for that week. If you want to walk in winter, ask me first.
Permits and costs
We apply for every permit and pay for all of them. You send us your passport details early.
| Permit or fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area permit | NPR 3,000 | Included |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included, we issue it through our agency |
| Chitwan National Park entrance | NPR 2,000 per person per entry | Included, on top of the lodge and activities |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These prices hold for 2027.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 2,440 | USD 2,915 | USD 4,730 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 1,510 | USD 2,035 | USD 2,790 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 1,020 | USD 1,590 | USD 2,445 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 885 | USD 1,430 | USD 2,365 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 855 | USD 1,395 | USD 2,310 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending and any extra porter (USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge). You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance in Kathmandu. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card, and card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge.
Getting there and getting back
On day 1 we drive from Kathmandu to Chitwan, five to six hours along the Trishuli river. On day 3 we drive on to Pokhara by private vehicle. On day 4 we drive to Nayapul, with a short jeep to Kimche where the road needs it, and walk. After the trek your vehicle meets you at Nayapul and drives you to your Pokhara hotel, about 90 minutes, and on day 11 you fly to Kathmandu. Pokhara flights can be delayed by cloud, so keep a spare day before your international flight. We check road conditions 48 hours before departure. If a road is not open, we move your dates free of charge.
Visa on arrival is USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, and your passport must be valid for at least six months. Read Nayapul: The Trailhead for Poon Hill, Annapurna Base Camp and Khopra Danda for the trailhead.
Safety and altitude
On the safari, you follow your naturalist, keep to the jeep and the canoe and never walk into the forest alone. Wildlife is wild, and no sighting is guaranteed.
You sleep at 3,174 m at Deurali and 4,130 m at Annapurna Base Camp. Our own guideline is not to raise your sleeping height by more than 300 to 500 m a day above 3,000 m. Two days go beyond it: Chomrong to Deurali (about 1,004 m) and Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp (about 956 m). There is no acclimatisation night on those days, which is why we take them slowly. Drink plenty of water and tell your guide at once about a headache or nausea. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen level every evening with a pulse oximeter. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we do not go higher, and if they worsen we go down.
The long stone staircases and descents are hard on the knees. Trekking poles help. Buy travel insurance at home that covers trekking to 5,000 m and helicopter evacuation.
What to pack
- Broken-in walking boots (not trainers) and sandals for the lodge
- A down jacket or warm fleece for the base camps, thermal layers and a waterproof jacket
- A warm sleeping bag rated to about -10 C, or ask us to lend one
- A warm hat, gloves, sunglasses and SPF 50 sun cream
- A head torch for the early starts
- A day pack of about 25 litres. Your duffel goes with the porter
- Trekking poles for the long descents
- A swimsuit and small towel for the hot springs at Jhinu Danda
- Plasters, blister care and any personal medicines
- Our full list is in Nepal Trekking Packing List: What to Bring, What to Skip, What to Buy in Kathmandu
- Neutral clothes in greens and browns for the jungle days, and insect repellent
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers do the same route and activities. What changes is how you sleep, what you eat and who carries your bag.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms | Shared rooms in simple teahouses | Private twin rooms, attached bathroom where the lodge has one | Private deluxe rooms, ensuite where the lodge has one |
| Porter | None. You carry your own pack. An extra porter is USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge | One porter for every two trekkers, 20 kg each in total. A solo guest has no porter: the guide carries up to 10 kg | One dedicated porter for every trekker |
| Chitwan and Pokhara hotels | Simple lodge and hotel, twin share | 3-star jungle lodge and 3-star hotel, private room | Deluxe jungle lodge and deluxe hotel, ensuite |
| Meals | Breakfast at the lodge and hotels. Trek meals not included | Breakfast, lunch and dinner | All meals, fruit and nuts, soft drinks, tea and coffee whenever you want |
| Vehicle | Private car or van sized to your group | Private car or van sized to your group | A more spacious air-conditioned private vehicle |
| Guide | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) | Licensed guide, one per group (a second from 13 guests) |
Read before you book
- How Difficult Is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek? Honest Rating for 2026/2027
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek Best Time: Month by Month, With Rain, Sunshine and Night Lows
- Annapurna Base Camp in 5, 7 or 9 Days: Which Itinerary Should You Choose?
- Chitwan Jungle Safari: Tigers, Rhinos, and What to Actually Expect
- Things to Do in Chitwan: Jeep Safari, Canoe, Jungle Walk, Tharu Culture and Birds
- Annapurna Base Camp Permits: ACAP and TIMS Explained
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek Cost 2026/2027: Complete Budget Breakdown
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
