Annapurna North Base Camp Trek is a 9-day trek from Pokhara for walkers who have done Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp and want a quieter, wilder route. You drive to Bhurung Tatopani, climb through Upper Narchyang and Chhotepa to Sandhi Kharka, spend a night at Busket Mela, and reach North Base Camp at about 4,190 m, below the north face of Annapurna I. It is graded Strenuous: there is a big climb to the base camp and basic lodging. It costs from USD 800 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 North Base Camp trek at a glance
| Duration | 9 days, Pokhara to Pokhara, 8 nights on the route |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | About 4,190 m / 13,747 ft (North Annapurna Base Camp) |
| Grade | Strenuous. 5 to 7 hours of walking a day, one big climb to the base camp. Some nights are basic |
| Best months | Mid October to November, and March to April |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area permit and TIMS card, included (to be confirmed for this side) |
| Start dates | Any day |
| From price | USD 800 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 1,270, Luxury USD 1,955 |
Why I built it this way
Most people who trek around Annapurna go to the south side, to the Sanctuary and Annapurna Base Camp. The north side is different: fewer people, more forest, and a close view of the north face of Annapurna I, the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 m. This is the route for walkers who want that quiet and are happy with simple lodging.
The drive from Pokhara to Bhurung Tatopani passes Beni, and the road beyond Beni is rough and unsealed, so we use a high-clearance 4WD. We come out through Lete and finish with a night at Tatopani, the village whose name means hot water, where you can soak in the natural hot springs before the drive back to Pokhara. Compare it with our Annapurna Base Camp trek: this one is shorter, quieter and harder on the legs.
One honest note: there is no permanent lodge above Hum Khola, and the places to sleep high on this route are community-run tent hotels. I split the climb to the base camp with a night at Busket Mela, at about 3,550 m, so that no night is more than about 650 m higher than the last. Your guide checks oxygen readings every day with a pulse oximeter and does not take anyone higher if they are not well. Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum.
Best time to go, month by month
These notes are general and they are not forecasts. Our guides will tell you what they know for your week.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Very cold at the base camp, snow likely above Sandhi Kharka. | Only with winter experience |
| February | Cold, snow likely at height. | Only with winter experience |
| March | Spring begins. Rhododendrons lower down, cold nights high. | Good |
| April | Warmer, rhododendrons, hazier afternoons. | Good |
| May | Warmer and hazier, pre-monsoon cloud. | Early May only |
| June | Monsoon: the road and trail are wet and landslides can close the road. | No |
| July | Monsoon. | No |
| August | Monsoon. | No |
| September | The rains ease late in the month. | Late September only |
| October | Clean air after the rains and the clearest views. | Best, from mid month |
| November | Dry, clear and colder every week. | Best |
| December | Dry, clear, very cold at height. | Only with warm gear |
Mid October to November is the best window, with March and April next. The base camp is cold at any time of year.
Starting dates for 2027
We run this trek on any date you choose. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates are the expected ones and are confirmed each year.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| January to February 2027 | Clear and cold, quiet trails. | Only with winter experience |
| March to May 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Spring: warmer, hazier afternoons. | Good, April is the pick |
| June to mid September 2027 | Monsoon: wet paths, cloud and leeches. | No |
| Mid September to December 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, Tihar 29 to 31 October) | The clearest views of the year, and the busiest weeks. | Best |
We check the road from Pokhara to Bhurung Tatopani 48 hours before departure. If it is not open, we move your dates free of charge.
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 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included, we issue it through our agency |
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 1,510 | USD 1,905 | USD 2,865 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 800 | USD 1,270 | USD 1,955 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 550 | USD 1,075 | USD 1,955 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 495 | USD 1,065 | USD 1,855 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 390 | USD 1,010 | USD 1,815 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu and Pokhara hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending, hot showers, laundry and charging, 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. We cannot take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.
Getting there and getting back
The trek starts and ends in Pokhara. We collect you from your Pokhara hotel and drive to Bhurung Tatopani, passing Beni, where the road becomes rough and unsealed. We return the same way from Tatopani at the end. We can book your Kathmandu to Pokhara flight or tourist bus.
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. Keep one spare day before your international flight because the road can close in bad weather.
Safety and altitude
You sleep at about 4,190 m at North Base Camp. We break the climb from Sandhi Kharka with a night at Busket Mela, at about 3,550 m, but the last day is still steep. Altitude can affect anyone, whatever their fitness. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen level every day. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we do not go higher, and if they worsen we go down. This is a trek for people who have already slept above 3,000 m. Read Acclimatisation on Nepal Treks: Why Your Body Needs Time and What Happens When You Rush.
The trail is quiet, so help is further away than on the busy circuits. We carry a first aid kit and arrange rescue if needed, paid from your travel insurance. Buy insurance at home that covers trekking to 4,500 m and helicopter evacuation.
What to pack
- Broken-in trekking boots with spare laces
- A warm sleeping bag, or ask us to lend one
- A down jacket, fleece, thermal base layers and a windproof shell
- Warm gloves, hat, buff and sunglasses
- SPF 50 sun cream and lip balm
- A head torch and spare batteries
- Trekking poles
- A daypack of about 30 litres. Your duffel goes with the porter
- Personal medicines, blister care and rehydration salts
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers walk the same route on the same days. 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 |
| Meals | Not included on the trail | Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, tea or coffee and seasonal fruit once a day | All meals, fruit and nuts, tea, coffee, soft drinks, juice and water whenever you want |
| Guide | 1 guide, an assistant at 8 or more | 1 guide for up to 6 trekkers, an assistant at 7 or more | 1 guide for every 2 trekkers |
Read before you book
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek, 7 Days from Pokhara
- Tatopani: Nepal's Natural Hot Spring Retreat in the Himalayas
- Acclimatisation on Nepal Treks: Why Your Body Needs Time and What Happens When You Rush
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
