Annapurna Base Camp in 5, 7 or 9 Days: Which Itinerary Should You Choose?

Last updated 7 October 2026.

Choose the 9-day Annapurna Base Camp trek if you want Kathmandu included or have not been high before, the 7-day if you want the best balance, and the 5-day only if you are fit, have already been above 3,500 to 4,000 m, and accept two long jeep days. All three reach Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 4,130 m. They differ in how they get you to the trail and how much time you have to settle in.

We run all three: the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, 5 Days from Pokhara, the 7 Days from Pokhara and the 9-day trek from Kathmandu. A licensed guide walks with you on all of them.

Which ABC itinerary should you choose?

The walking route is the same in all three. The 7-day and 9-day treks both walk the same seven days, and the 9-day adds two days on the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The 5-day cuts the walk short at both ends by using a jeep.

What does the 5-day version look like?

On day 1 a 4WD jeep takes you from Pokhara to Jhinu Danda, a drive of 3.5 to 5 hours depending on the road, and you walk 2 to 3 hours up to Chomrong. On day 2 you walk 7 hours to Deurali at 3,174 m. On day 3 you walk 2 to 3 hours via Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,720 m) to ABC. On day 4 you watch the sunrise, then walk 6 hours down to Bamboo at 2,310 m. On day 5 you walk 4 hours to Jhinu Danda and take the jeep back to Pokhara, arriving in the evening.

There is no rest day. Chomrong is where you sleep on the first night, which means you go from Pokhara at 820 m to a bed at 2,170 m in one day. The climb from Deurali to base camp gains about 950 m in one go. We ask about your altitude history when you book, and your guide decides whether to go on at each stage. The 5-day does not run from June to September.

What does the 7-day version look like?

This is the route most people picture. Day 1 is a drive of about 90 minutes to Nayapul, a short jeep ride to Kimche, and a 3-hour walk to Ghandruk at 1,940 m. Day 2 is Ghandruk to Chomrong in 4 hours. Day 3 is Chomrong to Deurali in 7 hours, with the Chomrong staircase of about 2,500 stone steps. Day 4 is Deurali to ABC in 2 to 3 hours. Day 5 is ABC to Bamboo in 6 hours. Day 6 is Bamboo to Jhinu Danda in 4 hours, by a quieter path that avoids the staircase, with the hot springs a short walk below the village. Day 7 is 4 hours down to Nayapul and about 90 minutes by road to Pokhara.

The easy first day in Ghandruk is what makes the difference. You gain only about 1,120 m in sleeping height on day 1, and you have a short walk on day 2 before the long day to Deurali.

What does the 9-day version add?

The 9-day trek has the same walking route as the 7-day, with day 1 as the drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (about 200 km, 7 to 8 hours) and day 9 as the drive back. It includes a tourist hotel in Pokhara with breakfast. The Kathmandu to Pokhara road is by tourist vehicle, and a private one is available on request. That makes it a better fit if you are landing in Kathmandu and want us to handle the road to Pokhara. Hotels in Kathmandu are not included, so we quote them separately.

It is not a gentler walk. Those two extra days are on the road, not at altitude, so they do not help you acclimatise. They simply put the transfers inside the plan.

How does altitude change between them?

This is the part people get wrong, so I will be direct. At ABC itself, all three treks are identical. The nights at Deurali (3,174 m) and ABC (4,130 m) are the same, and so are the gains: about 1,004 m from Chomrong to Deurali, and about 956 m from Deurali to ABC.

A common guideline above 3,000 m is to sleep no more than about 500 m higher each night, with an extra night for every 1,000 m you gain. All three treks go beyond that on the climbs to Deurali and then to ABC, which is why pace, water and honest reporting matter more than which itinerary you pick. Your guide checks your oxygen level with a pulse oximeter each evening.

What the 7-day and 9-day give you that the 5-day does not is a gentler first two walking days at lower height, so you arrive at Chomrong already warmed up. The 5-day is not safer or faster at altitude. It is shorter at the bottom.

Which is best for you?

Pick the 9-day if you have not been above 3,000 m before, if you want the road to Pokhara included, or if you like a plan that starts and ends in Kathmandu. Pick the 7-day if you are already in Pokhara and want the easiest first two days. Pick the 5-day if you have been high before, you are strong on long days, and you are happy with two jeep rides of 3.5 to 5 hours each.

If you are unsure about the altitude, tell us what you have done before. Our blog on how difficult ABC is goes through the days in more detail, and the distance guide gives the numbers.

What stays the same on all three?

All three include a licensed guide, the Annapurna Conservation Area permit, the TIMS card, a first aid kit with a pulse oximeter, and transport at the start and end of the walk. For the permits in detail, read our ACAP and TIMS guide. For where you sleep each night, read our ABC teahouses guide, and for the right season, read ABC month by month.

Standard has one porter for every two trekkers, all meals and private rooms where the lodge has one. A solo Standard trekker has no porter, and the guide carries up to 10 kg. Luxury has a dedicated porter for each trekker, all meals plus fruit and nuts. Budget has no porter and no trek meals. Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not included on any tier. Your travel insurance must cover trekking to 5,000 m, including helicopter rescue, and you should buy it at home.

The jeep road or the road to the trailhead can change after heavy rain. We check 48 hours before departure, and if it is not open we move your dates free. On the 5-day, one jeep carries up to seven people, so a larger group travels in several.

Group size is 2 to 20, and you can also travel solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice, to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. Prices for each itinerary are on its package page.

Questions people ask

Is the 5-day ABC trek safe? It is safe for fit people who have been high before and who report any symptoms to the guide straight away. It is not a good first trek at altitude.

Do I get a rest day on any of them? No. All three have one night at ABC and no extra acclimatisation day.

Which is best for a first trek? The 7-day or 9-day. If you want something easier still, look at the Poon Hill trek, which reaches 3,210 m.

Can I add a night? Yes. Tell us before you book and we will plan it with you.

What if the weather turns bad? Your guide decides at each stage, and no sunrise view can be promised.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.