The Annapurna Base Camp trek takes nine days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu on our itinerary, with seven days on foot, and it ends at 4,130 metres inside the Annapurna Sanctuary. It is graded Moderate. There is no technical climbing and no pass to cross. The difficulty is the stone steps, the long climb to Deurali on day 4, and the sleeping heights on days 4 and 5, which rise faster than the usual medical guidance. This page is the overview: the route day by day, the sleeping heights, where the trek gets hard, what you see, which months work, the permits, what it costs, and who should think twice. Where another of our guides covers a topic in more depth, I link to it instead of repeating it.
How long is the Annapurna Base Camp trek, and what is the route?
Our Annapurna Base Camp trek is nine days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. Two of those days are drives, to Pokhara on day 1 and back to Kathmandu on day 9, so you walk on seven days. You drive to Nayapul from Pokhara, and on day 2 a short jeep ride takes you up to Kimche, which saves about ninety minutes of road walking. From there you climb through Ghandruk and Chomrong, up the Modi Khola valley to Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp, and on to Annapurna Base Camp. You come back down the same valley as far as Bamboo, then take a quieter path to the hot springs at Jhinu Danda instead of climbing the Chomrong staircase a second time.
The Sanctuary sits about 40 kilometres north of Pokhara in Kaski District, in a narrow valley between Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre. Outsiders first reached it in 1956, when Colonel Jimmy Roberts walked in. Today it is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected area at 7,629 square kilometres. We cover the conservation area itself in our Annapurna Conservation Area guide.
What is the day-by-day itinerary for the Annapurna Base Camp trek?
The table uses the heights, times and distances printed on our live package page. The last column is simple subtraction from the previous night's sleeping height, so you can see where the climbing falls.
| Day | From and to | Sleep at | Walking or driving time | Distance | Change in sleeping height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara | Pokhara, 820 m | 7 to 8 hours by road | About 200 km | Down 580 m from Kathmandu |
| 2 | Drive to Nayapul, jeep to Kimche, walk to Ghandruk | Ghandruk, 1,940 m | 3 to 4 hours on foot | Not printed on the sheet | Up 1,120 m |
| 3 | Ghandruk to Chomrong | Chomrong, 2,170 m | 4 hours | 10 to 13 km | Up 230 m |
| 4 | Chomrong to Deurali, through Sinuwa, Bamboo and Himalaya Hotel | Deurali, 3,174 m | 7 hours | 10 to 12 km | Up 1,004 m |
| 5 | Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp, via Machhapuchhre Base Camp | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m | 2 to 3 hours on the sheet; see the note below | 7 to 8 km | Up 956 m |
| 6 | Annapurna Base Camp down to Bamboo | Bamboo, 2,310 m | 6 hours | 15 to 19 km | Down 1,820 m |
| 7 | Bamboo to Jhinu Danda | Jhinu Danda, 1,780 m | 4 hours | 8.5 to 11.7 km | Down 530 m |
| 8 | Walk to Nayapul, drive to Pokhara | Pokhara, 820 m | 4 hours on foot, then the drive | Not reliable on the sheet | Down 960 m |
| 9 | Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu | Kathmandu, 1,400 m | 7 to 8 hours by road | About 210 km | Up 580 m |
Two notes on the table. First, day 5. The package sheet prints two to three hours, but our village guides put Deurali to Machhapuchhre Base Camp at two to four hours and the stretch from there to Annapurna Base Camp at a further two to three. I would plan for most of a day, an early start, and a slow pace. Second, heights. Our village posts round a few of them differently, for example Machhapuchhre Base Camp at 3,700 metres, against 3,720 on the itinerary. I use the itinerary figures here. For a full distance breakdown, read our Annapurna Base Camp distance guide.
Where does the Annapurna Base Camp trek get hard, and how do you pace it?
The trek is graded Moderate on our scale, and I think that is fair for a fit first-time trekker. It is not a walk in the park, though, and three things make it harder than the grade suggests.
The Chomrong staircase and the day-4 climb. On day 4 you walk down more than two thousand stone steps into the Modi Khola gorge, then climb back out, pass Sinuwa and Bamboo, and keep climbing to Deurali. It is a seven-hour day with a net gain of 1,004 metres in sleeping height. On our itinerary this is the most demanding walk of the trek.
The two nights above 3,000 metres without a rest day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that once you are above 3,000 metres, you should gain no more than 500 metres of sleeping height per night, and that you should allow an extra night for every 1,000 metres of sleeping height you gain. It also says that altitude illness is a risk for anyone going to sleep at 2,450 metres or higher, and sometimes lower. Our plan goes up 1,004 metres on day 4 and 956 metres on day 5, with no rest day. That is roughly double the figure the CDC gives, and I would rather tell you that now than have you find out on the stairs. If you want a slower schedule, ask for an extra night at Deurali or at Machhapuchhre Base Camp and we will quote it. Our guides check your oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter from Deurali. It is useful, but it is a guide and not a diagnosis.
The way down. Day 6 drops 1,820 metres over fifteen to nineteen kilometres. The same steps that were hard to climb are harder to descend, especially when wet, and the itinerary strongly recommends trekking poles for this day. Knees and toes pay for it, not lungs.
What to do about the altitude is simple. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water, tell your guide about any headache or nausea straight away, and do not push through symptoms. The CDC says that descending 300 metres or more helps altitude sickness improve quickly. Confusion, loss of balance, or breathlessness at rest are signs that you go down at once. Our altitude sickness guide and our page on acclimatisation go through this in detail, and our guide to how difficult Annapurna Base Camp is covers fitness and training.
What do you see at Annapurna Base Camp?
You walk into a ring of mountains. The Sanctuary is a bowl at just over 4,000 metres, and most of the peaks that surround it are over 7,000 metres. From Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna I (8,091 metres) fills the north. It is the tenth highest mountain on Earth, and it was first climbed on 3 June 1950 by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal of a French expedition. Annapurna South closes the west, and Hiunchuli, Tent Peak and Machhapuchhre complete the circle. From Machhapuchhre Base Camp our itinerary also points out Annapurna III (7,555 metres) and Gangapurna (7,455 metres).
Machhapuchhre, the Fishtail, is 6,993 metres high and has never been officially climbed. A British team led by Jimmy Roberts came within about 150 feet of the top in 1957, and no climbing permits have been issued since then. The mountain is sacred to the Gurung people as a home of Shiva, which is why you walk beneath it and not up it. Despite its name, Machhapuchhre Base Camp is not at the base of the mountain. It is a stopping point on the trail, at about 3,700 metres.
The Sanctuary is also enclosed, which affects your day. It receives only about seven hours of direct sunlight a day at the height of summer, so mornings are cold, and the sun leaves the lodges early. Our itinerary describes first light touching the summit of Annapurna I while the camp is still in blue shadow, and the amphitheatre turning gold from the top down for about twenty minutes. On the afternoon of arrival you can walk the moraine ridges and visit the memorial plaques for climbers who did not come home.
When is the best time to trek to Annapurna Base Camp, month by month?
October and November are the usual choice, and March to May is the other main season. The table shows what a weather model gives for Annapurna Base Camp itself at 4,130 metres. It is ten years of daily model data from 2015 to 2024, a computer model and not a thermometer at a lodge. It also counts any day with 1 millimetre of rain as wet. Use it to compare months, not to forecast a day.
| Month at Annapurna Base Camp | Day high and night low | Wet days | Modelled snowfall | What we say |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 4.5 and -1.5 °C | 16 | 26 cm | Peak month and the busiest. The first half is still wet; the dry spell starts after it. |
| November | 1.6 and -5.6 °C | 4 | 8 cm | Dry, with cold nights. A good month. |
| December | -1.5 and -9.4 °C | 3 | 17 cm | Possible in early December if you take the cold seriously. |
| January | -5.0 and -13.6 °C | 6 | 40 cm | Hard. I would not sell it as a first winter trek. |
| February | -4.1 and -12.2 °C | 7 | 39 cm | Hard, for the same reasons as January. |
For March to May I give no model figures here. Our spring guide covers the rhododendron timing, the clear mornings and the afternoon cloud, and it says May is the least reliable month for views. June to September is the monsoon, and the same model gives 513 millimetres of rain in August and 350 in September at Annapurna Base Camp, so I would not choose those months for the views.
For the detail, we have written one guide for each part of the year: October, autumn as a whole, November to February and March to May. Two honest gaps from the winter guide are worth repeating. There is an avalanche-prone stretch between Deurali and Annapurna Base Camp, and after fresh heavy snow the right decision is to wait or turn back. No official list says which lodges at Machhapuchhre Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp are open in winter, so I will not guess. Ask us before you book.
Is the trail open this season?
As of our last report on 29 September 2026, the trails were open. The summer was hard on this valley. A flood on the Kimrong and Modi Khola on 11 and 12 July washed away the suspension bridge at Ghurjung and cut the road between Nayapul and Ghandruk, and a landslide blocked the Kimrong Khola on 8 September. That blockage cleared, and Annapurna Base Camp reopened with us. The open question is the road, not the trail. The Pokhara to Baglung road lost about 150 metres at Sahasradhara on 27 September (Kathmandu Post, 28 September). We confirm the road to the trailhead 48 hours before you go, and if it is shut we find an alternative route or starting point and tell you before you travel. For the full account, read our landslide report, which we have updated since, and the October guide above.
What are the permits, and what does the trek cost?
You need two permits for Annapurna Base Camp. The Annapurna Conservation Area Permit costs NPR 3,000 per foreign visitor, and the Trekkers' Information Management System card costs NPR 2,000, so NPR 5,000 together. We buy both and they are included in every tier. The TIMS card goes into a database that is used to locate trekkers in an accident or natural disaster, and we take it for the safety of our guests and our staff. Our permits guide has the rest.
The price depends on how you trek, and it falls as your group grows. The price is the same whether you book privately or as a group, and only the group size changes it. Per person, in US dollars, for the nine-day trip:
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 trekker (solo) | 1,250 | 1,725 | 3,465 |
| 2 to 4 trekkers | 725 | 1,310 | 2,095 |
| 5 to 8 trekkers | 490 | 1,130 | 1,885 |
| 9 to 12 trekkers | 470 | 1,080 | 1,870 |
| 13 to 20 trekkers | 415 | 1,060 | 1,845 |
What the tiers mean on this trek:
- Budget: a licensed guide, permits, transport and shared teahouse rooms. There are no meals on the trail and no porter, so you carry your own bag and order food at the teahouses.
- Standard: everything in Budget, plus all meals on the trek and a private twin room, with an attached bathroom wherever possible. There is one porter for every two trekkers, who carries up to 20 kilograms, which is 10 kilograms each. If you trek alone, there is no porter, and the guide carries part of your load. A porter of your own can be added for USD 25 a day, plus 13% VAT and a 3.5% bank charge.
- Luxury: everything in Standard, plus a dedicated porter for each trekker, private deluxe rooms with attached bathrooms where available, fruit and nuts, unlimited soft drinks, private transport between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and a SIM card with unlimited data.
Every tier includes the pulse oximeter and first aid kit, a farewell dinner, and the use of a sleeping bag and down jacket if you tell us at your briefing that you need them (Standard and Luxury also get a duffel bag). Entry to the Jhinu Danda hot springs is included for Standard and Luxury, and Budget guests pay a small fee at the gate. Kathmandu hotels are not included on any tier, and nor are international flights, your Nepal visa, personal spending, tips or travel insurance. Please arrange insurance at home that covers trekking and helicopter evacuation up to 5,000 metres. We organise a rescue if you need one, and your insurer pays for it.
We take a 10% deposit and you pay the balance in Kathmandu. Plans change? You can move your trek to any date within a year, free of charge, with at least 72 hours' notice. The deposit itself is not refunded if you cancel. Our cost breakdown goes through everything else you will spend, including the flights and spending money.
What are the teahouses and the food like on the trail?
Simple, and simpler the higher you go. Below Chomrong the villages are large, with plenty of choice. Above it the lodges are small and the menu is dal bhat, noodle soup and chapati with vegetables. The itinerary describes the teahouse at Deurali as basic but warm, with a thick blanket on the bed. Mobile data is not reliable above Chomrong, and the Standard package includes a SIM card with limited data. Our guides on teahouse rooms, showers and toilets and on teahouse food cover this properly. For the kit list and training, read our other Annapurna Base Camp guide.
Is Annapurna Base Camp better than Everest Base Camp, Mardi Himal or Poon Hill?
They are different treks, and the right one depends on how much time and altitude you want. Annapurna Base Camp tops out at 4,130 metres. Our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek goes above 5,300 metres, takes three more days, and means a flight to Lukla. Our comparison of the two sets them side by side. The Mardi Himal trek is seven days on a different ridge, and we compare it in Annapurna Base Camp against Mardi Himal, with a complete Mardi Himal guide. The Ghorepani Poon Hill trek is six days, a shorter and gentler alternative, and our Poon Hill distance and difficulty guide explains it.
Our nine-day itinerary does not go through Ghorepani. If you want to combine Annapurna Base Camp with Poon Hill or Mardi Himal, tell me your dates on WhatsApp and I will quote it as a custom trip.
Who should not book the Annapurna Base Camp trek?
- You cannot manage a seven-hour day with a long climb on stone steps, and then a 1,820-metre descent two days later.
- You have knee or ankle trouble. The downhill days are harder on joints than the uphill ones.
- You have had altitude sickness before, or you have a heart or lung condition. See a doctor first, and tell us before you book.
- You want to fit the trek into fewer than nine days and still sleep at 4,130 metres. I would rather add a day than cut one.
- You are trekking in the monsoon, or in January or February, and expect easy conditions and clear views. You will probably not get them.
It suits fit first-time trekkers who want a high mountain amphitheatre without a pass, a flight to Lukla or a technical day, and who are happy to do the work of the long days. If that is you, it is one of the best nine days you can spend in Nepal.
The short version
The Annapurna Base Camp trek is nine days, graded Moderate, and tops out at 4,130 metres. The hard parts are the Chomrong staircase and the 1,004-metre climb to Deurali on day 4, the 956-metre climb to base camp on day 5 with no rest day, and the long descent on day 6. The best months are October, November and the spring season. Prices start at USD 725, USD 1,310 and USD 2,095 per person for two to four trekkers (USD 1,250, USD 1,725 and USD 3,465 for a solo trekker), with permits included. If you want a slower schedule, ask for the extra night and we will quote it. To talk through your dates, message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300.
Sources
Sources: Nepal Tourism Board (park entry fees and TIMS card), CDC Yellow Book (high-altitude travel and altitude illness), and our own live package page, itinerary and permit table. Temperatures, wet days and snowfall come from a ten-year climate model (2015 to 2024), not station data. Trail status: our September 2026 landslide report and our October guide, with the road report from the Kathmandu Post of 28 September 2026.
WhatsApp: +977 9810351300
Email: [email protected]
Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation family guide. TAAN Member #1586.
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