Annapurna Base Camp Trek in brief
Trek to Annapurna Base Camp commences through the Nayapul which lies a bit far from the beautiful valley Pokhara set on the bank of Fewa Lake. It crosses various landscapes, including rice fields, oak, and rhododendron forest. You see the conspicuous waterfalls and gorgeous Himalayan vistas on your Annapurna base camp trek route.
Poon Hill is a fascinating place and lies on the way to the Annapurna. From this Hill, you can see a beautiful glimpse of Mt. Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Fishtail, and other Himalayan peaks. It is also an excellent sunrise viewing destination in the Annapurna region.
Similarly, Sinuwa is another vantage point for looking at Machchhapuchchhre Mountain very clearly.
In the same way, walking along the terraced landscapes, paddy farms, Modi Khola Gorge, Bamboo forest, thick pine, Gurung village, and Thakali village is an awe-inspiring trip in the Annapurna base camp trek region.
The rocky landscape and bare hills dominate the upper part of the Annapurna Base Camp. So, the trail becomes strenuous at a higher altitude. The trekking to ABC becomes special by the warm welcome of the local people and their delicious foods.
Likewise, hiking to Hot Spring on the way to Annapurna base camp for the natural hot bath is outstanding.
After reaching Deurali, your trail will be continued to the Machchhapuchchhre Base Camp which is surrounded by other mountain ranges. Then you will go on to the final destination i.e. Annapurna Base Camp. From there, you will observe the sunrise and sunset views over the Annapurna massifs very closely at an angle of 360 degrees.
Overall, the Annapurna Base Camp Trek Nepal can be a very fabulous experience throughout your lifetime. After summiting ABC, you will return through the same trail from Chomrong.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek Accommodation
Rising Adventure organizes 10 days of accommodation during the ABC trek. They are a two-night hotel in Pokhara and others in the tea-house during trekking to Annapurna Base Camp.
In the hotel there in the mountain, you will get a room with full amenities like Wi-Fi, a hot shower, an attached bathroom, a TV, and 24-hour waiter service. Laundry is also available on an extra payment basis. Besides, a room will be provided on a twin-sharing basis, but if you require it, a single supplement will also be provided. And we provide a single private accommodation for a solo traveler too.
On the other hand, we provide full facilities rooms in a tea-house wherever possible during trekking days. It is possible at Ulleri, Chomrong, Ghorepani, and Jhinu Danda where you can find a room with an attached bathroom, charging plug, and Wi-Fi too.
But you might not get those things in other places in this entire region. E.g. you need to use a shared toilet. There is the availability of Wi-fi and a hot bucket shower in the higher elevation, but you need to pay a little amount to use such things. So, it is recommended to buy a data pack with the SIM card and use it as per your requirement because Wi-Fi in high altitude zones may not work properly, though you buy it.
Food during ABC Trek
We provide only breakfast in Pokhara. It is included in the accommodation cost together. But three times meals including seasonal fruits will be provided during the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal. Mostly, the typical Nepalese food, Western, and Asian items on the menu will be served during the hiking period in the mountain region.
Some of the popular cuisines are as follows;
Breakfast: Oatmeal, muesli, french toast with jam/butter/ cheese, boiled/fry eggs, pancakes, chapati, Tibetan bread, corn flakes, fruits, and vegetable
Lunch & Dinner: Nepali rice, lentil, seasonal curry, pickle, Sherpa stew, steaks, momo, pasta, chowmein, thukpa, sandwich, pizza, Korean ramen, macaroni, Tibetan bread, tenduk, potato items
Desserts: Rice pudding, apple pie, etc
Salad: Onion, tomato, mushroom, spinach, etc
Soup: Garlic soup, mushroom soup, chicken soup, vegetable soup, etc
Snacks: Papad, prawn, French fried, fried meat, dry meat, etc
Hot Drinks: lemon tea, green tea, ginger tea, black tea, milk tea, coffee, hot lemon, hot chocolate, and others
Hard Drinks: wine, beers, whisky, and others
Note: All kinds of drinks, dairy products, chocolates, and cheese items are excluded from the package of the Mt. Annapurna base camp trek. You need to pay yourself for those items.
Travel Insurance for Annapurna Base Camp Trek
Travel insurance is one of the mandatory things that you must do before going to the Annapurna base camp trek. Because the ABC trek goes through high altitude places and sometimes, there may the chances of bad weather and unavoidable circumstances like landslides and others.
Though the trek to Annapurna base camp is not so risky compared to other travel destinations, we must take precautions.
Therefore, travel insurance is compulsory for trekking to Mt. Annapurna base camp. Every trekker must provide a copy of their comprehensive travel insurance policy certificate to Rising Adventure before beginning the trip to ABC.
We use this policy for a quick rescue operation in case of emergency. But, your Travel insurance policy must cover the medical fees and other emergency treatments including the helicopter rescue and evacuation expenses up to 6,000 meters above sea level.
Please, be remember that Rising Adventure does not sell travel insurance. It only recommends this insurance policy for your safe travel to Nepal Himalayas.
Attractions of the trek to Annapurna Base Camp
It is well known that the hiking to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna is superb. You are welcomed by the Himalayan sceneries along the entire route from Pokhara. You can explore very close-up mountain views and the different peaks numerously from ABC. They are Annapurna Massif, Annapurna South, Machchhapuchchhre, Hiuchuli, Gangapurna, Gandharvachuli, Barhasikhar, Nilgiri Himal, Dhaulagiri ranges, Tukuche Peak, Thapa Peak, Dhampus peak, tan peak, and other neighboring snowcapped diverse Himalayan landscapes.
The beautiful floras and faunas are other major attractions of the trip to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna. Annapurna conservation area is home to green vegetation, flowering plants, and animals. It conserves 1,226 sorts of flowering plants, 174 types of birds, 102 species of mammals, 33 reptiles, and 22 amphibians.
The trail includes dense forests of rhododendron, fern, bamboo, tall oak, and alpine trees. The patches of grass sticking over the boulders look beautiful.
Endangered species such as Himalayan Musk deer and Kasmir Musk deer are found in this conservation area of Mt. Annapurna. A Chinese pangolin, snow leopard, red panda, clouded leopard, Himalayan black bear, Tibetan argali, Tibetan wolf, and other faunas are protected in this zone.
Culturally enriching is also a highlighting feature of the trip to Annapurna base camp. Ghandruk is the largest Gurung village. You will get surprised by knowing their local culture. They look stunning in their traditional dresses. Their hospitality is praiseworthy. However, most of the remote villages have less than 100 inhabitants.
Poon Hill hiking is another amazing feature. It offers magical sunrise views over the Annapurna ranges. The cascading river, natural hot springs, and suspension bridges add further excitement to travel to Mt. Annapurna.
Taking a rest in Pokhara after completing the journey is also the main attraction of the ABC trek. You can engage in a relaxing massage and restore those tired legs. Chilling out at Fewa Lake with enjoying the mountain views remains always the favorite activity of the Annapurna region trail.
Major peaks of the Annapurna region above 2,000 meters
- Annapurna I: 8,091 m
- Annapurna II: 7,937 m
- Annapurna III: 7,555 m
- Annapurna IV: 7,524 m
- Annapurna South: 7,273 m
- Machchhapuchchhre: 6,997 m
- Gangapurna: 7,454 m
- Hiunchuli: 6,441 m
- Tarke Kang: 7,193 m
- Khangsha Kang: 7,485 m
Note: We also organize the Kathmandu sightseeing tour and the hotel booking in Kathmandu.
Annapurna Conservation Area
Annapurna Base Camp Trek is the second most popular trekking destination in Nepal. Annapurna Conservation Area is known as ACA in its short form. It is the first and largest protected area in Nepal. The Nepal government declared this place as a conservation area in 1986. It covers 7,629 square kilometers area.
The main reasons behind the establishment of the Annapurna Conservation Area are as below;
- To preserve the natural resources for the present and upcoming generation
- To promote the local economy
- To enhance the sustainable eco-friendly local tourism
Today, Annapurna Conservation Area is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal. And the Annapurna base camp trek is the second most famous trail after the Mt. Everest base camp trek. So, the National Trust for Nature Conservation and its local partners launched programs based on the community for encouraging sustainable and eco-friendly tourism that can enhance the economy of local residents. As a result, ACA gets succeeded in establishing this region as a tourist destination. It is possible only through the beautiful natural, cultural, and ecological aspects of this region. There are lots of teahouses that serve both food and accommodation. Every year, more than 100,000 trekkers visit this zone every year.
ACA offers different trekking routes within a region. They are;
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit Trek
- Mardi Himal Trek
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Tilicho Lake Trek
- Jomsom Muktinath Trek
- Dhampus Sarangkot Trek
All these above trekkings have their own destination within the ACA. For example, the Annapurna base camp trek goes to the foothills of Mt. Annapurna while the Annapurna circuit trek circles the entire region by passing the strenuous Thorung La Pass.
In order to enter this area, the visitors must buy the TIMS (Trekker’s Information Management Systems) card and the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) permit card authorized by the Nepal government.
Since the requirement of permit cards, the Nepal government is able to keep the right exact data about the number of visitors in the Annapurna region.
You can buy it even in Kathmandu at the Tourism Board or can get help from the trekking agencies who manage to buy it. It requires your two passport-size photos too. ACA offices are managed in 7 different places to run the office very effectively. They are in Jomsom, Lo-Manthang, Manag, Bhujung, Sikles, Lwang, and Ghandruk.
The revenue earned from the visitors is invested in the development of the community in the region of Mt. Annapurna and maintaining the pollution-free Himalayan sector.
ACA protects the unique features and the beautiful places of the Annapurna region.
Ecological factor
The Annapurna Conservation Area is rich in bio-diversity. It is home to different endangered wild animals and natural floras. It preserves 1226 species of flowering plants, 518 kinds of birds, 105 mammals, 23 amphibians, and 40 reptiles. It is also a treasure house for ethnic residents of over 100,000. They are from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds.
It encompasses a wide range of forested ecosystems from different lower to higher elevations. Such as terraced agricultural farmlands, colorful rhododendrons, alpine meadows, and dense pine forests.
Natural factor
Mt. Annapurna massif is the foremost natural factor of the Annapurna Conservation Area. It preserves the mountains like Mt. Annapurna, Mt, Dhaulagiri, Mt. Fishtail, and other neighboring snowy peaks.
The beautiful Modi River Valley and the cascading waterfalls are other wonderful aspects of nature in the Annapurna region. Tilicho is a freshwater lake located at the highest elevation in this area.
Moreover, the Kali Gandaki River gorge is equally a major highlight of a natural factor of ACA.
Kali Gandaki River Gorge
The Kali Gandaki Gorge is the deepest river gorge in the world. It is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, but its depth is still unknown, though, it is estimated to be almost 6000 meters deep. It is a river actually and creates the gorge. This gorge is situated between two renowned mountains i.e. Mt. Dhaulagiri and Mt. Annapurna on the west and east sides respectively. The river in this gorge comes from the mountains.
While thinking about its name, the term ‘Kali’ means a powerful Hindu goddess. So, this name is kept for this river gorge to show the power of nature.
Once, the Kaligandaki River itself served as a trade route between Tibet and India. It flows steadily for many years and gets shallow in some places and deeper in other parts of the gorge to deepen the gap between the mountain ranges.
Cultural Factor
It is well known that more than 100,000 people live within the Annapurna Conservation Area. They belong to different ethnicities and cultures. As a result, this conservation area is culturally rich as well.
People from different ethnic groups like Gurung, Thakali, Magar, Loba, and Manangi used to live there in the Annapurna conservation area. Every caste speaks its own traditional mother tongue. So, Nepali is their second language. Besides, they follow the Buddhist religion.
The Annapurna conservation area is accompanied by other occupational castes as well, though, in smaller numbers comparatively. They are Brahmin, Chhetri, and other tribes. They are mostly Hindus.
How difficult is trekking to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna?
While grading the Mt. Annapurna base camp trek, it is neither easier nor harder. It is like a moderate trekking destination that can be done by every trekker with strong determination. However, there are lots of factors that determine the Annapurna base camp trek's difficulty.
One of the determining factors is the trekking altitude because it is very difficult to trek in high-elevation areas. But the highest trekking altitude of Annapurna base camp is only 4130 meters above sea level. And below 5,000 meters is considered under the low risk of high altitude sickness. However, you may feel uncomfortable just after going over 3000 meters elevation. Headache, dizziness, diarrhea, shortness of breath, vomiting, and others are general symptoms of high altitude sickness.
Weather condition plays a vital role during the Mt. Annapurna base camp trek. Because the weather is an unforeseen thing though the weather forecaster makes some predictions. It means if the condition of the atmosphere remains okay, the trekking will be easier. Otherwise, you might face hindrances.
Another factor is the trekking duration. It means how long and for how many days you need to walk to complete the entire trek to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna. Normally, you have to trek for almost 6 hours per day mostly over the stone stairs. It is possible only when you are physically fit and passionately confident about the Annapurna base camp trek destination. The total duration of the ABC trek is 10 days, but the itinerary can be customized as per the requirements of the clients. This trek can be finished within a week too if you really want to join.
Trekking distance is an equally affecting factor while analyzing the difficulty level of the Annapurna base camp. The ABC is approximately 60 kilometers far from the valley, known as Pokhara. It means almost 120 kilometers in total and 10-20 kilometers in a day.
The Annapurna base camp trek trail also measures the difficulty level of the trekking destination. The trail of Annapurna base camp is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and rocky routes. The steep stone trails consisting of 3300 steps are surprising, but walking on those steps may make you feel exhausted. It is a longer trekking trail.
The ability of trekkers to walk and experience also creates issues during trekking. If you are an experienced trekker, it would be very supportive while trekking to the Himalayas of Nepal.
Along with physical laborious factors, managing money for trekking is equally difficult. But the Annapurna base camp trek is a budget trek. It is not expensive compared to other trekking packages like the Annapurna circuit, Everest base camp, and the Manaslu circuit trek.
Overall, the Annapurna base camp trek in Nepal is not as hard as in other visiting destinations. Besides, the trekking preparation activities can reduce the difficulty level of trekking to some extent. They are as follows;
The trekkers can build up their stamina by daily walking and joining hiking activities. The ascending and descending walking habit would be very beneficial while going to the Annapurna base camp trek.
Similarly, if you have a previous trekking experience to a higher elevation, this would be very supportive to cover the day-to-day distance as per the itinerary. However, the Annapurna base camp is designed on the basis of a longer trekking itinerary. So, you can complete it easily.
Though, the Annapurna base camp trek solo is possible. It is always recommended to hire a guide or at least a porter. So, you can get a company and the trail would be easier as you do not need to pressurize your mind to search the routes on a map.
On the other hand, a guide assists you in case of emergency. For instance, if you get altitude sickness, s/he will help you. A Helicopter charter is also possible if your health condition is serious.
In order to tackle the high altitude problems, you must keep your body hydrated by drinking a lot of water. Please, do not smoke and drink alcohol and take a balanced diet. Proper acclimatization is the most important preventative method for avoiding high-altitude sickness. If you feel a headache or other altitude symptoms, you must tell your guide or porter. S/he always carries the first-aid medicine like Diamox and takes you down to the lower elevated place. If you need a doctor, please contact us and we will send a helicopter to take you to the hospital in Kathmandu. But your travel insurance must cover your medical and helicopter charter expenses.
In the same, taking a sufficient amount of money with you makes your trip comfortable because your ATM cards do not work in the Himalayan region of Nepal. And it is a bit expensive in the higher elevations of Nepal. So, please take enough money with you while trekking to Mt. Annapurna base camp.
Finally, walking on the main route without following the sub-trails and selecting healthy foods and clean drinking water are enough to overcome the obstacles that promote the Annapurna base camp difficulties.
Best time for Annapurna Base Camp Trek
Spring and autumn seasons are taken as the best time for trekking to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna in Nepal. The former includes the months of March, April, and May whereas the latter consists of September, October, and November.
However, April and October months can be considered the excellent time for the Annapurna base camp trek among these six different months. Because April says bye-bye to winter and welcomes the summer season. As a result, the temperature would be warmer in April. It means neither too much cold nor too much hot. But it may be colder in the higher elevation.
Similarly, the sky remains clear and displays snowcapped mountain views from the morning to the evening time. During April, a day extends day by day. So, you can walk for a longer time to reach the destination. Though it is snowy in high-altitude places, walking would be so difficult due to the use of the right trekking gear. But if it rains, unfortunately, it would be harder as the paths may get slippery.
Except for the views of the mountains, you can enjoy the beautiful floras as the flowering plants like rhododendrons blossom during spring.
On the other hand, October is equally a beautiful month of the year. It comes after the monsoon season. Though September does not fall under the rainy times, there will be rainfall till the second week. But in October, there is no possibility of rain, though it happens sometimes. It is a drier month.
However, the rain washes out every dust from the sky. As a result, the sky looks transparent. The beautiful blue sky seems clear. So, you can enjoy crystal clear Himalayan panoramas every day.
It is well known that the month, of October, welcomes the winter season, but it is not a cold time. In case of rain, the temperature may go down and it may be colder at night. However, the temperature remains cold in the higher elevation of Nepal.
What to pack for the Annapurna base camp trek?
You must pack those things for trekking to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna that you really need. Otherwise, you can leave other redundant things at the hotel in Pokhara or Kathmandu or at our office free of cost. Your things will be saved whether it is in a hotel or our office and make your backpack light while walking.
You must carry with you your original passport, your passport-size photographs, travel insurance, wallet, credit cards, and other important paperwork. These are the compulsory things that you need while traveling.
Except for these mandatory documents, you must carry other essential things like clothes, bags, and so on. The backpack would be lighter if you take light and warm clothes that dry instantly even in the wind within some hours. It helps you in making your bag not heavy and you do not need to carry lots. And the dresses depend on the seasons as well.
They are as follows;
- Trekking Shoes
- Thermal Shorts
- Inner Thermal Set
- Light Fleece Jacket
- Down Jacket
- Sweater
- Minimum 2 pieces of warm trekking trousers
Compulsory Trekking Accessories
- Trekking pole
- Sunglass
- Sunscreen
- Sunhat
- Trekking gloves
- Woolen cap
- Woolen socks
- Sports Socks
- Headlight
- Raincoat & backpack rain cover
- Toilet Kit
How secure is Rising Adventure in online booking?
Rising Adventure is an authorized trekking company by the Nepal government. It sells trekking, tours, mountaineering, and other outdoor activities in Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.
We are the members of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN).
Our company bank account is fully authorized by the policies of Nepal Rastra Bank. We work through the Himalayan Bank Ltd. It is an authentic bank of Nepal that you can google about it for detailed information.
We accept bank transfers, online gateway, credit cards, and Western Union. We only require 10% of the total trip amount in advance to book your desired trip package. And we provide the cash payment receipt and email it to you to promote the trust issues. You can pay the rest amount after your arrival in Nepal before your ABC trek begins.
After confirming the trip to Annapurna base camp booking, we need a copy of your passport, passport-size photos, and flight details to come to Nepal.
Nepal Tourist Visa
Except for Indians, every foreign nationality requires a valid visa to get into Nepal. You can get an on-arrival visa at the International Airport in Kathmandu and at the border entry Checkpoint too.
A valid passport for at least six months, a passport-size photo, and the visa cost are required for the visa application. It costs USD 50 for 30 days visa and it should be paid in cash. For more information regarding visas, you can search at www.immigration.gov.np.
On the other hand, citizens from China and the SAARC countries like India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka can get free visas. Children below 10 years old can also get a free visa to Nepal.
Moreover, there are some countries that are not enlisted to an on-arrival visa by the Nepal government. Such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Nigeria, Cameroon, Somalia, Iraq, Liberia, Palestine, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan. The citizens from these countries must contact the local Nepalese Embassy and implement the process for getting a visa to Nepal.
As we are a trekking company, it is recommended that every trekker get a visa for either one or two more extra days in case of flight delay.
Rising Adventure Team for ABC Trek
Rising Adventure is a team of travel enthusiasts. All the crew members are from the Himalayan region of Nepal and we use every employer for those trekking destinations where they typically belong to.
Our guides are certified by the Nepal government. They are qualified and experienced and provide you with company during trips to the Annapurna base camp. They can speak English very fluently. Moreover, some of them can speak other languages too like Russian, Spanish, and so on.
Porters are also equally important members of our office. We cannot imagine the Rising Adventure without them. They are the real workers. They are very strong and can carry your backpack during the Annapurna base camp trek. If there are more than 10 members, we will add another deputy guide to guide the group in a convenient way.
We respect all the team members of Rising Adventure and they are precious to us. So, we take care of their salary, food, clothing, accommodation, travel insurance, and equipment throughout the ABC trek.
The qualities that possess the guides of Rising Adventure;
- Nepal Government authorized Trekking Guide Certificate
- Intensive Wilderness First Aid Training
- Rock Climbing Experience
- Conservation and Bio-diversity Training
- English and other nationality language speaker
- Customer-oriented service personality
- A knowledge of adventure leadership, natural history, and risk management
