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15 Night 16 Days
Daily Tour
16 people
English, Hindi, Japanese
Annapurna Base Camp Treks is one of the most popular in Nepal and the reason is clear – be surrounded by jaw-dropping mountains in every direction you look! At 4130m in elevation, the trek doesn’t require you to go at very high altitudes to experience the Himalayas. Besides, it’s a fairly short trek and you get to pack mountains, culture, nature and just an all-round memorable trip.
The trek starts from the midhills from the greater outskirts of Pokhara, and goes through peaceful villages, alpine forests, stoney steps, waterfalls and along rivers. Relax at the hot spring on the way to loosen your muscles. A short bit of uphill takes you to Chhomrong, a large Gurung village, where you can find cafes and pubs. This is quite an interesting place to explore and get to know the culture better. Walking farther up the trail, you walk past bamboo vegetation and rhododendron forests, and occasionally spot animals like blue sheep, monkeys and if you’re lucky, the red panda.
We leave the green vegetation behind and appear in the glacier moraine of Annapurna in a tight valley with giant cliffs on either side. On the last leg to Annapurna Base Camp, the valley gets wider and the mountains get visible in all their snowy magnificence. The peaks you can see from here are Machhapuchhre (6993m), Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna South (7219m), Hiuchuli (6441) and others. Watching stars shine above the mountains that surround us in all directions is a sight to behold. After about a week of trekking in the mountains, we head back to Pokhara and recount beautiful memories from our trek – truly an experience of a lifetime!
Once your flight lands in Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be greeted by a staff from Himalayan Adventure Girls, who will transfer you to your hotel. After checking into the hotel, please take some rest and afterwards feel free to explore the nearby town for sometime. In the evening, there will be a trip briefing session held by your guide. Important matters like the itinerary, gear check and safety precautions at higher elevations will be discussed. And if any gear is missing, please rent or purchase from a trekking shop nearby. Your guide will help you with this.
Accommodation: Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
A short domestic flight from Kathmandu takes you to the lovely lakeside city of Pokhara. The flight is 25 minutes and sports incredible views of mountains on right side of the aircraft and vast southern plain on the left side. Once in Pokhara, your guide will take you to the hotel. Settle in and after a bit of rest we’re off to explore Lakeside, the most popular street in Pokhara by Phewa Lake. Weather permitting, the Annapurna range will be visible above Pokhara’s hills.
Later we drive to the outskirts of Lakeside, to a village called Sedi, and visit the house of one of our female guides. She will lovingly prepare local and typical lunch for us, which we enjoy with the views of Phewa Lake and Lakeside. After lunch, we will walk for about 15 minutes to a small school nearby, and you are welcome to provide donations to the school that has actively supported kids from underprivileged families.
Accommodation: Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
Meals Included: Breakfast
We drive off from Pokhara in the morning, and savor the sights of valleys, hills and mountains till Nayapul - the starting point of the trek. We start walking along the river till Birethanti, which marks the start of Annapurna Conservation Area. By bamboo and a light forest, we walk by the river with its natural, gushing sounds. The trail starts going uphill gently and leaves the bigger settlements behind. Beautiful waterfalls and valleys adorn the trek, as do cobbled villages. We reach a suspension bridge at Tikhedhunga/Hile that’s next to a waterfall, after which starts a short and gruelling climb to Ulleri. Our stay in Ulleri, in the middle of the jungles and perched on a hill, comes in stark contrast with the urban setting of Pokhara we left in the morning.
Accommodation: Overnight at a teahouse in Ulleri
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Forests and undulating trails continue today as we cross several small hamlets along the way. Traditional lifestyle of Nepalese people can be experienced. The rhododendron forests are quite remarkable with their imposing size and canopy. We cross several streams and rivers along the way, admiring waterfalls and chirping of birds. A gate before Ghorepani welcomes us to the lower Ghorepani, and a short steps up from here gets us to Ghorepani. At a clearing, Ghorepani gives us clear views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges.
Accommodation: Overnight at a teahouse in Ghorepani
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Our day starts very early in the morning today to Poon Hill. The 1-hour walk will be just before dawn so we don’t miss the incredible sunrise. It’s an uphill walk from Ghorepani to Poon Hill, but the views sported at the top makes us forget the woes. Poon Hill is situated at 3,200m in elevation and has amazing views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges right at eye level. On the other side, layers of hills and alpine forests are silhouetted by the dark dawn skies. As the sun appears, the colors of the skies change and bright orange and yellow skies are visible above the mountains. Watch in awe as the sunlight touches the grand mountains - Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Bara Sikhar, Machhapuchhare (Fishtail), Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri are some of the summits seen from Poon Hill. Once it’s bright and sunny, we head back down to Ghorepani for breakfast, and move on to Tadapani on mostly descending trails.
Overnight at a teahouse in Tadapani
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
The journey today begins with a descent to the river down the valley from Tadapani’s ridge. The trails go through a forest and reach a river. We begin the arduous cimb to Chhomrong, which lies at the top of a hillock. As they say, you get the best views from the top, so we take it slow and steady and make it to Chhomrong, a large settlement with towering Annapurna mountains in the horizon. The village has a lot to offer - from traditional houses, farmlands, cafes, a basketball court and a ton of mules hauling loads on their backs. Explore the village and head back to the teahouse for a well deserved meal.
Overnight at a teahouse in Chhomrong
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
On stony steps going further down, we head off from Chhomrong. After walking through farmlands on the outskirts of Chhomrong, we begin an uphill climb and pass through another beautiful village of Sinuwa. We now enter Upper Modi valley and with the chilling breeze, we can get a feel we’re getting closer to the Himalayas. Much of the trails go along the river, and we settle in a village called Dovan.
Overnight at a teahouse in Dovan
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
The trek starts after a hearty meal in Dovan, and we continue on the trails to Machhapuchhre Base Camp, one stop before ABC. Machhapuchhre translates to “Fishtail”, and gets the name from its shape. It is regarded as a holy mountain. As we reach MBC, you can feel the air getting thinner. The valley is very narrow, and turning back, you can see rugged, massive cliffs on either side. Some parts of the trail have warning boards regarding avalanches, which strike every so often in this area. We move with a comfortable pace today to acclimatize to the rising elevation.
Overnight at a teahouse in MBC
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
It is a short walk today from MBC to ABC, on a gradual uphill climb. The terrain is barren and you can see ABC as you walk towards it. The closer you get to ABC, the more the mountains reveal themselves around you. It is truly a remarkable experience to be able to see such high Himalayan peaks in all directions you turn. Most prominently visible mountains are Machhapuchhare, Annapurna South, Annapurna I and Hiunchuli. We enjoy the rest of the day admiring the beauty of Himalayan mountains and exploring the nearby areas. A good night’s sleep is well deserved, but don’t forget to watch the night skies over the mountains - truly a sight to behold!
Overnight at a teahouse in ABC
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Wake up early in the morning to watch the sunrise over the mountains. After breakfast, we begin our walk back on the same trails. It will be a longer distance to cover today, but with the descending trails and the energy you get from high elevations, it will be a breeze to reach Bamboo Village, passing several smaller settlements along the way.
Overnight at a teahouse in Bamboo
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
The trail takes us further down to Jhinu Danda, where there’s a hot spring to enjoy once we reach our destination. The natural hot waters will be great to just slide in and simply relax your muscles from all the days of trekking. Locals believe the waters have healing powers and can of course, easy away your aches and pains. This is definitely a great treat before we conclude our trek the next day.
Overnight at a teahouse in Jhinu
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
The last stretch of trekking route takes us through the valley as we approach the road. After about 10 days of trekking on gorgeous Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill, we hop on a vehicle and make our way back to Pokhara. The first part is bumpy until Naya Pul, after which we follow the highway all the way to Pokhara. We spend the evening resting and strolling about Phewa Lake, and savoring the moments we spent in the Himalayas.
Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch
Today we will venture out to explore Peace Pagoda on a half-day sightseeing tour after breakfast. Drive for 30mins from Lakeside to reach Peace Pagoda. The Pagoda was built by a Japanese buddhist monk along the southern ridge of Pokhara Valley, from where you get incredible views of Annapurna range with Phewa Lake at the bottom of the valley. We will enjoy the lovely views before a short hike down to the lake shore, and take a small wooden boat to cross over to Lakeside.
Pokhara valley has a host of adventures and activities to choose from. If you want more adrenaline fix, you can do paragliding above the lake and the city in the afternoon. Or you may just relax by the lake and visit the small restaurants and pubs on a fun evening, sharing your favorite moments from the trek up in the mountains.
Accommodation: Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
Meals Included: Breakfast
After an early breakfast, we head over to the tourist bus station in Pokhara, which is just a short drive away from your hotel in Lakeside. The drive takes place along beautiful rivers Seti and Trishuli, on the first and second half of the 7-hour drive.
Accommodation: Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals Included: Breakfast
We begin sightseeing today after breakfast. Kathmandu is known for several religious and historical monuments that are worth exploring to understand the culture and country better. Pashupatinath and Boudhanath are two monuments we will visit, both of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Pashupatinath temple complex holds great religious significance for Hindus, and is among the most important pilgrimage sites. Bouddhanath is the largest Buddhist stupa (a dome-shaped monument) in Nepal revered by Buddhists. You can see people circumambulating the stupa en masse below the fluttering prayer flags and Buddha’s eyes above them.
Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals Included: Breakfast
We trust you had a great adventure in the mountains with memories to cherish for a lifetime. Thank you for choosing Himalayan Adventure Girls. Depending on your flight time, your guide will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight departure. Safe flight!
Meals Included: Breakfast
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