Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Overview

Annapurna Base Camp is one of the most popular routes among solo and adventure trekkers, offering a shot at 8,000m peaks and glacier views in under 10 days away from the city. It’s also known as the Annapurna Sanctuary trek. For those with less time, the Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Tour (1 day) or the Annapurna Base Camp Heli Trek (5 days) cover the same destination on a shorter schedule.

The route moves through an unusually wide range of ecosystems given the shifts in elevation and culture packed into it. The Annapurna Sanctuary itself is an oval-shaped glacial basin above 4,000m, ringed by the Annapurna Himalayan range. The views of the surrounding peaks from inside the basin are hard to overstate.

Annapurna (8,091m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167m) dominate the trek’s skyline. The Sanctuary functions like a natural amphitheater and has held spiritual significance for the local Gurung community for generations, who consider the whole basin sacred.

The trek starts at Nayapul, about an hour’s drive from Pokhara. From Birethanti, the trail heads west through Tikhedhunga and Ghorepani, with an early morning hike to Poon Hill along the way. Poon Hill is a well-known viewpoint with sweeping views of the snow-capped Annapurna range, and the sunrise from there is one of the trip’s standout moments. From there, the trail continues to Chhomrong and into the Sanctuary itself, finishing at Annapurna Base Camp.

The trek works well as an introduction to higher altitude without being overly strenuous, which is why it’s graded medium-hard rather than fully challenging. It also has the advantage of requiring no internal flights, unlike routes in the Everest region.

Permit details are available from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project.

For the longer high-pass version of this region, see our Annapurna Circuit Trek.