ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP
Highlights
Trek one of Nepal's iconic trails
See sunrise over the Annapurna Mountain Range
Explore the Medieval city of Kathmandu
Relax in the Beautiful Lakeside town of Pokhara
This 11 day adventure will give you so many different experiences that it’s hard to fully appreciate on “paper”. You’ll begin in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, which for first times is always a culture explosion. Soon though you’ll be away from the city and soaring over the pristine wilderness of Nepal on a domestic flight, before arriving at a gem of a city – Pokhara. Pokhara really is a paradise, flanked on one side by some of the biggest mountains on Earth, and on the other by the beautiful and sacred Lake Phewa. From Pokhara your trek will start. 9 days of no cars, no trains, no transport of any kind aside from your feet. The air is pure, the cultural experiences rich and the views jaw-dropping. Every photo on this itinerary is taken from the trek...
Eventually you will have to come back to civilisation, where we can relax and do some last minute gift shopping! Nima Lama, our Head of Operations in Nepal, will be there to greet you upon safe arrival at Kathmandu Airport. We will be your guide for the duration of your trip.
One of the most famous treks in all of Nepal, this is not to be missed. The experience is different, but as impressive as the Everest Base Camp trail
The Itinerary
Our Mountain Quests team will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. Today is a free day to rest from your flight, settle in, check your gear and perhaps some last minute shopping while in the Capital for your upcoming trek. In the evening we'll have a briefing for the trip, where we can discuss the trek in de- tail.
You will take an early flight from Kathmandu airport to Pokhara. This is a stunning half hour flight along the Himalayan Range, see- ing four out of the world’s fourteen giant mountains over 8000m; Daulagiri, Annapurna I, Manaslu and Shishapangma, before land- ing in Pokhara. An experience not to be missed!
Once we arrive in Pokhara we will then continue our journey with a bus ride to Naya Pul. From here your trek begins! You will de- scend into the village of Birethanti where you can stop for lunch, before moving on to Ghandruk to spend the night.
You’ll wake up in Ghandruk to a beautiful sunrise over Machhepuchhare Mountain (6997m) and Annapurna South Summit and wow, what a view! After eating and getting ready we will trek through the rolling hills of the Himalaya before descend- ing steeply to the Kimron Khola for lunch. After a rest we’ll head up the other side on another steep ascent to reach Chhomrong by the end of the day. Here we’ll see spectacular views of Annapurna South (7,229m).
From Chhomrong we’ll start with a steep descent before climbing up to Sinuwa Danda for lunch. The hard work is now over and we’ll trek through beautiful Rhododendron forests to Doban where we’ll spend the night.
A pleasant day starts with a gentle climb through bamboo forests, passing by the “Himalayan Hotel” village and through pristine, quiet foothills. We really are in nature now. We’ll continue our way along the trail until we get to Deurali, which sits at the mouth of the Annapurna Santuary; our final goal!
We’re going to punch through the altitude barrier by trekking to Machhapuchhare Base Camp (these days it is forbidden to climb this sacred mountain though). The valley widens and flattens before we'll trek through avalanche prone areas (we consult the local lodge owners to ensure it's safe) until we reach the lodges at Machhapuchhare Base Camp. The views here are almost unbe- lievable, and we will probably spend a few moments in silence trying to take it all in.
A short day today, but a steep one, that takes you up to An- napurna Base Camp (4,130m) in about 2 hours. It’s cold and windy here and often with plenty of snow. We’ll spend the day tak- ing things in and exploring the base camp area. This is the start point for climbing one of the World’s most dangerous mountains, and the nearby memorial to Anatoli Boukreev (famous Russian/ Kazakh mountaineer) is testament to that.
We’ll head back down to the Himalayan Hotel. A relatively easy day compared to the previous ones on the trek so far. We’ll stay here for the night.
From the Bamboo we'll trek down to Chhomrong, which actually ends with a steep climb up to the village. We’ll take an extended rest before heading steeply down to Jhinu Dada. This is an awe- some village to spend the night. If you have the energy, we can even take you to the nearby hot springs.
Today we'll trek back to Naya Pul and then drive onto Pokhara, where we'll sleep and celebrate our trek to Annapurna Base Camp.
A civilised wake-up time allows you to relax, do any last minute shopping, or treat yourself to a morning exhilarating paragliding journey above Pokhara (optional extra). A late morning flight will take you from Pokhara to Kathmandu, where, depending on your international flight time, you might have some time to explore the Capital. We will accompany you to the international airport for your flight home. It's been a pleasure hosting you.
What To Expect
FOOD - Food will be prepared Food will be prepared in the teahouses and will be international in nature. Pastas, potatoes, meat and vegetables. Breakfasts will include eggs in different ways, cereals, teas and coffees. There will also be ample opportunity to sample the local cuisine. The food and drinks will be clean and well prepared, giving us all the energy we’ll need for our trip.
ACCOMODATION - In Kathmandu and Pokhara we’ll be in a well-run, clean hotel, with en-suite bathrooms, in-room TVs, 24 hour hot water and power and laundry facilities. Rooms will be on a twin-share basis. In the mountains we will be staying in camping tents on a twin share basis.
GEAR - We will provide all participants with a full kit list that is provided at the end of this document. This is a highly recommended list of important items that will make your journey with us comfortable, as well as safe. Please refer to the list for full details.
TREKKING ASSISTANCE - We will be accompanied by a full complement of porters who will be helping us with our excess luggage. Trekking days will see us carrying our day packs, with water, food and water- proofs in them.
Inclusions
Accommodation in Kathmandu & Pokhara
All domestic transportation
All meals and accommodation outside of Kathmandu
Full-qualified guide
All adventure activities
All water on the trek
Exclusions
International flights to and from Kathmandu
Meals in Kathmandu (allow USD 10-15 per meal)
Carbonated and alcoholic drink
Tips
Travel and medical Insurance (covering rescues)
Inquiries?
If you have questions about this trip, would like to know more or thinking about booking this trip with us, then please contact us at: