Annapurna Base Camp Trek

On Day 1 of the trek, participants reach the meeting point in Pokhara before 4:00 PM. ​

Your stay in Pokhara will be booked by OWLS. The exact address and contact details will be shared a week before your scheduled departure by the OWLS team.

The ABC Experience begins on a high note as the mesmerizing view of Annapurna teases you right from Pokhara.

The OWLS team leaves Pokhara at 7.00 AM and reaches Lower Ghandruk from Pokhara after a drive of 3-4 hours. On the same day, i.e Day 2, your ABC experience begins as you trek from Lower Ghandruk to Komrong (7380 ft.).

Ghandruk is an ancient village to be mesmerized by the architecture of the traditional Nepalese homes and culture. Gandruk also has a museum that exhibits the local culture and heritage of the region.

The trail to Komrong is easy for the participants. The trail of around 5 km is covered in 4-5 hours.

The popularity of the trek can be observed on the demarcated path on the entire trail. The trail is not so hard on the trekkers, and the day starts with a gradual descent.

Komrong is perched on the ridge top, and Chomrong is right in the opposite direction on the other side of the mountains. The villages face each other from one mountain top to another. After a descent of about an hour or more, the trail requires you to ascent right up to Chomrong.

The trail lined with bamboo, rhododendrons, and banana trees takes you to the village. As you start to enter the Chomrong, paddy plantations on terrace farms are what you witness.

The trail from Chomrong begins with a brief descent and then some steep ascent, and follows the same pattern till you reach Dovan. Right from Chomrong till Dovan the trail requires you to cover hundreds of stairs. Before reaching Dovan you also cross a suspension bridge across Chamrung Khola.

The trail to Bamboo, a village you cross, is a continuous descent till you reach Bamboo. From Bamboo, you again start climbing, a steep ascent and a lot of stairs. After you leave Bamboo Village behind, the trail leads you through a dense forest enveloped in bamboo trees. You reach Dovan around afternoon during lunchtime.

On the 5th day of the ABC experience, you immerse yourself in the wilderness as the trail is covered with dense forest.

​Once you walk through the forest, the trail again opens to steep stone steps. While walking on these steps, you come across a shade made out of stone from where you can see a glimpse of Deval where the team will have lunch.

The climb becomes difficult post-lunch when you leave Deval. However, it is also rewarding as Machapuchre stares at you from a close distance. The trail opens into a grassland covered with small bushes, and the tree-line begin to vanish. This is also the longest walk of your entire experience.

Machapuchre Base Camp has very few homestays. The locals reside and run the tea house only during the season and migrate to their respective villages once the trekkers stop frequenting the basecamp.

When you reach MBC you soak in the views of the towering Annapurna Dakshin, Machapuchare, and Hiunchuli. The open grassland along with the trail lets you have a grander view of the mountain peaks surrounding you. The view on this trail is unmatched.

The walk to ABC from MBC is around 2 hours. However, we let ourselves soak in the view ahead of on this day and reach ABC in around 4 hours.

The view on this day is known to change many lives. You wake up early in the morning to enjoy the first ray of sunlight falling on Annapurna Massif. The view with the sun rays falling on the peaks, glowing with a tint of orange and red is when you feel accomplished. The sight in front of you, the changing colours of the peaks, and the sky is unmatchable and unfathomable.

The base camp is thronged by climbers and trekkers from around the world. The basecamp also has memorials of the climbers who lost their lives while trying to summit Annapurna.

After soaking in the life-changing experience at the base camp, you start descending towards Bamboo. The walk is long and tiring on Day 7. However, the experience you have at the ABC keeps you recharged and accomplished the entire trail.

The day from Bamboo to Jhinu begins on a steep note. You ascend for a while, followed by a steep descent. The trail is undulating, accompanied by ascent and descent at regular intervals.

Jhinu is the place where you witness a lot of accomplished faces. The trekkers halt here to celebrate their completion of ABC trek. Here, you witness happiness, contentment, and a sense of achievement on every face you see. The positive vibes resonate here as the trekkers are high on happiness.

Jhinu also has a hot spring. The hot spring here relieves you of the exhaustion after the long trek. ​

You start from Jhinu basking in the glory of completing your trek successfully. The trail from Jhinu to Sewai traverses through terraced farms, and villages reverberating the local culture of the country.

The trail has steep descent and gradual ascent till you reach Sewai. Sewai is where your Annapurna base camp Experience concludes. After reaching Sewai, you head towards Pokhara in a cab.

The total distance of the Annapurna Base camp trek is around 70 km. The average distance you will cover is 6-10  km per day. You will walk for a minimum of 5 hours every day. The longest day is day 7 of the trek. 

If you are a beginner with good physical fitness, you can consider the trek after consulting our Outdoor Leader. However, prior exposure to Himalayan hikes is preferred. 

Annapurna Base Camp is a moderate-difficult trek. The trek is 10 days long and traverses through some challenging ascents and descents and some tricky patches. The trek starts at an altitude of 6500ft. from Gandruk village and climbs to the highest elevation of 13,550 ft. when you reach the base camp of Mt Annapurna. It requires trekkers to be in good physical condition to trek comfortably to Annapurna Basecamp. 

During the prime trekking seasons of spring and autumn, Annapurna Base Camp temperatures fluctuate between 18°C and 24°C. The night is colder than the day and the temperature drops below 10°C. 

Know more about the ABC monthly temperature here 

The best time to visit Annapurna Base Camp Trek is between March – April and September to November. OWLS Outdoor Expert and Founder, Himanshu Singla says, “The best time to visit the Annapurna Base Camp is September to October.” The trail appears the best during this season, he asserts. During this season, the chances of rain and snow are less, and you encounter the grandeur of big mountains. 

Read more about the best time to visit Annapurna Base Camp Trek here 

In Spring, you will find the remains of winter snow at higher campsites. You will find the remains of the snow at higher altitudes if the region receives heavy rainfall. The snow remains likely if you do the trek in the first week of March. However, there will be no fresh snow on the trek. 

 The ABC   trek cost is Rs 31,499/-

 The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp. 

Annapurna Base Camp trek takes you to a maximum altitude of 13,550ft. 

It takes 9 days to complete the Annapurna Basecamp trek, including travel to and from the base camp. 

Nayapaul is the basecamp of Annapurna Basecamp trek. 

Annapurna Basecamp Trek is located in Western Nepal and inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. The trek starts from a place called Nayapaul. 

You will need an ACAP and TIMS card for the Annapurna Basecamp Trek. 

As Annapurna Basecamp Trek is located inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, you will need an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). To acquire the permit take your guide’s help. The permit can be collected from the Tourism offices in Pokhara and Kathmandu. As the Annapurna Basecamp Trek starts from Pokhara, it will be convenient to collect from Pokhara. 

Don’t forget to carry passport-size photos for the permit. You have to pay Rs 3000* for the permit. The fee is payable in Nepali Rupees. 

The other permit you will need is a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card. You can collect the card from the tourism office in Pokhara by paying Rs 2000.*

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

The accommodation will be in tea houses. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 350 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

The OWLS team will set up a toilet tent near the campsites. The toilets will be dry toilets and you will have to use toilet paper. There will be a pit dug by the team and you will have to cover your nature’s call with dry soil. Avoid using wet wipes, as they are not biodegradable. At OWLS, we thrive to leave no trace in the mountains. 

At the base camp, you will have regular concrete toilets.

The food offered will be as per the nutritional requirements. As you will be walking every day for 4-6 hours, you will be burning a good amount of calories. The team makes sure that the food you will be offered is healthy and helps you sustain through the day. The regular meal comprises eggs, locally grown vegetables, rice, roti, and pulses. The menu changes from day to day. 

You will have access to WiFi in most of the tea houses. The tea houses charge on an hourly basis for the WiFi connection. There will not be a high-speed connection as you will be trekking in remote villages in the region. You can also purchase a local NCell sim card before heading to the trek.