ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK – 12 Days

Upon arrival at Kathmandu International Airport transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. A short briefing will follow concerning the necessary formalities and your trekking itinerary. Depending upon your arrival time you may spend free time touring the city or resting.

This day is set aside to make any last minute trip preparations and meet your guide. After consulting with our office staff about your schedule we will arrange for you to have a special lunch or dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant, where you’ll enjoy authentic local cuisine. Following your meal, your trekking guide will provide a detailed briefing about the upcoming adventure, covering essential information on the route, altitude, packing tips, and safety guidelines. This is great opportunity to meet your fellow trekkers if in a group, and ask any questions before setting off on your journey

Today you will fly or drive to Pokhara, from where you will depart on your trek. Overnight in Pokhara.

Drive takes 6-7 hrs including a stop for lunch.
Flight Takes 35 min, but closer to 3 hours total with airport transfers, waiting, etc (Flight will incur additional costs)

After breakfast your guide will come to the hotel around 6:30am to pick you up for an approx. two hour drive to Jhinu Danda with a short stop at the Nayapul trekking check point. Here, you will commence your trek by crossing the awe inspiring suspension bridge and head straight. Although it is a relatively short trek to Chhomrong (3m/5km) you’ll feel the elevation gain of 390m/1,280′ under your legs. (3-5 hours)

The stretch from Chhomrong to Bamboo is one of the classic “up-and-down” sections of the Annapurna Base Camp trek. It begins with a steep descent from Chhomrong down a long stone staircase to the Chhomrong Khola, followed by a tiring climb up the opposite side to reach Sinuwa. From there, the trail gradually winds through dense, humid bamboo and rhododendron forest, passing small rest stops like Tilche before arriving at Bamboo at around 2,300 m. Though not high in altitude, the constant elevation changes make it a deceptively demanding day—but the deep jungle atmosphere and river gorge scenery give it a very different feel from the open villages above. (4-6 hours)

From Bamboo to Deurali, the trail climbs steadily deeper into the Annapurna Sanctuary, shifting from dense jungle into a much more alpine, rugged landscape.

You start with a gentle forest walk through rhododendron and bamboo, passing Dovan and the river gorge carved by the Modi Khola. The valley gradually tightens, the vegetation thins, and the air feels noticeably cooler as you gain altitude. Beyond Dovan, the trail becomes more exposed, with steep stone sections and occasional avalanche-prone slopes as you approach Himalaya and then Deurali. By the time you arrive at Deurali (around 3,230 m), you’re above the treeline, surrounded by dramatic cliffs and waterfalls, with a real sense that you’re entering the high-mountain core of the Himalaya. (4-6 hours)

From Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp, the trail is one of the most dramatic sections of the entire trek.

You leave the last scattered teahouses at Deurali and immediately enter a more exposed, high-alpine environment. The valley narrows, cliffs rise on both sides, and the vegetation disappears almost entirely as you climb through Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC). From there, the route opens into the massive natural amphitheater known as the Annapurna Sanctuary. Surrounded by towering peaks like Annapurna I, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre, the final approach to base camp feels surreal—wide glacier-carved terrain, cold air, and huge mountain walls closing in from all sides. (3-5 hours)

The descent from Annapurna Base Camp to Dovan is a long but incredibly rewarding downhill trek that retraces your steps through the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary.

You start by leaving the glacier basin at ABC, with the massive peaks slowly fading behind you as you descend back through Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC). The terrain feels much easier on the lungs as oxygen levels increase, but the impact on the legs can be significant due to sustained downhill walking on rocky and sometimes loose stone paths. From MBC, the trail drops back into the narrow Modi Khola gorge, passing Deurali and then entering steeper, forested sections where waterfalls, bamboo thickets, and hanging cliffs dominate the scenery again. As you continue past Himalaya and onto Dovan, the environment becomes greener and more humid, eventually returning to dense rhododendron and bamboo forest. (5-7 hours)

The descent from Dovan to Jhinu Danda is the final major walking section of the Annapurna Base Camp trek, and it feels like a long transition from high mountain jungle back into warm, inhabited foothills.

You start in dense rhododendron and bamboo forest, following the Modi Khola downstream through a mix of gradual descents and short, steep stone drops. After passing Bamboo and Sinuwa, the trail becomes more “civilised” again as you re-enter terraced farmland and traditional Gurung villages. The final approach to Jhinu involves a steep downhill staircase to the river, where the landscape suddenly opens up and the air becomes warmer and heavier compared to the alpine days above.

Once you arrive at Jhinu Danda, the reward is the famous natural hot springs by the river, just a short 15–20 minute walk down from the village. Set right beside the Modi Khola, these pools are the perfect way to soak tired legs, relax aching knees, and mentally decompress after days in the mountains. (6-8 hours)

The walk from Jhinu Danda to the jeep pickup point at Siwai/New Bridge (near the Modi Khola roadhead) is the final “back to civilization” stretch of the Annapurna Base Camp trek—and it feels very different from the mountains above.

You start by leaving Jhinu village and heading down through terraced farmland and stone-paved village paths. The trail quickly drops steeply to the Modi Khola river valley, where you’ll again cross the famous long suspension bridge (the Jhinu/Kyumi side bridge over the gorge). This crossing is the visual highlight—swinging high above the rushing river with forested cliffs on both sides. Once across, the trail flattens out and follows the river through small settlements and forest sections before reaching Siwai (sometimes called New Bridge roadhead), where jeeps wait. (1-2 hours)

You’ll make the two hour drive back to Pokhara to your hotel to enjoy city life and hotel creature comforts.

Fly or drive back to Kathmandu where we will deliver you to your hotel for a relaxing evening or to enjoy last minute souvenir shopping and dining.

Our driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport for your international flight.