Trip Highlights:
- Trek to Machhapuchhre Base Camp and glorious view of Mt. Machhapuchhre.
- Trek to Annapurna Base Camp and enjoy a fantastic view of Annapurna I and Annapurna South.
- Visit the beautiful village of Ghandruk, where you can explore the culture and tradition of Gurung people.
- Relaxing hot spring at Tatopani en route to Jhinu Danda.
Overview
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is one of the most sought after and frequently visited treks in Nepal. The impressive scenery, diverse landscapes, view of Mt. Machhapuchhre (6997m), and Mt. Annapurna (8091m) are the main reasons for its popularity. Similarly, the biodiversity of the Annapurna Conservation Area and the ethnic Gurung heritage are equally ravishing attributes of the trek. From popular stops like Ghandruk and Jhinu Danda to the Annapurna Base Camp, the trek is full of glorious destinations.
We begin our trip in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Once you arrive, it will be our job to escort you to the hotel. You can visit the various visiting sites in Kathmandu, such as Swayambhunath temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath temple, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Next, you drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara across the winding Prithvi Highway. After you reach Pokhara, you will take a drive to Nayapul, where you will begin your trek to Ghandruk. Ghandruk is a Gurung village, and you can spend your day here learning about their culture and traditions. It takes almost 2-3 days to reach Machhapuchhre Base Camp as we pass through villages such as Chhomrong and Dovan. Annapurna Base Camp is very near to here; the temperatures may drop drastically as you reach the highest elevation point in this trek i.e., 4130m. After you have explored the Annapurna Base Camp, you make a detour to Jhinu Danda, where you can enjoy the hot spring available there in Tatopani.
The trail in this trek can be quite arduous and steep; nonetheless, it will all be worth it with the experience that you get. The best season for trekking in Annapurna Base Camp is during autumn (September-November) and spring (March-May).
At Brown Bear Trails, we aim to provide you with the best resources and trekking guides to make this trek safe and one of the best experiences you ever have. You can mail us or contact us if you have any queries regarding this trek.
You will arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, where you will meet our staff who will greet you warmly and drop you to the hotel. You can get refreshed and take some rest in your hotel. In the evening, you can stroll around in the streets of Thamel, a famous place in Kathmandu for tourists. At dinner, our trekking guides will brief you on the trip, and you can ask any queries.
After breakfast, our guides will take you to visit some of the famous heritage sites of Kathmandu, such as Swayambhunath temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath temple, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. If you wish to visit any other places, you can inform us, and we will take you there. Meanwhile, you can buy or rent trekking equipment in Thamel.
We will leave early to Pokhara, depending on whether you opt to go by road or by flight. If you choose to fly, you will have a lot of time to explore Pokhara. Lakeside is one of the famous tourist spots. If you opt to go by road, you will be leaving early in the morning through Prithvi highway and reach in the late afternoon. You will get there by late afternoon, after which you can take some rest.
After breakfast, you will head to Nayapul on a drive, which is approximately 30 minutes. After reaching Nayapul, your real trek begins to Ghandruk. This is a relatively easier trek as you go past forests filled with rhododendrons. Ghandruk is a village of dominantly Gurung people where you can learn about their culture and tradition. You can also try their local cuisine in the evening. Overnight stay at Ghandruk.
After breakfast, you will begin your trek to Chhomrong. As you make your way to Chhomrong, you may come across forests of rhododendrons, bamboos, and wild oaks. This trail first takes you uphill to Kimrong Danda then downhill to Kimrong Khola. Once you reach Chhomrong, you get a beautiful view of Machhapuchhre (6993m) and Annapurna (8091m).
After an overnight stay in Chhomrong, you will make your way to Dovan in the morning. As we make our way to Dovan, we will come across a village called Bamboo. You can rest here, and after lunch continues on your journey where you again go through forests covered by rhododendrons, oaks, and bamboos. Overnight stay in Dovan.
After having breakfast, you make your way to Machhapuchhre Base Camp. This trail may seem a bit uphill because of the sudden rise in altitude and takes you through a bamboo forest. After crossing Deurali, you reach the base camp, which is flat land. When you reach the base camp, you get a beautiful view of Mt. Annapurna (8091m) and Mt. Machhapuchhre (6997m).
After breakfast, you make your way to the Annapurna Base Camp. Although this trip may be short, it's very steep since you need to go uphill. Once you reach Annapurna Base Camp, breathing may be a bit difficult because this is the maximum elevation point in this whole trek. A fantastic view of Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna South (7219m) and Machhapuchhre (6997m) can be seen from here. You can relish the views of the surrounding landscapes and Himalayas as you explore around the base camp.
After we set our eyes on the beautiful sunrise in the Annapurna region, we descend to Bamboo after breakfast. This trek is generally more relaxed because we are going downhill. Again, we go through forests of rhododendron, oak, and bamboo. You can also make a quick stop at Hinku Cave and explore the cave vicinity for a while. We reach Bamboo in the late afternoon. Overnight stay in Bamboo.
After breakfast, we hit the trail to Jhinu Danda. On our way there, we go through numerous villages like Sinuwa and Chhomrong. The trail heads south along the Modi River. Next, you descend to Jhinu Danda, which houses a natural hot spring. After you take a long and relaxing bath in the hot springs, you spend the night in the village.
After breakfast, you make your way to Pothana. On the way to Pothana, you go through dense forests filled with rhododendrons and make your way to a small village called Landruk. This is a Gurung village where you can get an insight into the Gurung way of life. After lunch here, you will make your way to Pothana for an overnight stay.
After breakfast, we make our descent to Dhampus. Yet again, we come across beautiful forages of rhododendrons and oaks. It is a concise journey, and once we reach Dhampus, we take an hour's drive to Pokhara. You can spend the rest of the day at your leisure, and we shall have a farewell dinner with the guides in Lakeside.
It is entirely up to you whether you want to travel to Kathmandu by road or by flight. If you want to travel by road, you need to leave early in the morning, and you will reach by late afternoon. If you choose to go by flight, it just takes about 30 minutes. You can spend the rest of your day relaxing and roam the streets of Thamel or Basantapur
It will be our job to make sure you reach your airport on time to catch your flight. Have a safe flight!
Cost Includes
- All arrival and departure from the airport to the hotel and back on private cars, coaches, or buses as per the group size.
- Accommodation in 3-star class hotels on a bed and breakfast basis as well in twin sharing basis rooms.
- Tour and sightseeing around Kathmandu as per the itinerary chosen with city guides including all entrance fees.
- Drive to Pokhara from Kathmandu and Pokhara to Kathmandu by tourist bus and Pokhara to Naya pul and dumpus to Pokhara by bus-cars or coach included as per group size.
- Full board on trekking with breakfast-lunch-afternoon refreshments with dinner includes twin sharing rooms in a lodge on route treks and long tours.
- Applicable Trekking Information Management Systems permits (TIMS) with Conservation or National Park permits.
- All tours and treks accompanied by guides-staff and porters, all wages, meals, accommodation, and transportation facilities with Insurance against medical and accidents.
- In some high altitude treks we provide sleeping bags and down jackets also with comprehensive medical kits carried by our guides and staff. Sleeping bags, and down jackets might include depending upon trip cost.
- First Aid and Comprehensive Medical Kit carried by our guides on all treks and climbs.
Cost Excludes
- International air-fare, Personal medical / travel insurance and Nepal visa fees.
- Expenses of individual nature drinks, laundry, telephone bills, gratitude and meals in city areas Kathmandu and Pokhara as per the itinerary .
- On treks, laundry, recharge of electronic items and hot-showers.
- Personal Trekking-Climbing gear and equipment’s including down jackets-sleeping bags.
- Single Supplement on hotel rooms as well on trek in lodge where clients should inform ahead on booking with extra charge on booking single private rooms where available.
- Emergency evacuation by any means of transportations including immediate Helicopter services if required on accidents, sickness and personal problems.
- Early return from the tour or treks will not be entertainment with refund, where client should borne all the expenses incurred including accompany guide-porters services.
- Gratitude / Tipping at the end of treks and climbs.
FAQ’S (Frequently Asked Questions):
One of the shortest and most moderate treks of all 8,000 m peaks base camps.
Annapurna base camp of week durations where you won’t have problems with altitude sickness or AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).
The walk leads with a gradual rise in altitude each day reaching a height of 4,130 m / 13,629 feet. On each day trek leads get you acclimatized by spending overnights at certain heights on route Annapurna Base Camp. The tough part of the trek is climbing uphill with a long downhill.
All meals are served with care and hygiene in every lodge on route trekking, where our guides all make sure that the meal is all right for you, meals are served as per the menu provided by the lodge.
Main meals Nepali Dal / Bhat (boiled rice-mild vegetable curry with Dal and pickles of your choice) vegetable serves depends upon the season, meals include fried/boiled noodles with eggs/veg or plain of your choices. Continental dishes are also available in most of the lodges on treks.
Annapurna is the only base camp in all Himalaya regions with the facility of a nice and cozy lodge.
The only hospital is in Pokhara (the start and end point of the trek) rest of the bigger villages and towns have small health posts. But it lacks experienced doctors or medical staff. On the trek, the Brown Bear Trail guide will carry a comprehensive medical box with medications for general illness and wounds only.
At every lodge that you stay overnights, our guide and lodge owner will refill your water bottles with hot boiled (or cooled) water, which is safe for drinking purposes, in some areas of Annapurna areas. There are few safe drinking water stations provided by ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project).
Which is much cheaper than in lodge restaurants.
Buying bottled water can be quite expensive in mountain areas it will be a hazard to waste empty water bottles. As Brown Bear Trails are committed to Eco and Responsible Tourism, our guide will discourage buying plastic water bottles, only in emergency situations.
Purifying tablets work only 30-40 % in Himalayan waters (due to heavy minerals contained like magnesium-iron and bi-carbonates), the only safe is way boiled cooled water.
Depending upon the area if you are in deep gorge and valley chances of communication on cell / mobile phone is less, but in high ridge and hills most of the mobile do receives signals.
Most local areas where cell-phone works mostly in towns and villages, most lodge and shops / stores on trekking have STD / ISTD phones which can cost much higher due to its remoteness. But in deep gorges and hidden valleys the net is disturb sometimes.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek is one of the most impressive trekking in the whole Himalayas area. Where trekkers can experience varied climate-vegetation-landscapes to local culture in each village. From low paddy fields to cooler hills then reaching arctic zone ice and glaciers.
Depending upon your choices of extra expenses on refreshments drinks/snacks on routes as well as buying local souvenirs, hard drinks and beers can be expensive in higher altitude villages than in lower areas, (try to avoid hard drinks and beer on routes higher altitude for safe trekking it can cause de-hydrations and make problem with altitude sickness.
On the way back downhill one can enjoy drinking at the end of the treks, an average of NRS 300-400 per day (just in case you need to spend for your own personal use), otherwise all meals and accommodation will be included on the package.
Tipping and gratitude after the treks at your own will (however a long history and traditions in trekking/climbing or in tours where staff-guides-porters will expect tipping from the services provided).
For minor sickness staying for a few days at the same lodges, accompanied by friends or our trekking staff. Till the main group returns from Annapurna Base Camp and continues walking to the end at Pokhara. Serious illness has to be brought down to safe areas or reach Pokhara for medical help.
In critical cases, using the service of a Helicopter for the safest rescue to bring the patient to Pokhara or Kathmandu for medical treatment. Where one can claim through your medical Insurance back home.
