Pokhara is the practical start for Annapurna. You sleep by Phewa Lake, we arrange ACAP and TIMS in town with a passport scan, and a jeep or tourist bus puts you on the trail the next morning. That is the difference between a Kathmandu flyer and a Lakeside company: the briefing, the kit check, and the first trail day happen in the same valley as the mountain.
Ghorepani Poon Hill is the honest four-to-five-day walk — stone stairs, rhododendron, and a 3,210 m sunrise if the cloud lifts. Mardi Himal is the quieter ridge: fewer lodges, a 4,500 m morning, and a finish that still returns you to Pokhara without a domestic flight. Annapurna Base Camp is the amphitheatre most first-timers mean when they say “Nepal trek” — Machhapuchhre, the sanctuary, and a high point around 4,130 m. The Circuit and Tilicho Lake are longer: villages, a 5,416 m pass at Thorong La, and a head for thin air. Manang is the rest town on that circuit, not a separate holiday unless you ask for it.
We pace these walks for the weather, not a brochure. Stairs on Poon Hill are honest. Altitude on Mardi and Base Camp is real. The Circuit is a different trip entirely — rain-shadow after the pass, and a finish back toward the lake. Spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) are the stable windows. Winter is possible on Poon Hill and lower ridges; monsoon is green, slippery, and quieter.
Permits for this region are ACAP plus TIMS. Restricted-area papers (Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu) are a different desk — see the restricted hub. Quotes from our office include the guide, porter if you want one, lodge nights on the standard itinerary, and the jeep that actually leaves Lakeside. They do not include your international flight, travel insurance, or the beer you buy at 3,500 m.
If you are unsure which Annapurna trek fits your days and legs, write a manager on WhatsApp with dates and how many nights you can walk. We will not upsell you a sanctuary you do not have time to enjoy. Compare the full Nepal table on the treks hub, or read the annual best-treks guide if you are still choosing between Mardi, Base Camp, and a short ridge.
