Do I need a licensed guide?

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Can beginners do Annapurna Base Camp?

Fit first-timers manage this with honest pacing. Altitude is the limiter, not technical climbing. We build rest into the itinerary instead of racing the viewpoint.

When is the best time?

March–May & September–November. We will not pretend monsoon weeks are clear weeks. Write your dates; a manager in Pokhara will say if the trail matches the weather.

Does this start from Pokhara?

Briefing, permits and kit-check are in Lakeside. Annapurna trails leave from the lake. Everest and Langtang connect through Kathmandu or overland — we still own the plan.

Annapurna Base Camp | 8 Days from Pokhara | Upper Path Treks And Tours

Who this is for

The sanctuary walk: rhododendron forest to a 4,130 m amphitheatre of ice. Typically seven to ten days.

Annapurna Base Camp is the classic close-up of the range. From Pokhara you rise through Gurung villages and oak-rhododendron forest into a high glacial bowl walled by Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre, and Hiunchuli. Nights are in tea houses. Days are honest but not technical. Typical length is seven to ten days; we hold nine so the last 1,000 metres and Jhinu hot springs are not rushed.

Included

— Licensed guide
— ACAP & TIMS permits
— Tea-house lodging
— Breakfast, lunch, dinner on trek
— Pokhara airport or hotel pickup

Not included

— International flights
— Nepal visa
— Travel insurance
— Personal snacks & drinks
— Tips

Itinerary

Pokhara to Ghandruk

Jeep to Nayapul or Kimche, then a warm climb into stone lanes.

Ghandruk to Chhomrong

Ridge walking and a steep descent to the Modi Khola, then up to Chhomrong.

Chhomrong to Bamboo

Steps, forest, and the river close as the valley narrows.

Bamboo to Deurali

Bamboo groves give way to alpine scrub. We keep the day short.

Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp

Past Machhapuchhre Base Camp into the sanctuary. Sunset on the south face.

Sanctuary morning, descend to Bamboo

Dawn at 4,130 m, then a long, kind descent back into trees.

Bamboo to Jhinu Danda

Optional hot springs by the river after a day of stairs.

Jhinu to Nayapul, drive Pokhara

Final forest trail and a late lunch by the lake.

Buffer / weather day

Held so snow or a slow lung day does not rush the sanctuary.

Difficulty and altitude

Annapurna Base Camp is a Moderate walk of 8 days, with a high point around 4130 m. We pace for acclimatisation, not a brochure summit morning.

Best time to go

Typical season: March–May & September–November. October–November and March–April are the classic Himalayan windows. We close or reroute when cloud and rain make the view a fiction.

Permits and what is included

Annapurna routes include ACAP and usually TIMS, processed in Pokhara. Restricted valleys (Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu) add a RAP filed through immigration. The quote lists permit days; there is no surprise at the checkpoint.

Permit notes from Lakeside · Best treks in Nepal

How the trip starts from Pokhara

You sleep in Pokhara the night before a jeep or tourist bus. We confirm the trailhead, tea-house nights, and who meets you. No guest account — a manager replies on WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber or email.

Altitude

The path

Questions before you book

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Annapurna Base Camp