Annapurna

Annapurna Base Camp — the Slow Route

Twelve days to the sanctuary and back, taking the days most itineraries cut, so you arrive at 4,130 m able to enjoy it.

From$1,890 per person

per person, based on two sharing

A tent pitched on glacial moraine beneath high peaks

Overview

Annapurna Base Camp is commonly sold as a seven-day trek. It can be done in seven days. Doing it in seven days is also why a meaningful number of people spend the night at 4,130 m with a headache instead of looking at the mountains.

This version takes twelve. The extra days are spent low, acclimatising properly at Chhomrong and Himalaya, and they change the character of the whole trip — you walk into the sanctuary rather than race into it.

The sanctuary is a genuine amphitheatre: a near-complete ring of peaks over seven thousand metres, entered through a gorge barely wide enough for the river. There is nowhere else quite like it in Nepal.

Highlights

The Annapurna Sanctuary itself — a ring of 7,000 m peaks with you in the middle
Sunrise on Annapurna I from base camp at 4,130 m
Two genuine acclimatisation days, not one
The bamboo and rhododendron forest between Chhomrong and Dovan
Hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the way out, which you will have earned

Community impact

Above Chhomrong the lodges are owned by an association of local families who set prices collectively and cap building. We use association members exclusively.

Porter loads on this route are capped at 20 kg regardless of what the group brings, and porters carry the same insurance and kit as guides.

Waste is carried out rather than burned or buried — one of the reasons this itinerary costs more than the seven-day version.

Suitable for

Fit walkers prepared for long consecutive days and real altitude. Previous multi-day trekking experience is strongly recommended, though technical skills are not needed.

Day by day

1
Day 1
Kathmandu to Pokhara
A tourist coach or a short flight, and an afternoon by the lake doing nothing.
- 7 hours driving
- 820 m
- Guesthouse, Pokhara
2
Day 2
Pokhara to Ghandruk
Drive to Nayapul and climb into Ghandruk for your first night in a village home.
- 4–5 hours
- 9 km
- 1940 m
- Homestay, Ghandruk
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
3
Day 3
Ghandruk to Chhomrong
Down to the Kimrong Khola and a long climb back out to Chhomrong, the gateway village.
- 5–6 hours
- 11 km
- 2170 m
- Teahouse, Chhomrong
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
4
Day 4
Chhomrong — acclimatisation
A rest day with an optional walk up towards Khumnu. Chhomrong is a good place to be stuck: it looks directly at Machapuchare.
- Optional 2 hours
- 2170 m
- Teahouse, Chhomrong
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
5
Day 5
Chhomrong to Dovan
Into the gorge proper — bamboo forest, steep sides, and the river always audible.
- 5 hours
- 10 km
- 2600 m
- Teahouse, Dovan
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
6
Day 6
Dovan to Himalaya
A short day on purpose, gaining only four hundred metres. The treeline starts to thin.
- 3 hours
- 5 km
- 2920 m
- Teahouse, Himalaya
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
7
Day 7
Himalaya — second acclimatisation day
The day most itineraries skip. A walk up to Deurali and back to sleep low, which is exactly how acclimatisation is supposed to work.
- 3 hours
- 3200 m
- Teahouse, Himalaya
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
8
Day 8
Himalaya to Machapuchare Base Camp
Out of the gorge and into the sanctuary. The moment the valley opens is the one people remember.
- 5 hours
- 8 km
- 3700 m
- Teahouse, MBC
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
9
Day 9
MBC to Annapurna Base Camp
Two slow hours to 4,130 m, arriving by late morning with the whole afternoon to sit and look at Annapurna I.
- 2–3 hours
- 4 km
- 4130 m
- Teahouse, ABC
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
10
Day 10
Sunrise at ABC, descend to Bamboo
Up in the dark for the light hitting Annapurna South, then a long descent out of the sanctuary.
- 7 hours
- 16 km
- 2310 m
- Teahouse, Bamboo
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
11
Day 11
Bamboo to Jhinu Danda
Back through Chhomrong and down to the hot springs, which is the correct place to end a trek.
- 5–6 hours
- 12 km
- 1780 m
- Homestay, Jhinu Danda
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
12
Day 12
Walk out and drive to Pokhara
Two hours to the road and back to the lake.
- 2–3 hours
- 7 km
- 820 m
- Not included — onward travel from Pokhara
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch

What's included

All accommodation — homestays, teahouses and one night in Kathmandu
All meals on trek, plus breakfast in cities
Licensed English-speaking Nepali guide
Porter support, one porter per two travellers
All national park fees, TIMS cards and local permits
Airport transfers and ground transport on the itinerary
Drinking-water filtration throughout
Guide and porter insurance, wages and equipment

What's not included

International flights to and from Kathmandu
Nepal entry visa (available on arrival)
Travel and medical insurance — mandatory, and we check it
Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu or Pokhara
Drinks, snacks and personal expenses
Tips for your guide and porters
Emergency evacuation costs, which your insurance must cover

What to pack

On your feet

Broken-in walking boots with ankle support
Trail shoes or sandals for the evenings
Three or four pairs of wool walking socks
Gaiters (Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr only)

Layers

Base layer, top and bottom
Fleece or light down mid-layer
Waterproof shell jacket
Sun hat and a warm hat
Gloves — thin liners are enough below 3,500 m

Kit

35–45 litre daypack
Head torch and spare batteries
Reusable water bottle, one litre minimum
Sunglasses rated for altitude
Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
Power bank — village electricity is not guaranteed

Documents & health

Passport with at least six months validity
Travel insurance covering trekking to your route’s maximum altitude
Personal first-aid kit and any prescription medication
Two passport photos for permits

Photographs

Frequently asked questions

Do I need previous trekking experience?

For most of our mid-hill routes, no. If you can walk comfortably for five hours on consecutive days you will be fine. Our guides set a pace that suits the slowest walker, not the fastest, and there is no prize for arriving first.

What happens if the weather turns?

Every itinerary has slack built into it. Your guide can shorten a stage, swap a pass for a valley route or add a rest day without it costing you anything. Safety decisions are the guide’s to make and are never negotiable.

How does the homestay arrangement work?

You stay in a family home with a private or shared room, depending on the village. Meals are cooked by your hosts and eaten together. Families are paid a fixed nightly rate agreed with the community, not a per-head commission.

Is drinking water provided?

Yes. Every trip carries filtration so you refill from a communal source rather than buying bottled water. We do not sell single-use plastic on any route.

What is your cancellation policy?

Full refund up to 45 days before departure, 50% up to 21 days, and no refund inside 21 days — though we will always try to move you to another date instead. Trips cancelled by us are refunded in full.

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