Annapurna Base Camp Trek - 13 Days

Welcome to vibrant Nepal! Gigantic mountains and lush valleys, rural ethnic villages, ancient cities and exotic warm-hearted people. Nepal’s breathtaking scenery is an adventure lover’s dream.

Upon arrival you will be met at the Kathmandu airport and transferred to your beautiful and stylish hotel. You will meet your leader and your local professional and qualified guide at 5 pm this afternoon and have a full briefing on your adventure.
Enjoy your dinner on your own this evening.

30-minute flight Kathmandu – Pokhara. Optional hike to Peace Pagoda Stupa across Phewa lake on boat. It’s a good warm up hike for the upcoming trek. Weather permitting you will have wonderful views of Annapurnas including sacred mountain Fishtail reflecting on the lake and the valley. Optional to enjoy lunch and dinner on your own today.

Ghandruk has breathtaking views of Machapuchare. The mountain, with the double summit resembles the tail of a fish and it is sacred to the god Shiva, and is off-limits to climbing. In addition, the lodge has magnificent views of Annapurna South and Hiuchuli. Lunch if followed by an optional walk to the nearby village temple, monastery and local museum. The afternoon is free to explore the surrounding village.

Pokhara is a city on Phewa Lake, in central Nepal. It’s known as a gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular trail in the Himalayas. Tal Barahi Temple, a 2-story pagoda, sits on an island in the lake. On the eastern shore, the Lakeside district has yoga centers and restaurants. In the city’s south, the International Mountain Museum has exhibits on the history of mountaineering and the people of the Himalayas. It's a wonderful city to explore on your own or with your guide and leader

After breakfast we take a short drive (90 min) to our trekking starting point Nayapool. The walk will follow gently along the Annapurna’s foothills with surrounding views of the Modi River Valley. This route then takes us up a steep trek to a beautiful Gurung Teahouse Lodge in Ghandruk. Ghandruk is a village in the mountains that you can reach on foot and recently on bumpy jeep drive on dirt road. It has a temple with a beautiful view, and you can learn about some of the unchanged local traditions in the area.

The trail heads steeply downhill to the Kyumnu Khola, a tributary of the Modi Khola, where we will stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we climb to a ridgeline on the west bank of the Modi Khola, gaining a spectacular view of the Matterhorn – like spire of 23,000 ft Machhapuchahare. We continue along to Chomrong, the last permanent village below the Annapurna Sancturary, set at the base of Hiunchuli (20,782 ft / 6300 m).

Hiking through lush forest festooned with ferns and orchids, we reach Kuldi Ghar, a small settlement perched on the steep-sided valley. We descend quickly across a dense bamboo forest, often over a tangle of roots and fallen bamboo that can be slippery when wet. From Bamboo, we continue up for another hour or so until we reach Dovan.

Following the trail uphill then downhill through bamboo forest, we climb gradually but steadily until we emerge into the open spaces above treeline. After trekking across a grassy pasture at Tomo (8400 ft / 2545 m), we reach the narrowest point in the canyon, Panchenin Barha, the natural “gate” to the sanctuary, with its small trailside shrine. Before 1956, no one of low caste, no foreigners, and no “impure” foods such as pork, beef, chicken, garlic, and eggs were allowed beyond this shrine into the sacred confines of the Annapurna Sancturary.

The gorge widens as we climb towards Hinko Cave and finally we feast our eyes upon the full glory of the Annapurna Sanctuary. Ahead of us lies the lateral moraine of South Annapurna Glacier, with the Modi Khola flowing to our right. We pass through the Machhapuchhare Base Camp (12,150 ft / 3680 m), site of a 1957 British Expedition to Machhapuchhare that climbed to within 200 ft of the summit. Because the peak is sacred to the Gurung people and considered the home of a Gurung goddess, Nepal’s government subsequently declared it off limits to climbers and it has remained unclimbed since. The trail then continues to Annapurna Base Camp and contours the broad, grassy and sometimes snow-covered valley. At base camp we are surrounded by a 360- degree panorama of incredible Himalayan peaks: Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Fang, Annapurna II, Roc Noir, Glacier Dome, Gangapurna, Annapurna III, and Machhapuchhare

After we enjoy our last views of the Annapurna Sanctuary, we head out the “gate” and begin our decent to the Modi Khola Valley.

We have a number of steep ascents and descents today, retracing our steps to Chomrong, passing through spectacular bamboo forests.

We continue downhill, then detour off our former trail and head steeply down to the “Jhinu Danda” on the Modi Khola. From here, the route flattens out somewhat until reaching a small settlement of lodges, known as New Bridge. It’s about a 1.5 hours trek to New Bridge. Then we drive to Pokhara.

After breakfast, we leave our Pokhara hotel and fly back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival we will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, famous Boudhanath: the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal. Lunch at sightseeing point. Then we will return to our hotel. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant.

OPTIONAL: Full-day sightseeing around world heritage sites: Bhaktapur, Patan, and Pashupatinath. Last shopping day.

More optional sightseeing in Kathmandu. Transfer to the International airport for your final departure from Kathmandu. Lunch and dinner on your own.

Flights are typically evening or night flights. We are available until everyone departs!

In Case of Emergency:
While you are in Nepal your mobile phones may work some of the time depending on service and your carrier. In the case of emergency, your family can contact the following numbers to get a message to you.

Bodhi Adventures’ Kathmandu Office: +977 9841484556 or +977 9741250499