Journey to the Heart of the Himalayas

Day 01 : Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350m/4,429ft)

Welcome to Kathmandu. Once your flight lands at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the representative will greet you outside the arrival gate. S/He will escort you from the airport to your pre-arranged three-star hotel in Kathmandu via private transport. Upon reaching the hotel, he will assist you through the check-in formalities and inform you about the timing and the location of your evening meeting with the trekking guide.

After that, you will have the rest of the day for yourself. Therefore, make the most out of your leisure time! Take some rest back at the hotel, read some books, and get rid of the jet lag. In the evening, you will have a brief meeting with the trekking guide, who will provide you with all the necessary details regarding the trek.

Day 02 :Drive from Kathmandu (1,350m/4,429ft) to Pokhara (827m/2,713ft) - 6 hours

Early in the morning, you will begin your adventure from Kathmandu to Pokhara via private transport. The drive route from Kathmandu to Pokhara via the Prithvi Highway is one of the most popular travel routes in Nepal. The 6-hour drive alongside the Trishuli River passes through several small villages, rural towns, terraced farms, diverse landscapes, and grassy hills.

On a clear day, you’ll also get to witness the distant sight of snow-capped mountains right outside your vehicle’s window. It takes approximately six hours from Kathmandu to reach Pokhara Valley.

Stretched alongside the shores of Phewa Lake, Pokhara is popularly regarded as the tourism capital of Nepal. The valley integrates beautiful weather, chilled vibes, colourful markets, fancy restaurants, serene lakeside, and majestic mountain views. You will get to witness the giants of the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre from Pokhara. In the evening, you will get to walk around the ambient Lakeside and relax at Phewa Lake’s shore.

Day 03 : Drive from Pokhara (827m/2,713ft) to Phedi (1,700m/5,577ft) and Trek to Tolka (1,947m/6,387ft) for 4 hours

After breakfast, you will drive for half an hour from Pokhara to reach Phedi, the starting point of our trek. From Phedi, the trail leads steeply uphill along the stone staircase towards Dhampus. The route to Dhampus is dominated by lush green forests and occasional terraced fields. Upon reaching the ridge of Dhampus, you’ll continue the walk towards the village of Pothana.

From here, the trail descends abruptly towards Bichok through the shades of rhododendron trees and emerges into the Modi Khola Valley. The trail further descends from the valley until you reach your overnight destination at Tolka. Although Annapurna Base Camp is one of the most crowded trekking trails in Nepal, trekkers seldom use it. Therefore, you’ll be escaping the flock of tourists heading to Annapurna Base Camp and enjoying an isolated trail on this day.

Day 04 : Trek from Tolka (1,947m/6,387ft) to Jhinu Danda (1,780m/5,839ft) - 6 hours

On this day, you will be leaving the remote trails behind and joining the crowd of trekkers on your way from Tolka to Jhinu Danda. You begin the day with a gradual descent on a long stone staircase and follow a ridge towards the village of Landruk.

The trail further leads toward the Modi Khola Valley to Himal Qu or Nayapul. From here, you’ll make a gradual climb through a decent path towards the ridgetop settlement of Jhinu Danda. This small village is widely recognised for its natural hot springs. In the late afternoon, you will be heading to the hot spring to relax your muscles. The hot spring is located only 20 minutes away from the village at the Modi Khola River’s shore.

Day 05 : Trek from Jhinu Danda (1,780m/5,839ft) to Bamboo (2,380m/7,808ft) via Chhomrong (2,170m/7,119ft) - 7 hours

After breakfast, you will depart from Jhinu Danda and make your way towards Bamboo. On this day, the trail is mostly uphill on stone-paved stairs. The steep route is most likely to result in sore knees at the end of the day. You will walk past several enchanting villages, bamboo forests, and occasional waterfalls.

Along the way, you’ll pass two major villages of the Annapurna region — Sinuwa and Chhomrong. At 2,170 meters, Chhomrong is the last permanent settlement in the entire trek. Here, you will witness the rustic lifestyle of Gurungs, their local culture, and their hospitality. You will continue the walk on a relatively pleasant trail until you reach Bamboo.

Day 06 : Trek from Bamboo (2,380m/7,808ft) to Deurali (3,230m/10,597ft) - 6 hours

After a hearty breakfast, you depart from Bamboo and begin your walk through a dense bamboo forest. Note that the forest trail of Bamboo remains damp and cold throughout the year. We highly recommend you stay cautious as the route might be steep and slippery at times.

The trail gradually ascends, and the treelines get thinner as you edge closer to the teahouse settlement of Himalaya. Upon reaching the Himalayas, you’ll get a glimpse of the ever-flowing glacial river down below. From here, you’ll continue the walk towards Hinku Cave. The trail becomes relatively more challenging once you walk past the Himalayas. In contrast to the damp bamboo forest, the route towards Hinku Cave is much dry and arid.

From here, the trail descends towards the bank of Modi Khola River. After crossing a small bridge over the river, you walk uphill towards Deurali. The trail is quite pleasant and scenic as you walk past diverse vegetation, occasional waterfalls, and several settlements. After walking for about six hours from Bamboo, you’ll reach Deurali for the overnight stay.

Day 07: Trek from Deurali (3,230m/10,597ft) to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m/13,549ft) via Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700m/12,139ft) - 5 hours

This day marks the major highlight of this trek. On this day, you’ll be trekking from Deurali to the Annapurna Base Camp. Early in the morning, you’ll set off on the trail upwards to the avalanche site. From the site, you’ll get a glimpse of stunning mountains in the distance.

After a gradual climb from the avalanche site, you’ll reach Machhapuchhre Base Camp. Here, the valley widens, offering you a marvellous view of Machhapuchhre, Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, and Gangapurna. After spending a while at Machhapuchhre Base Camp, you’ll begin your hour-long climb to the Annapurna Base Camp.

Upon reaching the holy grail of this trek at Annapurna Base Camp, you will be surrounded in all directions by jagged pinnacles, including Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Annapurna Fang, and Annapurna III. Here, you’ll also get to marvel at the close-up glimpse of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Annapurna III, Singu Chuli, Gangapurna, Khangsar Kang, and Tent Peak. In the late afternoon, you can simply relax at the foothills of Annapurna massifs and witness the marvellous sunset.

Day 08: Trek from Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m/13,549ft) to Dovan (2,600m/8,530ft) - 6 hours

You’ll begin the day by witnessing the glorious sunrise over the Himalayas from right outside your teahouse. After breakfast, you’ll depart from the Annapurna Base Camp and head towards Dovan. At first, the trail gradually descends towards Machhapuchhre Base Camp and continues towards the avalanche site. Along the way, you’ll get to enjoy the distant sight of the mountains, including Machhapuchhre, Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, andGangapurna.

You will continue to walk further downhill towards Deurali via Bagar village. From here, the trail descends steeply towards the bank of Modi Khola River. Upon crossing the small bridge, you’ll climb the challenging uphill towards Hinku Cave and head towards the Himalayas. The trail becomes relatively comfortable and pleasant from the Himalayas until you reach your overnight destination at Dovan.

Day 09 : Trek from Dovan (2,600m/8,530ft) to Chhomrong (2,170m/7,119ft) - 5 hours

On this day, you will retrace the route back from Dovan to Chhomrong. You’ll start the day with a steep downhill from the village towards Bamboo. On the way to Bamboo, you’ll be walking under the shades of a large bamboo forest, where the trail is mostly damp and slippery. From here, the trail gradually ascends through rhododendrons and oak trees towards Khuldighar.

Upon reaching the village of Khuldighar, you’ll continue the gradual descent towards Sinuwa along the stone-paved staircase. Furthermore, the trail descends from Sinuwa to the long suspension bridge over Chhomrong Khola. After crossing the swaying suspension bridge, you’ll reach your overnight destination at Chhomrong.

Day 10 : Trek from Chhomrong (2,170m/7,119ft) to Ghandruk (1,940m/6364ft) - 4 hours

After breakfast, you begin the day with a brisk walk from Chhomrong and head towards Taulung. After a gradual uphill, the trail descends from Taulung to Kimrong Khola. Furthermore, you’ll continue the walk as the trail leads steeply uphill towards Kimrong Danda.

Once you reach this small hill station, a distant sight of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre, and Gangapurna will warmly greet you. After enjoying the breathtaking view of the mountain, you’ll continue walking through a gentle path for about an hour to reach the village of Ghandruk.

Ghandruk is one of the major highlights of the Annapurna region at an elevation of 1,940 meters. This famous Gurung village hosts the dramatic spectacle of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre, and Gangapurna. In the village, you see the traditional stone-roof houses, rustic lifestyle, and unique culture of Gurungs. You’ll also be visiting the Old Gurung Museum to look back on the culture and history of the Gurung tribe.

Day 11 : Trek from Ghandruk (1,940m/6364ft) to Nayapul (1,070m/3,510ft) and Drive to Pokhara (827m/2,713ft) - 6 hours

You’ll begin the day with an early morning breakfast with a staggering view of the mountains. After that, you will pack your bags and hit the trail towards Nayapul. Most of the trail on this day gradually goes down and is relatively comfortable to walk on.

As you begin the trek from Ghandruk, you’ll initially descend along the stone-paved staircase towards Kimche. Then, you’ll walk past several small villages and picturesque landscapes alongside the Modi Khola River towards Birethanti. Upon reaching Birethanti, you’ll cross a large steel bridge over the Modi Khola River and head towards Nayapul. Here, you’ll catch a private vehicle arranged by Nepal Social Treks and drive back to Pokhara.

After a 2-hour drive from Nayapul, you’ll reach Pokhara for the overnight stay. Upon reachingPokhara, you’ll be surrounded by a colourful marketplace, fancy restaurants, mountain views, and chilled vibes. Here, you’ll see a distant view of the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre Himal. In the evening, you’ll get to navigate around the ambient atmosphere of Lakeside and relax at the shore of Phewa Lake.

Day 12 : Drive from Pokhara (827m/2,713ft) to Kathmandu (1,350m/4,429ft) - 6 hours

On this day, you’ll catch a private transport and retrace your route back from Pokhara to Kathmandu via the Prithvi Highway. You’ll drive past several small villages, rural towns, grassy hills, diverse landscapes, and terraced farms along the way. If the weather’s clear, you’ll also get a final glimpse of snow-capped mountains. It takes about six hours to reach Kathmandu from Pokhara.

Upon reaching Kathmandu Valley, you will have the rest of the day for yourself. You can either take a walk around the streets of Thamel or get some rest back at the hotel. You can shop around in Thamel if you’re willing to buy some souvenirs or gifts for friends and family back home.

Day 13 : International Departure

Departure Day! On this day, your adventure at Annapurna Base Camp will end as you make the final preparations for departure. As per your flight schedule, the representative will pick you up from the hotel and drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport for the final departure.

He will transfer you to the airport via private transport and help you figure out your check-in terminal.

End of our services.