Annapurna Base Camp Trek – 7 Days

We drive out of Pokhara, joining the Pushpal highway. We drive along the Seti River Gorge, with a magnificent view of the Annapurna range on a clear day. The broad highway set against a mountain backdrop offers a scenic view. We drive through the saddle area of Hemja. From Ghatte Khola, the highway narrows as the road climbs through twists and turns. From Naun Danda, we can see the beautiful view of Fewa Lake. The road from Kande is gradual downhill to Lumle through the forest and is dotted with settlements along the highway. Lumle is the wettest area of Nepal, also known as the Cherrapunji of Nepal. The air gets cooler as we leave Pokhara. We drive past Nayapul, Birethanti, and the road gets further narrower as we drive high along the Modi River. The road gradually climbs through the forest as we head towards Ghandruk. We leave the road from Kilu and start ascending through the village, past terraced farmlands. An hour of walking from Kilu, we join the off-road, cross the suspension bridge, and continue on the off-road for another 40 minutes. Then, a 15-minute climb up stone steps brings us to the famous Ghandruk Village. Overnight at Ghandruk. You can visit the museum in Ghandruk and take a picture with the traditional Gurung dress.

We begin our day by walking through the historic heart of Ghandruk, a beautiful village celebrated for its rich Gurung culture, traditional slate-roofed stone houses, and intricately carved wooden windows. After leaving the village, we enjoy a gentle, 20-minute flat walk through a forested area and cross a suspension bridge. From here, the trail shifts to stone steps, climbing gradually for about 30 minutes through the hillside settlement of Khomrong Village to reach Komrong Danda (Hill).

From the top, the trail descends for about 40 minutes through a lush forest down to the Kimrong Khola (River), which we cross via a wooden bridge. Passing through Kimrong Village—known for its traditional architecture and cozy teahouses—we begin a steep, 20-minute climb through the woods to a Chautara (resting spot). Another 20 minutes brings us to the Tadapani-Chhomrong trail junction, followed by a 15-minute walk to Durpin Danda (Binocular Hill). The final leg is a relatively flat, 45-minute stretch that traverses above a landslide zone and through scattered settlements before welcoming us into Chhomrong.

Alternative Route Options:

• The Jeep Shortcut: If you prefer to skip today's hike, you can hire a jeep from Ghandruk to Jhinu. From Jhinu, you will cross a massive suspension bridge and tackle a continuous stone staircase climb to rejoin the main trail.
• The Cultural Detour: There is an alternate trail en route to Chhomrong passing directly through the local villages for a deeper look into traditional mountain life (this also makes an excellent return route).

After a restful night in Chhomrong, we start by descending to Chhomrong Khola, which takes around 30 minutes. We’ll first check in with our ACAP permit in Chhomrong, then continue descending with stone steps to Chhomrong Khola, passing a beautiful stupa, adorned with prayer flags, and Old Chhomrong Village, observing the mountain life, terraced farming, and Jalaki. We cross the suspension bridge over the Chhomrong Khola, and after 2 hr of ascending, we’ll reach the Upper Sinuwa. We’d be walking parallel to the Mardi Himal route, so we can see the Badal Danda as well. The trail from Upper Sinuwa is gentle, cutting through the lush, shaded forest. After 40 minutes of a gentle walk from Upper Sinuwa, we’ll arrive at a Chautrara alongside the porter’s house. From there, the trail steeply descends for another 25 minutes until we arrive at Bamboo, a peaceful settlement inside the forest, surrounded by, you guessed it, bamboo groves. 

The trail from Bamboo ascends through a lush Bamboo forest. We’ll see glorious waterfalls, a sign we’re close to Dovan. The trail from Bamboo to Dovan is about 1 hour. Just before reaching Dovan, we’ll have to cross a small metal bridge over a small stream. Dovan is another stopping point for trekkers, offering good accommodation. This place even features a bakery!
A five-minute walk from Dovan, we’ll cross a wooden bridge over a small river, fed by the waterfall just visible above the cliff. An hour of walking from Dovan, we’ll arrive at Pojenhyem Baraha Temple, a traditional pagoda-style Hindu temple. Adorned with prayer flags, this temple is set against a lush rocky cliff laced with cascading waterfalls that run deep in a gorge below. The trail from the temple to Himlaya is another 30 minutes. Advancing further, our trail continues along the Modi River with a view of more waterfalls and beautiful stone steps. After an hour of ascending from the temple, we’ll arrive at a massive rock, called Hinku Canve. The jagged, repeating ridges of the rock resemble a massive row of prehistoric fossilized teeth or a giant stone jawbone carved right into the cliffside! From the Hinku cave, Deurali is visible. From here, it’s 30 minutes to Deurali. However, one needs to stay alert, because we’re about to cross the Hinku River, which is one of the avalanche-prone zones of the ABC Trek. Often, the debris of the avalanche is present. Considering the possibility of avalanches or floods due to weather and natural disasters, we cross the area continuously without stopping on the right or left until we cross the temporary bridge. This also means no pausing en route to take pictures. Just a minute before reaching Deurali, we’ll also come past a misty, cascading mountain waterfall flowing over beautifully layered rock steps. 

Today, is the moment we’ve been waiting, trekking to the base camp of Annapurna. We’d also hiking above the tree line. We start-off our day, leaving Himalaya on a gently flat trail along the Modi Khola. As we are about to cross the avalanche prone area, we need to stay alert. During heavy snowfall, there is also an alternate route that detours across the river before crossing again to join the classic trial. After a few moments of walk, Mt. Machhapure soars dominating on right with magical waterfall. As we reach MBC you can notice we have left the tree line, as the vegetation changes from bamboo rhododendron trees to alpine shrubs. We continue walking on a deep valley to Macchapuchre Base Camp (MBC). From MBC the trail further climbs along a small stream. Unknown to our view, we’d be walking parallel to massive debris covered glacial valley that funnels all the way to the foot of Annapurnas. A 40 minutes of hike from MBC we’ll arrive at a small yet, beautiful pond, popularly known as Mirror Lake. As it’s name, the magical reflection of Annpurna and Machhapuchre on the lake is truly spellbinding. The reflection is better when it is calm the morning when there is no wind. Take a moment to pause to capture this moment, don’t miss to look at Macchapuchere that is behind us as we  proceed to ABC. The final push for ABC is 1 hour walk from the Mirror Lake. Beyond the lake, the valley becomes wider, as we advance towards the Annapurna Base Camp. As we hike the shortness of breath is normal, as the air above gets thinner. Take a moment to celebrate the feat at the Annapurna Base Camp with your group. The view after all the challenges is really worthwhile. 

Wake up early to witness the view as the Annapurna I turns golden with the first rays of Sun. Take the moment to capture the wonderful pictures. After breakfast, we bid good bye to Annapurna, and start the descend retracing the same trail through the valley to Bamboo, via MBC, Himalaya, and Dovan. In terms of distance today’s hike is longer distance, but relatively easier than the days prior, as we are gradually descending. 

This is where you’ll require the trekking poles most to support your knees from constant pressure during downhill, so trekking poles and steady walk is recommended.  

The vegetation turns from the alpine back to lush forest. If you’ve had some mild AMS symptoms at ABC, particularly the headache, this would also resolve as we’d be losing significant altitude today. 

Enjoy the tree-shaded trail through lush forest once more, and a relaxed dip in the hot spring at the riverside at the end of your ABC Trek. 

The initial trail from Bamboo is a steep climb for about 30 minutes, then descends to Sinuwa, Chhomrong Khola. From the Chhomrong Khola, the trail climbs to Chhomrong Village. We check out our permits at Chhomrong. Take a moment to enjoy the close mountain view for the last time before descending to Jhinu. One can take the direct route from Chhomrong danda to Jhinu, or there is also an alternate detour that passes through the old village, for those inclined to soak into Village life. 

A short 15-20 minute downhill will take us to Jhinu Hot Spring on the riverside. Unwind in the natural hot spring bath at Jhinu, which is one thing everyone aspires to when they visit the Annapurna Base Camp. 

We cross the Jhinu Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the Annapurna Region, then take the pre-arranged ride to Pokhara. Our guides will drop you off at your respective hotel or any location within Pokhara.