For adventurers worldwide, trekking in the Himalayas is often a bucket list dream. The Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek in Nepal offers the perfect opportunity to check that off. Widely regarded as one of the most stunning and renowned trekking routes on the planet, the journey takes you through dense tropical forests, charming mountain villages, and awe-inspiring ice-capped peaks, including Annapurna I—one of the world’s ten tallest mountains. It’s a trek that will truly take your breath away, both from the views and the climb!

When you finally arrive at Annapurna Base Camp, standing at an impressive 4,130 meters after seven exhilarating days, you’ll know that every step of the challenge was absolutely worth it. For those with extra time, a detour to Poon Hill extends the trek to 10 days. Watching the sun rise over the snow-dusted Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges from Poon Hill is guaranteed to be one of the most magical moments of your life.

Independent Trekking – No Guide Needed!

 Many people think trekking in the Himalayas is only possible through guided tours or with porters. But here’s a secret: you can absolutely do this trek on your own! While hiring guides supports the local economy, if you’re on a tight budget, with a little research and careful planning, the ABC trek can be an independent adventure.

Click here to read my complete Annapurna Base Camp trekking travel story…

ABC trekking in nutshell

Difficulty Level : Moderate

Days : 7 days (10 if you include Poon Hill)

Maximum elevation : 4,130 meters

Cost : 1500 – 2500 Nepal Rupees per day

Guide needed : Not necessary

Stay : In the lodges (tea-houses)

WiFi : Available, even at the base camp!

Expenditure : $250 (20,000 INR) – Pokhara to Pokhara

           Back in November 2016, my cousin and I embarked on this unforgettable journey. If you’re traveling from India, here’s a great hack: you can cross the Nepal border at Sonauli by road without needing a passport or visa. This saves you a significant amount on flight costs from Delhi or other cities to Kathmandu!

Day of trekking	Place
NA	Gorakhpur– Sonauli 3 hrs drive or Fly to Kathmandu
NA	Sonauli – Pokhara 10 hrs drive or Kathmandu – Pokhara 10 hrs drive
1	Pokhara –  Nayapul(1070 m) – 2hrs drive  – Tikhedhunga (1570 m)  6-7hrs
2	Tikhedhunga – Ghorepani (2750 m) 7  hrs
3	Ghorepani  – Poon Hill (3210 m) – Tadapani (2650 m)7-8 hrs
4	Tadapani  – Chomrong (2170 m) 5 hrs
5	Chomrong  – Himalayas/Dovan 7-8 hrs
6	Himalayas/Dovan – Machapuchare Base Camp (3700 m) 4-5 hrs
7	MBC – Annapurna Base Camp  (4130 m)  2-3 hrs (1/2 day hike to glacier at  higher elevation optional)
8	Annapurna Base Camp – Sinuwa (2340 m) 7-8 hrs
9	Sinuwa  –  Jhinu Danda (1780 m) via Chomrong visit hot springs 7 hrs
10	Jhinu Danda (1780 m) – Siwai (1870 m) 6 hrs Pokhara 3 hr drive
NA	Pokhara – Gorakhpur 14 hrs drive or Pokhara  – Kathmandu 10hrs drive

How Difficult is the ABC Trek?

ABC trekking falls under the “moderate” category but make no mistake—it’s still a workout! The endless stone steps, especially during the early days, will push your endurance to the limit. My advice: pack light unless you’re hiring a porter to carry the load. The less weight, the more enjoyable the trek.

Things to carry

• TIMS card (needs to obtain from Tourist Police Office and Permit Office near Lake Side Pokhara)
• Permit for ABC trekking (needs to obtain from Tourist Police Office and Permit Office)
• 4 Passport size photos (Tourist Office has a free photo booth for TIMS and permit)
• A good backpack (45 L is enough)
• Trekking shoes (waterproof if it is monsoon season)
• Winter Jacket
• Thermal wear
• Lightweight rain jacket (if it is monsoon season)
• Sleeping bags (The lodges will provide thick blankets but it is always comfortable to sleep in your own sleeping bag)
• Slippers (for indoor & toilet use)
• Woolen gloves
• T-shirts 4-5 ( It gets really sweaty if it is a clear sky)
• Trekking pants 2-3
• Underwear (5-6)
• Walking stick (you can also go for bamboo sticks, comes for 50 Rs!)
• Beanies
• Sunglasses
• Lightweight towel
• Diamox tablets (for altitude sickness)
• Hiking lights (in case if it gets dark)
• Toilet papers, Napkins and other sanitary items
• Passport & Visa ( Not required for Indians)
• First aid kit
• Power bank ( some places charge amount for electronic items charging)
• Most important of all carry ENOUGH MONEY!!! (The last ATM is at Pokhara)

Getting the permit

First things first—you’ll need permits to trek in the Annapurna Sanctuary. These can be obtained in Kathmandu or Pokhara. In Pokhara, head to the Tourist Police Office near Lakeside, open from 10 AM. You’ll need 4 passport-size photos and your passport. Even if you forget the photos, no worries. They offer a free photo booth right there. The TIMS card and trek permits can be obtained for several routes, including ABC and the Annapurna Circuit. For foreigners, the TIMS card costs 2,000 Nepali rupees, while permits are 600 rupees. If you’re a SAARC national, you get a discount!

Purchasing the essential things

Don’t overpack! Lakeside in Pokhara has tons of affordable trekking shops where you can buy sleeping bags, jackets, poles, and more. It’s way cheaper than buying them before you leave home, so wait until you arrive in Pokhara to stock up.

Best time to visit

The best months for ABC trekking are March-May and October-December, when the skies are clear, and the weather is perfect for hiking. Avoid the monsoon season (June-September) as landslides and leeches can become a hassle. However, tea houses remain open year-round, although off-season options may be limited.

Choosing the route

The classic ABC trek takes about seven days round-trip, but adding Poon Hill can stretch it to 10 days. If you’re including Poon Hill, head to Nayapul first, just a 2-3 hour drive from Pokhara. For the ABC trek alone, you can start from either Nayapul or Phedi. From Phedi you can trek to Landruk to reach the ABC route or if you are going to Nayapul then you have to trek to Gangruk first to in order go to the ABC.

From Poon hill you can see an amazing 360 degrees view of the mighty mountains in the Annapurna sanctuary, among them include Dhaulagiri I – the 7^th highest mountain in the world.

Cash

Budget around 1,500–2,500 rupees per day for food and lodging. The last ATM is in Pokhara, so make sure you carry enough cash. Indian rupees in 100 denominations are widely accepted in Nepal, and if you have an Indian SBI debit card, you can easily withdraw Nepali rupees from the ATMs in Pokhara.

Lodging & Food

The lodges (tea houses) with basic amenities are the main accommodation methods in villages. The room rate is fixed across all places. 400 Rs for a double room, 200 Rs for a single room (which is rare) and 180 Rs for the dormitory. Keep one thing in mind that many of the inns won’t have western style toilets (especially at higher places). The food price increases as you go up (but the taste decreases!). The 50 Rs black tea at Tikhedhunga will cost 100 Rs at the Annapurna Basecamp. The popular food here in this region is Dhal Bhat (rice with grain and vegetable curry).

At peak season there could be some availability issue for rooms in small villages with a lesser number of lodges, especially at Sinuwa, Dovan and Bamboo. It is always better to ask people coming from the opposite direction to get an idea about the availability of rooms. If you think it could be a problem try to reach the below numbers and try to book a room/dormitory (verbally).

Day 1 : Nayapul to Tikhedhunga

The first destination is Nayapul (1070 m). Reserve the morning time for getting the permit from Pokhara if you haven’t done that already and also for the purchases. To reach Nayapul you can get either a taxi or a public bus. We took a taxi from Pokhara which cost 2000 Rs. Try to reach there by noon because it will take around 4-5 hrs of trekking to reach Tikhedhunga/Hille from Nayapul. In case if you start trekking late you might have to do the night trekking as these places get darker very soon. Believe me, you don’t want to do that.

       The half an hour journey will take you to Birethanti where you have to show your permits on both sides of the river Modi Khola. The detour on the other side gives an option to go to Ghorepani to the left and Gandruk on to the right. Take left to reach Tikhedhunga (1570 m). Here you have to walk through the wide untarred road which is the easiest path in the entire route. So enjoy it till it last! You can stay either at Tikhedhunga or at Hille the village just before that. The very first lodge at Hille where we stayed provides some amazing food (sorry I forgot its name).

Day 2: Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani

Start early around 9 – 10 am because 3200 horrendous steps are waiting for you take you to Ghorepani (2750 m)! The climb will tire you terribly and there are no shops till you reach next village Ulleri, so carry enough refreshments. Have lunch from Ulleri and resume your journey to Ghorepani through the gorgeous lush greenish forest which is some consolation for that demanding climb.The big gate at the entrance of the village of Ghorepani will put a big smile on your face at the end of 7-8 hrs of trekking.

Day 3: Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Tadapani

        Wake up at 5 AM and head to Poon Hill to see the first rays of the day kissing the Annapurna massif. The way to the hill is a steep climb from Ghorepani. There is a ticket counter shortly after a brief climb where you have to purchase the 50 Rs ticket to enter Poon Hill. Make sure you bring the wallet, otherwise it would be a painful walk back and forth.

Poon Hill provides you a breath taking 360 degrees view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. Spend some lovely time there and head back to Ghorepani. After breakfast around 10 am start trekking towards Thadapani (2650 m). There are two ways to Thadapani, one through the village of Ghorepani and other is a less used forest trail which starts from near the entrance gate.

      First, you have to climb as the same height of Poon hill to reach the next village – Deurali (there are 3 Deurali in this region alone, so don’t get confused). Have lunch from there and resume the journey. The trail through the beautiful woods with small streams and waterfalls was one of my favorite routes en route to ABC. Moreover, it is a descend! After 6-7 hours of trekking (including lunch break), you will reach Thadapani.

Day 4 : Tadapani  to Chomrong

Head to Chomrong (2170 m) through the path which goes up and down. Chuile and Siprong are the two villages en route. The two river crossing on the way can be frustrating. At Chomrong the traditional ABC route (from Landruk or Ghandruk side) and Poon hill route join together, making it the largest village in the mountains.

Day 5 : Chomrong  to Himalayas/Dovan

        The countless steps on the other side of the Chomrong will be tougher on the way back from ABC, because for now it is climb down from the Chomrong side. The check post midway down is where you have to show the permit for the 3rd time.

Cross the bridge across the river Chomrong Khola and climb towards the next village Sinuwa (2340 m). You can set the destination to Dovan or try for Himlayas if you have time and strength.

Now the trail is through one side of a narrow gorge covered with thick forest. Up to Machapuchare Base Camp it is like that. The famous 750 steps to reach the village Bamboo (2190 m) is a climb down. An hour’s journey from Bamboo to Dovan (2505 m) is relatively easy. Look carefully to the woods, you may get lucky to see a deer or bear! This path can get dark very soon thanks to the mist which covers the region by afternoon. The final push to Himalaya is about 2 hours of trekking. There are only 2 lodges here so make sure about the availability or stay at Dovan where you have much more options (well not much, just 1 lodge more).

Day 6 : Himalayas/Dovan to Machapuchare Base Camp

Today’s destination is Machapuchare Base Camp (3700 m), 4-5 hours away from Himalaya. The 2 hours journey will take you to Deurali. The woods which follow you throughout the day ends here.

The final push to MBC can be challenging. Take a Diamox in case if you feel discomfort or nausea. The stay at MBC helps you to acclimatize properly before the summit to ABC.

Day 7 : MBC to Annapurna Base Camp

This is the day, your journey to the final destination. The funny thing is that the 2 – 3 hours of trekking to ABC (4130 m) from MBC could be comparatively the easiest path in all days. Spend the remaining day chilling at ABC coz you deserve it..

Many people leave after spending a couple of hours at ABC instead of staying there but in my opinion, if you don’t have any physical problem due to the altitude then you should definitely spend a night there. Because it is not likely that you often get a chance spend a night in the valley guarded by the mighty mountains, isn’t it?

If you want to explore the region a little more then a half day hike to the ice glaciers at  higher elevation is a good option.

Day 8 : Annapurna Base Camp to Sinuwa

        Now the long way back. Till Bamboo at a stretch is definitely doable from ABC, but if you have more stamina try to push to Sinuwa. Some people even head for Chomrong in the same day! But remember about those horrible steps, this time you have to climb it.

 Day 9 : Sinuwa to Jhinu Danda

        Take the detour to Jhinu Danda (1780 m) from Chomrong. It is a long way down the trail with steps. Find a hotel, put your luggage and head to the hot spring for some nice relaxation. It could be 20 – 30 minutes of a walk down the trail from Jhinu Danda. There is an entrance fee of 100 Rs per person.

Day 10 : Jhinu Danda – Siwai

       Trek to Siwai from Jhinu Danda via New Bridge. From Siwai you can catch the public bus or shared jeep to reach Pokhara and then head home….