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Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp Travel Guide
Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna Base Camp trek and the starting point for many trekking destinations in the Annapurna region. Pokhara is also a popular tourist destination on its own. It is known for its beautiful lakes, peaceful atmosphere, and beautiful mountain views.
From Pokhara, the journey to Annapurna Base Camp begins with a drive to Nayapul. The road distance from Pokhara to Nayapul is about 40km, and this short drive takes you to the beginning of the trekking trail. From there, you will pass through villages like Ghandruk, Chhomrong, Bamboo, and Deurali, as well as the Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC).
You will walk through lush forests and small and big rivers along the trail, which enhance the trekking experience. You’ll reach Annapurna Base Camp passing through MBC. From there, you can see stunning views of majestic peaks, such as Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Gangapurna, and Machhapuchhre.
Table of Contents
Why Start the Annapurna Base Camp Trek From Pokhara?
You should start the Annapurna Base Camp Trek from Pokhara because it leads you directly to Annapurna Base Camp within a short days. It is also easily accessible from Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, you can reach Pokhara by a 6–7 hour bus ride or a short domestic flight of just half an hour. Also, since many trekkers begin their trek to ABC from Pokhara, Pokhara hosts numerous shops that sell necessary trekking supplies, where you can easily rent or purchase trekking equipment.
Additionally, trekking permits such as the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit and the TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) can be obtained conveniently in Pokhara. Also, the city offers a relaxing environment before or after the trek. You can enjoy staying in 3- to 5-star hotels, with lakeside and mountain views right from your rooms, as well as cafes and shops. Alternatively, you can take part in adventure activities like paragliding, boating, or mountain biking. This makes it not only a trek starting point but also a city where you can acclimatize, relax, and prepare for your Himalayan adventure.
With all these facilities, accessibility, and amazing surroundings, Pokhara is the perfect base to begin the trek to Annapurna Base Camp. Following the ABC trek from Pokhara itinerary, the journey takes you deep into the Annapurna Sanctuary. It is a relatively short trek suitable for beginner trekkers as well.
13 pax group for ABC trek with Harka
We arranged for a 13 pax group for the ABC trek with Harka. Even with a big group size, Harka and his team took good care of us. The itinerary was customized based on our needs and fitness level. Top-notch service was provided throughout our 10 days in Nepal. Our guide, Hari did an amazing job ensuring all of us were able to cope with the altitude and long trek well. During the trip, we requested some changes to the itinerary and they were able to accommodate our last-minute request. Would totally come back to them if we are planning for EBC and recommend it to those who wish to visit Nepal.
Unforgettable and its a real adventure
Haari, our tour guide, was great. He is very friendly, patient, accommodating with everyone and a mountain of knowledge about the Himalayas (very very enthusiastic about EBC, haha). He was well prepared with first aids and brought us to places to get gears and stuff that we missed out before our hike. He made plans ahead and keep us informed, totally made our ABC adventure so much more enjoyable and relaxed. The porters were super helpful and thoughtful, despite carrying our bags around the mountains they keep us entertained with their carefree personalities and great dancing skills 🙂 (yeah, they partied at one of the teahouse we stayed). OH did I mentioned, one of our member left his camera at the previous teahouse we stayed and only realised when we arrived at the next accommodation (after 12 hours) and one of the porter volunteered to return and pick up the camera for our member, and I’m sure he was sprinting and down 6 red bull and came back in 5hours. We were very lucky and blessed indeed. Haari’s brother, Harka is the operation/ owner of the tour agency and he was also very kind and did a fantastic job in ensuring our last few days in Kathmandu a pleasant one. We had good conversations with everyone of them and all in all a great experience and a wonderful times in this beautiful country.
our honeymoon trekking
My husband and I spent our honeymoon trekking to Annapurna Base Camp and Harka was our guide. We were so pleased to have Harka as he was the perfect guide for us. Naturally he has excellent knowledge and always gently guided us into the correct decision. We were quite worried about spending so much time with someone we didn’t know. But Harka had the magic ability to know when to leave us in peace and when to spend time with us. He was very gentlemanly, with perfect manners and as I said an innate ability to know what to do. He wasn’t too distant nor too friendly. We did see other guides who didn’t get this balance right and who if they had been with us would have affected our trip for the worse. Harka was just perfect for us and I would recommend him to anyone.
I and my girlfriend took a ABC Trek
In the march of 2012, my girlfriend and I took a trip to the Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal. We have hired a guide Harka Gurung , a local guide (26), who was recommended by my friends.First, he has sent us the list of things to take with us, this information is very valuable for us, since we know what to take with us. The weather conditions were pretty rough, but we did not freeze and need anything. Harka is very fond of safety, starting from the recommendations about the food and water and ending with advice was and how to pass the Avalanche area, steep slopes, and so on. He was very nice to us and told us a lot of stories about Nepali habits, culture, and history; he was always joking and did not show any signs of angriness when we were going to slow or wanted to have rest.
Harka went all the way with us and without him our travel would not have been so nice and safe.I definitely will choose home as a guide for my next trips to Nepal and recommend him to anyone who wants to feel comfortable and nice during the trek.
We met Harka in September 2010
We met Harka in September 2010. He was going to be our trekking guide up to Annapurna Base Camp and he was more than that! He became a good friend! He is patient (he kept us going all the way up to ABC!), kind, knowledgeable, and has a real love for sharing his culture and exchanging thoughts life! We had some inspiring chats. He cares about his people, he has a heart of gold. WE would trek with him again forever, and more than that, we are still in touch because he did become one very good friend and we wish him all the best for his life. He deserves all the happiness he can get. Namaste saathi!
Sharing his culture and exchanging thoughts life
We met Harka in September 2010. He was going to be our trekking guide up to Annapurna Base Camp and he was more than that! He became a good friend! He is patient (he kept us going all the way up to ABC!), kind, knowledgeable, and has a real love for sharing his culture and exchanging thoughts life! We had some inspiring chats. He cares about his people, he has a heart of gold. We would trek with him again forever, and more than that, we are still in touch because he did become one very good friend and we wish him all the best for his life. He deserves all the happiness he can get. Namaste saathi!
Love from Spain,
Good, well organised and excellent value trip
I am more than happy to recommend Harka – he was very helpful and organised a good and professional trek (I did the Annapurna Base Camp trek with two friends). Our guide Shyam spoke good English and our two porters were a huge asset, carrying stuff we couldn’t have done ourselves. All for a very reasonable price.
UK, April 2019
amazing guide Nirmal and porter Anil
A wonderful 8 day trek, led by our amazing guide Nirmal and porter Anil. It was April, and this is a very busy month, so despite the company booking in advance, we struggled to find a room on several occasions – but the overall experience and mountain views surpassed all. Thank you, Nirmal and Anil, we’ll come again!!
USA, April 2019
Highly recommended, friendly family-run company.
We booked a 7 day Annapurna Base Camp trek with Himalaya Trip in Sep. Communication when booking was excellent and they were very accommodating to fit in with our dates and pick up/drop off locations. The manager, Harka, was very quick to respond and provided good information about what to take. On arrival, Harka met us at our hotel in Kathmandu and explained the full plan for the trip giving us all our tickets and trekking passes. He also met us in the morning to ensure we got on the correct bus to Pokhara where we would meet our guide.
The guide and porter were very good: both were very friendly and couldn’t do enough to make sure we were comfortable and safe at all times. We were particularly impressed when we asked to change the plan for the last day of the trek and he gave us a few options and rebooked our accommodation and transport plan to fit. Even though the porter spoke little English he was friendly and helpful throughout.
Himalaya Trip clearly a local, family-run business and I would highly recommend booking directly with them as it was better value for money than going through an agent in the UK and also supports their local community. We will certainly use them again for future trekking adventures in Nepal.
UK, September 2019
ABC Made Memorable by Harka Gurung and Himalaya Trip !
Our little group of three were introduced to Himalaya Trip and its Founder, Harka Gurung, from another Malaysian who had trekked in Nepal in 2018.
For our trek to ABC, I found Harka and his guide, Om and his two porters, Buddhi Man and Samsher, all Gurungs from their home state, to be exceptionally professional, courteous, friendly and accommodating at all times.
We quickly warmed to the Gurungs’ easygoing nature and friendly, no-nonsense dispositions, made all the more memorable by Samsher and Buddhi Man’s mountain songs and spontaneous dancing whilst on the trail!
I cannot therefore recommend Harka, Om, Samsher and Buddhi Man more highly for your next trip to this beautiful land as Nepal Hidden Treks will definitely be my first port of call when I next visit, hopefully with my children.
The defining feature of Harka and his men are that this is a family business for the Gurung tribe which places employment, professional standards and career opportunities on equal if not higher measure than commercial profit, which ultimately benefits the lucky client.
Malaysia, November 2019
Daenerys Had Fantastic ABC Trek
Harka responds quickly to every query, and the guide ( om gurung) and porters ( samsher and buddi man gurung) were so friendly and accommodating. We did the 7 day Annapurna base camp trek and we had a fantastic time. Highly recommended.
Malaysia, November 2019
Amazing 7 Days Trek
Our ABC trek was fantastic, with beautiful scenery! We had a great time with our very friendly guide Ramesh, who organized everything (food, drinks, teahouse rooms) very well, and made us feel safe all the way. We would definitely recommend to book with Himalaya Trip.
Netherlands, September 2022
Harka organised an amazing trip
Harka organised an amazing trip with a porter and guide for us to trek to and from Annapurna Base Camp over 7 days in September. The communication pre and post trip was excellent and our guide and porter during the trek provided an exceptional service. Couldn’t recommend this company highly enough.
UK, September 2022
Superb service
I did ABC trek 7 days with Surpa the guide, he took a very good care of me, checked if I am fine all along the way. Couldn’t ask for any better service. Before the trek Harka also briefed about the route I am going to do both email and in-person.
Thailand, October 2022
Excellent trip in Nepal
We had our trip to Annapurna base camp with Himalaya Trip in november and there were 9 hiking days. We really enjoyed the trip and organisation by the guide Surpa. Everything was thoroughly thought out, i.e accommodation, food, hiking distances etc. Surpa took a really great care of us and ensured us the safety of the trip and all the comforts. Supra is a very friendly, nice and helpful guide. We will definitely recommend Himalaya Trip and Surpa to our friends.
Estonia, November 2023
Authentic ABC Trek
It was a great experience of ABC Trek that the Himalaya Trip company and the guide provided clear details and support for the trip, especially the trekking journey to ABC. I highly recommend this trek.
Hongkong, November 2023
Amazing Annapurna Base Camp Trek
An amazing trek to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp). The views of Fishtail and Annapurna were extraordinary and the hiking through Ghandruk was beautiful. The guide (Milan) and the porter (Misak) were excellent and we had a great time chatting to them in English (and also in Nepalese!) They were very kind, offering us fruits after dinner and cushions to sit on when we took breaks. The trip was very well organised and all the hotels had been organised and booked in advance. We highly recommend taking this trek with Himalaya Trip.
Route Options and Itinerary
Here’s the standard 7 days Annapurna Base Camp Trek itinerary plan and trek route:
| Day | Route | Altitude | Trek Duration |
| Day 1 | Drive from Pokhara to Nayapul, Trek to Ghandruk | 2,020 m | 2 hours drive, 3 hours walk |
| Day 2 | Trek from Ghandruk to Sinuwa | 2,340 m | 6-7 hours walk |
| Day 3 | Trek from Sinuwa to Deurali | 3,200 m | 6-7 hours walk |
| Day 4 | Trek from Deurali to ABC | 4,130 m | 5-6 hours walk |
| Day 5 | Trek from ABC to Bamboo | 2,340 m | 6-7 hours |
| Day 6 | Trek from Bamboo to Jhinu | 1,690 m | 5-6 hours |
| Day 7 | Trek from Jhinu to Nayapul, Drive from Nayapul to Pokhara | 830 m | 3 hours drive |
Transport Options From Pokhara to the ABC
There are several modes of transportation available to start your trek from Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp. Most trekkers first drive to Nayapul from Pokhara, which is a common starting point for the trek. To get to Nayapul, you can travel by jeep, bus, or private car. Among the options, private taxis and shared jeeps are the most popular and offer convenience. In contrast, local buses are cheaper but slower and less flexible.
1. Jeep: You can take a private jeep or a shared jeep from Baglung Buspark. A private jeep is best for 1–3 people and costs around USD 80–150. A shared jeep can take 6–8 people, and it costs USD 15–20 per person. Jeeps are fast, more comfortable than buses, and give nice views along the way. You can also make stops wherever you want for breaks and to take photos.
2. Bus: Buses are budget-friendly and widely available, making them a good option for solo travelers or small to big groups. They take more time than jeeps or private cars because they stop frequently and travel more slowly on hilly roads. The advantage of buses is that they are economical, costing around USD 2-5 per person, but the disadvantages are that they are less comfortable, often crowded, and offer limited flexibility for stops or managing luggage.
3. Private Car: Private cars provide maximum comfort and convenience, especially for family groups, and allow you to control departure times and stop along the way. Costs range from USD 70–100, depending on the vehicle type. One of the best things about private cars is that they are comfortable, private, and hassle-free; however, their disadvantage is that they are significantly more expensive than buses.
Extra: Choose transportation options based on your budget, comfort preferences, and schedule flexibility.
Permits and Entry Requirements for the Trek
The trekking permits ensure that your ABC trek can proceed smoothly without any administrative issues. It helps authorities manage trekking routes, provide safety and emergency support, and contribute to the Annapurna Conservation Area and the well-being of local communities.
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
For trekking in the Annapurna region, the main permit you need is the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). This permit helps fund conservation and local development. It costs NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, while children under 10 do not need a permit.
You can get it online through the Department of Tourism’s official website, or in person at the Nepal Tourism Board offices in Pokhara (Damside), as well as at the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) offices. You will need to provide a passport with a valid Nepal visa, a photocopy, two passport-sized photos, your trekking itinerary, travel insurance details, and an emergency contact to issue this permit.
Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card
The Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card used to be mandatory for trekkers, but as of 2023, it is no longer required for the Annapurna region. This means you don’t need to worry about getting a TIMS card for the Annapurna Base Camp trek.
Attractions Along the Route
While going on an Annapurna Base Trek from Pokhara, you get to pass by several villages, witness majestic mountain peaks, experience cultural encounters, and much more.
Gurung Culture and Traditional Village Life in Ghandruk Village
Ghandruk is a beautiful Gurung village where you can experience traditional village life, friendly locals, and stunning mountain surroundings. The village shows Gurung culture through its stone houses, terraced fields, and warm hospitality. Visitors can see people wearing traditional dress, enjoy folk songs and dances, and learn about old customs. Farming, weaving, and community gatherings are integral parts of daily life.
Close-Up Views of the Annapurna Range From ABC
Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) is the final destination of the trek and offers breathtaking close-up views of the Annapurna massif. Surrounded by towering mountains like Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, and Hiunchuli, trekkers feel as if they are standing in a natural amphitheater of snow-capped giants. The sunrise from ABC is especially magical, as the first golden rays light up the peaks.
Riverside Hot Springs and Relaxation at Jhinu Danda
Jhinu Danda is located along the trek after Chhomrong and before Bamboo. It is famous for its natural hot springs where trekkers can relax after a long day of hiking. To get to Jhinu Danda, trekkers follow the trail from Chhomrong, which takes about 1–2 hours and passes through small villages, waterfalls, and lush forests. The warm, mineral-rich water helps ease tired muscles and refresh the body. A few small teahouses and lodges are available for food and rest.
Deurali – Gateway to Annapurna Base Camp
Deurali is a high-altitude village offering amazing views of the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre ranges. It is the last stop before the final push to Annapurna Base Camp. The village sits in a narrow valley surrounded by steep cliffs and waterfalls, creating a dramatic Himalayan landscape.
Trekkers often spend time here to rest and acclimatize to the altitude while enjoying the peaceful environment. Small teahouses provide warm food, cozy shelter, and a welcoming atmosphere for travelers. The clear night skies at Deurali also offer incredible stargazing opportunities, adding to the unique Himalayan experience.
Estimated Budget and Trekking Costs
The cost of the ABC trek varies depending on factors such as trekking style, duration, and services included. At Himalaya Trip, the 7-day guided ABC packages start at USD 499 per person. It includes transportation, permits, guide and porter services, meals, and accommodations fees. Group discounts are also available.
The following table provides a breakdown of typical costs associated with the trek:
| Category | Cost (USD) |
| Guide(including salary, insurance, meals & lodging) | 175 |
| Permits (ACAP, TIMS, and other entry fees) | 40 |
| Food & Accomodation( tea houses and hotels) | $210 |
| Transport (bus, jeep as per itinerary) | $50 |
| Miscellaneous (equipment if required, water purification tablets, government taxes, admin costs) | $24 |
Conclusion
The journey from Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp is an adventure filled with beautiful landscapes and cultural experiences. Starting from the peaceful lakeside city of Pokhara, the trek takes you through traditional villages, green forests, and finally up to the base of the mighty Annapurna range.
What makes this trek special is its perfect balance of accessibility and reward. Within just a week, you can stand face-to-face with some of the world’s highest peaks while still enjoying the comfort and facilities that Pokhara offers before and after the trek. The ABC trek provides a memorable trekking experience.
This 7-day Annapurna Base Camp trek is suitable for both beginners and experienced trekkers. However, this is a moderately challenging trek, especially during the monsoon. Trails can get slippery, and frequent rain may cause delays along the way. With proper preparation and the right gear, you can enjoy a safe Annapurna Base Camp trek.
