Annapurna

A destination guide for the most accessible great-mountain trekking on the planet.

Why It Is Beautiful

The Annapurna massif is a 55-km wall of seven peaks above 7,000 m, three of them over 8,000 m. Trails fan out from Pokhara into a horseshoe of villages, terraced rice paddies, rhododendron forest and high pastures, climbing eventually to glacier-rimmed amphitheatres. Compared to Everest, Annapurna treks are lower, greener, more cultural — you walk through working Gurung, Magar and Thakali villages — and cheaper.

Local Planning Notes

Pick a trek

Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) — 7–11 days: The classic. From Nayapul or Ghandruk up to 4,130 m at Base Camp, ringed by Annapurna I, South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare. Best variety: jungle to glacier in a week.

Annapurna Circuit — 12–18 days: A full loop over the 5,416 m Thorong La pass. New roads have shortened the trail; most trekkers now start at Chame or Manang. Quieter and wilder if you walk it independently.

Mardi Himal — 5–6 days: A short, scenic ridge trek topping out at 4,500 m with full-frontal Machhapuchhare views. Good first Himalayan trek.

Poon Hill — 4–5 days: The easy option. Sunrise at 3,210 m over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna; perfect for families and shoulder-season travellers.

When to go

October–November: clearest skies and stable weather. Trails are busy.

March–April: rhododendrons in bloom; afternoon haze is common but mornings are sharp.

December–February: very cold, fewer crowds, Thorong La often closed by snow.

Monsoon (June–early September): leeches, slips, cloud. Avoid for ABC; the Mustang rain-shadow region works.

Permits and paperwork (current to 2026)

Two permits are required for Annapurna trekking and are checked at multiple gates:

ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) — NPR 3,000 for foreigners, half-price for SAARC.

TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) card — NPR 2,000.

From April 2023 Nepal began enforcing the rule that all trekkers in National Parks and Conservation Areas hire a licensed guide. Independent solo trekking is no longer officially allowed in Annapurna, though porter-guides for around USD 25–35 per day are widely available in Pokhara and Kathmandu.

Costs

From the archive, traveller experience is consistent: organised treks run roughly USD 1,000–1,500 for a 10–12 day ABC programme inclusive of guide, porter, permits and teahouse meals. Self-organised, expect USD 25–35/day in food and lodging plus the guide fee. Tipping at the end — around 10–15% split between guide and porter — is standard.

Operators trusted by travellers in the archive

Ace the Himalaya — widely recommended for ABC and EBC, fair prices, food included on most packages.

Nepal Eco Adventures (Chhatra Karki) — small outfit, very well priced.

Local Pokhara porter-guide hire — perfectly safe, you save several hundred dollars, and meals at teahouses are budgeted separately at around USD 350 for 12 days.

Altitude and acclimatisation

AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is the single biggest risk. One traveller in the archive describes the onset:

“I was hiking normally and suddenly fell onto my friend, felt really tired and just wanted to lay down and sleep. I couldn’t really talk or walk straight — strangely it felt like being drunk but without alcohol.”

Climb no more than ~500 m of sleeping altitude per day above 3,000 m.

Build a rest day at Manang (Circuit) or Deurali/MBC (ABC) before going higher.

Drink 3–4 litres a day, avoid alcohol, eat carbs aggressively.

Diamox (acetazolamide) is cheap in Kathmandu pharmacies and works as a prophylactic at 125 mg twice daily.

Once you’re off the trail

Pokhara is a soft landing: lakeside cafes, paragliding, a good massage scene and warm air.

A scenic helicopter flight (Buddha Air or private charter) over the massif is a popular post-trek treat — about an hour over Annapurna and Machhapuchhare.

Heading north: Mustang and Manang are the dry, Tibetan-flavoured trans-Himalayan rain-shadow districts — Lo Manthang requires a USD 500/10-day restricted-area permit.

Practical tips

Cash: ATMs in Pokhara and Kathmandu only. Bring NPR cash for the trail.

SIM: Ncell or Nepal Telecom prepaid SIMs at Kathmandu airport — good 4G up to about 3,500 m on the ABC trail.

Insurance: must cover helicopter evacuation to at least 6,000 m. World Nomads, IMG Global, Global Rescue all do.

Gear: Kathmandu’s Thamel district sells real and replica down and rentals at half the cost of buying new.