Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Ghorepani and Poon Hill is a 10-day trek. However, time-bound adventurers, excluding Ghorepani and Poon Hill, can complete the ABC Trek in 5 days (shortest). Moreover, depending on your pace, you can complete this trek in 7 days.

Customizing ABC Trek with Mardi Himal is another great way to do the base camp trek.

The average walking distance each day is 12-13 km in 6 hours. However, there are shorter days with just 4 hours of walking. And, there are some long walking days with a distance of over 18 km in 8 hours.

 These figures might seem overwhelming, but it’ll be a comfortable walk.

Annapurna Sanctuary is legendary in many ways. The first ever 8000-meter mountain climbed was Annapurna I, which made the entire Annapurna region popular in the Western world. But it was not just because of the mountains. The unique landscapes, cultural experiences, and near-360˚ mountain panorama make this region spectacular. Moreover, the trekking here isn’t demanding, fitting every trekker and adventurer.

Absolutely. Any novice trekkers with reasonable physical fitness can embark on this 10-day adventure. The trek isn’t demanding and has very few but short, steep climbs. Moreover, the trekking routes are well-maintained and marked, with ample tea houses providing comfortable accommodations and savoury meals. On top, you’ll be guided by an experienced trek guide, supported by a Sherpa porter.

Everest Base Camp Trek is extreme high-altitude trek. Due to this, trekkers experience altitude sickness, fatigue, and find it demanding to complete the trek.

Compared to the Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Base Camp Trek is easy to do. The landscape isn’t rugged, and there’s a faint chance of trekkers getting altitude sickness.

However, with proper physical fitness, trek preparations, and guided by experienced guides, novice trekkers can embark on the Everest trek.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek is to the South base camp of Annapurna I, from Pokhara. It involves the walk through mid-hills, hamlets, and vantage points, leading to the base camp. Moreover, it’s a moderate-grade trek.

Annapurna Circuit Trek circles around the Annapurna mountains and some glacial lakes. It starts from Besisahar and ends in Pokhara, spanning 12 to 15 days. It involves crossing a high mountain pass over 5,420 meters. The cultural experience here is unique and different from that in the base camp trek.

100% safe for international and domestic trekkers.

Nepal is a welcoming country that treats adventurers and guests with warm hospitality. As the country is tourism-focused, every adventurer and visitors are safe anywhere in the country.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek is extremely safe for international trekkers. Guided by experienced guides and well-planned logistics, you, as an international trekker, will have a fantastic time.

Absolutely. You’re more than welcome to plan your private 10-day Annapurna with Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek. If you don’t want to trek in a group, trekking privately is a great way to experience the Annapurna region.

You must understand that private treks are more expensive than doing it in a group. But that extra money you pay for the trip guarantees your utmost comfort, safety, an experienced trek guide, and a porter, all taking care of you throughout the trek.

Private trek has amazing perks. First is the itinerary customization. You can plan an itinerary in your own way. Second, you can take rest days for acclimatization at places like Chhomrong or even spend extra nights in Ghorepani. Moreover, you’ll get a private trek guide and porter, ensuring utmost safety and making the trek successful.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Ghorepani Poon Hill and Ghandruk offers a complete Annapurna experience. This trek trails through some amazing hamlets, vantage points, farmlands, cascading streams, dancing waterfalls, and is blessed with a spectacular panoramic Annapurna mountain view.

Most notable highlights are the Poon Hill sunrise, overnight at Annapurna Base Camp, amazing sunrise and sunset, Annapurna mountain panoramas, and a timeless cultural experience.

The trek cost generally covers accommodation, meals, hotels, guides, porters, permits, and transportation. Everything the cost covers will be provided on trek details.

However, additional expenses may include personal spending during the trip, purchase of travel insurance, drinks, snacks, hot showers, WiFi, electricity recharge, etc.

Our transactions are transparent with no hidden costs. Hence, we only provide the services that are mentioned under “Cost Includes”.

Also, here’s a list of countries whose citizens don’t get on-arrival visas in Nepal.

The 10-day Annapurna Base Camp Trek starts from Pokhara. Hence, trekkers must travel to Pokhara independently, either by tourist bus or by flight. The good thing, our trekking guide travels from Kathmandu to Pokhara for the trek. Thus, the trek guide will accompany you from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

The trek cost doesn’t include the transportation from Kathmandu to Pokhara. However, the trek cost includes the two-way jeep from Pokhara to Birethanti and Ghandruk to Pokhara.

The trek cost ‘includes’ the pickup on arrival and ‘excludes’ the drop-off.

However, our team will happily help you with drop-off with add-ons.

Travel in Nepal, especially the flights, often gets affected by the changing weather conditions. Various factors like smog, fog, and overcast cause flight delays. During the poor weather conditions, we’ll keep you posted about the alternative arrangements, prioritizing your safety. Also, we’ll try to minimize the disruption to the itinerary so that you can enjoy the adventure as planned.4

But we won’t compromise your safety over anything. Unless the weather permits, the guide’s decision will be the final decision.

Lodges and the tea houses are popular accommodations during the trek. The tea houses and lodges on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek route are well-established. They provide simple, clean, and twin-sharing rooms with warm bedding. At a few places, the lodges also provide attached bathrooms. Accommodation facilities at lower elevations are comfortable and are basic as you trek to higher elevations. Nevertheless, the tea houses provide a comfortable overnight experience.

All the tea houses are safe and well-organized, prioritizing the hygiene and trekker’s comfort.

Hot showers are available at every tea house, from lower elevations all the way to the base camp. A hot shower costs USD 4-5, depending on the elevation along the trek. Hot showers at higher elevations are usually expensive due to the high logistics of carrying the gas cylinders and water availability.

We advise you to take hot showers till Deurali (if taking). However, hot showers past Deurali and the base camp might cause shivers, cold, and a cough.

The hot showers are usually gas-heated. Thus, check for proper ventilation before taking a hot shower.

Attached toilets are available at very few places, such as Ulleri, Ghorepani, Chuile, and Chhomrong. However, at other places, trekkers have to use the shared toilets, which are usually clean and hygienic.

The tea houses at lower elevations provide Western-style toilets. However, higher up, squat toilets are common. You’ll get water, jet spray, and soap. We recommend that you bring toilet paper rolls and small hand sanitizers for personal hygiene.

Almost all the tea houses provide high-speed Wi-Fi. Should you consider using it, the tea houses charge a minimal fee of $2-3 for an overnight Wi-Fi use. With the recent addition of mobile network towers, trekkers can now use mobile network coverage for cellular data.

Sometimes, the weather conditions impact the availability of Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Except at Annapurna Base Camp and Machhapuchhre Base Camp, all other places are powered with electricity. Thus, you can charge the electronic devices at the tea houses at minimal fees. Tea houses provide charging ports in the dining hall. However, the charging ports won’t be available in your room.

You’ll get three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all from the menu.

Tea houses provide freshly prepared, hygienic meals. You can have Nepali, Tibetan, and Western dishes. The most common meals are Dal Bhat, fried noodles, pizza, pasta, rice, soups, potatoes, eggs, and seasonal vegetables. You can also eat meat (chicken) at the lower elevations (until Dovan). However, at higher elevations, consuming meats are forbidden for religious reasons.

We can’t just say no. But we can assure you that compared to other treks in Nepal, the Annapurna Base Camp Trek is the safest when it comes to altitude-related issues. The base camp sits at 4,130 meters, where the risk of getting altitude sickness is very low. But, said this, few trekkers experience some degree of altitude sickness.

We, at NepTrek Adventures, follow a strict ascent plan with a fixed itinerary, monitor your health every 8 hours, remind you about hydration, and trek gradually for proper acclimatization.

Cardiovascular fitness and leg strength are the two most important things you need to work on before embarking on this trek. Physical activities like long walks, hiking with a backpack, stair climbing, swimming, cycling, and strength building trainings are extremely helpful.

When to start preparing? We recommend that you start preparing for physical fitness at least 6-8 weeks before joining the trek.

The daily walking distance on average can be 8-15 km per day. In hours, it’s 5-7 hours.

The trekking route is amazing, and each day on the trail feels like connecting with the serene nature. Primarily, the trail includes the forest path, village trails, suspension bridges, wooden bridges, and stone-paved staircases. You can also expect some steep uphill climbs at places like Ulleri, Tadapani, Chhomrong, and Sinuwa.

Your safety will be the top priority during the trek. Our experienced trek guide(s) are trained to recognize the early signs of altitude sickness, fatigue, and other issues trekkers experience. Hence, after assessing your situation, your trek guide will adjust the pace, add rest days if needed, or arrange the descent or evacuation in accordance with your travel insurance.

Usually, we provide Sherpa porters to carry your main luggage during the trek. It ensures you walk comfortably and in ease.

All you’ll need to carry is a small daypack with personal essentials like snacks, water bottle, camera, sunscreen, etc.

Absolutely. Any trekking in the Annapurna region is extremely safe for female adventurers. Be it in a group or solo, any trekker can feel safe during the trek. Annapurna Base Camp with Ghorepani and Poon Hill Trek passes along well-established hamlets and tea houses. Here, everyone welcomes adventurers with warm hospitality and respect. Moreover, at NepTrek Adventures, every female trekker is assigned an experienced female trekking guide for the trek, prioritizing safety, comfort, and mutual respect throughout the journey.

Read our Annapurna Base Camp Trek Safety guide to learn more about the trek safety and more.

100%. Safety has always been our priority and driving force. We always work with highly experienced, wilderness first aid responder-certified trekking guides who have trekked to Annapurna Base Camp for years, understand weather patterns, and elevation conditions better. Our trek itineraries are meticulously prepared, assess the client’s health every 8 hours, maintain a steady pace, and practice all safety standards. We believe that a safe trek is a successful trek.

From the start of our guided trekking journey, we’ve guided hundreds of adventurers. All of them have completed the trek. Moreover, none of our clients have experienced any forms of altitude sickness, health emergencies, or injuries.

Highly no. Almost 99% of trekkers who do the Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Ghorepani and Poon Hill don’t experience any form of altitude sickness. While trekking to Poon Hill and en route to base camp, the route trails through the mixed elevations, perfectly providing acclimatization.

Moreover, Annapurna Base Camp’s elevation is 4,130 meters, which isn’t an extreme elevation. Thus, our expert-designed itinerary allows you trek gradually at a steady pace. Furthermore, our experienced trek guide monitors you at regular intervals to minimize the altitude-related issues.

Our trekking guides are experienced professionals and boast an awareness of altitude-related sickness. If you experience the altitude sickness symptoms, we:

–  Snow down or pause the trekking immediately.
–  Prioritize hydration and health monitoring.
–  Descend to lower elevations or stay at the same elevation (during nights)
–  Coordinate with your travel insurance for helicopter evacuation if required.

One thing you must understand is that we won’t push you or take you to higher elevations if you get altitude sickness.

Yes. Travel insurance is mandatory if you want to trek to ABC via Ghorepani and Poon Hill. Your travel insurance must include and cover the emergency helicopter rescue from higher elevations (up-to 4,500 meters on this trek). We require you to provide the proof of your travel insurance policy after confirming the trek.

Yes. Our trekking guide carries a first aid kit box with supplies for altitude sickness, minor injuries, and other common illnesses during the trek. Moreover, our guides are Wilderness First Aid responder-certified.

We highly recommend that you bring your personal medications, as we don’t provide personal medication to clients.

Having pre-existing health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, lung issues, or previous high altitude issues, trekking to Annapurna Base Camp can be challenging. Thus, we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor regarding the possibility of trekking with existing conditions.

We highly recommend that you inform us in advance so that we can customize the trek itinerary and make necessary arrangements.

Beyond years of guiding experience and various certifications, our trek and tour guides are motivated individuals. They’re friendly, approachable, reliable, and someone you can trust during your adventure. Their fitness, energy, and passion for guiding amazing adventurers are unmatched. They care about you and everyone around you during the trips. Furthermore, they create a positive atmosphere, maintain utmost professionalism, and follow safety procedures throughout.

All the trek guides at NepTrek Adventures are highly experienced. Moreover, they have experience of trekking to most regions of Nepal, leading the clients on numerous occasions. They’re the local experts.

Our Annapurna region guides have extensive knowledge of the region, weather patterns during different months, excellent connections with the best tea houses, and an understanding of local culture. They manage every trek from start to finish, smoothly, whilst creating amazing experiences for our valued adventurers.

Absolutely. All our trek guides speak English fluently and are excellent communicators. You’ll have a seamless experience while communicating throughout the trek.

Our guides are more than happy to explain the trek route, local villages and cultures, daily trek plans, and itinerary. Furthermore, they’ll answer all of your queries and are available for support throughout the trek.

Yes. We provide trek porters (support staff) for our clients during the trek. Generally, we provide a trek porter for a group of at least two or more trekkers. However, for individual trekkers, the trek cost doesn’t include the trek porter. Thus, for individual trekkers, hiring a trek porter is subject to add-ons.

This allows you to trek comfortably without straining your back and legs.

We practice safe and ethical weight limits when it comes to backpack weights on porters. Our responsible trekking practice allows clients to assign an 8-9-kilo backpack weight per person to the porter. And, for every additional weight, trekkers are subjected to add-ons.

To avoid unnecessary backpacking, we’ll provide you with a backpacking guide. It helps you to pack essentials for the trek and avoid unnecessary stuff.

The number of trek guides and porters depends on the number of trekkers and group size. Usually, we assign one guide to a group of five trekkers. However, for more, we assign assistant guides, aligning with the guide-to-client ratio.

The trek porter (support staff) number also depends on the group size and the client’s special requirements. For example, some groups prefer trekking without a porter guide. However, we assign 1:2 (porter:trekkers), in groups with two or more trekkers.

Our trek porters carry 8-9 kilograms per trekker. This is the limited weight bracket for any trekker, and they can assign only this weight. Thus, for additional weight, the trekker has to carry themself or pay additional fees to the porter.

Given a porter, our clients can trek comfortably with their main luggage bring carried by the porter. However, we also ensure that our porters can trek comfortably with a lighter backpack.

Essential clothing items are, but not limited to:

–  base layer (thermal)
–  warm insulated layer (jacket/fleece)
–  wind and waterproof outer layer
–  stretchable and breathable trekking pants
–  warm trekking socks
–  down jacket
–  beanie, gloves, neck buff, etc.

Layering is the key when it comes to clothing. Thus, instead of thick jackets and hoodies, thin yet multi-layer clothes are highly recommended.

For complete backpacking idea, we suggest you to read our detailed Annapurna Base Camp Packing List Blog.

Not really. A pair of comfortable, waterproof trekking boots with ankle support and grip is enough for this trek. If you’re planning to get a high-end trekking boot, that’s completely amazing. However, if you have running shoes with better grip and fits your foot well, it’ll help you complete the trek.

Make sure that the boots have been used several times before. With brand new boots, it’ll be difficult to adjust to the steps for the first few days.

While tea houses provide blankets and beddings, a sleeping bag provides extra warmth and comfort. Moreover, during late Autumn and early Spring months, a good-quality sleeping bag provides cozy overnight sleep.

We recommend you bring a sleeping bag rated -10˚C.

If you prefer to rent a sleeping bag, we’ll help you rent one from our trusted stores.

Yes. You can rent most trekking gear at the trekking gear shop in Kathmandu. You can rent a sleeping bag, a down jacket, trekking boots, and trekking poles. Renting the gear is convenient if you live at humid regions or are just embarking as a one-time adventurer.

We suggest you use personal gears instead of renting the gears for the sizes, conditions, and hygiene.

Absolutely. Once your trek is confirmed, we’ll email you a detailed backpacking checklist. Moreover, our backpacking checklist is tailored to 10 days ABC Trek via Ghorepani and Poon Hill.

For the ultimate Annapurna Sanctuary Trek experience via Poon Hill, Spring (March to May) is the best time. The primary reason is that the rhododendron blossoms in March and April make the landscape elegant. Not to mention, the clear weather and warm temperature make trekking to Annapurna Base Camp in Spring the best.

Autumn, from late September to late November, is the best time for this trek. Clear weather, moderate temperature, rain-free days, and a wholesome mountain panorama make the walk the best.

If you’re okay with a few leech bites and don’t bother carrying a raincoat, the Annapurna Base Camp Trek in July and August is the best. You’ll walk along the misty forests, wildflowers, pastures, and beautiful hamlets. You may not get the clear weather morning at the base camp for mountain viewing. However, you’ll surely admire the ten days trek via Poon Hill.

Despite the cold, trekking to Annapurna Base Camp via Poon Hill in winter is also a good time.

Conclusion: Spring and Autumn are the most beautiful times for Annapurna Base Camp Trek. However, Summer and Winter are also the best times for this trek.

The weather and temperature at Annapurna Base Camp depend on the time you trek. However, you can expect clear weather, gentle temperatures, rain-free days, and beautiful mountain scenery.

We have individual blogs that cover the topic of weather and temperature at Annapurna Sanctuary throughout the year. Check our weather and temperature blogs on September, October, November, April, and March.

Usually, the weather clears during the morning and evening at these places throughout the year. Even during the rainy summer days, you’ll get clear weather in the morning.

Autumn and Spring months are the busiest time for Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill. And in these months, the weather remains 100% clear with a crystal clear viewing experience.

Probably. If the weather conditions are severe for trekking, we won’t trek further. However, on usual minimal rainfall or snowfall, communicating with local authorities, we’ll proceed further.

Oftentimes, the heavy snowfall makes the trek challenging. Moreover, the continuous rainfall washes the wooden bridges at Deurali and en route to Machhapuchhre Base Camp. Hence, under such conditions, we prioritize your safety and adjust the itinerary if needed.