Nepal: Annapurna Base Camp Trek in 12 Days

Annapurna isn't Nepal's highest trek, but it may be its most beautiful: rhododendron forests, Gurung villages and an amphitheatre of eight-thousanders at the end. 🏔️ Twelve days, two permits and a lot of stairs.

Kathmandu and Preparations

Kathmandu is organised chaos. We spent two days on permits (TIMS and ACAP, about €45 total), buying gear in Thamel and beating jet lag.

Thamel is the best place on earth for cheap kit: poles, down jackets and sleeping bags at a fraction of European prices, though check quality carefully.

We visited Boudhanath stupa at dusk, when pilgrims circle spinning prayer wheels, and Pashupatinath temple on the Bagmati river.

Tip: don't buy new boots here. Your own broken-in pair beats any bargain.

Pokhara and the Trek Start

Pokhara, on Lake Phewa, is the base for every Annapurna trek. The contrast with Kathmandu is total: clean air and Machapuchare mirrored in the water at dawn.

We started at Nayapul and climbed through Ghandruk, a stone Gurung village facing Annapurna South head-on.

The first stages are stairs. Thousands of stone stairs. The climb to Ulleri (3,300 steps) is the trek's real filter.

We slept in teahouses: €3-5 a room on condition you eat dinner there. Dal bhat every night, with unlimited free refills.

From the Sanctuary to Base Camp

From Chhomrong the landscape changes: bamboo forest gives way to rock and the valley narrows into the Annapurna Sanctuary.

From Deurali to Machapuchare Base Camp (3,700 m) you must go slowly. Real altitude starts here and the rule is clear: 300-400 metres of sleeping elevation gain per day, maximum.

Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 metres is a glacial cirque ringed by 360 degrees of 7,000-metre peaks. Sunrise there, with Annapurna I catching fire in orange, is the reason for the whole trip.

The descent is fast: three days back to Jhinu Danda, where natural hot springs sit beside the river. The best possible finish.

Practical Tips and Budget

**Best time:** October-November (clear skies) and March-April (rhododendrons in bloom). Avoid the June-September monsoon.

**Budget per person (12 days):** - International flights: €600-850 - TIMS + ACAP permits: €45 - Guide and porter (optional but recommended): €250-400 - Teahouses and meals on the trail: €250-350 - Kathmandu/Pokhara accommodation: €80-150 - Insurance covering 5,000 m and rescue: €60-120 - **Estimated total: €1,285-1,915**

**Essential tips:** - Insurance MUST cover high-altitude helicopter rescue; non-negotiable - Train for three months with elevation, not just distance - Carry cash: no ATMs or card machines in the mountains - Purification tablets instead of buying plastic bottles - Listen to your body: a persistent headache means descend, not continue