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Annapurna Base Camp Trek: 10 Days from Kathmandu

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Duration10d

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Ten days climbing to 4,130 meters: the Annapurna Base Camp trek from Kathmandu

You travel by bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, then trek for eight days through Gurung villages, bamboo forests, and high-altitude terrain to reach Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 meters, sleeping in tea houses and returning via the same route. The trek includes all transport, accommodation, and meals, with a guide leading the way. It's a long, physically demanding walk with real altitude, but the route is well-established and the views build gradually rather than overwhelming you on day one.

10d

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Drive to Pokhara and lakeside walk

Drive Kathmandu to Pokhara by bus
Evening lakeside sightseeing

Day 2 — Drive to Siwai and trek to Ghandruk

Drive to Siwai early morning
Trek from Siwai to Ghandruk
Visit Gurung museum if time permits

Day 3 — Trek from Ghandruk to Chhomrong

Climb to Kimrungdanda
Descend to KimrongKhola
Ascend to ChereDanda
Walk gently to Chhomrong

Day 4 — Trek from Chhomrong to Bamboo

Descend stone steps from Chhomrong
Cross suspension bridge
Climb uphill to Sinuwa
Walk through forest to Bamboo

Day 5 — Trek from Bamboo to Deurali

Pass through bamboo forest
Ascend to Himalaya Hotel
Climb steeply to Hinku Cave
Climb to Deurali

Day 6 — Trek to Annapurna Base Camp via Machhapuchhre

Climb through river bed
Hike to Machhapuchhre Base Camp
Enjoy mountain views
Continue to Annapurna Base Camp

Day 7 — Return trek from Base Camp to Bamboo

Trek downhill from Base Camp to Bamboo

Day 8 — Trek from Bamboo to Jhinudanda

Climb to Kuldighar
Descend to Chhomrong Khola
Climb stone steps to Chhomrong
Descend to Jhinudanda
Visit hot springs nearby

Day 9 — Trek to Siwai and drive to Pokhara

Trek from Jhinudanda to Siwai
Enjoy hill landscape views
Have lunch on the way
Drive to Pokhara

Day 10 — Drive back to Kathmandu

Drive to Kathmandu after breakfast
Shop for souvenirs
Rest and enjoy Kathmandu

The Experience

You start in Kathmandu's noise and heat, then seven hours later you're rolling into Pokhara on a tourist bus, the Trishuli River running alongside the whole way. The contrast hits you immediately — the city falls away and the landscape opens up. That's where the real trek begins, though not yet. You spend a night at a 3-star hotel to acclimatize, and the next morning you drive another 2.5 hours to Siwai before the walking actually starts. It's a deliberate pace, and it matters. The Annapurna Base Camp trek is counted among the world's best mountain treks, and the reason is partly the route itself — the way it builds from river valleys through forests and villages up to the sanctuary at 4,130 meters — but also because you're not thrown into altitude on day one.

The trek itself moves through distinct zones. From Ghandruk, a Gurung village where you can visit a small museum, the path climbs steadily toward Chhomrong, passing under views of Annapurna South, Fishtail Mountain, and Ganggapurna. Then comes the section that stays with you: 2,500 stone steps down from Chhomrong, a swaying suspension bridge across the Chhomrong Khola, and then the climb back up through bamboo forest to Bamboo village. It's repetitive work, but the landscape changes constantly. One day you're walking through damp forest, the next you're above the tree line watching the valley drop away below you. By day five, when you reach Deurali at 3,230 meters, the vegetation is sparse and the views of the glacial river and rock cliffs above are what the itinerary calls "magical" — and it's not wrong. You sleep in tea houses along the way, small family-run lodges where the owner cooks dinner and you eat with other trekkers.

The final push to Annapurna Base Camp itself takes five to six hours from Deurali, and it's the steepest section. You climb through a river bed, then over the mountain side, and the vegetation disappears entirely as you enter the sanctuary. The last stretch opens onto the 360-degree view — Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Machhapuchhre, Hiunchuli, all of them surrounding you at once. You spend one night there, then retrace your steps downhill for seven to eight hours back to Bamboo. The descent is easier on the legs but longer, and by then your knees know it. On the way back down, you pass through Jhinudanda, where there are hot springs a short walk away if you want to soak out the ache. The trek ends at Siwai, where you board the bus back to Pokhara for one more night, then the seven-hour drive back to Kathmandu.

The whole thing takes ten days. You can fly to Pokhara instead of driving (an extra $100 per person), and you can fly back to Kathmandu too, which saves time but costs the same. The trek requires moderate to challenging fitness — there are long days and real elevation gain — and you'll be walking between 4 and 8 hours most days. An air-conditioned vehicle handles the road sections, and a guide is part of the package, though the itinerary doesn't specify group size. If you're thinking about it, book soon; the best windows are October through November and March through May, when the weather is stable and the views are clearest.

What’s included

Your ten days include the seven-hour drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara by tourist bus, a 3-star hotel night in Pokhara, the 2.5-hour drive to Siwai, eight days of trekking with tea house accommodation and meals, a guide, the air-conditioned vehicle for the return journey to Pokhara, and the final seven-hour drive back to Kathmandu. Flights to or from Pokhara cost an additional $100 per person.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Third Eye Adventure P. Ltd

Is this one for you?This trek suits trekkers who want to reach a high-altitude sanctuary without technical climbing skills and prefer a structured itinerary that handles transport, lodging, and meals — the fixed schedule is what makes the long walk manageable and the logistics invisible.