Annapurna Base Camp Trek Kathmandu: 10-Day Himalayan Trek

Walking into the Annapurna peaks: a 10-day trek from Kathmandu to 4,130 meters

You walk from Kathmandu to Annapurna Base Camp over 10 days with a licensed guide and porter carrying your gear. The trek includes all meals, tea house lodging, permits, transport between cities, and hotel stays in Kathmandu and Pokhara before and after. You'll climb to 4,130 meters through villages and forests, sleeping in family-run lodges and waking to views of the peaks. Moderate fitness is required, and you should book at least a few weeks ahead to secure your guide and permits.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer

• Arrive in Kathmandu
• Visit Pasupatinath temple
• Transfer to hotel

Day 2 — Travel to Pokhara and sightseeing

• Travel to Pokhara by tourist bus
• Visit Pokhara lake
• Check in Hotel Pokhara View

Day 3 — Drive to Ulleri and trek to Ghorepani

• Drive to Ulleri
• Enter Annapurna Conservation area at Birethanti
• Trek to Ghorepani
• Stay at Tea House Hotel

Day 4 — Climb Poon Hill and trek to Tadapani

• Climb Poon Hill viewpoint
• Trek to Tadapani
• Stay at Tea House Lodge

Day 5 — Trek to Chhomrong village

• Trek from Tadapani to Chhomrong
• Stay at Tea House Lodge

Day 6 — Trek to Bamboo village

• Trek to Bamboo village
• Stay at Tea House Lodge

Day 7 — Trek to Deurali village

• Trek to Deurali
• Stay at Mountain Tea House

Day 8 — Trek to Annapurna Base Camp

• Trek to Annapurna Base Camp
• Stay at Mountain Tea House

Day 9 — Trek to Sinuwa village

• Trek to Sinuwa
• Stay at Mountain Tea House

Day 10 — Trek to Kewi and drive to Pokhara

• Trek to Kewi
• Drive to Pokhara
• Stay at Mountain Tea House

Day 11 — Return to Kathmandu by bus

• Travel to Kathmandu by tourist bus

Day 12 — Final international departure

• Depart from Kathmandu

The Experience

Hands grip the straps of a backpack, boots hit the trail, and the valley floor drops away behind. That's the Annapurna Base Camp Trek starting from Kathmandu — a 10 to 14-day walk that takes you from the city through terraced fields, rhododendron forests, and alpine meadows to stand at the base of Annapurna and Machapuchare at 4,130 meters. The trek doesn't move fast or cover extreme distance each day, but it moves steadily upward, and by day eight you're at the base camp itself, looking up at peaks that dwarf everything around them.

The rhythm is built into the itinerary. You leave Kathmandu by tourist bus to Pokhara on day two — a seven-hour drive that gets you to the lake town where the real walking begins. From there, the trek unfolds in stages: Ghorepani on day three, Poon Hill (a sunrise viewpoint at 3,210 meters) on day four, then down and up again through Chhomrong, Bamboo, and Deurali before the push to base camp. Each night you sleep in a tea house lodge run by local families — simple rooms, shared bathrooms, but hot meals and a fire. A licensed guide and porter travel with you, handling logistics and carrying the weight, so you walk with just a day pack. All meals are included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner with tea or coffee, cooked in the tea houses or packed for the trail.

The villages along the way are Gurung and Magar settlements, not tourist attractions pretending to be villages. You pass through Birethanti (the entry to the Annapurna Conservation Area), walk past stone walls and prayer flags, and stop for lunch in places where the owner's family lives upstairs. The landscape shifts as you climb — from subtropical forest to alpine meadow — and the air gets thinner and colder. By day nine, when you start the descent from base camp toward Sinuwa, your legs know they've done the work, but the views from the higher camps stay with you.

The trek requires moderate fitness. It's not a scramble or a technical climb, but you're walking five to seven hours most days at altitude, and the cumulative effect matters. Travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health should skip this one. Children can come if they're old enough to walk the distance — there's no upper age limit if you're fit. You'll need the TIMS Card and ACAP Permit, both included in the price, and the trek is licensed through a professional guide service, so the logistics are handled before you arrive in Kathmandu.

The return follows the same route down: Kewi on day ten, then a drive back to Pokhara, and a bus ride to Kathmandu on day eleven. You get two nights in a Kathmandu hotel before and after (Kathmandu Suite Home, with breakfast), plus two nights in Pokhara with breakfast included. Airport pickup and drop-off are part of the package. If you're flying into Kathmandu and want to walk into the Himalayas without arranging a guide, permits, or meals yourself, this trek handles all of it.

What’s included

• Your trek includes a licensed professional guide and expert local porter for the entire route.
• Airport and hotel pickup and drop-off in Kathmandu are covered, as is all transport by tourist bus between Kathmandu and Pokhara and back.
• You'll stay two nights in Kathmandu (Kathmandu Suite Home) and two nights in Pokhara (Hotel Pokhara View), both with breakfast.
• During the trek itself, you sleep in tea house lodges and eat all meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, and coffee — provided by the lodges.
• The trek includes all government taxes, the TIMS Card, the ACAP Permit, and all trekking fees.
• Everything is arranged before you arrive; you just show up and walk.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Everest Trekking Routes Pvt. Ltd.

Is this one for you?Book this trek if you want to reach Annapurna Base Camp without managing a guide, permits, meals, or lodging yourself — the fixed itinerary and included services mean you arrive in Kathmandu and the logistics are already solved. It suits trekkers with moderate fitness who can walk five to seven hours a day at altitude and don't mind simple tea house rooms in exchange for meals and a guide included in the price.

Traveler reviews

4.99★★★★★★★★★★

133 verified traveler reviews

5 ★132

4 ★1

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

How long is the Annapurna Base Camp Trek from Kathmandu?

The trek runs 10 to 14 days total, including travel days to and from Pokhara and two nights in Kathmandu. The actual trekking portion is about eight days from Pokhara to base camp and back down.

What altitude does the trek reach?

Annapurna Base Camp sits at 4,130 meters (13,550 feet). The highest point along the route is Poon Hill at 3,210 meters on day four.

Are meals included on the trek?

Yes. All breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included during the trek, plus tea and coffee. Hotel breakfasts in Kathmandu and Pokhara are also included.

Do I need to arrange my own guide and permits?

No. A licensed professional guide and porter are included, and both the TIMS Card and ACAP Permit are arranged and paid for as part of the trek cost.

What kind of accommodation is used during the trek?

You stay in tea house lodges run by local families. Rooms are simple with basic amenities; bathrooms are shared. In Kathmandu and Pokhara, you stay in hotels with private rooms and breakfast included.

Is the trek suitable for children?

Children can trek if they're old enough to walk five to seven hours a day at altitude. There's no specific age restriction, but fitness and acclimatization matter more than age.

Who should not do this trek?

The trek is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant women, or those with poor cardiovascular health. Moderate fitness is required.

Does the price include airport transfer?

Yes. Airport pickup and drop-off between Kathmandu airport and your hotel are included.