Trekking · Packages
Annapurna Base Camp Trek Package — 10 Days
The complete 10-day guided ABC trek package — Kathmandu to Kathmandu via Pokhara, day-by-day, with cost, inclusions and booking.
This Annapurna Base Camp trek package is the standard guided, 10-day trip into the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary — measured door to door, from the day you land in Kathmandu to the day you fly home. Inside those ten days the ABC trek package wraps a night in the capital, the transfer to Pokhara, seven nights in trail teahouses climbing to the 4,130 m amphitheatre and back, and a hot-springs finish before the return. It is the classic first Himalayan trek: high enough to stand beneath 8,000 m peaks, low enough that altitude stays manageable.
This page lays out the full Kathmandu-to-Kathmandu itinerary, what the package includes, a realistic cost range and the best months to go, so you can compare it properly and book. For route background and planning depth, the Annapurna Base Camp trek guide is the companion read.
At a glance
| Duration | 10 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu (≈6 days trekking) |
| Highest point | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m |
| Start / end | Kathmandu (staged from Pokhara, 822 m) |
| Difficulty | Moderate — long stone-step days, no climbing skills needed |
| Best seasons | Autumn (Oct–Nov) and spring (Mar–May) |
| Nights | 1 in Kathmandu + 7 in trail teahouses + 1 in Pokhara |
The 10-day itinerary, day by day
| Day | Plan | Approx. altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu; transfer and trip briefing | 1,400 m |
| 2 | Fly to Pokhara, jeep up the Modi Khola to Jhinu Danda | 1,780 m |
| 3 | Climb to Chhomrong, gateway to the Sanctuary | 2,170 m |
| 4 | Chhomrong to Bamboo, via Sinuwa and the river | 2,310 m |
| 5 | Bamboo to Deurali, through Dovan and Himalaya | 3,200 m |
| 6 | Deurali to Machhapuchhre Base Camp, then ABC | 4,130 m |
| 7 | Sunrise in the Sanctuary; descend to Bamboo | 2,310 m |
| 8 | Bamboo to Jhinu Danda — hot springs evening | 1,780 m |
| 9 | Walk to the road-head, drive back to Pokhara | 822 m |
| 10 | Fly to Kathmandu; final departure | 1,400 m |
The shape of the plan is simple: a steady climb up the Modi Khola gorge and back down the same valley — no mountain flights, no high passes, and a jeep road at both ends. The riverside hot springs below Jhinu Danda on day 8 are the traditional reward for the descent. For a trail-only version without the Kathmandu bookends, see the Annapurna Base Camp short trek.
Day 6 is the one you came for. Above Deurali the trail leaves the treeline and threads the narrow upper gorge — the gates of the Annapurna Sanctuary — reaching Machhapuchhre Base Camp (about 3,700 m) by late morning. The final stretch climbs gently into the amphitheatre itself: a glacial bowl walled by Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre's fishtail spire, with a 360-degree ring of snow from a single teahouse terrace. Sleeping at Base Camp buys you the sunrise, when the whole cirque turns pink. The altitude is real but manageable — read altitude sickness in Nepal before you go.
What's included
A standard guided package covers:
- Airport transfers and hotel nights in Kathmandu and Pokhara (arrival and return).
- Kathmandu–Pokhara transport — a 25-minute flight or a private drive — plus jeep transfers between Pokhara and the trailhead.
- A licensed English-speaking guide and porters (typically one porter per two trekkers).
- Teahouse accommodation on the trail, on a twin-sharing basis.
- Most meals on the trek (usually breakfast, lunch and dinner on trail days).
- All trekking permits — the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) entry permit and the TIMS card.
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa, travel insurance, meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara, drinks and snacks, hot showers and device charging in teahouses, personal gear, and tips for your guide and porters.
Annapurna Base Camp trek package cost
A guided 10-day ABC trek package typically runs from around US$800 for a budget group departure to US$1,400 or more for premium, small-group or fully private trips. What moves the price is group size, transport choice (flights versus the tourist bus to Pokhara), teahouse comfort and season. Because the trailheads are reached by road rather than a mountain flight, ABC is markedly cheaper than an Everest package at the same standard. For the line-by-line independent budget — ACAP permit, TIMS card, guide wages, teahouse food and beds — see the Annapurna Base Camp trek cost guide; going independently with just a guide runs roughly US$500–900.
Luxury and private options
A luxury ABC trek upgrades the same route: comfort lodges in the lower villages around Ghandruk and Chhomrong, private rooms where they exist higher up, a better guide-to-trekker ratio and vehicle upgrades at both ends. The signature add-on is a helicopter return from Base Camp to Pokhara — about twenty minutes over ground that took three days to walk — which trims the trip and sells as a "heli trek". Private departures for couples, families or friends run on any date in season and typically add a couple of hundred dollars per person over group rates.
7, 10 or 12 days — which length?
The walking is the same; the difference is how much you bolt on around it.
- 7–8 days is the fast, trail-only version from Pokhara, using jeep transfers to trailheads like Siwai or Jhinu — the Annapurna Base Camp short trek is that plan.
- 10 days is the sweet spot for a full guided trip: it adds the Kathmandu arrival and departure days, the Pokhara transfers and an unhurried trail pace with the hot-springs night built in.
- 12 days or more adds the Ghorepani–Poon Hill loop at the start — the classic sunrise viewpoint — or a rest day by the Pokhara lakeside; see things to do in Pokhara.
Best time to go
Autumn (October to November) and spring (March to May) are the prime windows, with stable weather, the clearest mountain views and — in spring — rhododendron forests in bloom on the lower trail. Two honest caveats. The summer monsoon brings cloud that hides the peaks, leeches in the forest and slippery stone steps; the route stays open, but you will work hard for your views. And in winter or after heavy early-spring snowfall, the upper approach between Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp crosses avalanche paths — the corridor can close for days, and a good guide will hold or turn the group rather than push through. Pick your window with the best time to visit Nepal guide.
Difficulty and fitness
This is a moderate trek, not a climb — no ropes or technical sections, and at 4,130 m the high point sits well below Everest Base Camp, so severe altitude sickness is uncommon for trekkers who pace themselves. What the route does have is stairs: thousands of stone steps, climbed and descended over five-to-six-hour days, so the fitness to walk staircases all day matters more than mountain experience. A licensed guide is required on the route — the post-2023 rules are explained in do you need a guide in Nepal. Still weighing it against Everest? See Everest Base Camp vs Annapurna Base Camp, compare this trip directly with our 15-day EBC trek package, or start from the wider trekking in Nepal pillar.
Book this trek
Ready to go, or want to tweak the dates, group size or route? Departures run through both trekking seasons, and the itinerary can be customised — private trips, a Poon Hill extension, or a helicopter return from Base Camp.
Enquire about this trek
Tell us your dates and group size and we'll come back with departures and a firm price.
Prefer to browse first? See the rest of our Nepal trekking packages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Annapurna Base Camp trek package cost?+
A guided 10-day package typically runs from around US$800 for a budget group departure to US$1,400 or more for premium, small-group or private trips. The price usually covers your guide, porters, teahouse nights, Kathmandu and Pokhara hotels, transport to the trailhead, permits and most meals on the trek; international flights, the Nepal visa, travel insurance, drinks and tips are extra. Trekking independently with just a guide is cheaper, at roughly US$500-900.
How many days do you need for Annapurna Base Camp?+
The walk itself takes about six to eight days from the Pokhara-side trailheads, and the standard guided package runs 10 days from your arrival in Kathmandu to your departure. That covers the transfer to Pokhara, six trekking days with a night at Base Camp, a hot-springs stop at Jhinu Danda and the return. Fit walkers can compress the trail days; adding the Poon Hill loop stretches the trip to about 12.
How hard is the Annapurna Base Camp trek?+
It is a moderate trek: five to six hour days, thousands of stone steps and a high point of about 4,130 m at the Sanctuary. Nothing is technical, and the altitude is far easier to manage than on Everest Base Camp, which climbs roughly 1,400 m higher. The fitness to climb stairs all day matters more than mountain experience.
Do you need a guide for Annapurna Base Camp?+
Yes. Since April 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers to hire a licensed guide in national parks and conservation areas, and the ABC route sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. A guided package includes this by default, along with the ACAP permit and TIMS card paperwork.
ABC or EBC — which should I pick?+
Pick Annapurna Base Camp for a shorter, cheaper, lower-altitude trek that still ends inside a spectacular ring of peaks — 10 days and 4,130 m versus 15 days and 5,545 m. Pick Everest Base Camp for the bigger physical challenge, the Khumbu's Sherpa culture and the most famous name in trekking. For most first-time Himalayan trekkers ABC is the smarter start; EBC rewards those with more time, budget and training.
What is the best time for the ABC trek?+
Autumn (October to November) and spring (March to May) offer the most stable weather and clearest views, with rhododendron blooms on the spring trail. The monsoon brings cloud, leeches and slippery stone steps, and in winter or after heavy early-spring snowfall the upper approach between Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp crosses avalanche terrain and can close for days at a time.
What permits do you need for Annapurna Base Camp?+
Two documents: the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) entry permit and the TIMS card, both arranged in Kathmandu or Pokhara and included in a guided package. A licensed guide is also required for the route. Carry your passport, as details are checked at posts along the trail.
