Annapurna Base Camp Trek Guaranteed Departure

Guaranteed Departure 18 November 2026

The Annapurna Sanctuary, also known as Annapurna Base Camp, forms a natural amphitheater, ringed by peaks which offers a 360-degree panorama of Annapurna South and I, Varahashikhar, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhare or "Fish Tail" as it is commonly known.  The trek starts from Pokhara, then heads north along the traditional trade route towards the Tibetan villages via Birethanhti and Ulleri to Ghorepani. From here, the trek contours eastward through thick rhododendron and oak forest to Tadapani to follow the Modi river valley, through thick bamboo and rhododendron forests into the Sanctuary itself.  The return is via a slightly different route through the villages of Chhomrong, Ghandrung and Birethanti to Pokhara and Kathmandu. The Sanctuary falls within the area managed by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which is an exercise in environmental and cultural protection accommodating the needs of both the visitors and local inhabitants.

There is a good mix of high mountains and Himalayan culture on this trek.  The Annapurna Himal lies between the Kali Gandaki and Marshyangdi river valley, forming a solid, mountain basin.  In its span of 40 miles, it encompasses some twelve peaks higher than 7000m and numerous others over 6000m.  Rhododendron forests give way to bamboo groves, which in turn vanish into the high, desert landscapes. People of Aryan stock give way to those of Mongoloid stock and the dominant religion changes from Hinduism in the lower reaches to Buddhism higher up.