Annapurna Base Camp & PoonHill Trek -15 Days

Annapurna Base Camp & PoonHill Trek -15 Days

Annapurna - View on map
(8 Reviews)
  • 15 Days
  • Group Size : 12
  • Wifi Available
Description

Annapurna Base camp is known as the Amphitheater of the Annapurna Sanctuary for a good reason. At 4130m, it is surrounded by the Annapurna range that includes Annapurna South, Annapurna I, II, III, IV, Mt. Dhaulagiri and Mt. Virgin Fishtail (Machhaapuchchhre).

Your trek starts with a walk from Nayapool through Birethanti, Tikkhedunga, and Ghorepani. An early morning hike from Ghorepani through the frost-covered Rhododendron trees up to Poon Hill at 3210 m, will give you a view of the most divine sunrises one can witness. Past the blue roofs of Magar Village and the towering edge of Tadapani, a magical traditional experience awaits you at the Chhomrong Gurung village overlooking the dazzling Annapurna South face.

The trail then takes you through narrow alleys of Bamboo forest, past the Hinku Cave, along the corner of the towering Machhapuchhere and Hiun Chuli. as the ground beneath you turns to snow, the Machhapuchhere Base camp (MBC) welcomes you. Making your way further through the frozen landscape of snow and rock leads you to the very bosom of the Annapurna Sanctuary amidst the most unbelievably beautiful, colossal sculptures of nature. The experience of encountering such beauty can be very spiritual and humbling.

On the way back you stop and relax at some natural hot springs. A good long soak in the steaming clear spring water of Jhinu Hills washes the fatigue strait from your body and mind, just before ending the journey at Phedi/ Nayapool. Through the different hills, cultures, cuisines, and local people, this land is will find a special place in your mind and heart forever.

At 4130 meters, the “Annapurna Amphitheater” is surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on earth, including Annapurna south, Annapurna I, II, III, IV, Mt. Gangapurna and Mt. Virgin Fishtail (Machhaapuchchhre).

Price Includes
  • Assistance at the International airport by Step By Step Treks & Adventures representative on arrival and departure as per provided flight details.
  • Accommodation on Deluxe Category in Kathmandu 03 Night as per Itinerary with open choices Breakfast
  • Accommodation on Deluxe Category in Pokhara 02 Night as per Itinerary with open choices Breakfast.
  • Kathmandu Durbar Square, Monkey temple sightseeing with Owned Guide and Transport
  • Open choice Full board meals during the trek period(Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Tea or coffee)
  • Neat & Clean Twine shared Private room during the trek period
  • Round ways Transport by Private Deluxe Bus/Car/Jeep between Kathmandu & Pokhara
  • Private Transport while Trekking start point and ending point
  • An experienced English-speaking trek leader; well trained in wilderness First Aid, assistant trek leader (4 trekkers: 1 assistant guide) and Sherpa porters to carry luggage (2 trekkers: 1 porter) including their salary, insurance, equipment, flight, food and lodging
  • Free Trek Map
  • Group medical supplies (first aid kit will be available).
  • Travel & Rescue Arrangement for in case
  • All necessary Paper works for Annapurna Conservation area entry permits
  • TIMS Card(Trekking information management system)
  • Fare well Dinner
Price Excludes
  • Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu & pokhara (costs roughly USD 15 to 20 per person per day)(Except Farewell dinner).
  • Kathmandu Sightseeing entry fee(Cost USD 5 to 15)Per person on each spot.
  • All kinds of drinks in the mountain ( cold drinks and alcoholic)
  • Personal equipment
  • International airfare Departure/Arrival from Kathmandu.
  • Travel and rescue insurance.
  • Extra personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, laundry, shower, excess baggage charges)
  • Tips for trekking staff and driver (Tipping is expected).
  • Any others expenses which are not mentioned on ‘Price Includes’ section.
Itinerary

A Step By Step Treks & Adventure representative will be waiting for you at the airport. He/she will then drop us off at our hotel where we can take a rest. In the evening we can enjoy a short visit around mix colorful touristic hub at Thamel and as well as introduce the Nepalese mix culture with food and drinks

We tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites today. These sites highlight Nepal’s cultural and religious heritages. Our first stop will be Kathmandu Durbar Square which showcases Kathmandu’s rich architectural prowess during the Malla dynasty (c1201–1769), and then Swayambhunath Stupa which tourists commonly refer to as the ‘Monkey Temple’ owing to a large number of the monkey population in the vicinity. Next is Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus all over the world followed by the Buddhist shrine of Boudhanath which is one of the largest stupas in the world. Lastly, in the late afternoon we visit Himalayan Glacier’s office for a brief orientation on our trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We’ll drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the city of lakes. The drive lasts for 6-7 hours presenting a beautiful landscape of terrace farming, fields of barley, rice and rivers along the way. Upon landing in the lovely lake city of Pokhara, we will drive you to your hotel. Pokhara is known to be the Amsterdam of Nepal since this city is lit all through the season. Overnight stay at the Hotel.

After breakfast, we’ll drive to Nayapul (42 km from Pokhara) by means of the town of Lumle. Then, we will go for a short stroll to Birethanti. The trail pursues Birethanti through completely flawless bamboo woodlands and past huge cascades glinting with the ethereal light of the sun. Past this is the lavish field of foals and stallions for the most part. The trail proceeds to Ranghai, from where we will steadily up the side of the valley, right to Tikhedhunga. Overnight at Guesthouse

After breakfast, we ascend to the Ghorepani village via stone stairs. As we are ascending we admire the spectacular scenery as Annapurna South looms large, coming and going from our view. We pass waterfalls, tiny villages, and several tea-houses before reaching Ghorepani. We stop at the higher part of the Ghorepani village that offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains including Annapurna South and Nilgiri mountains. The village has small shops that sell local products such as handbags and crafts. The village also has good wi-fi. Overnight in Ghorepani.

We get up early in the morning to reach Poon Hill just in time to see the sunrise over the Himalayas. Poon Hill is the most popular destination to enjoy close up views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges and enjoy the sunrise from these majestic mountains. From Poon Hill, we also get incredible views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains. After enjoying a cup of coffee, we trek back to Ghorepani. We have breakfast here then walk towards the east and climb a ridge. Our trail descends through rhododendron forests and waterfalls before we reach Tadapani. Overnight in Tadapani.

The trail starts off with a descent through a large rhododendron forest. The forest trail ends and our trail opens up to beautifully terraced fields. We walk uphill for around 5 km and pass waterfalls and reach a suspension bridge. Suspension bridges are very common in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal. A few more miles of uphill and downhill trekking and we reach our destination for today, Chhomrong. It is a beautiful village right below the giant Annapurna massive. Overnight in Chhomrong.

We’ll bid the genuine hospitality of Chhomrong goodbye and descend towards Dovan. We’ll descend 2500 stone steps and Chhomrong River through a suspension bridge. We’ll then ascend a rocky trekking route towards Sinuwa village (2350m). Then we’ll walk through dense forests towards Kuldahar (2380m). The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Check-post is situated here. The trail is a continuous easy descend to Dovan from there where we will spend the night. Overnight at Guesthouse

We continue on a damp trail towards forests of emerald and jaded bamboo. The serene sound of the bamboo leaves provides peace to the soul and the beautiful rhododendron accompanies us throughout the trails towards Deurali. Passing the Himalayan Hotel we’ll trek to Hinko and just above lies Deurali where we’ll spend the night. Overnight at Guesthouse.

We follow the valley trail in a steady climb. The trail sticks to a rocky cliff and is sometimes steep. We walk on a somewhat flat path for a while before ascending to Machhapurchre Base Camp. From here we get excellent views of Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gandharvachuli and Gangapurna mountains. We then turn left and begin ascending gently to the Annapurna Base Camp. During our ascent, we can admire spectacular views of the Himalayan panorama. Walking further we reach the base camp of Mt. Annapurna and it is amazing. We are surrounded by magnificent peaks and the only way into this area is through the gorge we just hiked. Overnight at Annapurna Base Camp.

From Annapurna Base Camp our trail rapidly descends past the Machhapuchhre Base camp, Deurali, Himalayan Hotel, and Doban and finally to Bamboo where we spend the night. Today’s trek is downhill so it shouldn’t be very difficult. Overnight in Bamboo.

We retrace our step back to Chhomrong where we stop for lunch. From Chomrong it is a steep descent down to the Modi Khola valley. The stone steps to Chhomrong are equally tricky as they were before. The trail then descends to Jhinu Danda, where we will be resting for the night. On the way, we enjoy our walking through rain forests and farms. After reaching Jhinu Danda, we can spend the rest of the afternoon taking a rest and relaxing. Overnight in Jhinu Danda.

We leave Jhinu Danda and enjoy the beautiful hill landscape of western Nepal on our way to Naya Pul. We have lunch on the way. The actual trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary and back end today. We board our vehicle to Pokhara. Overnight in Pokhara. *If the road construction connecting Jhinu Danda to Naya Pul is complete, driving from Jhinu Danda to Pokhara could be another option.

We’ll make our way back to Kathmandu. We’ll drive via tourist bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu enjoying the changing landscape and diverse topography.

After breakfast, the trip ends, our Airport Representative will drop you to the Kathmandu international airport for your final flight departure from Nepal

Location
Faq

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite.

Average Reviews

5/5

Very Good
From 8 reviews
Cleanliness
5/5
Location
5/5
Facilities
5/5
Value for money
/5
Service
5/5
Showing 8 verified guest comments
Pokkar
2020-12-03
from Argentina

From the first contact by email, I realized that Step by Step would be the one that would guide me in my visit to Nepal. Clear proposals and all my queries were respond very fast. Step by Step arranges accommodation, permission pass, city tours, local flights and bus tickets, permits. I had been welcome at KTM airport by my guide and friend Bikky. I had to modify the original itinerary because my luggage arrived KTM after four days. During this time, I had the invaluable support of Bikky and Krishna, who called me regularly from Pokhara. I love to trek and I fully enjoyed all the path to ABC: jungle and high mountains ("because they are there"). Pokhara is beautiful, so I decided to stay there a couple of days after the trek. After around 20 days of returning home, I close my eyes and recall the special feelings and emotions I felt during my visit to Nepal. Thank you very much Step by Step; thank you very much Krishna; and special thanks to my friend Bikky. Hope (although could be a bit fanciful) to return soon!

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Stan
2020-12-03
from Hongkong

I & my wife were lucky enough to find Krishna’s company to offer us a guiding service for our honeymoon trip of trekking to ABC. The guide, Bharat & assistant guide, Bijay are very professional and caring throughout the whole trip. You can tell from every small detail they offered: the arrangement of the tea house, the rhythm of trekking, the meal arrangement etc. We are truly thankful to the team’s effort and what Krishna had offered to us. Keep it up! Step by Step Treks & Adventures Pvt. Ltd is a trustable partner that tourists could rely on!

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Jane Wong
2020-12-03
from Singapore

Interesting, exciting, challenging and unpredictable journey to me. Learning to live in the present moment, following our own heartbeats, one breath after another, and step by step guided patiently and professionally by our tour guide allowed us to fully experienced the trek, appreciated the nature and stamped our footprints at ABC finally! Cheers! Thanks for everything that has made my dream fulfilled, the opportunity is given, the special company & supports I've received, the great team spirit along the way, and not forget to thank our professional tour guide, Krishna and the power of his wonderful team!

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Hans Clement
2020-12-03
Melbourne, Australia

"Beyond the imagination- Fantastic ABC & POONHILL" I did the Annapurna Base Camp trek in Feb 2020 with a group of like-minded friends from Melbourne, Australia. We had been in touch with Step By Step Treks & Adventure since 2017 to arrange the trek. The communication with Mr Krishna was exceptional. he handled all our doubts and queries promptly and gave detailed information about pre-planning and equipment, stay, location, height, etc.. Mr Shyam was our main guide for the whole trek. He accompanied us from day one to the last day and took care of all our guesthouses and food arrangements. He always checked after the health of each person in our group and made arrangements each day to have the fast walkers and medium-pace walkers to be accompanied by an Assistant Guide/ porters. He himself always walked with the slow group and made sure all of us made the journey safely and without any problems. Mr. Bijay was my Assistance Guide. He was very helpful during that part and always checked after our health/ food/ amenities at every stop. Ever-smiling and always ready to help, and a very good friend he became. Step By Step Company Guides/porters support team made our trek very enjoyable and we were able to spend our time contemplating the beauty of this region, the Annapurna ranges, and peaks, the swing bridges, Modi river, waterfalls ….. I would highly recommend Step By Step Company to anyone considering trekking in Nepal.

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Reyna Pinkston
2020-12-03
From Holland,Amsterdam

I and my son did the back to back treks of Annapurna region and it’s Annapurna Base Camp with Poon Hill. Undoubtedly Step By Step Treks Company arrangement everything precisely and with care. We often visit several countries and I have visited 70 countries as of now with a guide of course. But the service provided by Step By Step Team really takes the win. From the beginning of the trek like picking us up at the airport to the trekking journey, everything was perfectly arranged. I have no complaints. They were always on time and prompt. They always provide detailed information prior to any event. I genuinely loved the professionalism and care of the team. Amazing trek, outstanding service! Thank you Step By Step Company team!

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Anna
2020-12-03
from UK, Bristol

Truly an Amazing experience with Step By Step. We already went to Langtang Trek with them and we were extremely pleased. Therefore we went to Nepal with Krishna Company again and this experience was even better than our previous one. Our guide, Anil Rai, was awesome! He planned a perfect trip for us, always made sure we were okay, made the reservations in very nice guesthouses, of course, he is so funny and friendly plus his smile made us every day exhausted free! He even made us potato Veg Momos! As a plus side, we had amazing weather and the hike was perfectly planned so that none of us (we were two: my mother and I) had an awesome experience. Overall I highly recommend Step By Step Treks & Adventure: 2 great experiences with wonderful guides!

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Sarah
2020-12-03
From Canada

The trek was well organized, everything was clearly explained from the very beginning. Very well planned to make sure we got acclimatized to the altitude and enjoy a reasonable intensity of walking up and down every day without getting burned out. Overall an amazing experience and we got great views and weather! Our guide Syam, porters Bhim & Rajesh were great, always smiling and very helpful and made us laugh a lot. The Guest House was good and the food was great (everyday super tasty ginger-lemon honey tea) and there was even hot spring on the way back (Jhnnu Danda) and overall best showers along the journey. Make sure you pack lots of warm layers as it gets pretty chilly in the evenings (thankfully STEP BY STEP provided hot water bags, sleeping bags and warm down jackets). We Greatly recommend it !!

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Yvonne
2020-12-03
HongKong

Trekking into Himalayas Annapurna Base Camp is one of my lifetime journeys indeed. I cannot forget the heavy snow and rugged road mix with a beautiful landscape. My heartfelt thanks to Step by Step for their professional trekking guide and caring porters and helpers. The Nepalese we met on mountains and tea houses are all friendly and helpful, with a pure heart and genuinely love nature. It is a beautiful place!

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Value for money
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From $1,290.00
Adults
Age 18+
Children
Age 6-17
Infant
Age 0-5