Trek to Annapurna Base Camp

The Annapurna Base Camp trek can be done in many different ways; the route I will be describing is the standard 10 day trek beginning at Naya Pul and ending in Phedi. The total distance is approximately 105 miles with a highest elevation at the base camp of 13,550 ft, although most of the trek is below 10,000. Due to the quantity of villages and guest houses along the trek it can be done in anywhere from 5-15 days, depending on the pace of the group.

To begin the Annapurna Base Camp trek either use a trekking service or hire a car in Pokhara to take you the hour and a half drive to Naya Pul. From there it's around 4-6 hours up to Thikedunga, a small village that's a good place to stop for the night, with a number of guest houses to choose from. The next day (4-6 hrs) will take you to Ghorepani. After you arrange for a guest house you can climb another 30 min up Poon Hill and get a 360 degree view of your Himalayan surroundings; it's very common to get up early and watch the sunrise from the top of Poon Hill while staying in Ghorepani.

The following two days are probably the most difficult on the trek, due to the many river crossings that often will take you from around 9,000 ft to around 3,000 ft at the river and quickly climb back up. It is about a 4-6 hr hike to Tadipani then another 4-6 to Chomrong (Can be done in 1 or 2 days depending on speed of group). From Chomrong it's a 2-4 day trek up to the base camp depending on group speed. Once at the basecamp, the trek will take you back down through Chomrong where you will split off your previous route and head towards Phedi. On the way plan to stay your last night in Jhinu Danda, where you can bathe in the natural hot springs wake in the morning and have a 2-4 hour hike to the finish.

All accommodations and food can be at the countless guest houses along the way. This allows you to travel light since you don't have to bring food along.