Annapurna Base Camp Trek

The Trek at a Glance Feature Details Max Altitude: 4,130 m (13,550 ft) at Base Camp Duration: 11 Days Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (Achievable for fit beginners) Accommodation: Tea Houses (Lodges) entire way Starting Point: Nayapul (near Pokhara) Key Highlights The Sanctuary: Unlike other treks where you walk alongside mountains, here you walk into them. The trail ends in the "Annapurna Sanctuary," a glacial basin surrounded by a ring of massive peaks, offering a 360-degree panoramic view. Diverse Terrain: You experience a rapid transition in scenery. You start in tropical lowlands with bamboo, rhododendron forests, and terraced farmland, and eventually climb into the stark, high-altitude alpine zone. Machapuchare (Fishtail Mountain): This sacred, unclimbed peak dominates the skyline for much of the trek and is considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Hot Springs: Most itineraries include a stop at Jhinu Danda, where you can relax in natural hot springs by the river a perfect reward on the way down. Who is it for? This is widely considered the best "stepping stone" trek. It gets you high enough to feel the altitude and see the giants (including Annapurna I, the 10th highest mountain in the world), but it is shorter and lower in elevation than Everest Base Camp, with a lower risk of altitude sickness.