Annapurna Sanctuary

For information on preparing for this trek, including when to go, what to bring, what permits are required, and safety precautions including altitude sickness, and water contamination, see Trekking in Nepal.

Annapurna Sanctuary view from Ghandruk

This article is an itinerary.

The Annapurna Sanctuary trek is in Nepal.

Understand

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek is a trek in the Annapurna region which commonly starts or finishes in either Phedi or Nayapul and reaches the Annapurna Base Camp. Phedi is situated at a distance of 165 Kilometers ( via Baglung Highway ) from the capital city, Kathmandu. A total of 5 to 7 days is necessary for the whole trek to finish.

Get in

Travelers can take a bus to either Phedi or Nayapul from Pokhara. It takes around 2 hours to Nayapul by bus and costs around N₨.110-200. There are several bus stations in Pokhara from which you can begin your journey.The bus to Nayapul is usually taken from the Baglung bus station which lies north of the Phewa Lake. The walk to the bus station takes about 45 minutes from the lakeside.

Taxi service charges on the route from Pokhara to Nayapul costs around N₨1500 for 1½ hrs, however on the way back Nayapul-Pokhara, it's possible to arrange it for as little as ₨300. Taxi Service from Pokhara to Phedi costs around ₨.700 to 1000 which takes around 20 mins ; Taxi Service from Pokhara to Dhampus costs around ₨.2000.

It's also possible to catch a jeep from Kimche to Pokhara at ₨700/per person but the connection is infrequent and may delay at times.

Itinerary

Annapurna Sanctuary trek, view from Dhampus

There are a myriad of trails that traverse the Annapurna and lead to Chomrong from where there is only one path up to Annapurna Base Camp.

• Nayapul to Ghorepani and Poon Hill

Nayapul is marked by a collection of road side shacks that function as bus/taxi stop backed by a slightly more substantial village that has a jeep track through the middle of it.

Start your trek by following the jeep track down until you spot a swingbridge to your left, there is a foot path leading to it and you cross the river here. Turn left as you come of the bridge and pick up the track along the Modi Khola for about half an hour before you come to the outskirts of Birethanti and an ACAP check point where you have to get your Conservation permit checked. You can now see another swingbridge that you have to cross. Directly opposite the swingbridge is the TIMS office where you can either buy TIMS certificate or just check it if you have it already.

Birethanti has a number of lodges although if you have just started your hike you may wish to walk on to Tikhedunga.

Keep the river to your left hand side as you follow the start of a jeep track, and the destruction of the trail, for an hour or so before it peters out at the small hamlet of Baajgara where there are two tea shops. The trail keeps following the river, make sure the river is always to your left, and eventually you arrive in Hile where there are four lodges. The lodge owners here like to make out you are already in Tikhedunga in order to catch some of their customers. In fact Tikhedunga and its myriad of lodges is another fifteen minutes down the track.

Annapurna Sanctuary trek, new bridge

• Ghorepani to Tadapani
• Tadapani to Chomrong via Ghurjung
• Tadapani to Chomrong via Ghandruk
• Chomrong to Annapurna Base Camp
• Chomrong to Landruk
• Ghandruk to Landruk
• Landruk to Phedi
• If you do not want to go to Landruk then you can go from Chomrong via Syauli Bazar to Birethani/Nayapul. From Kimche it is a dirt road with traffic (jeeps).

If you come from Poon Hill:

• Ghorephani to Tadapani (3h) (or continue to Chomrong)
• Tadapani to Chomrong (4h); bridges to cross river in:
  1. Gurjung
  2. Rimrong (after Melache/Kimrong steep down on one side, and step up on other side of the river)
  3. Jhindu (very steep stairs up to Jhindu and Chomrong)
• Chomrong to ABC can be done in 2 days (Deurali to MBC 2h, MBC to ABC 1.5h)
• ABC to Jhindu can be done in 1 day. Hotspring in Jhindu: ₨50. In Chomrong, ask for the shortest way to Jhindu to avoid 100 steps.

Timetables

Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp (via Phedi, Dhampus,Tolka)

From, altitude	To, altitude	Time (hrs)	Comments
Pokhara, 860m	Hyangja, 1070m	0.5
Hyangja, 1070m	Phedi, 1130m	0.5
Phedi, 1130m	Dhampus, 1650m	1.5	steep ascend, lots of steps
Dhampus, 1650m	Pothana, 1890m	1.5	easy walk
Pothana, 1890m	Bhichok, 2080m	1
Bhichok, 2080m	Tolka, 1700m	1	forest walk leading down, can be a bit hard
Tolka, 1700m	Landruk, 1640m	1	easy
Landruk, 1640m	New Bridge, 1340m	1.5	easy
New Bridge, 1340m	Jhindu, 1780m	2	starts quite serious ascend to Chomrong
Jhindu, 1780m	Chomrong, 2170m	2	lots of steps leading up
Chomrong, 2170m	Sinuwa, 2360m	2.5
Sinuwa, 2360m	Kuldhigar, 2540m	2
Kuldhigar, 2540m	Bamboo, 2310m	1
Bamboo, 2310m	Dobhan, 2600m	1
Dobhan, 2600m	Himalaya, 2920m	1.5
Himalaya, 2920m	Hinku Cave, 3170m	1
Hinku Cave, 3170m	Deurali, 3200m	1
Deurali, 3200m	Bagar, 3300m	1
Bagar, 3300m	MBC, 3700m	1.5
MBC, 3700m	Annapurna Base Camp, 4130m	2

Annapurna Base Camp sign, on the way to Dhampus

Annapurna Base Camp to Pokhara (via Ghandruk, Birethanti, Nayapul)

From, altitude	To, altitude	Time (hrs)	Comments
Annapurna Base Camp, 4130m	Dobhan, 2600m	7.5
Dobhan, 2600m	Chomrong, 2170m	6.5
Chomrong, 2170m	Kimrong, 1800m	2	Steep descend
Kimrong, 1800m	Ghandruk, 1940m	2.5	At first, steep ascend for 450m up then quite easy walk
Ghandruk, 1940m	Syauli Bajar, 1220m	1.5	lots of steps down, but not too strenuous
Syauli Bajar, 1220m	Chimrong, 1130m	0.5	easy
Chimrong, 1130m	Birethanti, 1120m	1	easy
Birethanti, 1120m	Nayapul, 1070m	0.5	easy

Kimrong to Ghandruk (via Ghorepani)

From, altitude	To, altitude	Time (hrs)	Comments
Kimrong, 1800m	Komrong, 2255m	1
Komrong, 2255m	Tadapani, 2630m	2
Tadapani, 2630m	Ghorepani, 2860m	3
Ghorepani, 2860m	Deurali Pass, 3090m	1.5
Deurali Pass, 3090m	Ban Thanti, 3180m	1.5
Ban Thanti, 3180m	Tadapani, 2630m	1.5
Tadapani, 2630m	Ghandruk, 1940m	2

Ghorepani to Poon Hill

From, altitude	To, altitude	Time (hrs)	Comments
Ghorepani, 2860m	Poon Hill, 3200m	1.5
Poon Hill, 3200m	Ghorepani, 2860m	1

Sleep

Sinuwa:

• Hotel Hill Top, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sinuwa Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sinuwa Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 

Bamboo:

• Bamboo Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Green View, ☎ [phone]. 
• Bamboo Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 
• Trekking Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Buddha Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 

Dovan:

• Annapurna Approach, ☎ [phone]. 
• Hotel, ☎ [phone]. 
• Dovan Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 

Himalaya:

• Himalaya Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Himalaya Hotel, ☎ [phone]. 

Deurali:

• Deurali Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Sangrila Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Panorama Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Dream Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 

MBC:

• Fishtail Guesthouse, ☎ [phone]. 
• Shankar Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Gunung Co-operative, ☎ [phone]. 
• Machhapuchhre Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Gangapurna View Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 

ABC:

• Hotel Paradise Garden, ☎ [phone]. 
• Hotel Snow Land Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 
• Annapurna Guest House, ☎ [phone]. 
• Annapurna Sanctuary Lodge, ☎ [phone]. 

Stay healthy

There are official safe drinking water stations located at Landruk, Ghandruk, Jhinu and Chomrong. Past Chomrong, plastic water bottles are not permitted to be sold so trekkers will have to supply their own containers to be refilled. Lodges offer boiled or reverse osmosis water for around Rs. 130 per litre and untreated water for free.

Stay safe

Above Deurali, snow may be present as early as mid-November. Foot traffic quickly compacts the snow into ice making the trail treacherous, especially travelling downhill. Trekking poles and micro crampons can make the going considerably easier and some trekkers resort to wearing socks on the exterior of their boots or wrapping them in rope for extra traction.

The trail is exposed to avalanche danger where it crosses several slide paths, trekkers should practice appropriate Snow safety as conditions warrant.

Go next

• Annapurna

See also

• Trekking in Nepal