Annapurna Sanctuary Trek
15 Days Starting and ending in Kathmandu
Visiting: Nepal
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TNS
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
16-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
The Annapurna Himal is a vast massif with several peaks above 7000m. Part of the range forms a natural amphitheatre known as the Annapurna Sanctuary, ringed by such giants as Annapurna 1, Glacier Dome, Gangapurna, Fang and Machhapuchhare. The trek starts through forested hillsides before arriving into the Sanctuary with its panoramic views of the Annapurna. At higher altitudes the close-up mountain views are perhaps the finest in the world. There is a day to explore this breathtaking mountain arena before returning to Pokhara via a different route.
Highlights
Itinerary
The group flights depart London this evening.
**
Day 2
The group flights arrive into Kathmandu this afternoon. There will be a full
trek briefing this evening.
*Hotel Ambassador / Manaslu (or similar)*
Day 3
We leave early and drive westwards to Pokhara. This town is set in a
beautiful valley and is overlooked by the Annapurnas and Machhapuchhare, one
of the most distinctive of the Himalayan peaks. We continue through Pokhara
to Naya Pul and from there have a 30-minute (2km) walk to the village of
Birethanthi, where we stay overnight. Birethanthi is a riverside village at
the confluence of the Modi Khola and the Burungdi Khola. If there is time we
can bathe in the clear but cold pools of the Burungdi Khola.
*Teahouse*
Day 4
We start our trek by following the Burungdi Khola upstream. After a lunch
stop in Tirkhedunga (renowned for its variety of local beer called chang) we
start the long steep climb up a stone staircase through the neatly terraced
hillsides to the top of Ulleri. Continuing through Ulleri we stop tonight at
lower Banthanti.
*Teahouse *(sleeping altitude 2,240m)
Day 5
The trail winds its way onwards and enters rhododendron forest. In spring the
forest is ablaze with colour. Trains of mules provide colourful and noisy
interludes to the continuous ascent today (there are many stone staircases).
Carrying rice and other supplies north to the kingdom of Mustang the trail
resounds with the sound of their bells. Finally, we emerge from the forests
at Ghorepani and suddenly a splendid mountain vista appears before us -
Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhare, Lamjung and other Himalayan
giants. We continue up through Ghorepani to our lodge in Upper Ghorepani
(2,900m), usually arriving by lunchtime.
*Teahouse *(sleeping altitude 2,900m)
Day 6
This morning there is an optional ascent of Poon Hill (3,210m - about an
hour's walk uphill) to see the spectacular sunrise over the Dhaulagiri and
Annapurna Himals. As the sun emerges from behind the mountains the sky glows
red and pink in the first rays of the sun and the panorama is surely one of
the world's great mountain vistas. Best seen at dawn, the climb is well worth
the effort. After breakfast we head east, following a ridge to cross a pass
at 3,150m. We pass through more forest and some tea houses and then the
descent becomes steeper as we descend on stone steps through jungle to a few
lodges in a clearing called Banthanti at 2,760m, where we have lunch.
Descending further to a small stream, we cross a bridge and climb back up to
2,690m at Tadapani where we have a superb view of Annapurna South and the
peak of Machhapuchhare. From here we descend for a short while to our lodge
at Chuili, where we have great views of the mountains from the lovely garden.
*Teahouse *(sleeping altitude 2,290m)
Day 7
The trail descends steeply through the forest to the Kyumnu Khola, a
tributary of the Modi Khola. From here a steep ascent brings us to Chhomrong,
at 2,220m, another Gurung village and the last permanent settlement in the
valley. Beyond here we shall see yersas, the shelters used by herdsmen in the
summer months. From Chhomrong we have good views again of Annapurna South and
from this point onwards the twin-peaked mountain Machhapuchhare ('fishtail')
which gives the mountain its name.
*Teahouse* (sleeping altitude 2,220m)
Day 8
The trail from Chhomrong descends first on a stone staircase to cross the
Chhomrong Khola and then climbs steeply on another stone staircase out of
this side valley to Sinuwa, where we enter the main Modi Khola Valley. From
Sinuwa the trail descends on stone steps through dense jungle and then
undulates to lunch at Bamboo, a cluster of lodges in a forest clearing. The
forest around us is full of bamboo thickets. These are cut extensively to
make 'dokos' - the carrying baskets as used by our porters - and woven mats
for floors and roofing. Undulating further through the bamboo forest we reach
Dobhan at 2,500m, another small clearing in the forest where there are
several teahouses.
*Teahouse *(sleeping altitude 2,500m)
Day 9
A tough day today as we walk above 3,000m. The trail continues up through the
forest, passing the lodges at Himalaya Hotel. From here the trail gets
steeper and rockier as we climb up past Hinko Cave, where the first
expeditions to the Base Camp used to camp. Crossing a ravine, the trail
continues to climb steeply among boulders, leaving the trees behind us. We
have lunch at Deurali and from here the valley broadens out and the scenery
becomes wilder as we approach the gates of the sanctuary. From Deurali there
are two trails. The one on the left side of the valley is the main trail but
especially in spring when there is a lot of snow it is not used and an
alternative trail on the right side of the valley is used. Your leader will
decide which trail to use. Both trails finally meet for the last 1.5hr climb
up between the heights of Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare, to Machhapuchhare
Base Camp (3,700m), where we spend the night. The views are stupendous and
the panorama includes Huinchuli, Annapurna 1, Annapurna 3, Gangapurna and
Machhapuchhare.
*Teahouse *(sleeping altitude 3,700m)
Day 10
In the early morning, we walk for 2 hours up to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m),
surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of some of the highest mountains in the
world. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna Fang, Annapurna 1 and 3,
Gangapurna and Machhapuchhare all encircle us with unbroken soaring ramparts
but for the route by which we entered. The sunset and sunrise are truly
magnificent in this mountain arena. We spend the day in this special place
with a chance to watch the sunrise the following morning. There should be
time to make an excursion to the ridge overlooking the base camp from which
Sir Chris Bonington led the ascent of Annapurna's South Face. (Occasionally
there is too much snow to stay at Annapurna Base Camp. In this case, we would
walk back down to Machhapuchhare Base Camp in the late afternoon).
*Teahouse* (sleeping altitude 4,130m)
Day 11
A long and mostly downhill day as we leave the Sanctuary. We follow the same
trail back to Machhapuchhare Base Camp and further down to Deurali. Entering
the forest, we descend slowly and carefully on a rocky trail through Himalaya
and Dobhan back to the lodge at Bamboo.
*Teahouse* (sleeping altitude 2,330m)
Day 12
A rollercoaster walk today with lots of ups and downs. We start with a climb
up to Sinuwa, then we descend to the river and climb back up the stone steps
to Chomro. A final steep descent on stone steps brings us to Jhinnudanda.
Close to Jhinnudanda, there are some hot springs that you can visit if you
wish; getting there involves descending for twenty minutes or so down to the
river, and the climb back up takes a little longer (around 30 mins).
*Teahouse* (sleeping altitude 1,710m)
Day 13
The trail today undulates down the Modi River Valley. We follow the valley
down to the road head at Sinwai. If the road is in good condition, we will
pick up our transport here (sometimes our vehicle cannot get to here) and
drive back to Pokhara. If we have to walk to Birethanthi this will add an
additional 3 hours/10 km.
*Hotel Lakefront / Hotel Dahlia / Mount Kailash Resort (or similar)*
Day 14
A full day to relax in Pokhara. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants
along the lakeshore where you can watch paragliders in flight. You may wish
to take a rowing boat across Lake Phewa and walk up to the World Peace
Pagoda, set on a hill overlooking the lake with fantastic views. There are
also plenty of shops and a traditional bazaar where you can pick up some
souvenirs. Alternatively, there are several museums to visit, including the
International Mountain Museum and the Gurkha Museum.
*Hotel Lakefront / Hotel Dahlia / Mount Kailash Resort (or similar)*
Day 15
We fly to Kathmandu. Weather depending there should be good views of the
western end of Nepal on this flight.
The afternoon is free for sightseeing. You may wish to visit the monkey
temple at Swayambhunath, one of the largest Buddhist Stupas in the world at
Boudhanath, or the most important Hindu temple in the valley at
Pashupatinath.
*Hotel Ambassador / Manaslu (or similar)*
Day 16
The trip ends after breakfast. Those on the group flight will be transferred
to the airport for the flight back to London. Those not on the group flight
will leave us after breakfast.
**
What's Included
-
Meals
14 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 0 dinners.
* All breakfasts
* Morning bed-tea on trek
* Welcome drink at each overnight lodge
* 4 nights standard hotels and 10 nights teahouses
* All transport and listed activities
* Tour leader throughout, plus local staff (staff to client ratio of 1:4 on
trek)
* Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
* Arrival and departure transfers
* Full porterage throughout trek
* Exodus kitbag
* Trekking map (provided locally)
* Trekking permit and national park fees
What's Not Included
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Down jacket (possible hire in advance through Exodus)
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Visas and vaccinations
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request, Kathmandu and Pokhara only)
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Sleeping bag (possible hire in advance through Exodus)
Food
Breakfast is included throughout the trip.
On trek the breakfast will be a fixed set menu usually consisting of porridge
or muesli, with either toast, chapatti or pancake, plus an egg or omelette
and a cup of tea/coffee. Any additional items that are not included in the
set menu should be ordered and paid for separately. We do not include lunch
and dinner on trek allowing you to choose what you want to eat. Lunch will be
taken at a teahouse en route - sometimes one of your guides will go ahead
with the group’s order to make it more expedient. Dinner will be in the
same teahouse that you sleep at (this is custom in Nepal as teahouses base
their room rate on it).
The menus in the lodges are almost identical to one another but offer a
varied choice, ranging from traditional Nepalese dhal bhat to pizza and apple
pie. Dhal bhat is the staple diet in Nepal and comes in many different forms
but generally comprises some curried lentil dhal and meat or vegetables, some
rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos; a type of
Nepalese dumpling, fried or steamed, filled with meat or vegetables.
Although meat is available in the teahouses, we advise against eating it on
trek. The meat has often been carried in the heat from lower altitudes for
several days before reaching the lodges and can cause stomach upsets or
illness. Germs can also be spread by handling dirty money - we recommend
using hand sanitiser.
If you have a gluten free diet, then we strongly recommend you bring some
extra food and snacks with you to supplement the food on trek as there will
be little variety available for you, particularly for breakfast. Even many of
the soups are from powder/packets and contain gluten.
If you buy imported food and drink whilst on trek you will spend more than
the suggested amount.
*Drinking Water*
Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but
particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at
least 3-4 litres per person per day.
We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water on trek as this
contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Nepal’s trekking
areas.
A few villages along the Annapurna Sanctuary route have safe drinking water
stations selling UV treated water for Rs40-50 per litre but these are not
always open.
The teahouses also sell boiled water for approx. Rs150-300 per litre (the
price increases the higher you trek) which should not require treating. This
is also perfect for a bedtime refill as it can double up as a hot water
bottle.
Alternatively, all teahouses will provide cold water free of charge, if
requested. Although this should not be drunk untreated, we recommend that you
bring a reusable bottle (or two) and use an effective form of water
treatment. There are a wide range of products available these days which are
more effective than traditional purification tablets - we recommend talking
to an outdoor retailer for the latest advice as technologies are improving
all the time: make sure to check the product’s performance in cold/freezing
conditions and consider battery life (lithium batteries are best in cold
conditions).
Handheld UV filters such as a ‘SteriPEN’ are widely available to purchase
from online retailers such as Amazon and Ebay – they’re very effective,
can treat 1 litre of water in a couple of minutes and the water is ready
immediately – look for lightweight lithium battery models and remember that
you will need to bring a wide-mouthed bottle (e.g. Nalgene) for use with
these devices.
There are also an array of water filter and purifier bottles on the market
but be wary of their weight, bottles with a small capacity and the products
performance in freezing conditions. Exodus has partnered with Water-to-Go, a
filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological
contaminants from any non-salt water source – please visit
https://watertogo.eu/exodus/"
target="_blank">Water-to-Go for more information*. Exodus customers can
claim 15% off your first order, and better still, 15% of the purchase value
will be donated to the **Exodus Travels Foundation [1]**.* Please note that
if the water freezes it will clog up the filter – in this event, defrost
before use by sitting the filter in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes.
[1] node/211076
Accommodation
This tour spends two nights in a comfortable hotel in Kathmandu, two nights in a hotel in Pokhara and 10 nights on trek in lodges (teahouses).
The hotels used may vary by departure date. In Kathmandu, we usually stay at the Royal Singi Hotel within walking distance of the Thamel district. In Pokhara, we use Hotel Dahlia.
The teahouses are basic but adequate; please be realistic about what to expect in the mountains.
The hub of the teahouse is the dining room, usually decorated with colourful traditional rugs, sometimes with a stove or heater (some lodges charge a fee to put the heater on) and some teahouses above 9,845ft (3,000m) may not be heated due to local environmental restrictions. Occasionally, kerosene burners can be used to heat common areas if requested. We recommend against using these due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning (your leader will not offer this to you).
Most teahouses sell snacks and other essentials such as tissues, soap and toilet paper. Almost all have electricity, but it is not wholly reliable, and lighting may not be bright enough to read by – a torch is essential. Electrical charging facilities are generally available only in the dining room (charged at approximately 150-350 Nepalese rupees per hour per device). Many of the lodges use solar power, so sometimes there is not enough electricity for charging. Many lodges have wifi – in some areas it works well but in others it is slow and temperamental.
The bedrooms are almost all twin-share, except for nights 7 to 10, above Chhomrong. Above Chhomrong, the lodges are controlled by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project and, for conservation reasons, there is a limit to the number of lodges that can be built and the number of rooms per lodge. This means the rooms have more than two beds, often three to five beds in a small room. Due to the limited accommodation available, the lodges will not allow us to book twin rooms on these nights, even if we pay a higher price. Your leader will try their best to sort the rooms out fairly but please be aware that you will be in multi-bedded rooms in close quarters for some nights. Beds with foam mattresses, bedsheets and a pillow are provided. Bedrooms are generally unheated and can get cold at night, so you will need to bring or hire a sleeping bag.
Most lodges have only one or two basic toilets and sometimes these are outside the main lodge building. Toilets are usually squat style, although many lodges have now installed seated ones. Toilet paper is not provided so you should bring your own or buy it locally (please dispose of it the bin provided – do not put it in the bowl). If there is not a flush handle, there should be a container of water to pour down – if it is empty (or frozen) please either refill it or ask the lodge to.
Some lodges now have hot ‘showers’ (charged at approximately 250-500 rupees per shower). Sometimes a hot shower is simply a bucket of hot water and not a shower head.
Standards of cleanliness vary, especially in the peak trekking season and in winter when the water freezes at night. Please report any problems to your leader or the lodge and be vigilant in your personal hygiene regime – use soap or hand-sanitiser gel before and after toilet breaks, snacks and mealtimes.
As a rule, the higher altitude you go, the more basic the lodges and the more expensive food and services become.
Extra accommodation
If you require any additional accommodation in Kathmandu either before or after the tour, we can book this for you (subject to availability), please enquire with your sales representative.
Single accommodation
If you prefer your own room, we offer a single supplement for the hotel nights in Kathmandu and Pokhara only (subject to availability). While in the teahouses, single rooms cannot be guaranteed so these have not been included in the single supplement price paid in advance. However, if a single room is available on arrival to a teahouse, you can pay locally on a day-by-day basis.
Check out our Q&As
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
We are happy to assist with pre and post tour accommodation. Please enquire for detailed information.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
The minimum age for this tour is 16 years old.
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Who is Exodus Travels?
At Exodus Travels, we've been exploring the world for nearly 50 years. From Walking and Trekking, Cultural and Cycling, Responsible Wildlife, to Polar and our new Premium Adventures, we are proud to offer award-winning small group and self-guided tours to 100+ countries worldwide.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, our local guides are English speaking.
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Are flights included in this tour?
International flights are not included with this tour.
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
If you would like to be paired with a tour member of the same gender, there is no additional charge. A single supplement can be requested if you would like your own room.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Cancellation Policy
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