Annapurna Base Camp Trek - 13 Days (Self-Launched)

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport, grab a prepaid taxi or ride-share to Thamel (NPR 700-1,000, ~£5). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse, sort a Nepali SIM/eSIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3-5 for data), and pick up your permits if your agency is open — otherwise do it on Day 2. Wander Thamel for dinner (dal bhat ~£2.50) and stock up on snacks, water purification tablets and a buff. Rental down jacket and sleeping bag can be hired in Thamel for ~£1-1.50/day each if you don't have your own.

🚌Airport taxi to Thamel ~£5

🛏Hostel private room or budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£10-15)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Buy/hire trekking gear
• →Arrange TIMS + ACAP permits
• →Nepali SIM card

Take a tourist bus from Kathmandu's Koteshwor/Sorakhutte bus park to Pokhara (~7-8 hours, £7-9) or a morning flight (~£60-80). Most tourist buses leave 7am. On arrival, settle into Lakeside, hire or buy any last gear, and walk the lakefront for sunset over Phewa Tal with Machapuchare and Annapurna South on the horizon. Buy your bus ticket to Nayapul/Siwai for tomorrow morning from a Lakeside agent.

🚌Kathmandu-Pokhara tourist bus ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or hostel (~£10-15)

• →Scenic bus ride to Pokhara
• →Lakeside café crawl
• →Sunset over Phewa Tal
• →Buy bus ticket to Nayapul

Local bus or shared jeep from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul (~1.5 hrs, £1-2). Walk the trail along the Modi Khola to Birethanti, then up the Burundi Khola valley via Hille to Tikhedhunga (about 4-5 hrs of walking). Show your TIMS and ACAP permits at the Birethanti checkpost. Teahouse stop for the night — expect simple rooms with shared bathrooms and a menu of dal bhat, noodles and porridge.

🚌Local bus to Nayapul ~£1.50

🛏Teahouse in Tikhedhunga (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Local bus Pokhara to Nayapul
• →Permit check at Birethanti
• →Trek Nayapul-Birethanti-Hille-Tikhedhunga

The famous 3,300 stone-step climb to Ulleri, then a gentler contour through rhododendron and oak forest via Banthanti and Nangethanti to Ghorepani. Roughly 5-6 hours. Ghorepani sits on the ridge with superb sunset views of Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas. Book your bed early in high season (Oct-Nov) — the village fills up by mid-afternoon.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Ghorepani (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Ulleri stone staircase
• →Rhododendron forest walk
• →Sunset over Dhaulagiri from Ghorepani

Headlamp on at 4:45am for the 45-60 min climb to Poon Hill (3,210m) for sunrise over Annapurna South, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and Machapuchare. There's a small entry fee (~£2-3) at the top. Return to Ghorepani for breakfast, then trek a rolling forest ridge through Deurali and Banthanti to Tadapani (5-6 hrs).

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Tadapani (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint
• →Ridge trek Ghorepani-Tadapani
• →Forest birdwatching

Descend through mossy rhododendron forest to the Chhomrong Khola, then climb the long stone staircase into Chhomrong village — the gateway to the sanctuary and one of the prettiest villages on the trek. About 4-5 hours. Good bakeries and a chance to restock snacks here.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Chhomrong (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Rhododendron forest descent
• →Chhomrong village stroll
• →Restock snacks and cash

Down to the Chhomrong Khola suspension bridge and up past Khuldighar, then a gentler rocky trail through bamboo to Himalayan Hotel. Around 4-5 hours — deliberately short to aid acclimatisation. You'll notice the forest change from rhododendron to bamboo and the air getting thinner.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse at Himalayan Hotel (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Chhomrong Khola bridge crossing
• →Bamboo forest trek
• →Acclimatisation rest afternoon

The big day: walk up through Deurali, past Hinko Cave, into the amphitheatre at Machapuchare Base Camp, then the final 1.5-2 hrs to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130m. About 6-7 hours. Arrive by mid-afternoon, layer up immediately (it drops below freezing after dark), and watch sunset light up the Annapurna I south face. Sleep low-key, drink water, and don't push past your limits.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse at ABC (dorm beds, ~£6-10; basic shared facilities)

• →Hinko Cave
• →Machapuchare Base Camp
• →Annapurna Base Camp sunset
• →Sanctuary amphitheatre views

Sunrise at ABC — get out at first light for the glacier and Annapurna I panorama — then retrace your steps down past Machapuchare Base Camp and Deurali to Bamboo. About 6-7 hours of descent. Knees will feel it, so use poles. Warmer air and thicker oxygen make this a pleasant day.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse at Bamboo (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Sunrise at ABC
• →Descent via Deurali
• →Wildlife spotting in bamboo forest

Trek back up over the ridge past Khuldighar and Chhomrong, then down to Jhinu Danda (5-6 hrs). The reward: natural riverside hot springs a 20-25 min walk below the village (~£1-2 entry). Soak those legs — this is the highlight of the return leg.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Jhinu Danda (~£4-6 per bed)

• →Khuldighar ridge
• →Chhomrong village
• →Jhinu Danda hot springs

A short 2-3 hour walk down along the Modi Khola to Birethanti via New Bridge, then out to Nayapul where you catch a local bus or shared jeep back to Pokhara (~£2-3). Afternoon free: hire a rowing boat on Phewa Tal to visit the Barahi Temple island (~£3-4), or just collapse with a cold beer at Lakeside.

🚌Local bus Nayapul-Pokhara ~£2

🛏Lakeside guesthouse in Pokhara (~£10-15)

• →Final trek to Nayapul
• →Local bus to Pokhara
• →Boat to Barahi Temple on Phewa Tal

Morning tourist bus or flight back to Kathmandu. Optional extras if you want to extend the trip: a Chitwan jungle safari (2-3 day add-on, ~£70-100), a Trishuli or Bhote Koshi rafting day (~£30-45), or a guided food-and-shopping walk in Kathmandu's old town (~£15-20). Otherwise, arrive in Thamel for a proper shower and a celebratory dinner.

🚌Pokhara-Kathmandu tourist bus ~£8 (or flight ~£60-80)

🛏Thamel hostel or guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Bus or flight to Kathmandu
• →Optional Chitwan safari or rafting
• →Kathmandu old town wander

Final morning for last-minute souvenirs in Asan Tole or a coffee in Patan, then taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport. If you have a late flight, drop your bag at the guesthouse and do a short walk to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple, ~£2 entry).

🚌Taxi to airport ~£5

🛏Departure day

• →Souvenir shopping
• →Swayambhunath visit
• →Airport transfer