Annapurna Base Camp Trek — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (~NPR 800–1,000, about £5–6; ignore the touts inside the terminal and buy the prepaid voucher at the taxi desk). Check into a Thamel or Paknajal guesthouse. In the afternoon walk 25 minutes to Kathmandu Durbar Square (NPR 1,000 entry) and wander the old town lanes, then take a local bus or £2 taxi to Boudhanath Stupa for sunset kora (NPR 400 entry) — the surrounding rooftop cafés are great for your first dal bhat. Sort out a Nepali SIM/eSIM (Ncell or NTC tourist SIM, ~£5–8 for 7–14 days data) and withdraw cash — ATMs in Thamel are reliable but carry backup cash for the trek.

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£5; walking and local bus in town

🛏Thamel guesthouse / budget hotel, private room

• →Kathmandu Durbar Square (self-guided)
• →Boudhanath Stupa sunset kora
• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Buy Ncell/NTC tourist SIM

Early start for Pashupatinath Temple (NPR 1,000 entry) to see the morning rituals on the Bagmati ghats — go before 8am for the calmest light and fewest crowds. Grab breakfast in Thamel, then take a tourist coach to Pokhara (Greenline/Swift/Objective; ~7–8 hrs, £13–18 including a lunch stop) from the Kantipath bus office. Alternatively, fly Kathmandu–Pokhara with Buddha Air or Yeti (~£65–90, 25 min) if you're short on time. Arrive Pokhara by evening, walk Lakeside, and register at the Nepal Tourism Board / ACAP counter on Damside Road the same evening or first thing tomorrow (bring passport photos and passport).

🚌Tourist coach Kathmandu–Pokhara ~£15 (or domestic flight ~£70)

🛏Lakeside or Damside guesthouse, Pokhara, private room

• →Pashupatinath Temple morning visit
• →Scenic drive along the Trishuli River
• →Lakeside Pokhara evening walk

Collect your ACAP entry permit (NPR 3,000) and TIMS card (NPR 2,000) at the Nepal Tourism Board office, Damside Road, Pokhara — brings two passport photos and photocopies of your passport. Then take a shared local jeep from Pokhara's Baglung bus park to Nayapul and on to Jhinu Danda (roughly 2.5–3 hrs total, ~£10–14 combined, or a direct shared jeep for ~£15–20 per seat if you team up with other trekkers at the guesthouse). Lunch at a Jhinu tea house, then walk 20 minutes downhill to the riverside hot springs (NPR 150–200 entry) for a soak before the trek starts. Sort a porter-guide here if you want one — ask your guesthouse in Pokhara to arrange, typically £20–25 per day.

🚌Shared jeep Pokhara–Nayapul–Jhinu ~£12

🛏Tea house in Jhinu Danda, private or twin room with shared bath

• →ACAP + TIMS permits (NPR 5,000 total)
• →Jhinu hot springs
• →Tea house dinner and early night

The big climb day: from Jhinu (1,780m) up the stone steps to Chhomrong (2,170m) — about 2 hrs of relentless stairs, rewarded by the first full-frontal view of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. Eat a proper dal bhat lunch in Chhomrong, then descend to the Chhomrong Khola suspension bridge and climb again through bamboo and rhododendron forest to Dovan (2,600m), roughly 6–7 hrs walking in total. Check into a tea house, order dinner before 6pm (menus get slower as altitude rises), and refill your bottles from the free or low-cost boiled-water stations rather than buying plastic bottles.

🚌On foot, 6–7 hrs

🛏Tea house in Dovan, basic twin room with shared bath

• →Chhomrong viewpoint
• →Bamboo and rhododendron forest trek
• →Dal bhat at a trail tea house

A shorter but higher day: 4–5 hrs from Dovan (2,600m) through Bamboo and Himalaya to Deurali (3,230m). Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and treat this as your acclimatisation day — the altitude really starts to register above 3,000m. The trail follows the Modi Khola gorge with waterfalls and avalanche chutes; keep an ear out for rockfall in the avalanche-prone sections and don't linger under them. In Deurali, sleep low, eat a light dinner, and set an early alarm for the Base Camp push. Expect tea house rooms to get noticeably colder and more basic — bring a down jacket and sleeping bag liner.

🚌On foot, 4–5 hrs

🛏Tea house in Deurali, basic twin room with shared bath

• →Modi Khola gorge trek
• →Waterfall and avalanche-chute viewpoints
• →Altitude acclimatisation rest

Start by 6:30am for the 5–6 hr climb to Base Camp. Pass Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700m) where the peaks of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South and Gangapurna suddenly appear overhead, then continue the final 1.5–2 hrs up to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130m. Arrive early afternoon, claim a tea house room, and spend golden hour on the moraine watching Annapurna I. Eat a big early dinner (garlic soup is the local altitude remedy) and get to bed early for sunrise. Take it very slowly — headaches and breathlessness are your signal to stop, rest and descend if needed.

🚌On foot, 5–6 hrs

🛏Tea house at Annapurna Base Camp, basic twin room with shared bath

• →Machhapuchhre Base Camp
• →Annapurna Base Camp summit sign and moraine viewpoint
• →Sunset over Annapurna I

Wake before dawn for sunrise on the Annapurna sanctuary walls — the single best view of the trek, and free. After breakfast, descend the same trail; the long knee-bashing descent to Bamboo (2,310m) takes 6–7 hrs. Take trekking poles and pace yourself on the stone steps. Tea houses in Bamboo and Dovan are cheaper than higher up, so this is a good night to splash out on a hot shower (NPR 200–400) and a proper meal. Confirm tomorrow's onward plan with your tea house owner — jeeps from Jhinu/Siwai back to Pokhara can be booked in the evening.

🚌On foot, 6–7 hrs downhill

🛏Tea house in Bamboo or Dovan, basic twin room with shared bath

• →Sunrise at Annapurna Base Camp
• →Descent through the Modi Khola gorge
• →Hot shower and rest day prep

Final 4–5 hrs of trekking back up to Chhomrong and down the steps to Jhinu Danda. Drop your pack at a tea house, soak in the riverside hot springs for an hour, then catch a shared jeep from Jhinu/Nayapul back to Pokhara (~£10–15, 2.5 hrs) — jeeps run until mid-afternoon, so don't leave it late. Back in Pokhara, check into a Lakeside guesthouse, shower off two weeks of trail dust, and eat momos and grilled fish by the lake. Optional: paragliding from Sarangkot booked a day ahead via Klook or a Lakeside agency (~£60–75) if you want a rest-day thrill instead of a lake stroll.

🚌On foot 4–5 hrs; shared jeep Jhinu–Pokhara ~£12

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara, private room

• →Jhinu hot springs
• →Chhomrong farewell views
• →Phewa Lake sunset walk

Take the morning tourist coach back to Kathmandu (~£15, 7–8 hrs) or a morning flight (~£70) if you need to catch an international connection — flights are far safer for same-day departures given monsoon-season road delays. In Kathmandu, use your remaining hours for souvenir shopping in Thamel (pashmina, singing bowls, trekking gear) and a last dal bhat, then a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (£5). Remember to keep NPR 3,000 or so for the airport if you've spent your cash, and allow 3 hrs before an international flight.

🚌Tourist coach Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£15 (or flight ~£70); airport taxi ~£5

🛏None — day room in Thamel if needed (~£12)

• →Trishuli River views on the drive
• →Thamel souvenir shopping
• →Final dal bhat