Annapurna Base Camp Trek — Self-Launched Edition

Book a tourist bus (Greenline, Swissa or similar) from Kathmandu's Thamel area to Pokhara the day before — roughly £12-16, departing 7am, arriving late afternoon (7-8 hours). Alternatively a local bus is £5-7 but slower and less comfortable. On arrival check in around Lakeside, then walk the Phewa Tal shoreline for sunset views of Machapuchare and the Annapurnas. Use the evening to pick up your ACAP permit and TIMS card at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Pokhara (bring passport photos and cash, roughly £15-20 total) if you didn't get them in Kathmandu.

🚌Tourist bus ~£14; local taxi to Lakeside ~£2

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara (dorm or simple double, £8-14 pp)

• →Tourist bus Kathmandu–Pokhara
• →Phewa Tal lakeside walk
• →Collect ACAP permit and TIMS card

Take a shared jeep or local bus from Pokhara's Baglung Bus Park to Nayapul (about 1.5 hours, £2-4 shared). Register your permits at the Birethanti checkpoint, then walk the trail through Birethanti and Tikhedhunga — the notorious 3,000 stone steps up to Ulleri are a proper leg-burner. Teahouse in Ulleri with views toward Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. Eat dal bhat for dinner — unlimited refills are the trekker's best friend.

🚌Shared jeep ~£3

🛏Teahouse in Ulleri (£4-7 pp, often discounted with dinner)

• →Shared jeep Pokhara–Nayapul
• →Permit check at Birethanti
• →Trek Tikhedhunga to Ulleri (stone stairs)

A gentler but steady climb through oak and rhododendron forest — spectacular if you hit bloom in March-April. About 5-6 hours. Arrive early afternoon in Ghorepani, a lively village of teahouses on the ridge. Warm up in the dining hall, charge your devices (usually £1-2 per charge), and get an early night for the Poon Hill sunrise.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Ghorepani (£4-7 pp)

• →Trek Ulleri–Ghorepani
• →Rhododendron and oak forest walking

Set your alarm for 4:30am and climb 45 minutes to Poon Hill (3,210m) for the classic sunrise over Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machapuchare and Manaslu. Entry to the viewpoint is included with your ACAP permit. Back to Ghorepani for breakfast, then a rolling traverse via Deurali and Banthanti to Tadapani — about 6 hours through more forest with monkeys if you're lucky.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Tadapani (£4-7 pp)

• →Poon Hill sunrise viewpoint (3,210m)
• →Trek Ghorepani–Tadapani via Deurali and Banthanti

Descend steeply to the Kimrong Khola, cross the suspension bridge, then climb back up to Chomrong — the last real village before the sanctuary, and the gateway to the ABC trail. About 6 hours. Great views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machapuchare from the terraces. Stock up on snacks here; prices rise steadily above Chomrong.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Chomrong (£4-7 pp)

• →Trek Tadapani–Chomrong via Kimrong Khola
• →Suspension bridge crossings

Drop down to the Chomrong Khola and climb the long stone staircase on the other side, then continue through bamboo grove and forest to Dovan. Roughly 5-6 hours. This is where the valley narrows and the Modi Khola starts to roar — you're properly inside the sanctuary now. Expect simpler teahouses and higher prices from here up.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Dovan (£4-8 pp)

• →Trek Chomrong–Dovan via Khuldighar
• →Bamboo forest section

A shorter day (3-4 hours) through rhododendron forest along the Modi Khola, passing Himalaya Hotel (2,920m) and the Hinku Cave — a dramatic overhang used by shepherds. Arrive at Deurali early, rest, hydrate and acclimatise; this is your last stop before base camp and altitude is now a real factor. Keep the pace slow and watch for headaches.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Deurali (£5-8 pp)

• →Trek Dovan–Deurali
• →Hinku Cave visit
• →Altitude acclimatisation rest

The big day — about 5-6 hours climbing past Machapuchare Base Camp (3,700m) and into the amphitheatre itself. Arrive at ABC by early afternoon and watch the light change on Annapurna I (8,091m), Annapurna South (7,219m), Barah Shikhar and Machapuchare. Teahouses at ABC are basic and pricey (£8-12 pp) — book on arrival, and bring cash as there's no ATM. Sleep early and expect a cold night; rent a sleeping bag in Pokhara beforehand for £1-2/day if needed.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse at Annapurna Base Camp (£8-12 pp)

• →Trek Deurali–Machapuchare Base Camp–ABC
• →Sunset on Annapurna I from base camp

Catch sunrise over Annapurna I if you can drag yourself out of the sleeping bag, then descend roughly 1,700m back down the valley to Bamboo Village — about 6-7 hours but mostly downhill. Knees will complain; walking poles help enormously. Overnight in Bamboo, where prices and oxygen both return to normal.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Bamboo (£4-8 pp)

• →Sunrise at Annapurna Base Camp
• →Long descent via Machapuchare Base Camp to Bamboo

Trek back through Chomrong and down the steep stone steps to Jhinu Danda — the reward being natural riverside hot springs about 20 minutes below the village. Soak those calves. Small entry fee to the springs (roughly £1-2). Celebration dinner and maybe a beer, now that altitude is no longer a concern.

🚌On foot

🛏Guesthouse in Jhinu Danda (£4-8 pp)

• →Trek Bamboo–Chomrong–Jhinu Danda
• →Jhinu Danda hot springs

A final easy 3-4 hour walk out along the Modi Khola to Birethanti and Nayapul, checking out at the permit post. From Nayapul take a shared jeep or local bus back to Pokhara (about 1.5 hours, £2-4). Check into a comfortable Lakeside guesthouse, shower properly for the first time in days, and eat something that isn't dal bhat.

🚌Shared jeep ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pokhara (£8-14 pp)

• →Trek Jhinu Danda–Birethanti–Nayapul
• →Shared jeep/bus Nayapul–Pokhara

Morning tourist bus back to Kathmandu (about 7-8 hours, £12-16). Book the day before, ideally the same operator you used outbound. Arrive in Thamel in the late afternoon. If you've got energy left, wander Durbar Square or the Swayambhunath monkey temple for sunset — or just collapse at a rooftop restaurant in Thamel with a momo platter.

🚌Tourist bus ~£14; local taxi ~£2

🛏Thamel guesthouse, Kathmandu (£8-15 pp)

• →Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu
• →Optional Thamel or Swayambhunath evening wander