Annapurna Base Camp Trek Itinerary: 5, 7 & 10-Day Options

Which Itinerary Is Right for You?

Unlike Everest Base Camp, ABC has no fixed acclimatisation schedule dictated by a high-altitude flight, so its length is flexible. The route is the same; what changes is how many stages you merge and whether you add the Ghorepani Poon Hill loop at the start.

All versions start and finish in Pokhara, with a 2–3 hour drive to the trailhead at Siwai or Nayapul.

The Classic 7-Day Itinerary

This is the route most trekkers walk, well-paced, no rushed days, and it finishes at the Jhinu hot springs.

Day 1: Pokhara → Ghandruk (1,940 m)

Morning drive to the trailhead, then a stone-stepped climb to the handsome Gurung village of Ghandruk, with its first big views of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. (3–4 hrs walking.)

Day 2: Ghandruk → Chhomrong (2,170 m)

Contour to Kimrong Khola, then climb to Chhomrong, the last permanent village and gateway to the Sanctuary. (5–6 hrs.)

Day 3: Chhomrong → Bamboo (2,310 m)

A long descent of stone steps, then a climb to Sinuwa and a drop into thick forest at Bamboo, deep in the Modi Khola gorge. (5–6 hrs.)

Day 4: Bamboo → Deurali (3,230 m)

A steady forest climb through Dovan and Himalaya Hotel to Deurali, the last stop before the avalanche-prone gateway. (5–6 hrs.)

Day 5: Deurali → MBC → Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m)

The big day. Cross the Sanctuary "gate" early, reach Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m) for lunch, then the final gentle climb to ABC and a 360° wall of peaks. (5–7 hrs.)

Day 6: Sunrise at ABC → Bamboo (2,310 m)

Dawn over Annapurna I, then a fast descent back to Bamboo. (6–7 hrs.)

Day 7: Bamboo → Jhinu Danda hot springs → Pokhara

Over the Sinuwa ridge and down to Jhinu Danda, where natural hot springs by the Modi Khola reward tired legs, then drive back to Pokhara. (5–6 hrs + drive.)

The Fast 5-Day Itinerary

For strong walkers short on time. It uses the newer roads to drive deep toward Siwai/Jhinu, cutting the lower stages, and merges the descent days. It is demanding, expect 6–8 hour days with big elevation swings, and leaves little margin for bad weather.

• Day 1: Drive Pokhara → Jhinu/Chhomrong area; trek to Chhomrong (2,170 m).
• Day 2: Chhomrong → Deurali (3,230 m), a big day.
• Day 3: Deurali → ABC (4,130 m); afternoon at base camp.
• Day 4: Sunrise at ABC → descend to Bamboo/Sinuwa.
• Day 5: Descend to Jhinu Danda → drive to Pokhara.

The 5-day plan climbs to 4,130 m quickly. If you have not been at altitude recently, the gentler 7-day route is safer, see our ABC altitude sickness guide.

The 10–11 Day Itinerary (with Poon Hill)

The most rewarding version for first-timers and anyone who wants the full Annapurna foothills experience. It begins with the Ghorepani Poon Hill loop, a famous sunrise viewpoint over the entire Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range, before joining the ABC trail at Chhomrong.

• Days 1–4: Pokhara → Tikhedhunga → Ghorepani; pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m); on to Tadapani and Chhomrong.
• Days 5–8: The classic ABC route in to base camp and back to Bamboo, with an optional rest/acclimatisation day.
• Days 9–10: Jhinu Danda hot springs → Pokhara.

The extra days mean better acclimatisation, two sunrise spectacles instead of one, and a far more relaxed walk overall.