Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek into the heart of the Annapurna Himalaya is intended to fulfill the dream of many people to experience the significant mountain holiday at the base of the world's famous Annapurna Himal (8091 m), the region’s most beautiful peak, Machhapuchhre (6997 m), Annapurna South, Gangapurna, Hiuchuli, etc. in the region. The place is a high glacial basin lying forty kilometers directly north of Pokhara. This oval-shaped plateau sits at an elevation of over 4130 meters and is enclosed by a ring of mountains, the Annapurna range, most of which are above 7000 meters. With the only access to a narrow pass between the peaks of Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre, from where Modi Khola River runoff glaciers drain, the Sanctuary was not penetrated by outsiders until 1956.

Because of the high mountains on all sides, the Annapurna Sanctuary receives only 7 hours of sunlight a day at the height of summer. The unique combination of heights and depths in the Annapurna Sanctuary gives rise to an astonishing diversity of ecosystems. The south-facing slopes are “covered in dense tropical jungles of rhododendron and bamboo," while the north-facing slopes, in the rain shadow, Nepal’s regions like Upper Mustang have “a drier, colder weather similar to that of the nearby Tibetan Plateau.”

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, commonly known as the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, was considered holy to the Gurung people, one of the many resident people to inhabit the area. They believed it was the storage area of gold and a variety of resources left by the Nagas, the serpent gods known in India. The sanctuary was believed to be the home of several deities from Hinduism and Buddhism as well as the older animistic gods. The peak of Machhapuchhre at the doorway was said to be the home of the god Shiva, and the daily plumes of snow were thought the smoke of his divine incense. Until recently, the local Gurung people forbade anyone from bringing meat or eggs into the sanctuary, and women and untouchables were prohibited from going there as well.

In recent years, the number of trekkers to the Annapurna Sanctuary has increased substantially, in part because the Sanctuary forms the base of one of the major routes to the peaks of the Annapurna range. The Annapurna Sanctuary is now part of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which places restrictions on the number of outside travelers, gathering of firewood, and domestic animal grazing.

The standard itinerary of the Annapurna Sanctuary trek will be 7 to 10 days. The exact itinerary depends on the route you choose to begin the journey. Many people trek through Dhampus Australian Camp, and many others trek via the famous Ghorepani Poon Hill route; the longer version requires 9 to 10 days to complete the trip.

The shorter version: We can start the hike at Kande and walk through Dhampus Australian Camp, follow the Mardi Himal Trek route until Pritam Deurali, and then go down to Landruk and follow the Chhomrung–ABC Trek short route. It is a personally redeveloped trek; contact our expert Nepal trip planner.