The Annapurna Sanctuary trek, also known as Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, is a powerhouse—
it’s one of the shortest major treks in Nepal and gets up close and personal with some of the biggest mountains. The trek begins with lowland bamboo forests and rhododendrons before making it up through the Modi Khola Gorge into the mountain amphitheater that is the Annapurna Sanctuary. This high glacial basin is wild Himalayan country ringed by ten of the most impressive peaks in Nepal, including Annapurna I, Annapurna II, and Machapuchare. If you visit the Annapurna Sanctuary during the good weather months in the fall and spring, you can expect clear mornings and evenings and a glowing panorama of snow-capped peaks and starry skies.
So what are the downsides of the Annapurna Sanctuary trek? First, the section from Chhomrong to Annapurna Base Camp, more than half the trek, is an up-and-back, meaning that you will be hiking down the same trail you hiked up. This is the reality of the geography—the Modi Khola Gorge is the only way into the Sanctuary for trekkers. Second, the gains in elevation are quicker than preferred, rising from Pokhara at 940 meters (3,085 feet) to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 meters (13,550 feet) in 5–6 days. This elevation change isn’t optimal, but the highest point on the trek is considerably lower than other major treks in Nepal, many of which reach 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) or more. Trekkers should be particularly aware of the issue and follow closely the rules of acclimatization.
The journey to the Annapurna Sanctuary kicks off from Pokhara with a one-hour taxi or bus to Phedi, where the trekking begins. The bottom portion of the trek near Phedi is a small network of trails and Gurung villages from which it takes two days to get to the village of Chhomrong. From Chhomrong, the trail passes up the Modi Khola Gorge into the heart of the sanctuary and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on the planet.
Itinerary
You will start with a scenic drive after early morning breakfast, traveling by tourist bus out of the Kathmandu Valley and along the picturesque Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers. Along the way, you get to enjoy majestically flowing rivers, terraced fields, villages, and sights of the snowy mountains, including Ganesh and Manaslu peaks.
We will stop at Pokhara - the tourist capital of Nepal- and head to Dhampus, which is 2 hours away from Pokhara. Dhampus is a picturesque Gurung village that offers fabulous views of mountains such as Annapurna South Peaks, the Fishtail, Dhaulagiri, Hiunchuli, and other peaks. We will stay in Dhampus this day, enjoying the sunset views of the Himalayas.
After breakfast, we set off our day's hike, and the trail will first take us to Pothana through rhododendron (the national flower of Nepal) and orchid-hung forests. The route is stone-paved on the steeper sections. You can catch the best views of Machhapuchhare from Pothana.
As we continue forward, we reach a clearing on a pass- called Deurali, from where you can get fantastic views of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. At this point, we are high up on the east side of the Modi Khola, and a descent follows through the forest alive with birds, ferns, and orchids taking us to a grand Modi Khola canyon. Little ahead lies Landruk - our destination for this day. Landruk offers outstanding views of Machhapuchhare (6920m), Annapurna South (7219m), and Hiunchuli (6441m).
From Landruk, we descend to the river and cross it. Then our route climbs quite steeply, high above the river, through bamboo forests and isolated farmsteads. We will be stopping at Jhinu Danda for lunch. If you are enthusiastic, you can walk for 20 minutes to reach the hot springs at Jhinu Danda and take a bath.
After Jhino Danda, the trail ascends to Chomrong Village. Chomrong is built on the steep hillside and has a few shops and several tea houses, wooden lodges, and the whole village faces Macchappuchare (Fish-Tail Peak). In case, we arrive at Chomrong early, we will trek further to Sinuwa to spend the night.
If at Chomrong, we descend through the spread-out picturesque Chomrong Village to a river crossing before climbing again and heading north of the Modi River Valley. We cross a suspension bridge and then trek to Sinuwa Danda.
If we stayed at Sinuwa Danda the previous night, we will start the trek from Sinuwa. The trail from Sinuwa Danda becomes somewhat wider as it passes through thick and dark rhododendron forests until we reach Khuldighar. From Khuldighar, we descend long and steep stone steps into deep bamboo and rhododendron forests to reach Bamboo. After a gentle ascent from Bamboo, we finally reach Himalaya. If we spent the last night at Sinuwa, we will trek to Deurali, otherwise, we will stay at Himalaya for the night.
Our path will differ in length based on where we spent the night. If we stayed in Himalaya, we ascend upstream gently along the banks of the Modi Khola and then through the rugged path over to the mountainside to reach Deurali. However, if we stayed at Deurali, the trek progresses from there.
The walk until Machhapuchhre Base Camp is somewhat strenuous. From Machhapuchhre Base Camp, we get excellent views of the majestic Machhapuchhre, Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gandharvachuli, and Gangapurna, which is certainly a rewarding experience.
We continue our trek leaving Macchapuchhare Base Camp until we reach Annapurna Base Camp. From the Annapurna Base Camp you will savor the mesmerizing views of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Hiunchuli, and other peaks.
After savoring another sunrise on the Himalayas from our otherworldly Annapurna Base Camp, we will have our breakfast. Then it is time to retrace our path out of Annapurna Sanctuary and Modi River valley. Since we will be descending, the trek is quite easy, and on the way, you can enjoy the views of several waterfalls. We will eventually make it to Bamboo, our destination for the day.
We continue our descent, passing through the same serene rhododendron, bamboo, and oak forests, that we pursued during our ascent. Then we ascend slightly to Chomrong village before dropping down to the small, peaceful settlement of Jhinu Danda. This village has nearby riverside hot springs where you can soak your tired muscles.
We have reached our final day on the trekking trails. Today, you will make a pleasant hike along the Modi River as we head down the beautiful Modi River Valley. The descent takes us through the fertile landscape until we reach Siwa/Ghandruk Phedi. We then say goodbye to the trails and make a return drive through picturesque countryside to Pokhara.
Today is an early start as we depart on a tourist bus and return to Kathmandu. The 200 km route first follows the banks of Marsyangdi River and then the Trishuli River offering fabulous natural scenery and farmlands. The bus makes a final climb, and we reach Kathmandu. We hope that your Annapurna Sanctuary trek was extremely enjoyable.