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Annapurna Sanctuary

Annapurna Sanctuary

per person

Annapurna Sanctuary

7 Days | A fabulous mountain amphitheatre, hot springs, and much more!

Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

The Annapurna Sanctuary is a fabulous mountain amphitheater that showcases some of the most magnificent views in the Himalayas. As you trek through this stunning landscape, you’ll encounter relaxing hot springs that offer a perfect opportunity to unwind after a day of exploration. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to experience the warmth and hospitality of the fun-loving Gurung communities, whose rich culture and traditions add to the trek’s charm. If you have a little more time, there are numerous wonderful extension options to further explore the region, making the Annapurna Sanctuary an ideal destination for both adventure and relaxation in a breathtaking setting.

Is this tour for me?

Travel Style: Active

Hiking, trekking, adventure with a guide, and staying in teahouses, made for outdoor types.

Physical Rating: 3 - Energetic

Trail is on a good track with some obstacles and with limited signage.

Service Level: Basic Teahouse

Comfy, family-owned teahouses with all meals provided along the trail.

Check Your Visa Requirements

Before booking, use our handy entry requirements tool so you know which documents you need to enter and travel through the countries on your trip.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 12, Avg 8

Age requirement: 12+

All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Important pre-departure information

To help you prepare for your trip, please ensure you understand the latest travel and health requirements and restrictions by destination, for both directions of travel, which may change frequently.

IMPORTANT PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION

When to visit Annapurna Sanctuary?

Lying to the south of the Great Himalaya Range, this region has a typical monsoonal climate: a long rainy season from June/July through to the end of September and then a period of stable weather through to mid-January. Later winter storms frequently fill the Sanctuary with large amounts of snow, often burying the teahouses completely. The spring thaw is in March and the trails soon re-open and remain so even through monsoon.

Annapurna Sanctuary
From 7 days

Annapurna Sanctuary

From $ 852 USD
Valid On August 2024

Postive Impacts

GHG Footprint of 19kg CO2e per day

Social Impacts: 62% of trek expenses support local communities directly

Why you will love this Trek

Trekking Grade: Grade 3 Energetic Fabulous mountain views A relaxing hot spring Beautiful forests Comfy teahouses Best season: Year round Walking times: Less than 6½ hours per day

Wake up to the stunning Annapurna peaks, framed perfectly from your window in the heart of the Himalayas.

The Annapurna Sanctuary is known for its stunning views along easy-going trails.

The comfort and

convenience of the

teahouses on the

Annapurna Sanctuary trail

are matched by

their stunning views!

 

 

Annapurna Sanctuary: Route Options

The Annapurna Sanctuary has remained relatively unchanged since the first trekking boom in the mid-1990s, probably because local investment concentrated on the Circuit route and there are limited high trail combination options. It’s easy to link this trek with Poon Hill and/or Khopra Ridge (Khopra Danda) via Tadapani, and to the east of Landruk you could connect to the Mardi Himal trails and even go cross-country as far as Siklis and the old (and high) monsoon route over the Namun Bhanjyang to Timang.

Poon Hill and Kopra Ridge

It is easy to link Birethanti and Ghandruk with trails to Poon Hill, adding another 2 days to this itinerary, see Poon Hill and Khopra Ridge Trek.

From Landruk and Pothana

There are dozens of trails heading east and towards Pokhara that can add a touch of delightful cultural immersion to the end of this itinerary. Check out the Mardi Himal, or winding routes to Sikles and the Gurung Heritage Trail.

Side trip from Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)

For those who are acclimatised and have the time, there is an excellent viewpoint on the far side of the Annapurna South Glacier and above the Tent Peak Base Camp. From ABC descend to the glacier and look for a trail marked by cairns, which crosses the glacier to a large gully (beware of rockfall!) cut by a stream through the moraine on the far side of the valley.

Climb to the left of the gully to a grassy moraine and head west as a small trail winds around the base of some buttresses. Before the rim of another deep gully (4350m, 1.5hrs), climb straight up the face of a buttress which soon begins to level to a point where you can cross a small stream to the west bank and ascend a broad grassy slope that leads up to a viewpoint (4890m, 2hrs) of the entire western basin of the Sanctuary. To the east is Tent Peak (Tharpu Chuli), to the north-east is Singu Chuli, to the north is Khangsar Kang (Roc Noir), and to the west is the massive face of Annapurna I (8091m). The southern horizon is filled with Annapurna South and Hiun Chuli. Your return to ABC will take 2 hours.

How can your Annapurna Sanctuary create positive impacts?

To help you budget and plan, we’ve made a comprehensive costing explanation on How Much Does the GHT Cost? But here’s a simplified breakdown.

From US$853

Trek cost per person, twin share

130kgCO2e

Total GHG emissions per trekker

19kgCO2e

GHGe per trekker per day

Average per capita EU GHGe = 20kgCO2e per day (www.statistica.com)

Go Local equals positive impacts

What we do…

…make Positive Impacts

% of Trek Cost

Go Local Transport

Use Local Accommodation

Eat Local Meals

Waste Management

Highly Experienced Guide

Biodiversity

Locally supplied transport reduces drive times and fuel usage

Locally supplied accommodation reduces commissions

More nutritious, fresher ingredients, no packaging

Carry out ALL PLASTIC, avoid snacks and soda drinks

A knowledge bank for your peace and wellbeing

National Park entry fee for you and the team

Administration and Office costs

25%

37%

 

0%

21%

3%

14%

Do you have any questions about the trail, when to go or the costs? Please Get in Touch to ask an expert and for more details.

Customisation is Normal

Want to do things a little differently? Maybe take some extra time, or go a bit faster? Or avoid technical sections or combine with other trails? Every GHT trek is different and that changes the price, but please feel free to Get in Touch to ask questions and how to customise your own trek.

Bookings

Please note that www.greathimalayatrail.com does not handle bookings for treks. We are here to inform you about the trails and logistics, but you will need to book through a registered trekking operator in Nepal. If you would like an operator recommendation or feedback on a company you are already talking to, then please Get in Touch.

Itinerary

DAY 1: KATHMANDU – POKHARA – BIRETHANTI – GHANDRUK

There are many options from Kathmandu to Pokhara (flight, bus, car) and then jeep or taxi to the picturesque Ghandruk village (1940m). For those with extra time, you can take a bus to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Entry Post at Birethanti (1050m) and begin your trek along the road route (add 4½ hours of walking time). 

Ghandruk is an amazing example of drystone-work and worth exploring a day. Spread over the entire hillside there are views of the Annapurna range which are best appreciated from one of the many bakery cafés in the village. 

DAY 2: GHANDRUK – SINUWA 5.5 HRS

There are many route options between Ghandruk and Chhomrong. The fastest and most popular is via Kot Danda and Kimrong but it bypasses the hot springs at Jhinu. Either way, you begin at the top of Ghandruk on an easy trail that contours through the forest.

To reach Jhinu, take a well-signed left fork and descend to Jhinu Danda (1780m, 3.5 hours) and then it is a quick 30 minutes to the hot springs! The climb from Jhinu up to the main trail at Chomrong (2170m) takes 1 hour.

To reach Kot Danda, follow the main trail out of the north-western end of the village, which heads to Tadapani. Once you leave the village it is easy to see Kot Danda on a ridge across a small valley and the trail route as it branches away from the Tadapani trail. It’s a pleasant stroll for 2 hours to Kot Danda where there are some tea shops to sit and enjoy the view. It is a steep downhill to Kimrong (1860m, 30 mins) where groups often stop for lunch. A steady climb for 1 hour brings you to Taulung (2180m) and Chhomrong (2170m) is 1 hour further.

Descend a stone stairway and cross a bridge to the true left bank of the Chhomrong Khola and then climb through some small terraces to Tilche (2010m, 40 mins). Beyond the village, enter a bamboo forest, traverse above Bhanuwa, and enter the Modhi Khola valley, forming a striking V shape ahead. The trail climbs to the last permanent settlement of Sinuwa (2360m, 35 mins) and continues through oak and rhododendron forest interspersed with large stands of bamboo. 

DAY 3: SINUWA – HIMALAYA 4 HRS

After 45 minutes you will reach Kuldhigar (2540m), where there are a few teahouses and another ACAP post. From here onwards, sections of the valley are affected by avalanche debris falling from the flanks of Hiun Chuli; you should check with ACAP staff if the trail is clear and safe. A short climb is followed by a steep descent on a well-prepared paved track to Bamboo (2310m, 30 mins), where the trail now deteriorates a little with tree roots and slippery sections forcing your pace to slow. Three small bridges cross tributaries en route to Dobhan (2600m, 1.5 hrs), where there are a few teahouses. 

From Dobhan the forest becomes more impressive with large rhododendrons covered in Spanish moss and pockets of orchids. The locals believe that the god Baraha protects the Sanctuary. Accidents are frequently explained as the unfortunate outcome of upsetting him by taking meat or eggs beyond a small shrine you’ll find opposite a pretty ‘weeping waterfall’. In 1.5 hours you reach the village of Himalaya (2920m), so named because there was initially a single teahouse here, called Himalaya, and the village sprang up around it once the trek became popular.

DAY 4: HIMALAYA – MACHHAPUCHHARE BASE CAMP (MBC) 3.5 HRS

Continue to climb through dense forest to a large rock overhang, called Hinku Cave (3170m, 1 hour), once the site of a teahouse. Deurali (3230m, 1 hour) can be seen ahead, beyond another avalanche-prone area. The valley broadens and a fine birch forest fills the far bank before you pass a small snow cave that has been slowly melting for decades. Two obvious rock pillars mark the ‘gateway’ to the Sanctuary, which suddenly opens out to broad grassy slopes and a series of teahouses at MBC (3700m, 1½hrs).

The last expedition to climb this sacred mountain was in 1957; out of respect, it stopped short of the summit. Many trekkers begin to feel the effects of altitude at MBC, so it is a good idea to initially rest and enjoy the views of Machhapuchhare, Gangapurna, and Annapurna South on arrival.If you are still feeling symptoms of altitude sickness later that evening or the following morning, you should rest for the day or consider descending to Himalaya.

DAY 5: MBC – ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP (ABC) 2 HRS

The trail climbs ancient moraine, now covered in grass, to the west of MBC. There are many trails that wind slowly upwards to ABC (4130m, 2hrs), some on the edge of the moraine for views of the Annapurna South Glacier, others towards the lower slopes of Hiun Chuli (giving a better perspective of the Sanctuary).There are four teahouses at ABC, which was the site for the 1970 British Annapurna Expedition, and a day spent wandering further up the valley or along the edge of the nearby moraine is a great way to absorb the majesty of the Himalaya.

DAY 6: ABC – BAMBOO 5.5 HRS

Backtrack along the same route to Bamboo (2310m, 5.5hrs).

DAY 7: BAMBOO – LANDRUK – POKHARA 5.5 HRS

Reach Sinuwa (2360m) in one hour from Bamboo and continue to Taulung (2180m, 1½ hours from Sinuwa). At the end of the village the trail forks: the right leads back to Kimrong, but take the left trail, which descends steeply to Jhinu (1780m, 45 mins). Before the track swings sharply west (into the Kimrong Khola valley) there is a small sign for a hot spring about 30 minutes to the north in the Modhi Khola valley. If you don’t want a hot bath, continue along the trail as it descends to a bridge, which you cross to the true right bank of the Kimrong Khola and then climb the far bank to Samrung (1750m, 30 mins).

After Samrung, descend to the Modhi Khola on a trail heading towards New Bridge (1340m, 20 mins). Just before the final descent to the bridge there is a sign to another hot springs down a scrambly track to the north of the bridge.

Cross the bridge to the true left bank of the Modhi Khola and pass through some small villages before a short climb to the large Gurung village of Landruk (1565m, 1.5 hrs), where there are taxis and shared jeeps to Pokhara. Then it’s back on the bus or flight to Kathmandu.

Trip Information

  • Trekking Grade: Grade 3 Energetic
  • Duration & distance: 7 days and an average of 15km a day
  • Gradient: Some steep sections
  • Quality of path: Formed tracks, some obstacles
  • Quality of markings: Limited signage
  • Experience required: Some walking experience required
  • Walking times: Up to 6½ hours per day
  • Steps: Steps on steep sections
  • Highest point: 4130m
  • Best season: Year round
  • Accommodation: Camping or basic teahouses
  • Recommended Guide Book: Nepal Trekking and the Great Himalaya Trail, Trailblazer, 2020.
  • Recommended map: NP107 GHT Annapurna, Naar and Phu, Himalayan Map House, 2017

20-35 days

20-35 days

Tea – House Trekking with a Guide

Trekking with a Camping Crew

FULL TRIP DOSSIER & INFORMATION PACK

Inclusions

Transportation

Bus/jeep, walking.

Accommodations

Teahouse lodges (6 nights).

Safety & Wellbeing

Fully qualified guide all of the time.

Other on activities

  • Your Welcome Moment to Nepal moment: Special care airport pickup
  • English-speaking local guide for the trek
  • All necessary permits for trekking
  • Porters can be included on the trek – contact your operator
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

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