Short Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Best Season to Trek

Autumn (Mid-September to November)

The autumn season is one of the most recommended seasons if you want to see the views of the great Himalayas as seen in postcards. The summer rains are gone, and they took all the dust and haze with them. The sky gets this deep, sharp blue and the mountains look like you could throw a rock and hit them.

The walking is perfect. Warm days, cool nights. You’ll be sweating on the climbs and then zipping up your jacket the second you stop. There are more people on the trail, but there’s a reason for it. This is as good as it gets. It’s reliable.

Spring (March to May)

This is another perfect season, and for some people, it’s even better than autumn. This is when the hillsides come alive. The rhododendron forests, especially that stretch between Chhomrong and Bamboo, just explode in color. You’re talking tunnels of bright red, pink, and white flowers. It’s absolutely unreal. The skies are clear in morning and the temperature rises gradually. Wildflowers, greenery, and a touch of snow at higher altitudes make this season visually stunning.

Other Season

The monsoon (June to early September) is just not fun. The trail can turn into a slippery, muddy mess. It rains. A lot. You could walk for days and see nothing but the inside of a cloud. And the leeches-the leeches are a real thing in the lower forests. It’s a tough, wet slog, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a very high tolerance for being damp.

Winter (December to February) is a whole different beast. It’s for the hardcore. The big problem is snow. The trail, especially from Deurali up to Base Camp, can get completely buried and become impassable or dangerous. It is incredibly cold. But if you get a clear window and are prepared for the temperatures, the views are razor-sharp and you’ll have the whole place almost to yourself. It's a huge gamble, though. You could get all the way there and have to turn back.

What to expect on the ABC Trek?

The Mountains

Look, they're everywhere. From day one, you’ll be craning your neck to see the top of Fishtail Peak. It’s always there, kind of watching over you. But the real gut punch comes when you walk into the Sanctuary. It’s not just a view; you’re in it. You’re standing in a bowl of giants, and they’re so big and so close it almost doesn’t feel real. The sunrise at base camp. It'll change you a little.

Every Day Is a Different Planet

This is the wild part. You start off in sweaty, green farmland, with rice paddies carved into the hills. A day or two later, you're in a deep, dark forest that feels like something out of a fairy tale, all moss and rhododendrons. Then, suddenly, all the trees just stop. And it’s nothing but rock and ice and the sound of a river somewhere far below. The world changes completely every couple of hours.

It's Someone's Home

You're not just walking through wilderness. You're walking through the Gurung people's backyard. The villages like Chhomrong are real, living places, not just stops on a map. You’ll be staying in teahouses that are basically just extensions of their homes. You’ll see kids running to school and old women weaving on their porches. Just be cool, be respectful. You're a guest here.

Dal Bhat Power

You’ll eat a lot of dal bhat. A whole lot. It’s rice and lentils and some veggies, and it’s the stuff that gets you up the hills. The teahouses are simple. A bed, a blanket, and a warm dining room where everyone sits around telling stories at night. That’s all you need.

It’s Going to Hurt a Little

Let’s be honest. This isn’t a walk in the park. There are stairs. So many stone stairs. You’ll have days where you just go up and days where you just go down. You don’t need to be a pro climber, but you need to be fit enough to walk for hours, day after day. And the air gets thin up high. You’ll feel it. The trick is to go slow. It’s not a race. Let the little old ladies carrying giant baskets pass you. Your only job is to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The hot springs are legit

The hot springs at Jhinu Danda are no joke. After days of your legs screaming at you, sinking into that hot water right by the river is probably the best feeling in the world. It’s the perfect reward.

The Mountain is the boss

The weather can turn on a dime. It can be sunny and beautiful one minute, and then a cold, angry wind will rip through the valley the next. Always have your rain jacket and a warm hat handy. Layers are the key. The mountain decides what the weather will be, not the forecast.

Why trek in Annapurna with Nepal Intrepid Treks?

Since 2016, Nepal Intrepid Treks has been bringing trekking parties into the magical areas of the Annapurna Base Camp in the mountains. It has made a noteworthy name for reliability and professionalism in the market with a warm gesture of goodwill toward its clientele. The very concept and design behind the Annapurna trekking firms lie in ensuring that every detail is taken care of by these intrepid souls for the Himalayan memory to have been experienced by you. 

The planning of your trek will stay with us, from accommodation, meals, permits, and logistics, so that you enjoy a calm and worry-free trekking journey in the Himalayas. Our expert yet friendly and knowledgeable trekking guides hold a great passion for the Himalayas and are earnestly committed to making your undertaking as safe, pleasurable, and memorable as possible.

Be you the lone wolf walking the path, a few souls in search of adventure, or a handful of friends looking for fresh thrills, our experienced team approaches the program with cultural, comfortable, and safe ways that correspond thereto. Think Nepal Intrepid Treks: a trek guaranteed with comfort and proper knowledge of the locals.

Permits for Trek

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)

Think of this as your park entrance fee, but for a whole mountain range. The money you pay for this goes back into the area. It pays for fixing the trails, managing the trash (a huge job), and just generally making sure the Annapurna region stays the wild, beautiful place it is.

It’s basically your contribution to not loving the place to death. You’re paying to protect what you’ve come to see.

Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS)

This one is for your own good. It's a little card that registers you as being on the trail. If there’s an emergency—a freak snowstorm, you take a wrong turn, anything—the authorities have a list of who is out there and who they need to look for.

It’s cheaper if you go with a guide or an agency because they want to encourage people not to wander off into the Himalayas by themselves. It's a simple safety net.

If you’ve booked with Nepal Intrepid Treks, we will handle all of this for you. It’s part of the package. Give us your couple of passport photos and the cash for the fees, and then we'll go stand in the lines so you don't have to.

Don't waste a precious day in Kathmandu trying to find these government offices yourself. Go see a temple or drink a beer instead. Just bring a few extra passport photos with you, hand them to our guide, and consider it done.

Food and Accommodation on Trek

Accommodation

You’ll be staying in teahouses. There are family-run guesthouses along the trail. The rooms are basic. You'll get two small wooden beds with a mattress that's seen a few seasons, a pillow, and a blanket. After walking for six hours, it will feel like the most luxurious bed on earth. Pro tip: bring your own sleeping bag. You'll be glad you have it when it gets cold up high.

The bathrooms are shared. And you’re going to get very familiar with the squat toilet. Some places lower down might have a Western-style toilet, but don’t count on it. Hot water is a luxury that you'll usually have to pay a little extra for, and the same goes for charging your phone or using the spotty Wi-Fi.

Here’s the main rule: the higher you go, the simpler everything gets. The walls get thinner, and the rooms get more basic. At Base Camp, you'll likely be in a simple dorm room. It's all part of the experience.

Food

The menus don't change much from teahouse to teahouse. You’re not here for a gourmet food tour. You’re here for fuel. And the food is exactly that: hearty, carb-heavy fuel.

You will learn to love dal bhat. This is the national dish of Nepal and the undisputed king of the trail. It’s a big pile of rice with a bowl of lentil soup, some curried vegetables, and a little pickle. The best part is it’s all you can eat. They will keep refilling your plate until you burst. "Dal Bhat Power, 24 Hour" is a real thing.

For breakfast, you’ll be eating boiled eggs, Tibetan bread, soups, or pancakes. For dinner and lunch, if you don’t want to eat dal bhat, there will be very little options like momo, noodles, fried rice or fried noodles. All the foods are fresh and served warm. 

ABC Trek Difficulty 

The Annapurna Base Camp trek is moderately difficult. Those stone staircases are no joke. There are sections, especially around Chhomrong, where you will be going up or down stone steps that feel like they will never end. Your legs will be screaming at you. This is the part that gets people. It’s a pure test of grind.

It’s less about being a super-fit athlete and more about just being stubborn. Can you walk for 5 or 6 hours? And then can you get up the next day, when your legs are sore, and do it again? And again? That’s the real challenge. It's more of a mental game than a physical one.

The altitude is a thing, but it’s not like Everest. You get up to about 4,100 meters. For most people, that just means you’ll feel a bit sluggish, maybe get a light headache, and you’ll be out of breath way faster. The trick is to go slow—like, embarrassingly slow. Drink a ton of water. The itinerary is built to let you get used to it gradually.

If you want to stress less, hire a porter. Letting someone else carry your big bag makes the whole thing a hundred times more enjoyable. You just carry a little daypack with your water and jacket. It’s a game-changer. It’s tough. It’ll kick your butt some days. It’s a beautiful, challenging walk that any reasonably healthy person with a bit of grit can do.

Packing Essentials

You should pack wisely. You need to carry only those items that you’re going to need in ABC Trek. Pack smartly. Here is the list of gear that you need to bring to ABC Trek:

• A couple of cotton t-shirts 
• The Warm Layer
• Waterproof and windproof jacket
• Pairs of hiking pants
• A warm hat
• A sun hat
• A buff or neck gaiter
• Trekking Boots
• Camp Shoes
• Socks
• Small daypack
• Trekking Poles
• Headlamp
• Sleeping Bag
• Water purification tablets or a filter. 
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Wet Wipes
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sunscreen & Lip Balm (with SPF)
• Toilet Paper
• Personal Meds
• Painkillers (ibuprofen)
• Altitude Stuff
• Power Bank
• Sunglasses
• Snacks
• Nepalese Rupees
• Permits Paper
• Travel Insurance paper