Annapurna Base Camp and Poon Hill trek: a beginner's guide (routes, days, permits)

By the Farefika editorial team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 9 min read

ⓘ Contains affiliate links: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. How we make money

If you have never trekked in the Himalaya, the Annapurna region is the friendliest place to start. Trails begin a short drive from Pokhara, villages and teahouses are never far apart, and there are no mountain flights to wait for. This guide compares the two classic beginner routes, the short Ghorepani Poon Hill trek and the longer Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, with routes, permits and practical tips. Official fees were checked October 2026.

Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp?

• Ghorepani Poon Hill: about 4–5 days from Pokhara; highest point Poon Hill at 3,210 m; easy to moderate. The reward is a sunrise panorama over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, and rhododendron forest that blooms in spring. Ideal for a first trek, families and anyone with under a week.
• Annapurna Base Camp: about 7–12 days from Pokhara, roughly 115 km return; highest point ABC at 4,130 m, where you sleep. Moderate: the challenge is thousands of stone steps more than the altitude. You end up inside the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial basin ringed by 7,000 m peaks.
• Both together: starting with the Poon Hill loop adds about two days to ABC and gives you two great sunrises.

Getting to the trailhead

Both treks start from Pokhara, Nepal's lakeside city. From Kathmandu you can fly in about 25–30 minutes or take a tourist bus for a long day: our guide to Kathmandu to Pokhara by bus, flight or car compares them. From Pokhara it is roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour drive to Nayapul, and new roads now let jeeps reach higher trailheads such as Hile, Ulleri, Ghandruk or Siwai. Ask your agency exactly where you start and finish, because "ABC trek" now covers itineraries of quite different lengths. Compare hotels in Pokhara for the nights before and after.

Ghorepani Poon Hill: a typical 4-day loop

1. Pokhara to Nayapul (1,070 m) by road, walk to Tikhedhunga (about 1,540 m) or Ulleri (about 1,960 m). The Ulleri staircase is famously over 3,000 stone steps.
2. Ulleri to Ghorepani (about 2,860 m) through mossy oak and rhododendron forest.
3. Pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill (3,210 m), roughly 45 minutes up, for sunrise; then along the ridge to Tadapani (about 2,630 m).
4. Tadapani to Ghandruk (about 1,940 m), a large Gurung village, then drive back to Pokhara.

Annapurna Base Camp: a typical 8 to 9-day route via Poon Hill

1. Pokhara to Nayapul, walk to Tikhedhunga or Ulleri.
2. Ulleri to Ghorepani.
3. Sunrise on Poon Hill, then to Tadapani.
4. Tadapani to Chhomrong (about 2,170 m), the gateway to the Sanctuary.
5. Chhomrong to Bamboo, Dovan or Himalaya (about 2,300–2,900 m) as the Modi Khola gorge narrows.
6. Through Deurali to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (about 3,700 m) and on to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m).
7. Sunrise at ABC, then a long descent to Bamboo or Chhomrong.
8. Down to Jhinu Danda and its hot springs, then out by road to Pokhara.

The direct route without Poon Hill takes about 7 days from Pokhara; fast walkers with jeep transfers do it in 5 or 6, but a slower pace is kinder on knees and acclimatisation.

Permits and the guide rule

• ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit): NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, tax included, according to the National Trust for Nature Conservation's e-permit site. Children under 10 need no permit. If you buy online, a 2.9% card gateway charge is added; permits issued at trail check-posts cost double, and permits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
• TIMS card: NPR 2,000 for foreigners (NPR 1,000 for SAARC), issued through a registered trekking agency.
• Licensed guide: the Nepal Tourism Board's revised TIMS provision, in force since 31 March 2023, lists the "Poon Hill-ABC" trek among routes where foreign trekkers must be accompanied by a licensed guide and carry an agency-issued TIMS card.

In practice your agency arranges the TIMS card and usually the ACAP too. Carry both, with your passport, and show them at the check-posts.

Is it hard? Fitness and altitude for beginners

If you can walk 5–7 hours a day for several days in a row, you can do Poon Hill. ABC needs the same, plus a willingness to climb steps day after day. Train on stairs and long hill walks, and bring trekking poles for the descents.

Altitude matters on ABC. Above about 3,000 m, mild headache, poor sleep and breathlessness are common. Walk slowly, drink plenty and tell your guide early if symptoms get worse; persistent vomiting, confusion or stumbling mean you go down at once. Make sure your travel insurance covers trekking to at least 4,500 m and helicopter evacuation.

The one real hazard: the avalanche corridor

Between Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp the ABC trail crosses a known avalanche path that has killed trekkers and guides. Cross early in the day, without stopping, never after heavy fresh snowfall, and follow the advice of your guide and the lodge owners at Deurali about whether to go at all. Late winter and early spring after big snowfalls are the riskiest times.

When to go

October to November brings the clearest views; March to May brings warmer days and rhododendrons in flower. December to February is cold but clear on Poon Hill, while ABC can be snowbound. June to September is the monsoon, with leeches, cloud and slippery steps. See our month-by-month Nepal planner.

Teahouses, money and connectivity

The Annapurna region has the densest teahouse network in Nepal. Lodges at Ghorepani and Chhomrong are comfortable; rooms in the gorge and at ABC are basic and cold. Bring enough cash from Pokhara for food, hot showers and charging. Mobile data works in many villages; a local SIM or eSIM plus lodge Wi-Fi covers most needs.

Plan the rest of your trip

Thinking bigger? Compare costs in our Everest Base Camp cost guide, read the Nepal travel guide, or browse guided Annapurna treks and Pokhara activities on our tours page.

Contains affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

Compare Stockholm – Kathmandu flights →

Sources, checked October 2026: National Trust for Nature Conservation ACAP e-permit (epermit.ntnc.org.np); Nepal Tourism Board TIMS card page (ntb.gov.np); route, altitude and avalanche-corridor details from Amarnepal's Annapurna Base Camp guide (verified July 2026) and recent 2026 trekking itineraries. Altitudes are approximate and vary slightly between sources. Farefika does not sell treks.

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

Keep reading

Stockholm → Nepal: the complete fare guide (best months, price benchmarks and 3 cheaper routes)Best time to visit Nepal: a month-by-month plannerKathmandu to Pokhara: bus, flight or private car?Flying from Stockholm to Kathmandu: routes, seasons and how to pay lessHow to find cheap flights: 12 tactics that actually workWhen is the best time to book flights?Flying from Stockholm: airports, getting there and money-saving tipsEverest Base Camp trek cost 2026: permits, guide and porter, teahouses and Lukla flightsNepal visa on arrival 2026: fees, the online form, documents and the new eVisaKathmandu airport to Thamel: prepaid taxi, Pathao, inDrive or Uber (prices and tips)Nepal SIM card and eSIM for tourists: Ncell, Nepal Telecom and travel eSIMs compared

Destination guides

NepalFeaturedKathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Chitwan National ParkThailandBangkok, Chiang Mai and the north, Phuket and Phang Nga BayJapanTokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and NaraVietnamHanoi, Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, Sapa and the northern mountainsBali & IndonesiaUbud, Uluwatu and the Bukit Peninsula, Seminyak and CangguIndiaDelhi, Agra, Jaipur and RajasthanSri LankaSigiriya and the Cultural Triangle, Kandy, Ella and Nuwara EliyaDubai & UAEDowntown Dubai, Old Dubai and the Creek, Dubai Marina and the beachesSingaporeMarina Bay, Hawker centres, Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam