Annapurna Region Treks: Complete Guide

The Annapurna Region is Nepal’s most diverse trekking destination. From short 3-day hill walks to 21-day high-desert expeditions, it offers something for every trekker. This is the complete regional hub, every major route in one place, with a comparison table, honest advice on choosing between them, and links to the detailed specialist guide for each trek on this site.

Why trek in the Annapurna Region?

The Annapurna Conservation Area covers 7,629 square kilometres of terrain ranging from subtropical valleys at 800 m to the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m. It is less crowded than Everest, more affordable, and offers greater ecological diversity, rhododendron forests, alpine meadows, high desert, and pilgrim sites. The tea-house network is the best-developed in Nepal: you can trek for two weeks here and sleep in a bed, eat hot food and charge your phone every single night, without camping gear or a support crew.

Practically, that means the Annapurna region is where most first-time Nepal trekkers should start. Daily budgets run from USD 30 to 50 on tea-house routes, roughly half the cost of a comparable Everest itinerary, and the road and trail network gives you more ways to shorten or extend a route than anywhere else in the country. The trade-off is that some valleys now carry road traffic, which we flag honestly in each route description below.

The complete Annapurna trek comparison

Trek	Duration	Difficulty	Max altitude	Est. cost (USD)	Permits
Ghorepani Poon Hill	3-5 days	Easy	3,210 m	150-300	ACAP + TIMS
Mardi Himal	4-6 days	Easy-moderate	4,500 m	250-400	ACAP + TIMS
Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)	7-10 days	Moderate	4,130 m	400-700	ACAP + TIMS
Khopra Ridge + Poon Hill	5-8 days	Easy-moderate	4,660 m (Khopra) / 3,660 m (Mulum Peak)	300-500	ACAP + TIMS
Annapurna Circuit	12-18 days	Moderate-challenging	5,416 m (Thorong La)	600-1,000	ACAP + TIMS
Jomsom-Muktinath	5-7 days	Easy-moderate	3,800 m	350-600	ACAP + TIMS
Upper Mustang	10-14 days	Moderate	4,230 m	1,500-2,500	ACAP + TIMS + RAP USD 500

Costs include permits, food, lodging and local transport but exclude flights to Nepal and gear rental. Guided packages run higher: expect USD 700-900 for ABC and USD 900-1,400 for the Circuit with a licensed guide, which we recommend for any trek crossing 5,000 m.

1. Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) Trek

The ABC trek reaches 4,130 m at the base of the south face of Annapurna I. It is a 7-10 day return trek from Pokhara through Gurung villages, hot springs, and the dramatic Annapurna Sanctuary, a natural amphitheatre surrounded by 7,000-8,000 m peaks. Ideal for first-time high-altitude trekkers, and the single most popular trek in the region after Poon Hill. Full itinerary, costs and route notes are in the ABC specialist guide.

2. Annapurna Circuit Trek

The Annapurna Circuit is a 12-18 day trek crossing the Thorong La pass (5,416 m), traversing from subtropical valleys to the rain-shadow desert of Mustang. It is widely considered the best long-distance trek in Nepal. The classic route is 18 days; road construction has shortened it to 12-14 days for most trekkers. The payoff is the most complete cross-section of Nepal anywhere: Hindu middle hills, Manang’s Tibetan-influenced high valley, a 5,416 m pass, and the pilgrimage town of Muktinath on the far side. Route planning, acclimatisation and side-valley options are in the Circuit specialist guide.

3. Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

Poon Hill is the region’s short classic: a 3-5 day loop from Nayapul through Gurung and Magar villages to the sunrise viewpoint at 3,210 m. It is the best trek in Nepal for families, tight schedules and anyone testing their legs before committing to a longer route. No day goes above 3,300 m, tea houses are excellent throughout, and the sunrise panorama over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas punches far above its altitude. The trail is busy in October and November, which is the price of its convenience.

4. Mardi Himal Trek

The Mardi Himal trek is a 5-7 day ridge walk reaching 4,500 m, with close-up views of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). It is quieter than ABC and ideal for those who want mountain views without the crowds. The route hugs a narrow forest ridge before emerging above the treeline into a high pasture amphitheatre directly beneath Machhapuchhre’s south face, something no other tea-house trek in Nepal offers.

5. Khopra Ridge Trek

Khopra is the connoisseur’s alternative to Poon Hill and ABC: a 5-8 day route to a ridge-top community lodge at 3,660 m with a sunrise view of the whole Annapurna range and optional day hikes to Kaire Lake (4,660 m). It was developed as a community-based tourism project, so the lodges are community-owned and the crowds are a fraction of Ghorepani’s. The classic pairing is Poon Hill on the way up and Khopra on the way down, which makes an 8-day loop with two of the best viewpoints in Nepal.

6. Jomsom and Muktinath Trek

The Jomsom route runs up the Kali Gandaki valley from Pokhara by jeep, flight or foot to Muktinath, a sacred pilgrimage site at 3,800 m sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, with 108 water spouts and eternal flames. It is the low-effort way into the high rain-shadow country: you can fly to Jomsom, walk or drive up the valley, and be back in Pokhara in 5-7 days with minimal altitude risk. It is also the standard exit (or entry) for anyone doing a shortened Circuit, and it sits entirely in the monsoon rain shadow, making it one of the only summer-viable walks in the region.

7. Upper Mustang Trek

Upper Mustang is a 10-14 day trek into the restricted former Kingdom of Lo, a Tibetan-Buddhist high desert that sees almost no rain. Requires a special restricted-area permit (USD 500 per person for 10 days). Culturally unique, cliff caves, ancient monasteries, walled city of Lo Manthang. It is culturally a different country, and it is the only Annapurna-region trek that is actually at its best during the monsoon.

Choosing the right Annapurna trek

By time: Under 5 days, do Poon Hill or Mardi Himal. One week, do ABC or Khopra. Two weeks, do the Circuit or Jomsom-Muktinath with extensions. Two weeks plus and a bigger budget, do Upper Mustang.

By fitness: Poon Hill suits anyone who can walk 4-5 hours a day on hills. ABC and Khopra need steady lungs but no technical skill; the days are short and the altitude tops out at 4,130-4,660 m. The Circuit is the serious one: two weeks of walking, a 5,416 m pass, and the longest acclimatisation demands in the region. If you have never trekked above 3,500 m, do ABC before attempting the Circuit.

By budget: Independent tea-house trekking runs USD 30-50 per day on food and lodging regardless of route, so cost scales mainly with duration: Poon Hill is the cheapest at USD 150-300 total, the Circuit the dearest at USD 600-1,000 independent, and Upper Mustang in a different league entirely because of the USD 500 permit and the requirement of a licensed guide.

By season: every route above except Jomsom-Muktinath and Upper Mustang is at its best in the October-November and March-April windows. The two rain-shadow routes are the monsoon escape valves. Not sure how it stacks up against Everest? Compare in Annapurna vs Everest Base Camp. For a broader comparison including Manaslu, see Manaslu vs Everest vs Annapurna.

When to go: seasons in the Annapurna region

October and November: the prime window. Post-monsoon air is clean, rhododendrons are done but skies are at their clearest, and every tea house is open. Also the busiest two months; book rooms in Ghorepani and ABC in advance.
March and April: the second window. Warmer, forest in bloom, some haze building later in April. Good compromise between crowds and views.
December to February: quiet, crystal-clear and cold. Poon Hill and Jomsom are comfortable; ABC is doable with proper gear; the Thorong La is a serious winter undertaking and sometimes closed.
June to September (monsoon): leeches, clouds and trail damage on the south-facing routes. Upper Mustang and the Jomsom valley sit in the rain shadow and remain excellent. If your dates are fixed in summer, choose one of those two, or read Best Time to Visit Nepal for month-by-month detail.

Logistics: getting to and around the region

Pokhara is the hub for the southern and western routes (ABC, Poon Hill, Mardi, Khopra, Jomsom). It is a 25-minute flight or a 6-8 hour drive from Kathmandu, with tourist buses leaving daily from 7 AM. Permits, gear shops, guides and last-night-real-food are all in Lakeside. Our Pokhara guide covers where to stay and what to book before you leave.

Besisahar is the trailhead for the Annapurna Circuit, a 4-5 hour drive from Pokhara or 6-7 from Kathmandu. Most trekkers now take a private jeep past Besisahar to Jagat or Dharapani to skip the road-walking section, which saves two days of the classic route.

Nayapul is the start point for Poon Hill, ABC via Ghandruk, and Khopra loops, 90 minutes from Pokhara by taxi or local bus. The road to Ghandruk itself was rebuilt after 2026 monsoon flood damage on the Modi Khola reopened as one-way with traffic control, which has actually made the Ghandruk-side starts smoother than they were before.

Jomsom has an airstrip with daily flights to Pokhara weather permitting, which is how most trekkers exit the Circuit after Muktinath rather than walking back over the pass. During peak season, flights sell out and jeeps run the valley road as backup. For trekkers short on time or unable to cross the Thorong La, a helicopter transfer from Muktinath or Annapurna Base Camp is a real, if expensive, option.

Permits for the Annapurna region

You need the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit), NPR 3,000 for foreigners, plus a TIMS Card. Upper Mustang requires an additional restricted-area permit arranged through a licensed agency. Both are issued same-day in Kathmandu or Pokhara; the full fee table, where to buy and checkpoint details are in the Nepal Trekking Permits Guide, and the visa side of entering Nepal is covered in the visa and permits complete guide.

The conservation area context

The Annapurna Conservation Area was established in 1985 as Nepal’s first conservation area and is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation rather than the army, which changes the feel of the place: communities remain inside the boundaries, lodges are locally owned, and the permit revenue funds local projects directly. The area shelters 1,226 flowering plant species, 105 mammals including snow leopard and red panda in the higher valleys, and 478 bird species. Trekking here is, in a literal sense, paying for the maintenance of the landscape you are walking through. The Nepal Tourism Board publishes current conservation-area notices each season.

Quick FAQ

Which Annapurna trek is best for beginners?

Mardi Himal (5-7 days, max 4,500 m) or ABC (7-10 days, max 4,130 m). Both are well-served by tea houses and require no technical skills. For a true first trek with almost no altitude risk, Poon Hill.

Is the Annapurna Circuit harder than Everest Base Camp?

The Circuit is longer (12-18 days vs 12) and crosses a higher point (Thorong La 5,416 m vs Kala Patthar 5,545 m), but is generally considered slightly easier because of better acclimatisation profiles and lower overall altitude sleeping points.

Can I combine ABC and Circuit?

Yes. The combined route takes 16-20 days. Start from Besisahar (Circuit start), cross Thorong La, then detour to ABC via Tatopani and Ghorepani.

Do I need a guide for Annapurna treks?

Not legally for the non-restricted routes (ABC, Circuit, Poon Hill, Mardi, Khopra, Jomsom). A guide is strongly recommended for the Thorong La crossing and any first trek above 4,000 m. Upper Mustang requires an agency and guide by law.

Which is the cheapest Annapurna trek?

Poon Hill, typically USD 150-300 all-in for permits, transport, food and lodging, because it is short and everything is walkable from Pokhara.

Can I do an Annapurna trek in the monsoon?

Only the rain-shadow routes: Upper Mustang and the Jomsom-Muktinath valley. The south-facing routes (ABC, Poon Hill, Mardi) get heavy rain and leeches June through August.

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Annapurna Region Treks: Complete Guide (2026)