When to go to Annapurna?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: October to November and March to April
At a glance
Why go to Annapurna?
Annapurna I was the first peak over 8,000 metres ever climbed, on 3 June 1950, by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, who came back down with fingers and toes amputated. The massif has kept that reputation: Annapurna I remains one of the deadliest of the eight-thousanders, with a death rate among summit attempts higher than Everest's. The treks that circle it or climb to its base camp are nothing of the sort, but the history weighs on the place.
What sets the Annapurna apart is that you cross it village by village, without a tent. Family-run lodges line the routes, with basic rooms, a common room warmed by a stove and dal bhat served with endless refills. So you walk light, sleep warm and pass schools, fields and monasteries rather than campsites. The conservation area, created in 1986 and extended to 7,629 square kilometres, involves local people in its management and redistributes permit revenue.
The massif also spans several worlds in a few days on foot. The southern flank, exposed to the monsoon, is lined with terraced rice fields, banana trees and rhododendron forests up to 3,000 metres. Once over the Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres, you drop into the rain shadow: Manang and Mustang are arid, ochre and stony, with stone villages and Tibetan monasteries. The Kali Gandaki gorge runs between two peaks over 8,000 metres that stand thirty-five kilometres apart.
Map of Annapurna: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Annapurna Base Camp
- Poon Hill
- Thorong La
- Muktinath
- Tilicho Lake
- Pokhara
How much does a trip to Annapurna cost?
Lodge trekking remains one of the cheapest ways in the world to reach mountains of this scale. The fixed costs are the permits, around €45 in total, transport to the trailhead and a guide if one is required. On the trail, the daily cost depends mainly on altitude, since everything beyond the roads is carried up on people's backs.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €25-40/day | Simple lodge, dal bhat twice a day, shared jeep, trekking without a porter |
| Comfort | €60-100/day | Lodge with a bathroom where possible, licensed guide, shared porter, domestic flights |
| Premium | €250+/day | Specialist agency, private guide and porter, upmarket lodges in Pokhara, helicopter back |
Withdraw all your rupees in Pokhara before setting off: beyond Besisahar and Ghorepani, cash machines are rare, often out of order, and lodges do not take cards. Budget generously, €25-40 per person per day, plus the guide's and porter's wages. Small notes are handy, as lodges struggle to give change on a 1,000-rupee note.
Is Annapurna safe?
Altitude is the main danger. Acute mountain sickness affects a significant share of trekkers above 3,500 metres and can develop into pulmonary or cerebral oedema, which is fatal without immediate descent. Stick to an increase of 300 to 500 metres in sleeping altitude per day above 3,000 metres, plan two acclimatisation nights in Manang before Thorong La, and go down as soon as you get persistent headaches, nausea or breathlessness at rest. Weather is the other issue: the October 2014 storm killed forty-three people on the pass, and avalanches regularly close the Annapurna Sanctuary in winter and spring. Since 2023, the authorities have required a licensed guide for trekking in protected areas, though enforcement varies from one checkpoint to another. Insurance covering helicopter evacuation up to 6,000 metres is essential, and the nearest hospitals are in Pokhara.
What to see and do in Annapurna
- Annapurna Base Camp
- Poon Hill
- Thorong La pass
- Muktinath
- Tilicho Lake
- The Kali Gandaki gorge
- Pokhara and Phewa Lake
- Sunrise from Sarangkot
Annapurna Base Camp 4 127 m
A glacial amphitheatre at 4,130 metres, ringed across almost the whole horizon by a crown of peaks including Annapurna I at 8,091 metres, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre, a sacred mountain closed to climbers since 1964. You reach it through the Sanctuary, a narrow gorge that suddenly opens onto the amphitheatre. The trek takes seven to ten days from Pokhara, with a gradual profile and lodges at every stage. Avalanches sometimes close the route in winter and early spring.
Poon Hill and Ghorepani 3 151 m
The most accessible viewpoint in the massif, at 3,210 metres, reached by a forty-five-minute climb in the dark from Ghorepani. At daybreak, Dhaulagiri at 8,167 metres and Annapurna South light up above a sea of cloud filling the valley. The approach path runs through rhododendron forests that flower in March and April, with stone steps by the thousand, notably the climb from Ulleri and its three thousand steps. Four to five days from Nayapul are enough.
The Annapurna Circuit and Thorong La 5 446 m
The historic route loops right round the massif in twelve to eighteen days, from Besisahar to Jomsom, with the Thorong La pass at 5,416 metres as its high point. The climb starts around 4am to beat the wind, and the air there holds roughly half the oxygen found at sea level. A snowstorm killed forty-three people on the pass in October 2014. New roads have shortened the classic route, and many trekkers now start by jeep as far as Chame or Manang.
Muktinath and Lower Mustang 3 752 m
A shrine at 3,760 metres revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, which is still unusual. A hundred and eight spouts shaped like bulls' heads pour out icy water that pilgrims run through. A neighbouring temple shelters a natural flame fed by a gas leak above a spring. All around lies Lower Mustang, a high-altitude desert in the rain shadow, with stone villages, Tibetan monasteries and cliffs riddled with burial caves.
Tilicho Lake 4 938 m
A glacial lake four kilometres long at 4,919 metres, often billed as the highest lake of its size in the world. It stays frozen for much of the year and turns an opaque turquoise as it thaws. From Manang the return trip takes two days on a path cut into unstable scree, where rockfall is frequent, mostly during the day when the sun thaws the slope. A single lodge at 4,150 metres serves as the base for the final climb.
Pokhara and Phewa Lake
The starting point for almost every trek, at 820 metres, spread along a lake of four square kilometres. On clear mornings, Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South are reflected in the water. Colourful rowing boats take you to the island temple of Tal Barahi. The Lakeside district is packed with agencies, gear rental shops and terraces. Above it, the Sarangkot ridge, at 1,592 metres, offers sunrise over a hundred kilometres of mountains and one of Asia's leading paragliding sites.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Five days are enough for the Poon Hill trek, which needs no experience of altitude. Allow seven to ten days for Annapurna Base Camp and twelve to eighteen for the full circuit over Thorong La. Add two days in Pokhara before and after, plus two spare days for domestic flights, which are often delayed.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Annapurna guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Nepal
Poon Hill (5 days)
From Pokhara, transfer to Nayapul, then climb via Tikhedhunga and the three thousand steps of Ulleri to Ghorepani, at 2,870 metres, over two days. Get up before dawn for Poon Hill and its panorama of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South, then cross to Tadapani and descend to Ghandruk, a terraced Gurung village. Back in Pokhara on day five. No problematic altitude, comfortable lodges and the best effort-to-reward ratio in the massif.
Annapurna Base Camp (8 to 10 days)
Set off via Ghandruk or Ghorepani, then climb up the Sanctuary through Chhomrong, Dovan and Deurali. Spend a night at Machhapuchhre Base Camp, at 3,700 metres, then climb in the early morning to base camp at 4,130 metres to see the amphitheatre clear before 9am. Descend through the same villages, stopping at the Jhinu Danda hot springs. The daily ascent is steep and mostly on steps, and avalanches can close the Sanctuary in winter.
Annapurna Circuit (14 to 18 days)
From Besisahar or Chame, climb gradually up the Marsyangdi valley to Manang, at 3,540 metres, with two acclimatisation nights and an optional return trip to Tilicho Lake. Then High Camp and the crossing of Thorong La at 5,416 metres in the early morning, before descending to Muktinath, Kagbeni and the Kali Gandaki gorge as far as Jomsom. Return by plane or jeep. Roads have shortened both ends of the historic route.
Getting there and getting around
Pokhara is the starting point, a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu for about €100 or seven hours by bus for €10-25. Domestic flights are often delayed or cancelled because of the weather: leave two spare days before an international flight home.
From Pokhara, trailheads are reached by shared jeep or taxi, for €20-60 depending on the distance and the number of passengers. Nayapul is an hour and a half away, Besisahar four hours. Mountain roads are narrow, unsurfaced for long stretches and slow.
On the trails, everything is done on foot. Roads have been opened over the last fifteen years at both ends of the Annapurna Circuit, so you can skip stages by local jeep. Many trekkers start at Chame or Manang to avoid the road sections.
The return from Jomsom is by plane to Pokhara, a twenty-minute morning flight before the wind picks up, or by jeep through the Kali Gandaki gorge, eight to ten hours of dirt track. Porters can be hired in Pokhara for around €20-25 a day, all included.
Where to stay in Annapurna?
Lodges, known as teahouses, line all the main routes. A basic, unheated double room costs €3-8 a night, and is sometimes free if you eat your meals there. Above 4,000 metres, prices rise and comfort falls: plywood walls and thick blankets.
The common room, heated by a central stove burning wood or dried dung, is the only warm space in the building. You eat there, dry your things and spend the evening with other trekkers. The heating goes off around 21:00, so a sleeping bag with a comfort rating of zero degrees is still essential.
In Pokhara, the Lakeside district has hostels from €8 and mid-range hotels at €40-80 a night, often with a garden and a view of the lake. This is where you recover before and after the trek, with laundry, massages and left-luggage services.
A few upmarket lodges have opened on the ridges around Pokhara, at €150-300 a night, with a panorama of the whole range and polished service. On the trails, two or three lodge chains offer rooms with private bathrooms in the busiest villages.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Annapurna?
Dal bhat dominates every menu: rice, lentils, vegetable curry and pickles, with unlimited refills, for €3-7 depending on the altitude. It is the only dish you will always be offered a second plate of, and the best suited to days of six to eight hours on foot.
Lodge menus look much the same from one village to the next, with momos, noodle soups, eggs, pasta and fried potatoes. Prices rise by about 20% for every five hundred metres of altitude, since everything beyond the roads is carried up by porters or mules.
Marpha, in the Kali Gandaki gorge, produces apples and an apple brandy known throughout the country. You will also find juice, compotes and pies, served in the village lodges. The orchards were planted from the 1960s onwards with foreign agricultural support.
Water is a separate budget item. Plastic bottles are banned in several sectors of the conservation area. Treated water refill stations sell a litre for €0.50-1, and a filter bottle or purification tablets will sort the question for the whole trip.
Entry requirements
A visa is required for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports. It is issued on arrival at Kathmandu airport and the main land borders, for 15, 30 or 90 days and paid in US dollars, or can be pre-registered online up to 15 days before arrival. The passport must be valid six months from entry.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Annapurna
Which permits do you need to trek in the Annapurna?
Two documents: the conservation area entry permit, about 3,000 rupees, and the TIMS card, about 2,000 rupees for a guided trek. You can get them in Kathmandu or Pokhara with passport photos, or through an agency. Since 2023, the authorities have in principle required a licensed guide in protected areas, though enforcement varies from one checkpoint to another.
Do you need to be very fit?
Not for Poon Hill, four to five days with a high point of 3,210 metres, within reach of anyone used to walking for several hours. Annapurna Base Camp calls for good fitness and days of climbing steps. The full circuit over Thorong La at 5,416 metres requires stamina, serious acclimatisation and a known tolerance of altitude.
What is the best season for trekking?
October and November bring the clearest skies and dry trails, just after the monsoon: this is high season, and lodges are full. March and April come next, with rhododendrons in bloom and slightly poorer visibility. The monsoon, from June to September, brings rain, leeches and cloud. Winter is still possible at low altitude but closes the passes.
How do you avoid altitude sickness?
By climbing slowly: no more than 300 to 500 metres of extra sleeping altitude per day above 3,000 metres, with a rest day for every thousand metres. Drink plenty, do not push yourself and pay attention to headaches. The only effective treatment is descent. Plan two nights in Manang before Thorong La and take out insurance covering helicopter evacuation.
Do you need a guide and a porter?
A guide has in principle been compulsory in protected areas since 2023, and is useful anyway for safety, language and logistics, at around €25-35 a day. A porter, about €20-25 a day, carries up to fifteen kilos or so and completely changes how comfortable the walking is. Both can be hired in Pokhara or through an agency.
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