Annapurna Sanctuary

Tour description

The ‘Annapurna Sanctuary trek’ takes you into a hidden bowl in the heart of the Annapurna range, where you are surrounded by a spectacular panorama of towering peaks, ten of which are over 6,000m. One of the more popular Annapurna treks, this trek takes you as far as Annapurna base camp at 4,095m. We reach the sanctuary after a beautiful and varied trek through the Himalayan foothills, passing through small villages, mixed forests and terraced farmland. En-route we enjoy great mountain views at sunrise from Poon Hill, and finish with some time relaxing in the lakeside town of Pokhara. An excellent introduction to Nepal and trekking in Annapurna.

You begin your tour in Kathmandu with a guided tour of this bustling city. You have the chance to see the famous Durbar Square and Royal Palace along with a visit to the hilltop Stupa at Swayumbunath. From Kathmandu you have a scenic road journey to Pokhara where your trek begins from nearby Phedi. Staying in lodges throughout, you will get to meet and talk with other trekkers and guides each evening, and discuss the places you've visited, and the route ahead.

Starting in the foothills, immediately north of Pokhara you start the trek by climbing to Ghorepani, where you can enjoy beautiful sunrise views of the Annapurna range from Poon Hill. From Ghorepani you cross several valleys and then ascend along the beautiful Modi Khola valley. Huge Rhododendron forests, with sprinklings of a whole range of orchids, and bamboo forests replete with chattering monkeys, are a dominant feature of this trek.

As you walk further up into the centre of the Annapurna Himal, you will visit Machhapuchhare Base Camp followed by Annapurna Base Camp itself. As you enter the Annapurna Sanctuary (a mountain ringed amphitheatre of immense proportions), you will be rewarded with spectacular views of 10 snow-capped peaks above 6,000m. The peaks include: Fang, Glacier Dome, Homunculi, Annapurna, Annapurna South, Annapurna 1, Annapurna 3 and Machhapuchhare. All of these, combined with the impressive backdrop of the south face of Annapurna 1 (8,090m) make this trek a truly unique and unforgettable experience. After some time exploring the Sanctuary, you retrace your steps for a couple of days to leave, before trekking back towards Pokhara, stopping along the way at the hot springs near Jhinnadunda.

You have a free day in Pokhara which we leave to give you time to relax in this peaceful lakeside town, and to allow for any delays on the trek itself. From Pokhara you travel by road back to Kathmandu where you have a little free time to do some last minute shopping or a little more sightseeing around the city and surrounding valley.

You can join one of our small-group departures, do the tour privately, or use it as a base for a tailor-made itinerary. Options are available to explore the ancient areas of Patan & Bhaktapur outside Kathmandu, do a mountain flight up to view Everest, or extend the tour to try some white-water rafting or visit one of Nepal's wildlife sanctuaries.

Note: All our prices include a trekking pack (sleeping bag, trekking poles, down jacket), and 3 meals per day on the trek.