Annapurna Base Camp Trek – 14 Days

Distance and Elevation

The fourteen-day Annapurna Base Camp Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime hiking experience that will provide you with an abundance of unfathomable natural beauty. On your second day of this 14-day itinerary, you will travel around 200 kilometers from Kathmandu to reach one of Nepal’s lovely cities, Pokhara.

You will start your trek from Nayapul in this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days journey. To reach one of Nepal’s popular viewpoints, Poon Hill Viewpoint, you have to trek about 13.4 kilometers from Nayapul. Similarly, you will be covering roughly a total of 23.4 kilometers from Poon Hill to reach the most anticipated destination of this entire journey, Annapurna Base Camp.

As for the elevation, the lower elevation that you will be traveling is at Pokhara, which is at only 822 meters. You will trek to Tikhedhunga from Nayapul on your first day of hiking, which is at 1495 meters above sea level. The popular destinations of this trek are Ghorepani and Poon Hill, which lie at elevations of 2850 meters and 3200 meters, respectively.

The highest elevation of this excursion is at Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), which has an altitude of 4230 meters or 13,810 feet. Likewise, the second highest elevation of this trip will be at Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC), 4000 meters when you trek to ABC passing via this destination.

As the height increases, we will make overnight stops at various locations to allow your body to adjust to the increased altitude. After reaching ABC, you will head back, descending through Bamboo at 2310 meters and Jhinu Danda Hot Spring at 1780 meters, and finally to Nayapul, where your hiking concludes.

Difficulty and altitude sickness

The 14-day Annapurna Base Camp Trek is marginally easier than the traditional Everest Base Camp (EBC) Trek but still moderately difficult. So, you need vital preparation and training if you are thinking of embarking on this moderately demanding trek. If you are facing any medical condition, then this trek might be extremely difficult for you to complete.

When you hike above three thousand meters, the level of air gets thinner and thinner with less amount of oxygen when you climb higher and higher. Although there are not any acclimatization days in this itinerary, we stay overnight at different places with different levels of altitude each day to prevent altitude sickness.

You can know the symptoms of altitude sickness in your body by yourself when you feel like vomiting, headache, nausea, trouble breathing, reduced performance and coordination, lightheadedness, and many more as you ascend in the mountains.

If not treated well, it can lead to serious conditions like high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which can severely affect your organs in your body. So, your main task will be informing us immediately if you have any sort of symptoms while ascending so that our guide can help you and ease your conditions.

Maximum and minimum walk per day

In this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14-day itinerary journey, the average hike per day will be about 5 hours on a daily basis. You need to walk for ten days straight, staring from day 3 to ending on day 12. As this is a moderate-level difficulty trek, you need to walk on steep ascents, which can be hard and demanding.

The minimum trek per day will be on your third day of this journey when you start your hiking trip from Nayapul to Tikhedhunga, which takes about 4 hours only. In contrast to this, the maximum hike per day will be on the fourth day of your itinerary, taking almost 7 hours when you trek from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani Village.

Similarly, on the rest of the trekking days of your itinerary, you will be trekking for about 5 to 6 hours to reach different destinations in this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for a 14-day excursion. Apart from this, the maximum drive will be 7 to 8 hours on the 2nd and 13th days, respectively, when you travel from Kathmandu to Pokhara and vice versa.

Accommodation, Food and Drink

During this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days, you will be accommodated for 2 nights in each place with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel when you are in Pokhara and Kathmandu towns. From Tikhedhunga to Jhinu Danda villages, you will be accommodated in twin-shared teahouses or lodges while you are trekking.

You will get all the essential facilities while you are staying in 3-star category hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara without any extra costs. However, the facilities will be minimal, providing beds, blankets, cushions, etc. for the trekkers while spending the night. You have to pay extra cash for the Wi-Fi and electricity if you want to use them in some teahouses due to their location in high elevations.

As a matter of fact, you will be compelled to share your rooms with other hikers in the peak trekking season of Nepal due to the limited availability of teahouses in the higher altitudes. But you don’t have to worry about this because you will be sharing with friendly people who value your privacy and security.

You can find all the variety of foods according to your choices and suggestions when you are in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Likewise, food options can be limited on high altitudes, but some teahouses also offer a wide range of dishes such as daal, bhat and tarkari, potatoes, rotis (flatbread), noodles, momos, vegetable soups, oatmeal, and many others.

These teahouses serve clean and fresh foods that help to build your health while trekking. You will be eating full board meals with tea or coffee during hiking, which are already included in the Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days package. But the meals that are not specified in our package, you need to pay for yourself.

Lastly, all sorts of drinks, like cold drinks, hard drinks, local alcohols, etc., are not included in these packages. We also don’t want to drink such liquids that can directly affect your well-being while trekking. So, it is better you only drink clean water and soups to stay hydrated and healthy.

Alternative Routes

When planning the Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days, there are numerous hiking routes that are quite adaptable to your own preferences. Some of the most liked and typical trekker options of these routes are the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, the Short Annapurna Base Camp Trek, the Annapurna Circuit Trek, the Annapurna Sikles Trek, and many more.

All these trekking routes are designed according to your time available in Nepal. You can choose any of these routes depending on your time in Nepal or other plans in Nepal. However, one thing is certain: each of these routes in Nepal’s Annapurna Region provides a different kind of experience, as Nepal is filled with unique sets of nature that feel different depending on the weather and routes you choose.

Can beginner join this trip?

Obviously, beginners or first-time hikers can join this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days without a doubt. However, it is very crucial to keep in mind that the beginners must be in the best shape and healthy both physically and mentally. This trek is designed for everyone who is experienced, novices, or families, but the one condition that must be fulfilled by them is that they must be in great health.

Beginners must train their bodies by participating in different exercises to get in shape and become ready to embark on this moderate-level journey. Without proper training, it will be very difficult to complete this 14-day journey at ease. Training will enhance your performance to a great extent while hiking.

Preparation and fitness

If you want to get ready for this Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days excursion, it’s very obligatory to follow a good exercise routine for necessary and enough preparation before embarking on the journey. You can focus on cardio workouts such as squats, pullups, pushups, jacks, etc. to increase your stamina.

You can practice trekking with a small amount of weight in a backpack in nearby locations that have a need to ascend. To prepare fully, don’t forget to pack all the necessary stuff, like trekking boots, clothing, gear, and others that will help you smooth hiking.

Apart from this, you need to train yourself more to become fit by cycling, swimming, jogging, running, and doing strength training by lifting some weights. Most importantly, you must focus to build your mental health strong. Hiking in higher altitude levels requires great willpower, obsession, and realistic goals to face any kind of obstacles like exhaustion and changing weather.

Gadgets charging and Internet

There are facilities like electricity and internet in some teahouses or lodges during Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days where you can charge all you brought gadgets like camera, smartphones. Laptops and others and also use internet services. But these services don’t come free of cost, you have to pay small amount to use these services.

It is better you carry sim and buy data package for better connectivity while trekking as WI-FI speed can be very slow compared to your house due to the higher level of altitude although Wi-Fi is available.

Additionally, you have to pay for the showers too with a cost ranging from 2 to 5 dollars depending upon the teahouse. These services cost you not to scam but due to its remote location.

Permit

If you want to travel Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days, then you must get two permits after arriving in Nepal, namely the Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) Card and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). Without these permits, you cannot continue your trek forward even though you are traveling solo or in a in a group without a guide.

ACAP will cost you around 26 dollars, which is about 3000 Nepalese rupees. But if you are from SAARC countries, you only have to pay 9 dollars or 1000 Nepalese rupees. For the TIMS card, it will cost you around 18 dollars, or 2000 Nepalese rupees, and for SAARC nations, it will cost 4 dollars, or 300 Nepalese rupees.

Transportation

We will pick you up and drop you off during your arrival and departure for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek for 14 days via our private vehicles. On the second day of this exciting journey, we will travel by a comfy tourist bus to reach Pokhara from Kathmandu City.

Then, we will be taking a private vehicle from Pokhara to Nayapul, where you will start your walk for experiencing nature and creating a lot of cheerful memories. On day 13, you will be transported back to Kathmandu city from Pokhara by a tourist bus.

Travel Insurance

Please ensure that you have insurance before beginning the 14-day Annapurna Base Camp Trek in Nepal. Natural disasters and bad weather can happen at any time. If you are hurt and require immediate medical attention or mountain rescue, this insurance will cover you.

It is important to provide the much-needed support for your safety while trekking. Everything could go to plan, but travel insurance is reassurance that should you hit any bumps along the way either pre-departure or during your trip, then you are covered!

 What to expect from this 14-day trip

The journey on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek would be amazing as you walk by deep gorges, lush rhododendron forests, and alpine terrain. Also, while walking to your destination, you will get a chance to see some of the peaceful little ethnic villages like Gurung and Tamang blending Hinduism with Buddhism.

The best one is up to Annapurna Base Camp at the altitude of 4,130 m, from where we will have some panoramic views by climbing a few hundred meters, whereas it’s viewing these all peaks like Annapurna I, II, III, IV, and South with Hiunchuli also tower view Machhapuchhre.

The trek also includes visits to famous hubs like the Poon Hill sunrise view, a natural hot spring in Jhinu Danda, and diversified wildlife, which surely make it a memorable adventure.