By air
Pokhara (PKR), the trailheads are ~1–2 h by road
Nepal & Bhutan · Nepal
Annapurna, Nepal
Treks through rhododendron forests to high passes
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to November and March to April — the trekking seasons
Don't miss
The Thorong La pass
Annapurna Base Camp
Ghandruk
Muktinath
Things to do
The Annapurna Circuit
The Annapurna Base Camp trek
The Poon Hill trek
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Wolfgang Beyer · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Trekking gear, layers
A quieter corner
Poon Hill's sunrise over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna
Questions travellers ask
Which treks can I do in the Annapurna region?
The Annapurna Circuit, the Annapurna Base Camp trek and the Poon Hill trek.
How do I reach the Annapurna trailheads?
Fly into Pokhara (PKR); the trailheads are about 1 to 2 hours away by road.
When is trekking season around Annapurna?
October to November and March to April. Bring trekking gear and layers.
Where can I watch the sunrise over Dhaulagiri and Annapurna?
From Poon Hill. On the trail, refuel with tea-house dal bhat and the apple pie in Marpha.
About Annapurna
- Mountains
Where it is
The Annapurna massif is a Himalayan range in Gandaki Province of central Nepal, north of Pokhara, rising to about 8,100 m at Annapurna I and bounded by the deep valleys of the Kali Gandaki and Marsyangdi rivers.
History
In 1950 a French expedition made the first ascent of Annapurna I, the first peak over 8,000 m ever climbed. The region opened to foreign trekkers in the 1970s, and since the mid-1980s it has been protected as the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected area.
People
The Annapurna region is home to Gurung and Magar villages on its southern slopes, Thakali communities in the Kali Gandaki valley, and peoples of Tibetan culture in the high valleys of Manang and Mustang, with Nepali as the common language. Terraced fields, stone villages and teahouses line the trails.
Known for
- The Annapurna Circuit over the Thorong La
- The trek to Annapurna Base Camp
- Sunrise from Poon Hill
- Gurung villages such as Ghandruk
- Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists
Did you know?
The Kali Gandaki gorge, running between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, two peaks over 8,000 m, is by some measures one of the deepest gorges in the world.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.