15-Day Annapurna Base Camp Trek in Nepal with Poon Hill Sunrise

• Arrive in Kathmandu, where you will be transferred to the hotel. There will be a full trek briefing this evening.

Overnight at Royal Singi Hotel (dinner) or similar.

• Leave early and drive/fly westwards to Pokhara. This town is set in a beautiful valley and is overlooked by Machhapuchhare, one of the most distinctive Himalayan peaks. We continue through Pokhara to Naya Pul and, from there, have a 30-minute walk to the village of Birethanthi, where we stay overnight. Birethanthi is a riverside village between the Modi Khola and the Burundi Khola. If there is time, we can bathe in the clear but cold pools of the Burundi Khola.

Overnight at River View Lodge (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• Start the trek by following the Burundi Khola upstream. After lunch, stop in Tirkhedunga, renowned for its variety of local beers called Change.
• Start the long, steep climb up a stone staircase through the early terraced hillsides to the top of Banthanthi (2,073m).

Overnight at Green Hill View Lodge (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• Winding out of Banthanthi, the trail now enters rhododendron forests. In season, the forest is a blaze of colour. Trains of mules provide colourful and noisy interludes to the continuous ascent today. Carrying rice and other supplies north to the kingdom of Mustang, the trail resounds with the sound of their bells.
• Finally, we emerge from the forests at Ghorepani (2855m), and suddenly, a splendid mountain vista appears before us - Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhare, Lamjung, and other Himalayan giants.

Overnight at Hill Top Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• This morning there is an optional ascent of Poon Hill (about an hour's walk above Ghorepani) to see the spectacular sunrise over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himal. As the sun emerges from behind the mountains, the sky glows red and pink in the first rays of the sun, and the panorama is undoubtedly one of the world's grand mountain vistas. Best seen at dawn, the climb is well worth the effort. After breakfast, we head east, following a ridge to cross a pass at 3,193m.
• We pass through the more open country, then descend through the jungle to a few lodges in a clearing called Banthanti at 2,620m. Climbing back to 2,745m, we reach another small pass at Tadapani, where we have a superb view of Annapurna South and the peak of Machhapuchhare.
• From here, we descend for a short while to our lodge at Chuili, where we have great views of the mountains from the lovely garden.

Overnight at Mountain Discovery Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• The trail descends through the forest to the Kyumnu Khola, a tributary of the Modi Khola. From here, a steep ascent brings us to Chomrong, at 2,170m, another Gurung village and the last permanent settlement in the valley. Beyond here, we shall see the shelters used by herdsmen in the summer months. From Chomrong, we have good views again of Annapurna South, and from this point onwards, the twin-peaked mountain Machhapuchhare, 'fishtail', which gives the mountain its name.

Overnight at International Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• The trail from Chomrong descends first on a stone staircase to cross the Chomrong Khola and then climbs out of this side valley to re-enter the main Modi Khola Valley. We pass through a jungle of oak, hemlock and rhododendron trees to Kuldi Ghar (2540m), previously the site of a sheep breeding project. Beyond here, our route undulates through dense bamboo thickets. These are cut extensively to make 'dokos' - the carrying baskets used by our porters - and woven mats for floors and roofing.
• We climb up through the bamboo and then through forests of rhododendrons. We may encounter snow on the trail in early spring from this point onwards. At 2505m, we reach Dovan, a clearing in the forest with several teahouses.

Overnight at Tip Top Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• We continue through the forest, passing the lodges at Himalaya Hotel and then further on past Hinko Cave, where the first expeditions to the Base Camp used to camp. Crossing a ravine, the trail climbs steeply among boulders, leaving the trees behind us. The valley broadens out, and the scenery becomes wilder as we approach the gates of the sanctuary.
• Passing between the heights of Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare, we reach Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3,700m), where we spend the night. The views are stupendous, and the panorama includes Huinchuli, Annapurna 1, Annapurna 3, Gangapurna, and Machhapuchhare.

Overnight at Fishtail Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• In the early morning, we walk for 2 hours up to Annapurna Base Camp, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of some of the highest mountains in the world: Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna Fang, Annapurna 1 and 3, Gangapurna, and Machhapuchhare.
• They encircle us with unbroken soaring ramparts, except for the route by which we entered. The sunset and sunrise are truly magnificent in this mountain arena. We spend the day in this special place with a chance to watch the sunrise the following morning. There should be time for an excursion to the ridge overlooking the base camp from which Chris Bonington led the ascent of Annapurna's South Face. Occasionally, there is too much snow to stay at Annapurna Base Camp. In this case, we would walk back down to Machhapuchhare Base Camp late afternoon.

Overnight at Annapurna Guesthouse (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• Today, we leave the sanctuary, descending past Hinko through the rhododendron jungle and bamboo thickets to Bamboo Lodge.

Overnight at Green Hill View Lodge (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• Return down the Modi Khola Valley, leaving it to cross the Chomrong Khola. We are back in inhabited country again as we climb the stone steps to Chomrong. We then descend very steeply on stone steps through terraces to Jhinnudanda.

Overnight at Namaste Lodge (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• The trail today undulates down the Modi River Valley. We follow the valley down the road, head to Sinwai, and drive back to Pokhara via Nayapul.

Overnight at Barahi Pokhara Hotel (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• There are plenty of shops and traditional bazaars where you can pick up some souvenirs, as well as many cafés and restaurants along the lakeshore where you can watch paragliders in flight. You may wish to take a rowing boat across Lake Phewa and walk up to the World Peace Pagoda on a hill overlooking the lake with fantastic views. Alternatively, there are several museums to visit, including the International Mountain Museum and the Gurkha Museum.

Overnight at Barahi Pokhara Hotel (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or similar.

• Catch a flight to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free for sightseeing and shopping. Occasionally, we cannot fly, in which case we return to Kathmandu by road, arriving in the early evening.

Overnight at Royal Singi Hotel (dinner) or similar.

• Transfer to Kathmandu airport for final departure, or continue with your arrangements.