Annapurna North Base Camp Trek

Also known as North Annapurna Base Camp / Maurice Herzog Trail Trek.

Annapurna North Base Camp Trek is a difficult 4-6-day teahouse/camping mix trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal, reaching 4,190 m. It starts at Narchyang / Hum Khola (road-head above Tatopani) and ends at Narchyang / Hum Khola.

Key facts

Region
Annapurna (Myagdi (Annapurna Rural Municipality))
Duration
4-6 days, 5-7 hours walking per day
Distance
32 km
Maximum altitude
4,190 m
Difficulty
Difficult — Fast ascent to 4,190 m in 3-4 walking days on a raw, steep, sometimes exposed trail with fixed-rope-assisted rock sections, river crossings and only seasonal tent-hotels above Narchyang. Remote, little rescue infrastructure, and rapid altitude gain make it markedly harder than the southern ABC despite similar elevation.
Trek type
Teahouse/Camping mix, out-and-back route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Mar-May)
Guide
Mandatory. NTB April 2023 rule bans solo foreign trekking in ACAP; on this remote, sparsely marked route operators treat a licensed guide as required in practice (viewnepaltreks: 'licensed guide required by law').
Restricted area
No
Budget cost
NPR 40,000–60,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 60,000–90,000
Guided cost
NPR 76,000–122,000
Getting there
Kathmandu -> Pokhara (tourist bus, 6-8h, paved) -> Beni (bus/jeep, 3-4h, paved) -> Tatopani (1-1.5h, mixed) -> Narchyang and on to Hum Khola road-head (1.5-2h, rough 4WD track)
Altitude sickness
Significant - itineraries sleep at ~3,500-3,700 m on night 2-3 of walking and day-hike to 4,190 m; the fast profile from ~1,500 m gives limited acclimatization time.

Weather

The trail climbs the steep, landslide-prone gorge country north of the Kali Gandaki; monsoon (Jun-Sep) brings serious landslide risk on both the access road and trail. Winter snow usually closes the upper camps (Sandiskharka and above). Base camp mornings are clearest; afternoon cloud builds on the north face of Annapurna I.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Pokhara to Narchyang, 1 h, 1,500 m — Kali Gandaki gorge drive, Tatopani hot springs, Narchyang waterfall, Magar village life
  2. Day 2: Narchyang (Hum Khola road-head) to Chhotepa, 5-6 h, 2,314 m — Entry into the wild upper Hum Khola/Pangbu valley, dense forest, first fixed-rope rock sections
  3. Day 3: Chhotepa to Sandiskharka (Bhusket Mela area), 5-6 h, 3,660 m — Steep climb out of the gorge onto open kharka pastures, Panchakunda lakes area, north face of Annapurna I ahead, Nilgiri views
  4. Day 4: Sandiskharka to Annapurna North Base Camp and back to Chhotepa, 7-8 h, 2,314 m — Pre-dawn climb to Annapurna North Base Camp (4,190 m) - the 1950 Maurice Herzog expedition base under the colossal north face of Annapurna I (8,091 m); memorial plaques; long descent
  5. Day 5: Chhotepa to Pokhara (via Hum Khola and Narchyang), 4-5 h, 820 m — Descent through the gorge, optional Tatopani hot-spring soak on the drive out

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