Be among the privileged few to trek the less-traveled Annapurna North Base Camp trail! This hidden gem leads you to the north face of Annapurna I (8,091m), the 10th tallest mountain on the planet. Unlike the more popular southern ABC trek, this recently opened trail provides a true wilderness in the shape of breathtaking forests, off-the-beaten-track villages, and panoramic high-mountain scenery. Start from Narchyang, trek through Tatopani's refreshing hot springs and ascend to the breathtaking base camp at 4,190m, with heart-stopping sights of giant mountains like Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, and Nilgiri, and the world's deepest gorge - Kali Gandaki. Perfect for a new Himalayan trek without the crowds.

Experience Annapurna North Base Camp Trek with Bold Himalaya

Your adventure begins in colorful Pokhara, then driving to Beni and on to Tatopani, famous for its natural hot springs. You will hike from there through remote mountain villages like Narchyang, where hospitable villagers invite you into their traditional way of life with broad smiles and steaming mugs of hot tea. You'll be sleeping close to village hearths, listening to generation-old tales being retold while partaking in real local fare that keeps your pursuit alive. Glancing upwards, note how the vista suddenly shifts from green woodland and hillside cultivation to alpine mountainside vistas. There is road travel through clumps of rhododendrons so vivid in the spring months, over wooden bridges spanning torrent-freshwater streams supplied by snow-melt glacial run-off, and up through past high-mountain meadows marked by contented, grazing yaks set against sheer cliff faces. Because so few trekkers take this route, you will typically have the trail to yourself with only nature noises and your own footfalls for company. The road climbs as you make your way towards the higher terrain, and each curve offers more stunning mountain scenery. You'll be driving on parts where the air is thinner but the views get progressively more breathtaking. Small streams cascade over rocky outcroppings, providing natural music that serenades you as you go. Morning fogs usually blanket the valleys below, so you have a surreal feeling of floating on air as you stroll above the clouds. Arriving at Annapurna North Base Camp at 4,190m provides dramatic 360-degree panorama of mammoth Annapurna I looming above. Sunrise light blankets the white-summitted peaks with golden and rosy hues, a photographer's dream. It takes in Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, and the very profound Kali Gandaki Gorge slicing between those giants. History buffs will enjoy to be on the same trail to have trodden as utilized by history-making 1950 French expedition team who climbed Annapurna I for the first time, exposing them to an ambiance of trail tracing legends. Contrary to the top treks here, camp pitching will be necessary on this trail - offering much more in raw adventure feel. Night will be in cozy tents arranged by our seasoned staff, hot food cooked at high altitude and fresh. Away from tourist tea houses, there will be the true experience of discovery under Himalayan starry skies where Milky Way fills blackness with awe-inspiring clarity. Quiet night in camp allows time to relax and catch up with other trekkers, cementing friendships based on shared experience. Whether you seek solitude and quiet, thrilling adventure, or stunning mountain vistas, this trek has something special that few travelers ever experience. That sense of satisfaction that comes from reaching the base camp, having made your way where relatively few trekkers have, is one that remains for a lifetime.

Highlights of this trek

• Trek a newly discovered route to Annapurna I's breathtaking north face
• Find untainted beauty with scarcely another trekker in sight
• Trek past genuine Gurung and Magar villages like Narchyang and Tatopani
• Soak in the natural hot springs of Tatopani - heaven for sore muscles!
• Trek from subtropical jungle to high glacier
• Take in the stunning scenery of Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and the world's deepest gorge
• Witness yaks and wildlife against stunning high meadows
• Camp under a million stars in peaceful wilderness
• Avoid the crowded Annapurna main trails
• Follow the inaugural path of the initial successful 8,000m ascent

Annapurna North Base Camp Trek Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,400m)
• Day 2: Drive to Pokhara (822m) | 6-7 hours
• Day 3: Drive to Beni (899m) and trekking to Chhotepa (2,369m) | 3-4 hours hike
• Day 4: Trek from Chhotepa to Sandhikharka (3,165m) | 5-6 hours
• Day 5: Trek from Sandhikharka to North Annapurna Base Camp (4,190m) | 6-7 hours
• Day 6: Explore North Annapurna Base Camp Glacier and Return to Sandhikharka | 5-6 hours
• Day 7: Sandhikharka to Lower Narchyang (1,520m) | 5-6 hours
• Day 8: Narchyang to Tatopani Trek (1,243m) and Return Drive to Pokhara | 4-5 hours' trek + 4-5 hours' drive
• Day 9: Drive Back to Kathmandu | 6-7 hours
• Day 10: Final Departure or Optional Tours

Why Annapurna North Base Camp Trek?

• New Route: Escape the crowds and indulge in a tremendous alternative to the Annapurna Circuit, where every turn brings a new view that hasn't been captured in thousands of identical tourist photos, giving you bragging rights to experiences few other trekkers can claim.
• Peace and Serenity: Without a consistent flow of visitors, you can hear the quiet whoosh of wind over high-mountain grasses and the distant rumble of glaciers, and sense a reflective ambiance impossible on busier routes.
• Breathtaking Views: Enjoy some of the most spectacular mountain views in the Himalayas, with unrestricted views of grand peaks that are accessible and valleys so deep that they melt into shadow, offering vistas that will fill your camera roll and your memory.
• Rich Culture: Live the actual life of a village among the Gurung and Magar communities who welcome visitors with curiosity and hospitality, offering traditional food, traditions, and way of life which have been left untouched for centuries despite the rapidly expanding modern world beyond the mountains.
• Real Adventure: Experience the thrill of sleeping wild in the mountain wilderness under night skies instead of tourist teahouses, softly summoned to sleep by the wild Himalayas and waking up to misty dawn mountain mornings and hot tea poured into your tent by our hospitality staff who bring comfort even to far-flung locations.
• Historic Route: Follow the giants of mountaineering who broke history on these very mountains themselves, facing the same struggle and glory as they faced in discovering what was then purely virgin country, offering a pinch of bonding with Himalayan adventure giants.
• Hot Springs: Treat yourself to a spa treatment in nature as you soak your trail-weary muscles in Tatopani's natural hot springs, where mineral-rich waters bubble up from deep within the earth to treat you to a refreshing soak in the midst of mountain scenery no luxury spa can ever aspire to match.
• Real Challenge: Challenge yourself above the ordinary because this trek offers the perfect mix of tough trails and rewarding experiences for adventure-seekers who desire more than an ordinary vacation, with each day's effort giving an achievement feeling which is built up during the trek.
• Professional Experience: Trek ensured that Bold Himalaya's professional guides and porters are taking care of all the arrangements, from careful navigating through challenging routes to preparing delicious food at high altitude, so that you can totally relax and enjoy the glorious experience while we take care of the rest.