Skip to content
Charter Nepal

Heli trek · Pokhara – Ghandruk – Chhomrong – Annapurna Base Camp

Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

Trek up through rhododendron forest and Gurung villages to the Annapurna Sanctuary, spend a night at Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) and see dawn break over the peaks. Then it's just twenty minutes by air back to Pokhara.

Highest point
4,130 m
Length
10 days
Group
Up to 10
Price
US$1,690 per person
Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

The Annapurna Base Camp trek climbs from terraced farmland into a hidden amphitheatre of ice. Down below, it's green and farmed: Gurung villages, endless stone stairs, and bamboo and rhododendron forest lining the Modi Khola. At the top it's all bare rock and snow, with Annapurna I and Machhapuchhre straight above you.

You'll drive from Pokhara to the trailhead and walk up through Ghandruk, Chhomrong and Sinuwa to Deurali, then into the Sanctuary past Machhapuchhre Base Camp. You spend the night at Annapurna Base Camp and watch the sunrise light up the south face of Annapurna. Then, instead of three days walking back down, a helicopter flies you to Pokhara.

It's the lowest of our heli treks, and it suits fit walkers who are new to the Himalaya.

Facts

Duration
10 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu
Walking
5 days, 5 to 7 hours a day
Highest point
Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m
Grade
Moderate: many stone steps
Sleeping
Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, lodges on the trek
Best months
October to November, March to May

Highlights

  • A night at Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m
  • Sunrise on Annapurna I and Machhapuchhre
  • The Gurung villages of Ghandruk and Chhomrong
  • A twenty-minute helicopter flight back to Pokhara

Route and altitude, day by day

Highest point 4,130 m

  1. 1Kathmandu 1,338 mDomestic terminal, Tribhuvan Airport
  2. 2Pokhara 822 mDay 2
  3. 3Ghandruk 1,940 mDay 3
  4. 4Sinuwa 2,360 mDay 4
  5. 5Deurali 3,230 mDay 5
  6. 6Annapurna Base Camp 4,130 mDay 6
  7. 7Pokhara 822 mDay 7, by helicopter
  8. 8Kathmandu 1,338 mDomestic terminal, Tribhuvan Airport

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu

    • We'll meet you at Tribhuvan airport and take you to your hotel. In the evening, your guide will drop by to go over the route.

  2. Day 2: To Pokhara (822 m)

    • A short flight or a 7-hour drive to Pokhara, then an afternoon by Phewa Lake.

  3. Day 3: Drive to the trailhead, walk to Ghandruk (1,940 m)

    • By jeep to Kimche, then on foot to the Gurung village of Ghandruk, looking across at Annapurna South.

  4. Day 4: Sinuwa (2,360 m)

    • Over the ridge to Chhomrong, then across the river to Sinuwa. About 6 hours, with plenty of steps.

  5. Day 5: Deurali (3,230 m)

    • Through bamboo and rhododendron forest beside the Modi Khola. About 6 hours.

  6. Day 6: Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m)

    • Into the Sanctuary via Machhapuchhre Base Camp, then the afternoon and sunset among the peaks. About 5 hours.

  7. Day 7: Sunrise, then helicopter to Pokhara

    • Watch the sun rise on Annapurna I. After breakfast, the helicopter takes you to Pokhara in about 20 minutes.

  8. Day 8: Pokhara

    • A free day to enjoy the lake, or a spare day if the weather has delayed your flight.

  9. Day 9: Back to Kathmandu

    • Fly or drive back to Kathmandu.

  10. Day 10: Departure

    • Your transfer to the airport.

What's included

  • Airport transfers, plus 2 nights' hotel in Kathmandu and 2 in Pokhara, with breakfast
  • Transport from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back, and the jeep to the trailhead
  • A shared helicopter from Annapurna Base Camp to Pokhara
  • A licensed, English-speaking trekking guide, plus one porter for every two trekkers
  • Lodge rooms and three meals a day on the trek
  • Annapurna Conservation Area permit and TIMS card

Not included

  • International flights and your Nepal visa
  • Travel insurance that covers trekking to 4,200 m and helicopter evacuation (required)
  • Drinks, hot showers, charging and wifi on the trek
  • Tips

Good to know

Pickup
At Kathmandu airport, on Day 1.
Before you fly
  • The price is per person, for a private trek with your own guide.
Weather and cancellation
If you cancel more than 30 days before the start, we keep only the deposit. From 10 to 30 days before, you'll get a 50% refund. Within 10 days, or once the trek has started, there's no refund. If the weather stops the helicopter, you can wait for the next clear morning or walk out with your guide, and we'll refund the unused flight. Booking terms

New to mountain flights? Read about altitude and safety and the best months to fly.

Questions

Is this trek suitable for beginners?

Yes, as long as you walk regularly. The altitude is modest, but the stone steps between Chhomrong and Sinuwa are tiring, so trekking poles really help.

Other heli treks and flights

  • 11 days▲ 5,545 m

    Lukla – Namche – Everest Base Camp – Kala Patthar

    Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

    Walk up to Everest Base Camp the classic way, with time to acclimatise, then skip the four-day walk back down. After sunrise on Kala Patthar, a helicopter flies you from Gorak Shep straight to Kathmandu.

    from US$2,450per person

  • 8 days▲ 4,773 m

    Syabrubesi – Lama Hotel – Langtang – Kyanjin Gompa

    Langtang Valley Trek with Helicopter Return

    A short Himalayan trek that starts just a day's drive from Kathmandu. Walk up the Langtang valley through forest and Tamang villages to Kyanjin Gompa, spend a morning on Kyanjin Ri, then take a helicopter straight back to the city.

    from US$1,390per person

  • 11 days▲ 5,357 m

    Lukla – Namche – Gokyo – Gokyo Ri

    Gokyo Lakes Trek with Helicopter Return

    The quieter side of the Everest region, with turquoise glacial lakes, the Ngozumpa Glacier and, from Gokyo Ri, four of the world's six highest mountains in a single view. Walk in, then fly out from Gokyo over the glacier.

    from US$2,350per person

from US$1,690per person

Check dates