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The Annapurna Sanctuary (Base Camp) Trek

A challenging and spectacular trek in the Annapurna, reaching not one, but two base camps. 

Location

Nepal

Difficulty

Challenging

Accommodation and Meals

Teahouse, Hotel

Duration

12 days

Meeting Point

Kathmandu

Annual Leave

8 days

Group Size

Up to 14

Seasons

March, April, October to start of December

Walking Distance

60km approx

While you reach similar altitudes to the Mardi Himal trek, this is a notch above as you trek for a longer time. Trekking in the amphitheatre of the Annapurna, in the shadow of the world's eighth highest mountain, is an unforgettable experience.
The Annapurna Sanctuary (Base Camp) Trek
Charlie

Meet Charlie, a director of, and one of the co-founders of Tribal Tracks.

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Travelling with Tribal Tracks is a wonderful experience.  They take care of everything and you don't have to worry about anything!

Gordon G

If you're looking to get out of your comfort zone this is it, I couldn’t have asked for better organisation and a better team to accomplish this amazing achievement with. Thanks so much for everything.

Karlinos

If you want to be challenged, but feel incredibly safe and fully supported, Tribal Tracks is the company for you. I have been on 3 trips with them now, and I cannot wait for my 4th adventure.

George W

Trip Highlights

Trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary, in Nepali, the Annapurna Deuthali an amphitheatre of huge Himalayan peaks.

Reach the the 'base camp' of Machhapuchhare, even though there is technically no such thing as climbing of this sacred mountain is prohibited.

Wonder at the view of the near vertical south face of Annapurna (8091m) from Annapurna base camp (4130m), realising that you are little more than half way to the height of its summit! 

Experience wonderful Nepali hospitality, culture and food in the teahouses along the way.

Take time to explore the wonders of Kathmandu.

All the info you need

Trip Details

Trip Details

At a Glance

The route to Annapurna Base Camp is a spectacular trek, traversing a huge variety of terrain.  From glacial moraine to rice terraces, outstanding high mountain views are guaranteed at all times. 

The Annapurna Region in central Nepal is the most geographically and culturally diverse region for trekking and is also an area of conservation and sustainable development.

Stretched over 2600 square km, the area has a variety of diverse cultures, tribes and castes such as the Brahmins, Chettris, Newars, Gurungs, Magars, Manangies and the Tibetans. This area has sub-tropical lowlands, valleys, bamboo, oak and rhododendron forests, alpine meadows, windswept desert plateaus and the towering Annapurna Mountains. This area also has the world’s deepest river gorge, Kali Gandaki, lying some 6900-metres/22,563 ft below some of the world's largest and most beautiful mountains as Annapurna I (the 8th highest in the world) & Fishtail (Machhapuchhare - considered to be one of the most beautiful and holy mountains). 

Animals and birds are in abundance in this region. 440 species of birds and animals like the marten, deer, langur and the elusive snow leopard live in this area.  Whether it is culture, wildlife or hard core trekking that you are after, this epic adventure will not disappoint!

Please note that single supplements are not available in the teahouses on the trek.

Trip Details

Itinerary

"I am extremely grateful to Tribal Tracks for all their hard work and support to make this such an amazing experience from start to finish. It could not have been better!" - Debs, 2023

Trip Details

Dates & Prices

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Trip Details

General Notes

Please see detailed information on visa requirements on this link Nepalese Visas

In a nutshell, almost everything!

  • Tribal Tracks UK qualified mountain leader;
  • All accommodation as specified in the itinerary;
  • Supporting in-country guides;
  • Logistical support crew;
  • All transfers by private minibus or bus as per itinerary, internal flights (if applicable);
  • All meals from arrival until departure, soft drinks, tea, coffee and drinking water;
  • Virtual pre-departure briefing;
  • Dedicated pre-departure support from a named Tribal Tracks director.

This is what you will need to buy/source yourself.

  • International flights (but we can arrange these for you at extra cost, which will be ATOL protected);
  • Personal travel insurance which should be valid and cover all activities in the itinerary;
  • UK international departure tax;
  • Immunisation costs;
  • Personal equipment and clothing on the kit list;
  • Tipping for local guides and drivers;
  • Single supplement (for sole occupancy of accommodation where available);
  • Expenses incurred due to unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellation and delays;
  • Alcoholic drinks.
  • Visas (where applicable)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) monitors all overseas destinations and offers advice to British citizens. In order to be fully informed of safety issues, crime rates, political stability and local customs you can view the advice here. We monitor FCDO advice carefully and may, on occasion, be required to cancel trips, reroute itineraries, or make other changes to trips based on the FCDO advice. Any decision will always be made in the interests of your safety and security and will be fully communicated to you.

For up-to-date vaccination information, please visit Travel Health Pro to see the most recent recommendations for your itinerary.

Although we are travel experts, we are not medical specialists, so we cannot explicitly recommend what vaccinations you should or shouldn't have. Always seek the advice of a medical professional if you are unsure. They will likely want to see a copy of your itinerary, and can then best advise whether they think an advised or 'to consider' vaccination is appropriate for you.

Please note that information on vaccinations can change at short notice.

Please inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies before you travel, and preferably at the time of booking and no later than 4 weeks prior to departure. We can cater to almost any diet, but only if we know about it beforehand.

It is important that you read the itinerary carefully, and take account of the rating we have given it.  

Although our challenges are not technical, they do require a good degree of physical fitness. The conditions will require stamina and strength, which you should recognise and train for. This will be a much better experience if you are fit and prepared. You should feel comfortable walking 6-8 hours per day.

In setting the maximum size of our groups, we take a number of factors into account.

Altitude, degree of difficulty, the terrain, the climate and time of year, all determine the maximum group size.  Sometimes it will be 20, sometimes it will be 8-14, but safety is always our priority.

You will be accompanied by a Tribal Tracks UK Leader, Mountain Leader qualified, as well as supported by our local, in-country guides.

It is a requirement of Tribal Tracks booking terms and conditions that each supporter must hold their own travel insurance, which covers the trip and the activities they are doing. Read more here.

We advise you to put insurance in place as soon as possible, ideally on booking so you are covered immediately. There have been instances where someone has signed up, broken their leg a few weeks later, and been deemed unfit to travel. If travel insurance were in place, the non-refundable deposit could be claimed back from the insurance policy. Without this, your money is lost.

 Your insurance must be valid and in date, covering the entire period that you are travelling for, including the return journey home. It must cover medical and personal accident risks, and should include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services, where appropriate. 

We will need to know the travel insurance provider, your policy number and the 24 hour medical/emergency assistance number.

Tribal Tracks has 100% Financial Protection and has a trust account with the Protected Trust Service, member number 5566.

This means that all client monies paid to Tribal Tracks are held in our dedicated trust account, which is supervised by an independent trustee. This means that in the very unlikely event that Tribal Tracks ceases to trade, your money is safe. For more information, please visit this link. Any flights booked for you by Tribal Tracks will be ATOL-protected under our own ATOL certificate.

Tribal Tracks considers the safety of all of its participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have thorough safety systems in place.

In the event of an injury, we have an evacuation plan in place for all elements of the trek route. We do ask that you look after yourself during the trek in the following way, as this will help avoid unnecessary problems:

  1. Trekking is a major challenge so make sure that you are well hydrated throughout.  You will be provided with plenty of water so please ensure that you fill up your water bottles with at least 2 litres at breakfast and again after lunch.
  2. Don't let a hot spot become a blister! The moment you feel any rubbing, stop and apply some zinc tape.  This will ensure that the tape gets rubbed, not your foot.  If you don't do this, you will get a blister.  While blister plasters are good, it is better not to have a blister in the first place.  Please also tell the Tribal Tracks leader as they are very good with feet and can help you!
  3. Hygiene. It is very important to wash your hands before eating and after going to the bathroom.  If you can't wash your hands, apply lots of anti-bacterial gel.  The 'gold standard' is hand washing, followed by gel.
  4. Communication.  If you are not feeling well, or have any sort of issue, please tell the Tribal Tracks leader.  They are there to help and are very discreet.

We know that the unexpected can happen.

While you are away, things can happen at home and people may need to get in contact with you.  This can be tricky when you are in remote areas.  So, shortly before departure, we provide you with an Emergency Procedure document to distribute to your nearest and dearest.  This sets out how to contact Tribal Tracks and the steps Tribal Tracks will then take to get in contact with you.

It is really important that you are well prepared for your physical challenge and that you are confident that you will be able to fully participate.

Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely partake in the trek, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to step out of the trek. Although this is a very rare occurrence, by booking this trip you agree to section 11 of our Booking Conditions which clearly states that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these circumstances, we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.

If you're not happy with something, please talk to the Tribal Tracks Leader. They are there to ensure your experience is as enjoyable as possible. They can only act on what they know, so please don’t be afraid to raise anything that needs addressing with them and certainly don’t wait until the end of the trip. If you’re travelling with a charity, someone from there will be on the trek too, if you’d feel more comfortable liaising through them.

If travelling with a child and only one parent is present, please be aware that you must have the permission of everyone with parental responsibility before that child can be taken abroad. You automatically have parental responsibility if you’re the child’s mother, but you still need the permission of anyone else with parental responsibility before you take the child abroad. A letter from the person with parental responsibility for the child is usually enough to show you’ve got permission to take them abroad. You might be asked for the letter at a UK or foreign border. The letter should include the other person’s contact details and details about the trip. If you are travelling with a child who has a surname different to your own, for example you are a single parent, you are advised to travel with evidence of your relationship (eg a birth certificate) and a divorce or marriage certificate if applicable. In other scenarios, for example, you are a grandparent taking your grandchild on a trip, or you are taking your child’s friend on a trip, you should be able to provide evidence that you have permission from the child’s parents to do this. You should also check the requirements of the country you are travelling to, as they may have additional specific requirements and the age limit up to which a person is considered a child may vary.

If you are feeling unwell on this trek, tell your leaders and listen to their advice, they are professionals who will know the best course of action for you. If you need to be taken off the trek, or if there is an emergency, our experienced leaders and local guides carry phones and can call for help. No one will be left unaccompanied. If necessary, we hold details of your next of kin and travel insurance and will help organise next steps and onward arrangements.

If your flights are included in the trip price you will automatically be booked on to the same flights as everyone else in the team, unless you let us know before or on booking. If you want to book your own flights, you need to ensure that you coordinate your arrival and departure times with the trip’s itinerary. If your dates/timings don’t align with the itinerary, you will be responsible for costs incurred for additional airport transfers or accommodation arrangements.

Tribal Tracks can book alternative flights for you (for example, from a different departure airport) but this may incur an extra charge. We will liaise with you about costs before booking to ensure you’re happy to proceed.

At Tribal Tracks, Responsible Travel is enormously important to us, and our commitment to responsible travel is evidenced in every itinerary that we prepare.

Core to our business is the belief that holidays can and should be enjoyable to the traveller but should be conducted in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner which brings benefit to local communities. This is implemented through a variety of measures which can be found in our Responsible Travel policy. We encourage you to read this and to play your own part in travelling responsibly.

Trip Details

Optional Extras

Nepal is a fascinating country and it is tempting to stay on to explore more of it.  If you would like us to arrange this for you, just get in touch.


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Call Charlie

01242 895272