What permits do I need for the Annapurna Region?

You need the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), NPR 3,000 (roughly US$23) for foreign trekkers, which covers Annapurna Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill and every other route inside the conservation area. A licensed guide has been mandatory for all foreign trekkers in the Annapurna Region since April 2023.

Annapurna Region

Nepal's most diverse trekking region, from Poon Hill sunrises to the high Annapurna Circuit.

Trekking in the Annapurna Region

The Annapurna Region is Nepal's most visited trekking area, and its most varied, spanning subtropical foothills, rhododendron forest, high alpine desert and glacial lakes within a few days' walk of each other. It's built around the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected area, and centred on the Annapurna massif, ten peaks over 7,000m, including Annapurna I at 8,091m, the tenth-highest mountain on Earth and the first 8,000m peak ever climbed, in 1950.

Most journeys begin from Pokhara, Nepal's lake-side second city, with routes fanning out toward three classic destinations: Poon Hill, a short, moderate climb to a sunrise viewpoint over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges; Annapurna Base Camp, deep inside the Annapurna Sanctuary at 4,130m; and the Annapurna Circuit, a longer route crossing the 5,416m Thorong La pass into the arid Mustang valley on the other side.

The trails pass through Gurung and Magar villages, terraced farmland and dense forest before climbing above the treeline, making the Annapurna Region equally known for its trekking variety and its everyday mountain culture.