Annapurna Trail Running Holiday: The Complete Guide to Nepal's High Himalayas
There's a moment, somewhere around 4,000m, when the trail stops being about pace and starts being about presence — one foot after another, thinner air, and peaks above 7,000m rising on every side. Thirteen days, two summits, and the classic Annapurna Base Camp route combined with the Mardi Himal ridge into one extraordinary journey. Here's everything you need to know.
Everest Base Camp gets the postcards. The Annapurna Circuit gets the crowds. But ask anyone who's actually run through this part of the Himalayas, and they'll tell you the Annapurna Sanctuary — the amphitheatre of peaks surrounding Annapurna Base Camp itself — is where the mountains feel truly overwhelming, in the best possible sense.
We combine two of Nepal's most iconic trails into a single thirteen-day trip: the classic route into Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130m, then a crossing to the Mardi Himal ridge for a second, quieter summit at 4,500m. This guide covers what the trip actually looks like, day by day, how fit you need to be, and why this might be the most rewarding introduction to high-altitude trail running anywhere in the world.
Why Annapurna?
The Annapurna Sanctuary is a natural amphitheatre — a ring of peaks above 7,000m enclosing a high glacial basin, with Base Camp sitting right at its heart. Getting there takes you through everything Nepal does best: rhododendron forest thick with waterfalls at low altitude, Gurung and Magar villages clinging to terraced hillsides, and finally the high mountain plains where the trees give way entirely to rock, ice and sky.
What makes this trip different from a standard Base Camp trek is the second act. Rather than retracing your steps back down, we cross to the Mardi Himal ridge — a quieter, less-trodden trail that climbs to its own high camp at 4,500m, actually higher than Annapurna Base Camp itself. Two summits, two very different characters of trail, in one journey.
Your route: two summits, one extraordinary crossing
An easy-paced sightseeing run through Kathmandu's Thamel district — Durbar Square, the Swayambhunath monkey temple — before a short domestic flight to Pokhara and a final briefing before the mountains begin.
Syauli Bazaar to Ghandruk, then Sinuwa, then the mountain hamlet of Himalaya at nearly 3,000m — rhododendron forest, suspension bridges, and Gurung villages, with Fishtail Mountain in view from the very first climb.
A pre-dawn push from Machhapuchhare Base Camp to Annapurna Base Camp itself for sunrise — standing at 4,130m, surrounded by peaks in every direction. Then a long, mostly downhill return towards Bamboo as the air thickens again.
A different trail entirely — narrower, quieter, climbing through forest to the exposed ridge at Badal Danda, then on to Mardi Himal High Camp at 4,500m, the highest and most demanding section of the whole trip.
A flowing descent to Sidding completes the trail, followed by the short flight back to Pokhara and Kathmandu, a farewell dinner, and departure.
How fit do you need to be?
This trip is graded Challenging — you don't need to be an elite runner, but you do need a genuine base of hill fitness and comfort moving uphill for sustained periods over multiple consecutive days. Daily stages range from 7 to 23km, and above roughly 3,500m, the trails become more hiking than running — entirely normal, and exactly what the itinerary is built for.
If you can run or hike 3-4 times a week with a focus on hill work in the 8-12 weeks before you fly, and you're comfortable moving for 4-6 hours a day, you'll arrive well prepared. A 1:3 guide-to-runner ratio and local porters carrying your main bag mean you run with a light daypack only — the mountain does the rest of the work.
Altitude, taken seriously
Acute Mountain Sickness can affect anyone, regardless of fitness — this itinerary is built with acclimatisation at every stage, and every guest is monitored daily with a pulse oximeter to track oxygen saturation. Comprehensive travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover, valid above 4,000m, is non-negotiable for this trip — it's a genuine safety essential, not a box to tick.
Where you'll sleep
Two nights in a 3★ hotel in Kathmandu, two in Pokhara, then eight nights in mountain tea houses along the trail — simple twin rooms, hearty local food, and the kind of welcome that makes rural Nepal so special. Rooms become more basic the higher you climb; that's half the adventure.
"The trails and mountains are unlike anything I've experienced. The local support was sensational and the Pure Trails guidance was unmatched — a must do for anyone who loves big mountains." — Kate R, Pure Trails Guest, Nepal 2024
When to go
We run this trip once a year, in April — one of the best months in the Nepalese Himalayas. Pre-monsoon skies stay clear, mountain visibility is spectacular, and mid-altitude rhododendron forests are in full bloom. Nights at the higher camps still drop well below freezing, so proper layers are essential regardless of the season.
17–29 April 2027 — one departure only, maximum 10 guests. Early bird pricing of £1,895pp runs until 1 September 2026 — after that, the price rises to £2,195pp.
Who is this trip for?
This is a genuinely excellent introduction to high-altitude trail running for anyone who's built a solid hill-running base but hasn't yet taken it above 4,000m. If you've done an Albania or Georgia trip with us and you're ready for the Himalayas specifically, or Annapurna's simply been on your list for years, this is the trip that makes it real.
Nearly 90% of our guests travel solo, and thirteen days of shared altitude, effort and two genuine summits tends to forge exactly the kind of friendships this destination is known for.
Ready for the high Himalayas?
If Annapurna's been sitting quietly on your list of "somewhere I should really go," this is the trip that turns it into somewhere you actually went. Get in touch before 1 September to lock in early bird pricing on our April 2027 departure.
Journey to Annapurna
13 days, two summits, one unforgettable crossing through the high Himalayas. Fully guided, fully supported. Early bird from £1,895pp — ends 1 September 2026.
