What Else Can You Do When Trekking Annapurna?

Trekking to the Annapurna Base Camp is enormously appealing. You don’t need any technical climbing skills to complete the trek, and yet it takes you to an elevation of 4,130m, and exposes you to some of the most varied scenery and exciting experiences you’ll ever face. There’s hot springs, amazing flora and fauna, breath-taking views, and gorgeous villages. But it’s not the easiest place to get to. With a flight of at least 12 hours from the UK, and a day’s travel from Kathmandu to the start of the trek, it feels a bit like a wasted opportunity if you complete the trek and then just… go home. So, what else is there to do when you’re in the area?

Four Things to Do After Trekking Annapurna

White-water rafting at Damauli

At Choose a Challenge, we always like to offer extension packages to our adventurers. It helps to make an amazing experience even better. So, when you’ve finished your Annapurna trek, we can whisk you away to Damauli to enjoy some serious white-water rafting. The Seti River is one of the best places for inexperienced rafters to begin. With its beautiful blue-green water, it provides a gentle start, guiding you through the tropical forest at the foot of the Nepalese mountains placidly. Before the thrill of the white-water rapids. It takes two days to complete, but will leave you with memories to last a lifetime. Get in touch to find out more.

Explore Kathmandu

The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu is a vibrant, energetic city, and a great place to get a real taste of Nepalese culture. There’s a huge amount to see and do, from climbing to the top of Swayambhu (AKA the monkey temple), to exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhaktapur and shopping in the local bazaars (Ason and Mangal are biggest and best). You could spend a week here, and it probably wouldn’t be enough. So, research before you leave, and work out what most appeals to you. Because, once you’re there, you’re likely to become easily side-tracked!

Shivapuri National Park

If your legs haven’t had enough punishment with the Annapurna Base Camp trek, why not schedule a day’s hiking at the Shivapurni National Park? Home to diverse wildlife – including pangolin, Himalayan black bears, leopards, and rhesus monkeys – the national park is easily accessible from Kathmandu. With lakes, waterfalls, and more trees than you could shake a stick at, there is something for every nature lover.

Fly by Mount Everest

OK. So, rather than trekking to Annapurna, you could have taken the road more travelled and tackled the Everest Base Camp. But Annapurna is a totally different experience. And a really worthy one. But, as you’re in Nepal, if you’ve got the cash to splash, you could kill another bird, so to speak, and experience Everest from the air. Whether you choose to go by helicopter or light aircraft, there are various providers offering the chance to fly around Mount Everest. It’s not cheap. And you don’t have the kudos or sense of achievement that comes from climbing it. But it does offer an unbeatable view of the highest mountain in the world.

The Annapurna Base Camp trek is one of our favourites. It’s accessible and it’s beautiful. And as a self-contained experience, it’s hard to beat. But, if you have the time and a little extra cash, it really is worth getting to know the wider area.

Find out more about taking on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Choose a Challenge.