Trek Guide

Dhampus & Australian Camp Trek Guide 2026: The Best Easy Short Trek from Pokhara

The complete 2026 guide to the Dhampus and Australian Camp trek: an easy 3-day Annapurna sunrise walk from Pokhara, perfect for beginners and…

By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 14, 2026

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Closest big-mountain views to Pokhara . Dhampus and Australian Camp sit just outside the city in the Annapurna foothills, so you reach a Himalayan sunrise within a couple of hours of walking. Genuinely easy. Gentle stone paths, low altitude (~2,060 m) and…

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Why trek Dhampus and Australian Camp

Most Himalayan treks ask for a week or more and a serious climb to altitude. This one does not. Dhampus is a tidy Gurung village strung along a hillside at around 1,600 m, with stone houses, mustard fields and an open view of the Annapurna range; Australian…

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Route and itinerary overview

The classic loop runs between the trailheads at Phedi and Kande, on the Pokhara–Baglung highway, and can be walked in either direction. On a comfortable three-day plan it breaks down like this: Day 1: Short drive from Pokhara to Phedi (or Kande), then a…

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Difficulty and fitness

This is the easy end of Nepal trekking. There is real uphill on the climb from Phedi to Dhampus, and your legs will feel the stone steps, but the days are short, the path is well made, and you never go high enough for altitude to be a concern. Anyone in…

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Permits and 2026 cost

Because the route sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, you need an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) , which costs NPR 3,000 per foreign trekker (around US$23–25) in 2026, with a discounted rate for SAARC nationals. Historically a TIMS card…

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Best time to trek

The two prime windows are autumn (October–November) and spring (March–April) , when skies are clearest and the mountains stand out sharply at dawn. Spring adds blooming rhododendron forest, while autumn delivers the most reliably crisp visibility after the…

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How to get there from Pokhara

Everything starts in Pokhara , six to seven hours by road or 25 minutes by air from Kathmandu. From Pokhara's lakeside it is a short, scenic drive of roughly 45 minutes to the trailhead at Phedi or Kande on the Baglung highway. Private vehicle, shared taxi or…

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Accommodation: teahouse or camping

You will trek teahouse-style, sleeping in simple, family-run lodges in Dhampus and at Australian Camp. Rooms are basic but clean — twin beds, shared or simple private bathrooms, and warm Nepali hospitality — and the lodges serve fresh dal bhat, noodles, eggs…

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What to pack

Pack light — you do not need expedition kit for a low, short trek. The essentials are good walking shoes or light boots, layers for cool ridge-top mornings (a fleece and a light insulated jacket are plenty in the main seasons), a windproof shell, sun…

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Who it's for — and how it compares

This trek is built for beginners, families with children, couples wanting a quick mountain escape, and anyone with only a few spare days in Pokhara. If you crave the high-altitude drama of Annapurna Base Camp or the Sanctuary but cannot spare ten days or are…

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Altitude and safety

At a maximum of around 2,060 m, Australian Camp is well below the altitude at which acute mountain sickness becomes a concern, so this is one of the safest treks in Nepal on that front — there is no need to acclimatise. The main things to mind are sensible…

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