Best Annapurna Climbing Guides 2025

I cannot speak highly enough of Outfitters Nepal. They were very professional in organising our 12 day tour of Nepal, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, 5 day Annapurna mountain trek and Chitwan National Park. Arjun was very helpful responding to my questions leading up to the trip. Our tour guide, Suraj, was fantastic. The porters did a great job carrying our packs on the mountain trek. The mountain trek was a great experience, but it was not for the fainthearted. I strongly recommend doing some hill climbing training beforehand, in particular, stair climbing (up’n’down). The welcome back dinner in Kathmandu was also a very nice surprise. All in all, I would have no hesitation recommending Outfitter Nepal.

If you're looking for a premier trekking and expedition experience, Alpinist Club is a standout choice. Specializing in high-altitude adventures, they offer expertly guided treks and climbs in some of the world's most breathtaking mountain ranges. The Alpinist Club team provides exceptional support, from thorough pre-expedition training to meticulous on-ground guidance, ensuring safety and enhancing the overall experience. Whether you're tackling the challenging routes of Manaslu or exploring the diverse landscapes of Annapurna, their knowledge and professionalism make every journey both rewarding and memorable. If you're an avid mountaineer or an aspiring trekker, Alpinist Club is well worth considering for your next adventure.

I recently completed the 19-day Annapurna Round Trek with Sherpa Expedition & Trekking. I cannot praise my guide, Ang Dawa Sherpa, enough. From start to finish, the experience was incredible, and the trek was organized flawlessly. I learned about Sherpa Expedition & Trekking through a friend and used reviews here only to confirm my choice. I just returned from Nepal, which was my first trip outside of Europe. I learned about the Sherpa Expedition and Trekking through a friend who did an EBC with them. After this experience, I wholeheartedly recommend the company, especially my guide - Ang Dawa Sherpa. I was coming to Nepal with a fair share of scepticism about a "life-changing experience", but I must admit this trip was exactly like this. Largely because I was lucky enough to hit the jackpot with a tour company and guide. I can tell you all about my experience with Dawa, but he's a three-time Everest climber, so his experience speaks for his competence. He adjusted the trip to meet my needs, like when I wanted to hike a bit longer or chill an extra day. He constantly checked in to ensure I was comfortable. He also knew the best routes, called ahead to tea houses to ensure smooth meals and accommodations and even arranged visits to temples I wouldn't have discovered on my own. One of the unexpected things that I appreciate is that he shared his culture openly, explaining the significance of prayer wheels, flags, and mantras. He guided me in engaging with these practices. After the trek, he helped me find mala beads and a prayer bowl, and he took me to meet a Buddhist lama for a blessing - again, not something I could do on my own. By the trek's end, it felt like I was leaving a friend behind. Ram's pre-trip organization was equally impressive. He responded quickly, clearly communicated, and ensured every detail was perfect. He handled changes to my itinerary without hassle, like switching from a bus to a flight from Pokhara or arranging an extra night in Kathmandu. I also appreciated the sightseeing tour before the trek, which gave me a great intro to the Nepalese culture.

I can't say enough good things about my trek. I did the Annapurna 19 day circuit. It was just me, Dawa (my sherpa), and Abhinash (my porter). I've had one major climb before and frequently hike but this was by far the biggest adventure I've attempted. I've only hired a tour company once before, as I prefer to plan things on my own but figured my lack of experience warranted hiring one this time around and it was such a good decision. Logistically, everything was handled the second my plane landed. The communication was pretty good between Ram and myself regarding what my first few days would entail. The sightseeing was a blast and I learned so much about Nepal culture and history from it. The day we drove out to start the trek was the day my whole crew came together. Navigating the busses alone would've been daunting so I'm glad I had support. The next few weeks consisted of long hikes with steadily increasing altitude. I wasnt in the best shape but was definitely able to do it. Taking your time is essential, no one will judge you for being slow and enjoying yourself! Any question I had was easily answered by Dawa. This man knew any mountain I'd point to and had lots of stories to fill the hike. I'm a decently clumsy person so both Dawa and Abhinash quickly learned I trip a lot. These men literally walked like a foot behind me at times to make sure I didn't hurt myself too bad if I fell haha dedication right there. Abhinash became our group photographer and got some amazing shots while effortlessly running around with a large bag of all my stuff. Dawas skills were utilized by many other trekkers who were unprepared for the rigors of the Annapurna Circuit. His past experience in different roles really helped. He checked the quality of my rooms before I got my stuff there and made sure the kitchens were up to his standards. They always stayed upbeat and checked in, making sure I was not only alive but enjoying myself! It was an honor to climb with these guys and when I come back I hope to work with them again! I also wanted to mention that their english was great. I really tried to pick up on some of their language but it was for sure difficult. Dawa would literally spend down time studying up on english which I thought was incredibly impressive. I met a lot of solo hikers along the way and it's totally doable on your own or with friends but when you hire a guide you hire the knowledge and experience they have as well. They knew the best spots to stay so i wouldn't get sick. They knew hidden spots that solo trekkers may not get to experience. They're there in case of an emergency and will notice if something is wrong. I trusted these guys with a lot and am thankful they gave me such a good experience. Request these guys if you're looking for a great trek! Idk if my pictures are going through, it isn't letting me add them.

I did the 7 day Annapurna Base Camp trek and the experience was nothing short of amazing. I was researching a few other major trekking companies online, Amigo being just another one of them. What made me select them was the prompt replies, full of advice on which trek I should do, relative to my budget and time frame. Also, many companies advertise select start dates, and even so, are not guaranteed if there are not enough trekkers for the group. This is what made Amigo different as I was able to start at any time I wanted. In fact, I finalised everything only about 1 week before arriving in Nepal, and everything was settled for me even though I had many requests and changes in plans. I liaised with Niti throughout most of the trek, and her service was prompt and professional, right from before arriving in Nepal, all the way to after my trek, and when I went home to Singapore. During the trek itself, I was assigned 2 gentlemen, my guide Ram and porter Krishna. Ram was knowledgeable and professional, always putting safety at the forefront of anything we did, checking on my wellbeing every morning before starting the trek and in between. He explained the culture of the villages we trekked through, as well as had in depth knowledge of the mountains we were viewing. Krishna my porter, though his english was limited, was hardworking, and a good source of humour. Instead of letting the going get tough, he was always full of goofy jokes and smiles, and trust me, when there are an infinite number of steps to climb, these are the times where you will laugh and keep yourself going. I quickly unofficially adopted them as my Nepali family for that one week or so, and they even showed me around Pokhara and Kathmandu after the hike, something which they were not paid to do, but out of their own goodwill. I highly recommend Amigo treks, because the experience for me was professional yet personal. I have made 2 lifelong friends whom I would not hesitate to hire again when I do other treks in Nepal such as EBC. In closing, I would like to say, if you are thinking of a trekking holiday, look no further than Nepal. It's a beautiful country with beautiful cultures, and after the tragic earthquake, are still rebuilding themselves. They need all the tourism dollars they can get. And if you need a company to settle everything for you, look no further than Amigo, you won't be disappointed.

I travelled with my son on the short Annapurna circuit in May 2018. Niti in the office was super-efficient, often replying to emails within just an hour. Nothing was too much trouble. We were met at the airport by a driver and our guide Navaraj - it was a nice touch to be introduced to him immediately on arrival. We stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel in Thamel. Basic, but comfortable, and the garden was a great place to escape the chaos of the Kathmandu streets. There were bus strikes on our day of travel to Besiahar, so Amigo arranged a private car transfer instead, and met 50% of the additional cost. Judging by the buses we saw on the road, this was money well spent ! Navaraj was an excellent guide - he knew when to chat to us, and when to give us space. His guiding was superb - other guides followed his lead. He was calm and measured when faced with deteriorating weather as we neared Thorung La. We always felt safe with him. He has a good sense of humour ands a delight to spend time with. Which was important, as it was just him and us. Amigo hired the porter Baji. He was as strong as an ox, and he also looked after us without us having to ask (eg filling up water bottles for us) It worked well having Amigo choose and arrange the lodges. The trek itself is really spectacular, and a great mix of different scenery. You also get the chance to experience altitude sickness, as Thorung La is at 5416m. The overnight stops on the itinerary are spaced at the correct daily climb rate, however, so none of us suffered anything other than the mildest symptoms. There are loads of different trekking companies in Nepal, but Amigo has the advantage of being run and owned by a former mountain guide. So they really know their stuff. I can highly recommend them. If you get the chance, ask for Navaraj to be your guide !

My Dad and I did the 12 day Half/short Annapurna circuit trek from Nadi Bazaar to Jomsom in May with Amigo and were very happy with both the company and the trekking. We had Navaraj (“Nova-raj”) as our guide for just the two of us for the whole trek who was excellent. He greeted us at the airport, then took us or for a welcome meal and of course was then with us every step of the way (literally) during the trek. Not only did he get us both round safely, he also had the perfect balance of professionalism and charisma (he had good banter and a great sense of humour) throughout the trek which is especially important when it is just the two of you. Nothing was too much of an ask for Navaraj and his English was good. Navaraj was also highly experienced with 8 years guiding and 2 years previous to that porter-ing... so was quite rightly regarded as a bit of a guiding legend by his fellow guides and others (at one point another guide said we will go over Thorung La only if you do, which shows how is experience was highly valued). He took care of everything for us which made it very simple for us, and reassured us whenever we worried about going over Thorung La (5400m High). Our Porter was Baji (grandfather in Nepalese!). He was a total dude and great porter, who carried both our bags for the duration of the trek without fuss or us waiting for him to keep up... often he crept ahead of us and we just followed! Baji and Navaraj were a close working unit having worked together a lot before, which was great to see. Baji also worked hard to make our stay in each lodge as easy as possible by doing lots of small things such as refilling water bottles and waitering. It was also a relief to see he was well equipped with decent shoes (not quite serious walking boots but sturdy and with a good grippy sole) after hearing about some porters/Sherpas who do it in flip flops. They both also seemed to have no problems even during the hardest stretches such as Thorung phedi to high camp (400m climb in an hour) and over Thorung la. The route itself is great, and Navaraj made sure each day was very manageable so that we acclimatised well and had no problems with altitude sickness (the rest day in Manang was vital for this we think). Scenery was stunning: went from almost tropical terraces at the bottom all the way to desolate snowy rock at the top. Trekking was never ridiculous but the day before and crossing of Thorung la was pretty tough but still enjoyable :) We booked through Niti who organised and modified our trip to suit our needs (extra couple of nights in Kathmandu). Niti’s English was really excellent... and her response time on emails was quick. We were taken for a lovely meal by her after we’d got back from the trek and were told we could have anything we liked on the menu which was especially nice after living off tea lodge rice and noodles! May was generally good for trekking this route: only issues were heavy rains in the first few afternoons (but you get to your lodge usually about 2/3pm latest so we were inside when it rained) which led to lack of power and Wi-fi... and that it was very quiet in the lodges (however it depends on how big your group is and what sort of experience you’re after!). The huge advantage of May is that the trails were super quiet and although it was very cold at the top the temperature was otherwise very pleasant for trekking! Overall would highly recommend amigo. If you want a reliable organised trek they’re ideal!!

Ajay and i did a Annapurna trekking tour for 8 days. We started at pokhara and went to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) at 4000 m. He managed all the permission stuff and guesthouse-booking. It was always a great pleasure to be with him. While trekking respectively climbing stairs you have lots of time to talk about history, people, nepali culture, economics and much more. Besides it was fun, he is always a good guide and capable interlocutor which makes you feel safe and protected. For me it was the best spontaneously decided and planned tour i ever did. Nice to have gotten a new friend which i'm still in contact with!

Can't Thank enough to Rishi and Satori team. Did Annapurna region trek with Satori in November 24. Everything was so well organised. Excellent guide and Porter. I made changes to the trekking itinerary while doing it which was accommodated as well. Rishi was so helpful in all aspects including when my return flight from Pokhara got delayed he personally spoke to airline and got me on earlier flight. Rishi is extremely reliable and genuine and it's great to have a local company doing business with ethics, integrity and good standards. This was my second time using Satori, Did Mera peak as well with them in 2022 and I definitely recommend Satori Adventures for trekking and peak climbing in Nepal

We discovered the offer of Satori expedition to climg himlung himal (7126m) from their web site. We were seduced by the quality of the offer, the time spent at base camp to ensure success and the price, which was very competitive compared with other expedition agencies. But what means a good price? is it made possible by a low quality organization? These are questions that one may wonder before actually doing the expedition. Now that we came back, I can say that the organisation was top quality. Excellent base camp confort and organization, excellent food at base camp, excellent support from the sherpas during the climb (one sherpa per customer during the summit push), excellent atmosphere. Everything was perfect and thanks to that, my son and I could climb himlung himal successfully. So succesfully, that we were ahead of schedule by 8 days. Then I asked to take advantage of the days to do the Annapurna trek via the Nar valley and the Kang la pass. Within a day, this modification of the program was organised for the two of us, and with a guide and a porteur, we could do this wonderful trek. This illustrate the main quality of this agency (and of his leader, Rishi Bandari), flexibility and reactivity. Whatever your need, they will find a solution to satisfy it. I thus recommend this agency 100% and hope to go again in Nepal with them.

We had plans to combine summit attempt of Chulu West and Annapurna circuit trek. Rishi provided good and flexible itinerary with different options. Organization of our journey was good - local guide solved all questions and problems. This company has own professional staff - porters and guides, who are working in Satori for a several years. Just one moment to mention - i was very specific about peak, that i want to try to climb, but it was not climbable in current season with commercial team. So i did mistake, but neither guide or Rishi warned about that. Of course, i understand that they tried to satisfy my request about concrete mountain, but may be more information and discussions would be better. Anyway, i had good experience and would work with Satori next time, but would be a bit more careful with my plans :)

We - me 40 yo and my father 70 yo - had a pleasure to be supported by Satori in our Annapurna Sanctuary trekking. Everything was on the best level from very beggining of the jurney to the last moments of it. Before we reached Nepal we had all the details needed - when, who, where, tickets etc. There was a person waiting for us at the airport with clear sign :) so the first stress was over - how to manage the crowd at the airport parking lot. We met our guide - Bibek is one of the best on class !!! Next day flight to Pokhara and another very nice hotel. After small walking around next day we started our trek. I must say that the beggining was quick hard but with tips from our guide and with his support we managed. Day after day we were closer to our highest point - ABC - my father was in big stress of the alltitude illness , but our guide was keeping eye on everything - not to push the pace too much, to drink the water all the time, eat something on the way and all needed things. What was also very positive aspect was possibilty of changing a bit our pllaned route as once we were descending Bibek - our guide, noticed that we are all feeling good so we can make 3 days into 2 and split the last day of trek - that was over 20km - into two days. That was really good decision. Lodges that we spent nights at where clean and tidy, people always kind, food as we wanted and tea always hot and tasteful :) On the way back we had a wonderful lake Phewa boating with our guide - views were worth it. Once we came back to Kathmandu we had nice dinner to finalise our jurney - it was after Doctor came to the hotel to perform PCR test. Summerizing: We had magical time in Nepal not only thanks to the weather but also because of Satori Adventures and people that Satori provided (guide and porter). We felt and we had real support from day -1 of the trip till the day after we landed on our home land. I recommend cooperation and services of Satori Adventures for non professionals like we are ... bit also we have met real climbers as those professionals are also using Satori to reach the roof of the world.

I've just returned from an incredible experience climbing Chulu Far East and trekking the Annapurna circuit with Satori. I can't speak highly enough of Rishi and his team at Satori - everything was perfect, from the first email I sent to our last dinner in Kathmandu. Rishi himself is one of the warmest, most kind hearted and hard working people I have ever met. He looked after me from start to finish, ensuring my climb ran smoothly even when he wasn't there. He provided full assistance and advice when the climbing conditions changed due to bad weather. Other clients I dined with in Kathmandu confirmed he'd done the same with them. When my trek had to finish early due to illness he let me stay in his (beautiful) hotel in Kathmandu, assisted me in getting medical help and stayed in touch with me until I left Nepal. My climbing guide Ongchhu was incredibly professional and experienced, having climbing Everest 3 times (and pretty much every mountain in Nepal!). Not only this but he was, as were my two porters, lovely (and hilarious) company. They felt like close family for the 2 and a half weeks I was with them. I now consider all four of them dear friends and can't wait to return to Nepal to climb with Satori again. I put my full trust in Satori and they delivered beyond I ever expected... I'm so grateful and can't wait to return to climb with them again next year. Thank you Rishi mero sathi...

I had spoken to some friends who had already trekked and climbed with Satori Adventures. They had nothing but good things to say about their experiences and the company Managing Director Rishi Bandhari. I decided to book my own trek and climb of Mera Peak. As it turned out, the people who were supposed to be part of my group upon arrival in Kathmandu cancelled their trip last minute do to serious health complications. This was totally beyond the control of Rishi Bhandari and his excellent team at Satori Adventures. Against my better judgement, I started the journey on my own and after a few days on the mountain with my "private" guide and porter, I decided to come back down and abandon my journey. My trip could have ended very badly but it was not the case. Rishi proposed a new trip agenda that would allow me to see other parts of the country including the Chitwan National Park and also visit Pokhara and do some nice trekking on the start of the Annapurna Trail. I didn't end up on the top of Mera Peak as originally planned but my trip was a great success nonetheless. The people at Satori Adventures are amazing and I wouldn't hesitate to book another trip through them or highly recommend this company to friends and people who may be looking for a great company to organize their next trip or adventure.

Well organized expedition - I have nothing to complain about;) I spent time for acclimatisation in Khumbu where I climbed Lobuche East 6119m before I departed to Annapurna 8091m which I succesfully climbed - after the expedition we departed quickly by helicopter and arrived very fast in kathmandu. My requests where all completly taken care of - it was a very nice experince - I felt I can trust this Company!

This was definitely an off-the-beaten path tour. We wound our way up and down some beautiful Nepal mountains (going no higher than about 6500 ft) and met many lovely, welcoming Nepalese villagers. Our homestay night accommodations were private and clean, and meals were delicious. Our guide, Raj Kumar, was excellent - always looking out for us and altering routes when needed. Villagers presented several cultural events for our benefit! My only caveat for this "flat" trek, is that there is actually a lot of climbing and descending each day, averaging maybe 2,000 or more feet up and down each day. We also spent a packed day in Kathmandu at the beginning of the trek visiting World Heritage sites with an excellent, knowledgeable guide. Finally, Swotah helped us by arranging a one hour Himalayas flight tour, flying past all of the incredible peaks, including Mount Everest, K2, Annapurna etc. In summary, it was an incredible cultural immersion type of trip, well-planned by Swotah, and well-executed by our guides and porter.