Annapurna Base Camp in December: snow, cold and finding a partner
Annapurna Base Camp in December: short cold days, snow and avalanche risk above Deurali, what stays walkable, how a partner cuts the guide cost, and when to post your dates. Facts dated October and November 2026.
Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) in December is a real winter trek, not a quiet version of October. The route is open, the views are often the clearest of the year and the trails are far emptier, but nights are very cold, daylight is short and the stretch between Deurali and the sanctuary carries an avalanche risk after snow. Our route page lists the Annapurna Base Camp trek as 7 days from Pokhara to 4,130 m, and December to February as the months when snow and avalanche risk apply. If you have a December window, you can do it with a partner and a licensed guide, as long as you accept a flexible schedule.
This guide is for people who already want ABC and have December free. It covers what the month is like, the part of the trail that matters most, what a partner changes and how to find one. It draws on our route and region pages and on our dated cost data, checked in October and November 2026. It is not a weather forecast; conditions change week to week and your guide's local knowledge is better than any article.
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What December is like at ABC
- Dry and often very clear. There is no monsoon cloud, and cold mornings are often the clearest of the year. The Annapurna region page notes that the lower sections and the Poon Hill area stay walkable in winter.
- Cold nights, unheated rooms. Teahouse bedrooms are not heated, so your sleeping bag is your heating. Dining rooms with a stove are the warm place, as on most Nepal routes in winter. See our winter gear list and sleeping bag ratings guide.
- Short days. Kathmandu has about 10.4 hours between sunrise and sunset in mid-December, by our calculation, and the shortest day is around 21 December. Read our daylight guide before you set the daily plan.
- Snow. Snow on the upper stages is likely, and fresh snow hides the trail and slows every stage. Our winter trekking overview explains how to judge it.
- Fewer people. Trails are quiet, rooms are easy to find where lodges are open, and some lodges higher up may be closed. Confirm with your guide or the lodge before you commit to a stage.
The stretch that matters: Deurali to the sanctuary
The 7-day plan sleeps at Jhinu Danda (1,780 m), Bamboo (2,310 m), Deurali (3,230 m) and Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m), then comes back down via Bamboo and Jhinu Danda to Pokhara. The climb from Deurali to ABC is the day that decides your trip in December. Our route page says avalanches are a risk between Deurali and the sanctuary after snowfall, especially in winter and spring, and that lodges can tell you the conditions.
Practical rules that follow from that:
- Sleep at Deurali and decide in the morning, not the night before.
- Ask the lodge owner and your guide whether anyone came down that morning and what they saw.
- Cross open slopes and chutes early in the day and avoid them in warm afternoon sun, as our route page advises.
- Keep a spare day. If the upper section is closed, a day at Deurali or Bamboo costs less than a bad decision.
- If you are told not to go, turn back. Our turn-back rules say the same for weather and health.
The sleeping altitude rises about 920 m between Bamboo and Deurali, more than the roughly 500 m a night the CDC suggests above 3,000 m, so treat Deurali as a place to take it easy. Our acclimatisation schedule and altitude sickness basics cover the symptoms. In December a cold, tired partner is also a risk for frostbite and hypothermia; see cold health on high passes.
If you want a gentler winter option, the Pokhara side has shorter loops. The Poon Hill route reaches 3,210 m and finishes at the road, so a snowfall costs a day, not your safety. Compare it with ABC in our Poon Hill versus Mardi Himal and ABC itinerary guides.
Why a partner makes more sense in December
Winter is the season when going alone is least attractive and sharing is most useful.
- Cost. The guide is paid per day for the whole group, so it is the one big line that falls when you share. Guides in the Annapurna region are quoted at NPR 2,700 to 4,000 a day in our cost data (operator guides such as Himalayan Partner, 10 February 2026). Over the 7 plan days that is NPR 18,900 to 28,000.
- Safety. Two people notice cold, slow thinking and headaches in each other. A third person to send for help is worth more in winter than in October.
- Decisions. The turn-back call at Deurali is easier with someone you have already agreed a rule with.
Guide cost per person, 7 days, as of October 2026:
| Trekkers sharing one guide | Guide share each (NPR) | About (USD, at NPR 134) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18,900 to 28,000 | 141 to 209 |
| 2 | 9,450 to 14,000 | 71 to 104 |
| 3 | 6,300 to 9,333 | 47 to 70 |
| 4 | 4,725 to 7,000 | 35 to 52 |
Rooms, food, permits and the road to Nayapul do not fall when you share, and a porter shared by two keeps the porter line the same per pair. Our ABC cost for two, three or four shows the full per-person budget, and the cost calculator lets you change the numbers. The permit is the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) entry permit at NPR 3,000 for foreigners, plus a TIMS card where required; see the ACAP guide.
What to agree with a December partner
Do this before you buy anything, and write it down:
- Dates and a flexible window. Give a range of three or four days so a snow day does not break the plan.
- The turn-back rule. Who decides at Deurali, and what happens if one of you is unwell. See what if your partner cannot continue.
- Pace. Say whether you want the 7-day plan or eight to ten days with an acclimatisation night.
- Gear. Both of you need a warm sleeping bag and insulated layers; see the layering guide.
- Costs. Who pays the guide and how shared days are split; see what to agree with trekking partners.
Vet anyone you meet using the partner vetting checklist, and keep phone numbers and exact flight details out of public posts.
Do you need a guide at ABC in winter?
A licensed guide through a registered agency is required in restricted areas (Department of Immigration) and, under the Nepal Tourism Board rule of April 2023, in national parks and conservation areas. Follow the rule everywhere, although 2026 operator reports say Khumbu uses a trek card instead (checked 19 October 2026). The ABC trek sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, and 2026 operator reports say the checkpoint enforces the guide rule in Annapurna (checked 19 October 2026). Our guide rule page records the current picture. In winter, a guide is also the person who reads snow conditions, calls ahead for rooms and decides when to turn back.
Where sources are silent
- Weather. We have no temperature table for ABC in December, so we do not quote one. Ask your guide the night before each stage.
- Open lodges. We do not have a list of which lodges are open in December. Confirm before each stage.
- Crowds. No source gives December visitor numbers for 2026, and we do not publish one.
- Partners. No source counts how many trekkers are looking for a December partner, and we do not publish such a number.
Post your December dates
If you already have a window, post your dates with the route, a flexible start range and your pace, or browse open trips. The page for Annapurna Base Camp in December 2026 shows how a trip for the month is set out, and trekking-partner/annapurna-base-camp covers the route generally. How matching works is explained on our trekking partner hub. See also the region guide for Annapurna and the ABC route page. We are a free matching site, not a trekking agency: we do not sell treks, employ guides or handle money, so you book your own licensed guide, transport and beds.
