Plan my trek
Plan my trek
The Australian Camp trek is a short walk from Pokhara to a grassy ridge at about 2,060 metres, facing Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). Most people do it in one or two days, starting at Kande and finishing through Dhampus village. It’s the easiest way to sleep in front of the Annapurnas without a long trek.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Australian Camp, about 2,060 m (6,760 ft) |
| Start / finish | Kande (about 1,770 m) / Phedi (about 1,130 m) |
| Drive from Pokhara | 45–60 minutes to Kande |
| Walking time | 3–4 hours for the full loop |
| Distance | about 8–9 km for Kande to Phedi via Dhampus |
| Duration | 1 day, or 2 days with a night at the camp |
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate; stone steps, low altitude |
| Permit | ACAP entry permit, NPR 3,000 for most nationalities |
| Best months | October–November and March–April |
The trek starts with getting to Australian Camp from Pokhara.
Australian Camp is a hilltop clearing above Dhampus village in Kaski district, about 17 km north-west of Pokhara’s Lakeside in a straight line. It sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, on the same trail that leads to Mardi Himal. Locals call the ridge Thulo Kharka, meaning “big pasture”. Some trek companies call it Australian Base Camp, but it has nothing to do with Annapurna Base Camp.
You get to Australian Camp from Pokhara by driving 30 km along the Pokhara–Baglung highway to Kande, then walking 1–2 hours uphill. Phedi, 18 km from Pokhara, is the usual finish point for the walk down from Dhampus.
| Transport | Time | Approximate cost (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Local bus from Baglung bus park to Kande | 45–60 min | NPR 250–400 |
| Taxi or private car to Kande | 45–60 min | NPR 1,500–2,500 |
| Local bus Phedi to Pokhara | 30–40 min | NPR 100–150 |
| Taxi Phedi to Pokhara | 30–40 min | about NPR 1,500 |
Agree the taxi fare before you get in. The Pokhara–Baglung highway is prone to landslides in the monsoon, so check the road the day before. For the town itself, see our Pokhara guide.
Once you reach Kande, the walking itinerary is short.
The Australian Camp trek takes 3–4 hours of walking for the full loop from Kande to Phedi via Dhampus, about 8–9 km. You can do it as a day hike from Pokhara, but staying the night gives you sunset and sunrise over the Annapurnas, when the views are clearest.
| Section | Distance | Time | Height change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kande to Australian Camp | about 2–4 km | 1–2 hours | up about 300 m |
| Australian Camp to Dhampus (via Pothana) | about 3–4 km | 1–1.5 hours | down about 400 m |
| Dhampus to Phedi | about 2–2.5 km | 1–1.5 hours | down about 500 m, steep steps |
Published distances vary between sources, so treat these as guides rather than exact figures.
Leave Pokhara by 7am, walk up from Kande to Australian Camp for a late breakfast, then continue down through Pothana and Dhampus to Phedi. Allow about 8 hours door to door, including the drives.
The most popular way down is through Dhampus.
Yes, the trek from Australian Camp to Dhampus is a 1–1.5 hour walk of about 3–4 km, mostly downhill through forest and farmland via Pothana. Dhampus sits at about 1,650 metres, and from there a steep stone path drops to Phedi on the highway. Most people walk it as the second half of a loop: up from Kande, down through Dhampus. Doing it the other way, up from Phedi, means about 700 metres of steep climbing to Dhampus first.
The Australian Camp trek is easy to moderate. The altitude is low, the paths are clear and the longest climb is 1–2 hours. The hard part is the stone steps: the climb from Kande is steady and steep in places, and the descent from Dhampus to Phedi is tough on knees, especially when wet.
At about 2,060 metres, the risk of altitude sickness is very low. Families, beginners and older walkers with reasonable fitness do this trek regularly. If you have knee trouble, use trekking poles and take the descent slowly, or split it with a night in Dhampus. Our trekking safety tips and packing checklist cover the basics.
The reward for the climb is the view.
From Australian Camp you can see Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre straight ahead, with Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri on clear days. Mornings are usually clearest; cloud often builds by late morning, especially in spring.
| Peak | Height |
|---|---|
| Dhaulagiri I | 8,167 m |
| Annapurna I | 8,091 m |
| Annapurna South | 7,219 m |
| Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) | 6,993 m |
| Lamjung Himal | 6,983 m |
| Hiunchuli | 6,441 m |
Some guides also list Manaslu far to the east; you may glimpse it on a very clear day.
You need an Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) entry permit for the Australian Camp trek: NPR 3,000 for most foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, free for children under 10. Buy it in advance at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Pokhara or Kathmandu, or online through the official NTNC e-permit site. A permit bought at a trail checkpost costs double. There’s a checkpost at Pothana, on the way down to Dhampus.
Since April 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers in its listed trekking regions, including the Annapurna region, to go with a licensed guide and carry a TIMS card (NPR 2,000), according to the NTB’s TIMS page. Its list of named routes includes Mardi Himal but doesn’t name Australian Camp or Dhampus. Enforcement on short foothill walks has been rare, but rules change, so check before you go. If you continue past Pothana towards Mardi Himal, go with a licensed guide.
If you’d like a guide, we can put you in touch with a licensed Nepali partner.
You stay in simple lodges at Australian Camp, with a handful of tea houses on the ridge offering basic rooms, dal bhat and other basic meals. Rooms typically cost NPR 500–1,500 a night, more with a private bathroom. Hot showers and charging may cost extra, Wi-Fi is patchy, and mobile data from NTC and Ncell usually works. Dhampus has more choice, from family lodges to a few more comfortable hotels.
In October, November and on Nepali holidays the lodges fill with groups and some people camp on the meadow, so book ahead or arrive early. Choosing your month well matters more than anything else here.
The best time for the Australian Camp trek is October to November, when skies are clearest and rain is rare. March to April is the second-best window, with rhododendrons in bloom and warmer days, though haze can soften the views.
Australian Camp is named after foreign trekkers who camped on the ridge, though local stories differ on the details. Some say Australian groups camped here in the 1960s or later; others say they were Austrian trekkers, and the name changed in the retelling. Before that, the meadow was known as Thulo Kharka, “big pasture”.
Australian Camp is about 30 km from Pokhara by road to Kande, a 45–60 minute drive, followed by a 1–2 hour walk uphill.
Yes. Leave Pokhara early, walk up from Kande and down via Dhampus to Phedi, and you’ll be back by late afternoon. Staying overnight gives you the sunset and sunrise views.
Yes. It’s one of the easiest overnight treks in the Annapurna foothills, with low altitude and short walking days. Children under 10 don’t need to pay for the ACAP permit.
No. Australian Camp is a 2,060-metre ridge near Pokhara. Annapurna Base Camp is at 4,130 metres, usually a trek of a week or more.
The Poon Hill trek is the natural next step: 3–5 days, sleeping at about 2,860 metres, with a wider Annapurna panorama. For more choices, see our Annapurna region guide.
Last updated 10 November 2026 by Govind Rai.
By Govind Rai · Updated 10 November 2026The tick-box kit list for Everest Base Camp, Annapurna and every teahouse trek in Nepal.
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