Discover Nepal guide

Annapurna Conservation Area: Travel & Wildlife Guide

Explore Annapurna Conservation Area: wildlife, ecosystems, access, activities, conservation and best-season guidance.

Nepal's largest protected area (7,629 km²) — a working model of community-led conservation around the Annapurna massif.

Ecosystems

Subtropical sal to the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri icefields; the world's deepest river gorge cuts through it.

What to do

Annapurna Circuit, ABC, Poon Hill, Mustang corridor — the busiest trekking theatre on Earth.

Conservation

Run by NTNC with all entry fees reinvested locally — the ACA model is taught worldwide as community conservation's leading case.

Best time to visit

Oct–Nov and Mar–May.

Key wildlife

  • Snow leopard
  • Blue sheep
  • Himalayan tahr
  • Danphe
  • Musk deer