Best hotels in Annapurna

Perched on a spiky promontory, the Modi River rushing below, Birethanti Lodge is the lowest lodge on the Annapurna circuit and an excellent start or end point to a trekking adventure. The suspension bridge entrance, draped with prayer flags, sets the tone beautifully while marigold-filled gardens and their resident butterflies remind you that opting for comfort doesn't mean sacrificing authenticity. Inside, you'll find handcrafted rooms with properly hot showers, and in the evening, communal dinners where trekkers swap tales over hearty meals grub. And outside, that sacred Fishtail Mountain practically poses for photos at sunrise...

Perched at the very top of Ghandruk – regarded as one of the most beautiful towns in Asia – this cosy retreat offers some of the finest mountain views in the Annapurna region. Built around a 19th century Gurung village house, the lodge gazes directly at Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and the iconic Fishtail peak, all close enough to take your breath away. Part of the Mountain Lodges of Nepal collection, it's a world away from more basic teahouses: think hot water bottles slipped into your bed, hearty home-cooked meals and happy hours around a crackling wood-burner. All in all, a perfect launchpad for lodge-to-lodge trekking through rhododendron forests and terraced hillsides.

Reaching Landruk Lodge requires a proper pilgrimage – down into the Modi Khola gorge, across a swaying suspension bridge, then up those endless stone steps. But the reward is worth every footfall and gasp of breath! The crescent of green and white bungalows perches halfway up the mountainside in the heart of Gurung country, home to the legendary Gurkhas for centuries. The sacred Machhapuchhre – never climbed, never permitted – dominates the view. Wake to morning tea at your door as the pink light catches the snow and watch honey hunters scale sheer cliffs on bamboo ladders. Landruk is all about simple pleasures in spiritual surroundings.

Perched at 4,620 feet on the edge of Majhgaon village, this accessible gem channels the atmospheric charm of an old tea plantation through its collection of traditional Gurung houses dotted around delightfully manicured gardens. The journey here involves a short drive from Pokhara to the nearest road head followed by an hour's climb that serves as the perfect appetite-builder for what awaits. The real attraction lies in those amazing views of surrounding peaks and valleys that unfold from this elevated perch, creating a setting where mountain hospitality and spectacular scenery combine to deliver one of the finest lodge experiences in the region.

The traditional-style stone buildings of Mala Lodge huddle in the Annapurna lowlands amongst rice terraces, near to a quaint bee-keeping village. Getting here is an hour’s drive from Pokhara to Lumle, followed by a ninety minutes hike on a winding trail through a picturesque forest, past rice terraces and perfect panoramas.

Perched like a well-kept secret on the mountainside, this lodge has mastered the art of making the extraordinary feel wonderfully intimate. When the weather gods are feeling generous, the Phedi and Mardi Valleys stretch out below like a verdant carpet, whilst the Annapurna range - including the theatrical Machhapuchhare (better known as Fishtail Mountain) - provides a backdrop so dramatic it borders on the ridiculous. The lodge itself is refreshingly unpretentious: a collection of thoughtfully placed buildings that seem to have grown organically from the hillside, complete with a grassy terrace that serves as both social hub and front-row seat to one of nature's greatest shows.