Annapurna trekking permits: choose the ACAP route before paying

An Annapurna permit is an itinerary check, not a formality to complete after booking flights. The NTNC online permit system says the entry permit is single-entry, must be carried throughout the trip and is non-transferable and non-refundable. Its support page lists routes such as Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Sanctuary, Jomsom, Tilicho, Mardi Himal and Ghorepani under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). Start by writing the exact route and side trips, then select the ACAP destination that matches it.

Build the route from named places#

The permit support page is useful because it names the destinations the system recognises: Annapurna Circuit/Round Annapurna, Annapurna Sanctuary, Jomsom–Muktinath, Manang, Tilicho Tal, Ghorepani/Poon Hill and other routes. A plan that combines several corridors may need a clarification from an ACAP counter rather than a guess. The page lists entry-counter contacts in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Simpani and Ghasa; use those official contacts when the route does not fit one label cleanly.

Do not treat the entry permit as a reservation for beds, transport, a guide or a restricted-area permit. The system only establishes permission to enter the designated conservation area under its rules. Keep those other confirmations with the permit and check dates, passport details and the single-entry condition before paying, because the NTNC system says the permit cannot be transferred or refunded.

Carry the conservation area’s waste context#

NTNC describes ACAP as a community-based conservation area where local residents live and own private property within the protected landscape (ACAP project page). That page estimates that a trekking group of 15 can create about 15 kilograms of non-biodegradable, non-burnable waste during a 10-day trek. Treat that estimate as a planning signal: reduce packaging before the trail, keep batteries and wrappers in a separate dry bag, and ask each lodge how it handles waste rather than leaving a sealed bag behind without a plan.

The NTNC 2024 annual report records clean-up campaigns on the Thorong La and Tilicho routes that collected 115 large bags in coordination with local government. That result describes one year’s campaign, not a promise that every route is clean or that a collection point exists at your lodge. It is a reason to carry out what you bring and to report a waste problem to the relevant conservation-area office with the route and date.

Keep the permit useful at a checkpoint#

Carry the permit for the whole trek, show it when requested and follow the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act rules referenced by the online system. If a ranger, checkpoint or local authority gives a route instruction that changes your plan, stop and resolve the permit question before taking a side path. A screenshot of a third-party itinerary cannot replace the current ACAP instruction.

Before leaving Kathmandu or Pokhara, confirm four items in one note: the ACAP area selected, every named side trip, whether any sector needs a Department of Immigration permit and where the group will carry its waste. That note turns a permit purchase into a route decision you can check again at the trailhead.