Trekking in Nepal

• Best trek for: Easy-going & comfortable trek
• Difficulty: Easy-moderate
• Trek duration: 10 days
• Max. elevation: 4,130m
• Accommodation: Comfortable trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Naya Pul or Dhampus

Probably just beating Everest base camp for the title of most popular trek in Nepal, the Annapurna Sanctuary trek is a 10-day extravaganza of non-stop mountain vistas culminating in a great cirque of massive mountain peaks seven to eight kilometres high.

If you’re looking for a short, relatively easy and simple to organise trek that doesn’t venture too high (4,130m), and with unusually comfortable accommodation, then the Annapurna Sanctuary ticks all the boxes.

• Best trek for: Everest views, bragging rights
• Difficulty: Moderate to hard
• Trek duration: 12 days+
• Max. elevation: 5,545m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start / end point: Lukla

This is another of the most popular treks in Nepal, and for good reason. Over two weeks you will hike through green foothills, past Buddhist monasteries, through stone-walled, slate-roofed villages and right into the heart of the mountains to arrive among the moraines of Everest base camp.

Facilities on this trek are as good as anywhere in the Nepalese mountains. Most lodges have varied menus, heating, separate rooms, electricity, hot showers and even wi-fi. There are genuinely luxurious lodges available. On the flip side, you’ll never walk alone on this route. Tens of thousands of trekkers walk this trail each year and sometimes local culture can be overwhelmed by international trekking culture. If you value peace and quiet, avoid this trek.

• Best trek for: Legendary routes, unbeatable scenery
• Difficulty: Moderate-hard
• Trek duration: 12-18 days
• Max. elevation: 5,416m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Besi Sahar or Bhulebule/Jomsom or Naya Pul

This, one of the world’s classic treks, takes you through virtually the whole range of Nepalese landscapes: From sub-tropical valleys where banana plants and gushing, murky jungle rivers are the defining features, through gorgeous woodlands, and across Alpine meadows and conifer forests, to the rock and ice wastes higher up.

Facilities along the Annapurna Circuit are excellent with comfortable trekking lodges and good, varied food. Many lodges have hot showers and wi-fi. It’s busy in high season and the demand for beds can exceed supply.

You can avoid the problem by joining an organised camping trip, and miss the crowds by overnighting at midway points between the major stops

• Best trek for: Incredible scenery with fewer crowds
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Duration: 14-18 Days (It’s best to allow 18 days to enjoy the many side trips and to acclimatise properly)
• Max. elevation: 5,160m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start / end point: Arughat or Soti Khola/Dharapani or Besi Sahar

In my opinion, the Manaslu region competes with Annapurna and Everest for breathtaking scenery and epic hiking, but with a far more rustic feel – and much fewer crowds.

When the Manaslu Circuit opened to trekking tourism back in the early 1990s it was an almost immediate hit. The first trekkers returned with tales of stupendous mountain scenery, fascinating and varied village life and challenging walking. It soon gained a reputation as the new Annapurna Circuit — and as that walk was long considered the world’s best trek, it was a big claim indeed. This walk really does have it all. Over two weeks the scenery — and the people — gradually change. Hills turn to mountains, fields of wheat to pine forests, glaciers, and high mountain wastelands. You start among Hindus and later meet Tibetan Buddhists.

• Best trek for: Easy going, classic views
• Difficulty: Easy-moderate
• Trek duration: five to six days
• Max. elevation: 3,210m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Naya Puk/Phedi

Mixing heart-stirring mountain views with enchanting villages and beautiful forests with a thousand blooming rhododendrons, this is a fabulous introduction to trekking in Nepal.

The highlight is Poon Hill itself, an hour’s walk above the village of Ghorepani. Watching the sunrise from here is an almost obligatory Nepalese experience. As the first beams of light shine across a panorama that includes Dhaulagiri I (8,167m), South Annapurna (8,091m) and Nilgri (6,940m), it rarely disappoints.

The trailheads are only about an hour’s drive out of Pokhara and there are excellent trekking lodges along the route plus some luxury hotels. The trek can be done clockwise or anti-clockwise and it makes a good add-on to the more challenging Annapurna Sanctuary trek. It’s also an ideal first time trek for families and those who don’t want to go too high. But do keep in mind that there’s a lot of steep up and down.

• Best trek for: Accessible trekking from Kathmandu
• Difficulty: Moderate, the trail climbs quite rapidly so there is a risk of altitude sickness
• Trek duration: Six days from Syabrubesi but allow another two to three days for side trips from Kanjin Gompa.
• Max. elevation: 3,860m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges, camping required for any overnight trips beyond Kanjin Gompa
• Start/end point: Syabrubesi

Before the earthquake, this was one of Nepal’s most popular trekking routes. The trails have been repaired or re-routed and trekking lodges reconstructed. And despite the obvious damage this is still one of the most delightful walks in Nepal. The basic trek takes eight days including travel time from Kathmandu, but add in another couple of days for side trips from Kanjin Gompa.

The standard route follows the Langtang river up a steep and narrow valley. On day two the trail passes over the rubble fields under which Langtang village is buried and on day three the valley opens out to arrive at Kanjin Gompa and big views of Langtang Lirung (7,246m), Langtang II (6,581m) and, perhaps the most distinctive mountain in the valley, the pyramid shaped Mt Gangchempo (6,387m). Kanjin Gompa can be a base for many different day and overnight side trips.

Most people go back the way they came but with more time it’s possible to link up with the Gosainkund and Helambu treks.

• Best trek for: Easy-going, accessible trekking
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trek duration: Seven days
• Max. elevation: 3,640m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Kathmandu

The closest trek to Kathmandu — it starts from the northern outskirts of the city — takes you on a fairly gentle amble through terraced fields, wild forests, flower meadows and through lots of little villages with views of the mountains. The highest point reached on this trek is 3,640m, so it can be done as a mid-winter trek when higher routes might be snowed in.

You can make an enjoyable week-long circuit (a good option for those with little time and/or trekking experience), but most people choose to use Helambu either as a walk in or out route to Gosainkund and the Langtang Valley.

• Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
• Trek Duration: 5 to 6 days.
• Max. Elevation: 3,300m
• Accommodation: Homestays
• Start/End Point: Syabrubesi

This route aims to highlight the culture of the Tamang people as much as the mountain scenery. It’s a real community project with money generated from trekkers going into local development projects and trekkers being hosted at night by families in their village houses.

• Difficulty: Easy-moderate
• Trek duration: Three days to the lakes, five to six days return
• Max. elevation: 3,730m
• Accommodation: Camping, basic homestays
• Start/end point: Dunai

This short and sweet trek follows the Suli Gaad river through pristine forest to the beautiful Phoksundo Lake. It is 4.8km long, 1.8km wide and, at over 600m deep, the deepest lake in Nepal.

• Difficulty: Strenuous, mountaineering skills required
• Trek duration: Six days
• Max. elevation: 6,189m
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start/end point: Lukla

Not technically a trek but a mountain climbing expedition, Island Peak (6,189m; more accurately called Imja Tse) is one of Nepal’s official trekking peaks. It’s a relatively easy ascent compared to many other trekking peaks and its proximity to the main Everest trekking trails means it’s by far the most popular. This is no stroll in the park though. Ropes, crampons and ice-axes are all needed and there’s a short stretch that involves ice-climbing.

• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Trek duration: 18-22 days.
• Max. elevation: Teri La 5,595m, Saribung La 5,600m
• Accommodation: Homestays and camping
• Start/end point: Kagbeni/Koto

This is only for the most adventurous and experienced hikers with full expedition support. The Teri La (5,595m) and Saribung La (5,600m) passes connect Upper Mustang with the valleys of Nar and Phu. Each trek is around three weeks long and requires several nights camping well above 4,000m. Ropes, crampons and ice-axes are likely to be needed.

• Difficulty: Very strenuous and dangerous. People have died attempting this crossing.
• Trek duration: Four days from Kyanjin Gompa
• Max. elevation: 5,106m
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start/end point: Kyanjin Gompa/Tarke Ghyang

The most challenging and dangerous trek in the Langtang region is the crossing of the high (5,106m) Ganj La pass, which links Kyanjin Gompa at the head of the Langtang Valley with Tarke Ghyang on the Helambu Circuit.

This should only be attempted by very experienced trekkers with a good support team. You will need camping equipment, a guide who knows the route well, ropes, ice-axes and crampons.

• Best trek for: Most challenging trek in the Everest region
• Difficulty: Challenging
• Trek duration: 18-20 days
• Max. elevation: 5,535m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Lukla

For those with stamina and time the formidable Three Passes trek is by far the most exciting, rewarding and challenging trek in the Khumbu region. In fact, for sheer mountain awe this is perhaps the single best trek in Nepal for independent trekkers reliant on lodges.

Having said that, the nature of this trek makes it highly advisable to take a guide and porter as well as crampons, ice-axes, ropes and camping equipment because of the very real possibility of getting stuck out for the night due to bad weather.

• Best trek for: More exciting version of the Upper Mustang 'standard' route
• Difficulty: Moderate-difficult
• Trek duration: 12 days
• Max. elevation: 4,380mm
• Accommodation: Homestays
• Start/end point: Kagbeni/Kagbeni or Muktinath

More rewarding (but longer) than the standard Upper Mustang trek is the 12-day Upper Mustang loop. The first part of the trek to Lo Manthang follows the standard way up the western side of the Kali Gandaki. For the return though you follow a much wilder route down the eastern side of the Kali Gandaki. There’s much less development on this side of the river and no road construction. Villages tend to be more traditional and there are fewer trekkers. The scenery is also more impressive than the western route, but the walking is tougher, fresh water harder to find, and villages more spaced out with some long days of walking.

Vertigo sufferers should be aware that there are some terrifyingly steep and windy cliff faces to clamber up and down on this route. It’s worth building in an extra day to detour to the fabulous Luri Gompa, a hidden cave complex filled with Buddhist frescos and 14th century chortens (shrines). You can finish back in Kagbeni or in the major Hindu pilgrimage centre of Muktinath (on the Annapurna Circuit). Although there are comfy homestays in all villages along this route, there’s one night when you will need camping and cooking equipment: The night halt is in a yak pasture with no facilities.

• Difficulty: Very strenuous. Borderline mountaineering
• Trek duration: Minimum 21 days
• Max. elevation: 6,143m
• Accommodation: Camping; very basic herders’ tea houses, trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Num/Lukla

One of the most challenging treks in this book is the Makalu to Everest traverse via the very high passes of Sherpani (6,135m), West Col (6,143m), Baruntse Base Camp (5,700m) and Amphu Laptsa (5,850m) before descending into the Everest region at Pangboche. You should allow a minimum of three weeks for this trek and a lot more if you want to explore the Everest region in depth. You will need full expedition equipment, an experienced team, mountaineering experience and to be prepared for many nights’ camping above 4,500m.

• Difficulty: Stenuous. Lots of steep up and down and the fast elevation gain means the risk of altitude sickness is high.
• Trek Duration: 14 days
• Max. Elevation: 4,870m
• Accommodation: Camping; very basic herders’ tea houses.
• Start/End Point: Num

There’s only one standard route to Makalu base camp and it’s a simple there and back along the same trail. But this is a real wilderness trek and there are only permanent villages for the first and last couple of days. Most of the time the only other people you’ll meet are herders with their yaks. One of the highlights of this trek is camping in gorgeous spring flower meadows well away from other people and waking to soaring mountain views.

• Best trek for: Short but challenging route
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
• Trek duration: Four to five days
• Max. elevation: 5,005m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Manang/Manang or Yak Kharka

The short, but challenging hike to Tilicho Lake, one of the highest large lakes in the world, is one of the most impressive walks in the Annapurna range.

It’s a four or five-day round trip detour off the main Annapurna Circuit trail starting from Manang and heading rapidly upwards, firstly through pine forest and then across scree slopes before a final climb to a pass (5,005m) overlooking the lake. Pushed right up against the great wall of the Annapurna range, and with glaciers crashing down into it, the lake is frozen over for months on end and can be a bleak and scary place.

Note that many maps and some trekking agencies talk about a route directly from Tilicho Lake to Jomsom via the Mesokanto pass. No matter what any map, sign or trekking agency tells you, this is not a route to be taken lightly. It involves ice-climbing down two huge, vertical glacier walls followed by a hair-raising and utterly exhausting climb up a loose scree slope which makes those you crossed on the way up to Tilicho seem like child’s play. Do not attempt this route without mountaineering experience, ropes, ice-axes and crampons as well as a guide who knows the route — very few do.

• Best trek for: Challenging & remote with spectacular views
• Difficulty: Challenging
• Trek duration: 18 days
• Max. elevation: 5,140m
• Accommodation: Camping or basic herders' lodges
• Start/end point: Taplejung

Way out in the east of Nepal a wall of rock and ice rises up over eight and half kilometres into the sky. This is Kanchenjunga and at 8,586m it’s the third highest mountain on Earth. The hike to the base camp of this daunting peak is one of the most exciting treks in Nepal.

There are two main Kanchenjunga treks and the three-week trek to the Kanchenjunga North base camp is the longest, hardest and by far the most spectacular. The views are as good as you’ll get without venturing into the realms of mountaineering, but the risk of altitude sickness is high.

• Difficulty: Moderate-difficult
• Trek duration: Seven to nine days
• Max. elevation: 5,320m
• Accommodation: Camping and basic trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Koto/Ngawal

Most Annapurna Circuit trekkers heading through the village of Koto won’t know that a trail off to the east leads to a magical, hidden world. The Nar and Phu valleys were closed to tourism until 2002 and when they finally opened up the first trekkers discovered a landscape of narrow gorges, 7km high mountains, timeless stone villages festooned with prayer flags, and a distinct local culture based on yak herding and trade with neighbouring Tibet.

Still rarely trekked (a restricted area permit and camping gear is required), the route follows a dark, deep and shady gorge up to the medieval village of Phu, which consists of around 40 or 50 mud and stone houses and red painted monasteries huddled together on the top of a hill. Entry to the village is via a spectacular old gateway.

• Difficulty: Moderate to hard
• Trek duration: 12-14 days
• Max. elevation: 5,360m
• Accommodation: Trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Lukla

With scenery every bit as spectacular as that on the Everest base camp trek but with far fewer crowds, this trek, which leads to a series of high glacial blue lakes, is arguably one of the best in Nepal. Note that altitude problems can be an issue. Go slowly and allow as many extra rest days as you can.

The trek follows the Everest base camp trail for the first couple of days to Sanasa, a half day walk beyond Namche Bazaar. From here, while the masses plod towards Everest, Gokyo trekkers skip up the Dudh Kosi valley. Forested at lower levels, the valley becomes increasingly forbidding as it passes herders’ camps and yak pastures and enters a realm of moraine and ice circled by looming peaks.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trek duration: nine to 11 days
• Max. elevation: 3,480m
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start/end point: Jumla

The focus on the trek to Rara Lake isn’t so much on the high mountains (though these are always the backdrop), but rather on unhurried village life and the variety of ethnic groups found along the way. The thick forests that surround the lake provide a home to musk deer, black bears and other wildlife. The area around the lake is a national park with few signs of human habitation and there are some delightful wild camping spots. This is a genuine wilderness trek.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trek duration: Two weeks
• Max. elevation: 3,842m
• Accommodation: Camping only
• Start/end point: Syabrubesi/Tripura Sundari

Named after Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of fortune, Ganesh Himal lies directly between the Manaslu and Langtang ranges, and is one of the great unknowns of Nepalese trekking. With stunning mountain scenery, attractive and welcoming villages, hot springs, waterfalls and a genuine sense of being well off the beaten track, the Ganesh region really has a bit of everything — except crowds of other trekkers.

A handful of homestays and trekking lodges have started to open up, but for now the trails are still largely empty. Because formal accommodation is still so scarce, an organised camping trip is the best way to tackle this trek.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trek Duration: 7-17 Days
• Max. Elevation: 3,709M for main trek; about 4,200M for side trips.
• Accommodation: Homestays, Camping.
• Start/End Point: Lokpa

Tucked up to the northeast off the main Manaslu Circuit, the Tsum Valley has only been open to trekkers for a decade. The views are wonderful but they are not the attraction here (although if you have camping gear then an overnight trip to the Ganesh base camp at about 4,000m rewards with a stunning view of mountains). Instead, this is all about venturing off the beaten path and discovering an older pace of life where the farming seasons and Tibetan Buddhism are all-important.

• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Trek duration: 18 days
• Max. elevation: 4,550m
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start/end point: Cahinpur

This very remote trek leads through pristine conifer forest to the base camp for Saipal (7,031m), western Nepal’s highest mountain. This is possibly the quietest trek listed in this book and any agency offering this will probably have their own variation of the walk.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trek duration: Five to six days
• Max. elevation: 3,660m
• Accommodation: Camping and limited trekking lodges
• Start/end point: Ghorepani/Tadapani

Also known as the Khopra Danda trek, this is well off the standard Annapurna trekking routes and offers a low-key, peaceful trek to lofty viewpoints on the flanks of Annapurna South. There are a number of different route variations.

The trails pass through charming villages with simple private and community lodges and lots of pretty forests. Khopra Ridge itself is an impressive dome with an exposed trail running along it that feels much higher than it really is (especially when covered in snow). The views across to Dhaulagiri I (8,167m) are unforgettable. From the ridge it’s possible to make a very long and challenging 10-hour day trip to the high altitude Khayer Lake (4,600m). Given the 1,000-metre height gain in a day, plus the beauty of the lake, it’s much more advisable to go on an organised camping trek and sleep on the lake shore.

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Duration: 25-30 days
• Max. elevation: 5,150 m
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start and end point: Juphal

The Upper Dolpo Trek is a challenging route which takes about 25 to 30 days to complete, beginning and ending in Juphal, a small town in Nepal’s little-visited Dolpo region.

The route is considered demanding due to its long duration, high altitude, and demanding terrain. On the way you will cover steep ascents, descents, and cross high passes, requiring good physical fitness, acclimatisation and previous trekking experience.

Exploring the Dolpo region, you will visit the Shey Phoksundo National Park which features a turquoise lake, waterfall and ancient monastery perched on the hillside. You will also cross high mountain passes and visit remote villages, like Dho Tarap. The national park is also home to plenty of wildlife like blue sheep, musk deer, Himalayan Marmot and Himalayan Tahr.