Which Nepal trek is right for you? A decision guide

The right Nepal trek depends on four things: how many days you have door to door, how much altitude you want to handle, whether you accept a flight or a restricted-area permit and how much solitude you want. This guide compares 13 treks on those dimensions and answers the most common head-to-head questions. If you have a week, think Annapurna Base Camp or Langtang. If you have two weeks and fitness, think Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit or Manaslu.

All figures come from our route pages. Use them as a shortlist, then read the full day-by-day plan before you commit.

The comparison table

Crowd levels are our judgement from the region guides, not counts: they describe the main autumn and spring seasons.

Choosing by days available

Head-to-head comparisons

Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp

EBC takes 12 days, reaches Base Camp at about 5,364 m and Kala Patthar at about 5,545 m, and requires a flight to Lukla with its weather risk. ABC takes seven days from Pokhara, reaches 4,130 m and uses a road start. EBC is a bigger commitment and has more built-in acclimatisation; ABC is shorter, but you gain height fast and the stairs are steep. See the EBC itinerary and ABC itinerary.

Annapurna Circuit or Manaslu Circuit

Both take about 14 days and cross a pass above 5,000 m (Thorong La 5,416 m, Larkya La 5,106 m). Manaslu is a restricted area with an agency, a guide and a permit, has two rest days and is quieter and more remote. The Circuit is open-access with more villages and more road. If your budget or group is small, the permit and agency cost may decide it. See the Circuit itinerary and Manaslu itinerary.

Poon Hill or Mardi Himal

Poon Hill is four days, easy, with a famous sunrise at 3,210 m. Mardi Himal is five days, moderate, with closer views of Machapuchare at about 4,500 m and an exposed ridge. Choose Poon Hill if you are new to trekking or short of time, Mardi Himal if you want more height and fewer people. See Poon Hill and Mardi Himal.

Langtang Valley or Annapurna Base Camp

Langtang takes eight days with a seven to eight hour drive each way and reaches Kyanjin Ri at 4,773 m. ABC takes seven days with shorter drives. Langtang has no flight and a quieter trail; ABC has the more dramatic amphitheatre. See the Langtang itinerary.

Everest Base Camp or Gokyo Lakes

Both take 12 days and share the first days to Namche. Gokyo is quieter and offers lakes and the Ngozumpa Glacier, with Gokyo Ri at 5,357 m for a view of four 8,000 m peaks, while EBC offers Base Camp and Kala Patthar. The Three Passes combines both.

Upper Mustang or the monsoon alternatives

Upper Mustang is the one major trek that is comfortable in the monsoon months because of its rain shadow, and it has the most distinctive culture and landscape. It needs a restricted-area permit, an agency and a flight to Jomsom. See the Upper Mustang itinerary.

Choosing by what matters most

Matching a trek to your fitness and experience

Altitude affects fit and unfit people alike, so the fitness column is about stamina, not immunity. The CDC and Wilderness Medical Society guidance on a slow ascent matters on every route above 3,000 m: see our altitude sickness basics.

Deciding with partners

If you are choosing with other people, put the table in front of the group and agree four things: the number of days, the highest altitude everyone is comfortable with, the budget style and whether a flight or a restricted permit is acceptable. The first person to name a limit usually speaks for several others. A shared decision also protects the group later: when someone struggles on day six, you can point to the plan you all agreed instead of arguing about who chose it.

Before you decide

Check the best time for your chosen route in best time to trek in Nepal, the permit in our permits explainer and the cost lines in the Nepal trekking cost guide. If you are new to trekking, read the first-time trekking guide, and if you are looking for partners to share a guide, read how to find a partner safely. For the regional overview see the regions guide.