nepal-treks

The Ultimate List of Top 10 Nepal Treks

Look no further, the ultimate list of Nepal’s hiking treks is right here.

There’s no time or energy to waste when you’re a solo travel junkie like me. You need to focus your time and energy on your destination and vacation goals, and less time having to skim through information to kind good, reliable content.

The blog space is saturated with lists of dozens of curated top-10 lists, and trek blogs are no exception. Hikers looking for their next adventure normally have to skim through multiple blogs to find information. None of these lists are consistent and many of them are associated with businesses looking to sell you a top-dollar package.

Well, I’ve done the research for you and have compiled the only compressive top 10 list of Nepal treks on the internet. The treks are ranked by their overall rank score, which was awarded taking into account each trek’s position in each Top 10 blog and the frequency each was mentioned.

This list gives the most thorough review of the most famous Nepal treks and will give you a head start on your next adventure.

  1. Everest Base Camp (EBC) Trek

    There is very little debate that the Everest Base Camp Trek is the crown jewel of the Nepal hiking excursion. It is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas and about 40,000 people per year make the trip to the staging area for Everest ascent hikers.

    Trekkers access the trailhead from Lukla, a small town in the Khumbu Pasanglhamu province, and a 30-minute flight from Kathmandu. Hikers will pass through Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorak Shep, and finally the Everest Base Camp (elevation 5,364m), which is situated in Nepal’s Sagarmatha National Park.

    Classified as moderate – difficult, expect most expeditions to be at least 10-18 days over the roughly 37-mile route.

  2. Annapurna Circuit Trek

    The Annapurna Circuit Trek takes adventures through 100 miles of Nepal’s central mountain ranges and reaches an elevation-high of 5,416m at the Thorung La Pass, the world’s widest pass. Travelers can expect eight days of hiking with two days for acclimation.

    Hikers access the trail at Bhulbule, which is accessible by a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then a two-hour drive, or an eight-hour drive from Kathmandu.

    The hike is considered a difficult route and concludes in the Kali Gandaki Gorge. It takes travelers through a number of waterfalls, scenic cliffs, and several villages.

  3. Annapurna Sanctuary Base Camp Trek

    Similar to Circuit Trek, the Annapurna Sanctuary, or Base Camp, Trek takes place in Nepal’s central mountain range. The trail difficulty is a degree less difficult than the Circuit, with a moderate-level difficulty.

    The trek’s terrain is less dynamic than the circuit, with the highest elevation reached being 4,320 m, and experienced hikers can normally traverse the route in as little as eight days. Sanctuary is significantly shorter than the Circuit at 41 miles. However, there are thousands of stairs.

    Hikers access and exit the Sanctuary trek at Pokhara, which is a 25-min flight from Kathmandu or a six-hour drive. The hill-region metro offers hikers opportunity opportunities to site-see before and after the trek.

  4. Manaslu Trek

    The Manaslu trek takes hikers along an ancient salt-trading route in Nepal’s Gorkha District region and takes travelers by 10 mountain peaks over 6,500m, including Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain.

    This challenging-ranked excursion stretches 110 miles and takes hikers from Soti Khola to Besisahar and climaxes at a 5,106m pass at Larkya La. The first leg of the hike follows the Buri Gandaki River gorge and features a number of suspension bridges.

    The trailhead can be reached without domestic flights and offers a low-volume, high-profile trekking experience with 10 times fewer hikers than Everest and Annapurna hikes. Public bussing can take hikers to Soti Khola in about eight hours.

  5. Langtang Trek

    Appealing for its novice-level terrain, the Langtang trek explores the valley trail that begins and concludes in Syabru Besi. This route takes hikers through yak pastures, a Buddhist monastery at 3,800m, and an optional acescent hike up the 4,400m Kyangjin Ri peak.

    The small town of Syabru Besi is a seven-hour drive from Kathmandu and is still in recovery from a 2015 earthquake. A Langlang trek is about 40 miles and normally takes about six days with additional days needed for arrival in-country and domestic travel.

  6. Upper Mustang trek

    Nepal’s Mustang Trek based out of Jomsom is the pinnacle hiking experience for those seeking to be immersed in Buddhist culture. The remote municipality in western Nepal is accessible by two connecting flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara and from Pokhara to Jomsom.

    The 77-mile hike reaches an elevation of 3,810m at Chogo and is classified as a moderate-level journey and requires 10 days on the trail with two days of rest at the town of Lo Manthang.

  7. Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

    While considered as one of Nepal’s easier hikes, the 32-mile, four-day hike route is an abbreviated journey through the Annapurna Sanctuary and is popularly used as an acclimation opportunity for hikers seeking to do one of Nepal’s more challenging treks.

    Hikers normally access the route Nayapul, beginning with a 3,000-stone stairway ascent and exit at Ghandruk. Along the way, hikers can utilize the popular tea houses for room and board and will have views of Nepal’s most iconic mountain ranges.

  8. Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

    Next is yeti country. The home of the mythical abominable snowman, the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek takes hikers to the more-remote border of Nepal and India. The 137-mile hike takes mountaineers up to the Mt. Kanchenjunga base camp, where climbers stage for ascents up the world’s third-highest peak.

    While there are different variations of the trek, expect a domestic, 35-minute flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, a three-hour drive to Illam, and then another five-hour drive to Taplejung, where the trek will begin. The trail ends in Khamdime.

  9. Gokyo Lakes Trek

    For experienced hikers looking to turn it up a notch, the Gokyo Lakes Trek is a four-day extension of the typical Everest Base Camp (EBC) hike, and offers hikers the appeal of a one-way, circular route, unlike the normal EBC which returns on the same trail.

    This 61-mile trek takes 16-17 days to complete and has its visitors pass the turquoise Gokyo lakes (some of the highest freshwater lakes by elevation in the world), through the Cho La pass (5,330m), and down into the Everest Base Camp.

    The trek ends and begins in Lukla, a 30-minute flight from Kathmandu.

  10. Everest Base Camp 3 Passes Trek

    Last but certainly not least, is the Everest Base Camp (EBC) Three Passes Trek, which builds onto the Gokyo Lakes Trek and adds even more components to the EBC experience for those looking for a more challenging and longer hike.

    Three Passes Trek takes hikers on more obscure trails than the straight-shot journey to EBC. Hikers will be able to experience EBC and the Gokyo lakes as well as trek the Renjo La pass, Cho La Pass, and the Kongma La Pass with the added option to climb three peaks — Gokyo Ri (5,483 meters), Kala Patar (5,540 meters) and Chukung Ri (5,550 meters).

    This trek stretches the EBC experience into a three-week, 112-mile journey, with an elevation-high of 5,550m if the Chukung Ri ascent is opted for.

The trek options in Nepal are nearly innumerable, and this top 10 list definitely only scratches the surface. For those who have had anxiety about planning out their first experience in this terrain-rich country, this comprehensive list should offer some direction and insight for how and what to plan for. (It should also save you a bunch of time flipping through thousands of blogs on the same subject!). Write down the first three treks that jump off this page and take the next steps on your journey to Nepal!