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Ten treks in Nepal, from famous to quiet: a guide’s honest list

Ten treks I would suggest in Nepal, from the famous ones to the quiet ones, with one honest line on what each is really like.

Written 15 October 20262 min readBy Rujan Neupane

I’m Rujan, a licensed trekking guide living in Kathmandu. Lists of the best treks in Nepal are everywhere. This one is different only in that I tell you what each walk is really like, crowds and hard days included. They run from the famous to the quiet.

The famous ones

  1. Everest Base Camp, about 12 to 14 days. The Sherpa villages and the highest mountains on earth. Busy in October and April, and the lodges above Namche are basic and cold. Everest Base Camp trek.
  2. Annapurna Base Camp, about 7 to 10 days. A short walk into a ring of giant peaks. Busy, but beautiful from the first day. Annapurna Base Camp trek.
  3. The Annapurna Circuit, about 14 to 18 days. The most varied walk in Nepal, from rice fields to the desert of Mustang over Thorong La. Roads now reach much of it; we walk the old trails where we can. Annapurna Circuit trek.
  4. Ghorepani and Poon Hill, about 4 to 5 days. The easiest big view, good for a first trek. Very busy at sunrise. Ghorepani Poon Hill trek.

Quieter, but not hard to reach

  1. Langtang Valley, about 7 to 10 days, by road from Kathmandu. Tamang villages, yak pastures and glaciers. Langtang Valley trek.
  2. Gokyo Lakes, about 12 days. Turquoise lakes and one of the finest views of Everest, with fewer people than the main trail. Gokyo Lakes trek.
  3. Mardi Himal, about 5 to 7 days from Pokhara. A ridge to the foot of Machhapuchhre.

Remote and wonderful

  1. The Manaslu Circuit, about 14 to 16 days. A restricted area, so it stays quieter; Larke La and Tibetan villages. Manaslu Circuit trek.
  2. Upper Mustang, about 12 to 14 days. A dry, walled kingdom, and a restricted-area permit that costs a lot. See Upper Mustang.
  3. Kanchenjunga, three weeks or more. The far east, two base camps, few walkers. Kanchenjunga Circuit trek.

How to choose among them

Start with your time, how you feel at altitude, and how many people you are happy to share a trail with. See how to choose your trek, Everest or Annapurna? and Annapurna Base Camp or the circuit?.

If you are not sure which suits you, write to me and tell me what you hope for. I will say honestly.

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Written by Rujan Neupane

A freelance guide in Kathmandu, trained, with a deep interest in photography and in Nepal's photography history. I walk these routes and write these pages myself.

About me How I walk

Walks where this matters

Annapurna Circuit11 days · ChallengingRead Langtang Valley7 days · ModerateRead Manaslu Circuit13 days · ChallengingRead Annapurna Base Camp10 days · ModerateRead

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