Trekking in Nepal
These are the 13 treks I guide that take 12–15 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu. Two weeks bring the base camps and the great valleys within reach, with the rest days that high walks need, and a spare day for a mountain flight.
Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsShortest first, from each trek's own page.
Khumbu (Everest)
12 daysup to 4,570 m (Ama Dablam Base Camp)Moderatebest Oct–Nov, Apr–Maywith a flight
Ama Dablam, 6,812 m, is the mountain most people remember from the Everest trail: a steep ridge with a hanging glacier like the pendant of a necklace, which is what its name means.
The walk, day by dayFar West
12 daysup to 4,100 m (Api Base Camp)Challengingbest Oct, Apr–Mayquietwith a flight
Api, 7,132 m, is the highest mountain of the far west, standing above the Mahakali river on the edge of Nepal. Few walkers reach its base camp.
The walk, day by dayKhumbu (Everest) · Adventure trek
12 daysup to 5,545 m (Kala Patthar)Moderatebest Nov, Aprbusy in its best monthswith a flight
Everest Base Camp is the walk most people dream of when they think of Nepal. From Lukla the trail climbs slowly through Sherpa villages, Namche Bazaar and the Tengboche monastery to the moraine below the Khumbu Icefall.
The walk, day by dayKhumbu (Everest)
12 daysup to 3,880 m (Everest View hotel above Namche)Moderatebest Oct–Nov, Aprbusy in its best monthswith a flight
Mani Rimdu is the great festival of Tengboche, the monastery on its ridge below Ama Dablam. For three days in autumn the monks give a blessing of long life, dance in masks in the courtyard and burn offerings to clear away harm.
The walk, day by dayAnnapurna
12 daysup to 5,320 m (Kang La)Challengingbest Oct–Nov, Aprquietby road
A hidden side valley of the Annapurna region, opened to walkers only in 2003.
The walk, day by dayLangtang
13 daysup to 4,773 m (Kyanjin Ri)Moderatebest Oct–Nov, Mar–Aprby road
Two faces of one national park, reached by road from Kathmandu. First the Langtang valley: forest along the river, Tamang villages, yaks, and the wide glacier valley at Kyanjin Gompa, with a morning climb up Kyanjin Ri.
The walk, day by dayManaslu
13 daysup to 5,106 m (Larke La)Challengingbest Oct–Nov, Aprbusy in its best monthswith a flight
The Manaslu Circuit walks right round Manaslu (8,163 m), the eighth-highest mountain on earth. It starts low in the warm Budhi Gandaki gorge, climbs through Gurung villages into Nubri, where people live much as in Tibet, and crosses Larke La (5,106 m) to the Annapurna side.
The walk, day by dayAnnapurna
13 daysup to 4,600 m (Khopra Danda)Moderatebest Oct–Nov, Mar–Aprquietwith a flight
West of the busy Poon Hill trail, two long ridges look straight at Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, and very few people walk them.
The walk, day by dayAnnapurna
13 daysup to 4,130 m (Annapurna Base Camp)Moderatebest Oct–Nov, Mar–Aprbusy in its best monthswith a flight
Two of the best-loved walks in the Annapurna region, joined in one. First the stone staircase to Ulleri, the rhododendron forest of Ghorepani and the sunrise from Poon Hill.
The walk, day by dayMustang
13 daysup to 4,010 m (Nyi La)Moderatebest Sep–Oct, May–Junquietwith a flight
A walk north, behind the Himalaya, into the old Kingdom of Lo. The land here is high desert: red and ochre cliffs, cave dwellings, whitewashed villages and wide skies. At the end is Lo Manthang, the walled city, with monasteries painted centuries ago.
The walk, day by dayAnnapurna
14 daysup to 5,416 m (Thorong La)Challengingbest Oct–Nov, Aprbusy in its best monthswith a flight
The Annapurna Circuit with a few days up to Tilicho Lake, one of the highest big lakes in the world, below the snow walls of Tilicho Peak.
The walk, day by dayKhumbu (Everest)
14 daysup to 4,880 m (The high pass above Thare)Challengingbest Oct–Nov, Aprquietby road
The Numbur Cheese Circuit is a loop in the hills between Jiri and the Everest region, made by the villages themselves to bring walkers into their valleys.
The walk, day by dayKhumbu (Everest)
15 daysup to 5,545 m (Kala Patthar)Challengingbest Oct–Nov, Aprwith a flight
This walk joins the two best valleys of the Khumbu. First the quiet Gokyo valley, with its turquoise lakes and the sunrise view from Gokyo Ri, then over the Cho La pass (5,420 m) to the main trail and Everest Base Camp.
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Of the treks I guide: Ama Dablam Base Camp, Api Base Camp, Everest Base Camp, Mani Rimdu at Tengboche, Nar Phu Valley, Langtang Valley and Gosainkunda, Manaslu Circuit, Mohare Danda and Khopra Danda, Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp, Upper Mustang, Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake, Numbur Cheese Circuit, Gokyo to Everest Base Camp.
From 3,880 m to 5,545 m at their highest point.
3 of them start by road; the others need a mountain flight, so keep a spare day.
Not sure which trek suits you? Tell me your dates and what you hope for, and I will say honestly.
