Best Treks in Nepal: 15 Routes by Days, Altitude and Cost

The best treks in Nepal are the Everest Base Camp Trek (14 days, 5,545 m), the Annapurna Base Camp Trek (9 days, 4,130 m), the Annapurna Circuit Trek (10 days, 5,416 m), the Manaslu Circuit Trek (14 days, 5,106 m) and the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek (5 days, 3,210 m). The 15 treks below run from 5 to 23 days and cost USD 530 to USD 2,600 per person for two trekkers, less in a larger group, with each trek's highest point, grade and permits taken from our own trip pages.

We run every trek on this list from Kathmandu, and we rank them on four things: what each trek gives you for the days you walk, how busy the trail is, how hard the days are and what it costs for two.

Best Treks in Nepal Compared

Our top treks in Nepal, and the five best trekking routes in Nepal for most people, are the Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu Circuit and Ghorepani Poon Hill treks. The table ranks all 15 in our order, with days, highest point, grade, region, the price for two and the price each in our largest group.

The 15 sit in seven regions of Nepal, and every one is a teahouse trek, not a camping trek, so you sleep in a lodge every night on the trail. For every trekking tour we run, including the 22 not ranked here, see Nepal Trekking Tours.

Price each for two trekkers, lowest to highest. The Everest Base Camp Trek is USD 1,455; Kapuche Lake and Kori Danda has no published price for two yet.

Best Treks in Nepal by Difficulty

The easiest of our best treks is the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, graded easy at 3,210 m, and the hardest is the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, graded very difficult over 23 days. Between them, most of the list sits at medium to strenuous, and the grade tracks altitude and length more than terrain.

None of the 15 needs climbing skill. Our Everest Base Camp Trek page puts the walking at 5 to 6 hours a day and asks for reasonable health and fitness, not experience. Altitude is the real test: above 3,000 m your sleeping altitude should rise by only 300 to 500 m a day, with a rest day every two or three days, and a trek's highest point tells you less than its nights above 4,000 m. That is why we rate the Manaslu Circuit harder on altitude than Everest Base Camp despite its lower pass: past Samagaon a helicopter is the only way out. Our guide Climb High, Sleep Low: Altitude and Acclimatisation on a Nepal Trek sets out the rest days on each route.

Highest point of all 15 treks. Five cross or reach 5,300 m or more; the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek stays at 3,210 m.

Best Short Treks in Nepal: 5 to 8 Days

The best short treks in Nepal are the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek (5 days, 3,210 m), the 7 Days Mardi Himal Trek (7 days, 4,500 m) and the Langtang Valley Trek (8 days, 4,984 m). Poon Hill and Mardi Himal are short treks in the Annapurna region that start from Pokhara (see our Annapurna Region page); Langtang starts north of Kathmandu, and its road is the one the August 2026 flood cut. If your time in Nepal is under two weeks, more options are in Short Treks in Nepal, and the gentlest are in Easy Treks in Nepal.

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek

The Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is the best first hike in Nepal: 5 days, graded easy, USD 610 each for two and USD 488 each for 11 to 20. You drive from Pokhara to Ulleri, walk up to Ghorepani, climb Poon Hill (3,210 m) before dawn for sunrise views of the Annapurna range and Dhaulagiri, and come down through Tadapani and Ghandruk. In spring the trail runs through rhododendron in bloom. It ranks fifth because it is a viewpoint, not a destination: there is no base camp and no pass.

7 Days Mardi Himal Trek

The 7 Days Mardi Himal Trek is a relatively short trek up a ridge from Kande through Forest Camp and High Camp (3,600 m) to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m, below the face of Machhapuchhre. It is graded medium and costs USD 691 each for two, USD 566 each for 11 to 15. Day 5 climbs 900 m from High Camp to base camp, then descends to Badal Danda (3,250 m). If you are already in Pokhara, the 5 Days Mardi Himal Trek walks the same ridge to 4,200 m for USD 380 each for two.

Langtang Valley Trek

The Langtang Valley Trek is 8 days to Kyanjin Gompa and Tserko Ri (4,984 m), graded moderate, for USD 530 each for two: the lowest price for two on this list, and the only trek here that passes 4,900 m in under 10 days. It ranks tenth this season for one reason. The 26 August 2026 flood destroyed the road to Syabrubesi, where the trek starts; the trekking trail and villages above are intact, but the walk in from Sundarijal that TAAN lists as the alternative is longer and harder. Check Is Nepal Safe to Trek After the 2026 Flood? Route-by-Route Status before you book.

Everest Base Camp Trek vs Annapurna Base Camp Trek

The Everest Base Camp Trek is the best base camp trek in Nepal for the mountain, and ABC is the best for your time and money. EBC takes 14 days to 5,545 m for USD 1,455 each for two; ABC takes 9 days to 4,130 m for USD 820.

Everest Base Camp Trek

The Everest Base Camp Trek ranks first because it is the classic trekking route to the foot of Mount Everest: 14 days from Lukla through Namche Bazaar and Tengboche to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, then a dawn climb of Kala Patthar (5,545 m) for Everest, Lhotse (8,516 m) and Nuptse (7,861 m). It is graded strenuous and costs USD 1,455 each for two, USD 1,260 each for 21 to 30, with the Lukla flights included. The trek takes you along one of the busiest trails in Nepal: it is Nepal's most popular trek and is crowded in spring and autumn. Short of time? The Everest Base Camp Trek With Helicopter Return does it in 11 days, and the Everest Region page has every Everest trek we run.

Our 14-day Everest Base Camp Trek, days 2 to 11: rest days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche come before the climbs to Lobuche, base camp and Kala Patthar.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is the classic trek of the Annapurna region: 9 days from Pokhara, through Ghandruk, Sinuwa and Deurali, past Machhapuchhre Base Camp into the Annapurna Sanctuary, where base camp sits at 4,130 m below Annapurna I, Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli. It is graded medium and costs USD 820 each for two, USD 666 each for 11 to 20. You come down by Bamboo and the Jhinu Danda hot springs, and the Annapurna Base Camp Trek with Poon Hill adds the sunrise viewpoint in 11 days.

Makalu Base Camp Trek

The Makalu base camp trek is for trekkers who have done Everest or Annapurna and want the same scale on a quieter, wilder trail on the eastern side of Nepal. You fly to Tumlingtar, drive to Num and reach Makalu Base Camp (4,870 m) on day 10, under the south face of Makalu (8,463 m), the fifth highest mountain. It is graded challenging and costs USD 1,770 each for two. It ranks thirteenth because 17 days buys you a lower high point than EBC.

Annapurna Circuit Trek vs Manaslu Circuit Trek

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is the better circuit for a first high pass, and the Manaslu Circuit Trek is the better one for a quieter trail. The Annapurna Circuit crosses Thorong La at 5,416 m in 10 days for USD 790 each for two; the Manaslu Circuit crosses Larkya La at 5,106 m in 14 days for USD 1,080.

Annapurna Circuit Trek

The Annapurna Circuit Trek has the lowest price on this list for crossing a 5,000 m pass. Our 10-day version drives from Kathmandu to Chame, spends 6 days on the trail through Pisang and Manang, with an acclimatisation day there, crosses Thorong La, a 5,416 m mountain pass, to Muktinath, and drives out through Jomsom to Pokhara. It is graded challenging and costs USD 790 each for two, USD 599 each for 13 to 20. Driving the lower valleys is what fits it into 10 days; if you want more of the circuit on foot, ask us.

Manaslu Circuit Trek

The Manaslu Circuit Trek walks round Manaslu (8,163 m), the eighth highest mountain, in 14 days, from Machha Khola through Samagaon, with a rest day there, over Larkya La (5,106 m) to Bimthang and Dharapani. The restricted area permit, which only a registered agency can file with a licensed guide, keeps the numbers down. It is graded strenuous and costs USD 1,080 each for two, USD 920 each for 21 to 30; the 12 and 13 day versions cost USD 925 and USD 975. After the flood, the drive in goes via Arughat. The Manaslu Region page covers the permits, and our Manaslu Circuit Trek vs Everest Base Camp comparison sets the two side by side.

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek

The Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is the longest trek we run: 23 days in the far eastern corner of Nepal, flying to Bhadrapur and driving through Ilam to Taplejung, then walking to both the north and south base camps of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain. It is graded very difficult and costs USD 2,600 each for two to four, USD 2,330 each for 8 to 20. It ranks fourteenth for time and cost, not for what you see. Our Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek (18 days, 5,360 m, USD 3,200 each for two) is the other hard circuit we run; it needs camping nights, so it sits outside this teahouse list.

Less Crowded Treks in Nepal

The less crowded treks on this list are Upper Mustang, Tsum Valley, Nar Phu and Kapuche Lake. They are quieter than the popular trekking routes to Everest and Annapurna: three of the four are restricted areas that opened to foreigners only in 1992 (Upper Mustang), 2003 (Nar Phu) and 2008 (Tsum), and the permit rules still keep numbers low.

Upper Mustang Trek

The Upper Mustang Trek crosses dry, desert-like country to Lo Manthang (3,840 m), in a former kingdom that was closed to outsiders until 1992, in 16 days. You fly to Pokhara, drive to Kagbeni and walk north over Nyi La, with a day at Lo Manthang. It sits in the rain shadow, so it is the one trek on this list for the June to August monsoon. It is graded hard and costs USD 2,099 each for two, the second highest price here after Kanchenjunga.

15 days Tsum Valley Trek

The 15 days Tsum Valley Trek turns off the Manaslu trail at Lokpa into a valley of Tibetan Buddhist villages and monasteries: Chumling, Rachen Gompa and Mu Gompa, with a day hike to Ganesh Himal Base Camp at 4,200 m. It is graded medium and costs USD 1,110 each for two. It needs three permits, including a Tsum special permit, all in the price. The 20-day Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek adds Larkya La.

Nar Phu Valley Trek

The Nar Phu Valley Trek is 18 days through the stone villages of Phu (4,080 m) and Nar, over Kang La to Manang, then over Thorong La (5,416 m) to Muktinath. It is graded challenging and costs USD 1,250 each for two, USD 1,099 each for 13 to 20. This trek is one of Nepal's toughest, and the emptier way to reach the Annapurna Circuit's high pass.

Kapuche Lake and Kori Danda Trek

The Kapuche Lake and Kori Danda Trek runs below the Annapurna and Manaslu ranges: 10 days from Kathmandu, via Pokhara, to the Gurung village of Sikles, the Kapuche glacier lake and the Kori Danda ridge, topping out at 4,115 m. It is graded medium and starts at USD 690; ask us for the price for two. It ranks last on reach, not quality: it tops out lower than most treks here and has no published price for two yet.

Everest Three Passes Trek and Gokyo Lakes Trek

The Everest three passes trek is the fullest trek in the Everest region, and the Gokyo lakes trek is the quieter one. The Everest Three High Pass Trek crosses Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La in 18 days; the Gokyo Lake Trek reaches the Gokyo lakes and Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) in 13.

Everest Three High Pass Trek

The Everest Three High Pass Trek links Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar (5,545 m), Gokyo Ri and the Gokyo lakes over three high passes: Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La. It is graded strenuous and costs USD 1,885 each for two or three, USD 1,485 each for 21 to 30. Take it as your second trek in the Himalaya: it is a high-altitude trek of 18 days with three passes. The Everest Two Passes Trek (16 days) and Everest Cho La Pass Trek (17 days) cut one or two of them.

Gokyo Lake Trek

The Gokyo Lake Trek leaves the Everest Base Camp trail above Namche Bazaar for Dole, Machhermo and Gokyo (4,790 m), a string of turquoise lakes at 4,700 to 5,000 m, with a climb of Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) for the view across to Everest. It is graded strenuous and costs USD 1,385 each for two, USD 1,200 each for 21 to 30. It ranks seventh, above the passes, because it gives most of the view in 13 days instead of 18.

Best Time to Trek in Nepal

The best time to trek in Nepal is March to May and September to November, the two trekking seasons, when every trek on this list runs and the weather is most stable. Each trekking season is busiest on the Everest trail, so book those months early. Upper Mustang is the trek for the June to August monsoon, because it sits in the rain shadow.

Trekking in Nepal Cost

Trekking in Nepal costs USD 530 to USD 2,600 per person for two trekkers on the 15 treks here, with the permits and a licensed guide in the price. A larger group pays less each: on the EBC trek, two pay USD 1,455 each and a group of 21 to 30 pays USD 1,260 each.

Restricted area treks must run through an agency with a licensed guide, which is why those itineraries keep day 2 in Kathmandu to prepare the permit. Not in the price on most treks: a porter (one porter for two trekkers), travel insurance that covers emergency high-altitude rescue and evacuation, which is compulsory, and tips for your guide and porter.