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The Ultimate Guide To Hiking/Trekking in Nepal

Ankit Sethi

August 21, 2024

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Nepal is one of the most beautiful country and well-known for its charming landscape & alpine. Nepal is particularly known for its mighty Mount Everest one of the tallest mountains in the whole world. Countless people have come here to either witness this gargantuan foothill or to climb for making a record.

However, Mount Everest is just a part of this country, there’s more to explore. This country has the most distinct monasteries, teahouses, and friendly people.

The Himalaya is the backbone of the country, and what’s lying on the inside would surely make your mind explode and change the way you looked at this non-coastal Asian country.

The adventure-seekers would love Trekking in Nepal. From plush forests of Helambu to the deserted pinnacles of the upper Mustang, tracking in Nepal is tremendously heterogeneous.

There are literally tons of option to go thru when it concerns selecting what track is the best, so here’s a complete guide to trail in Nepal that would lead to something extraordinary.

A Brief Guide for the Hikers to Trekking in Nepal

Nepal has diverse trekking options; from 5 days to 20 days trekking, it is up to you what option would you choose for yourself. If you’re looking for short hikes, it’d take up to 5 days, moderate treks would take 12 days, and the adventurous ones that would take you out to the boondocks of the country for up to 20 days or even more.

When I visited the country and started my trek there, I came across some of the most warming tea houses where one could sit and talk with the locals and share their stories with a cup of hot tea & a plate of momos.

I have never felt so welcomed in any country, their hospitality is splendid. Without blabbering so much, let me take you through a comprehensive guide to Trekking in Nepal!

Best Season to Trekking in Nepal

It is asked commonly amongst many, however, there isn’t any precise answer to it. I’d prefer to trail at the end of the season when the amount of people on the track has dropped down. Use this guide since the weather in the Himalaya and Nepal could change quickly.

The Best Treks in Nepal

Nepal offers a vast selection of different regions to which contains a multitude of trekking routes to do in Nepal; I have established a list that covers the best hikes in each of these regions.

Everest Region

• Everest Base Camp
• Gokyo Trek

Annapurna Region

• Annapurna Panorama Trek (Poon Hill)
• Mardi Himal

Western Nepal

• Dhaulagiri Trek

Everest Region

Everest Base Camp

• Duration: 16 days
• Altitude: 5,545 metres
• Permits: TIMS card, Sagarmatha National Park permit
• Accommodation: teahouses

Everest base camp trek is one of the highest points of hiking/ Trekking in Nepal. Furthermore, it is a must for the passionate hikers to put this camp trek into their to-do-list.

However, why is this so bloody popular? And what makes it so good that people travel all way to the Khumbu valley for this trek?

You may know Mount Everest, a.k.a. as Sagarmatha to the Nepalese, the tallest mountain in the world. Numerous journey to the Mount Everest took place since Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hilary was the first to make it to the mount in 1953.

Mount Everest is amongst the most striking locations you could see anywhere in the world. And entry to Everest’s basecamps is now a lot easier than before, which makes the place more alluring to the tourists.

You have to fly from Lukla to Kathmandu in order to reach Everest Base Camp; from Lukla, I’d suggest taking 1 or 2 days off prior starting with your hiking, since you have to be adaptive with Lukla’s high elevation.

When you’d fly from Kathmandu’s height of 1400 m to Lukla’s height of 2860 m, you might not get sick of the high altitude, and the chances are may below.

However, you have to be careful of everywhere. I mean it doesn’t hurt if you’re taking extra care of yourself.

From Lukla your Hiking Journey Begins

You’d notice by the trails that there are several teahouses and guesthouses to reside for some time, however during seasons it may get busy.

Here’s a little trick- send your caretakers first to check if there are any vacancies available since sleeping in the cold outside would be the last thing you’d want. And most importantly, ensure that you have your TIMS card registered prior leaving Lukla.

Things get more intriguing as you start your trek from EBC, you go deep into the Khumbu valley; here, you could rest for a few days in Namche Bazaar for further accommodation. This proffer an opportunity to travel side routes.

When you are in Namche Bazaar, it is a must that you check out Namche Gompa where you’d hear monks chanting mantras daily. Both mornings & evening. If things are okay and possible, spend 1 day in Tengboche at least. It is a 4 hours trek from Namche bazaar because of its changes in height.

Once you’re out of Tengboche the landscape is dreamlike. With Ama Dablam Mountain and Imja Tse with their head held high, emerging out of the clouds to right whilst Cholatse towers above, on left.

To get an extraordinary view of the Himalayas, if you can, add an extra 5 hours to your trekking in Nepal. It would be a difficult trek to Ama Dablam base camp, though you won’t regret one bit of your decision.

Ama Dablam is one of the most pictorial alpines in the Khumbu and referred as an iconic figure worldwide due to its distinct shape. You’d be introduced with the first glimpse of the gigantic Himalayan with Pumori which crest at 7165 meters, from Dugla to Lobuche.

An important note here- EBC doesn’t offer a view that’s equally magnificent to what Kala Patthar has to offer. Kala Pattar trek comes after Lobuche, across a side route.

So what to Expect at EBC?

Here you’d see the notoriously popular glacier in the world- Khumbu Icefall, which is famous for all the wrong reasons. The camp is visible, as well, it is the main spot for the mountaineers to adapt to the climate prior to making their way further to the 8848 metre peak of Everest.

Gokyo Trek

• Duration: 12 days
• Altitude: 5,360 metres
• Permits: TIMS card, Sagarmatha National Park permit
• Accommodation: teahouses

A substitute to Everest base camp- Gokyo Trek is a return track trail. You would measure a good height on this trek with 5360 metres; making it difficult for the hikers to devise the acclimatization practice by taking a day off in Lukia before trekking to Namche Bazaar for a day or two.

From Namche Bazaar, the hike would lead you to the first, foremost of Mong La with 3975 meters. As you reach Gokyo, another world’s 6th tallest building Cho Oyu becomes visibly clear.

Due to its string of lakes connected all over the landscape makes very unique. Once you have reached Gokyo, give yourself some rest for at least 2-3 days before returning to Lukla.

Hiking at Nepal proffers an ultimate opportunity to witness some of the most magnificent mountains in the world such as Cho Oyo, Mount Everest, Lhotse & Makalu and these could be observed by opting for a side route to Gokyo Ri.

There is another way for the return to Lukla and that is via Phortse which could take up to 7 hours. You could visit the Khumbhu Climbing Centre operates by the infamous Conrad Anker.

Here, locals learn about mountaineering and alpinism skills under a safe environment and run in the mounts.

Annapurna Region

Annapurna Panorama Trek (Poon Hill Trek)

• Duration: 6 days
• Altitude: 3,210 metres
• Permits: ACAP permit and TIMS card
• Accommodation: teahouses

With alluring views of the Annapurna’s Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhare, the Annapurna panorama trek would be an elegant guesthouse to guesthouse trek.

Regardless of it being called as the easiest trekking in Nepal, Annapurna Panorama Trek is surely magnificent concluded with plush rainforests of Rhododendrons which are exceptions to this specific region and when the forest blossoms, trailing amongst these woods gives a staggering feeling.

This trek is famous for its various stone-steps which would start from Hille to Ulleri with an extremely steep portion that takes up to 2 hours to reach. I’d suggest you stay at Kamal Guest House in Ulleri because the view in the course of sunrise is heavenly!

From Ulleri to Ghorepani the slippery and easy scaling makes it an easy climb which could be completed within 2 days, however, if you cannot wait till day 2 you can complete it in a day.

Ghorepani is sited at the top of Poon Hill, which is quite popular amongst tourists. It proffers you breath-taking views and the best way you could witness the heavenly view is by getting up early in the morning (3.30 am.)

It may take between 30 minutes to an hour in order to reach Poon hill from Ghorepani. If the weather is good you’re good to go! After leaving Ghorepani, you’d leave for Duerali La subsequently a trek beside a confined edge to Banthanti which includes mesmerising Rhododendron forests with Lupron Danda.

The route to Bnathanti to Tadapani comprise of a lot of ups and down and at the time of the wet season it becomes difficult to maintain some tracks.

Tadapani presents offers magnificent views of Machhapuchhare and is a great spot to rest for lunch, as well, prior you embark to Ghandruk.

Ghandruk is a place where you’d want to spend at least 2 days discovering the site since the location is everything you wouldn’t want to miss! When I reached Poon Hill, the view from it was Ahh-may-zing! However, views from Ghandruk is on the next level.

Returning from Ghandruk is not at all fun! Since the slope would most probably give your knees a nice exercise followed by a rise immediately to Landruk. After getting out of Ghandruk, everything is easy.

The Australian camp to Phedi is pretty easy and bid views of Machhapuchhare as you go down to Dhampus and Phedi. From here you could manage for transport to pick you up to Pokhara or a bus which would take around 1-2 hours, subject to the route conditions and type of transport.

Mardi Himal

• Time: 5 days
• Altitude: 5,587 metres
• Permits: ACAP permits and TIMS card
• Accommodation: teahouses (lower altitudes) and tents

Mardi Himal acts like a challenge to test your fitness level when trekking here in Nepal. It takes you to the top peaks of Machhapuchhare to an extreme height of 5587 meters. One thing I’d like to point out that Mardi Himal isn’t a popular road so some places could be affected by natural causes.

The trek is in an ascending level until you reach Mardi Himal where you’d have to descend. Scenes from halfway thru the ridge are stunning with exclusive sites of Manaslu, Annapurna’s, and Dhaulagiri.

Kumai to base camp is 2 days of steep hiking, so prior reaching the top on Mardi Himal, you’d need to make sure you uncover the correct track directing up to the col. You could set up a tent from here, and due to Mardi Himal’s steep slants of snow and ice at the top, it must have crampons.

However, before you embark to top the Mardi Himal, unsure about the weather with the local guides on the peak. Its steep slants and routes make it even harder to trek at Mardi Himal in Nepal (Trekking in Nepal). You could return the same how you reached there. You could hire a Jeep to Pokhara that’d cost about 300-600/- for a shared jeep.

Western Nepal

Dhaulagiri Trek

• Duration: 16 days
• Altitude: 5,250 metres
• Permits: 2,000 rupees ACAP permit and TIMS card
• Accommodation: teahouses (lower altitudes) and tents

Let me warn you beforehand that trekking on this mount is NOT at ALL easy, especially isn’t meant for the weak-hearted! This trek is only for the skilled trekkers who have done trekking before.

Dhaulagiri has been all about testing your skills for 16 days with several phases demanding the use of crampons on Dhampus Pass and French Pass.

Surroundings of Dhaulagiri proffer some of the excellent hiking encounters in this area of Nepal. Apart from delivering magnificent views of the Dhaulagiri Massif, it is the 7th tallest mountain in the world. Though it IS a hardest trek to the summit, however, it still is one of the best Himalayan trails to ever trek.

Again, before summiting on this trek, ensure to check on the weather with the local guides and make sure about your ports and guide are eligible to hike in unexpected climates since anything above 4500 m is cause to encounter avalanches.

Looking for more hiking & trekking guide form Asia? Check out Hiking in Himachal Pradesh & Tiger’s Nest Bhutan.

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