Best Trek in Nepal

This is my personal favourite trek in Nepal. I have done it more times than I can count, and it never gets old.

In under 5 days you stand on Poon Hill at 3,210m and watch the sun rise over Annapurna South (7,219m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m), and Machapuchare (6,993m) lined up in front of you. It is one of the most photographed mountain viewpoints in Nepal — at an altitude almost any reasonably fit person can reach without acclimatisation days.

The trail starts from Nayapul, just 2 hours by bus from Pokhara. Day one takes you through stone-paved village paths and terraced fields to Tikhedhunga or Ulleri. Day two climbs steeply through dense rhododendron forest — in March the entire hillside turns red and pink — up to Ghorepani village. Day three is the 4am climb to Poon Hill for sunrise. The return through Tadapani and down to Ghandruk is one of the most beautiful walking days in the Annapurna region. Tea houses along the entire route are comfortable, meals are good, and hot showers are available every night.

For anyone with 5 days or less, anyone new to trekking, or anyone who wants a genuine Himalayan experience without committing to 2 weeks — this is my honest first recommendation. Read the full Ghorepani Poon Hill trek guide for the complete day-by-day itinerary, permits, and costs.

Every serious trekker should do this once. Not because it is the hardest or the highest walk in Nepal — but because nothing else gives you that feeling of moving deeper and deeper into the Khumbu, with Everest growing larger every single day.

The route from Lukla (2,860m) climbs through Phakding, then up to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) — the Sherpa capital, with its Saturday market, bakeries, and first clear view of Everest. From Namche you acclimatise, then push higher through Tengboche Monastery (3,860m), Dingboche (4,410m), Lobuche (4,940m), and finally Gorak Shep before the last push to Base Camp at 5,364m. The entire Khumbu Valley is one of the most remarkable places I know — ancient monasteries, mani walls, yak caravans on narrow stone paths, and the sound of the Dudh Koshi river following you all the way up.

You sleep at 5,364m. That altitude, that cold, that silence — it stays with you. This is not a technically difficult trek. There is no rope, no ice axe, no climbing involved. But you need genuine fitness, patience for acclimatisation days, and a proper itinerary that does not rush the altitude gain. See the complete Everest Base Camp trek guide for full costs, permits, and itinerary.

I recommend Manaslu Circuit over Annapurna Circuit for one reason: it still feels wild.

Annapurna Circuit was once the classic high pass trek in Nepal. Road construction has changed that permanently. Jeeps now drive through sections that used to be pure walking trail. The lower parts of the circuit have lost much of what made them special. Manaslu has not. The restricted area permit keeps numbers low, the villages along the Budhi Gandaki river valley are remote and genuinely traditional, and the landscape changes completely as you gain altitude — subtropical forest in the lower sections, then high alpine pasture, then the bare rock and ice approaches to Larkya La.

Larkya La pass at 5,160m is a serious crossing. The summit day starts before 4am, covers 8 to 9 hours of walking, and crosses exposed high altitude terrain that can have snow at any season. The descent to Bimthang on the other side is one of the most dramatic trail sections in Nepal — steep, long, and with Manaslu (8,163m) directly above you. This is Nepal trekking as it used to be. For the complete permit guide and route breakdown, read the Manaslu Circuit trek guide.

Upper Mustang does not look like the rest of Nepal. It was a restricted forbidden kingdom until 1992 and it still carries that feeling — remote, ancient, and completely separate from the trekking crowds on the main Annapurna and Everest routes.

The landscape is high altitude desert — red and ochre cliffs carved by wind for thousands of years, cave monasteries cut directly into the rock face, walled villages that have not changed their shape in 500 years. Lo Manthang at 3,840m is the walled capital of the old Mustang kingdom and one of the most extraordinary places I have guided people through in Nepal. The narrow lanes, whitewashed walls, ancient thangka paintings, and the sound of monks chanting in the early morning make this unlike anywhere else on a Nepal trekking route.

Upper Mustang is physically moderate — the altitude is manageable, the daily distances are reasonable, and tea house accommodation in Lo Manthang is comfortable. The cost is high. The restricted area permit alone is $500 USD per 10 days — non-negotiable. But for trekkers who want culture and landscape over physical challenge, and who want an experience that genuinely feels rare, Mustang delivers.

Dolpo is not for everyone. I say this directly and without apology.

It is remote, expensive, physically demanding over multiple weeks, and has almost no tourist infrastructure outside the main villages. You camp every night. Your support team carries everything. Some trail sections pass no villages for 2 to 3 days at a time. The logistics alone — flights to Nepalgunj, then a small mountain flight to Juphal, then 18 to 21 days with full camping gear — require serious planning and a guide who knows this region specifically.

But Dolpo gives you something no other trek in Nepal delivers: the Nepal that most trekkers never reach. Phoksundo Lake at 3,611m is one of the most beautiful places I have stood in my years of guiding here — translucent turquoise water surrounded by sheer rock walls, completely silent, no other trekkers in sight. The Upper Dolpo plateau above 4,500m is raw high altitude wilderness. The Bon Buddhist villages of Saldang and Simen have maintained a way of life almost unchanged for centuries. Peter Matthiessen wrote about this region in The Snow Leopard — and it still looks the same.

Lower Dolpo, including Phoksundo Lake, is more accessible and significantly cheaper than Upper Dolpo. If this is your first time in the region, start with Lower Dolpo. Do not attempt either independently — the terrain, altitude, and remoteness require experienced local guidance and a full support team.