Best Nepal treks is the tagline for our post today. And we ask you to consider… “if you could only do one trek in your lifetime”. Read on because we’re going to show you which, in our humble opinion, are the best Nepal treks you can do.
At Trek Climb Ski Nepal we think we’re pretty fortunate. Why? Because we regularly get to experience all the Nepal treks we run. From Everest Base Camp to the Annapurna Circuit. From the Upper Mustang to the sacred Gokyo Lakes. And many more. But if we woke up one day and were told we could only do one more trek in our lifetime which trek would we choose? And why? Well the answer is surprisingly easy and the Everest Circuit Trek is our resounding vote. Go straight to our Everest Circuit trip page.
Nepal treks don’t get better than this.
SNAPSHOT
Trek length: 19 – 20 days (22 days including Kathmandu)
Distance: approximately 140 kilometres
Highest point: 5550 metres
Physical challenge: easy moderate challenging
Mental challenge: easy moderate challenging
Price: $3,390 – 3,990
Best Time: March – April, October – November
HIGHLIGHTS
- Unsurpassed views of Mt Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam
- Sunrise over Mt Everest from the Everest View Hotel
- Sunrise over Mt Everest from the summit of Gokyo Ri (5357m)
- Sunset over Everest from the summit of Kala Pattar (5550m)
- Ascending Gokyo Ri, Cho La pass and Kala Pattar
- 2 nights in Gokyo by the sacred Gokyo Lakes
- Trekking into Everest Base Camp
- Crossing the Ngozumpa glacier, the longest glacier in the Himalaya
Best Nepal treks don’t get any better
In a nutshell, when it comes to Nepal treks, the Everest Circuit Trek leaves you wanting for nothing. If you allow 19 – 20 days you won’t need to rush and you’ll have a couple of contingency days up your sleeve in case of bad weather or illness. You’ll start this adventure by flying into the mountain airstrip at Lukla.
From Lukla you’ll follow the main Everest Base Camp route to Namche Bazaar where you’ll spend two important nights to allow for proper acclimatisation. If you’re travelling with Trek Climb Ski Nepal you’ll be staying at the famous Namche Hotel. On our Nepal treks we don’t do things by halves and you’ll quickly notice that the food, hot showers and Sherpa hospitality don’t get any better than that provided by your hosts Ang Maya and Dorje Sherpa.
From Namche Bazaar you’ll head to Khumjung. At Khumjung be sure to visit the Sir Edmund Hillary school and the local monastery. The local monastery is home to the dubious Yeti’s head which you can view for a small donation. After Khumjung you trek to Dole which is a solid day. This is the point where you veer off the standard Everest Base Camp route as you head north into the Gokyo valley. After Dole you’ll trek through Macchermo and then alongside the sacred Gokyo Lakes to Gokyo. Words don’t do justice to this stunning location with Cho Oyu (8201m) towering above. And if you thought the view from Gokyo was good, just wait until you hike to the summit of 5357m Gokyo Ri.
You won’t want to leave Gokyo but when you do you’ll backtrack a short way before crossing the Ngozumpa glacier – the longest glacier in the Himalayas. From here you’ll spend a night at Dragnag before an early start the next day up and over the Cho La pass at 5400m.
After crossing the Cho La you’ll soon join the traditional route to Everest Base Camp with nights at Dzongla, Lobuche and Gorak Shep along the way. From Gorak Shep, we recommend you start a slow ascent of Kala Pattar at around 3 pm. This will have you on the summit in plenty of time to witness sunset on Mt Everest and Nuptse. We guarantee you’ll never forget the moment you witness the sun going down on the highest point on earth.
Includes Everest Base Camp
Spend the following day trekking into Everest Base Camp and take the sting out of the day by having another night at Gorak Shep. Everest Base Camp is a solid 6 hour return trek from Gorak Shep so soak it up and don’t rush. The time of year you are travelling will determine how busy Everest Base Camp is. If you are there in April / May, the place will be humming with all the Everest climbing expeditions. If it’s October, November or December, then you’ll enjoy a feeling of remoteness not possible during the spring climbing season.
From Gorak Shep, you can easily cruise down to Dingboche with an early start. Dingboche is yet another beautiful Himalayan village nestled in idyllic surrounds. With Ama Dablam opposite and Lhotse at the end of the valley, your camera will be working overtime. You’ll enjoy being in downhill mode now and it’s a nice walk to Deboche. The views of Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse still dominating the skyline. Deboche sits amongst beautiful rhododendron forests that are sadly disappearing from this valley at an alarming rate.
The following day you’ll trek through Tengboche and marvel at the Tengboche monastery which is the main Buddhist centre in the Everest region. The Tengboche bakery is strategically located right next door! You’ll continue on to Namche Bazaar this same day and be reunited with Ang Maya and Dorje Sherpa at the Namche Hotel. The food still awesome and hot showers calling out.
Our final trekking day starts with a big breakfast. Select the set breakfast menu #1 or #2 and you can’t go wrong. It’s a solid day to Lukla in one hit but it’s mostly downhill. Our final night parties at Namaste Lodge are the stuff of legend as Kami Sherpa and his family keep the food, drinks and music flowing. We always enjoy this final night with our guides and porters and it’s the perfect end to one incredible expedition.
We don’t rate the Everest Circuit as our #1 for Nepal treks lightly. With so many different and rewarding experiences to choose from we actually love them all. But if you have 22 days up your sleeve and your fitness is good, then this is the experience of a lifetime you can’t afford to miss. If 22 days is too long, then be sure to look at our standard 18-day Everest Base Camp Trek.
Learn more about our best Nepal treks by watching videos on our YouTube channel
Follow us on Instagram