Which Nepal Trek Should You Do? The Best Choice for 5, 7, 10, 12 and 15 Days (2027)

Last updated 15 October 2026.

Short answer: Match the trek to the days you have from the day you land in Nepal. With about 10 days I would send most people to the 9-day Annapurna Base Camp trek (from USD 725 per person, Budget, two to four guests). With 5 days, take Poon Hill or Mardi Himal, or the Everest View Trek if the Khumbu is what you want. With 12 days and good fitness, take the 12-day Everest Base Camp trek or the 12-day Annapurna Circuit. With 14 to 16 days, add Tilicho Lake to the Circuit, or Gokyo to Base Camp.

I am Shreejan. Every week someone writes with a number of days and asks what to do. This is my answer, from the live itineraries and prices as I read them on 15 October 2026. Prices are per person for two to four guests and hold for 2027.

Which Nepal trek should you do for the days you have?

Days are counted as on each package page. Treks marked P start and end in Pokhara, so add the day or two you need to get there. Every other trek runs Kathmandu to Kathmandu, with the drive or flight inside the count. Prices are Budget / Standard / Luxury, in USD.

Kathmandu hotel nights are not in any trek price. Our family homestay is USD 15 per person a night.

Which trek is best if you only have 3 to 5 days?

If you have 3 to 5 days, you are choosing between a Pokhara trek and a short Khumbu walk. The Poon Hill trek in 4 days reaches 3,210 m for the sunrise and is an easy walk. The 5-day Mardi Himal trek sleeps at High Camp (3,580 m) and walks to the base camp at 4,500 m, so it is a real ridge walk. My Poon Hill versus Mardi Himal guide and the Poon Hill itinerary go deeper.

The 5-day Annapurna Base Camp trek is only for fit people who have already been above 3,500 to 4,000 m. It has no rest day and reaches 4,130 m on day 3. The Everest View Trek in 5 or 7 days tops out at 3,880 m and does not reach Base Camp.

Which trek is best for 6 or 7 days?

For 6 or 7 days, the Poon Hill (6 days) and Mardi Himal (7 days) treks include the drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back, which is why they are longer than their Pokhara versions. Helambu is the nearest real trek to Kathmandu, with no flight and a high point of about 3,650 m at Tharepati. Pikey Peak (4,065 m) has no Lukla flight and works in winter. The 7-day Annapurna Base Camp from Pokhara has an easier pace than the 5-day. My guide to Annapurna Base Camp in 5, 7 or 9 days helps you pick.

Which trek is best for 8 to 10 days?

For 8 to 10 days, my first answer is Annapurna Base Camp in 9 days. You sleep at 4,130 m, no Lukla flight is involved, and it costs less than Everest Base Camp. Khopra Danda sleeps at 3,660 m on a quiet ridge, with a side walk to Khayer Lake at 4,660 m. Upper Mustang (10 days) tops out at Lo Manthang, 3,840 m, in a dry high desert. It is a restricted area, and the USD 50 per person per day permit is in the price. Gokyo Lakes sleeps at 4,790 m and is strenuous. Everest Base Camp in 10 days works only with the helicopter return, and my short Base Camp guide explains why.

Which trek is best for 11 or 12 days?

Twelve days is where the two big names fit. Everest Base Camp reaches 5,364 m, with Kala Patthar at 5,545 m, and sleeps at 4,410 m (Dingboche) and 4,940 m (Lobuche). The Annapurna Circuit crosses the Thorong La at 5,416 m after sleeping at 4,900 m. Both are strenuous. I compare them in Everest Base Camp versus Annapurna Circuit. For something lower, the 12-day Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal trek gives you both ridges from Pokhara.

As of 14 October 2026, I was told the Besisahar to Chame road and the Beni to Jomsom road are repaired and open to vehicles. We check the roads 48 hours before departure, and if one is not open we move your dates free of charge.

Which trek is best for 14 to 16 days?

With two weeks or more, spend the extra days on side valleys. The 14-day Circuit adds Tilicho Lake (4,919 m). The 16-day version finishes through Tatopani and Poon Hill, and my Annapurna Circuit length guide prices each. For the Khumbu, Base Camp with Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) takes 15 days. The 15-day Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal trek is a moderate long walk from Pokhara.

How fit do you need to be, and what about altitude?

No trek here needs technical skill. You do need to walk four to seven hours a day on steps and uneven ground, for days in a row. Altitude can affect anyone, whatever their fitness, so your guide checks your oxygen level with a pulse oximeter every day. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we stop climbing, and if they get worse we go down. My first-trek guide covers the preparation. Tell me about any heart, lung or blood-pressure condition when you write.

Which tier should you choose: Budget, Standard or Luxury?

Budget has no porter, so you carry your own bag, and trail meals are yours to pay, in shared rooms. Standard has all meals, private rooms and one porter for every two trekkers. A solo Standard trekker has no porter and the guide carries up to 10 kg. Luxury has your own porter, all meals with fruit and nuts and unlimited soft drinks, and private deluxe rooms with an ensuite. On the Everest treks, Luxury also flies Kathmandu to Lukla and back by helicopter. An extra porter is USD 25 a day plus 13 per cent VAT and the 3.5 per cent bank charge.

For Poon Hill I would pick Budget if you pack light. For anything above 4,000 m I would pick Standard, because the porter and the meals sorted for you are worth more than the saving. I only suggest Luxury if the helicopter matters to you.

When is the best time to go in 2027?

For 2027 my pick is mid October to mid November for the big treks, and March and April for the Annapurna side. In the busy weeks (about 15 March to 15 May and 25 September to 30 November) Lukla flights leave from Manthali, so I pick you up between midnight and 2 am for a drive of four to five hours. Keep a spare day before your flight home.

What permits and insurance do you need?

We arrange all permits and they are in every price. Annapurna treks need the Annapurna Conservation Area permit (NPR 3,000) and a TIMS card (NPR 2,000). Everest treks need Sagarmatha National Park entry (NPR 3,000), the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee (NPR 3,000) and TIMS. Buy insurance at home, not in Nepal. It should cover trekking and helicopter rescue to 6,000 m for the Everest Base Camp trek or 5,500 m for the Annapurna Circuit, which also covers every lower trek here.

Questions people ask

Which is the best trek in Nepal for a first-timer? For most first-timers I recommend Poon Hill if you have four to six days, and Annapurna Base Camp in 9 days if you have ten. Both are moderate or easier, with no flight to Lukla.

What is the best trek in Nepal for 7 days? Mardi Himal in 7 days (from USD 454 Budget) for a ridge walk, or the Everest View Trek in 7 days (from USD 1,565) if you want the Everest valley.

Can you do Everest Base Camp in 10 days? We sell a 10-day trek that walks up and returns by helicopter, from USD 3,999 Budget, USD 4,199 Standard and USD 4,999 Luxury for two to four guests. Walking both ways takes 12 days. See the 10-day helicopter return trek.

What is the best trek for 2 weeks in Nepal? The Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho in 14 days, or Base Camp with Gokyo Ri in 15 days. Both are strenuous.

What is the cheapest trek in Nepal? The 4-day Poon Hill trek from Pokhara, from USD 450 Budget. The 7-day Mardi Himal trek from Kathmandu is USD 454.

Do you need a guide? A licensed, English-speaking guide is included on every trek and every tier.

Which trek suits beginners over 50? Poon Hill, Mardi Himal or the 9-day Annapurna Base Camp. My age limit guide covers the Everest side.

What are the terms for this trek?

Group size is 1 to 20, and you can also trek solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice to any date within one year. For Upper Mustang, notice is 7 days. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, how many of you there are and how many days you can spare. I will tell you which trek and tier I would choose, and send you the exact quote. Solo prices are on each package page.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.