Side by side
| Everest Base Camp Trek | Makalu Base Camp Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 14 | 18 |
| Highest point | 5,545 m | 4,870 m |
| Difficulty | Strenuous | Strenuous |
| Total distance | 130 km | 145 km |
| Best months | March to May and October to November | March to May and October to November |
| Typical cost | $1,250 to $2,400 | $1,450 to $2,200 |
| Starts from | Lukla (2,860 m) | Num (via Tumlingtar flight and jeep) |
| Permits | 2 | 2 |
Choose the Everest Base Camp Trek if
The Everest Base Camp trek is a 14 day teahouse trek in Nepal's Khumbu region, reaching 5,364 m at Base Camp and 5,545 m at Kala Patthar. It starts with a flight to Lukla and needs no climbing skill, only solid fitness and patience with altitude. Spring and autumn are the reliable seasons.
The walking itself is rarely technical. What makes it hard is doing five to seven hours a day, back to back, in air that holds roughly half the oxygen you are used to at sea level.
Choose the Makalu Base Camp Trek if
The Makalu Base Camp trek is an 18 day wilderness route in eastern Nepal leading into Makalu Barun National Park to the base of Mount Makalu at 4,870 m. Trekkers journey from subtropical cloud forests over rugged Shipton La pass into the dramatic sheer granite amphitheatre of Barun Valley.
Demanding high-altitude crossing of Shipton La at 4,210 m with steep climbs and descents. The upper Barun valley is remote with simple teahouses and unpredictable mountain weather.
