Side by side
| Poon Hill & Ghorepani Trek | Everest Base Camp Trek | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 5 | 14 |
| Highest point | 3,210 m | 5,545 m |
| Difficulty | Easy | Strenuous |
| Total distance | 52 km | 130 km |
| Best months | January to April and October to December | March to May and October to November |
| Typical cost | $350 to $650 | $1,250 to $2,400 |
| Starts from | Nayapul (1,070 m), 1.5 hours from Pokhara by bus | Lukla (2,860 m) |
| Permits | 2 | 2 |
Choose the Poon Hill & Ghorepani Trek if
The Poon Hill trek is a 4 to 5 day easy-to-moderate loop from Pokhara that gives beginners an authentic Himalayan trekking experience without extreme altitude or long duration. The centerpiece is the pre-dawn hike to Poon Hill at 3,210 m for the most celebrated mountain sunrise in Nepal, with views across Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre.
The altitude is low enough that acclimatisation is rarely an issue, but the stone staircase sections above Tikhedhunga require good knee strength. This is a genuinely accessible first Himalayan trek.
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.
