Annapurna Circuit or Everest Base Camp

We often get asked: "I want to go to Nepal but can't decide — Annapurna or Everest?" The honest answer: there is no bad option. But you still have to choose, and here is what to weigh.

What they share

Both routes are treks — no ropes or crampons, nights in lodges rather than tents. Both take 17 days with us and cost from 1,400 $ plus on-the-ground expenses. Both demand the same fitness: walking 5–7 hours a day at 3,000–5,400 m. And on both, the key to success is acclimatization, built into the schedule as rest days.

The Annapurna Circuit: variety

The Circuit with Tilicho Lake is 250 km around an entire mountain massif: from subtropical villages through pine forests to the high desert of Manang and the Thorong La pass (5,416 m). The landscape changes every day — that is the route's main magic.

The bonuses: a side trip to Tilicho Lake (4,919 m), one of the highest large lakes in the world, and the descent to Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. The logistics are overland — no weather-dependent flights, everything by road.

The Everest trek: grandeur

The trail to Everest Base Camp is a pilgrimage to the most famous mountain on Earth: Namche Bazaar, Tengboche monastery, the Khumbu glacier and sunrise from Kala Patthar (5,545 m) facing Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse. The scenery is harsher and more uniform than Annapurna's, but the scale of the Khumbu peaks compares to nothing else.

The catch is the flight to Lukla: the airport depends on weather, flights get delayed, and the reserve days in the programme are not a whim. If you want a real summit added to the trek, there is a version with an ascent of Lobuche East (6,119 m).

When to go

The seasons coincide: October–November (clear air, stable weather — high season) and April–May (warmer, rhododendrons blooming, expeditions heading to Everest). Summer brings the monsoon to both routes; winter brings cold and closed passes.

So which one

In short: for varied landscapes and the "real Nepal" of villages — Annapurna. For a view of the highest mountain on Earth and the atmosphere of big mountaineering — Everest. If this is your first Nepal and you are not chasing a specific picture, we usually suggest starting with the Circuit and saving Khumbu for next time. You will be back either way: that is how Nepal works.