Everest Base Camp goes higher, takes longer and starts with a mountain flight. Annapurna Base Camp is shorter, lower and starts with a drive from Pokhara. We answer the questions trekkers ask most: which is harder, which has better views, which costs less and which suits you.
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Route guides
The best short treks from Pokhara, from day hikes to Sarangkot and the World Peace Pagoda to two-day Australian Camp, four-day Ghandruk and Poon Hill, and five-day Mardi Himal and Mohare Danda. With a comparison table, sunrise picks, family and winter options, permits and how to reach each trailhead.
Choosing between Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp comes down to time, altitude and how much you want to see Everest itself. Everest Base Camp (EBC) is the bigger trek: about two weeks from Kathmandu, five nights above 4,000 m and a flight to Lukla. Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) takes ten to twelve days from Pokhara, has one night at 4,130 m and starts with a drive.
Both end in a ring of giant peaks. At EBC you walk beside the Khumbu Glacier to the foot of the world's highest mountain and climb Kala Patthar (5,545 m) for the view of Everest. At ABC you climb a forested gorge into the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial basin enclosed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhre.
We guide both from our base in Pokhara, and this comparison is built around the questions trekkers ask us most when they cannot decide.
EBC is higher, longer and more expensive; ABC is lower, shorter and easier to reach. EBC reaches 5,545 m on Kala Patthar over about 15 days from Kathmandu, with a flight to Lukla. ABC reaches 4,130 m over 10–12 days from Pokhara, starting by road. Both are non-technical teahouse treks with the same best seasons.
The figures below come from our Everest Base Camp Trek, our Annapurna Base Camp Trek via Poon Hill, and our gentler 12 Day Annapurna Base Camp Trek.
Everest Base Camp | Annapurna Base Camp | |
|---|---|---|
Start and finish | Kathmandu | Pokhara |
Our trip length | 15 days | 10 or 12 days |
Walking days | 11 | 10 |
Highest point | Kala Patthar, 5,545 m | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m |
Everest Base Camp is harder, and altitude is the reason. You sleep above 4,000 m for five nights and walk at over 5,000 m on two days, where every step uphill is slow. ABC has thousands of stone steps that test your legs, but only one night at 4,130 m, so most people feel the altitude only briefly.
We grade EBC challenging and ABC moderate. Neither needs ropes or climbing skills in the main seasons.
On EBC, days run five to eight hours. The hardest is Lobuche to Gorak Shep and on to base camp: seven to eight hours at around 5,000 m. The two descent days after Kala Patthar are 13 to 18 km each. Nights above Dingboche are well below freezing.
On ABC, days are four to seven hours. The staircase from Tikhedhunga to Ulleri and the steps on either side of Chhomrong are steep and relentless, and your knees feel the descents. The altitude matters only on the last day up.
For both, train for two to three months: weekly hill walks of five to six hours with a light daypack, stair sessions, and two or three cardio sessions a week. For EBC, build up to back-to-back days with 800 to 1,000 m of ascent.
On EBC you reach 5,545 m on Kala Patthar, stand at base camp at 5,364 m and sleep as high as 5,164 m at Gorak Shep. On ABC the highest point and highest night are the same: Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m. At EBC's high points there is roughly half the oxygen available at sea level.
On EBC your five nights above 4,000 m are two at Dingboche (4,410 m), one at Lobuche (4,910 m), one at Gorak Shep and one at Pheriche (4,240 m) on the way down. On ABC you sleep at Deurali (3,200 m) the night before base camp and drop to Bamboo (2,310 m) the day after.
EBC, clearly. Acute mountain sickness can affect anyone above about 3,000 m, fit or not, and EBC spends days well above that. Our EBC itinerary includes acclimatisation days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. ABC needs no rest day because you spend one night high and descend immediately, and the steep gorge makes descent fast.
Our EBC pacing follows the Wilderness Medical Society guidance used by the CDC: above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping height by no more than about 500 m a night, with an extra night for every 1,000 m gained. Our altitude sickness guide explains the symptoms to watch for.
Allow about 15 days in Nepal for Everest Base Camp, including a spare day for Lukla flight delays. Annapurna Base Camp takes 10 to 12 days from Pokhara, plus travel between Kathmandu and Pokhara by 25-minute flight or a six to eight hour bus ride. You cannot safely cut EBC's acclimatisation days.
Our EBC trip has one day to arrive and brief in Kathmandu, eleven days on the trail including two acclimatisation days, a flight back, a contingency day and a departure day.
Our ten-day ABC trek starts at Nayapul, goes over Poon Hill for sunrise, crosses to Chhomrong and climbs the Modi Khola gorge. The twelve-day version adds a hotel night in Pokhara at each end, goes straight up from Siwai in shorter stages, and returns by a quieter trail through Landruk and Australian Camp.
EBC starts with a flight to Lukla, which in peak season leaves from Ramechhap (Manthali), four to five hours' drive from Kathmandu. ABC starts with a drive from Pokhara of about one and a half hours to Nayapul or three hours to Siwai. The flight is the part of an EBC trip you control least.
In the main spring and autumn seasons, scheduled Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap Airport in Manthali to ease congestion at Kathmandu's airport. Manthali is about 132 km from Kathmandu, so we collect you at about 1 to 2 am. The flight takes about 20 minutes. Outside those windows the flight usually leaves from Kathmandu and takes 35 to 40 minutes.
Lukla flights fly only in clear morning weather. Cloud or haze can ground them for a day, occasionally for several days, which is why our itinerary keeps a contingency day. Shared helicopters can get you out at extra cost. The baggage limit is usually 15 kg per person including hand luggage.
Roads can be blocked by landslides in the monsoon, but in the trekking seasons the drive is routine. Weather does not stop you starting, and you can reach Pokhara from Kathmandu by bus if flights are cancelled. If your holiday has a fixed end date and little slack, that counts strongly in ABC's favour.
They are different rather than better. EBC is a high, open, treeless valley with Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse and, from Kala Patthar, the south-west face of Everest. ABC rises from farmland and forest into an enclosed amphitheatre, with the south face of Annapurna I and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre straight above the lodges.
On EBC, pine forest and suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi give way above Tengboche to juniper and bare moraine. From Kala Patthar you look across the Khumbu Glacier and Icefall to Everest, with Pumori and Changtse around you.
On ABC you climb through rhododendron, oak and bamboo forest, with langur monkeys in the trees, into a narrow gorge and out onto the grass of the Sanctuary. Our ten-day route adds sunrise from Poon Hill over Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas.
Not really. The Nuptse ridge hides the summit from base camp itself. The classic view of Everest is from Kala Patthar, which we climb at dawn the morning after base camp. You also get distant views from the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar and from Tengboche.
Both are busy in October and November. EBC is the most famous trek in Nepal and its single trail carries trekkers, porters and yak trains; ABC is spread across several lower routes but funnels into one trail above Chhomrong, with small lodges at Machhapuchhre Base Camp and base camp that fill in peak weeks.
On EBC, lodges in Lobuche and Gorak Shep fill up in peak weeks, and in spring expedition teams add to the numbers in the upper valley. On ABC, you may share a larger room at base camp in October and November.
For similar mountains with fewer people, look at the Gokyo Lakes Trek in the Everest region or the Mardi Himal Trek beside the Annapurna Sanctuary.
Both routes have teahouses all the way, so you never camp. Rooms are simple twins with foam mattresses and blankets. Lower lodges often have hot showers. Higher up, rooms are basic and unheated, toilets are shared, and evenings are spent in a stove-heated dining room. Prices for food, charging and showers rise with altitude on both.
In the Khumbu, Lukla, Phakding and Namche often have rooms with attached bathrooms. Above Dingboche, temperatures inside the room can drop to −10 °C in October and November. On the Annapurna side, lodges below Chhomrong are comfortable and rooms become colder and more basic above Bamboo.
Menus on both include dal bhat with free refills, noodles, pasta, momos, eggs, porridge and pancakes.
The Khumbu is Sherpa country, with monasteries, mani walls and the trading town of Namche Bazaar. The Annapurna side is mainly Gurung and Magar country, with terraced farms and stone villages below Chhomrong. Above Chhomrong there are no permanent villages on the ABC trail, only lodges.
Tengboche Monastery is the largest in the Khumbu, and the memorials at Thukla Pass remember climbers who died on Everest. Chhomrong is the largest Gurung village in the upper Modi Khola valley.
EBC needs two permits: the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit. ABC needs one: the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) entry permit. Neither route checks a TIMS card in practice. On both, foreign trekkers must walk with a licensed guide under rules in force since April 2023.
Permit | Trek | Fee for foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|
Sagarmatha National Park | EBC | NPR 3,000 before 13% VAT, about NPR 3,390 |
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality | EBC | NPR 3,000 (NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals) |
ACAP | ABC | NPR 3,000 (NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals) |
Children under ten are exempt. Enforcement of the guide rule has been uneven, but every trek we run is led by a licensed guide, and we arrange the permits. Our permits guide and do you need a guide go into detail.
Annapurna Base Camp is cheaper, almost always. Return Lukla flights alone add around USD 380 to 480 to an EBC trek. EBC also has more days, more nights at expensive high-altitude lodges and two permits. Across the market, guided ABC treks commonly sell for roughly USD 600–1,300 and guided EBC treks for roughly USD 1,300–2,000 or more.
Cost driver | Everest Base Camp | Annapurna Base Camp |
|---|---|---|
Getting to the trailhead | Lukla flight about USD 235–240 one way from Kathmandu, about USD 190 from Ramechhap | Road transfer from Pokhara |
Kathmandu to Pokhara | Not needed | Bus about USD 15–25 or flight about USD 105–150 |
Permits | About NPR 6,400 | NPR 3,000 |
Trip length | About 15 days |
Private trips cost more than group trips on both. Our Nepal trekking cost guide breaks the components down, and what's included in a trekking package shows what to compare between quotes. For our own price on either trek, ask for a quote.
The best months are the same for both: October and November for the clearest skies, and March to May for warmer days and rhododendrons in flower lower down. Winter is possible on both but very cold at EBC and can close ABC's upper gorge with snow. We do not recommend either in the June–September monsoon.
Season | Everest Base Camp | Annapurna Base Camp |
|---|---|---|
October–November | Clearest, busiest, cold nights | Clearest, busiest, lodges full at the top |
March–May | Warmer, expedition tents at base camp | Rhododendrons in March and April, afternoon cloud |
December–February | Clear but very cold high up | Snow can close the trail above Deurali |
June–September | Cloud and frequent flight cancellations |
Our best time to trek guide covers each month.
Both are safe with a good guide and sensible pacing, but the hazards differ. EBC's main risk is altitude sickness, and evacuation from above Dingboche often means a helicopter. ABC's main risk is avalanches between Himalaya and Machhapuchhre Base Camp after heavy snow, mainly from December to April.
On 17 January 2020 an avalanche near Hinku, between Himalaya and Deurali, swept away four South Korean trekkers and three Nepali staff. Our guides check conditions before entering the upper gorge and wait lower down after fresh snow. In October and November the risk is low.
Choose EBC if you have two weeks, want to see Everest and are happy with several cold nights above 4,000 m. Choose ABC if you have less time, this is your first trek at altitude, or you want a trip that does not depend on mountain flights. Many of our trekkers do one, then come back for the other.
Choose Everest Base Camp if
Choose Annapurna Base Camp if
ABC is the better first trek for most beginners. It gives a true high-mountain experience in ten days with one night at 4,130 m, and you can descend quickly if needed. Healthy first-timers do complete EBC every season, but only with two to three months of training and an itinerary with proper acclimatisation days.
If neither feels right yet, the Everest View Trek shows you Everest from Namche and Khumjung without going above 4,000 m, and our beginner's guide lists more options.
For a full walk-through of each route, read our Annapurna Base Camp trek guide and Everest Base Camp trek guide.
Yes, if you have about four weeks in Nepal. Doing ABC first is a good warm-up for altitude. Allow a rest day in Pokhara or Kathmandu between them and keep a spare day for Lukla flights.
Nepal Tourism Board rules since 1 April 2023 require foreign trekkers to walk with a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. Enforcement has been uneven on both routes, but every trek we run is led by a licensed guide.
Not required, but most trekkers find it makes the days far more enjoyable, especially at altitude on EBC. On our treks one porter carries for every two trekkers, up to about 10 kg each, and you carry a daypack.
EBC is usually clear in December but very cold above Dingboche. ABC is milder lower down, but snow can close the upper gorge and raises the avalanche risk. Either way, build in a spare day.
Lukla is a demanding mountain airstrip, which is why flights operate only in clear morning weather and are cancelled when conditions are poor. Delays are the problem you are far more likely to meet. We keep a contingency day in our itinerary.
Route guides
Mardi Himal or Poon Hill? We compare the two best short treks from Pokhara on days, altitude, difficulty, views, crowds, teahouses, seasons and family suitability, with a side-by-side table, and suggest quieter alternatives.
Highest night |
Gorak Shep, 5,164 m |
Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m |
Nights above 4,000 m | 5 | 1 |
Grade | Challenging | Moderate |
Getting to the trail | Flight to Lukla (2,860 m) | Drive of 1.5 to 3 hours from Pokhara |
Permits | Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality | Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) |
Insurance must cover rescue to | 6,000 m | 4,500 m |
Best months | March–May, October–November | March–May, October–November |
Main hazard | Altitude | Avalanche zone in the upper gorge after snow |
10–12 days
Lodging and food | Higher prices for more nights | Lower prices, one high night |
Guide | About USD 25–35 a day on both |
Porter | About USD 15–25 a day on both |
Rain, leeches, landslides on the road
We recommend them for both. They save your knees on the stone staircases of ABC and the long descents from Gorak Shep and Namche on EBC.
Yes. We guide trekkers of a wide range of ages on both. What matters is general health and training. See your doctor first if you have heart, lung or blood pressure conditions, and check your insurance covers trekking at the right altitude.
On both treks most teahouses sell wifi and charge a small fee for charging devices. Mobile signal is patchy above Sinuwa on ABC and in parts of the upper Khumbu. Bring a power bank and tell family you may be offline for a few days.
Not in October, November or spring in normal conditions. In winter, after snow, micro-spikes help on icy sections above Deurali on ABC and above Lobuche on EBC. Your guide will tell you if conditions call for them.