Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp: which trek is right for you?

• Seeing Everest itself, and standing at base camp, is the dream.
• You have around two weeks and are happy to spend several days above 4,000 metres.
• You want to walk through Sherpa culture, with monasteries such as Tengboche and the trading town of Namche Bazaar.
• You are comfortable with a small plane flight into Lukla, which can be delayed by weather.

• You have a week to ten days, or want to combine a trek with time elsewhere in Nepal.
• You would rather not go above about 4,000 metres, or this is your first high altitude trek.
• You prefer to start by road from Pokhara, a relaxed lakeside town, rather than fly.
• You enjoy variety: rice terraces, bamboo and rhododendron forest, hot springs at Jhinu Danda, then the glacial sanctuary at the end.

Neither trek needs climbing skills, but both need good fitness for five to seven hours of walking a day, often on steep trails. On the Annapurna trek the challenge is the thousands of stone steps between villages. On the Everest trek it is the thin air: you spend around a week above 4,000 metres, and the last days to Gorak Shep and Kala Patthar are slow and breathless.

Good Everest itineraries include two acclimatisation days, usually in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Whichever trek you choose, climb slowly, drink plenty of water and tell your guide straight away if you feel unwell.

Yes, if you have around four weeks, though most visitors choose one and add a few days in Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan. A popular alternative for a shorter trip is to combine the Annapurna Base Camp trek with Poon Hill for sunrise views over the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.