Most people arrive in Nepal with less time than they would like. These five routes all fit inside ten days including Kathmandu transfers, and none of them feels like a compromise.
Ghorepani Poon Hill — 8 days, 3,210m, Easy to Moderate
The best beginner trek in Nepal and the easiest way to see two eight-thousanders at once. Sunrise from Poon Hill looks across at Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. Comfortable teahouses, four to six hours of walking a day, no altitude risk, and trekkable year-round. Our recommendation for families with children over eight and for trekkers over sixty. See the itinerary.
Mardi Himal — 7 days, 4,500m, Moderate
The strongest option if you want to break 4,000m in a single week. A forested ridge running directly south from Machhapuchhre, with the Fishtail filling the view ahead of you for two full days. Quieter than the ABC trail, and one of the best winter routes in the Annapurna region. See the itinerary.
Lower Mustang — 8 days, 3,800m, Easy to Moderate
Tibetan-plateau landscape without the USD 500 restricted permit. Kagbeni's medieval alleys, the 108 sacred water spouts at Muktinath, and the apple orchards of Marpha in the deepest gorge on earth. Sits in the rain shadow, so it works during monsoon when most of Nepal does not. See the itinerary.
Khopra Danda — 8 days, up to 4,660m, Moderate
The finest close view of Dhaulagiri's south face available on any teahouse trek, from a community-owned lodge on an exposed ridge at 3,660m. Strong trekkers can add the demanding day return to the sacred Khayer Lake at 4,660m — higher than Annapurna Base Camp. Lodge revenue stays in the villages. See the itinerary.
Annapurna Base Camp — 9 days, 4,130m, Moderate
The only trek on this list that reaches an 8,000m-peak base camp. Nine days from Pokhara into the Annapurna Sanctuary, finishing with the hot springs at Jhinu Danda. Our most-booked route. See the itinerary.
If community impact matters more to you than altitude, also look at the 9-day Mohare Danda Trek — Nepal's flagship community eco-trail.
