With about a week, the choice is usually the Everest View trek to Namche and Tengboche, or the Poon Hill trek in the Annapurna region. Everest gives you Sherpa country and a first sight of the highest peaks, with a flight to Lukla and more altitude. Annapurna is lower, cheaper, easier to reach from Pokhara and less dependent on weather.
Short Everest and Short Annapurna at a glance
- Typical trek. Short Everest: Everest View, 5 to 7 trekking days. Short Annapurna: Poon Hill, 4 to 5 trekking days.
- Highest point. Short Everest: about 3,880 m. Short Annapurna: 3,210 m.
- Access. Short Everest: flight to Lukla. Short Annapurna: drive from Pokhara, 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Delay risk. Short Everest: flights often delayed. Short Annapurna: very low.
- Scenery. Short Everest: deep valleys, big rock and ice peaks. Short Annapurna: rhododendron forest, terraces, wide sunrise view.
- Cost. Short Everest: higher, because of the flight. Short Annapurna: lower.
What each trek feels like
The short Everest trek is dramatic from the first hour: a landing on a mountainside, high suspension bridges, a steep climb to Namche and then Everest itself from the ridge above the town. The air is thin and cool and the villages are Sherpa. The short Annapurna trek is gentler and greener. You climb stone staircases through Magar and Gurung villages and forest, and on the last morning walk up Poon Hill in the dark for sunrise on Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South.
Altitude
Poon Hill tops out at 3,210 m and sleeps at about 2,860 m in Ghorepani, so altitude illness is rare. The Everest View trek sleeps at 3,440 m in Namche after only two days, and most people notice it: a headache, a poor night. It needs a rest day there. For children, older trekkers or anyone unsure about altitude, Annapurna is the easier start.
Reliability and cost
The Lukla flight is the weak point of any short Everest plan. A two-day delay can wreck a seven-day holiday. Poon Hill begins with a short drive and almost never loses a day. It also costs noticeably less. If your dates are fixed and tight, that matters more than anything else.
Other short options
In the Everest area, Pikey Peak avoids the flight. Around Annapurna, Mardi Himal takes five to seven days and goes higher, and Ghandruk and Australian Camp take two to three days.
Best season
Both are good from October to December and March to May. In spring Poon Hill has the edge, because the rhododendron forest around Ghorepani flowers in March and April. In mid-winter Poon Hill can have snow on the top, and the Everest trail is cold but usually clear. In the monsoon the Annapurna foothills are very wet, with leeches on the trail.
Fitting in the rest of Nepal
A short trek leaves time for other things. The Annapurna option starts and ends in Pokhara, where you can rest by the lake, and it combines easily with Chitwan. The Everest option returns you to Kathmandu, which suits a day or two of sightseeing. See the best places to visit in Nepal.
Lodges, food and comfort
Both regions have comfortable lodges on these short routes. Namche has the widest choice in the mountains, from simple rooms to hotels with heated bedrooms and attached bathrooms, and good bakeries. Ghorepani and the villages on the Poon Hill loop have friendly family lodges with hot showers and large dining rooms round a stove. Food is similar on both: dal bhat, noodles, soups, eggs, pancakes and tea. Prices are higher on the Everest side because goods arrive by air and on the backs of porters and animals, while much of the Annapurna foothills is now within reach of a road.
What about a short trek to base camp?
Neither region has a safe one-week trek to a high base camp. Annapurna Base Camp can be reached in a tight seven days by fit walkers who start high on the road, and Everest Base Camp needs at least eleven or twelve. If a base camp is your goal, plan the days it needs.
Choose Short Everest if
- Seeing Everest is the reason for the trip.
- You can allow a spare day for flights.
- You want Sherpa culture and monasteries.
- You are comfortable sleeping at about 3,500 m.
Choose Short Annapurna if
- You have five to seven days in total.
- You want low risk and a lower price.
- You are trekking with family or beginners.
- You also want time in Pokhara.
Plan it
See the Everest View trek guides and the Poon Hill guides, or ask us for both priced for your dates.
Common questions
Which is easier, Poon Hill or the Everest View trek?
Poon Hill. It is shorter and lower, though it has many stone steps.
Can you see Everest on a one-week trek?
Yes, from above Namche on the Everest View trek, or from Pikey Peak.
Which is better in December and January?
Both work with warm clothing. Poon Hill is milder; Lukla flights are fairly reliable in clear winter weather.
Which is cheaper?
The short Annapurna trek, mainly because there is no mountain flight.
Heights, days, fees and rules are approximate and can change, so confirm the current details with us before you book.
