Nepal is one of the countries of the world that gets to have the beauty of the Himalaya region (Himalaya means ‘mountain’ in Nepali and Nepali people don’t put at ‘s’ at the end of it!) as their backyard. With Mount Everest being the highest mountain in the world, it’s rightly so that people flock to the amazing country to trek a part of it. What people forget about however, is the fact that there are SO many mountains that make up the Himalaya region and treks around/up those are equally as beautiful- if not, more! Chhatra Karki, owner of Kathmandu-based trekking company, Nepal Eco Adventures, says “many people don’t know about Annapurna, but most people do Everest Base Camp (EBC) because they hear about Everest. My favourite is actually Annapurna Circuit Trek because it’s a more diverse trek and offers lots of options”.

Here are our reasons as to why we think that you should consider the Annapurna Circuit before you try EBC.

Bragging rights for extreme altitudes

For those who are doing it for the bragging rights of having trekked in super high altitudes, Annapurna Circuit sees you crossing the world’s widest pass, Thorung La Pass, which is 5416m. EBC sits at 5380m.


Thorung La Pass

You get to actually see more

Although EBC has its name backing it, you might be selling yourself short if incredibly scenery, vastly unique landscapes and an all-encompassing all-out trek is what you’re after. Annapurna Circuit, as stated in its name, is a circuit trek which means that the route is in a big loop rather going up and down the same route, like with EBC. This means that with Annapurna Circuit, you get to see a new town, new landscape, new scenery and new place every single day. EBC sees you going up one way, and coming back down the same way, so the amount of the Himalaya that you actually see is limited! Annapurna Circuit has views that range from gushing rivers to layers of greenery to dried out vallies without a plant in sight. You get to experience a natural hot spring and some jungle-like trekking. It really has it all. See SOME gems from Annapurna Circuit below;








It’s cheaper for the same amount of days

EBC could cost a few hundred more dollars when compared to Annapurna Circuit for the same total amount of days in a tour package. Why? No, it’s not because they are boosting up the prices because of the name, it’s because there is a short flight involved to the start line of EBC. The first leg of EBC involves a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, where you would start your trek- this is where the added cost comes into play.

It’s better for altitude sickness

Acclimatisation is something that you’ll hear often when trekking or when reading up about trekking. Essentially it involved being in an area for a good amount of time to adapt to the new climates and in this case altitudes. The key is to climb slowly and steadily to allow for your body to catch up with the changes in altitude, the faster you go up (or the bigger the jump in altitude between days), the higher your chance of experiencing altitude sickness- and trust us you don’t want to. It can be a deathly experience. Annapurna Circuit is perfect for this reason, it has a start line at 982m (ish) altitude and slowly creeps up day by day as you continue to the next towns. EBC on the other hand, has you flying from Kathmandu, right up to 2800m. This is a huge jump in altitude and so requires a bit more cautious and smarter trekking to avoid altitude sickness.




There’s less people on it

One of the worst things about trekking during the peak months is that the treks can become SUPER crowded, ruining a peaceful, natural experience. As you find yourself walking up and then down, more-or-less, the same path for EBC, you can only imagine how many people would be on the one path either going up or going down. Furthermore, tea-houses and guest-houses are limited on the mountains so sometimes even getting a spot in one of these is about how well connected your guide is! With the Annapurna Circuit, although it would still be busy, the circuit loop means that there aren’t seemingly as many people in your way!






The full loop is longer

It is possible to do Annapurna in the same timeframe as EBC, but this means that you cut short the final few days of the Annapurna Circuit by hopping into a jeep and driving through the last few towns. Although you’ve practically hit the end, doing the FULL Annapurna circuit (around 21) days is recommended and is awesome! For the adventure seekers and avid trekkers, Annapurna is more flexible when it comes to being able to spend more time in the Himalaya.

Need more info on doing the Annapurna Circuit, head to Nepal Eco Adventures and support local businesses!