Nepal is one of the best trekking destinations in the world. It is the home of The Great Himalayan Trails. The country has the trekking route from west to east offering a diverse trekking route. Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit trek are two of the popular and exciting treks in Nepal. People often wonder which trek is better. In other words, if they have to choose one trekking destination, which one to choose. Still it is clear that both trekking journeys offer the adventure and unforgettable memories for lifetime. It is hard to compare both trekking destinations as they have similarities. Both trekking destinations offer spectacular views of mountains. If you have to choose only one trek then you need to understand the expectation and desire from the trek.
Overview
Everest base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp trek (EBC trek) offers the spectacular view of Mount Everest( locally known as Sagarmatha), the highest mountain of the world from the famous vantage point, Kalapatthar. Trekking in the lap of the world’s highest mountain is not an ordinary thing, for that you need courage and determination. The journey of EBC trek starts from the adventurous flight to Lukla Airport, one of the dangerous airports of the world. The trail of EBC passes through Lukla-Namche Bazaar-Tengboche-Dingboche-Lobuche-Gorak Shep with amazing views. On this journey you will get the opportunity to explore the culture, lifestyle and tradition of the famous community of Sherpas. You can also visit several monasteries including the highest and oldest monastery, Tengboche monastery. You will be crossing some suspension bridges on the way.
Annapurna Circuit trek
Annapurna Circuit Trek offers the incredible view of Annapurna Massif. It is one of the most famous and exciting vantage treks in the world. This is the most demanding trek of Nepal. Every year thousands of trekkers visit Nepal for the Annapurna Circuit trek. The journey of Annapurna Circuit trek begins from Besisahar. The trail of the trek passes through Besisahar- Sayang- Dharapani- Manang- ThorangLa- Muktinath- Jomsom- Tatopani or you can go Ghorepani- Poon Hill- Ghandruk and end the trek in Pokhara. On this trek you will be trekking in various landscapes. You will be passing through alpine forest. On the journey you can explore the various communities like Gurung, Brahmin, Chettri, Magar and Tamang. They have their unique and different culture and lifestyle. On this trek you will be inspired by the hospitality and warm welcome of the people. On this trek you will see the incredible Himalayas, Marsyangdi river, Semi- deserted area, world’s Deepest Gorge and many more. Among many Annapurna treks, Round Annapurna is one of the most challenging and satisfying trek destinations of Nepal
Getting There
Getting to Annapurna region is very easy, you just need to get to Pokhara by bus or flight. Pokhara is the gateway to Annapurna region. This is one of the famous tourist hubs of Nepal with beautiful lakes. After reaching Pokhara, you can take a short bus ride to Besisahar or Synge and beging the trekking.
On the other hand, the trek to Everest Base Camp begins from Lukla. You can take an adventurous flight to Lukla Airport from Kathmandu. Or you can trek some days to Lukla from Jiri and save some expenses. Trekking from Jiri is a great idea to acclimatize to the altitude of the Everest region.
Trekking Terrain
Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the famous treks in Annapurna region. Annapurna Circuit trek offers various remains from lowland villages to glaciers along the beautiful mountains. Annapurna circuit has good trekking paths. During the trek you need to have proper rest and acclimatization time. For these variations of terrain you need to be fit and healthy. You need to ascend and descend the steep which needs fine knees. Thorong La Pass at the altitude of 5416 meters is the highest elevation in Annapurna Circuit trek.
Everest Base Camp trek is a popular worldwide trek which provides the incredible mountain views of the world’s highest peak. On this trek you will be trekking through wonderful forests, gorges and high ridges along the river. Kala Patthar is the highest elevation point of this trek
Which is at the altitude of 5545 meters. Dingboche and Namche Bazaar are the famous places on the way for acclimatization. Since this is the high altitude trek you need proper acclimatization to overcome and avoid any possible altitude problems.
Difficulty level
Both Annapurna circuit trek and Everest base Camp don’t require any mountain climbing experience. These are both moderate level hikes. Altitude sickness is the major trekking difficulty in both treks. Therefore walking slowly and steady with proper acclimatization needs to be done to avoid any altitude sickness. The total trekking days and time of trekking plays a vital role to determine the level of difficulties.
Both treks need to have a certain level; of physical fitness to complete the trek successfully. If you can walk for 6 to 7 hours a day, you can trek successfully.
Prices
Annapurna Circuit is more affordable from the beginning point of the trek. The transportation, accommodation and food are more reasonable in this trek. You can trek to Annapurna Circuit by bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara to Besisahar and the trek which is more affordable.
Everest Base Camp trek is more costly than Annapurna Circuit. You need to take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. However, you can also trek from Jiri for budget trek. Since EBC is higher elevation with more luxury and brand name, it makes the trek more expensive.
For the budget trekkers Annapurna Base Camp trek is a better option than EBC trek.
Trekking Permits
Both trekking destinations need some permit to begin for the trek. The permit require for the each trek are mentioned below:
For Annapurna Base Camp, you required following permits:
- Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Permit(ACAP)
- Tekker’s Information Management System(TIMS) card
- Restricted Region Entry Permits, only if you are willing to trek to Upper Mustang or Tsum valley
The permits required for Everest Base Camp trek are mentioned below:
- Local Entry Permit, issued in Lukla or Jiri
- Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit