First trek in Nepal: Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang or Annapurna Base Camp, by the climb

If you are choosing a first trek in Nepal, four routes come up again and again: Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang and Annapurna Base Camp. We cannot tell you how hard a trek will feel for you. We can show how much each one climbs, using the stops and altitudes printed on our maps.

How do the four treks compare?

On our maps, Poon Hill and Mardi Himal are the short ones, five days each. Langtang and Annapurna Base Camp are longer and climb more. Mardi Himal goes high fast: it is as short as Poon Hill but tops out 1,290 m higher. Here are the numbers for each.

• Poon Hill: about 45 km in 5 days, from Nayapul (1,070 m) to Poon Hill (3,210 m). Climb from start to top: 2,140 m. Biggest step: 910 m, Ulleri to Ghorepani. Stops at 3,000 m or higher: 1.
• Mardi Himal: about 43 km in 5 days, from Kande (1,770 m) to Base Camp (4,500 m). Climb: 2,730 m. Biggest step: 670 m, High Camp to the Upper Viewpoint. Stops at 3,000 m or higher: 3.
• Langtang: about 75 km in 8 days, from Syabrubesi (1,550 m) to Tserko Ri (4,984 m). Climb: 3,434 m. Biggest step: 1,114 m, Kyanjin Gompa to Tserko Ri. Stops at 3,000 m or higher: 4.
• Annapurna Base Camp: about 110 km in 10 days, from Nayapul (1,070 m) to Base Camp (4,130 m). Climb: 3,060 m. Biggest step: 870 m, Nayapul to Ghandruk. Stops at 3,000 m or higher: 3.

These are the stops printed on our maps, not a day by day plan. A real trek has more stops, and you climb down as well as up.

Is Poon Hill trek easy?

It is the shortest and lowest of the four on our maps: about 45 km in 5 days, from Nayapul at 1,070 m to Poon Hill at 3,210 m. Only Poon Hill itself is above 3,000 m. The biggest step is from Ulleri (1,960 m) up to Ghorepani (2,870 m), 910 m. The Poon Hill trek map post lists every stop.

Is Mardi Himal easy?

It is about as long as Poon Hill, 43 km in 5 days, but it goes much higher: from Kande at 1,770 m to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m. Three stops are above 3,000 m: High Camp (3,580 m), the Upper Viewpoint (4,250 m) and Base Camp. The biggest step is the 670 m from High Camp to the Upper Viewpoint. Every camp is in the Mardi Himal trek map post.

How difficult is the Langtang trek?

Langtang climbs the most of the four on our maps: 3,434 m from Syabrubesi (1,550 m) to Tserko Ri (4,984 m), over about 75 km in 8 days. Four stops are at 3,000 m or higher, from Ghoda Tabela (3,000 m) to Tserko Ri. The last step, Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) to Tserko Ri, is 1,114 m, the biggest single step in this post. See the Langtang trek map post.

Can beginners do Annapurna Base Camp?

That depends on you, and a trekking agency or your doctor can answer it better than a map. What our map shows: about 110 km in 10 days, from Nayapul (1,070 m) to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m). The biggest step comes first, 870 m from Nayapul to Ghandruk. Deurali (3,230 m) is the first stop above 3,000 m. The Annapurna Base Camp map post has every stop.

Where are the maps?

Each of these routes is a print in our Trek Route Maps collection: Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang and Annapurna Base Camp. They are wall maps, not maps to find your way with on the trail.