Top 10 best trekking in Nepal

Our country Nepal is a magnificent historically and naturally rich country. It offers phenomenal landscapes with many popular trekking routes. We, Nepal Travel Services serve many trekking and tour packages for travelers where these packages consist of top trekking destination. Frankly speaking, it would be unfair to pick the trek and say these are the Top 10 best trekking routes in Nepal.

Although the list will include the top destinations according to the majority of traveler’s review and traffic. The best trek actually depends on your choice. Where you may choose the best according to the difficulty, scenery, culture, price, and popularity.

ABOUT TREKKING IN NEPAL

It would be hard to do justice to trekking in Nepal even in a lifetime, there is so much to see and do! Nepal is a safe place to visit and the trekking trails are wonderful places to re-connect with nature and walk amongst the mountains. Nowadays the trekking is much more comfortable than the rugged experience it was in the 1950s when Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest. There are comfortable tea houses selling a wide variety of local and western foods (and beer), even luxury hotels in the lower regions. Lots of treks focus on the culture as much as the scenery, but there is also ample opportunity to find yourself in real isolation. 

Adventure Alternative teams up with local Nepali guides to offer you the most authentic trekking experience, also offering bespoke trekking itineraries. We love to give back to the communities we operate in, so we select the best local guides and porters for your journey when you visit Nepal.

Trekking is perhaps the most famous outdoor activity to do. It is also a very good way to refresh your body, mind with other people’s lifestyle, their tradition, and their rituals. Below we are not ranking the treks because its debatable so without any fuss here are the Top 10 best trekking routes in Nepal.

Ghorepani Poon Hill Trekking is the famous and short easy trekking in Annapurna Sanctuary. The popularity of this trek is increasing. It is a relatively easy trek to wander around the beautiful ethnic villages of the Annapurna region. Trek-like Ghorepani Poon hill will help you to feel the Himalayan Panorama.

Also, check our package related to Ghorepani Poon hill

However, Ghorepani Poon hill is mostly known for the view you can get from the top. Trust me, it’s the paradise for Photographers. You can get an awesome Paranoma shot of huge Himalayas like Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna II, III, and IV, Dhaulagiri, Lamjung Himal, Gangapurna, and Manaslu ranges among few others.

Even if you are not a morning person, you will not regret the scene you will get of the sunrise from the top. In addition to the scenery, you will get mesmerized by the culture, lifestyle and warm welcome by the villagers it has to offer.

Ghorepani Poon Hill is suitable even for newbie hikers trying to feel the trekking experience. This trek can be done in 3 or 4 days.

A glance of Ghorepani Poon hill trek

Estimated time: 3/4 days

Estimated distance: 35.5 km

Starting point: Nayapul

Ending point: Ghandruk

Highest altitude: Poonhill peak (3,210 m)

Accommodation: Teahouses, Guesthouses

Food: Nepali and western

Permits: TIMS card and Annapurna permit are required to enter Annapurna National Park.

Now that we are wrapped with basic intro info lets have it in detail, shall we?

Are there Toilet?

People may argue about the saddest and hardest time of life. But, deep inside we all know, when we want to go to the toilet and we can’t, that the hardest time of our life. So, about this situation, some lodges and teahouses do have a western-style toilet. But basically they have an Asian squat type toilet.

Drinking water during trek?

I won’t suggest you, drinking water directly from the tap. Better to use chlorine table with you, or ask from boiled water from the teashop. Another option is, you can have mineral drinking water. Please remember to dispose the bottles properly.

Food during the trek?

The best feeling about the trek is to get awesome food after the hectic walk. Trust me, you will get complete satisfaction with the food during the trip. You can try Thukpa, soup, Dal Bhat and also some tasty Momos during the trek.

Ghorepani Poon hill trek difficulty?

I would say Poolhill trek is an easy-moderate trek. If you start your trek you will notice that even travelers who are not at their prime are present. The only thing you need is to train your brain that you will have to walk up and down thousands of stairs. However, if you are worried about hours than its about 5 to 7 hrs of a trek every day.

Types of accommodation during the trek?

Mostly you will have your rest at teahouses made of natural woods, rocks which has its own beauty. The rooms available are cozy. Some teahouse does provide separate toilet and shower with hot water. But, please don’t expect to get hot shower everywhere.

Is Ghorepani Poon hill trek worth it?

The answer is Yes, I can guarantee you the walk, hike and early morning struggle is worth it. Tell me if my wrong in the comment section.

Ghorepani Poonhill Trek routes?

Different route option:

• Starting from Nayapul
• Finishing in Ghandruk

• Starting from Ghandruk
• Finishing in Nayapul

• Starting from Nayapul
• Finishing in Kimche

• Starting from Kimche
• Finishing in Nayapul

Charging devices?

Trekking will involve taking pictures, using google map, calling your family, just because you are full with nature does not mean your device will be full too. You can charge your devices at local teahouse but it is better to have a power bank with you. Won’t kill you to take some precaution.

Permits from Ghorepani Poonhill?

Trek inside the sanctuary requires Annapurna National Park permit and Tims( Trekkers’ Information Management Systems ) card. For trekker going alone, you will spend about 40 to 60$ where price may vary according to time.

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Kathmandu Valley is recognized as the City of Temple in all over the world. It is located in the foothills of the Himalayas where seven UNESCO’s world heritage sites are situated as monument zones. These monument zones are Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Swoyambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudha Stupa and Changunarayan Temple.

The infrastructure of Swayambhunath includes the oldest Buddhist monument (a stupa) in the Valley and Bauddhanath includes the largest stupa in Nepal.

Pashupati has an extensive Hindu temple precinct, and the Changu Narayan site comprises a traditional Newari settlement and a Hindu temple with one of the earliest inscriptions in the Valley from the century.

The windows, doorways and roof struts have rich and beautiful decorative carvings. The stupas have simple but powerful forms with massive, whitewashed hemispheres with the all-seeing eternal Buddha eyes.

Kathmandu valley is formed after draining a large lake. Legends abound in this remarkable place and every street has a shrine or two. Kathmandu is a typically diverse, historic city with amazing architecture, beautiful wood carvings. And the metal craft which showcases the skills of the Newar artisans of centuries ago. An ancient temples and monuments in the Kathmandu Valley of the Gods where Buddhism and Hinduism co-exist in perfect harmony.

What to See in Kathmandu City of Temple?

As you already know the Kathmandu is the city of the temple, you can find stupas and temples in the street of different places of Kathmandu valley.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Durbar Square lies in the center of Kathmandu. The attractions of Durbar Square are Hanuman Dhoka, Degutale Temple, Taleju Mandir, Nine storey Basantapur Tower, Panch Mukhi Hanuman Temple, Mul Chowk, Mohan Chowk, Tribhuvan Museum, King Mahendra Memorial Museum and Kal Bhairab temple in its vicinity. Hanuman Dhoka was the Royal Palace of the Malla kings, later of the Shah dynasty.

Inside the museum of the palace, we can explore the culture, religion, custom, tradition, architecture, history of Royal palaces, etc. The visitors have to pay an entrance fee for entering into the museums. Museums remain open for 7 days a week with the exception of Tuesday from 10.30 am to 3 pm in the winter and from 10.30 am to 4 pm in the summer. On Friday one must visit the museums from 10.30 am to 2 pm only.

Patan Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square lies in the center of the city of Lalitpur. The ancient royal palace where the Malla’s king of Lalitpur is the main attraction of this Durbar Square. The Durbar Square area presents a potpourri of the finest traditional crafts and rich in artistic heritage.

Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple, Big Bell, Pillar of Yognarendra Malla, Vishwanath temple, Bhimsen temple, Hari Shanker temple, Mani Mandap, Café Pagoda, Rudra Varna Mahavihar, Rato Machhendra Temple, etc are the major attractions of Patan.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located at the east of the Kathmandu Valley which, lies 12 km east from Kathmandu valley.

While the site consists of at least four attractions (Durbar square, Taumadhi Square, pottery Square, and Dattatreya Square). Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Statue of King Bhupatindra, Art Gallery, Nyatapola Temple, and fifty-five windowed Malla palace are the living pride of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is regarded as the place of ancient Nepali culture, custom and beautiful art pieces of excellent craftsmanship.

Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath temple is a temple of Lord Shiva and is the holiest place for Hindus in Nepal. The sacred temple lies on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River and situated 5 km east of Kathmandu city. Non-Hindus people are strictly prohibited from entering the temple. Pashupati Temple has a two-tiered roof and four silver doors. Devotees from all over the world come here to worship Lord Shiva.

Swoyambhunath

Swayambhu is one of the holiest Buddhist stupas in Nepal and listed in Word Heritage Site. It is said to have evolved spontaneously when the Kathmandu Valley was created out of a primordial lake more than 2,000 years ago.

Swoyambhunath stupa is the oldest of its kind in Nepal. And has monasteries and numerous shrines on its premises. At present time, the stupa is a solid hemisphere of brick and clay which supported a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle of copper gilt.

And has Lord Buddha’s eyes adorned on all the four sides of the Stupa. Swayambhunath also gives a majestic view of the entire Kathmandu valley.

Boudhnath Stupa

Boudhanath stupa lies 8 km East of Kathmandu and one of the most imposing landmarks in Nepal. It was built by Licchavis King Man Dev in the 5th century A. D.

Its ancient stupa is regarded as one of the world’s biggest stupa. The stupa is built on a stepped octagonal base and inset with alcoves representing Buddha. The 36-meter-high and massive stupa of Boudha which dominates the skyline in the area. Boudha is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal with countless monasteries around it.

These are the major temple in Kathmandu Valley. There are lots of temple inside the valley. Even we can find the temple in every street of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur.

Mardi Himal is at 5587m peak beneath the much more prominent to Machapuchre in the Annapurna range. It is the most southerly peaked Himal of the Annapurna region. It is the lowest and least climbed peaks. The first ascent of Mardi was in 1961. The first root was via the east flank. It separates the southwest ridge of Machapuchre as a separate mass. It is best seen from the south. Mardi Himal trekking was opened in 2012. It is a stunningly beautiful trek, taking you up through ancient greenery forests, to what feels like the face of the mountains themselves. As you get up close and personal with Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhere, Ganga Purna, and Mardi Himal.

Mardi Himal Trekking Short Route

Pokhara to Kande ( 1,770 meters), Kande to Deurali (2031 meters), Deurali to Low Camp (2970 meters), Low Camp to High Camp(3580 meters), High Camp to Mardi Himal Base Camp (4500 meters), Base Camp to Sidding and Finally returning to Pokhara from Sidding.

The attraction of Mardi Himal

It is highly diverse with cultural insight, beautiful forest walks of rhododendron and magnolia, and alpine landscape. The major attractions during trek remain the Forest Camp, High Camp, Mardi Himal View Point, Badal Danda (Cloud Hill), traditional village – Sidding. Similarly, other attractions are oak, suspension bridge, wooden bridge, terrace field, cascades, and river. As the trekking trail mostly stays along the ridge, the altitude gain becomes more gradual. It is a relatively easy short and unspoiled trek in the Annapurna region.

Duration and Cost

If someone really wants to have a magnificent and beautiful view of the mountain from a very near distance but has a limited budget and time. Then this trek could be the best as it is one of the short treks in Nepal. It takes just 6 days from Pokhara. The cost may vary from different travel agencies.

The best Season to Trek

The best season for this trek is March to May and October to December month. In this time, the view of the Himalayas and the Mountains is very clear and it is really mesmerizing.

Difficulties for Trekking

The difficulty level of Mardi Himal Trekking is moderate but it is adventurous. The walking and trekking distances are short and easy but you will gain altitude. Only day hike time from High camp to Mardi Himal base camp makes it difficult. Similarly, there are narrow paths, steep climb, long day and altitude of 4,500 m.

Accommodation on The Route

Accommodation on the Mardi Himal Trekking route is a little bit more expensive in comparison to other more popular trekking routes like Poon Hill. Trekkers can stay in a guest house or camp there is a couple of campsite at lower altitudes. The guest houses are quite standard; a simple room with beds, outside toilet and shower, and dining area.

Food on Mardi Himal Trekking Route

The food you usually get during hiking in Nepal is Nepalese, Indian, Chinese and ‘western food. Local daal bhat ( rice, lentil soup, chapati, spinach, and grilled vegetable) is the best and very cost-effective. But the menu on the menu on the route is quite diverse.

The Trekking to Mardi Himal is one of the short but adventurous treks in Nepal. It is best for both long route trekkers as well as short even in the case of limited budget and time.

Digital Marketing for Nepal Tourism Year 2020

Nepal Tourism Year 2020 is Nepal’s commitment to improving its competitiveness through investment, infrastructure development, new product offerings, environment and wildlife conservation. And greater efficiencies and excellence in-service standards with the objective of developing the tourism industry. The government declared 2020 as the Nepal Tourism Year 2020 with a target to achieve two million arrivals and daily spend over $75. Visit Nepal 2020 is positioned as a Lifetime Experience to make Nepal as one of the world’s most unique experiential and lifetime value destination.

To impact digital marketing for ‘Visit Nepal 2020’ we can implement the following digital marketing strategy:

According to Nepal Tourism Board, In 2018, Nepal received 1,173,072 international tourists excluding overland travelers. The top arrivals were from India, China, Sri Lanka, USA, and the UK. The average length of stay is 12.6 days and per day expenditure amounts to $54. In 2018, the share of FDI in tourism was 11.47% at Rs 23,855.50 million. Similarly, In 2020, the concept of Digital marketing can help to achieve the target and make Tourism Year 2020 successful.

Social Media Marketing

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Social Media is a very effective digital marketing tool. It allows you to get to know customers and visitors and prospects in ways that were previously not possible. The information related to tourism like trekking and travel guide, culture, geographical places, hotels, transportation, etc. can be represented in these platforms to make easy to tourists. The most relevant social media platforms for a tourism business include the following: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , LinkedIn, YouTube.

SEO and Quality Website

Private trekking agencies, hotels and government as well must have attractive websites to attract tourists (visitors) and keep them there and make them come back frequently to the websites. Search engine optimization can help to bring more visitors.

Content and E-mail Marketing

Email Marketing enables users to know about the latest offers by the trekking agencies, hotels, special deals on holiday packages, membership clubs, room availability and so much more. The content submitted to different sites must be real information. If visitors get fake information then they will never see these sites again.

Mobile Friendly

Different websites, apps, updates on social media, emails and other aspects of digital marketing must be mobile-friendly.

In conclusion, Digital Marketing today is all about using internet technologies to reach out to existing and newer visitors and engage with them. For any business to be successful digitally in the tourism industry, the above mentioned digital strategy play a very crucial role. Therefore, these digital marketing strategies help to make successful Nepal Tourism Year 2020.