Most of the trekkers coming to Nepal for the first time want to reach up to the base camp of High Mountain and they start to search for it. Here on this blog, we discuss in details about Everest Base Camp Vs Annapurna Base Camp Trek. The most famous base camp trekking in Nepal is the Everest Base Camp trek and Annapurna base camp trek. For the first time trek planner, it might difficult to choose either to trek Annapurna or Everest base camp. Come to Nepal first time for trekking to one of the base camps with a professional company team, you definitely choose to come again for another one. You keep remembering mountain views, lovely peoples, cultural verities, landscape, and special taking care, that push you again to come back. Here we are clearly explaining Everest Base Camp VS Annapurna Base Camp treks so that you can easily choose which base camp is to go.
Trekking Duration
Annapurna Base Camp trekking duration is from 8 to 12 days. Following the classical trekking route, ABC trek is a normal 10 days plan. You do not need any extra day staying for acclimatization on the way. Everest Base Camp trek duration is 12 days with 2 days acclimatization on the way before reaching to Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar. The minimum you can do is 11 days by skipping one-day acclimatization if you are feet with the altitude. There can be also 8 days Everest base camp trek if you do take a helicopter chartered flight back after reaching EBC to Lukla and Kathmandu which makes your trip cost high.
Accessibility
Accessibility of Everest Base Camp
There is no vehicular road to reach the trekking starting point of Everest. The only way is to fly from Kathmandu to Lukla airport. Only small aircraft are able to fly Lukla. There will be only morning flights and flights can be disturbed due to bad weather. Lukla airport considers as dangerous airport due to its geographic status and mountain weather. It is only 35 minutes flight and the flight cost of Lukla is considered as one of the expensive domestic flights. If you choose Everest Base Camp Trekking without Lukla flight, it will be about 20 days trekking plan and driving to Phaplu village to start the trek.
Lukla airport at the altitude of 2,860 meters. The main gateway of Everest region trekking
Accessibility of Annapurna Base Camp
ABC trekking has got several ways to reach up to the trekking starting point. Trek starting point Nayapool or Ulleri is assessable of vehicle. Peoples can choose private car, flights, or regular buses to reach Pokhara and further. It depends on your budget level. It is easiest and cheapest then EBC. Now road facility is up to Ulleri village which altitude is 1,960 meters and place of the first day overnight. Pokhara to Nayapool is about one and a half hours driving distance with a private car. Local buses might take two and a half hours. If you start from Kathmandu, morning flight to Pokhara and drive to Nayapool or further to Ulleri to reach the first-day camp for an overnight in this trek. Driving from Kathmandu to Nayapool is about 8 hour’s journey.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Everest Base Camp
The Everest region is comparatively facilities with good accommodation. You can choose different accommodation facilities as per your wish. Deluxe guest houses chain has built to stay overnight for six nights in a total of 11 nights of this trek. Only 5 nights near Everest base camp are available simple tourist standard guest houses. (There are new hotel buildings even at Everest Base camp/ Gorakhshep) Overnight at Phakding, Namche, Dibuche, and Lukla for 6 nights, you can choose to stay in three categories of accommodation. Normal tourist standard guest houses which are still clean facilitate with attached toilet, warm dining, owed restaurant, and bar. Middle category guest houses are having a good room with a hot water bath, the hitting system inside the room, good dining, restaurant, and bar. High category hotels are providing better services with the same facilities. The cost of high category accommodation makes a huge difference in your total trekking cost.
Accommodation in Annapurna base camp
There is almost the same level accommodation in the entire Annapurna base camp region. Three nights at altitude land nearby base camp is with more basic accommodation and sharing bath/ toilet. The rest of the other places is facilitating with tourist standard rooms inside the toilet bath. Till now only one night at the end of this trek at Ghandruk is available deluxe star category accommodation.
Accommodation in the Annapurna region. Tea house building in Macchapuchhre Base camp near ABC
Cost of EBC Trek VS ABC Trek
Comparing the Cost of EBC Trek Vs ABC Trek, Which trek is reliable and affordable? The cost of Everest Base Camp trek is more than you need to spend in Annapurna. Due to both way flight of Lukla, Permit, the cost of food, and accommodation, Everest base camp trek cost is higher than ABC. In Annapurna base camp trekking, you can choose local transportation to reduce the trek cost. Even using private transportation or flight does not meet the cost of Everest trekking. The cost of food and drinks on the way is similar in both treks.
Altitude
The highest altitude you reach during Everest base camp is 5,545 meters Kalapather climbing and 5,360 meters at Everest base camp. When you fly to Lukla from Kathmandu, you land at 2,860-meter altitude. The altitude than start to be higher every day unless not reaching to EBC. This trek is a wonderful high altitude trek. During the Annapurna base camp trek, you start from 800-meter altitude and slowly reach up to 4,200 meters till Annapurna Base Camp. Every day you will gain less altitude than EBC so that no need any acclimatization day on the way.
Mountain View
Mountain you will see during Everest Base camp trek
Both trek, you will reach right into the heart of the mountains. In EBC trekking, you start to view mountains from the second day of the trek. Two mountains over 8 thousand meters (Mount Everest 8,848m, Mount Lhotse 8,516m, can be explored with other ranges. During the whole trekking, there are different views of the mountains. Amadablam (6,812 meters) is more shiny and attractive in this trek almost every day. Mt Pumori 7,161 seems higher and most closed from Kalapathar and Gorakshep. The best viewpoint is from Kalapather, where you have to climb early in the morning for sunrise or evening to explore the best sunset.
Mountain View during Annapurna Base Camp
It starts to view the mountain from the first day of the trek. The first view can be seen of Annapurna south and Himchuli from Ulleri. The second-day trek reach Ghorepani is all-mountain range surrounding you. 2 mountains over eight thousand meter Annapurna first (8,091m) and Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167m) can be explored in this trek. Mount Fishtail (6,993m) shins more beautifully with its best shape in this trek. The best viewpoint of mountains in this trek is from Poonhill (3,210m) and from Annapurna base camp (4,200m).
Annapurna I view from Annapurna base camp
Landscape
Annapurna and Everest base camp trekking region gives Nepal’s best divers landscape. The landscape of Annapurna base camp is dense forest, big hills with lots of ups and downs. Less vegetation area begins only from 3,500 meters near the base camp. The trekking trail is full of different Rhododendron forests. It blooms beautifully every spring season. Waterfall, White Water River, typically made bridges over Rivers. Landscape in the Everest Base Camp trek is a bit different than ABC region. The low land region is dense forest. Less vegetation area starts from the Dingboche area the elevation from 4,400 meters. There are ice crevasses to walk for two days nearby base camp. Trekking stars from an altitude of 2860 meters to reach 5,545 meters with lots of ups and downs.
Side trip
Side trip in Everest Base Camp
The main suitable side trip to EBC is Gokyo valley. The beautiful blue lakes and mountain views from Gokyo valley and from Gokyo-Ri is one of the best ever seen from any part of the Everest region. It is possible to view four 8000 – meter peaks, Mt Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho-Oyu. Another side trip to this trek is climbing some climbing peaks. Island peak (6,189m) and Lobuche Peak (6,119m) are climbing peaks for beginners and very closed from Everest Base Camp. Climbing Kalapathr is another side trip in this trek. Early in the morning climb for best sunrise and evening for best sunset view with the closer view of the high Himalaya including the best view of Mt Everest. Visit some of the famous monasteries in also good side trips in EBC. Tengboche monastery in on your on the way and spend a night very nearby.
Side trip in Annapurna base camp
The classical trekking route is starting from Pokhara to Ghorepani Chhomrong. Back to Pokhara is via Chhomrong and Jhinu. Side trip in this trek is not many options like EBC. You still can add the Mardi Himal region and visit Lwang village to get a pure homestay experience. Ghandruk village, another unique Gurung village is another side trip in this trek.
Best season
The best season for Everest Base Camp trekking is seasons of spring and autumn. The month of March, April, May, and September to November is the warm temperature in this region. Sunny days with blue sky make the best view of the region. Although the beginning of the June and December months are still suitable to make Everest base camp trek. Raining season weather is the fuggy covered the Himalayan range most of the time. The Best season for Annapurna base camp trekking is also in the same months of spring and autumn. Relatively, this trek is still more suitable in winter like the month of Dec, Jan and Feb. although raining moths Jun to Aug is difficult with sleeper path, landslide, and leeches.
Verity in Itinerary
Both Everest and Annapurna base camp trek itinerary can be customized in different ways. If anyone looks to make a normal itinerary to short itinerary, there is a way to make it, and peoples who have enough days to explore more around, there are many ways to add activities to make a longer day plan. Minimum days can be made 8 days itinerary for Everest Base Camp trek, which can be trekking till base camp and Helicopter back. 8 days trek to ABC can be suitable for those who are used to in high altitudes and able to walk along every day.
Everest Base Camp VS Annapurna Base Camp! Which Trek is more Difficult?
What do you think, Which is more Difficult to Trek? on Everest Base Camp VS Annapurna Base Camp? We let you know that the Everest base camp Trek difficulty level is comparatively strong than Annapurna Base Camp due to its altitude level. Land at Lukla airport is already 2,860-meter altitude. The entire route is into high altitude trek with lots of ups and downs. Dryland with the heavy wind at the altitude up to 5,545 meters can be difficult for more trekkers. Annapurna base camp trek starts from 800 meters and gradually walking up to 4,200 meters only. Green trees are available at its highest level and busty lands up to the base camp so that still good oxygen level available up to base camp which helps easy breathing.
Which Trek is Crowdy? Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp?
Both trekking in the main season is a crowd of trekkers. Due to overcrowding, accommodation might not be enough in the area of base camp. There are only a few guesthouses accompany trekkers which sometimes not be able to provide rooms. By this result, trekkers have experience sleeping in dinning and sharing rooms. This kind of situation may come in Everest in Lobuche and in Gorakhshep that is for two nights. In Annapurna, Deurali, Dovan, Himalaya, Machhapuchhre, and Annapurna base camp for 2 nights can be difficult finding accommodation in heavy season. If you want to skip the crowd, choose to trek in off-season time. Winter and summer months are off-season and the region is with fewer peoples. Trekking to EBC in winter is better than in summer. Similar to ABC.
Local Peoples and Cultures
Everest region is culturally rich and Annapurna base camp too. Homage of Sherpa, their traditional cultures can be explored nearly during your trek to EBC. The Everest region is the homage of Sherpa peoples. Sherpas are similar to Tibetan. Their customs, Language is similar to Tibetan. Mostly peoples are practicing Buddhist religion. The typical rituals can be seen during the main festival. Annapurna base camp is with a different cast of peoples. They are also indigenous peoples of Nepal. A big number of peoples in this region is Gurung. They are one of the main Gurkha tribes. Local peoples show traditional dance with their folk song at the evening in the main villages, which is a memorial experience in this trek.
Safety
Everest base camp and Annapurna base camp both are safe to trek. Due to high altitude treks, it is important to trek with someone taking care. Trekkers have to have good trekking equipment. It is also best to take a porter to carry your goods and guide to lead these treks which are safer. Do not walk alone
Group Joining Trek
Group trek is not compulsory in both treks. If you take your own guide and porter, it is much comfortable to customize your plan. It is easy to change your plan as per your interest and your condition. Trekking alone is better to join a small group tour which makes your trip cost less too. Nepal highland treks are also operating Everest Base camp small group trek. Group trek up to 10 peoples at a time is more comfortable. More than ten pax in a group is not recommended in the case of providing quality services. A small group trek to Annapurna base camp can be also the best idea. Getting in touch with other peoples from different countries, share different experiences is the benefit to join small group trek in Nepal.
Communication facilities
Internet and telephone signals are available up to Everest base camp and Kalapathar. One day at Lobuche, another day at Pheriche is a bit difficult for the signal. It is better to buy a Nepali sim to use the telephone and data for the internet. Local telephone and internet cyber is only available easily up to Namche in Ebc trekking. Similarly in ABC trek, it is better to take your own local SIM card for a better communication facility. There is not much availability of local telephone and internet cyber. After Deurali for 2 days trekking, the telephone signal might not reach.
Trekking with guide
Trek without a guide for both of this trek is not recommended. Both treks are high altitude trek and need someone to support. Have your own team; share the experience, get information from a guide is to make your trip memorial. It is highly suggest trekking with a guide in these both treks.
