One of the most favorite outdoor activity in Nepal, trekking has been the primary option for the adventure lovers. A physically exhilarating experience, trek comprises of days of walking at a certain location for the adventure or holidaying.
With increasing accessibility to various destinations in Nepal, more people flow to taste the trekking experience. Over 400,000 tourist visit Nepal every year for the sole purpose of trekking. Today, domestic airlines, well-paved roads and choices of vehicles have made the journey far easier for the tourists.
Trekking in Nepal
Ever since, Late Col. Jimmy Roberts “Father of Trekking” founded the first trekking company in Nepal in 1964, Nepal started receiving international audiences for trekking.
Along with commercialization of Everest expedition, tourism industry in Nepal gave birth to commercial operators for operating trekking. Within a decade, it became a mainstream business and one of the major contributor in GDP.
With advent of public-private participation, the promotion for trek routes around the country has been easier; along with helping to empower local villages. Today, there are over 1,500 trek agencies in Nepal, and hundreds of local travel agents.
Popular Trek Trails
Some of the most popular trek destinations in Nepal are as follows;
#1 Everest
Everest Base Camp is by far the most popular trek destination in Nepal. The region receives over 40,000 trekkers a year, however, the difficulty in finding local flight to Lukla and back poses difficulty for the tourists to visit the region.
Located at 5,300 m (17,600 ft) at the southern side of the Mount Everest, the base camp offers greater trekking experience. Gokyo trail and Three Passes are another two popular trek destinations in the Everest region.
#2 Annapurna
Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp are two most popular trek destinations in the Annapurna region. The circuit was voted one of the best long treks in the world, whereas, Annapurna base camp is popular among every age.
A relatively shorter trek, the base camp offers immense natural and cultural riches, along with the closest view of Mt. Machhapuchhre. The circuit is undertaken by mostly the trekkers looking to spend more time on trail.
#3 Langtang
Langtang National Park is another popular trek destinations. It’s located at the closer proximity to the Annapurna circuit, however, the region offers completely different perspective on the sightseeing. It’s a discreet region, hence, most of the places are still yet unexplored.
The region was utterly devastated during the major Earthquake of 2016, however, it has been rebuilt and is now open for the tourists.
#4 Upper Mustang
A rain-shadow area, Upper Mustang is accessible throughout the year. The region is culturally and geographically closer to the Tibet, hence, the entire population is ardent Buddhist follower. Before Buddhism, the population was entirely Bon follower.
Mustang is a protected region, therefore, there is a limited access to enter the region. Tiji festival is one of the highlight of this trek.
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