Compare · Nepal · 2026
Everest Base Camp vs Annapurna Base Camp
A comparison of the two Nepal base-camp treks in our catalog — Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp. Not a ranking of all Nepal treks. We do not compare against walks we do not hold on this page. Country: Nepal.
| Attribute | Everest Base Camp Trek | Annapurna Base Camp Trek |
|---|---|---|
| Type / length | out-and-back; schematic 42.9 kmschematic — not walking distance curated (schematic village line: Lukla–Phakding–Namche–Tengboche–Dingboche–Lobuche–Gorak Shep–EBC) · 2026-08-24 · editorial · provisional | out-and-back; record 70 km* seed:approx · 2026-01-01 · editorial · provisional |
| Max altitude | 5,292 m (record high) copernicus-dem:glo-30 · 2026-08-24 · dem · provisional | 4,130 m (record high) en.wikipedia.org · 2026-08-24 · wikidata · official · provisional |
| Difficulty | SAC T2 · YDS 1 | SAC T3 · YDS 2 |
| Permits | Required: Sagarmatha NP entry + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu RM Trek-Card; TIMS contested | Required: ACAP (NTNC entry permit); TIMS commonly required |
| Best season | Spring Mar–May and autumn Sep–Nov; avoid monsoon Jun–Aug | Oct-Nov and Mar-May (Wikivoyage Annapurna Sanctuary trek, checked 2026-08-24) |
| Key hazard (public) |
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|
| Access | KTM → Ramechhap / Manthali (RHP) → Lukla (LUA) | KTM → Pokhara (PKR) → Pokhara → Nayapul |
Which suits you
A comparison of the two Nepal base-camp treks in this catalog — not a ranking, and not “the best” Himalayan trek.
Annapurna Base Camp is the lower, shorter record of the pair: stored high 4,130 m, typicalDays 7, length 70 km (provisional). Everest Base Camp is the higher, longer itinerary: stored high 5,292 m, typicalDays 13. Its length DataPoint is a curated schematic village line (42.9 km pin-to-pin) — not walking distance — so do not treat that figure as a measured walk. Altitude / AMS is the headline public hazard on both records; EBC’s stored high sits well above ABC’s.
Seasons on the records: EBC Spring Mar–May and autumn Sep–Nov; avoid monsoon Jun–Aug. ABC Oct-Nov and Mar-May (Wikivoyage Annapurna Sanctuary trek, checked 2026-08-24). Permits on both records are required at public level (issuer-name only on this page). Cost and booking stay on each trail page behind the login gate. See the Nepal permits guide for the public-level overview.
Also in this desk: Nepal trekking permits · Nepal · Compare index.
Questions
Is EBC or ABC harder?
This desk does not rank them. Everest Base Camp is listed as SAC T2 · YDS 1. Annapurna Base Camp is listed as SAC T3 · YDS 2. EBC’s published headline hazard is altitude / AMS. ABC’s is also altitude / AMS, on a lower stored high (4,130 m vs 5,292 m on the EBC record). Different stored highs and itinerary lengths, not a single difficulty winner.
Which is better for a first Himalayan trek?
This desk does not pick a “better” trek. ABC’s stored high is 4,130 m with typicalDays 7. EBC’s stored high is 5,292 m with typicalDays 13, and its length DataPoint is a schematic village line — not walking distance. ABC is the lower, shorter record of the two we hold; EBC is the higher, longer itinerary. That is a data contrast, not a recommendation.
Do both need permits?
Everest Base Camp Trek: a permit is required (Sagarmatha NP entry + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu RM Trek-Card; TIMS contested). Cost and booking stay behind the login gate on each trail page. Annapurna Base Camp Trek: a permit is required (ACAP (NTNC entry permit); TIMS commonly required). Cost and booking stay behind the login gate on each trail page. This page does not quote fees.