5 Best Short Treks in Nepal

5 Best Short Treks in Nepal

• December 26, 2022
• Ram Kumar Adhikari

When someone thinks of Nepal, its magnificent trekking routes and beautiful mountains are the first things to come to mind. As such, people generally assume that enjoying them involves setting aside numerous days of climbing through tough terrains to extreme heights. However, Nepal also offers a number of options to trek with relative ease and within a span of a few days. There are several trekking options for people looking for short and easy treks in Nepal without missing out on an adventure. These treks are suitable for any age group and are perfect for people who are in Nepal only for a short time. 

Everest View 8-Day Trek

After arrival in Kathmandu, the Everest View trek 8 days start with a half-hour flight to Lukla. From here, trekkers trek to Phakding village and then to Namche village (3440m). Namche is a wonderful settlement of the Sherpa ethnic community from where travelers can catch their first glimpse of Mount Everest (8848m). It is a lively place of hustle and bustle with several bakeries, restaurants, lodges, and trade markets for the trekkers to spend their time in. After soaking in the panoramic view of the mountains, trekkers climb back down to Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu.

Australian Camp Trekking

This week-long trekking trip to Australian Camp gives a breathtaking view of the Annapurna mountain range. After an hour’s drive from Pokhara to Phedi village, the trail to Dhampus takes about three hours to trek. A three-hour trek from Dhampus through lush rhododendron forests and stone stairs leads the trekkers to the Australian Camp (2232m). Here, the visitors can enjoy a beautiful sunrise over Mount Annapurna South (7219m) and also witness the Machhapuchhre (6997m), Lamjung (6983m), and Hiunchuli (6441m). A five-hour walk to Sarangkot village and further a descent to Pokhara brings the trek to a close.

Ghandruk Village Trek

The Ghandruk Village Trek begins with a flight to Pokhara. Trekkers take a two-hour drive to Nayapul village and trek for five hours to Ghandruk village (1940m) – one of the largest Gurung ethnic community settlements in Nepal. Here, trekkers can relish the sights of the Annapurna range along with other mountains like Machhapuchhre (6997m) and Hiunchuli (6441m). The Gurung village is known for displaying Gurung culture and entertaining homestay practices. To conclude the trip, trekkers head back to Pokhara where they can boat across the Phewa Lake. The trip can be completed in a week.

Nagarkot-Changunarayan Hike

Nagarkot village (2175m) is a hill station of Kathmandu valley popular for its splendid sunrise and sunset views. The trek from Kathmandu to Nagarkot takes about six hours to complete. After enjoying the fresh air and staying at a hotel for the night, the next day involves trekking to the Bhaktapur district – a place full of historical monuments including the Changunarayan temple, artwork, and a rich Newari ethnic culture. After enjoying traditional Newari heritage, travelers can return to Kathmandu. It can be done in a span of 5 days.

Shivapuri National Park Trek

A short drive from Kathmandu to Budhanikantha begins the Shivapuri National Park Trek. It is a five-hour trek to Shivapuri Lekh (2523m). The trek continues on to Dhap village through Chisapani village, a viewpoint that offers the sights of mountains in the Ganesh, Gaurishankar, and Langtang ranges. Further ahead is Nagarkot, another excellent vantage point. From here, trekkers can enjoy a magnificent vista of mountains in Langtang, Ganesh, and even the Everest ranges. The trek heads to Dhulikhel and also includes a hike to Namo Buddha. Finally, passing Panauti, the trek concludes with a drive back to Kathmandu.

Best Season to do short and Easy Treks in Nepal

Simple treks in Nepal are usually at lower altitudes. So, they are wonderful to go on all around the year. Regardless, autumn (September to November) and spring (March to May) are the best seasons to do these short and easy treks in Nepal. However, one might need to pack raincoats or warmer jackets during the rainy and winter seasons. The rainy season is generally around June to August and winter is usually from December to February.

Who can do Short and Easy Treks in Nepal?

As the name itself states, short and easy treks in Nepal are designed such that they pose little to no problem to people of any age group. Anybody who is moderately healthy and stays somewhat physically active can do these treks without any problem. Young children and senior citizens can also do these treks without falling behind any full-grown adults.

Useful Information for Short, Easy Treks in Nepal

What to carry

Comfortable trekking clothes and shoes and water bottles are generally the basic requirements for these small treks. One could even discuss with the guides in advance what they would recommend taking on the trip. And the items do not even need to be bought in advance before coming to Nepal as trekking items are easily available to buy in the cities here.

What to exclude

Unlike for long and arduous treks that require sleeping bags and tents, these short trips do not involve carrying such serious trekking gear. As these treks do not take place in remote areas, such as heavy items and porters to carry them are not needed. So, your backpack can include fewer items to complete the short and easy treks in Nepal.

Food and Accommodation

These simple treks involve sleeping in hotels, lodges, guest houses, or campgrounds with preset tents. They also provide delicious local food at the venues and there are several small shops with drinks and snacks along the way. More urban areas even have plenty of restaurants to choose from. So, unlike in more challenging treks, dining and housing are not at all difficult to arrange for these simpler trips.

Fitness Level

Like mentioned earlier, anyone with decent physical conditions and who does not have any major illness can easily complete these short and easy treks. As long as one is wearing comfortable walking shoes, they can make this journey without any physical discomfort and exhaustion.

Altitude Sickness

The symptoms of altitude sickness generally start at about 2400 meters. But, these simple treks in Nepal mostly do not go above that height and involve gradual ascent which leaves enough time for the body to acclimatize. So, these short and easy treks in Nepal pose very little threat to the trekkers.

Short and Easy Treks Combined with Day Tours

Any of these short and easy treks can be combined with a Heli tour or a day tour. If someone has a day or a half-day to spare, they could use that time to get a stunning experience of the mountains or the cultural hubs of Nepal.

Helicopter tours generally take only a few hours. If one has a few free hours in the morning while in Kathmandu, they could take a helicopter to Kalapatthar (5364m) to witness Mount Everest up close (8848m). The Everest Heli Tour also makes a stop at one of the world’s highest-altitude restaurants, Hotel Everest View (3880m). A similar helicopter tour can be taken from Pokhara to enjoy the breathtaking Annapurna range to land at the Annapurna Base Camp (4130m) for a little while.

The Everest-view flight is another popular option for people with only an hour for sightseeing. Taking this airplane flight from Kathmandu or Pokhara in the morning, the passengers get to see a plethora of major mountains including Mt. Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Makalu (8167m), Cho Oyu (8188m), and Langtang Lirung (7227m) – some of the highest of the world.

The short and easy treks can also be mixed with a day or a half-day tour of the beautiful valleys of Kathmandu and Pokhara. In Kathmandu valley, one could go sightseeing at some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Changunarayan, Boudhanath and the durbar squares in Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. In Pokhara, one could visit famous spots like Davis Falls, Bat Cave, Gupteshwor temple, Mahendra cave, Sarangkot, and the World Peace Pagoda. Since Pokhara is Nepal’s adventure sports hotspot, anyone with a couple of hours of leisure time could go paragliding, zip flying, boating in the Phewa Lake, or cycling.

Even during the trek itself, after arriving at one’s destination, one could take the rest of the day to tour the local area or hike to nearby cultural sites or mountain viewpoints if time allows. For instance, during the Ghandruk village trek, one could visit the Gurung museum, enjoy the local cultural dances, and even try on the local traditional attire.

In this way, every minute of one’s short trip to Nepal can be customized according to the schedule of a trekker. This allows travelers to enjoy as many sights and activities as possible in order to take full advantage of all the fun that this country has to offer.

Conclusion

While it is undeniable that Nepal is a marvelous realm of natural and cultural wealth, it is not always necessary to put physical strain on one’s body. Likewise, it also does not require weeks-long ventures to truly explore the beauty of Nepal. View Mount Everest (8848m), enjoy the Gurung lifestyle at Ghandruk, or walk through the Shivapuri National Park. Therefore, short and easy treks in Nepal are full of natural and cultural splendor.