Chances are that, if you are planning a trip to Nepal, you may be considering a trek to Everest Base Camp, the base camp of the world’s highest peak. In truth — and not surprisingly — Nepal’s most famous hike is hardly a walk in the park. It not only takes up to 12 days to complete, but it’s also a very taxing climb that gains over 13,123-feet of altitude.
Still, visitors who are not ready to commit to a Base Camp hike can instead embark on closer, easier Nepal hiking options to get a taste of the area’s world-class trekking routes.
Rest assured that even if these treks can’t let you lay claim to ascending the world’s highest peak, each is stunning. Easily reached by public transportation, they are tailored to different levels of fitness and time — from a hike of a few hours to a proper weeklong exploration. Plus, they are all in close proximity to Kathmandu and the comfortable and centrally located Kathmandu Marriott Hotel.
Keep in mind that you can avoid lugging around heavy camping gear on multiday treks by staying in the many local homes that have turned into guest houses that pepper most trekking routes. Even single-day hikes generally have food and drink stalls set along the trails.
1. Walking from Boudnath to Kopan Monastery
When in Kathmandu, one can also take a small, rewarding hike without leaving the city limits. Start by circumnavigating the stunning Buddhist stupa of Boudha on the eastern fringes of town, and then proceed north toward the hills for nearly two miles, crisscrossing the city limits as you approach the popular Kopan Monastery.
Famous for its meditation retreats catering to foreign students, the monastery also has a well-stocked library on Buddhism that’s a delight to browse — without forgetting the workshops one can find along the way where Nepali artists etch ink onto the traditional Tibetan religious scrolls locally known as thangkas.
2. Nagarkot
If you want to get a taste of the Himalayas within a short distance from Kathmandu, drive 18 miles east to the village of Sankhu and start walking to the village of Nagarkot, which sits at a 7,135-foot elevation. This 7-hour round-trip hike is an easy introduction to low-altitude trekking and offers great views of the Himalayan range on clear days.
3. Pulchowki Hill
The village of Godawari, nearly 9 miles south of Kathmandu, is home to pleasant botanical gardens and the valley’s highest hill — as well as an ideal Nepal hiking route. Reaching Pulchowki Hill’s summit takes between 6 and 7 hours, round trip, trekking through subtropical forests filled with oak trees and rhododendrons.
The viewpoint at the end of the trail offers a bird’s-eye view of the Kathmandu Valley. On clear days, you’ll be rewarded with views of the eastern Annapurna Range, which, after Everest, is Nepal’s other world-famous trekking wonderland.
4. Langtang Trek
After suffering damage during Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, Langtang National Park, one of the country’s best nature reserves, has been reopened to trekkers. Even if it’s just 93 miles north of the city, it feels much more remote, as it straddles the upper end of the valley.
If you can brave the bumpy, 8-hour-long jeep ride to the village of Syabrubesi, the Langtang Trek offers 8 to 11 days of beautiful Nepal hiking through subtropical alpine forest and villages where Kathmandu’s hustle and modernity will feel improbable.
5. The Indigenous People’s Trail
This lesser-known yet beautiful weeklong trek winds through the Ramechhap district, an area blessed with a wide diversity of peoples, just two hours drive east of Kathmandu.
The 50-mile Indigenous People’s Trail still has very basic infrastructure but rewards the adventurous with a stunning array of tribal encounters — from Sherpa to Yolmo and Lama peoples, not forgetting the Majhi fishermen of the plains.
After reaching the sacred, 10,322 feet Sailung Peak on the second day, the trail gently descends through the leftovers of the former Rajveer Buddhist monastery and another handful of forgotten villages. It all ends at Lubughat village, set on a powerful river, only a quick hour walk from the junction where local buses return to Kathmandu.
By Marco Ferrarese For Marriot BonVoy
