Best Short Treks in Nepal: 4 days and 5 days trekking in Nepal

Nepal offers a huge number of treks for all ages, experience levels, and altitudes, and even for those that are limited on time, there are a wide variety of treks available that can be done in just 4-5 days. Most of the treks are shorter versions of the main treks, which take you along a part of the trekking trail, such as the Everest and Annapurna Panorama treks, while others are dedicated shorter trekking routes, specifically designed for those that have a limited time to trek in Nepal.

Whether your time is limited due to your vacation time available, or because of your budget, Nepal has a trek to suit all types of trekkers, from the most experienced to the novice trekker. The average four to five-day treks in Nepal are a great way to level up from the day-long treks around the Kathmandu Valley area, before making time for the longer treks to Everest Base Camp (EBC) or the Annapurna Circuit.

Poon Hill Trek

Trek at A Glance: One of the best short treks in Nepal with a great vista of the Himalayas
Trek Length: 4-5 days
Altitude: 3,210m
Best Time to Trek: All year round
Trekking Hours Every Day: 4-7 hours
How to Get There: Drive from Kathmandu to Nayapul

One of the most popular short treks in Nepal, the Poon Hill Trek is suitable for all ages and levels of experience, and is just four to five days long, depending on how fast you want to walk. The elevations are lower than in the higher mountains, and the trek has some amazing views of the Annapurna Range to the north. The start of the trailhead is at the small village of Nayapul, around an hour’s drive from Kathmandu.

Poon Hill trek is one of the easiest trek in Nepal with the beautiful view of Annapurna Himalaya.

The route of the trek takes you through some of the local Gurung and Magar villages, where you can experience the unique Himalayan cultures of these Nepali ethnic minorities, who reside mainly in the Ghorepani region. Dense forests of rhododendrons and terraced farms lie along the route from Nayapul to Poon Hill, and the diversity of plant and animal life is one of the amazing features of this beautiful trekking trail.

The trek is an all-year-round trail, which can be done as easily in the winter as in the peak seasons for trekking and tourism, and the milder temperatures and climate make it a pleasant hike through some of the most beautiful countrysides in Nepal. Once you reach Poon Hill, you will be welcomed with the stunning views of the Annapurna Massif, as well as other nearby mountains, such as Dhaulagiri, Hiuchuli, and Nilgiri.

Everest View Trek

Trek at A Glance: One of the best short treks for great views of Mount Everest
Trek Length: 5 days
Altitude: 3,700m
Best Time to Trek: Spring and Autumn
Trekking Hours Every Day: 6-7 hours
How to Get There: Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla

The EBC trek in Nepal is one of the most popular treks in the world, and the views from the trail along the route to the base camp are stunning, though you cannot actually see the mountain from the base camp itself. However, for those that do not have time to trek the entire 12 days to EBC and back to Lukla, there is an option to take a trek along parts of the route to EBC, taking in some of the stunning sights of the Khumbu region and getting the most amazing views of Mount Everest.

Namche Bazaar is one of the most popular stops along the Everest trekking route, and travelers can have a good view of Mt.Everest.

The trek starts in Lukla, which is normally reached by a 45-minute flight from Kathmandu, and lies halfway up a mountain. From Lukla, the trail follows the normal EBC route to Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital, and the heartland of the Sherpa people, the hardiest mountain people on the planet. The first day is taken in the trek to the small Buddhist village of Phakding, before heading on up to Namche Bazaar on day two. Namche Bazaar is the ideal place to use as a base for the rest of your trek in the area, and has some great views of the world’s highest mountain, especially from the terrace of the Everest View Hotel over a cup of tea and a snack.

The next step is normally to Tengboche, and its famous monastery, Dawa Choling Gompa, the site where many trekkers and climbers to Everest stop to be blessed by the Head Lama. On the route to Tengboche, lies the small but beautiful village of Thame, and its amazing monastery, perched precariously on the top of the small hill above the village. The trek includes some of the most stunning views of Mount Everest, which can be seen from almost every part of the trail, and definitely from every place where you stop.

Dolakha - Kalinchowk trek

Trek at A Glance: The best religious experience trek in Nepal
Trek Length: 3-4 days
Altitude: 3,842m
Best Time to Trek: March to November
Trekking Hours Every Day: 6-7 hours
How to Get There: Drive from Kathmandu to Charikot

Kalinchowk is one of the most popular Hindu shrines in the Dolakha District of Nepal, around 150 kilometers to the northeast of Kathmandu in Province No. 3. The trek to Kalinchowk is ideal for those that do not have the time to head further north into the higher mountains, but still want to experience the rocky hills of the Himalayas.

Dolakha - Kalinchowk trek in Nepal will offer you a chance to explore the local cultures.

The trek starts at Charikot, the district headquarters, and runs through Kuri Village to get to the shrine. The trek centers around the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, which is famous for its cultural heritage in Nepal, and is home to a wide variety of local cultures in the different villages in the area. The route from Kuri village to Kalinchowk is a day-long hike, which culminates at the foot of the hill. The following morning, you can climb the hill to the Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple at the top, which is a good two-hour climb, and spend time exploring this sacred Hindu shrine, before heading back down to spend the night before the 1 to 2-day trek back to Charikot.

Chisapani - Nagarkot - Dhulikhel Trek

Trek at A Glance: The perfect short trek for people with little time
Trek Length: 3 days
Altitude: 2,175m
Best Time to Trek: All year round
Trekking Hours Every Day: 4-8 hours
How to Get There: Drive from Kathmandu to Chisapani

One of the most popular treks in the Kathmandu Valley area, the trek from Chisapani to Dhulikhel is perfect for those that have little time and do not want the higher altitudes. The trek starts from Sundarijal, around an hour from Kathmandu, and begins with a delightful climb up the hill, alongside the rock-filled Bagmati River, which takes around 4-5 hours to reach Chisapani. The hillside is covered with dense pine forests and you will pass through a small Tamang village along the banks of the rive as you climb.

The amazing views of the mountains in Nagarkot would never let you down.

The trek the following day takes around 8 hours to reach Nagarkot, the famous hill-station of the Kathmandu Valley Area which provides you with some of the most majestic views of the distant mountains in the region. After a good night’s sleep in one of the comfortable lodges or teahouses in the village, you can wake early to admire the beauty of the sunrise over the Himalayas, which is a great way to wake up the body after the previous day’s exertions.

The trek to Dhulikhel is one that takes around five hours, and is less rigorous than the trail to Nagarkot. As you climb to the ridge of the Kathmandu Valley, through the vast forests of rhododendrons, pines, and oaks, you pass through several small settlements of Tamang, Newari, and Chhetri. Once on the ridge, the view of the Kathmandu Valley laid out in front of you is breathtaking in its beauty, and the remaining part of the trail follows the ridge to Dhulikhel, with this stunning view all around you along the way.

Dhulikhel also has a little surprise for those that end their trek there. One of the country’s most famous Buddhist shrines, known locally as Namobuddha, is set in the most tranquil and serene surroundings. One of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal, this unique site is one of the three main stupas of the Kathmandu Valley, which was built on the top of the bones and hair of Prince Mahasattva, known in Tibet as Semchen Chenpo, and one of the former incarnations of Buddha Sakyamuni.

Sarangkot - Dhampus Trek

Trek at A Glance: An ideal trek for those not ready for high-altitude trekking in Nepal
Trek Length: 5 days
Altitude: 1,600m
Best Time to Trek: All year round
Trekking Hours Every Day: 4-7 hours
How to Get There: Flight to Pokhara from Kathmandu, drive from Pokhara to Phedi

One of the shortest treks in the Pokhara Valley area, this 5-day trek starts from the village of Phedi, around 45 minutes by car from Pokhara City. From Phedi, the trek to Sarangkot takes a full day, and passes through the edges of Pokhara to get to the western rim of the Pokhara Valley, where Sarangkot sits, a famous vantage point for the stunning sunrise over the Himalayas.

Sarangkot Dhampus Trek is an optimal trek route for those not ready for high-altitude trekking in Nepal.

From the hilltop at Sarangkot, you also get a great view of Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri, and Hiuchuli, as well as many other lower peaks. The trek is one that can be done all year round, and is suitable for everyone, from the young to the elderly, and can be trekked by novice or expert alike. As the elevations are relatively low, reaching around 1,600 to 1,800 meters, there is no concern with altitude sickness, and you can enjoy the countryside in all its amazing glory.

The trek from Sarangkot to Dhampus is one that takes you through lush forests, wide meadows, and the ever-present terraced field that are a major feature of farming in Nepal, especially in the hilly regions above the lowland Terai. The village of Dhampus is one of the mixed cultures, with Gurung, Magar, Tamang, and Newari cultures being represented within the village. The village is unusual in that aspect, the different cultures living together in harmony, and even sharing in the cultural events of each other.

Lakes of Gosainkunda

Trek at A Glance: A trek to visit the lakes at Gosainkunda in Nepal
Trek Length: 4-5 days
Altitude: 4,380m
Best Time to Trek: Summer and Autumn
Trekking Hours Every Day: 4-5 hours
How to Get There: Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi

This five-day trek takes you to the Lakes of Gosainkunda in the Langtang National Park, a famous pilgrimage site for Hindus in Nepal, who flock to the site in late August for the Janai Purnima Festival period, an important festival in Nepali Hinduism. The trailhead starts at Dhunche, around six hours from Kathmandu, or from Syabrubesi, and the first two days of the trek are spent climbing and ascending through the thick rhododendron forests to the higher tree line, at Cholong Paty. The overnight stop is normally at a campsite in a small meadow on the hillside known as Chandan Bari.

Enjoying the beautiful lake of Gosainkunda in the Langtang National Park, Nepal.

The view from Cholong Paty of the towering Langtang Himal and Annapurna Range is amazing, and is one of the best sites from which to view these nearby mountains. After the stunning views from the top of Cholong Paty, the trek then heads to the small village of Lauribinayek, where teahouses await you for your overnight stop. From Lauribinayek, it is then a short hike up to the lake itself, which is a stunning freshwater lake set high up in the park, at an altitude of around 4,380 meters above sea level.

However, there is not just one lake, and the entire complex of lakes at Gosainkunda covers more than 1,030 hectares and comprises of more than fifteen different lakes and ponds, including Vairav Kunda, Saraswati Kunda, Naagkunda, and Surya Kunda, though Gosainkunda is the largest and most important of them all.

Conclusion

For anyone that has a limited time to travel in Nepal, these shorter treks are the perfect option for trekking around the area without needing to spend weeks on the trail. Ideal for those with just a week to spend in the Himalayas, these amazing treks give you the best views and experiences of Nepali trekking without the long hikes.