Annapurna vs Everest: which first?

Published 28 October 2025

Both regions deliver world-class Himalayan trekking, but they reward slightly different priorities. Everest Base Camp is the bucket-list name — walking in the footsteps of the first summiteers, through Sherpa villages, past Tengboche Monastery, to a view of the mountain itself. It's also the more physically demanding of the two: higher altitude, longer daily ascents, and a genuine test of acclimatisation.

Annapurna Base Camp and the wider Annapurna Circuit trade a little altitude for more variety — subtropical forest, high alpine passes, hot springs, and villages that shift from Hindu lowland culture to Tibetan Buddhist highland culture within the same trek. It's generally considered the gentler introduction to Himalayan trekking, without feeling any less spectacular.

If this is your first big trek and you want the highest odds of success without extensive prior altitude experience, Annapurna Base Camp (11 days) or Poon Hill (shorter still) are the sensible starting points. If Everest has always been the goal, it's entirely achievable for a fit first-timer with a sensible acclimatisation schedule — just budget extra rest days and don't rush the itinerary.

Many trekkers end up doing both eventually — there's no rule that says you have to choose forever, only for this trip.