The 10 highest mountains in the world all rise above 8,000 metres, and Mount Everest leads the list at 8,848.86 metres (29,032 feet). The list of the highest mountains is a ranking of Earth's tallest peaks measured by height above sea level, and 8 of the top 10 stand inside Nepal or along its borders.
8 of these ten giants sit in Nepal or on its frontier, which is one reason climbers and trekkers from all over the world fly into Kathmandu before they head for the hills. The only two peaks that do not touch Nepal are K2 and Nanga Parbat, and both of those are in Pakistan. Everest's exact height of 8,848.86 metres was announced together by China and Nepal on 8 December 2020, after surveyors from both sides measured the summit again and finally agreed on a single figure.
How these giants connect to trekking in Nepal
3 of the world's five highest mountains, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu, are clustered in the same corner of eastern Nepal, and the trails that run below them are the trails our guides walk every season. You do not need to be a mountaineer to stand at the foot of these peaks. A trekker in decent health can walk to the base of several of them on a well-supported route with a Sherpa or Gurung guide, sleeping in tea houses and eating hot food each night. The climbing, with its ropes, oxygen and months of preparation, is left to expeditions. The walking is open to ordinary people who have some time and a bit of patience.
3 routes get you closest to the peaks on this list. You can reach the base of the world's highest mountain on the Everest Base Camp trek, stand under the tenth-highest on the Annapurna Base Camp trek, and circle the eighth-highest on the Manaslu Circuit trek. Each one puts you in the shadow of an eight-thousander without ever asking you to climb it.
The 10 highest mountains at a glance
| Rank | Mountain | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everest | 8,848.86 | 29,032 | Nepal-China border |
| 2 | K2 | 8,611 | 28,251 | Pakistan-China (Karakoram) |
| 3 | Kangchenjunga | 8,586 | 28,169 | Nepal-India border |
| 4 | Lhotse | 8,516 | 27,940 | Nepal-China border |
| 5 | Makalu | 8,485 | 27,838 | Nepal-China border |
| 6 | Cho Oyu | 8,188 | 26,864 | Nepal-China border |
| 7 | Dhaulagiri I | 8,167 | 26,795 | Nepal (whole) |
| 8 | Manaslu | 8,163 | 26,781 | Nepal, Gorkha (whole) |
| 9 | Nanga Parbat | 8,126 | 26,660 | Pakistan (Himalaya) |
| 10 | Annapurna I | 8,091 | 26,545 | Nepal (whole) |
Each of the 10 highest mountains, one by one
1. Everest, 8,848.86 m
Mount Everest rises 8,848.86 metres (29,032 feet) on the border between Nepal and China, and it is the highest point on Earth. Its height was settled jointly by China and Nepal and announced on 8 December 2020, the first time the two countries had agreed on a single figure together. On the Nepal side the mountain stands above the Khumbu valley, where Sherpa villages, monasteries and the famous Base Camp trail sit below the ice. Climbers reach the top from both the south, in Nepal, and the north, in Tibet. For most visitors, though, the goal is never the summit but the long, beautiful walk to its foot.
2. K2, 8,611 m
K2 stands 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) in the Karakoram range on the border of Pakistan and China, which makes it the second-highest mountain on Earth. Many climbers consider K2 harder and deadlier to climb than Everest, because of its steep pitches, its exposure to sudden storms and the fact that it has no gentle route to the top. It sees no trekking crowds at its base the way Everest does. The walk in through the Karakoram is long, dry and remote, far from any tea house. K2 is the reason mountaineers speak of the second-highest peak with more fear than the first.
3. Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m
Kangchenjunga reaches 8,586 metres (28,169 feet) on the border between Nepal and India, beside the state of Sikkim. It is the third-highest mountain in the world, and after Everest it is the highest peak that touches Nepal. It sits far out in the remote east of the country, a long way from the main trekking hubs, so it sees far fewer visitors than the Everest and Annapurna regions. Its slopes fall away into both Nepal and India. For most trekkers it is a name spoken with respect rather than a place they reach, because the trails around it are long, quiet and demanding.
4. Lhotse, 8,516 m
Lhotse climbs to 8,516 metres (27,940 feet) on the border of Nepal and China, and it is joined to Everest by the high pass known as the South Col. It is the fourth-highest mountain in the world. Because the two peaks are linked, climbers on Lhotse share much of the Everest route before the paths divide near the summit. From the Everest Base Camp trail you look almost straight up at its steep wall. It stands so close to Everest that plenty of trekkers photograph it without realising it is one of the ten highest peaks on the planet.
5. Makalu, 8,485 m
Makalu measures 8,485 metres (27,838 feet) on the border of Nepal and China, which places it fifth on the list. It sits in the same wild corner of eastern Nepal as Everest, sharp and steep against the sky. Its base is far harder to reach than Everest's, with fewer villages and lodges along the way, so it draws committed trekkers rather than large groups. Makalu completes a tight cluster of huge peaks, because Everest, Lhotse and Makalu, the first, fourth and fifth highest, all rise within the same region. That cluster is what makes this part of Nepal so famous with climbers.
6. Cho Oyu, 8,188 m
Cho Oyu rises 8,188 metres (26,864 feet) on the border of Nepal and China, ranking sixth in the world. It is often called one of the more approachable eight-thousanders, which means climbers with less extreme experience sometimes choose it as their first peak above 8,000 metres. Approachable does not mean easy, and it still demands oxygen, skill and real respect for the altitude. It stands west of the Everest group, close to the Tibetan side. For our purposes it is another reminder of how many of these giants line up along the Nepal-China border.
7. Dhaulagiri I, 8,167 m
Dhaulagiri I stands 8,167 metres (26,795 feet) and sits wholly inside Nepal, which makes it the seventh-highest mountain in the world and one of the tallest peaks contained entirely within a single country. It rises in the west-central part of the country, near the Annapurna region across a deep river valley. Because it lies fully in Nepal, every route to it starts and ends on Nepali soil. Trekkers who walk the trails of the Annapurna area often catch sight of it from a distance. It is one of the great white walls of the Nepal Himalaya.
8. Manaslu, 8,163 m
Manaslu reaches 8,163 metres (26,781 feet) in the Gorkha district of Nepal, the eighth-highest mountain in the world and another peak that sits wholly inside the country. Of all the eight-thousanders, this is the one our trekkers get to circle on foot, because a well-known trail loops right around it. The route passes Buddhist villages, long walls of carved prayer stones and high passes with the peak looming over your shoulder. It draws people who want big mountain scenery with fewer crowds than the Everest trail. Manaslu is proof that you can spend days beside an eight-thousander without ever leaving the path.
9. Nanga Parbat, 8,126 m
Nanga Parbat rises 8,126 metres (26,660 feet) in Pakistan, and it is the ninth-highest mountain in the world. It belongs to the Himalaya, standing as the great western anchor of that range, and it is not part of the Karakoram, which is a mistake many people make. K2 is the Karakoram giant, while Nanga Parbat marks where the Himalaya come to an end in the west. It has a fearsome reputation among climbers for its enormous faces and its hard weather. Along with K2, it is one of only two peaks in the top 10 that do not touch Nepal, since both lie in Pakistan.
10. Annapurna I, 8,091 m
Annapurna I closes the top 10 at 8,091 metres (26,545 feet), sitting wholly inside Nepal. It is the tenth-highest mountain in the world, and it gives its name to the whole Annapurna region that so many trekkers visit. Our Annapurna Base Camp route walks right into the natural amphitheatre of peaks at its foot, a place trekkers often call the Annapurna Sanctuary. The mountain has a hard, serious history in climbing circles, and yet the trek to its base is one of the friendliest walks in Nepal. Annapurna I is where the world's tallest ten hands over to slightly lower, but no less beautiful, mountains.
Why so many of the top 10 run along Nepal
8 of the ten highest mountains stand in or on the border of Nepal, and there is a simple reason for it. The Himalaya form the highest mountain range on Earth, and the tallest stretch of that range runs straight across Nepal and its borders with China and India. The country has built its whole trekking and climbing industry around the valleys that sit below these peaks. That is why Kathmandu is the starting point for so many climbs and treks. When you fly in, you are landing at the doorstep of most of the tallest mountains on the planet.
Which of these peaks you can walk up close to
3 of the peaks on this list sit at the end of trails our guides lead every season, and you can reach the foot of each one without any climbing:
- Everest, on the Everest Base Camp trek, a walk through Sherpa country to the foot of the highest mountain on Earth.
- Annapurna I, on the Annapurna Base Camp trek, which ends inside the ring of peaks known as the Annapurna Sanctuary.
- Manaslu, on the Manaslu Circuit trek, a long loop right around the eighth-highest mountain in the world.
2 of these routes, Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp, are the ones most first-time visitors ask about, because they pair huge scenery with warm lodges and friendly villages. The Manaslu Circuit is quieter and a little wilder, for people who want the big peak without the busy trail. All three are led by local Sherpa and Gurung guides who grew up in these hills. You come home having stood beneath a mountain most people only ever see in photographs.
What is the highest mountain in the world?
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world at 8,848.86 metres (29,032 feet), on the border between Nepal and China. China and Nepal announced this shared figure together on 8 December 2020.
How many of the 10 highest mountains are in Nepal?
8 of the 10 highest mountains stand inside Nepal or along its borders. The only two that do not are K2 and Nanga Parbat, and both of those are in Pakistan.
Which is the second-highest mountain in the world?
K2 is the second-highest mountain at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), in the Karakoram range on the Pakistan-China border. Many climbers regard it as harder and deadlier to climb than Everest.
Is Nanga Parbat in the Karakoram range?
No, Nanga Parbat is part of the Himalaya, not the Karakoram, and it forms the western anchor of the Himalayan range. K2 is the Karakoram peak, and mixing up the two is a common error.
Can trekkers get close to any of the highest mountains?
Yes, you can walk to the base of three of them without climbing. The Everest Base Camp trek reaches the foot of Everest, the Annapurna Base Camp trek reaches Annapurna I, and the Manaslu Circuit trek loops around Manaslu.
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Dawa Tshering
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