Get ready to experience the epic adventure journey to the world’s most popular trekking destination- the Everest Base Camp.
Mount Everest, also known as Sagarmatha, is the highest peak.
Trekking to the Everest region is to reach the top of the world literally and practically. However, it is more than just trekking. It is a breakthrough in everyone’s life.
The heavenly region lies in the northeast of Nepal. It is the colony of the world’s highest peak, majestic mountains, deep gorges, glaciers, and gigantic rocks.
Explore the lifestyle, culture, traditions, monasteries, and beliefs of the Sherpa people.
The journey to the Everest region begins from Lukla with a scenic flight from Kathmandu.
Everest region trek is full of Rhododendron, pine, and juniper forests; it makes the journey full of fragrance and enjoyment. We can even see the rare and endangered animals and birds of higher altitudes.
Trekking in the Everest region is not only about exploring the mountains. In addition, EBC is recognized for the hospitality of the Sherpa people.
The Everest region is a combination of smooth and adventurous treks.
It comprises the easy and beautiful trek of Everest Panorama to the adventurous Mount Everest summit.
Everest region trekking makes everybody proud because being around the world’s highest peak provides a sense of achievement.
The 17-day high altitude trek to the Everest Base Camp lets you explore the Himalayas’ challenging trails, all the while presenting you with jaw-dropping sceneries of the mountains, icefalls, and quaint Sherpa villages, which are all so picturesque that it will leave your Instagram feed poppin’.
Our set of trekking guides will help you get closer to the Everest region’s local culture, all the while taking you through some of the breathtaking sceneries of the world.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Everyone has certain expectations of trekking to Everest Base Camp, and as much exciting and spectacular experience it is, it is also challenging. Here are some of the points that you can expect on your Everest Base Camp trek:
Your ultimate Everest Base Camp trek begins after you touch down at Nepal’s only international airport in Kathmandu, the Tribhuvan International Airport, where we will be waiting to welcome you.
We will escort you to the hotel. After you reach the hotel, we will brief you about the schedule for the day and the day after tomorrow.
Today will be a busy day. After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer you to the domestic airport from where we will catch Lukla’s flight.
The scenic flight will show you the best views of Nepal’s mountain ranges like Cho Oyu, Gauri Shankar, Lhotse, and Melungtse. Now, the landing part itself is another adventure.
Also known as one of the most dangerous airports, Lukla Airport is the busiest one in Nepal, which welcomes many trekkers climbing the mountains. Upon landing, our trekking crew will greet and brief you.
The first destination of the day will be Phakding. Then, on your 4 – 5 hours of hiking, you will pass through the banks of Dudh Koshi (Milk River), named for its chalky color that emerges from the glaciers.
You will be following these river ridges throughout the day while hiking through many suspension bridges, tea shops and passing by some mountain animals. The vibrant prayer flags add a spiritual touch to the beautiful view of the Kusumkang mountains.
You will finally reach Phakding after passing through the small villages of Chaurikharka and Ghat.
After staying a night at Phakding, we will begin our 6 – 7 hours trek to Namche Bazar, known as the ‘Gateway to Mount Everest.’
We will trail along the Dudh Koshi River and its suspension bridges. We will pass through some rolling terrains and cultivated fields. We will see the first glimpse of the mighty Mount Everest and Lhotse as we incline.
Right after that, we will need to walk a few hours, and we will reach Namche Bazar, where we will be spending the night.
The next day is for exploring Namche Bazaar. The Sherpa capital village has numerous teahouses, restaurants, and bars. In addition, some shops sell groceries and even mountaineering equipment.
Namche Bazaar is the last spot where ATMs are available.
The vibrant village’s sky-high cliffs and deep canyons add to the region’s scenic beauty. Since most tourists like to visit Thame, we will take you there to see the town of numerous famous Sherpas and the ancient monastery.
At Namche, you will see many animals like yak, mountain goat, blue sheep, and birds like Pheasant and griffin vultures.
After breakfast at Namche, we will leave for Phortse Tenga.
We will ascend through a beautiful rhododendron forest and cross the southern slope of Khumbila. Finally, we will stop at Moung La Pass for lunch.
After lunch, we start our downhill trek alongside the Dudh Koshi river and start ascending through birch and rhododendron forests until we reach Phortse.
Phortse is a traditional Sherpa village, a great place to encounter pheasants, tahr mountain goats, and musk deer.
After an overnight at Phortse village, we will have a short hike to Pangboche.
We will gently incline through one of Nepal’s most beautiful trails till we reach the beautiful Sherpa village, Pangboche.
We will have lunch and rest for a while. Then, we will visit the Pangboche monastery — the oldest monastery in the Mount Everest region, established by a great monk named Lama Sangwa. You can explore the monastery’s ancient sculptures, idols, carved masks, and ruins.
We will return to our hotel at Pangboche for dinner and rest.
Our eight-day will have a challenging yet scenic climb to Dingboche.
We will trek uphill alongside the Imja Khola to reach our destination.
Dingboche, the last Sherpa village in the Khumbu region, is known as the best place to rest. We will reach Dingboche just in time for lunch. After lunch, you can chill, read a book, or enjoy the views.
Today is our acclimation day. We need our bodies to rest and adapt to a higher altitude to avoid altitude sickness.
After having breakfast, we will go on a day hike to the base of NangkarTshang peak. This 3 to 5-hour hike will take us past the cliffside and reward us with a stunning view of Mount Makalu.
We will again descend back to Dingboche to rest. This way, our bodies will acclimatize more effectively.
After an early breakfast at Dingboche, we will start our 6-hours long trek to Lobuche.
We will start our walk along the incline trail towards the Pheriche valley. Then, we will hike through alpine scrub and yak pastures.
The trail lets you enjoy beautiful views of Tawoche, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam.
After we reach Thokla pass, we start our challenging uphill trek. As we incline, we will see more magnificent views of the Himalayan ranges.
We traverse the Thokla pass till we reach Lobuche. Lobuche sits on the Khumbu glacier’s lateral moraine.
You will have your dinner and sleep here tonight.
Today will be the most exciting day you have been waiting for, for so long. Today, we trek the Everest Base Camp (EBC).
We leave Lobuche after breakfast and walk along the rocky trails. We make a stop at Gorak Shep for lunch. After lunch, we continue our trek through the colorful prayer flags, marking that we are coming close to the Everest Base Camp.
All the days of intense trekking will feel ‘worth-it’ after you stand in the middle of snow-capped mountains and colorful prayer flags moving with the chilly mountain wind.
You can see the splendid views of the Khumbu icefall and meet other trekkers and mountaineers resting or even descending from Mount Everest. It is a great place to hear the first-hand experiences of these people.
After you have had your share of experience at the base camp (i know it will not be enough), we will descend back to Gorak Shep, where we will be staying tonight.
On the other hand, if the weather shows excellent clear views, we will set out for Kala Patthar today and visit the Everest Base Camp tomorrow.
After an overnight at Gorak Shep, we hike to Kala Patthar in the early morning. However, if we visit Kala Patthar the day before, we will be going to the Everest Base Camp instead.
Kala Patthar is a big black rocky hill next to Gorak Shep that rewards every trekker with its serene sunrise view that shows panoramic vistas of Mount Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and many other peaks.
According to most trekkers, Kala Patthar has more beautiful views than the Everest Base Camp. We will let you decide about that!
After you do your share of photography and sightseeing, we will descend to Gorak Shep again for breakfast. After breakfast, we will continue to descend to Pheriche Pass, where we will be resting today.
After eating breakfast at Pheriche– a small village in the Khumbu region, we will descend to Deboche.
We will stop at the Himalayan Rescue Association clinic in Pheriche. Then, we will pass through the rhododendron forest till we reach Deboche.
Deboche, our stop for the day, is a beautiful village with an excellent religious history. We will visit the Deboche Nunnery, the oldest Buddhist nunnery in the Mount Everest region and an ideal meditation place.
Afterward, we return and rest in our hotel.
After breakfast, we continue our trail to Namche Bazaar.
We will visit the Tengboche Monastery on the way. You can explore and learn about the monastic life at this monastery.
We will then continue walking towards Kyangjuma for lunch. After lunch, we will start our descend to Namche Bazaar. The descent will show you amazing views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam peaks.
You will see native animals like thar, goral, and wild antelope on your descent. If you are lucky, you will see a musk deer too.
After a good breakfast at Namche Bazaar, we will start trekking down to Manjo through the Dudh Koshi valley.
You should definitely take lots of photos and take in the views of the mountains one last time.
We will stay at Phakding village today and enjoy the beautiful sunset.
We will leave Phakding and pass through the village of Ghat and Chepling to reach Lukla.
We will also pass through many small stupas and prayer flags till we trek the final hill to Lukla.
Upon reaching Lukla, you can shower and relax. You can also explore the town if you want.
Today you will fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla airport after having breakfast. The trekking team will drop you at the Lukla airport.
Our tour agency will be waiting at Kathmandu’s domestic airport to escort you to the hotel where you can relax. If you are not feeling tired, you can explore the streets of Thamel in the evening. Thamel is known to have excellent nightlife too.
Today is the end of an unforgettable day. We will drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport 3-hours before your scheduled flight.
There are two base camps on Mount Everest: the South Base Camp in Nepal and the North Base Camp in Tibet, China.
The trek to Everest Base Camp takes you up to 5,364 meters. Tibet’s base camp is 5,150 meters.
Yes, beginners can go to the Everest Base Camp Trek; however, it will not be easy. The trek involves 5-6 hours long walks for days to the highest points on earth and rewards you with the most breathtaking views.
As a beginner, you need to be determined and physically fit. You must go steady and listen to your body. We recommend going on short treks and working out before going on the EBC trek.
You should also pack the right trekking gear. Here’s a complete packing list for the Everest Base Camp trek.
The Everest Base Camp trek is moderately difficult. The trekker doesn’t need trekking experience; however, s/he must be physically and mentally fit. The EBC trek doesn’t include any technical climbing; it is just a long hike.
You have to be mindful of the Acute Mountain Sickness and acclimatize frequently.
Everest Base Camp Trek is safe if you ensure a suitable itinerary with good rest days, acclimatization, and a reliable guide. Besides, you should drink clean water and use water purification tablets. Avoid drinking water straight from the streams.
Another thing to be mindful about considering your safety is the animals that transport goods. Animals like yaks and donkeys run pretty quick and may bump into you, so make sure to stand off the trail and leave the way for them.
Also, helicopter evacuation services are available if there are any medical emergencies. Get travel insurance before you go on trekking.
14 crucial health and safety tips for trekking in Nepal
If you have a pre-existing health condition like heart, lung, or blood disease, you must consult your physician before booking the trek.
Yes, training your mind and body is necessary for the Mt Everest Base Camp trek. However, many young and old beginners have completed the trek and had a wonderful time with the proper training.
Training for Everest Base camp includes strength endurance, elevation training, and aerobic conditioning.
You can practice strength endurance by hitting the gym. Aerobic training is a cardio workout that helps your body work hard even on less oxygen, whereas elevation training helps your muscles better handle elevation gain.
It would be great if you also went on hikes to get used to long walks. Using the same trekking gears, you plan to use on the Everest Base Camp trek is even better.
Click here to read about how to train for the Everest Base Camp trek in depth.
Here are some of the ways to avoid altitude sickness during the Everest Base Camp trek:
Some of the key points to keep in mind before going for the Everest Base Camp trekking are as follows:
You need two special permits for the Everest Base Camp trek. These permits are:
There is no age limit for trekking to Everest Base Camp. However, it is best to be careful if you’re over 70 years old. As for kids, they can also take part in this grand trek. However, we recommend trekking for kids over 13, only accompanied by an adult.
As of now, there are no official criteria you should worry about but to be physically fit.
We will be trekking over high elevations to reach the world’s highest base camp, so it is no exception to miss out on nutritious food to fuel your body. Your body needs to consist of enough carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fiber.
The package you buy will constitute 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches, and 14 dinners throughout the trek.
Your breakfast will have oatmeal, cornflakes, muesli, toasts with jam, butter, cheese, and honey, french toasts, Tibetan bread, chapati, hashed browns, boiled eggs, or omelets, pancakes, fruits, vegetables, and hot drinks like tea, coffee, and hot chocolate.
Lunch includes Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari with poppadoms, Tibetan bread with soup, steaks, sandwiches, momos, macaroni, thenduk, fried noodles, vegetable curry, potato items, pizza, and dessert items like rice pudding and apple pie.
Dinner constitutes Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari, Tibetan bread, soups, stew steaks, sandwiches, Momo, thenduk, spaghetti noodles, pasta, and potato items snacks like poppadoms and prawn crackers, and dessert items like rice pudding and apple pie.
These food items will be fresh, hygienic, organic, and delicious. The menu list combines traditional local Nepalese food, Asian and western cuisine.
Yes, you will get enough vegetarian meals during the trek. It is even advisable to eat vegetarian items rather than meat during the tour for health safety reasons.
Breakfasts typically include vegetarian items like bread, chapatis and vegetable curry, pancakes, oatmeals, and cornflakes.
You will get flour and cereal items like dumplings with vegetarian fillings, pasta, and vegetarian curries alongside Dal Bhat (Rice and lentil soup) for lunch and dinner.
These food items provide enough energy to get you walking throughout the day.
It is essential to drink at least 3 – 4 liters of water a day to keep your body hydrated throughout the trek.
You should carry a hydration bladder and use water purification tablets. You can also use a reusable bottle with a SteriPen or an inbuilt infiltration system.
If you do not have one, you can buy sealed mineral water. It is available throughout the trail in local lodges. Mineral water’s price increases with increasing altitude, NPR 100 / USD 1 – NPR 400 / USD 4.
Never drink water directly from flowing rivers or streams for your safety.
Yes, all trekkers need to show proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19. In addition, the Everest Base Camp trekking also requires a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 96 hours before the first day of the trek.
What is the best time for the Everest Base Camp trek?
The Everest Base Camp is one of the most famous places to visit. However, the trek itself is a lifetime journey, and the weather plays a vital role in getting the most out of this journey.
The weather is always unpredictable at high altitudes, and here, we are talking about the most elevated trekking point in the world. Even though professional climbers and locals trek all year round, the Everest Base Camp Trek’s best time is Spring and Autumn.
Spring and Autumn seasons have clear skies from morning till evening, and there is no rainfall, making your trails easy and safe. Trekking during these times will reward you with magnificent views of the Himalayas.
The temperature will also be warm, and the nights bearable cold.
These months are the coldest and have the heaviest snowfall. Days are warmer and have clearer skies making it perfectly fine to trek to the Everest Base Camp. However, the temperature drops to -15 degrees Celsius at night, making it extremely cold to sleep. If you are allergic to extreme colds, do not trek during these months.
March to April marks the spring season, making it one of the best times to go for a trek before the monsoon season. The days are warm and have clear skies making it best to see the mountains as you walk the trails. In addition, these are the times when the plants start blooming in abundance.
These are also an excellent time to trek because they fall between the spring and summer seasons. Again, due to the warm days, clear skies, and bearable cold throughout the night.
These months hit the peak of the monsoon season. The Everest region faces heavy rainfall, due to which the flights to Lukla have high chances of getting canceled. The trek is challenging but not impossible during these months. You need to stay cautious on the trails. The good part is that the trails will not be crowded, and you will get to see spectacular views of the waterfalls. Plus, you will also get a discount on accommodation charges.
These are yet another best month for the Everest Base Camp trek. Most trekkers love to trek during these months because of the perfect climate. The end of rainfall clears off the clouds and dust, showing the mountains’ fantastic views under the clear skies. The temperature rises to 20 degrees Celsius in the daytime and lowers to 5 degrees at night.
November to December is the beginning of the winter season. Most people trek in November as the days are clear and show phenomenal mountain views. However, the temperature drops from December, and the snowfall starts getting heavier, making it hard to trek and sleep at night.
Yes, there is Wi-Fi on the Everest Base Camp trek; however, the highest point of the tour, the Everest Base Camp, doesn’t have Wi-Fi. Here, you can use your mobile phone data with a sim card from Ncell. Everest Link card costs $2-$4 depending on where you are buying it.
Yes, you need to bring your personal medical kit, even though your guide will be carrying one for the trek to Everest Base Camp.
Besides your prescribed medication (if any), the other medicines you should bring are:
Gumboots are not necessary for the EBC trek as you will not be trekking during the monsoon season. Besides, your trekking boots themselves will be waterproof and will keep your feet from getting wet.