Everest Base Camp Trek
Highlights
- The world’s highest peak, Everest (8,848m).
- Lukla(2860m) a well-known spot for guests to the Himalayas closed to MT Everest. Here you will get to see the world’s highest and dangerous airport located in Syangboche.
- Namche Bazaar (3500m)the staging point for an expedition to Everest and other Himalayan peaks in the area. Where you can explore the colourful market town selling everything from Tibetan artefact to everything might need during your trip.
- Incredible view of Himalayan peaks such as Lhotse(8,516m), Nuptse (7861m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Thamserku (6623m), Mt.Makalu (8,463m) and Island peak (6189m).
- Tengboche ancient monastery the leading Buddhist centre in the Khumbu region every October they host the colourful Mani rimu festival which is a culmination of Buddhist celebrations with a religious gathering, songs, ritual dances, and enactments of the lives of legendary figures.
Overview
Everest Base Camp Trek is a lifetime memory that allows you to enter into Sagarmatha National Park and immerse deep into the beauty of Khumbu valley. The view of the world’s highest mountains – Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu and Mt. Cho Oyu is a surreal experience that can be gained through this trek. Besides, the close-up view of mountains like Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Tawache, etc. is a delightful moment.
The charming Sherpa village on the route is a reviving way to confront with the unique culture and lifestyle of the Himalayan people. Namche Bazaar is a famous town where you can explore the traditional yet busy life of Sherpa people. Some people are engaged with hotel business, some with trading goods up and down with the use of dzopkos (a cross of yak and cow used as Himalayan transport), some with household chores, etc.
Generally, the people in the Himalayan region follow the Buddhism religion. The dominance of the religion can be reflected in the prayer flags, mani walls, stupas, and monasteries on the route. Tengboche monastery is a vast spiritual hub in the Khumbu region. Kalapatthar is another popular vantage point at the height of 5,500 meters that offers 360-degree views of mountains in the Everest region. It is best known for the sunrise and sunset views over the Mt. Everest and other neighbouring peaks.
October to November and April to May is the best time for this trek. If you have enough time and want to explore the region more, you can opt for Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake Trek. If you are looking for a more challenging trek, then opt for Everest High Passes Trek or Everest Base Camp Trek with Island peak climbing.
- Day 1 - Welcome to Kathmandu (1400 Meters/4575ft) TIA
The first day marks your arrival day in Kathmandu. Clear all the visa requirements and customs clearance, if any, at the arrival section of the airport. As you come out, you will find a representative from World Alpine Treks waiting for you holding a board with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel at Kathmandu. The representative will shortly inform you about the plans ahead.
- Day 2 - Sightseeing in Kathmandu
The second day is a day tour just to warm up prior to your trekking journey. Kathmandu is a city enriched with artistic palaces, beautiful monuments, ancient temples, and other constructions of historical and cultural importance. No wonder the city has seven out of ten UNESCO listed world heritage sites. Today, you will be guided to the UNESCO listed heritage sites in Kathmandu. These heritages are perfect examples of rich history, fine culture, and architectural treasures of Nepal. At first, you will be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square. The art, crafts, and carvings in the palaces, temples, and other monuments of the durbar square are excellent. After that, you will be escorted to Swayambhunath stupa (Monkey temple), Pashupatinath temple and Boudhanath stupa respectively. (Inclusive of breakfast)
- Day 3 - Fly to Lukla (2843Meters/9295ft)- 30 minutes and Trek to Phakding (2610Meters/8535ft)- 3 Hours
On the third day, you will be headed to the domestic terminal of Tribhuwan airport for a flight to Lukla. The flight to Lukla in itself is an enriching experience where you will be able to enjoy some wonderful views of mountains. As you land in Lukla, you will meet our other crew members at the airport. From Lukla, we walk down through the trail along with hotels and lodges to Dudhkoshi River. We cross a long suspension bridge over the river and follow a path that takes us to Phakding. We stay at Phakding for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 4 - Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440Meters/11245ft)- 5:30 Hours
We wake up early and enjoy our breakfast. Then we follow our trail that goes through an undulating path up and down via traditional villages, fields, and rhododendron forests. We gradually ascend up and enter into Sagarmatha National Park with magnificent views of Mt. Thamserku on sight. We pass villages like Jorsale and Monjo on the way to Namche. Namche Bazaar is an old but lively Sherpa village. It is a gateway to all the trekking routes that go to the Everest region. There are many vibrant shops, cyber cafes, restaurants, hotels, and lodge at this time. Namche bazaar never rests. It always gets a lot of visitors and is always crowded. We stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 5 - Hike to Everest View Hotel (3880Meters/12685ft)- 3 Hours
The narrow street of Namche is always crowded. Do not get surprised if the yak bells and other horns wake you up. Today is a day set aside for acclimatization purposes. As we gain height, our body needs to be well adapted with the altitude change. Therefore, we have set aside an extra day in Namche. Today, we hike up to Everest View Hotel for close up views of mountains in the Everest region. From the hotel, we can enjoy some striking views of mountains like Kwangde, Thamserku, Kangtega, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, etc. We can visit a museum and a photo gallery on our way back to Namche from the Everest View Hotel. We stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 6 - Trek to Tengboche (3860Meters/12620ft)- 5 Hours
As we ascend up, our trail traverses through the forests of rhododendron with brilliant views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Amadablam and Mt. Lhotse on sight. After a while, the trail descends down to the Dudh Koshi River at Phungi Thanga. From here, the trail further ascends up through the forests of pine and rhododendron to Tengboche. Tengboche is accessible for the Tengboche monastery and astonishing views of Mt. Ama Dablam along with other peaks in the region. Tengboche monastery is considered as the largest monastery of the region. Today, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Tengboche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 7 - Trek to Dingboche (4410Meters/14420ft)- 5 Hours
We leave Tengboche and start climbing up the trail for around six hours to Dingboche. As we ascend up, we can notice the change in vegetation. We can find ourselves moving above the tree line with pastures and meadows along the way. On the way, we can see small fields enclosed by stone walls to protect crops from cold winds. As we open up to the meadows of Dingboche, we will find ourselves in a spectacular location with wonderful views of Lhotse and Nuptse ridge on sight. If the weather is favorable, one can relish the amazing views of the sunset over the Ama Dalam Himal in the Everest region. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Dingboche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 8 - Acclimatization in Dingboche (5325Meters/14420ft)- 5 Hours
We spend another day in Dingboche. This day in Dingboche is a part of acclimatization. As we have already gained enough height, acclimatization is a necessity. Therefore, we enjoy our day in Dingboche today. After breakfast in the guesthouse, we hike up to Nagerjun for close up views of mountains in the Everest region. We will be blessed with amazing views of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Ama Dalam, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, and many more. After enjoying the spectacles of mountains from Nagerjun, we walk back to the guesthouse in Dingboche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 9 - Trek to Lobuche (4910Meters/16055ft)- 5 Hours
Leaving Dingboche, the trail climbs up a ridge with some magnificent views of Taboche peak and Cholatse. Further, the trail continues through yak pastures until we cross a wooden bridge over a stream to Duglha. From Duglha, we ascend up for an hour along a steep route above the moraine of Khumbu glacier. From here, we ascend up the valley to Lobuche, enjoying the views of Khumbutse, Pumori, and Lingtren. Mt. Everest becomes invisible as it is hidden behind the towering peaks of Lhotse and Nuptse. On reaching Lhotse, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Lobuche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 10 - Trek to Everest Base Camp (5364Meters/17540ft) via Gorekshep (5180 Meters/16935ft)- 7 Hours
Today is one of the rewarding days of our journey. Our week-long hard work is going to pay off as we will be stepping in the Everest Base Camp – the dream of every single travel lover. From Lobuche, we follow a rocky path to the last village of the trail – Gorekshep. From Gorekshep, we continue towards the world’s highest base camp, i.e., Everest Base Camp, through the Khumbu glacier. It is considered as one of the most dangerous sections of Everest Base Camp Trek. As we reach the base camp, we will be showered with some mesmerizing views of glaciers, lakes, caves, and icefalls. Though the views of Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse are quite clear, Mt. Everest hides back behind the shades of Lhotse and Nuptse. After spending some time in base camp, we return back to Gorekshep via the same route. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Gorekshep. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 11 - Hike to Kalapatthar (5545Meters/18130ft)- 3 Hours and back to Pheriche (4220Meters/13800ft)- 6 Hours
Today, we wake up a little early to catch the sunrise views from Kalapatthar. We hike up for around two to three hours from Gorekshep to Kalapatthar. As we ascend up, we get the first glimpse of the mighty Mt. Everest along with the other peaks like Mt. Pumori, Mt. Lingtren, Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Changtse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Ama Dablam, etc. The golden rays of sunrise glittering over the snow-clad mountains in the region look amazing. After having this amazing view from Kalapatthar, we retrace our steps back to Pheriche. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Pheriche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 12 - Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440Meters/11245ft)- 7 Hours
Today, we descend down to Namche Bazaar via the same path that we had taken earlier. We descend down through the same path to Namche Bazaar. Tonight, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 13 - Namche bazaar to Lukla (2843Meters/9295ft)- 7 Hours
We further descend down to Lukla via Phakding. We stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Lukla for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Day 14 - Fly to Kathmandu (1400Meters/4575ft)- 30 Minute
We take a return flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel room in Kathmandu. You can relax in your room for the rest of the day. (Inclusive of Breakfast)
- Day 15 - Rest day in Kathmandu
After fourteen days long journey, today is a free day in Kathmandu. You have two options for the day – you can either explore some unexplored UNESCO listed heritage sites around Kathmandu or go to the shopping malls for shopping. You can also collect some souvenirs for your family and friends back home. (Inclusive of Breakfast)
- Day 16 - Departure day
Before a few hours of your scheduled flight, you will be transferred to the international terminal of Tribhuwan International airport. (Inclusive of Breakfast)
- Airport pick up/ drop facility.
- Both way Flight for Lukla.
- All ground transportation during the trip.
- Meals as mentioned in itinerary.
- Accommodation in a three-star category hotel in Kathmandu.
- Accommodation in guesthouses during the trekking journey.
- Trekking permit & TIMS.
- Duffel bag, trekking map, company t-shirt.
- Sleeping bag if you require.
- Entry fee to national parks, heritage sites and other government taxes.
- International airfare.
- Nepal entry visa fee: You can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. (A multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying the US $ 50 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying the US $ 125). Please bring 2 copies of passport-size photos
- Travel insurance.
- Hot shower during the trek except for Namche and Lukla.
- Extra night hotel Kathmandu in case of early arrival, late departure.
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu.
- Personal refreshment expenses - soft drinks, hard drinks, mineral bottled water, cigarettes, chocolates, etc.
- Utility expenses like telephone, electricity for charging, internet, laundry services, etc.
- Tips for support crew members of your trekking team.
Important Information
Tips for Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC):
1. Avoid drinking and smoking during the trek.
Drinking or smoking during the trek can directly affect your performance. Make sure you take good care of your health. During the trek, you might be facing high altitude sickness. Even a small health issue can cause a big problem for your trip. Make sure to be physically and mentally healthy.
2. You must eat proper meals. It would be better if you stick to vegetarian food.
You need enough stamina and energy during the trial, so make sure to feed yourself with healthy and proper food. You could find many non-veg food verities up there but stick to the vegetarian food cause it will be fresh and healthy compare to non-veg.
3. Sleeping bags are must buy or rent in KTM. And also get travel insurance get your own SIM card.
You can buy your own sleeping bag, or you can also rent it in KATHMANDU, everything that you need for the trek is available here in THAMEL. If you get a SIM card, it would be very easy for you to get connected. And yes travel insurance is must our company will give you all the information regarding your documentation.
4. ATM- The last working ATM with hefty fees are in NAMCHE BAZAAR, so make sure to have enough cash during the trek cause you cannot use the card up there...
The last working ATM with hefty fees are in NAMCHE BAZAAR. You cannot use the card up there so you must have enough cash before you leave NAMCHE BAZAR or before heading towards base camp. Up there you could use only cash to purchase everything that you need. So be prepared for that.
5. The right clothing and trekking gears.
The weather of EBC trail are very changeable, on any given day it could be hot, cold, rainy, snowing or windy so make sure you have the right gear, easily as you are working on the trial. Make sure you have proper lightweight day pack at least 35lt that can pack daily use items for you.
6. Pacing heart rates and breathing
You need to focus on a deep breath in through the nose and out through a mouth. Your goal should be to keep your heart rate slow as possible at all time while on EBC track. Make sure you have two few days between for acclimatization. One would be good in NAMCHE BAZAAR about 3000 meters and another DINGBOCHE about 4400 meters. This will give you a safer and more enjoyable experience going to achieve, and it prevents the chance of getting rescue sickness.
7. Stay on the mountainside and keep yourself close to the surrounding.
There is danger in many parts of the trek like rockfall, landslide and weather change etc. You need to make sure you are aware of your surroundings at all times. With each step, your personal safety should be your main concern when you are on trial.
8. Drinking enough safe purified water.
At higher steel, low oxygen levels make you breathe even deeper and faster so it makes you lose more water through the respiration and makes you need to urinate more often. You need to make sure that you at least drink 4-5 litre water each day. It would be better if you bring your own water bottle and purifier tables. You can also buy bottled water up there, but it will be too expensive and there is currently no way to recycle plastic bottle in the region so save money and save the environment.
9. Do not take any symptoms and signs of altitude mountain sickness lightly.
A little breathlessness here and there is normal. Which is why acclimatization is important. To prevent the chance of getting sickness you need to be able to manage your essence safely and never be afraid to let your guide and friends know how you feel. Altitude sickness can kill so respect the mountain and respect the decision of your guide make.
Best Time for Everest Base Camp Trek:
You might be wondering which season and time are best for the EBC trek. Here we have given you some information about EBC trek so that you can decide on your convenience. All year round it just depends on what type of trip you are looking for, and it depends on experience level you have so, here we have written about pros and cons of each season throughout the year.
AUTUMN (OCTOBER –NOVEMBER)
During October to November is an autumn season in Nepal. This is the season of festivals in Nepal. During October We Nepalese people celebrate one of the biggest festival called DASHAIN and TIHAR, if you decide to come in Nepal during this period of time, you will get a chance to explore so many new traditions and costume because during this season you will get to experience so many new activities on the way to the EBC trek. This time of year is the best weather for the trek, on this time there is no snow so that there will be clearest views. It is warmer at lower elevations, and there is less ice up at base camp. During this trip, you will get to know about the lifestyle of Sherpa people who lives in the arm of Himalaya. One of the cons is that it is high season so it is more expensive and there are more people, and there is less room in the tea houses. There are lots of stopping for queuing, and there is nobody at base camp camping. Most of the people there will be busy preparing to go for the summit, so you don’t get to meet people.
WINTER (DECEMBER – FEBRUARY)
The pros of going from December to February is that there is going to be fewer people. It is offseason so that for EBC trek it is much cheaper at this time. During this season there will be a clear sky and there is going to be good views if you are lucky. The cons are that it is going to be extremely cold at night dipping down to -20. However, it is also going to be much more chilly in the day so therefore you are going to need to pack more clothes and it will be a heavier backpack for you and you are possibly going to need some boots with crampons as opposed to wearing hiking shoes or trail runner so that’s going to add more weight to your pack as well. So depending on your experience level, you might be an expert and love hiking there is hardly anybody there and you are very used to hiking in those conditions.
SPRING (MARCH – MAY)
During March to May, you are definitely going to get good weather clear sky and yes great views. During spring season its warm in the day and elevations there is less ice at base camp people will actually be preparing to go to Mt Everest summit at base camp so you will get to have moved around there and ask people questions and see how they are getting set up for their trek. Cons of going in this season are that it’s going to be incredibly busy especially because there is a lot of people heading up to Everest base camp there is going to be a lot more trains of donkeys and bringing supplies to the base camp. There you can see lot more people getting Heli packs out of there it just going be a very busy as the autumn it’s going to be more expensive there will be fewer rooms in tea houses and again there will be lots of stopping for queuing.
SUMMER (JUNE – SEPTEMBER)
JUNE- SEPTEMBER is a summer season so during this season it is a bit warmer and all the ice has melted then you are going to get a lot more flora and fauna up there. Pros of this season are that It is going to be less busy so during summer it’s going to be a lot cheaper and also there is going to be lots of wildflowers growing in the KHUMBU valley. Cons of going in the summer are that it’s going to be extremely wet, it’s going to be cloudy and there is not going to be very good view so if you don’t like the wet and you are going for views then this season is not for you.