Everest Base Camp Trek – 13 days

  • Overview
  • Itinerary
  • Trip Facts
  • Gallery
  • Videos
  • Useful Info

At a glance

No Content Found

Description

Our Everest Base Camp Trek is tailored for budget travelers with ample acclimatization days before Everest Base Camp and alternative return route to Lukla. It begins with a 35 minute Mountain flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2 642m/8 668ft); gateway to the Khumbu region. 

The trail then drops through farmland and villages before rising to Namche Bazaar (3 440m/11 287ft). An important acclimatisation day is spent here: use it to explore the interesting Buddhist Sherpa village of Khumjung. 

Everest base camp trekking trail then climbs over ridges as it gradually rises; and night temperatures drop. Forests change to alpine scrub and the scenery becomes more dramatic towards the last village of Gorak Shep. From here, walk along the Khumbu glacier to Everest Base Camp (5 364m/17 600m): opposite the treacherous ice fall. Climb Kala Patthar (5 550m/18 210ft) behind the village for superb views of Everest (8 848m/29 028ft) and other peaks.

Returning on the different route showcases breathtaking landscape with untouched Sherpa villages with fewer trekkers.  Sturdy boots, warm waterproof clothing, sleeping bag, day pack, camera, sunscreen and hat are essential trekking accessories. Our 13 days Everest base Camp Trekking package includes permits, your guide, local porters, transport both ground and air, mountain accommodation, meals and 100% safe drinking water. 

Outline Itinerary

1 Day 01: Kathmandu – Lukla (2,642m/8,668ft): – Phakding (2,562m/8,700ft), 35 min flight, ~8km, 3-4 hrs trek

After breakfast, transfer to the Domestic Airport for the Trans Himalayan flight and dramatic landing on the hillside at Lukla: gateway to the Khumbu/Everest region. Meet your local porters and walk downhill to the Sherpa settlement of Cheplung. The trail then, follows the side of the Dudh Koshi Valley before ascending to Ghat (2,530m/8,350ft). Another gentle hour leads up to Phakding.

Overnight in Phakding at Lodge:

Meals, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

2 Day 02: Phakding – Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,280ft), ~10km, 5-6 hrs

The trail meanders through pine forest, along the Dudh Koshi River, crossing many suspension bridges via the Sherpa villages of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo and Jorsale: entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park and permit checkpoint, with tranquil views of glistening Thamserku (6,618m/21,714m). The trail continues along the riverbed to the confluence of the Bhote and Dudh Koshi Rivers. It then climbs steadily, crossing the high Tenzing- Hilary suspension bridge with inspiring glimpses of Everest and the Nuptse – Lhotse ridge. A final three hour ascent through pine forest leads to the prosperous trading and administrative town of Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in Namche Bazaar at Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

3 Day 03: Namche Bazaar: Acclimatization and exploration day

This is a scheduled acclimatization day on the trek. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and health experts recommend a stop for at least one extra night. Be active and roam rather than laze around: climb high and sleep low is the acclimatisation advice.

Namche Bazaar has ATMs, cyber cafés, delicious restaurant food and bakeries, plus a colourful market each Friday evening and Saturday morning. Visit the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park Visitor’s Centre on the hillock: with informative displays on Sherpa culture, local flora and fauna.

Take an entertaining side trip to the large traditional Sherpa village of Khumjung (3,780m/12,402ft): with fine views of Thamserku, Kangtega, Ama Dablam and Everest – in a sea of lesser peaks.

Return to Namche Bazaar for the night
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

An alternative five hour return-walk northwest of the town to Thame (3,820m/12,533ft) below the impressive Kongde Ri Ridge (6,187m/20,300ft), offers panoramic Himalayan views not seen on the EBC route.

4 Day 04: Namche Bazaar – Tengboche (3,870m/12,694ft), ~ 8km, 5-6 hrs

The trail climbs up from the town and then contours around the hillside, offering great views including Everest and Khumjung. Look out for spotted deer, Himalayan tahrs and birds – including the colourful (male) Danphe pheasant (Nepal’s national bird). The trail rises to Sanasa where the routes to Gokyo and Everest BC fork. The trail to the right then descends to cross the Dudh Koshi (past water driven prayer wheels) on a suspension bridge near Phunki Thenga (3,250m/10,663ft), the lowest point north of Namche Bazaar. It then enters the Imja Khola Valley and rises steeply, through dwarf conifers and rhododendron forest, for a two hour pull, to the hilltop village of Tengboche.

Their famous Gompa is set against the backdrop of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Everest, Kangtega and other peaks. At full moon in October/November they hold the colourful Mani Rimdu festival which includes masked dancing and Tibetan Opera in the monastery courtyard. Visit the monastery during the afternoon.

Overnight in Tengboche at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

5 Day 05: Tengboche - Dingboche (4,360 m/14,300ft), ~10km, 5-6 hrs

Today’s trail descends to Debuche: a scattered stone village with a nunnery, chortens and long mani wall. Cross the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola and gradually ascend to Pangboche with views of towering Ama Dablam (6,856m/22,495ft perhaps the most beautiful mountain in the Everest region). The trail then follows the river fairly closely as it gradually rises to its confluence with the Lobuche Khola and continues up to Dingboche: the last year-round Sherpa settlement in the region. Different views of Ama Dablam rise above the terraced fields of barley, buckwheat and potatoes. The fields are walled to protect crops from icy winds and animals during the short growing season.

Overnight in Dingboche at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

6 Day 06: Dingboche: Acclimatization and exploration day

This is another scheduled rest day on the trek and will assist your fitness and oxygen intake at the higher altitudes to follow. An enjoyable 3-4 hrs side walk, 400m climb to Nangkartshang Gompa, on the ridge north of Dingboche village can be the best choice. This vintage point offers Mt. Makalu (8,463m) fifth highest Mountain in the world to the east and awesome view of Mt. Ama Dablam and valley floor. If you have more energy, continue to Nangkartshang Hill summit (5090m) for additional adventure and thrill.

Return from the rarefied air to Dingboche for the night
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

7 Day 07: Dingboche – Lobuche (4,940m/16,207ft), ~7km, 4-5 hrs

The trail climbs to a ridge providing towering views of Taboche Peak and Cholatse and continues through Yak pastures before crossing a wooden bridge over a roaring stream to Duglha (4,620m/15,158ft). The trail then ascends steeply for an hour, up the gravely terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. On the summit is a large group of stone-pile memorials to lost Sherpas and climbers. It also affords great border-views including Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Pumori. Everest is hidden behind the towering wall of Nuptse and Lhotse. Follow the valley upstream for about an hour to Lobuche.

Overnight in Lobuche at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

8 Day 08: Lobuche – Gorak Shep (5,160m/16,930ft) – Everest Base Camp (5,364m/17,594ft) – Gorak Shep, ~15km, 7-8 hrs

A long but rewarding day. Follow the windblown and rocky path along the barren moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to the last village at Gorak Shep. After an early lunch, set out on the feint trail to the world’s highest Base Camp, on the Khumbu Glacier: opposite the dreaded icefall – the most dangerous section of an Everest ascent.

In April/May the trail is busy with porters carrying in supplies and the site is a riot of colourful tents perched on the dirty ice. For the rest of the year it is a bleak and lonely place set below the impressive ice walls (and avalanches) of the Mahalangur Himal along the Tibetan border. From west to east, the main peaks are Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse and Nuptse.  Everest and the Cwm are hidden behind buttresses.

Trek back to Gorak Shep for the night
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

9 Day 09: Gorak Shep – Kala Patthar (5,545m/18,192ft) – Pheriche (4,280m/14,070ft), ~15km, 7-8 hrs

A very early morning climb of 2-3 hours up Kala Patthar, behind the village, offers a sunrise awakening of the Himalayan chain. First Everest (8,848m/29,028ft), then its surrounding vassals: Pumori (7,145m/23,443ft), Lingtren (6,697m/21, 973ft), Khumbutse (6,623m/21,730ft), Changtse (7,550m/24,772ft), Lhotse (8,516m/27,941ft) and Nuptse (7,861m/25,792ft). Plus Cho Oyo (8,201m/26,907ft) in the west and Ama Dablam to the south: amidst countless other peaks that crowd the horizon in all directions.

Drop back to Gorak Shep for breakfast and then retrace your steps down to Lobuche. Return to the snout of the Khumbu glacier, dropping down the moraine and continuing on to the village of Pheriche for a lower and warmer night.

Overnight in Pheriche at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

10 Day 10: Pheriche – Phortse (3,750m/12,300ft), ~9km, 4-5 hrs

Follow an alternative trail to Pangboche: the highest year-round Sherpa settlement. Its monastery, built in the 16th C is the oldest in the Khumbu region.  A less used trail, north of the river, leads again through “game” country to the quieter and culturally interesting Sherpa village of Phortse, on the Gokyo Lakes trail.

Overnight in Phortse at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

11 Day 11: Phortse – Monjo (2,800m/9,200ft), ~12km, 5-6 hrs

Continue south along this trail, through Mong La to Sanasa – and the turn off to Tengboche. Then follow the wider trail around the hill back to Namche Bazaar before descending into the green valley around Jorsale. Exit the National Park and walk down to Monjo, with its comfortable altitude.

Overnight in Monjo at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

12 Day 12: Monjo – Lukla (2,780m/9,175ft), ~12km, 5-6 hrs

Today, the trail drops down the Dudh Koshi, through numerous farming villages to Phakding. Cross the suspension bridge at Thado Koshi, walk on to Cheplung and then round off the adventure with the final 700m, 35min ascent to Lukla. Reconfirm flight bookings and say goodbye to the porters.

Overnight in Lukla at Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

13 Day 13: Lukla – Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264ft), 35 min flight

After an early breakfast, take the return flight to Kathmandu. Transfer to your hotel End of the trip.

Note: B = Breakfast, B.B = Bed & Breakfast, B.L.D = Bed, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

If the above itinerary does not meet your needs, we can design individualized travel plans based on your preferences.

Trip Facts

Cost Includes:

  • Airport  pick up & transfer by private car / van
  • Two nights accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel in Kathmandu
  • Full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) during the trek
  • Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation.
  • One highly experienced, helpful and friendly guide, porters (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, salary, equipment, and insurance
  • Round trip flight to/from Kathmandu inclusive domestic departure tax
  • Duffle bag, down jacket and sleeping bag during the trek
  • First aid (medical) kit
  • Sagarmatha National Park Permits fee
  • TIMS Fee- (Trekkers' Information Management System)
  • Government taxes & office service charge

Cost Excludes:

  • Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
  • Travel insurance
  • International airfare
  • Nepal entry visa: 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 US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying US $ 100. Please bring 2 copies of passport-size photos.)
  • All kind of drinks (hot, cold and alcoholic)
  • Hot and cold showers during the trek
  • Personal shopping and laundry
  • Personal trekking equipments
  • Tips for trekking staff and driver (Tipping is appreciated but it is not mandatory)
  • Kathmandu city tours, inclusive of all entry fees, tour guide and private car / van

Videos

  • Loading the player...
  • Loading the player...

Useful Info

Upon Arrival

When you arrive at Tribhuban International Airport, our staff will greet you and transport you to your accomodations. After resting, the next day you will have a sightseeing tour of the city's most influential cultural landmarks. Before departing for your trek, we will review your itinerary, introduce you to your guide and help with the final preparations for your journey.

Meals and Drinking Water

We provide quality food in sufficient quantities (breakfast, lunch and dinner) from guesthouses chosen from a menu . Tea or coffee is also included with meals. While Everest Base Camp Trekking, your guide will help with menu selection and ensure that you get the best value meals possible. Although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, you should be aware that the menu is not normally extensive due to the extreme locations. Most teahouses offer a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as soup and seasonal vegetables. A variety of cereals, bread and egg dishes are generally available for breakfast. There will also be plenty of snacks available such as biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks and in some areas you will find fresh fruit in season. You can buy bottled mineral water from local lodges and shops en route or you can also ask your guide to fill your water bottle with boiled water and treat with water purification pills.

Our Trekking Guides and Staff

Your guide's role is to ensure that all aspects of the trip run smoothly. He will share his local knowledge, and provide advice on how to fill your free time as well as co-ordinate the day-to-day running of the tour - although occasionally he may need your understanding if things do not go according to plan. If you have any problems on the tour, please let your guide know so that steps can be taken to correct the situation. We are a well-established adventure company and we employ professional trekking guides with comprehensive knowledge of English and all required supplementary crew members (everyone has basic communication skills). We also provide training for our staff, thus enhancing their work efficiency. Our guides are intimately familiar with all local castes and customs along the trails and will share with you many cultural insights that are not covered in any guide book. You will have many chances to learn Nepali phrases and other cultural aspects throughout your trek. All of our team/ guides receive training in the following courses.

  • Trekking Guide Training &licensed- Government of Nepal, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation department of Hotel Management & Tourism Training Centre
  • Eco Trekking Workshop and Adventure Meet TAAN (Trekking Agents Association of Nepal)
  • Intensive Wilderness First Aid KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Educational Project)
  • English Language KEEP
  • Conservation and Biodiversity TAAN
  • Rock, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering (Climbing leaders) Nepal Mountaineering Association

Acclimatization

We are experts in operations at high-altitude. Every trip we run has a sound acclimatization program. We created the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary to allow for gradual height gain spread over a number of days. There is no way of predicting who will suffer from altitude, but for the vast majority of people, a slow ascent will produce minimal effects. Acclimatizing takes time and there are no safe shortcuts. For all trips to altitudes in excess of 3,000 meters, our guides carry medicines essential to the treatment of altitude illness; they are trained to track symptoms as well as administer medications.

Travel Insurance

To be adequately protected in terms of insurance, you will need specialized travel insurance for participation in hazardous activities. A travel insurance policy that covers emergency evacuation, trip injury, lost baggage, theft, liability, medical treatment and expenses is strongly recommended. Make sure the insurance covers all the activities that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal such as trekking and climbing. Our agency can arrange for the appropriate policy based on your trek.

Climate and Weather

The climate of Nepal is as varied as its geography. The low-lying Terai has a sub-tropical monsoonal climate. The Himalayan foothills, where most of our treks take place, are best in the cool dry season from September to May. The traditional trekking season in Nepal is late September to December, with October and November generally recognized as having the best weather. Spring is also a popular time of year with warmer weather and the advantage of seeing spring flowers and rhododendrons in bloom. The visibility is good and days are pleasantly warm, although nights can be cold, and snow is possible above 3,000 meters. The Everest Base Camp trek is likely to have a wide range of temperatures depending on the altitude and the time of day. In the mountains up to 3,500m the nights will be cool, normally around 5 degree C, and during the day temperatures sometimes rise to 25 degree C. At higher altitudes temperatures range from about 20 degree C to -15 degree C.

Group Size

We bring together a small group of likeminded people to give them a memorable and insightful travel experience with an invaluable opportunity to interact in a fun-filled environment. Our travel group generally comprises a maximum of 12 members. We need a minimum of 2 participants to run our fixed departure dates. For individualized trips, no minimum or maximum applies. If you would like to travel independently or with your friends, families and colleagues, you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient time frame for any number of people.

Responsible Travel

The beautiful environment of the Himalaya is also an extremely fragile one. At Himalaya Message Adventure, we are extremely conscious about the environment and aim to minimize the detrimental impact as much as possible. As deforestation is one of the greatest environmental threats, we do not have campfires and we use kerosene as cooking fuel. We also discourage trekkers from using wood-fuelled hot showers in lodges along the way. Many lodges, however, now provide solar energy, a far more eco-friendly alternative. Garbage disposal is another major problem. Some of the busier trails are at times strewn with litter and garbage thrown by irresponsible trekking groups. Our staff members are well motivated towards eco-friendly practices. We carry the non-biodegradable garbage, apart from that which can be safely and easily burned at the campsite. Our aim is to help protect and preserve this beautiful environment for future generations of trekkers to enjoy.

phone
  • Call us on
  • +977-9842958358

Trip Notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including detailed itinerary and full kit list.

View trip Notes

Customize Trip

We understand that your preferences and interests may be different. Tell us about your requirements and what you expect from the tour, and we will help you design a package with comfortable itinerary to best meet your needs. Please send enquiry to organize your own trip. We will feel happy to help you.

Send Enquiry
book

Download brochure

We are here to provide you the online brochure. Click here to download.

Need Inspiration for Your Next Tour?

Translate »