Trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal

Trek to Everest Base Camp

This tour takes you on the legendary trek to Everest Base Camp, at the foot of the highest mountain on the planet, known as Jomolungma (Tibetan name) and Sagarmatha (Nepali name). It is the most popular and iconic trek in Nepal, attracting travelers from all over the world for several reasons:

• Breathtaking scenery:
  Along the way, you'll enjoy stunning views of the peaks in the Khumbu Valley. The landscapes transform dramatically as you ascend. At the start of the trek, around 2500 meters, the valley is lush and green, covered with forests. As you climb higher, the greenery fades, revealing rugged mountains, snow-capped peaks, and the Khumbu River turning into a glacier.

• No technical skills required:
  The trek is a relatively easy walking route that does not require any special climbing experience or technical skills.

• Comfortable facilities:
  This trek is well-supported with guest houses for overnight stays, so there’s no need for camping. Along the route, you’ll find numerous cafes and tea houses, making the journey more enjoyable.

• Proper acclimatization:
  The itinerary is designed to help you acclimatize to the altitude gradually. You’ll gain no more than 500 meters per day and spend one or two nights in each new location. By the time you reach Everest Base Camp, you will be well-prepared to climb Kala Patthar (5545 meters), the highest point of the trek and the best viewpoint of Everest.

• Cultural immersion:
  The trek offers a unique opportunity to learn about the culture of the Sherpa people, native to the Khumbu region. You’ll also spend a full day in Namche Bazaar, the administrative center of Khumbu. Namche is a fascinating town at over 3000 meters, surrounded by ancient Buddhist monasteries and offering a glimpse into the region’s rich history and traditions.

Join us on this unforgettable journey to experience the beauty, culture, and majesty of the Everest region!

The detailed itinerary:

Day 1. Kathmandu – Ramechhap.

Arrival to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. A guide meets you at the international airport and brings to a hotel where you rest after your flight. In the afternoon we take a private minibus from Kathmandu to Ramechap village, and we get to Ramechap in 4 hours. We sleep in a guest house at Ramechhap. The elevation of Ramechhap is 1200 m.

Day 2. Ramechhap – Lukla (2860 m) – Phakding (2600 m)

We wake up early in the morning and have a short flight from Ramechap to Lukla by a one-engine airplane. We arrive to the famous Tenzing Hillary airport of Lukla, Lukla is a small town in Khumbu valley where we start our trek. If we miss breakfast at Ramechap, we can have it in Lukla. Then we start walking and in 3-4 hours we reach Phakding, a village where we spend the night in a comfortable guest house.

Day 3.  Phakding to Namche (3400 m). 6-7 hours walk.

After breakfast we start walking up in the direction of Namche town. On the way we pass a check post at Monjo village where we can also have lunch. And in the afternoon we finally reach Namche, this beautiful ancient town on the slopes of Khumbu hills.

Day 4. Full day in Namche.

This is an acclimation day. We have two options. We can either walk for a couple of hours from Namche up to a view point which is at the height of 3900 m and where we can have lunch at the famous Japanese hotel called Everest View Point and then descend back to Namche. Or we can explore culture sights of Namche – museums, monasteries and handicraft shops.

Day 5. Namche to Tengboche (3860 m). 5-6 hours.

We continue hiking up Khumbu valley. From Namche we walk to Tengboche. We can stop for lunch in one of the villages on the way and in the afternoon we get to Tengboche, a small place of just four guest houses around the Tengboche monastery - the oldest and biggest male Buddhist monastery in the whole Khumbu. We visit the monastery and, if we are lucky, we can see puja, a prayer ceremony performed by monks.

Day 6. Tengboche to Dingboche (4350 m). 6 hours.

On the way to Dingboche the green mountains of Himalayas are slowly replaced by the desert hills. The air becomes drier and our skin needs sun screen. Dingboche is quite a big village with multiple guest houses, cafes and even a cinema. Night in a simple guest house.

Day 7. Dingboche to Lobuche (4900 m). 5 hours.

On this day we slowly gain almost 600 m. The path is not steep but the high altitude can cause some breathing problems at the end of the day. On our way we stop at Thukla village for a tea. We also pass the memorial alley with the names of climbers from all over the world carved on plates or rocks. We spend the evening in our lodge at Lobuche by the sherpa style oven heated by timber or yak manure.

Day 8. Lobuche to Gorakshep (5100 m) and Everest Base Camp (5300 m)

After breakfast it takes only 3 hours to walk to Gorakshep, the last village on the way to Mount Everest. The path goes by the fantastically beautiful Khumbu glacier, and during the last hour of our hike we finally see the peak of Everest itself – a black pyramid peering out from behind Nuptse Mountain. In our lodge at Gorakshep we have a light lunch or just some hot drinks; then we walk from the village to Everest Base Camp. In about 2 hours we reach the legendary Base Camp. In spring about a thousand people stay at the Camp including climbers, sherpa guides, porters, cooks and the other staff. In the afternoon we go back to Gorakshep to our lodge.

Day 9. Gorakshep to Kala-Patthar (5643 m) and down to Pheriche (4370 m).

We have to wake up at 4 a.m. to start climbing Kala-Patthar, the goal of our entire tour. We need to ascend Kala-Patthar before 8 o'clock to be able to get the view of Everest and its neighbour mountains. We spend 20-30 mins on Kala-Patthar to enjoy the view and to make memorable pictures. After 9 a.m. the sky gets cloudy. We are back to Gorakshep by 10 a.m.  Breakfast at Gorakshep. Then we walk back down along Khumbu to the village called Pheriche. It takes about 4-5 hours.

Day 10. Pheriche to Namche. 6-7 hours walk/

Day 11. Namche to Lukla. 6-7 hours walk.

Day 12.  Back to Kathmandu.

Flight from Lukla to Ramechhap. Drive from Ramechhap to Kathmandu. In the afternoon we have a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu: Pashupatinath temple,  Boudha stupa, Swayambunath stupa.

Day 13. Reserve day.

A reserve day in case there are no flights on the precious day due to the cloudy weather. Otherwise  we spend the full sightseeing day in Kathamndu. 

Day 14. Departure from Kathmandu international airport.

The price includes:

• experienced guides
• a hotel in Kathmandu (3 nights) – (B&B)
• transfers according to the program
• all necessary permits to enter the national parks

The price doesn't include:

• international flight to Nepal
• visa to Nepal ($50)
• lunches and dinners in Kathmandu ($30-40 a day)
• accommodation and meals along the trek ($35 a day)
• personal porters. One porter can carry the luggage of two people. $20 a day per porter
• flight Ramechhap-Lukla-Ramechhap (approximately $360)
• tips to porters ($50 per porter)
• insurance covering helicopter evacuation from the elevation of up to 6000 m. About $80.
• transfer from Kathmandu hotel to the international airport
• other costs 

Necessary clothes and equipment:

• personal cup, plate and spoon
• thermos
• sleeping bag for comfort temperature -7 C
• forehead torch
• trekking boots
• light sandals
• sneakers
• jacket from breathable membrane fabric (for ex. Gore-Tex)
• trousers from breathable membrane fabric (for ex. Gore-Tex)
• down sleeveless jacket
• fleece jacket
• fleece trousers
• thermal underwear (trousers and a long sleeve T-shirt)
• long sleeve shirts and T-shirts
• light and warm socks
• light comfortable trousers and shorts
• sun protection hat
• warm gloves
• warm/fleece hat

Additional equipment:

• 75-90 l backpack or any big bag for transportation you can give to a porter to carry
• light small backpack for valuables and other personal items you carry yourself all the way on the trek
• cover for a bag to protect from the rain
• sun glasses in a hard box
• walking poles (optional)
• personal medical kit
• sunscreen cream SPF 45+
• trekking towel
• toothpaste, toothbrush, soap
• wet tissues

It is possible to buy all the things listed above in Kathmandu. But as you won't have enough time for shopping and because the quality of the clothes and equipment is not always the best in Nepal, it's recommended to purchase the most important items like boots, sleeping bag, jackets and trousers in advance.

Visa and documents:

For Nepal you need a tourist visa you can obtain at Tribhivan International Airport of Kathhmandu upon arrival. At the airport you need to fill in the application form which you submit to the officer at the immigration desk along with two passport size photographs. 30 days tourist visa costs $50. At the date of your arrival your passport must valid for at least another 6 months. Diplomatic passport holders can enter Nepal without the visa.

Insurance

A traveler must have an insurance with the coverage amount of at least $35000. The insurance must also cover a helicopter evacuation from the altitude of up to 7000 meters

Domestic flight

Our climbing program starts from Lukla. To get to Lukla our group takes a domestic flight from Ramechhap. Our company arranges the return flight tickets for all members of the group. The price of the return ticket is $360.

Guest houses/lodges on the trek

All the way on the trek you sleep and eat in simple guest houses (or lodges) made of wood or stone. Usually these lodges have 10-15 rooms, each room can accommodate 2 guests. Rooms are separated by thin walls. The main area of a lodge is a restaurant which is also a reception and a recreation room for trekkers who spend evenings there after a hard walking day. A room with a bathroom is a bit more expensive than a room without it; a bathroom is often a shared bathroom with 5-7 rooms. In Lobuche and Gorakshep there are no lodges with bathrooms in rooms and there are no shower rooms either. In these places you can buy a bucket of hot water to wash.

Porters

They are usually the Nepalese of one of the ethnicities living in the mountains – Sherpas, Tamangi, Manangi, Gurungi or others. In guest houses porters live in special rooms for porters; sometimes it's a different lodge than the one where tourists stay. The money you pay to a porter includes the costs of his food and accommodation on the trek, so you don't need to invite him to eat with you.

How to Book Your Tour

Before booking any tour, please read all the terms and conditions thoroughly and ask the company representative any questions prior to making any payments. Start by filling in the booking form and pay the non-refundable deposit. The form may be submitted online or by downloading the form and mailing or faxing the form to your nearest company representative.