Everest Base Camp Trek (12-Days)

10
Nepal
12 Days
12B 11L 12D
From$1,217 USD
Everest Base Camp Trek (12-Days)
Everest Base Camp Trek (12-Days)
Everest Base Camp Trek (12-Days)

Trek to Everest base camp on a 12-day adventure rich with history, culture, and natural scenery.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Kathmandu to Lukla (Flight) and Trek to Phakding

We'll arrange for your transportation from your hotel in Kathmandu to Lukla airport. It is a short, 25-30-minute flight to Lukla (2,840m), the entry point to the Khumbu region. The first part of your trek takes you through the Dudhkoshi River Valley. Pass by charming settlements like Chheplung and Chaurikharka before reaching Phakding.

Note: During high season (March – April and October – November) the flights to Lukla are redirected from Ramechhap Airport. This adds a road transfer each way of up to 5 hours (from and to Kathmandu).

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Prepare yourself for a challenging ascent. Follow the trail along the roaring Dudh Kosi River, crossing multiple suspension bridges along the way. After passing through the villages of Monjo and Jorsalle, you will arrive at Namche Bazaar (3,440m), the bustling commercial hub of the Khumbu region.

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Rest and acclimatize to the high altitude by spending some time in Namche. This vibrant town serves as the trading and administrative hub of the Khumbu region. Here you can find banks, shops and a selection of restaurants. While in Namche Bazaar, you'll have the option to hike to Everest View Hotel. From this vantage point, you'll be treated to captivating vistas of Mount Everest and other majestic peaks in the Himalayas.

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Begin your day with a brisk uphill climb. Once at the top, a relatively level trail leads you to Kyanjuma. We hike downhill to Phunki Tenga before crossing the Dudh Koshi River. Your destination for the day is the esteemed Tengboche Monastery. Depending on the weather and other factors, you may conclude your day's journey in Debuche (3800m). Alternatively, we return to Namche for the night.

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If we haven't already done so, it's a quick downhill to Debuche followed by an uphill journey to Pangboche. Enjoy magnificent views of Everest, Amadablam, and Nuptse mountains. Take a refreshing tea break in Pangboche before continuing your trek to Somare for lunch. We continue through the picturesque Imja Valley. You will cross Lobuche Stream, and trek up to Dingboche (4,410m), your stop for the night.

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Take a day to adjust to the increased altitude. Explore the stunning village of Dingboche surrounded by stone-walled pastures. You have the option of joining one of two beautiful hikes to either Nangkartshang Peak or the Chhukung Valley.

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Today is going to be tough! Begin by gradually ascending to Dughla, we will stop here for an early lunch. After Dughla, it's a steep trek up to the Mountaineer Memorial. Pause to acknowledge the lives of famous mountaineers including Scott Fischer and Babu Chiri Sherpa. Afterward, we will be entering the infamous Khumbu Glacier region. The trail leads to our next overnight stop at Lobuche (4,910m)

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We cross the Khumba Glacier to reach Gorakshep. At Gorakshep, we take a break to refuel on lunch. We will leave our bags here and set off to Everest Base Camp (5,364m). The trail is littered with rocks and other debris as you navigate the glacier to reach Everest Base Camp. You made it! We will take some time to enjoy this achievement and look around the camp. Afterward, we trek back down to Gorakshep. If you still have energy (and the weather plays along), there is an option for a second hike in the afternoon to Kala Patthar. This is an amazing spot to enjoy the sunset. Day 8 is a busy one and can be exhausting.

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A second chance to see Kala Patthar If we did not get to do the trek on Day 8. This famous landmark sits above Gorakshep. Usually, you get an amazing view of the mountains lit up by the early sun. We will enjoy spending some time here before returning to Gorakshep. From Gorakshep, It's time to start the trek back down to Pangboche. We will set off after breakfast in order to make it to Pangboche by sunset. On clear days, the sun disappearing behind Mount Amadablam is something truly special.

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We continue with our descent to Namche Bazaar. After crossing the Dudh Kosi River, it's a tough hike up a steep trail to reach Kyanjuma. From here, it's a fairly easy walk over flat terrain and downhill to the Sagarmatha National Park Ranger's station. This is located a little above Namche Bazaar.

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The final day of trekking. We follow the Dudh Kosi River downslope (including some steep sections) to Phakding. We will make a stop here to enjoy lunch. After lunch, continue on the final section of the trek to Lukla. Most of the day will be walking downhill except for between Phakding to Lukla which is a gentle slope upwards.

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We usually have you booked on an early flight to Kathmandu. You will be transferred to the Lukla airport in a private vehicle. In Kathmandu, a driver will take you to your hotel. Here you can relax and enjoy some downtime. In the evening, there is a farewell dinner (complimentary) to celebrate the end of your trip. Your guide will join the group for dinner and you will have a chance to say your goodbyes.

Note: departure transfers from the Hotel in Kathmandu are not included but are available on request.

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What's Included

Included
  • Experienced English-speaking, government-licensed trekking guide.
  • Kathmandu to Lukla return flight on domestic airline tickets (see FAQs for seasonal info & luggage).
  • Lukla airport pickup & drop-off services during the trek.
  • Accommodation: tea house/lodge accommodation during the trek (twin-sharing).
  • Food: main course meals during the trek (12 x breakfast, 11 x lunch, 12 x dinner).
  • Everest National Park Entry Permit.
  • Trekkers Information Management System [TIMS] registration card/Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality local entry permit.
  • Assistant trekking guide for groups of over 6 people.
  • Down jacket, sleeping bag, duffel bag & trekking map (jacket & sleeping bag to be returned at end of trip).
  • Comprehensive first aid kit, carried by the guide.
  • All necessary paperwork, government & local taxes, company service charges. NO hidden fees.
  • Complimentary welcome OR farewell dinner (your choice) in Kathmandu at a Nepalese restaurant.
Not Included
  • Porters, available to hire at $256 for the whole trek (up to 25kg of luggage).
  • International airport transfers.
  • Nepal visa fees.
  • Travel and medical insurance (incl. emergency evacuation).
  • Beverages: alcoholic & non-alcoholic, hot and cold drinks.
  • Extras at accommodations: hot shower (approx. US$5-US$8 per shower), WiFi, phone charging, etc.
  • Costs arising from natural calamities, mishaps, or anything beyond our control.
  • Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu (unless otherwise stated in the itinerary).
  • Expenses in the case of late departures/ early returns.
  • Tips and gratuities.
  • International flights.
Have a question?

If you have any questions about this trip or want to speak with an expert, get in touch.

We're ready to help.

Team Images
Team Images
Team Images

Rated 5.0

10 verified reviews

Klaus
Klaus

(Nov 2024)

I recently completed the Everest Base Camp trek, and it truly was the trip of a lifetime! The entire experience was very well organised by Himalayan Leisure and Upendra the Director in Kathmandu. I cannot thank the team enough for making it seamless and enjoyable. From pick-up at the airport, to checkin at the hotel and the briefing all was sorted in a way to make it easy and all questions were answered. The reverse process after the hike too was easy and seamless. A huge shout-out to our guide, Aasham, who went above and beyond to ensure everything worked out perfectly. His knowledge, patience, and attention to detail made the trek not only manageable but thoroughly enjoyable. He was always there to motivate, guide, and share insights about the region. Tashi delek. If you're considering this trek, I wholeheartedly recommend this operator. From start to finish, everything met my expectations. Thank you for an unforgettable journey! A few tips for the winter hikers: - Bring more warm close for the teahouses. This is the time you will feel the cold. In the sun during the hike the temperatures are just perfect. - Check if there are options (at cost) to have a bit of a warmer night. Some teahouses might have some nice add ons like electric blankets. I paid an extra for single occupancy with bathroom/toilet, where available. Was worth it! - Make your water bottle a 'hot water bottle' and put it in your sleeping bag in the night. Nice side effect you have warm water in the morning to drink and brush your teeth. - Bring a warm hat for the night and some earplugs (these dogs!) - Don't get neurotic about water supply. There are drinking options all along the way in the start and check with your guide towards the end. - Follow your guides advise regarding food and drinks

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Keith
Keith

(Oct 2024)

Great trip. Local company representatives and guides (Bibek and Aash Man) were fantastic.

Kent
Kent

(Sep 2024)

Did the 12-day EBC hike with Lal as our guide and Aidhan as our porter! No regrets, as they really looked after us throughout the hike! We encountered some bad weather at the higher altitude and many groups didn't make it to EBC. However, with Lal's 20+ years of experience, he took us safely through and we managed to reach the destination! So thankful for him. The hike was made more difficult with continuous rain & snow as it was still end Sep (end Monsoon season). We managed to fly from Kathmandu to Lukla to start the hike, instead of taking a jeep to the other domestic airport. The trails and teahouses were not as crowded too, making it a better experience. When we left in early Oct, we could see the crowds start to come in. We also topped up for a private toilet in most of the teahouses, which was quite convenient and sometimes comes with hot showers and charging in the room. Upendra was also responsive to our questions prior to our trip and made things very seamless for us, including baggage and airport transfer. Overall, would highly recommend them!

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Wayde
Wayde

(Jun 2023)

My partner and I recently completed the 12-day EBC trek with Himalayan Leisure (HL). From the initial inquiry to booking, updates, and amendments, HL’s communication was excellent. Having done a little research, and retrospectively compared with other trekkers on the EBC trail, the package offered by HL is very competitive, if not the best value. Our guide, Dawa, was incredible. He was very experienced, knew all the best tea houses, cafes and bakeries, had a great relationship with village locals, guides, and porters, had excellent English, a great sense of humour, was always approachable and a pleasure to talk to but gave my partner and I space to enjoy each others company. We always felt safe and well looked after in Dawa’s company. Most of all, organizing this trek with HL and having a guide like Dawa provided us with peace of mind, made the trek so much more relaxing and enjoyable. We would happily recommend Himalaya Leisure and particularly Dawa as your guide for your next Himalayan adventure.

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Kamal
Kamal

(May 2023)

This was honestly the best trip ever. Our guide- Lal was very accommodating and really took care of all our needs. He was very experienced and knowledgeable about the mountains and their history, a walking book. I would recommend him for 100%. He was extremely encouraging on our hard days and kept the morale of our team high. I would say book Himalayan Leisure and Lal as your guide and you will for sure have an awesome awesome time!

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FAQs

Before you go

If you are reasonably fit and have multi-day hiking experience, you will do just fine on this route. You should be able to walk for 6-7 hours every day, some of it up steep gradients. The Everest Base Camp trail itself is not extremely difficult and does not have technical sections. However, the low Oxygen levels at altitude make this a tough hike. It is recommended to get into a good fitness regime at least 3-months prior to this trek.

March to May, and September to December are considered the best months for trekking in Nepal.

Trekking is doable throughout the year. However, some months are better than others.

June to August is monsoon season, so there might be some rain showers in these months.

January and February are the winter months, and it’s usually much colder in higher areas.

Below is a list of essential gear for trekking EBC:

- Waterproof trekking boots
- Flip Flops (to wear at the tea house accommodation)
- Socks
- Undergarments
- Shorts
- Trekking pants
- Quick dry T-shirts
- Long sleeve shirts
- Fleece (Lower / Upper)
- Rain/wind jacket
- Down jackets
- Backpack / Day Pack
- Sleeping bag (rated to -15C or 5F)
- Water bottles or camel bag
- Water purification tablets/filter
- Sunscreen Hat or balaclava
- Trekking poles
- First aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper / Tissue paper
- Quick dry towel
- Soap / Shampoo
- Headlight / Flashlight
- Camera
- Sleeping bag liner
- Light / heavy gloves
- Toothbrush / Toothpaste
- Shampoo / Soap or Bath gel
- Female hygiene product

Generally we recommend about US$ 10 to US$ 15 per person per day for the personal expenses such as drinks, hot shower, WiFi, battery charging etc.

All foreign nationals (except Indians) require a visa to enter Nepal. You can get your Visa from your local embassy before you travel. If you are prepared to wait in the queue, you can also get a Visa on arrival at Kathmandu Airport. Currently, Visas cost between US$30 (15 days ) and $50 (30 days) visa.

You need the following for a visa on arrival:

1) A barcode that you receive by doing the application for Online International Travel Arrival Form. See link below
2) Vaccination certificate or negative COVID-19 PCR test result, obtained within 72 hours of the departure.

Guests are responsible for arranging their own visas and should check their travel requirements on an official government website or with their local embassy.

Trekking poles can be bought at a small price in Kathmandu (a reasonable quality pair starts around US$ 20). Occasionally, items are available for rent in Lukla and Namche, but availability is limited. We recommend you sort out the equipment you need in Kathmandu.

Yes, you can book a private room for this trek. The cost of the single supplement is USD 144 for the whole trek (standard room) or USD 224 for a room with a private toilet and hot shower included.

Yes! Travel insurance for trekking in Nepal is essential and protects you in the case of unforeseen circumstances including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip. For EBC, travel insurance should also cover emergency helicopter evacuation.

We suggest looking into specialist adventure travel insurers like Rise & Shield. They cover 100s of activities and are easy to deal with if you need to make a claim. They also cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover.
On your trip

Unfortunately no. There are no lodges or guest houses at the base camp. The nearest place where lodges are available is Gorakshep. It takes approximately 5 hours to go to the Everest Base Camp and return back to Gorakshep. Only climbers stay at the base camp during the climbing season (usually in late April / May).

Food is included with the lodge/ tea house accommodation. Generally, rice, noodles, pasta, vegetables, curry, potatoes, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, etc. are available. Meat is available but we generally recommended to avoid it as a health precaution.

Get up in the morning, get fresh, and take a warm breakfast before we start our walk. Generally, breakfast will be between 7 to 8 AM and we will start the hike after 8. We will walk for about 6 - 7 hours every day covering approximately 2 kilometers per hour on average. We will have lunch along the trail approximately halfway. The guide will be walking together with the group however porters will follow their own pace and meet you only upon reaching the tea house.

We recommend our guests have a couple of buffer days after the trek so in case our flights are canceled we can postpone the flights for the following day. In some cases, the flights for the following date can be fully booked and we may need to use a chopper or go via road. The road option will need 3 additional days.

Unfortunately the trip does not incude cover for a helicopter return or missed/ rescheduled international flight. You need to make sure that your personal insurance covers these events.

From Lukla to Everest Base Camp we will be staying in lodges / traditional Nepal tea houses.
In most cases, we will provide you with a private room or twin sharing rooms. However, in rare cases, you may need to share the rooms with other travellers (especially if you are travelling alone). There are several teahouses on route so where we stay depends on availability.

Generally, hot showers a available for about 9 nights of the trek. It’s not available in Lobuche and Gorakshep.

In Nepal, it's not recommended to drink tap water. You can refill bottles from the tap but need to use purification tablets or a filtration device. We can provide complimentary purification/iodine tabs, please let us know in Kathmandu during the tour briefing. Popular filtration products to use are Lifestraw and Steripen. You can buy bottled water from the tea houses but it does work out more expensive.

Additionally, boiled water is available to purchase from the tea houses. It usually costs between $1-$3 per litre.

Tipping is at your own discretion but our guests often ask us what is the general policy for tipping. 10% of the total amount is a reasonable amount. It’s hard to give exact figures as this depends on customer satisfaction.

On the internal Kathmandu to Lukla return flight, you get 15kg/33lbs, including hand luggage.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of fraudulent/unnecessary helicopter evacuation claims in the EBC region that have made insurers hesitant to cover helicopter evacuation. The following is good to know;

In the rare event that emergency evacuation is required, we will generally talk with the rescue agency and they will collaborate with the insurance companies to process the evacuation. Usually, it takes about 3 - 4 hours to approve or deny the evacuation by the insurance companies.

Some insurance providers ask the customers to make an upfront payment and submit the claim upon return. In this case, there is no guarantee that the customer will get paid by the insurance company, they will approve or deny the claim based on the documents provided. We strongly recommend checking your insurance conditions directly with the insurer, before embarking on this trek.

During high season (March – April and October – November) the flights to Lukla are redirected from Ramechhap Airport. This means we need to drive from Kathmandu to Ramechhap to catch our internal flight and make the reverse journey at the end of the trip. This added road transfer is between 3 to 5 hours each way (from and to Kathmandu).
Other FAQs

Families with children are welcome! We take bookings for this trek for people over 6 years old. We recommend that families with children contact us for a private booking.

As local operators, we started out as porters and guides. We understand the struggles in this industry and take pride in treating our team fairly in terms of pay and trekking conditions. All our trekking staff (guides, porters, chefs, and assistants) receive all meals, accommodation, salary, and insurance. Sherpas carry a maximum of 25kg per person (government-recommended weight).

Porters are not included in the trip price.

If you would like to hire a porter, the cost is USD 256 for the whole trek. This is usually shared by 2 people if the total combined weight is not more than 25 kilograms. This amount is payable direct to the local operator, in Kathmandu. Please message your guide if you would like to arrange a porter.

We have company provided duffe-bags available for those who want to hire a porter. We will provide these to those who need them during the pre-trek briefing.

We usually work with Hotel Thamel Park and have rooms from US$ 35 to US$ 65 per night. Online prices can be higher, so we do not recommend booking online, you can message us directly, and we'll help you make the booking.

Other hotels that we recommend;

- Hotel Mulberry
- Fairfield by Marriott
- Aloft Kathmandu
- Kantipur Temple House

Our guides are experienced from 8 to 20 years. They speak great English but we are not from English-speaking countries, we may not be fluent. The guides are capable of communicating with the clients and assisting you during an emergency situation. We only have guides who are highly rated by the guests.

In the main travel season, March, April, May, October, and November, the flights to Lukla are rerouted from Ramechhap Airport. This is approximately 130 km and takes about 4 hours to drive. We will arrange the drive on a shared vehicle if needed without additional costs.
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By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

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