Everest Base Camp Trek

On Day 1, Fly to Lukla from Kathmandu and meet the OWLS team at Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla. Lukla, a small town in Khumbu is the gateway to the world’s highest mountain. This lively town of Lukla is bustling with climbers from across the world. This busy town is also the starting point of your EBC Trek Via Three Passes Route. Kathmandu to Lukla is around 138 km, and the duration of the flight is around 30 minutes. 

Things to remember while booking a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla 

• There are daily flights in the morning from Kathmandu to Lukla. Flights into Lukla are highly weather-dependent. A cloud covering a mountain ridge can shut down the entire airport! This is why you must book the first flight out of Kathmandu and factor in buffer days in the itinerary.
• In case a flight from Kathmandu to Luka isn’t working out, your other option to Lukla will be to take a flight from Manthali Airport, which is close to Ramechhap. Taking a regular shared cab or bus from Kathmandu to Ramechhap, cost NPR 500 which is more comfortable than a bus, and leaves every hour. The duration of the drive is between 5-7 hours. These modes of transport are almost always available in trekking season.

Your first step towards the base camp of the world’s highest mountain starts today. As you start climbing through a gradual descent, the trail passes through beautiful Nepalese villages. The day is comfortable and you will reach Phakding in the afternoon, and stay in a tea house.

The trail from Phakding to Namche bazaar starts with a comfortable gradual walk. The distance of around 10 km is covered in 7 to 8 hrs while you walk on a mix of undulated trails and some steep climbs.

Before trekking ahead, it is required to acclimatise at Namche Bazaar to get your body used to the high-altitude region.

You will gain almost 2000 ft. on Day 5 of the trek. It’s quite an ascent before the actual trail starts. When you step on this trail, you will witness the first sight of Ama Dablam.. The walk is gradual on an undulated ground, and then there is a steep ascent.

We halt in a village called Phortse for lunch and start for our destination Dole. From Phortse you will enter the forest, and reach an open grassland. Dole is a small place with very few people and tea houses.

As you leave Dole, you will pass through a river bed, and after walking for an hour, you will see the first sight of Cho-Oyu right in front of you. Cho-Oyu remains with you throughout the trail.

After walking on the steep ascent and gradual descent for around 5 to 6 hours, we reach Macchermo for hot lunch. Macchermo has a few bakeries where you can give in to your cravings for sweets. As you have climbed to 14000 ft., we will take a short walk to acclimatize. Macchermo is a small and quaint village with a few tea houses.

You will start from Macchermo in the morning for Gokyo. We leave early in the morning from Machermo. The trail is a mix of level walking, and gradual ascent. There will be rocky patches on the way.

The trail is long and you will be walking for around 7-8 hours and pass small and beautiful hamlets along the trail. The climb to the first lake, or Gokyo 1 is through a steep ascent. The beauty of the lakes multi-folds as you discover two more alpine glacial lakes of Gokyo 2 and Gokyo 3 glowing in shades of turquoise. You reach the tea house in the afternoon and enjoy authentic Nepalese food. After lunch, the team will head to the base camp of Mt. Cho-Oyu. It is a gradual walk of around 3- 4 hrs to and from Gokyo.

Today is the acclimatization day and we will be staying in Gokyo for one more night. You will climb to Gokyo Ri depending on the weather and come back to the tea house in Gokyo.

Gokyo is one of the most amazing parts of the trail, and we spend two days in the tea house here. Once you climb to the summit of Gokyo Ri, you will witness a majestic view of Cho-Oyu standing right in front of you. The summit offers an exclusive bird’s eye view of Gokyo Lakes and the Ngozumpu glaciers.

We will head to Thangna village located at the base of Cho La. While heading towards the next destination at Thangna, you will cross the Ngozumpu glacier, the longest Himalayan glacier. It is a difficult walk and you need to be alert while you traverse on the huge spread of ice, as the place is also known for rock fall.

Today you will be walking for around 7-8 hrs to reach Thangna.

The day is long today as we will be crossing two passes, so you need to start early from Thangna.

We leave Thangna around 4 am in the morning. After walking for around 5 to 6 hours we reach Cho La. The last 2 hours of the climb to Cho La is tricky and challenging and you will be treading your way on boulders. From here you will see the front side of Ama Dablam.

By the time we reach Dzongla, it is late evening. You will be trekking for around 8-9 hours today.

After an hour you will come to a beautiful Cho Lhotse Lake fed by Cho Lhotse on your way to Lobuche.

While going to Lobuche, you will be back on the conventional Everest Highway again and you will witness the route bustling with climbers, Everest aspirants, and locals.

Lobuche is a big village, and you will find it bustling with trekkers from all across the world. You will reach Lobuche for a hot lunch.

Gorakshep is the last village on the EBC trail. It is a small settlement with few tea houses. The Khumbu glacier is on the right side of the trail. It appears as a big river of ice. We have lunch at Gorakshep

Post lunch, we go for an excursion to the basecamp of Everest. The moment you reach the base camp of the world’s highest mountain, you swell with a sense of pride. The experience to be at the base camp of the world’s highest mountain make you feel exclusive. The sense of achievement brings a smile of contentment to every trekker’s face. The base camp is covered in colorful tents of the Everest climbers. After spending some time in the base camp we come back to Gorakshep.

We leave early in the morning to witness the dreamlike sunrise. The sun appears from behind Everest creating a hollow. The weather is cold and windy. You will be climbing to the highest point of your trek to Kala Patthar which takes around 2-3 hours. From Kala Patthar you will see the perfect view of Everest. It is very windy at the top of Kala Patthar.

The summit offers you a great view of Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu, the Khumbu glacier and icefall, and the entire Everest Base Camp.

After enjoying the view, you will descend down to Gorakshep and have breakfast. After breakfast, you will head for Pheriche. Pheriche is around 5-6 hours from Gorakshep. It is a gradual but long walk to Pheriche.

The trail to Namche bazaar is a continuous descent on a crowded coventional highway of Everest.

On your descent to Namche Bazar, you will reach Tangboche. The village has a big monastery. Our team visits the monastery which is thronged by trekkers on this route.

Namche is a big village with small markets. The trekkers collect souvenirs from here. The market is bustling with climbers heading toward Everest and also the ones descending from the trek.

Buffer day is kept to account for any bad weather, rains, etc. which might hinder the trek. If buffer day is used, our Outdoor Leader will collect INR 4000 from each trekker.

For your return journey, you can again fly back from Lukla to Kathmandu. Or you could fly via Ramechhap.

For all your travel plans we advise you to include a buffer day for this experience to accommodate bad weather in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

We always recommend booking your return flight/train tickets considering the same.

The total distance of the Everest Basecamp trek is around 130 km. The average distance you will cover is 8 – 10  km per day. You will walk for a minimum of 5 – 8 hours every day. The longest day is day 10 of the trek. Your journey from Thangna to Dzongla via Cho La Pass takes 10 hrs. 

The Everest Base Camp trek is quite challenging and suitable for trekkers with prior exposure to high altitudes and excellent physical fitness. 

Everest Basecamp is categorized as a difficult trek. The trek is 15 days long and traverses some tricky ascents and descents. On this trek, the highest is at an elevation of 18,550 ft. when you reach Kalapathar. It requires trekkers to be in good physical condition to trek comfortably to Everest Basecamp. 

The temperature on the Everest Base Camp Trek is usually low as you are at a higher elevation from sea level. Everest Base Camp Trek temperature ranges between 10°C in the daytime to min – 5°C at night and early mornings in spring seasons when the trail begins after the harsh winter. 

Find out more about Everest Base Camp Trek monthly temperatures and the weather guide of the EBC trek. 

The best time to visit Everest Base Camp Trek is during the spring (March) and autumn (September- November) seasons. The trek will offer contrasting landscapes in different seasons. 

Read more about the best time to visit the EBC trek here. 

If you trek to EBC in spring from March to April, there are chances to find remains of winter snow at higher elevations. There will be no fresh snowfall on the trek. However, if you are lucky, you might witness fresh snowfall at higher altitudes in early March. 

The EBC via Gokyo Ri trek cost at OWLS is Rs 65,999 and covers your accommodation, meals, guide fees, and permit fees to and from the starting point of the trek, i.e. Lukla. 

The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp. The trek cost covers your accommodation, meals at the base camp and during the trek. 

For the EBC trek, you need  Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit. The permit will cost around Rs 2,000 per person for the first four weeks. You will get this permit after arriving in Lukla. You will have to get your documents checked and get the permit. The other permit you need is the Sagarmatha National Park Permit. The permit costs around Rs 1000 plus taxes for SAARC nationals and around Rs 3000 for foreigners. The permit can be collected from either Monzo or Namche Bazaar. 

Average Daily Budget: You need to hire a guide for the Everest Basecamp Trek. The guide fee starts at around Rs 1600 per day. The average daily budget to cover your accommodation meals should be a minimum of Rs 1500-2000.

The trek is at an altitude of 18,200ft. EBC starts at an altitude of 9,300 ft from Lukla. 

It takes 15 days to complete the Everest Basecamp trek, including travel to and from the base camp. 

Everest Base Camp Trek is located in Western Nepal and inside the Sagarmatha National Park. The trek starts from Lukla. 

Lukla is the basecamp of Everest Basecamp trek. 

The trek is an arduous one and the trail passes through secluded forests. Trekking in Nepal comes with the comfort of tea houses, making trekking on your own a feasible option. However, the trek requires experienced local guides to help you navigate tricky terrains. 

Hiring a guide is mandatory for entering conservation areas in Nepal. Nepal Tourism Board recently passed new guidelines for foreign trekkers. As per the new guidelines, foreign trekkers are restricted from entering Nepal’s national parks and conservation areas without a guide or a porter for the entire journey.

Hiring a guide helps obtain trekking permits to enter the conservation area without hassle. 

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

When trekking in Nepal, OWLS trekkers are provided with comfortable accommodations in tea houses. These tea houses are independently owned and offer a unique stay experience on the Everest Base Camp trek. The tea houses come in different sizes, some are big and spacious, while others are small and can only accommodate a few trekkers. As you climb towards the higher Khumbu region, the tea houses become smaller. However, all of them offer basic facilities and breathtaking mountain views from their verandahs.

During the EBC trek, two participants will share a bedroom in the tea houses. Most of the bedrooms have only two beds and provide basic amenities such as mattresses, sheets, pillows, and blankets.

Toilet and Shower Facilities in the Tea Houses

Tea houses have Western-style toilet facilities, but as you ascend, you may encounter Indian-style commodes instead of flush toilets. It’s important to note that flush toilets are unavailable in the higher regions. However, basic toilet facilities will still be provided and trekkers have to use buckets to pour water.

Don’t forget to carry your own roll of toilet paper. 

Shower in Tea Houses?

During the Everest Base Camp Trek, you can use the shower facilities provided by tea houses at an additional cost. The charges for hot water can vary between INR 300 and 600. Please note that shower facilities may not be available at higher altitudes. Therefore, if you wish to take a shower at higher elevations, you can buy a bucket of hot water and clean yourself. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 900 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

You will have regular concrete toilets as you will be accommodated in tea houses. Trekking in Nepal offers flush toilets at lower altitudes. As you climb higher the facilities are limited and the toilets will be in the outhouses. 

Tea houses on the EBC trek offer Thakali Thali, a staple in Nepali cuisine. This local thali is a combination of Daal (lentils), Bhaat (rice), and Tarkari (vegetable curry) with a  side of green veggies, pickles, and some local delicacies. 

You will eat Thakali Thali for lunch and dinner on most days. Breakfast will have options of bread, eggs, porridge etc. 

If you wish to order anything outside this staple meal, Teahouses offer a variety of options. Right from Pizza to Pasta.  However, this will come at an additional cost. 

There will be a scanty mobile network on the EBC trail. You can buy an N-cell SIM card in Kathmandu to access the mobile network on the EBC trek. Electricity is limited to overhead lamps. Tea houses on the EBC trail rely on solar power, hence there are limited charging points. 

Charging points for mobile and Wi-Fi are available at some teahouses at an additional cost. The facilities are available in the lower regions. The charges for wifi start at around Rs 200 and go up to Rs 600. The charges become expensive as you go higher up. 

Do not expect a high-speed WIFI connection on the trek. These facilities become scarcer as you climb higher up in the mountains.