Everest Base Camp Trek

Welcome to Kathmandu – the capital city of Nepal. Today is your first day with EverTrek. Once you’ve passed through passport control and collected your bags, you’ll head out to the front of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to be greeted by one of our friendly team members - look for the EverTrek sign, you won’t miss them! They will be there to pick you up and transport you to your hotel in Thamel.

Today, the itinerary is clear, as EverTrekkers will be arriving throughout the day at differing flight times. This means that you will have a chance to rest and relax after your journey to Nepal, and may also have the opportunity to meet some of the team and fellow trekkers, to discuss details of your upcoming trek.

Today you will head out into Kathmandu and visit the cultural and historical sites of the Kathmandu Valley. You will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu and enjoy lunch at one of our favourite viewpoints in the city. Kathmandu lies at 1300m above sea level so it’s important to get out and about today and let your body acclimatise.

In the evening you will enjoy a delicious welcome meal with your fellow EverTrekkers. In previous years this had been on the first day of the trip, however it has been moved to Day 2 to ensure that those trekkers on later flights don’t miss out on this enjoyable experience. If in Kathmandu, (see below), you'll be taken to one of the most popular local restaurants where you can enjoy Nepali food along with cultural music and ethnic dance.

Today also gives you the opportunity to grab any last-minute items in the trekking hub of Thamel and get an early night ready for the trek tomorrow.

*Something to note*

Due to ongoing development and important maintenance at Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport, your flight to Lukla may be rerouted to Ramechhap Airport. This is because the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) ruled that flights to and from Lukla during the 2019 post-monsoon season would operate through Ramechhap rather than Kathmandu. This action has been prolonged longer than expected and the CAAN is looking at permanently moving all flights that go to Lukla from Ramechhap. While some flights will certainly still go from Kathmandu, they are not always guaranteed, even when booked in advance and can be subject to unplanned and prolonged delays. 

If flying to Lukla from Ramechhap Airport, the journey to Ramechhap will start on day two of your itinerary. After a part-day tour of Kathmandu, you will drive for approx. four to five hours to the town of Mulkot where EverTrek will provide accommodation and an evening meal. As with all Nepalese roads, the journey will be a bumpy one, but it’s necessary to ensure your dream of Base Camp becomes a reality! It will be an early start on day three, as you wake up at 3:30/4:30 am and take a short 30-minute drive to the airport. The flight to Lukla is shorter from Ramechhap than from Kathmandu which means we can monitor the weather windows with greater accuracy.  EverTrek will get you on one of the first flights to Lukla where you can have a hearty breakfast and celebrate the start of your trek!

On the return journey, you will fly from Lukla to Ramechhap and then take the long bumpy adventurous drive back to Kathmandu. The traffic going into Kathmandu can be severe, so this may take approximately six to seven hours (with breaks for food and a stretch).

Although this has been an enforced change for everyone from CAAN, our ultimate aim is to get you on the trek safely and to make it to Everest base camp so we have made plans to make sure there will be as minimal disruption as possible. We will provide all the additional staff and accommodation for the diversion, absolutely no cost will be passed onto you, our awesome EverTrekkers, but we do ask for your patience with the potential change with the itinerary.

Time to get that early flight to Lukla Airport.

It all starts here!

The flight to Lukla is one of our favourite parts of the trek. Experiencing the beautiful scenery of the Himalayas from above and landing at the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla is on many people's bucket lists. Upon landing, you will meet the remaining crew and porters, who will be assisting you throughout the trek. Shortly after this, you will start the trek on the stone-paved trail through Lukla and pass prayer rocks, mani walls and small Sherpa settlements. Here you can sample some of the most beautiful rural scenes on the entire trek. This first walk is quite short as you descend down from Lukla towards Phakding. When you reach Phakding you will grab some lunch and have the afternoon to explore the village or even hike up to the nearby Monastery or 'Gompa'. The night will be spent in one of the lodges in Phakding.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

*note* See day 2 notes on Ramechhap

(Highlights of the day: Wonderful aerial view of the mountains on the flight to Lukla, ‘Mani’ prayer rocks, Phakding village and ‘Gompas’ monastery)

After having a delicious breakfast at your lodge in Phakding, you will leave the village and head towards your destination for today, Namche Bazaar. You will follow the train along the Dudh Koshi River, taking in the views and soaking up the energy of the Khumbu region. You will cross three suspension bridges and, with plenty of rest stops in local tea houses along the route, will hike uphill through the settlements of Zapute, Toktok, Benkar and Chumoa, all the way to Monjo. Monjo is recognised as the gateway to Sagarmatha National Park and here the group leaders and guides will take care of the necessary entry formalities whilst you enjoy a hot drink and the chance to browse the local shops. Once the formalities are completed, you will continue with your journey on a steep descent, passing over more suspension bridges until your trail starts to lead upward toward Namche Bazaar. It is a tough two hour hike to reach Namche Bazaar but here you will have your first view of Mt. Everest along with other incredible peaks like Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Kusum Khangru. The night will be spent in a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Visting small settlements like Zapute, Toktok, Benkar, Chumoa and Monju, Sagarmatha National Park, small tea houses and shops, suspension bridges, steep trail, Namche Bazaar and the very first view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Mt. Kusum Khangaru.)

This is the first day of two days set aside for acclimatisation. Namche is an essential acclimatisation stop so you will stay as active as you can. You can either head up to the beautiful village of Thame, which is an old Sherpa village, or the villages of Khumjung/Khunde/Khongde. Hotel Everest view is along this route and if the weather is clear, you will get a great view of Mt. Everest and the surrounding snow-capped peaks.  If you have time, pay a visit to the Mountaineering museum or you can simply spend your time enjoying cafés, shops, bakeries and restaurants in Namche Bazaar. The night will also be spent in a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Thame Sherpa village, Khumjung/Khunde/Khongde, Hotel Everest View, cafes, bakeries, shops, restaurant etc)

After breakfast, you'll depart Namche Bazaar and follow the flat trail that leads you to the village of Kyamjuma. You will then descend to the bottom of the valley where you'll enjoy lunch next to the Dudhkoshi River at 3250m. The views on this section of trail are some of the best on the trek. Enjoy views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Ama Dablam and a very close up view of Thamserku. After lunch, you will tackle the long climb up to Tengboche and visit the famous Tengboche Monastery. This zig-zagging route takes about 2-3 hours but the journey is so worth it. The night will be spent in a lodge in Tengboche or the small village 100m below called Deboche.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Great views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Thamserku, and Tengboche Monastery - The highest Monastery in the world.)

You will start the day's hike descending down to the riverside through lush woodland and cross the river on another suspension bridge. You will then spend the next two-three hours gradually climbing up the valley to the beautiful settlement of Pangboche (3,860m/12,664ft). Here you can spot several Chortens and Mani walls as you walk through the village. You can also get a close-up view the majestic Ama Dablam. After some lunch, you will ascend towards Dingboche where a fairly moderate walk leads you to the Imja Valley. Here, on climbing the last and steepest climb of the day, you will finally reach Dingboche. The night is spent in a lodge in Dingboche.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Lush forest, steep climbs, and magnificent Chortens and Mani walls.)

After a refreshing breakfast, you can climb the ridge on the north behind the village to appreciate the magnificent view of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse and numerous other peaks that are visible from Dingboche. The vantage point on the ridge also gives you a chance to observe Imja Khola Valley and the charming fields and pastures of Dingboche. Or, you can simply spend your day exploring Dingboche Valley. The night is spent at Dingboche.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today starts with the ascent through the Khumbu Khola Valley. The views of Cholatse and Taboche peak on your left are awesome and these mountains will keep you company for the majority of today. You will also get a glimpse of the Chola Lake and the majestic view of Mt. Pumori (7,138m/23,418ft). You will then make your way across the glacial river and stop for lunch in the tiny settlement of Dughla. After lunch you'll ascend for about an hour or so until you reach the memorial hill. It's a very powerful place with numerous memorials of Sherpas and other climbers who perished on Mt. Everest and the other surrounding peaks. You will stop here for 20 minutes or so before heading up the Khumbu Valley to reach the village of Lobuche.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: The view of Chola Lake along with Mt. Pumori, memorial hill, views of other peaks like Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Mahalangur Himal.)

This is it! Base Camp day!

This is probably the toughest part of the trek as you ascend over 5000m towards the historic Everest base camp. You will be up early so make sure you wrap up warm as the weather and temperatures will be freezing at this time of day. The trail gets a little difficult as you traverse the glacial moraine and find a route to the settlement of Gorak Shep. Here you will grab some lunch and fill up your water bottles before heading further up the valley. As you get closer and closer, you will spot the Everest peak and the north ridge of Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mt Mahalangur, Mt. Lingtern, Mt Khumbutse, Mt. Nuptse and so on.  Just a small ascent from here leads you to a 360-degree vista of snowy mountains - one of the most awe-inspiring views you will ever see. As you walk thought the rocky trail, you'll step onto the glacier and make your way over to Everest Base Camp (5,364m/17,575ft).

You have done it! A massive achievement and something you will remember forever.

Once you've hugged your teammates and got those Base Camp photos that you'll treasure forever, you will head back towards Gorak Shep where you will stay for the night. (5,160m/16,929ft)

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Views of Mt Everest, reaching the historic Everest Base Camp and box ticked.)

If you're feeling up to it, you have the opportunity to wake up at 4:00am to make your way up to the summit of Kala Pattar at 5545m. This will take you a couple of hours of hard uphill hiking but what a reward - a sunrise view of Mt Everest! Watch the first rays of sunshine hit the summit on Everest and take in the views. Breathtaking! Once you descend and meet the other group members who opted for a lie-in, you will head back down the Khumbu Valley towards the village of Pangboche. This is a long day but as you descend you will notice the huge change in altitude and the increase in oxygen. We do sometimes stay in Pheriche instead of Pangboche depending on how the group is doing.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day:  Sunrise view of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Pumori and Ama Dablam, summit a 5500m peak, enjoy the Khumbu Valley on the descent)

Today you will follow the flat trail down towards Tengboche. If there is time you can visit the Monastery once again, or head for a tea break before you descend the steep section back down to the Dudh Koshi River. You will cross the first bridge over the river and climb for two hours back up towards Namche Bazaar. The walking definitely gets easier as you descend but the legs will be tired after the last eight days or so of walking, so you will take your time today and go easy. You will spend the night in Namche Bazaar celebrating with a visit to the worlds highest Irish Bar. The hot showers and home comforts provided in Namche Bazaar make this a great place to stop on the way back down.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day:  Local Sherpa villages, Tengboche Monastery, Guinness at the worlds highest Irish Bar )

The final day of trekking and the long journey from Namche Bazaar back down to Lukla. You will retrace your steps back across the Hilary Bridge and through the local Sherpa villages before stopping for lunch in Phakding. Enjoy the last day of epic mountain views, pine forests, Sherpa villages, prayer stones, flapping prayer flags that can be found along the flat route back to Lukla. Once you pass through the Lukla trekking gate and reach your tea house, you will relax and enjoy the last day with the mountain team. You will share food with your porters and guides and celebrate the fantastic trek.

 Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Flat trail, open plains, Rhododendron and Pine forests, Sherpa villages, prayer stones, and flapping prayer flags.)

We aim to depart from Lukla early in the morning, and all going well, you will depart Lukla and the mountains and fly back to Kathmandu. Once you are back at the hotel, you will have a free afternoon for some souvenir shopping or a massage for those aching muscles. You will meet up in the evening for your last group meal together before packing your bags in preparation for tomorrow's flight back home. Meals included: Breakfast/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: EPIC mountain views from the flight back to Kathmandu, free afternoon)

Today is the last day of your trip in Nepal with EverTrek. If your flight is scheduled early morning, then one of our company representatives will escort you to the airport as per your flight departure time. If your flight is scheduled for later in the evening, you can go shopping and collect a few mementos or simply hang around the shopping areas in Kathmandu.

If you have booked your flights with a spare day or two and have requested we arrange your additional accommodation for you, then you will be able to remain at the hotel until your day of departure and still benefit from the airport transfers. Alternatively if you have booked an additional trip add-on, such as Chitwan National Safari, it is on this day that you will travel to the park.