Everest Base Camp Trek in December: Cold, Clear and Quiet

Last updated 2 October 2026. The temperature, rain and daylight tables below are published figures with their sources named, not forecasts. Above Dingboche there is no station I can cite, so for Gorak Shep and Base Camp I give an estimate and show how I made it. Comments on lodges, crowds and flights are what our guides see, and I label them that way.

The short answer: December is a cold, clear, quiet month on the Everest trail, and the first half is the better half. The sky is usually dry (Lukla averages 0.5 mm of rain in December), the trail is nearly empty, and the cost around the trek is lower. The price is the cold. The average December night at Dingboche is about -13 degrees, it is colder again above, the days are only about ten and a half hours long, and most lodges at Gorak Shep are shut in the winter months, which can change how your Base Camp day works. If you have good kit, a flexible mind and a spare day, it is a superb time to go. If you hate cold, it is the wrong month.

This page is about December only. For the wider winter, including January and February, read my Everest Base Camp trek in winter guide, and for all twelve months see the month-by-month weather guide. The trek itself is our Everest Base Camp trek, 12 days, from US$1,399 Budget, US$2,499 Standard and US$4,999 Luxury.

Is December a good month for Everest Base Camp?

For the right person, yes. The Wikipedia page for Gorak Shep, the last village before Base Camp, lists March to April and October to November as the best seasons, and says that in December to February most of the accommodation there is closed, the area is snow-covered and the cold is intense. I take that as the honest frame: December is outside the two main seasons, so you are choosing it, not drifting into it. What you get in return is a dry atmosphere (Lukla's 0.5 mm of December rain is the lowest figure in the table below), a trail with very few other people, and Kathmandu hotels and flights that are easier to book than in October. Our guides' view is that early December still holds the clear weather of November before the deep cold arrives, and that is the stretch I would pick.

How cold is the Everest Base Camp trek in December?

I use the four stations along the route that publish a record: Lukla (2,786 m), Namche Bazaar (3,450 m), Tengboche (3,857 m) and Dingboche (4,410 m, which is modelled data, not an instrument record). Each cell is the average daily high, then the average daily low, in degrees Celsius, with the month's rain or snowmelt in millimetres.

Station	November	December	January
Lukla 2,786 m	13.8 / 2.4 (6.2 mm)	11.1 / -0.5 (0.5 mm)	8.3 / -2.9 (15.3 mm)
Namche 3,450 m	9.1 / -3.8 (11 mm)	7.6 / -7.1 (24 mm)	6.9 / -8.5 (43 mm)
Tengboche 3,857 m	8.1 / -6.9 (3.0 mm)	6.0 / -7.5 (0.6 mm)	3.7 / -9.7 (22.0 mm)
Dingboche 4,410 m (modelled)	5.3 / -11.0 (2 mm)	3.2 / -13.4 (3 mm)	1.0 / -15.3 (9 mm)

Sources: Lukla, Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) 1991 to 2020 normals. Namche, FAO FAOCLIM. Tengboche, FAO and the Australian National University record. Dingboche, climate-data.org, a computer model, so a guide and not a measurement. All read through the Wikipedia pages for Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche on 2 October 2026.

What the table says in plain words: December is about one to three degrees colder than November at every station, and January is colder again. A day at Lukla in December is mild in the sun. By Namche the average night is already -7. At Dingboche it is -13, and that is before you climb another 1,000 m.

What about Gorak Shep and Base Camp?

I have no station there I can cite, so here is an estimate and how I made it. The standard atmosphere cools by about 6.5 degrees for every 1,000 m of height (the ICAO figure, set out on the Wikipedia lapse rate page). Gorak Shep (5,164 m) is about 750 m above Dingboche, and Base Camp (5,364 m) is about 950 m above it. Take Dingboche's December average night of -13.4 and that gives roughly -18 degrees at Gorak Shep and roughly -20 at Base Camp, as an average. This is my own arithmetic, not a measurement. A clear, still night can be colder than an average, and one cold snap can be much colder, so treat the numbers as the mild end of what you might meet. This is also why I do not quote the dramatic extreme figures you see on some sites: I cannot source them.

How short are the days in December?

Shorter than most people expect, and shorter than October by about an hour and a half. These are published sunrise and sunset times for Kathmandu in 2026 (sunrise-sunset.org). The Lukla area is almost the same: on 21 December the sunrise-sunset.org service gives sunrise 6:43 and sunset 17:09, a day of 10 hours 26 minutes.

Date (2026)	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length
1 October	5:55	17:51	11 h 56 min
1 December	6:35	17:09	10 h 34 min
15 December	6:45	17:12	10 h 27 min
21 December (shortest day)	6:48	17:14	10 h 26 min
31 December	6:52	17:20	10 h 28 min

These are astronomical times. In a deep valley the low winter sun drops behind the ridges earlier, so the light you can actually walk in is shorter, and the temperature drops fast once the sun goes. In practice it means early starts, arriving at the lodge by mid-afternoon, and spending the evening in the dining room round the stove.

Will it snow in December?

Less than you might think, but possible. Lukla's December average of 0.5 mm is almost nothing, and Tengboche's is 0.6 mm. Namche's 24 mm is the highest of the four stations that month, and at those temperatures it is likely to fall as snow. High up, snow is possible on any day, and the trail can be icy even when it has not snowed, because the sun does not reach the shady stretches. Our guides carry microspikes and we use them when the trail is frozen. In my experience the first half of December is the less icy half, but that is experience and not a statistic.

Do Lukla flights run in December?

Yes, but they depend on cloud and wind like every month. Tenzing-Hillary Airport has a short runway with mountain walls on three sides and no go-around once a pilot commits; the Wikipedia page for the airport notes pilots must see the runway and that winds change through the morning. I do not have a published December cancellation rate that I can cite, so I will not give one. The practical points are these. First, in autumn the busy fixed-wing Lukla flights normally leave from Ramechhap, a four to five hour drive from Kathmandu, but that window runs to about 30 November (my flight guide sets out the dates and why), so from 1 December the flights leave from Kathmandu. Check the position for your week with me, because it can change at short notice. Second, helicopters fly from Kathmandu to Lukla all year, which is how the Luxury tier travels, round trip. Third, plan a spare day or two at the end of the trip so that a weather hold becomes a rest day and not a missed flight home. My guide's rule of thumb is that a delayed flight can take 24 to 48 hours to clear, so I would not book a tight connection.

Which lodges are open in December?

This is the honest gap in my knowledge. Wikipedia says most accommodation at Gorak Shep is closed from December to February. Our guides' experience is that lodges higher up begin closing as November ends, and that the lower villages are the safest bet for a bed. I do not have a published list of which lodges are open on which December date, because the owners decide week by week, so I will not guess. The question to put to any operator is: where will we sleep on the Base Camp night, and what is the plan if that lodge is shut? Ask me for your dates and I will tell you what our guides are seeing on the trail that week.

Early December or late December?

Early, if you can. This is guide judgement, not data, but the station numbers point the same way: the monthly averages drop steadily from November to January, and the days keep shortening until the 21st. In the first two weeks the weather is usually still the clear, dry weather of November with colder nights; from about the third week the deep cold sets in. Late December is workable if you are well equipped, and the trail is at its emptiest, but it is the coldest and the days are at their shortest. Compare the November post, Everest Base Camp in November, and the autumn guide if you are weighing the two seasons, and the best time to trek page for the full ranking.

What should I pack for December?

My full Everest Base Camp packing list applies, with the cold turned up. The December specifics:

• Sleeping bag and down jacket. We provide both free on every tier. Our bag is rated to -15 degrees. For December I would add a thin sleeping bag liner of your own, because nights above Dingboche average colder than that rating. Ask me about it when you book.
• Layers. Merino or synthetic base layers (not cotton), a fleece mid-layer, insulated trousers above 4,000 m, a hat that covers your ears, liner gloves and a pair of insulated outer gloves.
• Hand warmers and spare batteries. Cold drains camera and phone batteries fast. Keep spares inside your jacket against your body.
• Water. Our guides report water bottles freezing overnight in rooms higher up. Keep a bottle upside down in your sleeping bag.
• Traction. Microspikes for icy mornings. Our guides carry them.
• Sun protection. Ultraviolet radiation rises with altitude and snow reflects it, and the World Health Organization notes it stays high under cloud. Wear sunglasses with UV protection and a high-factor sunscreen even in December.
• Travel insurance from your own country. Make sure it covers trekking to 5,500 m and helicopter evacuation. See my insurance guide.

How hard is it, and what about altitude?

The cold changes comfort, not the altitude arithmetic. The acclimatisation plan is the same as in any month: rest days at Namche and Dingboche and a gradual ascent. The stops on our itinerary are Phakding (2,860 m), Namche (3,440 m), Tengboche (3,860 m), Dingboche (4,410 m) and Lobuche (4,940 m), then Base Camp (5,364 m) and Kala Patthar (5,545 m). We provide an oximeter. Read my altitude sickness guide before you go. The Kala Patthar morning in December is the coldest part of the trip: you start in the dark in the cold, and your hands will tell you about it. When the sky is clear the view is worth it.

Who should not go in December?

Skip December if cold nights are your main worry, if you are doing your first high-altitude trek and want the safest, most forgiving conditions (October is that month), or if you have a condition where cold is a medical issue, in which case speak to your doctor first. Skip it if your schedule leaves no spare day at the end, because weather turns a missed flight into a missed connection. And skip it if you would be upset to find the lodge you hoped for at Gorak Shep shut. If any of those sound like you, October or the first half of November will suit you better. If none of them do, December is a lovely, quiet month.

What does December cost, and how do I book?

The trek price is the same in December as in October. The 12-day Everest Base Camp trek is US$1,399 on Budget, US$2,499 on Standard and US$4,999 on Luxury for one traveller, and groups pay less each. Budget has no porter and meals are not included. Standard has one porter for every two trekkers and all meals; a solo Standard trekker has no porter and the guide carries a share. Luxury has your own porter, all meals with fruit and nuts, and a helicopter to Lukla and back. Kathmandu hotels are not included in any trek tier, so we quote them separately; our guides' experience is that they are cheaper and easier to book in December than in October. Permits are arranged for you: Sagarmatha National Park NPR 3,000, the Khumbu local fee NPR 3,000 and TIMS NPR 2,000, about NPR 8,000 in all. I arrange TIMS for every trekker. A 10 per cent deposit holds your dates and the balance is paid in Kathmandu. The deposit is non-refundable, but you can reschedule for free, with at least 72 hours' notice, to any date within one year.

We have no December departure listed, so contact me for dates. Every date is a private departure at the same price. Our 2026 prices hold for 2027. As at 29 September 2026, the date of my latest status update, the Everest region was open and unaffected by the late-August flood and the late-September rain, which hit other river systems. This can change, so I keep the live position on my floods travel update and recheck before every departure. Tell me your dates on WhatsApp, +977 9810351300, or email [email protected], and I will tell you what that week usually does.

Notes and sources

Lukla climate: Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, 1991 to 2020. Namche Bazaar: FAO FAOCLIM. Tengboche: FAO and Australian National University. Dingboche: climate-data.org (modelled). All read via the Wikipedia pages for Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche, 2 October 2026. Lapse rate: Wikipedia, Lapse rate (ICAO standard atmosphere, 6.5 degrees per kilometre). Gorak Shep seasons and winter accommodation: Wikipedia, Gorak Shep. Lukla airport: Wikipedia, Tenzing-Hillary Airport. Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org, Kathmandu and Lukla area, 2026. UV: World Health Organization, Ultraviolet radiation fact sheet. Flight windows and spare-day rule: our own flight guide. Itinerary altitudes, prices and departures: our live package record for the 12-day trek, 2 October 2026. Regional status: our floods update of 29 September 2026. Gorak Shep and Base Camp temperatures are my own estimate and are marked as such.

About The Everest Holiday

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Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586.