Everest Base Camp Trek - 12 Days

Where is the Everest Base Camp Trek?
The trail follows the Khumbu Valley in northeastern Nepal, through Sagarmatha National Park. You start in Lukla at 2,860 metres and walk north through Sherpa villages, across suspension bridges that sway over the Dudh Koshi river, through rhododendron forests that bloom pink and red in spring, past the monastery at Tengboche where monks chant at sunset, and up through glacier valleys until you're standing at Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres. The Khumbu Icefall is right there in front of you, groaning and cracking. It's the sound the mountain makes when nobody is climbing it.

How long does the Everest Base Camp Trek take?
Twelve days on the trail. We build two acclimatisation days into every itinerary — one at Namche Bazaar, one at Dingboche — because rushing altitude is how people get sick. We recommend arriving in Kathmandu one day before departure and keeping one or two buffer days after the trek in case Lukla flights are delayed by weather. It happens more often than anyone tells you, and a missed international connection is worse than an extra day in Kathmandu.

What are the main highlights?
The flight into Lukla is an experience before the walk even starts — a tiny runway cut into a mountainside at 2,860 metres. From there: Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital where you'll find bakeries, gear shops, and the best apple pie on the trail. Tengboche Monastery, sitting on a ridge with Ama Dablam rising behind it like a wall of ice. The memorial cairns at Thukla Pass, where you walk in silence past stones carved with the names of climbers who didn't come home. And the sunrise from Kala Patthar at 5,545 metres, where Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Changtse light up gold before the sun reaches you.

Is this trek suitable for beginners?
Yes, with preparation. You don't need previous trekking experience. The trail is well-maintained — no ropes, no scrambling, no technical sections. The challenge is altitude, not terrain. If you can walk 5-7 hours a day on uneven ground and you're willing to go slowly, you can do this trek. Most of our first-timers finish it. The ones who struggle are the ones who rush.

What makes trekking with The Everest Holiday different?
Every trek is private. You walk with your own group, never with strangers we've added to fill numbers. We offer three tiers — Budget, Standard, and Luxury — so you choose the comfort level that fits your budget and your style, and you get exactly that. Our guides grew up in the Khumbu. They know the teahouse owners by name, they know which lodge serves the best dal bhat at Dingboche, they know the weather signs that say turn back before the weather itself says it. And a portion of your booking goes to the Nagarjun Learning Center — 70 children in rural Dhading getting free education because someone like you booked a trek.

How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk 5-7 hours a day for twelve consecutive days on uneven terrain, with some steep uphill sections. You don't need to be an athlete. You need to be consistent. The people who do well on this trek are the ones who trained for six weeks beforehand, not the ones who ran a marathon five years ago.

Can beginners do this trek?
Yes. Many of our trekkers have never done a multi-day hike before. Our guides set a pace that feels frustratingly slow at the start — and lifesaving by day eight. We check your oxygen levels daily with a pulse oximeter. The two acclimatisation days at Namche and Dingboche exist specifically so your body can catch up with the altitude your legs have carried you to.

What training do you recommend?
Start 6-8 weeks before your trek. Walk uphill. That's the single best thing you can do. Stair climbing, jogging, cycling — anything that builds your cardiovascular endurance. Do practice hikes on weekends with a 5-8 kg daypack. If you can walk uphill for four hours without stopping and wake up the next morning wanting to do it again, you're ready. Squats and lunges help with the descents, which are harder on the knees than the climbs.

What permits do I need?
Three: a Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee, and a TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System). These are checked at multiple points along the trail — Monjo, the national park entrance, and occasionally at Namche.

Are permits included in the package?
Yes, all of them, in every tier. We handle the paperwork. You just need to bring passport-sized photos and a copy of your passport. The permits will be arranged before you leave Kathmandu.

Is travel insurance mandatory?
Mandatory. No exceptions, no flexibility on this. Your policy must cover emergency helicopter evacuation and medical treatment up to 5,555 metres. We ask for a copy before the trek begins. If the cover isn't adequate, we'll tell you, and we won't let you start until it is. This isn't bureaucracy. At 5,000 metres, the only way down in an emergency is a helicopter, and a helicopter rescue without insurance costs $3,000-5,000 USD out of your pocket.

What exactly should my insurance cover?
Emergency helicopter rescue at high altitude (up to 5,555m), medical treatment, trip cancellation, and personal belongings. Many standard travel policies exclude trekking above 4,000 metres — check the fine print. If your policy doesn't cover it, buy a specialist trekking policy. World Nomads and Global Rescue are two that our trekkers use often.

Do I need a visa?
All foreign nationals except Indian citizens need one. Most nationalities get it on arrival at Kathmandu airport — no advance application needed. Bring a passport valid for at least six months, one passport-sized photo, and US $50 cash for a 30-day visa. The queue moves faster than it looks.

Is a guide mandatory?
Yes. Since 2023, Nepal law requires all trekkers to have a registered guide. Our guides are TAAN-certified with wilderness first-aid training, and most of them are from the villages along the trail you'll be walking. They didn't learn the Khumbu from a textbook.

What do the guides and porters actually do?
Your guide leads the trek, manages all the logistics with teahouses and checkpoints, monitors your health daily (pulse oximeter readings, oxygen levels, how you slept, whether you have a headache), and shares the kind of local knowledge that turns a walk into an experience — the history of the monastery, what the prayer flags say, why the yaks always have the right of way on bridges, which teahouse owner makes the garlic soup that actually helps with altitude.

Porters carry your main bag so you walk with just a daypack. They're quiet, strong, and fast — they'll arrive at the next teahouse before you do, and your bag will be waiting in your room.

What's included in each tier?

Budget: One guide for up to 8 trekkers. No porter — you carry your own bag. Porter available at extra cost. Assistant guide added for groups over 8.

Standard: One guide for up to 6 trekkers. One porter for every two trekkers, carrying up to 10 kg per person. Assistant guide added for groups over 6.

Luxury: One guide for every 2 trekkers. One dedicated porter per trekker, carrying up to 20 kg. You carry nothing but your daypack, and even that your guide will help with if you're tired.

Where do I sleep?
In traditional mountain teahouses along the trail. These are simple lodges run by Sherpa families — twin beds, blankets, a communal dining room with a stove burning dried yak dung or wood in the centre. Everyone gathers around it in the evenings: trekkers, guides, the lodge owner's children doing homework. The higher you go, the more basic the lodges get, but even at Gorak Shep (5,164m) you'll have a bed, a blanket, and a hot meal.

We offer three accommodation tiers — Budget, Standard, and Luxury — with increasing levels of comfort and privacy. Scroll up to the What's Included section for full details on what each tier covers.

At very high altitudes, there may only be one type of room available. We always get the best that exists at each stop, regardless of your tier.

Is electricity and Wi-Fi available?
Yes at most stops, but it gets expensive and unreliable above Namche. Charging your phone might cost 200-500 NPR at higher lodges. Wi-Fi works below Tengboche but don't rely on it above. Standard and Luxury tiers include charging; Luxury covers Wi-Fi too.

Can I get a hot shower?
At lower altitudes, yes — most lodges have solar or gas-heated showers. Above Dingboche, availability drops and the water may be barely warm. Honestly, by day eight you won't care. Everyone smells the same. Luxury tier covers all hot shower costs.

What food is available on the trek?
More than you'd expect. Every teahouse has a menu — dal bhat (the Nepali staple that our guides say "dal bhat power, 24 hour"), fried rice, noodle soup, pasta, momos (dumplings), chapati, pancakes, eggs, and porridge. Some lodges bake their own bread and make apple pie that has no business being as good as it is at 3,800 metres. Our guides know which kitchen is best at each stop, and they'll steer you right.

Garlic soup — order it. It helps with acclimatisation, and it tastes better than it sounds after six hours of walking.

What's included in each tier?
Each tier includes different levels of meals and drinks. Budget gives you flexibility to order what you want from teahouse menus. Standard includes three meals daily with tea or coffee. Luxury covers everything including unlimited drinks, snacks, and all extras. Check the What's Included section above for the complete breakdown.

Are vegetarian and vegan options available?
Plenty. Dal bhat is naturally vegetarian and it's the most nutritious meal on the menu. Most teahouses also serve vegetarian pasta, soup, fried rice, and noodles. Tell us your dietary requirements when you book and our guides will communicate them at each stop.

When is the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Stable weather, clear views, and comfortable temperatures. Spring days around 20°C dropping to -5°C at night. Autumn is slightly warmer during the day, slightly colder at night. The rhododendrons bloom in spring. The skies are sharpest in autumn. Both are beautiful for different reasons.

Can I trek in summer or winter?
Yes to both, with trade-offs you should know about.

Summer (June to August) is monsoon season. Rain below Namche, cloud that rolls in by afternoon. But the trails are quiet, the hills are impossibly green, and above Namche the rain shadow of the Himalaya means drier conditions than the valleys below. Some trekkers prefer it — you'll have the trail almost to yourself.

Winter (December to February) is cold. Seriously cold. Nights at Gorak Shep can hit -20°C and the teahouses aren't heated beyond the dining room stove. But the skies are the clearest of the year, the mountains are covered in fresh snow, and you might go a whole day without seeing another trekker. If you have the gear and the tolerance for cold, winter EBC is unforgettable in a way that peak season isn't.

How does weather affect Lukla flights?
Lukla's runway sits on a mountainside at 2,860 metres. Pilots need clear visibility to land. Cloud, wind, or rain cancels flights, sometimes for a day, sometimes longer. This is why we tell every trekker to build buffer days into their travel plans after the trek. A missed international connection because of a Lukla delay is avoidable if you plan for it. If flights cancel, helicopter transfers are available at additional cost (roughly $500-1,000 per person, shared between 4-5 passengers).

What are the main health risks?
Altitude sickness. Full stop. That's the one that matters. It causes headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and disturbed sleep. It can happen to anyone regardless of age or fitness — we've seen marathon runners get it and grandmothers walk through without a symptom. The difference is pace and hydration, not fitness.

Sunburn is the one people forget about. The UV at 5,000 metres is brutal. Wear sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, and sunglasses every day, even when it's cloudy.

How do you manage altitude sickness?
Our guides carry a pulse oximeter and check your oxygen saturation and heart rate every morning and evening. We built two acclimatisation days into the itinerary at Namche Bazaar (3,440m) and Dingboche (4,410m) — you hike high during the day and sleep low at night, which is how the body adjusts. Stay hydrated (3+ litres a day), walk slowly, avoid alcohol above 3,500m, and tell your guide the moment you feel off. If symptoms become serious, we descend. Immediately. No discussion, no "let's wait and see." That's the rule.

What happens in an emergency?
Our guides are trained in wilderness first aid. If you need evacuation, we coordinate a helicopter through your insurance provider. The helicopter can reach most points on the trail within 30-60 minutes in clear weather. This is why travel insurance with helicopter cover is mandatory — not a suggestion, not a recommendation, mandatory.

What should I pack?
The essentials: waterproof hiking boots you've already broken in (not new — never new), a fleece jacket, a down jacket (both mandatory above Namche), thermal base layers, a waterproof shell, sunglasses with UV protection, SPF 50+ sunscreen, and a daypack. Our full equipment checklist is on this page — scroll to the Equipment section.

The mistake most trekkers make is overpacking. You don't need three books, a laptop, and five changes of clothes. You need one set of walking clothes, one set of evening clothes, warm layers, and rain protection. Everything else is weight your porter carries and you'll never use.

Do I need a sleeping bag?
All teahouses provide bedding and blankets. A sleeping bag adds warmth on cold nights above 4,000 metres, and at Gorak Shep you'll be glad of it. If you don't own one, we can provide one for the trek — just tell us when you book.

Should I bring trekking poles?
Strongly recommended. On day one you'll wonder why you brought them. By day five, on the steep descent from Tengboche to the river, your knees will tell you exactly why. They reduce joint strain on descents, improve balance on rocky terrain, and over twelve days of walking, the difference is significant. Collapsible poles pack easily for flights.

How far in advance should I book?
At least a month if you can, so we can arrange Lukla flights and logistics smoothly. Peak season (October-November, March-April) fills up faster — two months ahead is better. But we also take last-minute bookings. Shreejan has put treks together in 48 hours when people show up in Kathmandu and decide they want to go. WhatsApp him at +977-9810351300.

How does payment work?
A 10% deposit confirms your booking — that's as low as $95 depending on the package. The rest is due when you arrive in Kathmandu. We accept payment through the Himalayan Bank portal on our website, bank transfer, Wise, or Western Union. Card payments carry an additional 3.5% bank processing fee. In Kathmandu, cash or card both work. Once you book, we email you everything — payment details, preparation guide, what to pack, what to expect.

What is your cancellation policy?
We have one, and it's on our Terms and Conditions page. We try to be fair. If circumstances change and you need to reschedule rather than cancel, we'll work with you on that.

How do I get to the start of the trek?
You fly from Kathmandu to Lukla — a 40-minute flight that lands on one of the world's most famous runways, cut into a mountainside with a cliff at one end and a mountain wall at the other. During peak season (March-May and September-November), flights often go from Manthali Airport instead of Kathmandu due to air traffic. If that's the case, our guide picks you up around 12:30 AM for the five-hour drive to Manthali, followed by a 20-minute flight. In quieter months, flights go directly from Kathmandu.

Budget: If departing from Manthali, you travel there by local bus or shared jeep.
Standard: Private jeep to Manthali.
Luxury: You skip the Lukla flight entirely and travel by helicopter — no delays, no Manthali drive, and the aerial views of the Himalaya are something you won't forget.

Can I avoid the Lukla flight altogether?
Yes. We offer an Everest Base Camp by Road trip (15 days) that drives to the trailhead instead of flying. You save $200-300 on flights and get to see Nepal's hill country on the way. A lot of trekkers tell us the drive was one of their favourite parts.

How do I get back after the trek?
You fly from Lukla back to Kathmandu or Manthali. If you land at Manthali, we drive you back. Luxury trekkers return by helicopter. Build a buffer day into your plans — Lukla flights cancel more often than they run on time.

NTC (Nepal Telecom) is the one you want. It has the most reliable coverage on the Everest route — intermittent signal up to Namche Bazaar, occasional signal beyond, and very little above Dingboche (4,410m). Ncell works well in Kathmandu but drops out earlier on the trail.

We'll set you up with an NTC SIM card in Kathmandu before the trek.

Budget: SIM card provided, you buy your own data.
Standard: SIM card with a data package ready to go.
Luxury: SIM card with unlimited data — call home, post photos, stay connected the whole way.

Bring a power bank. Charging at teahouses above Namche costs money and isn't always available. A 20,000 mAh bank will last the whole trek if you're sensible with your phone.