A fairly glorious mountain hike to the Everest base camp has several entries as long and short itineraries. You can choose the route plans as your time, budget, stamina, and interest for a trekking trip to the Everest base camp. Not only the entry options, but you can also see all the needy information to hike to Everest base camp here on this post.
There are Driving Routes to Everest Base Camp
The classic route of Everest base camp starts with Jiri driving on a bus from Kathmandu. Hundreds of trekkers used to go the Jiri trekking route to Everest base camp every day a few years back when there was no airport to fly into Lukla from Kathmandu. Trekkers should have at least 3-weeks time to complete the trek for this classic trekking itinerary of the Everest base camp.
The classic route for Everest base camp, people need to drive to Jiri on a bus, van, or private transport, which takes around 6-7 hours from Kathmandu. You spend a night in Jiri, trek to Bhandar, Sette, Junbesi, Nunthala, Kharikhola, and Paiya, and meet the main Lukla to Everest base camp trekking trail.
The classic trekking route to Everest base camp joins the regular Kala Patthar Everest base camp trekking route in Chaurikharka after walking around a week from Jiri. You can either trek back the same way after visiting the base camp to Jiri, Salleri, then drives back or fly out from Lukla. It depends on your time and interest.
The trekking route from Salleri to Everest base camp is a new walking route to Everest. It is even a new trail than trekking from Lukla because of just started driving the road a few years ago. It is a shorter route than the classic Everest trekking route.
You drive to Salleri from Kathmandu on a Jeep for about 7-8 hours, spend a night in Salleri or Phaplu, and start walking towards the base camp, passing Nunthala, Kharikhola, Paiya, then meet the main regular base camp trail in Chaurikharka. It is also about a three-week Everest basecamp hiking journey from Kathmandu if you fly out from Lukla after exploring the Everest region.
Things to Know About Lukla Everest Base Camp
Lukla airport
You might be interested to know more about trekking from Lukla to Everest base camp trip detail because it is the most popular hiking route to the Everest base camp. It is a 12-day hike itinerary to the base camp, starting with a plane flight to Lukla, a trek to the base camp, and flying back on a plane to Kathmandu from Lukla at the end. Twelve days is a regular hiking plan, but it can be shorter, cutting one rest day or a few days longer according to your physical fitness. Having 2-days acclimatization rest days are suggested for a successful trekking trip to the Everest base camp.
A trekking tour to Everest base camp can finish in 8 or 9 days following the same hiking route up to base camp and flight back on a helicopter. Here, you can see a detailed 12-day trekking itinerary in this post. Flying out from Gorakshep to Kathmandu after visiting the base camp and Kala Patthar is a short Everest base camp trek. You can see detailed information about the flight back to the Everest base camp trek in the helicopter return Everest base camp trekking package. So, let's check the regular Everest base camp trekking plan here.
Lukla to Everest Base Camp Trekking Itinerary
Upon landing atLukla airport after a half-hour flight on a small aircraft from Kathmandu, the journey to the Everest base camp begins. You will trek to Phakding on this day which takes around 3 hours to descend the trails.
The trekking itinerary of the base camp goes ahead to Namche Bazar on the second day, entering the Sagarmatha National Park. This natural UNESCO heritage site begins from Monjo, where you will issue the national park entry permit. You spend an extra day in Namche doing an acclimatization hike for the altitude practice.
After that, the trek goes to Tengboche hill, Dingboche village, Lobuche town, and Gorakshep before attempting the base camp hike. Visiting Kala Patthar is one of the best hill station hikes before returning to Lukla from Everest base camp. Check the outline itinerary of hiking to Everest base camp here.
- Fly to Lukla (2,840m) and trek to Phakding (2,610m) 3 hrs.
- Trekking to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) 6-7 hrs
- Exploration day in Namche Bazaar and hike to Everest view hotel (3,880m) 4 hrs.
- Trekking to Tengboche hill (3,860m) 5 hrs
- Trekking to Dingboche (4,410m) 5 hrs
- Acclimatization rest day in Dingboche and hike to Nangkar-Tsang hill (5,083m) 4 hrs
- Trekking to Lobuche (4,910m) 5-6 hrs
- Trekking to Gorakshep (5,180m) 3 hrs and hiking to Everest base camp (5,364m) 5 hrs both way
- Hiking to Kala Patthar (5,550m) 2 hrs and trekking to Pheriche (4,210m) 5 hrs
- Trekking to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) 7 hrs
- Trekking to Lukla (2,840m) 6-7 hrs
- Fly out to Kathmandu (1,350m) in 35 minutes.
Provided outline itinerary of trekking to Everest base camp is to know day by day. Find the Everest base camp trekking detailed itinerary here for more information which might make it easy to find the condition of the trails, time, and difficulties.
Similarly, you can see more information about the 9-day trekking itinerary of hiking to Everest base camp and detail for the shorter base camp trekking here if you don't have enough time for proper hiking from Lukla to Everest base camp.
Essential Things to Know About EBC Trek
Autumn season trek
Choosing the right time to visit the Everest base camp is the most important thing. If you trek at the right time and season, you will surely enjoy the trip. Now, you know about choosing a suitable trekking season for the Everest base camp. But when is the best time for the Everest base camp trek?
The Autumn season and spring are the best times to trek from Kathmandu. September, October, and November in autumn, and March, April, and May in spring are the main trekking seasons to hike to Everest base camp from Kathmandu. Usually, the first two weeks in September and the last two weeks in May should have some rainy days.
December in winter offers one of the best views of the Himalayas and less traffic. It will be cold compared to autumn and spring but not as cold as January and February. January and February offer clear visibility, but summer is not a good time for the Everest trip.
Know About Everest Base Camp Trip Highlights
There are many natural and cultural attractions during the Everest base camp trekking. These beautiful highlights attract thousands of visitors to these trekking trails every high trekking season. Seeing the world's highest mountain Everest and reaching its base camp is a leading attraction to trekkers. The region has oodles of allure that can be seen and felt while trekking to the Everest base camp. You can see some trip highlights of the Everest base camp here.
- Astonishing adventurous scenic flight to Lukla
- Magnificent mountain views of Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Gauri Shankar, Everest massifs, and Mt. Makalu
- Unblocked mountain and valleys views from vantage viewpoints such as Kala Pathar, Everest view hotel, Tengboche hill, and Nangkar-Tsang hill
- Traditional Sherpa villages with well-carved colorful buildings
- Meet mountain legendary Sherpa people, see their lifestyle, daily activities, livings, culture, and religion
- Ancient historic Buddhist monasteries, stupas, and other religious shrines
- Attractive river valleys like Dudhkoshi, Imja, and Khumbu
- A famous Khumbu glacier and icefall
- Trekking through a natural UNESCO world heritage site
- Green hills, waterfalls vegetation, and wildlife from the National Park
The above-listed lines of the attractions are for the basic to know. For detailed information, visit this link for the highlights that amaze you while trekking to the Everest base camp.
Tips for a Succesful Trip to Everest Base Camp
Whatever people do, they look for a positive result. Likewise, you might be looking for tips to help you with a successful trip to the Everest base camp. First of all, you will manage time for a long time for Everest adventure mountain trips with physical training and more. It may be very far from Nepal, so you need to spend expensive on the flight to Nepal. Of course, you want a successful trip and make it a lifetime experience.
Is it an easy walk to Everest base camp? It is not a pic of a cake! There are several difficulties, but it is not impossible. You can make a successful trek trekking by following some helpful tips. Safety measure is the main factor, but you should follow other things too while trekking to Everest base camp. There are certain things to follow and respect cultural and religious aspects during trekking to the base camp.
Packing well equipment, not trekking alone during the offseason, Not disturbing wildlife, not swimming in rivers and glacial ponds, and not using a drone camera on the trek. Respect culture, beware of altitude, and some other things you should follow to succeed in the Everest base camp trekking trip. Check for the best tips for a successful trekking trip to Everest base camp.
Indian and Other South Asian Trekkers Should Know
Itinerary, guide/porter cost, food, and lodge costs are the same as other trekkers from Europe, America, and all Asian trekkers, as well as the people from the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) nations. But, permit costs and domestic flight tickets are cheaper for trekkers from India and SAARC. So, the trekking cost for the Everest base camp will be less for those trekkers.
Deducting the cost from the Lukla flight and national park permit doesn't make a huge difference. South Asian trekkers also need a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry ticket, which costs the same for all trekkers worldwide.
Trekking Permit Cost for Everest Base Camp
Trekking permit to Everest base camp
Until the published date of this post, trekkers to the Everest base camp need to issue two different trekking permits for the Everest base camp tour. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry permit and Sagarmatha National Park entry permit are required for the Everest base camp. Trekker's Information Management System (TIMS) card is not necessary until now. But the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) will implement the TIMS card soon, which is in collaboration with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
When the TIMS card is issued for Everest base camp trekking, it can get from the NTB office Bhrikutimandap Kathmandu for individual trekkers. If you book your trip from an agency, the trekking company will manage this ticket. It costs 2000 NPR for an individual hiker and 1000 NPR for a group trekker. Similarly, it costs 300 NPR for group trekkers and 600 NPR for individual South Asian trekkers.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality ticket can issue in Lukla. This rural municipality has an office at the end of town where you can get this entry permit. The cost of this entry ticket is 2000 NPR for all trekkers.
The following required ticket is the Sagarmatha National Park permit. You can get this entry permit in Monjo on the way to Namche Bazaar during the second day of the Everest base camp journey. It costs 3000 NPR per person for all trekkers except those from south Asian countries. The Sagarmatha National Park permit fee is 1500 NPR for trekkers from south Asian nations.
Everest Base Camp Individually
Knowing how easy and difficult the Everest base camp trek is for individuals is exemplary. Is it safe to trek alone or without a guide to Everest base camp? The answer is mostly yes but it depends on the conditional situation and season.
There will be lots of trekkers during the high trekking season. An individual trekker can follow and trek with other group trekkers along the way to the Everest base camp trail. If you are thinking of hiking on your own without a guide and porter following the other group trekkers, don't stay every moment with the same trekking group until the base camp. You are better off changing the group you trek with and staying in the lodges. Be sure if they are happy to stay with you always in the mountain or not whom you follow.
There won't be any problem with individual trekkers if everything runs everything smoothly. Trekking in the high mountain region is complex, and one might suffer from altitude sickness sometimes. Also, booking a flight ticket to Lukla and arranging accommodation in some mountain places can be difficult.
Things will not be wrong walking alone during high hiking season. But, if you are trying to trek yourself in the offseason, it is not a good idea. There won't be many trekkers on the trail, and if you have any problem, there will be no one to know about your difficult situation.
Booking a Trek with a Local Company or Overseas Company
Is it compulsory to book a trekking tour to the Everest base camp with a local company? The answer is yes; you must use a local trekking company to Everest base camp. Book your trip online, find any agency after arrival in Kathmandu, or book with overseas companies. Finally, using a local trekking company for the Everest base camp is compulsory.
Why choose a local trekking company for the Everest base camp? Because you will get a cheaper trekking trip if you book with a Nepal-based local trekking agency. If you book your trip with a home-based overseas company, they need their commission and send a limited amount to the local agency in Nepal, where they have a deal to operate their groups. You can save that commission amount and get a better price for a trip to base camp with a local company.
The other thing is information about the Everest base camp trek. All the overseas companies are selling packages collected from different local agencies. You may not get full of information through the package page. You need to search on the internet through several blog posts, which can take a long time. All the blog posts might not have the correct information. If you book your trekking tour with a local company, you can ask any queries anytime and get the exact info.
Burning a trip with a Nepal-based local company is very much safe, and it is easy. You can book your trip online with secure payment.
Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu flight
The primary transport for the Everest base camp journey is a flight to Lukla. A small aircraft from Kathmandu airport flies every morning. It needs to be clear visibility to operate the flight. The flight can often be canceled due to unfavorable weather and trekkers stuck in Kathmandu or Lukla. The bad weather can sometimes stay up to a week or a few days longer.
What happens if the weather keeps staying worst for many days? If it happens, you can't fly on a plane and must start the trek flying on a helicopter. It costs an extra amount to top up with the regular flight ticket. Dornier and twin-otter planes operate the flights with little weight, so pack only essential trekking gear to minimize the weight limitation.
15kg, including hand luggage, is allowed with one ticket. You can pay 100-200 NPR per kg for overload, but the bag and you might sometimes be on a different plane due to overload. If the flight on which you fly reaches Lukla and the next one can't make a flight, you and your trekking equipment can be in different places. So, try to pack only the necessary things for the trek. You can minimize weight by not carrying lots of books and laptops and buying daily usage things while trekking to Everest base camp.
Accommodation, Food, and Drink While Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Accommodation in Gorakshep
The well-managed trekking route of the Everest base camp trail has plenty of lodges for a night's stay in every place. You can get an attached bathroom and shared bathroom accommodation during the trek. They are clean and comfortable enough but not as in the city. You can also have luxury accommodation, but they are costly.
The lodges serve food from a menu so that you can choose different food on the trek. But one thing, you will get almost the same food items everywhere. You also can try local food if you would like to.
The lodge and grocery sell a bottle of water along the trek. The cost of the drink goes high as you ascend altitude. You can drink tap water by filling it into your water bottle but don't forget to use the purification method before drinking.
Battery Charging, Hot Shower, and Internet Service
The camera battery and cell phone battery go quickly down in cold temperatures. You can charge the batteries during the trek, but it is not free. You will have electricity until the fourth night and solar power for the light and battery charging. You better bring a power bank with you to save money from charging the battery.
As for battery charging, a hot shower also is not free. Most places have a proper hot shower using solar, electricity, and gas. But you might need a hot shower with hot water in a bucket.
You can use the internet every day along the trek. There are two types of services for the internet Everest link top-up wi-fi card or mobile data. NCELL and NTC provide the service in the region, but NCELL has a better signal. Upon arrival at the airport, you can buy a SIM card with the data package, which you can use during the trip.
Altitude Sickness and Prevention on the Trek
Altitude sickness is the main problem during trekking to Everest base camp. Altitude sickness is caused by low oxygen in the air and high atmospheric pressure in high Himalayan lands. There are two types of altitude sickness High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). HACE affects the brain with fluid and HAPE in the lung.
There will be early symptoms of the altitude effect, so it will be easy to know if people suffer from altitude. Headache, vomiting, feeling like a drunk, very tired while resting, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, hard to breathe, tingling fingers, and a few others are the earlier symptoms of altitude sickness while trekking to Everest base camp.
You can prevent altitude sickness and stay safe with it. Walk slow, drink plenty of water and liquid, eat well, sleep well, and stay warm. Stop thinking about the altitude trouble; tell the problem the guide. Have enough acclimatization rest day before visiting higher elevations and start taking Diamox after 3500m to prevent altitude sickness.
If the situation worsens after an acclimatization rest day, it is better to descend as soon as possible to the lower elevation. Having travel insurance for the Everest base camp is highly recommended. Buy an insurance policy that covers any emergency evacuation service up to 6000m of elevation.
Other Beautiful Treks in Everest Region
Gokyo lake
Gokyo valley trek is an alternative to Everest base camp trekking. It is a trek with a similar time frame as the Everest base camp. Compared to the base camp trekking, the Gokyo valley trek has fewer trekkers because most trekkers would like to visit the base camp of the highest mountain in the world. Gokyo valley trek offers even better views than the base camp trail. Tranquil Gokyo lakes, the most prominent mountain glacier, and the view from Gokyo Ri are phenomenal.
Everest 3 passes trek is the most adventurous lodge trek in Nepal. Everest 3 passes trek covers Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La hills. You can trek separately, passing only Cho La or Renjo la if you don't have enough time for Everest 3 passes trek. Gokyo Everest base camp trek via Cho La pass is a popular adventure trek in the Everest region. Visiting a hidden valley Thame via Renjo La pass, is also a beautiful trek in this region.
Everest panorama trek: The Everest view trek or Lukla to Tengboche trek is the shortest available Everest trekking package. It is one week trek from Kathmandu to Kathmandu and is recommended for non-adventurous trekkers, families, and people who do not have enough time for the base camp trek.
The famous trek itinerary to the Everest base camp is 12 days, but you can make one day shorter or a few days longer according to your fitness. You can minimize or maximize by seeing the walking hours and elevation by providing an itinerary. You can do it in 8 or 9 days by flying in a helicopter after visiting the base camp. You can still reach the base camp within a few hours from Kathmandu with a helicopter tour.
