Everest Base Camp Trek - 16 Days

Highlights

• Watch the sun set on Mt. Everest & Lhotse from Kala Patthar viewpoint
• Experience and learn about Sherpa culture, who have made this region their home
• Sip tea or coffee at one of the world's highest markets, Namche Bazaar
• Experience ground zero for all Everest expeditions at the foot of the Khumbu Ice Fall

Trek Overview

This classic trek takes you up and down the main trekking route in the heart of the Solu Khumbu. While there are many other stunning areas in the Khumbu, if your main goal is to reach Everest Base Camp, this is the trek for you. You'll get amazing mountains views and a great experience of being high up in the Himalaya. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire—and if there's a good reason why this trek is so popular.

That said, this trek is not for everyone. If you're looking for a remote, undisturbed, away-from-it-all trek, you may want to consider longer versions of this trek (see below) or another region entirely. Especially during the spring and the fall, the Everest Base Camp route is busy, crowded, and comes with many of the modern amenities of back home, like WIFI, which you may be hoping to get away from. 

Accessing This Trek

Best Time To Go

The Everest region can be visited year-round, although the spring (March to May) and the fall (late September to early November) are the best time for clear skies and comfortable temperatures. The winter (late November to February) can be quite cold with below-freezing temperatures—especially above Namche Bazaar and the summer (late June to early September) comes with clouds and potential flight delays out of Lukla.

Still, these offseasons are a great opportunity to have a more unique experience of the Everest Base Camp trek. Even during the monsoon, the sky often clears up once you ascend above Namche Bazaar. And during winter, you'll encounter very few people on the trail and see the villages and valley covered in a light dusting of snow. Teahouses will also be more available and accommodating and you'll have more time to interact with the local people (although many will have left for Kathmandu for the winter).

If you would like to catch a glimpse of Everest expeditions in action and see their base camps. the spring is the best time to go. The population of camps at Base Camp surges with dozens of expedition groups. You may not exactly experience the serenity of nature, but it's exciting to rub shoulders with soon-to-be Everest summiteers.  

For more information about when to go, check out our article on the best time to visit Nepal.

Accommodation During the Trek

The Everest Base Camp route is dotted with local teahouses where most trekkers spend the night. For more information on what these local teahouses are like, check out our article on Teahouse Trekking in Nepal. There are also luxury lodges, like Yeti Mountain Home and Everest Summit Lodges, available during the first 5-6 days of the trek. A great option we often recommend is to have a mixture of luxury lodges and local teahouses during your trek. 

Unique Ways To Do This Trek

For a more unique experience, consider doing this trek during the monsoon season (June to September) when you'll have fewer crowds with still the potential of great views, especially at higher elevations. Or, if you have more time, you can start your trek from Salleri, in the Lower Everest region, and avoid the possibility of flight delays from Kathmandu to Lukla. You'll also be fitter and more acclimatized by the time you reach the upper Everest region, allowing you to enjoy this part of the trek even more. Best of all, there are hardly any people, lots of wildflowers out, the locals have time to talk to you and you will still see plenty of mountains views in the early mornings.

For more ways to get off the beaten path, check out our article on Getting Off the Beaten Path to Everest Base Camp.

Shortening Your Trek

Return by Helicopter (9-10 Days)

If you're short on time, you can arrange to take a helicopter back to Kathmandu from either Namche Bazaar or Gorak Shep, saving you the extra time it takes to trek back to Lukla. You'll still need at least 9-10 days, however, to ensure proper acclimatization on your way up to base camp. A more budget-friendly alternative is to take a helicopter only down to Lukla, stay overnight in Lukla, then catch a flight back to Kathmandu the next morning.

Short Treks with Views of Mt. Everest

If you only have 5-7 days, you can still see Everest from a distance (which you could argue is the better view!). Instead of trekking all the way to Everest Base Camp, you can turn around at Namche Bazaar or Tengboche, which both offer great views of Mt. Everest. For more details about these treks, check out the Best Short Treks in the Everest Region.

Extending Your Trek

Sagarmatha National Park (the Everest region) is composed of four glacial valleys spilling down from the Himalayan range that borders Tibet. The Sherpa people have settled these valleys over the centuries, cultivating a great network of trails that run along the valley floor as well as up and over the ridge lines that separate them. The result—a number of great trekking routes that can be combined with Everest Base Camp.

Gokyo Lakes & Everest Base Camp Trek (16 Days)

This route combines a visit to Everest Base Camp with the Gokyo Lakes trek which takes you up a parallel valley to the little village of Gokyo. This is a great option for a slightly longer trek which has another beautiful viewpoint — Gokyo Ri (17,575 ft / 5357 m). From Gokyo Ri, you'll have a great view of Everest as well as Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. To extend this trek even longer, you can trek farther up the valley above Gokyo to a string of remote alpine lakes.

Three Passes Trek (19 Days)

If you would like to extend your trek, consider the challenging Three Passes trek. This is the most challenging trek in the Everest region and ranges from 19-20 days, taking you counter-clockwise through the entire Sagarmatha National Park. The trek combines all the highlights of the Everest region into one challenging adventure: three 5,000 m. passes and three 5,000 m. viewpoints that overlook their respective valleys.

Detailed Itinerary for Everest Base Camp (16 Days)

Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu!

As you fly into Kathmandu, you'll have beautiful views over the valley, the Himalaya, and of the terraced fields below. After going through customs, a representative will be waiting to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets and get you settled into your hotel. Once you've settled in, head out and visit one of Kathmandu's cultural highlights. In the evening, the tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to chose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.

Day 2: Explore Kathmandu

Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not too chaotic. It's a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a chai overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares. There are a number of ways you can spend the day given the many incredible sights around the Kathmandu Valley. Later in the evening, head out for dinner at one of the city's great eateries, or your specialist can arrange a home-cooked dinner with a local family.

Day 3: Flight to Lukla and Trek to Phakding

Your flight from Kathmandu to Lukla only lasts 40 minutes, and you'll enjoy Nepal's iconic mountain views throughout. Touch down on the narrow mountaintop runway, and your adventure begins.

After your whirlwind arrival, head out on a half-day trek. You'll follow a riverside trail downhill through the Dudh Koshi Valley, passing farms, stone villages, and snow-topped mountains toward your first overnight in Phakding.

Day 4: Trek to Namche

From Phakding, the route crisscrosses the pine-flanked Dudh Koshi river on a steel cable suspension bridge. Keep an eye out for yaks and other local wildlife that amble along the same route.

From there, the trekking path leads into Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO-listed nature reserve that is home to snow leopards and red pandas. After passing a checkpoint in Monjo to register your trekking permits, you'll begin a steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. If the weather is clear, you may just catch a glimpse of Mount Everest in the distance.

Day 12: Trek to Tengboche

Passing back along familiar ground, you'll head to the twin villages of Pangboche. New Pangboche is where most of the guesthouses are located, but Old Pangboche is where you'll find the Khumbu's oldest monastery. If you didn't get a chance to see the yeti's skull and hand before, now is your chance to admire the curious relics first-hand.

From there, you'll continue to follow the river, finally crossing back over it. Pass through birch and rhododendron forests to Tengboche, where you'll catch more panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks.