Everest Base Camp: Nepal's Ultimate Trek

If you are already in Kathmandu and staying somewhere else, please move into Hotel Holy Himalaya today. One night pre-trek accommodation is the part of the tour. If you are arriving in Kathmandu today, please take a taxi to the hotel (30 minutes). If you need a meet and greet service on arrival, it costs $ 15 for a solo traveler and $ 10 if you are two or more persons, arriving together. 

Your trekking guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at 5 p.m. today for the briefing. Tonight, we invite you for a Nepali welcome dinner in a typical Nepali restaurant.

In the morning, together with your guide, transfer to the airport for a 45-minutes long flight to Lukla - the gateway town to the Everest Base Camp. Here, we meet our other crew members; assemble our gears, and commence trekking. After walking about 2-3 hours, we arrive at the village of Phakding, where we stay overnight today.

The second day of the Everest Base Camp trek is a bit tougher. The trail leads us along the Dudh Koshi River through several suspension bridges. The glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m/21, 707 ft.) will greet you. The trail passes through the Sherpa villages of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo and enters Sagarmatha National Park. It will then climb through the forests and several suspension bridges until we reach the confluence of two rivers - Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi.

The final steep ascent of about 2 hours rewards us with the first sight of Mount Everest looking over the ridges of Mount Lhotse and Nuptse. We stop briefly at Chautara to appreciate the view and continue further on the trail.

It's essential to have proper acclimatization for higher chances of making to the Everest Base Camp. We will well spend an acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar on browsing the market or taking a side trip to Thame. Namche Bazzar is the main center of the Everest region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery, and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. We will also visit the Tourist Visitor Centre near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park. Here we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region.

After two days stop in Namche Bazaar, we are ready to hit the Everest Base Camp trail. Following breakfast, we start our hike to Khumjung via Syangboche and the old airfield. We continue to the Japanese established Everest View Hotel. Here we spend a few moments on the terrace and enjoy the magnificent views of Mount Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Everest. We continue our hike to Khumjung and settle in our guesthouse and later, we visit the less touristy twin villages of Khumjung and Khunde of Sherpa people.

First, we visit the Khumjung Monastery that houses a statue of Guru Rinpoche and also proudly displays the so-called Yeti skull. We then stroll slightly uphill to Khunde through potato fields. We visit the Khunde Hospital, and then we hike up to the Khunde Monastery. We walk back down towards Khumjung through the fields. We stop many times and soak up the views and sights of the village life around us. Back in Khumjung, we visit the High School with the statue of Sir Edmund Hillary, who is the founder of this school.

The trail to Phortse Village is rather steep but boasts excellent views over to Phortse and the spectacular river gorge below, including an inaccessible natural rock bridge. Starting on a level trail, we trek up through the stone steps and reach Mongla pass (3975 m/13,038 ft.) from where we can view Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Mt. Khumbila. Sherpa people revere mt. Khumbila as the patron god of the Khumbu area.

Descending to Doodh Koshi Khola (3250 m/10,660 ft.), we cross a bridge and again trek up through the rhododendron forest, a habitat for Himalayan wild deer and musk deer. Finally, we reach the walled fields of Phortse. Phortse is just under the snow-dusted peaks of Tawoche and Cholaste. From here it's a short trek to Phortse village where we stay overnight.

The trail to the Everest Base Camp now narrows and descends by a monastery. The trail leads us through the verdant alpine forests to the village of Upper Pangboche, where we will get overwhelmed by the dramatic views of the mountains. We will also visit the monastery and take a chance to meet the monks. Beyond Pangboche, we enter the region with alpine meadows. The trail climbs via the villages of Shomare, Orsho, and Tsuro Wog and further up through the Khumbu River Valley to the hilltop. The alluring views of the towering mountains of Tarboche, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Nuptse, Lhotse, Cholatse, etc. rewards us from the hilltop. Imja River Valley to the east also becomes visible on a clear weather day. From Pangboche, its 2.5 hours gentle walk to the village of Dingboche marked with chortens and fluttering prayer flags.

We have our second acclimatization day in Dingboche that helps us getting well acclimated for Everest Base Camp. We will have a relaxed morning to enjoy breakfast with stunning views of Mount Amadablam (6856m/ 22493 ft.) that looms to the south. After breakfast, we take an acclimatization climb to the ridge to the north behind the village and have even better views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and the numerous other peaks visible from Dingboche. From here we can see three of the world's six highest peaks- Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Yu. To the west tower the peaks of Cholatse (6440 m/21,126 ft.) and Taboche (6542 m/ 21,463 ft.). As we turn our head to the northwest, we see an array of peaks rising above the Khumbu River valley.

Along with Lhotse (8,501m/27, 890 ft.) stand the Lobuche West and Lobuche East peak proudly. Looking down from the ridge top, we will enjoy a sweeping view of Imja River Valley and the picturesque fields and the pastures of Dingboche Village.

Accommodation in the guesthouse.

Today, the Everest Base Camp trail climbs through Khumbu Khola Valley to Duglha with excellent views of mountains on all sides. As we approach Dusa - a yak herder's place, the valley begins to narrow. We will see a beautiful glacier lake - Chola Lake above Phulung Karpo. The superb Mount Pumori (7,138 m/ 23,418 ft.) comes into view as we continue on the trail.

Now the trail descends, and curves and Mount Pumori vanishes from the scene. We cross the roaring stream on a small wooden bridge, and the trail ascends to Dughla. From Dughl, we can view the tip of Nuptse as well as Cholatse, Thamserku, and several other majestic peaks. Although it's a short day today, we recommend a stay in Dughla for acclimatization reason.

Beyond Dughla, the trail climbs up the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail goes through the boulder-strewn slope as we ascend Chupki Lhara, a spine-chilling ridge top with dramatic views of the mountains. At the top of the ridge, we will see cairns with prayer flags. These prayer flags are a memorial to Scott Fischer - an American Mountaineer and Babu Chiri Sherpa - a Nepali mountain guide and ten times Everest summiteer who perished on a mission to climb Everest.

The trail then drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, and we find ourselves right "in front of" several great peaks - Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. It takes about 2 hrs to reach Louche -also spelled as Lobuje. We are now very close to Mount Everest, but it remains hidden. As we cross the Khumbu Glacier, we will see Nuptse towering to the right.

Gorakshep has a strategic position in the Everest Base Camp trekking as it's in the junction of the trail to the Kala Patthar and the base camp. The path from Lobuche to Gorakshep goes through the moraine of the Khumbu. We pass through the pyramid sign post and continue ahead on the trail. We see the crest of north ridge of Mount Everest along with Mount Pumori, Mahalangur, Lingtern, Khumbutse, Nuptse, and other splendid peaks. A small climb would lead us to Thangma Riju from where we enjoy the 360-degree vista of snowy mountains.

The trail then climbs steeply up to the top through the torrent of Changri glacier. And we catch our first glimpse of Kala Patthar (5545 m/18,192 ft.)- a greyish green hill beneath the Mount Pumori. As we arrive at Gorakshep (2 hours), we will be overwhelmed by the snow-capped mountains, including the top of the world - Mount Everest surrounding us.

We take our lunch in Gorakshep, and we further continue through the Gorakshep Lake to Everest Base Camp. The hike is pretty easy, first along a ridge and then later going onto the Khumbu Glacier and takes about 3 hours. If you are trekking during spring, you will see the entire base campground covered by mountaineer’s tents. From the Everest Base Camp, we will have great views of Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori but Mount Everest! By now, we have attained our ultimate goal of the trip, and we head back to Gorakshep for a good night's rest.

The return trip to Gorakshep takes about 2 hours. Time permitting and if weather is beautiful, it's worth hiking to Kala Patthar today rather than next day to enjoy the fantastic sunset view. The reflection of setting sun’s rays from the snow-capped mountains creates very emotional and overwhelming scenery that trekkers shouldn’t miss.

Although Everest Base Camp is the primary goal of this trekking, Kala Patthar is the climax of the trip. Kala Patthar offers the most spectacular views of Mount Everest and quite different than from any other points.

We have to begin early morning so that we reach the summit before sunrise. Be prepared to walk in the dark and freezing temperature, ranging from -10°C (14°F) to -14 °C (7°F). Moreover, usually, there will be chilly winds which are quite expected. It takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours to reach the top, and 1- hour return trip down to Gorakshep. We cross the beach and follow the path - steep at first and then gentler. The final portion of the trail is very steep. On the trail, we can pause on several outstanding points to catch our breath and capture the beautiful scenery on the camera. The summit is marked by cairns and loads of prayer flags offered by the trekkers. As the first light of the day shines on Mount Everest and other peaks, we will have overwhelmingly beautiful views of Mount Everest. And also the view of Nuptse to the east is magnificent, at much closer range than at Gokyo Ri. We can see Everest Base Camp in the distance on the Khumbu Glacier. For many trekkers, Kala Patthar ascent is the lifetime achievement.

Depending on the weather, we might spend 1 to 2 hrs on the top enjoying the sceneries and taking the pictures. After having late morning breakfast in Kala Patthar, we head down to Pheriche for overnight. We return the same way. It takes about 1 ½ hrs to reach to Lobuje, half an hour from Lobuje to Dughla and another 1 hour to Pheriche.

Relatively, it’s a shorter and more relaxed day of trekking today, as we trek down to the lower altitudes. We follow the same route back to the terminal moraines at Dughla and follow the wide valley of Khumbu Khola River. The trail passes through the picturesque Sherpa villages of Pheriche, Orsho, and Shomare brings us to Pangboche in about 2 hours. If you didn't visit the monastery on the way up and plan to visit now, then we take the alternative route from Shomare.

From Pangboche, we continue down to Imaja Khola and cross the bridge and walk through the forest to Debuche where we can visit a nunnery, a Nyingma-pa institution (3 hrs.). Tengboche Monastery is further 30 minutes descent from Debuche. Finally, we reach Tengboche Monastery, elegantly situated on a ridge in the forest with splendid views of mighty Everest and Ama Dablam. It's probably the best location on the whole trip!! Tengboche hosts a famous festival known as Mani Rimbu during November.

This section of the trail is well defined. We walk past the large stupa to the south of Tengboche and walk down the steep path lined with juniper and rhododendron trees. And if we are trekking during spring, pink and red rhododendron flowers ablaze our surroundings. After crossing the prayer flag festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phunki Thenga by the Dudh Kosi River. The trail follows the river gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests. The path eventually reaches Sansa - a major trail junction in the region.

We stop at Kyangjuma (3570 m/11,710 ft.) and enjoy lunch in a relaxed atmosphere with gorgeous views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse in every bite. After lunch, we follow the trail that clings to the steep wooded slope beyond Kyangjuma and zigzags down to Namche Bazaar. The path is abundant with wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc. and we will be on the lookout for them. We walk past a Chorten and arrive at army camp of Namche Bazaar from where we bid farewell to Lhotse, Mount Everest, and Tengboche. Upon arrival at Namche Bazaar, we settle into our guesthouse.

The last day of trekking of the Everest Base Camp trip! Namche Bazaar to Lukla is a long way down, but by now we are very much accustomed to such trail. We walk in a slow pace and have control on our shaky legs battling against the rocky terrain.

The trail crosses several bridges over the fast following Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries the path comes in level. Although we are traveling the same route down, we find out completely different views. It takes about 3 ½ hours to reach Phakding where we may stop for refreshment. It takes another 2 to 3 hours to reach Lukla. We will have time in Lukla to stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last two weeks. We will also reconfirm our flight ticket today. 

Flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is open for rest.

After breakfast, service ends. You may consider extending the trip to Chitwan National Park (2-3 nights) or Pokhara (2-3 nights). Our tour consultant will be more than happy to offer you extension tours.