Overview
Region :- Nepal
Duration :- 13 Days
Grade :- Difficult
Max Altitude :- 18,200 Ft.
Approx Trekking Km :- N/A
The Everest Base Camp Trek, is one of the most famous Trek in Nepal, which is famous for its fantastic mountain peaks and the beauty on the hills. Most of the places to this spot go through ridges and trails, but you would have ample space to rest and have meal on your way. And one of the best things about this place is that you don’t have to worry about being lost, as you can ask anybody for the next village. The people here are very friendly and offer help and support even to strangers. The people who live here are mostly shepherds and understand English; some even speak it fluently.
You can come to this destination all around the year as people trek in all seasons; however the best time to come to this area is between March to mid may and between Septembers to mid November. Many people do not prefer coming here in winters as the weather is very cold and the snow all around may make your trekking experience difficult. In such conditions, it would not be possible to go to higher altitudes. At higher altitudes, the lodges may even be closed due to the weather and you might have a difficult time in finding a place to rest and spend the night. Therefore it becomes a mandate to carry your tents along. Not to mention, the nights may get very cold and you would have to carry some extra clothes to keep you warm.
During the summers, the season is wet and the peaks are lost in the clouds. Therefore April and May might just prove a good time to go around this place. You can enjoy the tree and shrubs blossoming in this season, with Rhododendrons in particular. This adds a spectacular colour and beauty to the surrounding. However the views are much better if you plan a post monsoon trek than a pre monsoon trek because the rain and wind clear the dust which blows from the terrain. However while trekking to this area; it is mandatory to visit the Trekker’s Information Management System (TIMS), particularly if you are going to Khumbu region.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 :- Arrive Kathmandu
Altitude: 4,600ft/1,400m
Check-in Hotel (12:00 noon) (Stay is included in the cost)
Spend the day exploring the streets of Kathmandu
A short briefing session will be done in the evening
Day 2 :- Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding
Altitude: Lukla 9,350ft/2,860 m – Phakding 8,500ft/2,600m
Early morning fly to Lukla (30 minutes)
Trek to Phakding 9km/ 4 to 5 hours
Easy and Gradual descent
Cheplung is village on the way from where you can see Mt. Khumbila
You can buy or refill your water bottles from tea houses on the way
Note: Flights to Lukla are prone to delay due to weather, keep one or two buffer days
Day 3 :- Phakding to Namche bazaar
Altitude: Namche bazaar 11,300ft/3,450m
Trek: 10km/ 7 hours
Moderate level of climb and steep climb before Namche bazaar
Namche bazaar is the capital of the Khumbu region
First Everest view point will come today
You can spot Kongderei and Thamserku peak
Monjo village is the midpoint of the today’s trek
Swiss suspension bridge on Dudhkosi river is one of the attraction which is the life line of Khumbu region
Today you will enter into the Sagarmatha National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Day 4 :- Namche Bazaar (Acclimatisation day)
Today is the acclimatisation day
You can hike up to Sherpa Cultural Museum to get a view of Everest and Ama Dablam
It’s worth it to explore the town, good place for trekking gear
ATMs, internet cafes, shops, restaurants are available at extra cost
Day 5 :- Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
Altitude: Tengboche 12,650ft/3,850m
Trek: 8km/ 5 to 6 hours
Mixed ascent till Phunki Tenga
Steep ascent after Phunki Tenga to Tengboche
Tengboche has a biggest monastery in the area
You can attend a prayer ceremony held by the monks to invoke protection on your expedition
Cross another high bridge at the village of Phunki Tenga
Day 6 :- Tengboche to Dingboche
Altitude: Dingboche 14,250/4,350m
Trek: 9km/ 6 to 7 hours
Gradual descend and little bit of ascent after Lobuche River to Dingboche
Trail passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees
The route offers the amazing views of Ama Dablam towering above you
The trail cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche
Continue the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche
Day 7 :- Dingboche (Rest Day)
A rest day will help you to acclimate to the high altitude
A small hike will show you the world’s six tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu
From another location you can see the Imja Khola Valley and Dingboche village
Day 8 :- Dingboche to Lobuche
Altitude: Lobuche 16,200ft/4,950m
Trek: 7km/ 6 hours
Tricky climb on moraine and rocky terrain
You can visit the Memorial Shrine
The top of the ridge is filled with prayer flags and stones which are memorial shrines for climbers who lost their lives on Mt. Everest
As you will crossing Khumbu Glacier you can also see Mt. Nuptse
Day 9 :- Lobuche to Gorakshep (Excursion to EBC)
Altitude: Gorakshep 16,900ft/5,150m & Highest Point 17,550ft/5,350m
Lobuche to Gorakshep 6km/ 5 hours
Gorakshep to EBC 3km each way
It’s Everest Base Camp day today
Good steep climb to Gorakshep
It takes about 3 to 4 hours to reach Gorakshep
Lunch is at Gorak Shep
A steeper climb to Everest Base Camp
The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult
Trekker stop point is just before the actual base camp
Most tour groups are not allowed to enter or stay in EBC
Make sure you carry your day pack since you’ll need water
You can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp
Overnight in Gorak Shep
Note: drinking water at Gorakshep is chargeable. We don’t include drinking water on the trek which you can buy a number of places for between $1 and $3 a bottle (it gets more expensive towards base camp). A better solution is to buy water tablets in Kathmandu/Pokhra for around $2 and treat the water
Day 10 :- Hike upto Kalapatthar and retreat trek to Pheriche
Kalapatthar 18,200ft/5,550m – Pheriche 14,100ft/4,300m
Gorak Shap to Kalapatthar 2km each way/ 3 to 4 hours
Gorak Shap to Pheriche 15km/ 6 to hours
Steep climb to Kalapatthar (Difficult)
Gradual descent to Pheriche
Start early in the morning to avoid the early morning clouds
Kala Patar is the rocky hilltop below Pumori
Views from the summit: Everest, South Col, Lhotse, Makalu, Khumbu glacier & icefall, Pumori and Everest Base camp
Breakfast at Gorak Shep after Kalapatthar hike
Pheriche is a village situated above the Tsola river
Hospital in Pheriche, run by the Himalayan Rescue Association with the help of volunteers
Day 11 :- Pheriche to Namche bazaar
Altitude: Namche bazaar 11,300ft/3,450m
Trek: 15km/ 7 to 8 hours
Moderate, continuously descent and short ascent just before Namche bazaar
Day 12 :- Namche Bazar to Phakding to Lukla
Phakding 8,500ft/2,600m
Trek: 19km/ 7 to 8 hours
Moderate, continuously descent till Phakding and gradual ascent to Lukla
Start your trek early in the morning, as it’s a long day trek
Stop at Phakding for lunch
Stay in Lukla
Day 13 :- Fly back to Kathmandu
Morning fly to Kathmandu (30 minutes)
Your trek to Everest Base Camp is over
Spend the day in Kathmandu or fly back to your home
Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu is included in the cost
Note: weather conditions may cause flight cancellations. Delays are possible any time of year but are more typical on summer departures. Keep one or two buffer days
Who Can Participate:
Here are the fitness criteria one has to match absolutely for conquering this Trek with us:
Experience of any high altitude trek, at least 1 trek.
The climber must be fit and have sufficient stamina to cover 5 km of distance in 30 minutes without a stress.
A goods carrying benchmark relevant in this expedition, the climber should be able to carry a 10 to 15 kg expedition bag pack.
Heart problem, high blood pressure, asthma, and epilepsy cannot be reconciled on this mission. The climber must not have these conditions mentioned above.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu
Upon arrival in Kathmandu-Take cab from Airport and reach booked hotel in Kathmandu City. Enjoy local cuisine in the evening and do trek gears shopping or any last minute purchase from this place.
Attend briefing session in the evening –know about trek do and don’t. If you have any questions then it’s good time to get all the answers. Also make a note- from April 2019 most flights have been diverted to Ramecchap from Kathmandu due to construction and crowd at Kathmandu Airport. Ramechhap is the small airport in manali and 4 hrs drive away from Kathmandu. Your flight will be booked for next day so take early night and get ready by 1 to leave Kathmandu city for taking early morning flight from Ramechhap Airport.
Day 2: Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding
Early morning next day, you would have a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. You should keep your pen- knifes, lighter, matchboxes and other related stuff in the bigger baggage than in your hand-bag to avoid any security breach and unnecessary delay. The planes are generally small for these flights but the journey is panoramic. On arrival to Lukla, you would be received by your trekking guide, if you have booked one. You will have some time to see Lukla and enjoy its beauty. Your trekking in Nepal would begin from this point.
The walk from Lukla to Phakding is gradual and has few ups and downs on the way. You would have a superb view of Kusum-Kangru, while you are crossing the short suspension bridge on your way. After a short climb, you would reach the Ghat village and another one and a half hours of gradual walk brings you to Phakdng village.
Day 3: Phakding to Namche bazaar
From Phakding, after crossing the Dudh-koshi suspension bridge, the walk is easy and pleasant with short uphill and down-hill climb. You would be re-crossing the same river again. You would have a magnificient view of Thermasarkhu which is 6,608 meters from the village of Benkar. Now you would cross the long suspension bridge over the Bhote- Koshi River. This is a busy area and is full f trekkers and porters. After here you would finally arrive to the small river of Monjo, after a climb of 20 minutes from this area.
Here, you can see some interesting water mills which are used for grinding corns and barley. It is one of the major staple diet of the Sherpas. Monjo is situated below the magnificent peak of Thermasharkhu. Close to this you have the entrance to the Sagarmatha national park. At this point, your trekking permit is checked and the officials kleep a record of all the trekkers going ahead. After a gradual walk you would reach Namche bazaar. You can also get prepared for some high altitude trekking.
Day 4: Namche Bazaar
This day is reserved for acclimatization and going around the place. Namche Bazaar is a good place to shop and see magnificent views of the area. You would cherish the view of Kwangde peak and its sister peaks in the east. The houses in Namche Bazaar when looked from a distance appear to be in a U shaped bowl.
You can have a short up- hill walk towards the Sangmatha National Park headquarter. This spot is on the top of Namache Bazaar with breath-taking view of the surrounding areas. You would have a look at the giant snow- covered peaks and mountains. There is also a local museum which gives you a fair detail of the history of Himalayas, its geographic and cultural aspects, mountaineering history and various other information on the flora and fauna of the area.
The overnight stay would be in guest houses. You would be highly acclimatized to the area by this time.
Day 5: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
The first half of the walk is fairly simple and easy. You can reach the top of Namche Bazaar after a walk of 20 minutes. After a pleasant walk of 2 hours, you come to a small place at Shanasa. Here you can see the colorful Danphe pheasant, which is the national bird of Nepal and might also get a chance to have a look at the musk- deer and also the Himalayan Thar, which is a mountain goat that looks like an antelope. With a gradual descent, you would reach the Imjatse River at Phungitenga which is at a height of 3250 meters. After a strenuous walk from here for an hour, you would reach the religious Buddhist entrance which lies just before Tengboche.
Here, your walk is over for the day after 5 hours and you can admire and enjoy this religious place. The overnight stay is in guest houses.
Day 6: Tengboche to Dingboche
After you have relaxed for the day, you begin the trek towards Dingboche. The path goes through a forest that has trees like birch, juniper, fir, rhododendron etc. Through this forest you arrive to a lovely place i.e. Deboche which is at 3,650 meters. This place gives you a magnificent view of Mt. Ama Dblam, Mt. Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse. From here, the walk is mostly up-hill and continues to be so until you reach a large mani- wall gate. From here the way to Dingboche is divided into two paths. One of the paths towards Dingboche also goes through Pangboche. You can take this route to see more views and natural beauty.
Dingboche is a lovely place and you will find stone- walls protecting the agricultural fields. The walls are built to protect the crops from cold winds and grazing animals. Your over night stay would again be n guest houses.
Day 07: Dingboche.
Dingboche is a lovely and green place. The greenery is spread all around the village and you would find farms and crop- fields all around. The natives here grow crops like barley, buckwheat and potatoes. Dingboche has more than tea- houses so you would also like to have a cup of the same. This day is reserved for acclimatization to the weather and place.
You can go for a short walk around the village or might trek to Chukung, which is 3 or 5 hours trek and at a height of 4,730 meters. Chukung is towards the east and lies within the Imjatse valley. Thought the trek is gradual, you would still feel the thin air developing around this place. At Chukung, again there are about five tae- houses and give a superb and over- looking view. You can also explore the valley in the surrounding area and later return to your guest house.
Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche
From Dingboche the trail diverts towards the north, and the path is gradual and easy for the first 40 – 50 minutes. After this easy walk you would come to a mani- prayer stupa. From here the trail s slightly down towards Pheriche village. On this day of your walking, you would have a beautiful view of the Mt. Tawache, Ama Dablam, and Pokalde, which is approximately 5,741 meters towards the north. You would also have a view of the great wall of Nuptse.
You would have a pleasant walk for the next one and a half to two hours from Pheriche till you reach the small wooded bridge over the river of Khumbu glacier. This place is called Thugla and is the only place which has tea- houses before Lobuche. From here another 3 hours of strenuous trekking time brings you to Lobuche which lies at one corner of the hill. The overnight stay would be in guest houses.
Day 9: Lobuche to Gorakshep to EBC and back to Gorakshep
Today will be an exciting day for you as you are very close to your final destination. Today you will have an adventurous journey and a great trekking experience. The first walk of an hour is gradual up to the valley and leads to a grassy field. A walk of nearly 20 minutes takes you to the rocky moraine dunes. As you go ahead on your journey you can see the icy- glacial ponds and icebergs which lie below the Khumbu glacier. After a few more rocky moraine dunes and a gradual downhill walk, you reach Gorakshep.
After this, the trek to EBC can be misleading among the high- altitude trekking which is a strenuous climb. You must follow the lead Sherpa as the paths change every season due to the movement of the glaciers. But once you reach to EBC after a total of 7 hours walk, a grand view of the Khumbu ice fall awaits you. EBC is a lively place during the high expedition season.
Day 10: Hike upto Kalapatthar and retreat trek to Pheriche.
After you have trekked to the EBC and returned back to Gorakshep and an over night stay in Guest houses, you are now prepared to climb up to Kalapatthar. Besides, Gorakshep also is a good place to go around. It has a couple of tea- houses and it also used to be the base camp for trekking the Everest in the 1950’s. The walk towards Kalapather from Gorakshep starts with a few minutes of easy walk. All this while, you will be walking in the sandy fields. After here, there is a steep climb for about 45 minutes. Post this tiresome and strenuous mountaineering, you would come to the level fields and the walk from here is easy ad gradual. You would have the comfort of walking for the next one hour, post which there is again a steep trek to the top of Kalapatthar for about half an hour. The Everest from this point looks closer than you will imagine.
After here, you trek back to Pheriche.
Day 11: Pheriche to Namche bazaar.
After you have already reached your final destination the previous day, your cumbersome trekking time is almost over. You have done the Everest base camp trek and a lot of Himalayan treks. From this day onwards, you would have pleasant and easy walks throughout. You will be heading downwards to lower elevations. The walk is similar all the while to Thugla. After you reach the ridge, you would follow the stream and start traveling towards Pheriche valley. After a walk of around 40 minutes you reach the valley floor. You can take another one hour of easy and simple walk to reach Pheriche which is at 4,243 meters. You would have a wonderful the treks in Nepal by now. You trek down the slope to reach Namche bazaar. Once you reach here, the walk for the day is over and you would spend the night in guest houses and enjoy the local meals.
Day 12: Namche Bazar to Phakding to Lukla
Once you wake up to the lovely weather in Namche Bazaar, you would like to visit the place and go around a little bit, before you start your downhill journey. You can visit the local markets of Namche Bazaar and have a look at the local art crafts and handicrafts. You can buy a lot of stuff from here to make your journey memorable. You would like to have a small walk in and around the Sagarmatha National Park. It is a good place for photography and collecting memories. You would also enjoy the local food which has a distinct taste.
The trek from Namche Bazaar to Phakding is again a simple and easy walk. You would be trekking down the slope most of the time. The beauty of the forest and distant mountains with several water- falls add to your journey a great delight. This is the beauty of Nepal trekking.There will be a few uphill climbs but you will manage it very easily. The lush green beauty and forests will take your pain away. After this easy walk you would reach Lukla. This will be your last day with the Sherpas and other crew members, so you would like to enjoy the day with a delicious dinner and a few drinks.
Day 13: Fly back to Kathmandu
On this day you would have to wake up early as the flights to Kathmandu are generally scheduled in the morning. This is because during daytime, the weather is generally windy and there might be a delay in the flight timings. However you expect a slight delay in you r early morning flight as well if the weather is not suitable. As you make your way through the security checks and your flight takes off from Lukla airport, you would have a magnanimous view of the surrounding. Drive back to Kathmandu from Ramechhap Airport and overnight stay in Hotel.
How to Reach
By Air :-
Most major air carriers like Indian Airlines (www.indian-airlines.nic.in) Jet airways (www.jetairways.com) operate daily flights to Kathmandu. Reaching Kathmandu by flight from New Delhi is the most convenient way.
Delhi to Kathmandu by train + bus :-
Day 1: Take a train from Delhi to Gorakhpur. The Vaishali Express leaves Delhi at around 19:45 and arrives at Gorakhpur Junction at 09:10 next morning, or there’s another train from New Delhi at 17:20 arriving Gorakhpur at 06:35 next morning. The fare is around Rs. 2440 (£35 or $54) in AC1, Rs. 1240 (£18 or $27) in AC2, Rs. 785 (£12 or $18) in AC3 or Rs. 315 in Sleeper Class – check current times and fares at www.indianrail.gov.in or www.irctc.co.in.
Day 2: Take a bus or jeep from Gorakhpur to the Nepalese frontier at Sunauli (Indian side) and Bhairawa (Nepalese side, often also called Sunauli). Journey time about 3 hours, Rs. 55 (£1 or $2).
Walk across the frontier, it’s then a few minutes’ walk to the Bhairawa bus station. Take a bus or jeep on to Kathmandu. Buses take 9 to 12 hours, cost about 120 Nepalese Rupees or 230 Indian Rupees (£1 or $2). There are many buses daily, either daytime buses leaving regularly until about 11:00 or overnight buses leaving regularly from about 16:00 until 19:00. Indian rupees may be accepted here in Bhairawa, but not further into Nepal.
It’s also possible to travel via Varanasi An overnight train links Delhi & Varanasi. Buses link Varanasi with the Nepalese border.
Cost Terms
Inclusions:
1. Accommodation: (Sharing basis)
• Day 1 and 13 Hotel in Kathmandu.
• Day2 to 12 Teahouse.
2. Flights: (According to Itinerary)
• Kathmadu to Lukla.
• Lukla to Kathmandu.
• Domestic airport transfers for Lukla.
3. Support:
• 1 English Speaking Guide.
• Assistant Guide
4. All meals during trek: (As per the itinerary)
• All meals Lukla to Lukla • Day 2 Lunch to Day 13 Breakfast
5. All necessary permits and entry fees.
6. TIMS card.
7. High-altitude sleeping bag.
8. First aid medical kits, oxygen cylinder.
9. Store room facility in Kathmandu for extra luggage.
10. Insurance of Trekking Guide and porters.
11. Services from Kathmandu to Kathmandu.
Exclusions
1. Extra Expenses.
• Any kind of personal expenses.
• Porters for the personal bag*.
• Wifi, charging batteries and hot showers.
• Customary gratuities for guides & porters.
2. Nepal entry visa (approximately $40 USD) only for foreigners (Not for Indian).
3. Unforeseen cost due to flight cancellation, weather conditions etc.
4. Evacuation and medical expanses*.
5. Mineral Water
6. Travel and Trek insurance (we suggest to get travel insurance from ASC360)
7. All costs not outlined under “What’s included”.
Note:
1- Offloading for the personal backpack:
Normally TTH expect to carry your personal luggage on your own, if you wish to offload your backpack, you can hire a porter.
Charges of offloading backpack:
INR 7,900/-including GST, please let us know 10 days in advance
2- Evacuation and drop back in middle of trek:
In case you want to drop back middle of the trek or feeling unwell, there are no middle exit points. You will need to hire personal porter to Lukla and borne the allowance on your own. Helicopter evacuation is possible on demand and cost will be approx. USD 1000 to 1500 USD per person and depends on aviation company. Evacuation cost does not include in your trek cost.
3- Surprised about Lukla Airport:
Flights to Lukla depends on weather condition, A cloud covering mountain ranges can shut down entire Lukla airport.So,keep a buffer day in Kathmandu in case we miss the to and fro flight to Lukla.
Cancellation Polices:
Cancellations prior to 24 days from the start of the trek get 95% refund.
Cancellation between 24 days and 14 days to the start of the trek get 70% refund.
Cancellation between 14 days and 10 days to the start of the trek get 50% refund.
Cancellation less than 10 days to the start of the trek No refund.