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The Himalayas Calling
The Himalayas Calling
A trekker and a pack horse on the Pheriche trail below Ama Dablam
  • Nepal
  • 14 days
  • Challenging

Everest Base Camp, the gentle way

Overview

The classic trek to the foot of Everest, paced with two rest days so you arrive at Base Camp ready to enjoy it. You sleep in Sherpa teahouses, cross the Hillary suspension bridge, stop at Tengboche Monastery and climb Kala Patthar at dawn for the closest view of the summit.

  • Everest at sunrise from Kala Patthar
  • Tengboche Monastery below Ama Dablam
  • Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa trading town
  • Standing at Everest Base Camp, 5,364 m

Day by day

Where you sleepHighest night 5,164 m
  1. Night 1: Kathmandu, 1,400 m
  2. Night 2: Phakding, 2,610 m
  3. Night 3: Namche, 3,440 m
  4. Night 4: Namche, 3,440 m
  5. Night 5: Tengboche, 3,860 m
  6. Night 6: Dingboche, 4,410 m
  7. Night 7: Dingboche, 4,410 m
  8. Night 8: Lobuche, 4,940 m
  9. Night 9: Gorak Shep, 5,164 m
  10. Night 10: Pheriche, 4,371 m
  11. Night 11: Namche, 3,440 m
  12. Night 12: Lukla, 2,860 m
  13. Night 13: Kathmandu, 1,400 m
  1. 1

    Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu

    We meet you at the airport and brief you on the trek over dinner.

    • Night in Kathmandu, 1,400 m
  2. 2

    Day 2: Fly to Lukla, walk to Phakding

    A short mountain flight to Lukla, then an easy walk down the Dudh Kosi valley. In peak season flights leave from Ramechhap, a pre-dawn drive from Kathmandu.

    • Night in Phakding, 2,610 m
    • 8 km
  3. 3

    Day 3: Up to Namche Bazaar

    Cross the Hillary suspension bridge and climb steadily to Namche, the trading town of the Khumbu.

    • Night in Namche, 3,440 m
    • 11 km
  4. 4

    Day 4: Rest day in Namche

    A short hike to the Everest View Hotel for your first sight of Everest, then an afternoon of rest.

    • Rest and acclimatise
    • Night in Namche, 3,440 m
    • Highest point 3,880 m
  5. 5

    Day 5: To Tengboche

    A trail through rhododendron and fir forest to Tengboche Monastery, with Ama Dablam ahead.

    • Night in Tengboche, 3,860 m
    • 10 km
  6. 6

    Day 6: To Dingboche

    Into the high valley of the Imja Khola, past mani walls and potato fields.

    • Night in Dingboche, 4,410 m
    • 11 km
  7. 7

    Day 7: Rest day in Dingboche

    A slow climb up Nangkartshang for views of Makalu and Lhotse, then down again to sleep.

    • Rest and acclimatise
    • Night in Dingboche, 4,410 m
    • Highest point 5,083 m
  8. 8

    Day 8: To Lobuche

    Past the climbers’ memorials at Thukla to Lobuche, below the Khumbu glacier.

    • Night in Lobuche, 4,940 m
    • 8 km
  9. 9

    Day 9: Everest Base Camp

    Walk to Gorak Shep, then along the glacier to Base Camp, and back to Gorak Shep for the night.

    • Night in Gorak Shep, 5,164 m
    • Highest point 5,364 m
    • 13 km
  10. 10

    Day 10: Kala Patthar at dawn

    An early climb for sunrise on Everest, then a long descent to Pheriche.

    • Night in Pheriche, 4,371 m
    • Highest point 5,545 m
    • 13 km
  11. 11

    Day 11: Back to Namche

    Down through Tengboche to Namche.

    • Night in Namche, 3,440 m
    • About 20 km
  12. 12

    Day 12: To Lukla

    The last day on foot, ending with a farewell dinner with the team.

    • Night in Lukla, 2,860 m
    • About 19 km
  13. 13

    Day 13: Fly to Kathmandu

    The flight back to Kathmandu. This day also absorbs any weather delay at Lukla.

    • Night in Kathmandu, 1,400 m
  14. 14

    Day 14: Fly home

    A transfer to Kathmandu airport.

What the price covers

Included

  • Teahouse lodges on the trek and a hotel in Kathmandu, twin sharing
  • All meals on the trek
  • Return flights between Kathmandu or Ramechhap and Lukla
  • Licensed guide and one porter for every two trekkers
  • Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu municipality permits
  • First-aid kit and pulse oximeter with the group
  • Airport transfers in Kathmandu

Not included

  • Flights to and from Kathmandu
  • Meals in Kathmandu apart from the welcome dinner
  • Hot showers, charging and Wi-Fi in teahouses
  • Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover, which is required
  • Extra nights caused by flight delays
  • Tips for guides and porters
  • GST and TCS on overseas packages

Good to know

Permits

Indian citizens need a passport or voter ID and no visa. We arrange the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu municipality fee. Travel insurance with evacuation cover is required.

  • Lukla flights depend on the weather. Day 13 is a buffer, and we suggest a spare day in Kathmandu before your flight home.
  • Prepare for six to eight weeks. You should be able to run 5 km in under 30 minutes.
  • Teahouses above Namche are simple, with shared bathrooms and cold rooms.
  • Indian rupees are widely accepted, but carry Nepali rupees for the upper villages.

Questions travellers ask

How hard is the Everest Base Camp trek?

It is strenuous because of the altitude rather than the terrain. Days are five to seven hours of walking and the last three nights are above 4,900 metres. Two rest days and a slow ascent make the difference.

Are the Lukla flights included?

Yes. The return flight between Kathmandu or Ramechhap and Lukla is included in the price.

When is the best time to go?

October and November bring the clearest skies. March to May is warmer, with rhododendrons in flower lower down.

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