Everest Base Camp Trek Guide

Wanna know how it feels to stand before the world’s tallest mountain and scream “ I love my life” with all your voice? Wanna know what wandering on the remote Sherpa Villages and glacier lakes feels like? Well, these are the dream we all often live with; however, fear to execute. So, if you are also one of those wanderlust souls who wish to conquer Mount Everest by trekking to its Everest Base Camp Trek, this article is going to help you. In this article we will learn about Everest base camp trek guide.

Thousands of adventure lovers from around the globe have already made this journey to the base of the world’s tallest mountain. The impactful spiritual power of Everest draws treks to its proximity. And now it’s your turn.

Firstly, let us help you with “Where Is Mount Everest?” Mount Everest, standing proudly at 8848 meters is the world’s highest peak that lies in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal. Trekking to its base camp (at 5,364 m/ 17,598 ft), is one of the world’s most popular trekking routes. Everest Base camp beings once you get to Kathmandu, Nepal, and then fly to Lukla airport. From Lukla, it is almost 10 days of walk to and from the Base camp, completing the journey of about 130kms.

Read through this article to the end and get to know everything about the Everest Base Camp trek.

How hard is it to walk to Everest Base Camp?

Well, not expect getting above 5,000 meters and standing before the Majestic Himalayas to be an easy tour. Technically, Everest Base Camp is a moderately hard hike. It is easier than many other base camp treks of Nepal including Manaslu, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga. There’s no need for any mountaineering skills and thus be completed by any trekkers with no experience in high-altitude trekking. Whether it’s your first time heading to the mountains or let it be just one of your unlimited endeavors, the Everest Base Camp trek fits all.

There are some difficulties one encounters during the trek and ways to solve them. 

Walking

Everest Base camp trek is about 130kms and you need to complete this distance in 10 days. This means one shall cover 10 to 15kms each day. Although walking mere km in a day is not a big deal, since the trail is steep and rough it can be demanding. Especially, when you carry a heavy bag and walk beyond 4,000meters, even taking a few steps can be hard.

One must prepare for the Everest Base Camp trek with cardio exercises before the trek. 3-4 months prior to the trek, if you start some light running, jogging, cycling, swimming, and squats, you will find this trek to be an easy victory.

Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Lukla and hike to Phakding – 9 km (4 hours)

Day 2: Trek to Namche Bazaar – 12 km (6 hours)

Day 3: Rest in Namche

Day 4: Trek Tengboche – 10 km (6 hours)

Day 5: Trek to Dingboche – 12 km (6 hours)

Day 6: Acclimatization in Dingboche

Day 7: Trek to Lobuche – 12 km (7 hours)

Day 8: Trek to EBC and back to Gorak Shep– 15 km (8 hours)

Day 09: Trek to KalaPathar and Pheriche – 13 km (7 hours)

Day 10: Trek to Namche Bazaar – 14 km (8 hours)

Day 11: Trek to Lukla – 15 km (8 hours)

Day 12: Fly back to Kathmandu

Altitude: One of the hard things about this Everest Base Camp trek is coping with the high altitude. Here’s the list of many different places on Everest and their altitude. 

Elevation on Everest Base Camp Trek

Kathmandu elevation is 1300 m / 4265 ft

Lukla elevation is 2,860 m/ 9,334ft

Phakding elevation is 2652 m / 8700 ft 

Namche Bazaar elevation is 3440 m / 11286 ft 

Tengboche elevation is 3870 m / 12696 ft 

Dingboche elevation is 4360 m / 14304 ft – 5 to 6 hrs

Lobuche elevation is 4940m / 16207 ft 

Gorakshep elevation is 5368m / 17611 ft 

Everest base camp elevation is 5,364m/ 17,598 ft

Kalapatthar height elevation is 5,644.5 m/ 18,519 ft

Pheriche elevation is 5545m / 18192 ft

Once you fly to Lukla, you already get closer to the mountains. Above Tengboche, you can feel the effect of altitude. When the pressure of oxygen starts to drop, you can feel difficulty in breathing. You might develop symptoms such as Headache, Feeling sick, Dizziness, Tiredness, Loss of appetite, Shortness of breath, and even Fainting. It might even get worse with a loss of coordination tightness in the chest, cough, etc. 

Tips to overcome altitude sickness

• Keep at least two acclimatization days i.e. one in Namche and the other in Dingboche (cover less than 1000 meters each day)
• Walk slowly and take long rest when you feel tired, there’s absolutely no need to rush
• Make sure you drink a lot of warm water (3-4 l/ day) and avoid all kinds of alcoholic drinks so that you are hydrated. 
• Eat only a healthy, high-calorie diet at a definite interval.
• If you start feeling sick, stop the climb, and descend to a lower altitude. Carry medicines such as acetazolamide (for altitude) and ibuprofen/ paracetamol for the pain. 

Weather and climate

The mountains are cold and the weather there is very unstable. Without a doubt, Everest weather is freezing year-round, with a thick layer of snow in winter. Winter has an average temperature of -5 to -15 degrees, making it almost impossible to trek. Although the Himalayas look magnificent in winter, trekking in the snow isn’t easy. Summer is warm, but the rainfall makes the trail slippery. Also, there are mosquitoes and leeches, adding to the difficulty. 

The easiest trek to Everest Base Camp can be done in the stable and calm weather of Autumn and Spring. During these months, the temperature of Everest also rises to about 5 degrees Celsius. There are few chances of rainfall and snow, making treks to Everest easy. So, it’s suggested that you travel between September to November and March to May. 

If you trek in winter, carry trek boots and crampons, and don’t travel Solo without. A sleeping bag is compulsory and carries clothes in layers. 

Remoteness

The remoteness of and lifestyle of people living in the Himalayas might be something you might have never imagined. For these 12 days, you will be living with limited resources. Trekking makes you sweaty, and dirty and you might not get to shower at the end of each day. However, you don’t get to buy clothes or personal care items once you get into these regions. There’s not even ATM. 

The accommodation in Everest Base Camp is very basic with small cozy rooms with two small beds. The rooms might not have private bathrooms above Namche. They do serve all kinds of Nepalese, Indian, Chinese, and continental foods, prepared from fresh vegetables. 

Weight of your bag

The weight of every food, clothes and trek item in your bag weighs almost 15kgs. And carrying this weight for 12 days while also walking on the steep land is not easy. Packing-wise and hiring a porter for carrying your bag makes the trip really easy. While you book your trek with My Everest Trip, there will already be a porter with you.

Financial difficulties

Well, it’s just a warning that you manage your finance well. The trip to Everest costs between $1200 to $2000 (quite affordable). The well-arranged Everest trek package cost about $1500 and you will need $500 to $1000 more for the cost of tips, donations, drinks, and snacks. Make sure you arrange this money. 

How much does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?

The Cost depends on where you book your trip. The International Trip operators can cost between USD 2500 to 5000/ per person which is way above your actual cost. There is a local travel agency like MyEverestTrip that offers the most reasonable Everest Base Camp trek cost of $1400 to $1800/ person. This includes everything from flight to Everest base camp trek guide, food, accommodation, and permit. 

Walking the streets of Thamel, you can also get cheap Everest base camp packages ranging from $700 to $1200. But since their package will be skipping a lot of things, you will end up spending a lot from your pocket. The independent trekkers traveling in a group might be able to travel for about $1200, but the hassle of arranging your trip can be overwhelming. 

Along with the cost that has been included in the package, there will be $500 to $1000 expenses of your own. This includes the cost of tips, donations, drinks, water, and other food you crave for. Nowadays, the travel agency of Nepal is offering Luxury Everest Base Camp that offers better hotels and meals, but the price of the Everest Base Camp trek is almost two times i.e. $3000.

There are two kinds of cost i.e. One-time cost which includes flight cost, permit cost, and trekking gear cost. And then there’s a flexible cost which includes food, accommodation, Everest base camp trek guide/ porter, Wi-Fi, etc which depends on your Itinerary and increases with a longer stay.  

Everest base camp permit cost

Three kinds of the permit cost i.e. Nepalese Visa, National Park entry permit, and Local area permit. 

For foreigners

Visa Cost: USD 30 for 15-days multiple entry visas and USD 50 for 30-days multiple entry visa

Sagarmatha National Park entry permit Cost: USD 30

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit: NPR 2000 ($20).

For SAARC country

No Visa Cost 

Sagarmatha National Park entry permit Cost: Rs 600

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit: NPR 2000 ($20).

Kathmandu to Lukla flight cost

The one-way cost of the Lukla flight is $180 per person for foreigners. For Indias, It’s 14,700 per person for a one-way flight. 

Cost of trekking gear

 The cost of buying all trekking gears can range from $500 to $2000 depending on the brand. However, you can just rent them for $2 to $3 per day per item in Thamel. Cost depends on what you need. 

Cost of Everest base camp trek guide and porter

For a porter, the cost per day is $15 to $20 and for a Everest base camp guide, it is $25 to $30. For a 12 days trek, that shall be $180 to $240 for a porter and $300 to $360 for a Everest base camp guide. 

Cost for accommodation

In Kathmandu: $15 to $30for an average three-star hotel rooms 

Up to Namche: $4 to $5 for tea houses and up to $20 for a luxurious hotel

Above Namche: $6 to $8 for basic tea house rooms

The cost of Wi-Fi can cost $4 to $5 per day and the cost of a hot shower: Costs up to $5. and charging rates can vary between $3 to $4 per hour.

Cost for Food

In Kathmandu: $2 to $4 per meal 

Up to Namche: Breakfast average cost: $5 to $7/ Lunch and Dinner Average cost: $6 to $8

Above Namche: Breakfast average cost: $7 to $9/ Lunch and Dinner Average cost: $8 to $10

The higher you move, the cost keeps on getting higher. 

Note: The price of Everest Base Camp depends on Your Itinerary. For the classic 12 days tour, you spend about $1500. There’s a short Everest trek that can be done in 9 days and cost $1200. Sometimes, trekkers add three pass trek and Gokyo take which cost $2500 and $2000 respectively. In short, if you stay longer, each day adds $80 to $100 (including porter, Everest base camp trek guide, and hotel cost) to your budget. 

Some tips for saving cost

You can sometimes negotiate for a lower room price when you eat in the tea house you stay in. Instead of having many items, order one food that is fulfilling (like Dal Bhat). 

Carry sterilizing tablets and water of your own. Also keep some chocolates, juices, energy drinks, snacks, etc in your bag. 

Do you need a guide for Everest base camp trek? It is not that compulsory but having a Everest guide will be better. Travel in a group so that you can save cost on Guide and porter 

Using Everest Link card or NCELL SIM card data saves a lot. 

How long is the Everest base camp trek?

Flying to Kathmandu and staying here for a couple of days is your choice. This time depends on how far your country is and how many days you need for preparation in Kathmandu. You can stay in Kathmandu for a few days before the trip and give yourself some days for preparation. A few days in Kathmandu for shopping, renting trek gears, sightseeing, and understanding Nepalese culture is actually a very fruitful thing to do. 

Now, let’s count the time once you get to Lukla. Flight to Lukla airport from Kathmandu is only about 30-mins and operates regularly throughout the year. From Lukla, the trek is 8 to 12 days depending on your speed. A standard Everest Base Camp trek package from MyEverestTrip is 14 days right from your arrival day. From Lukla, our EBC Itinerary is 11 days long, giving you enough time to acclimatize and walk slowly. 

Experienced trek prefers short Everest base camp trek package that is 7 to 9 days from Lukla. However, we don’t recommend such short Everest tours for anyone other than professionals. If you do that, the risk of altitude sickness is very higher. 

Trekking to Everest Base Camp from Jiri

Although this is very rear, there is still some tourist who would trek to Everest Base Camp from Jiri and completely skip the flight to Lukla. For that, you spend one full day driving to Bhandara. From there, it takes you 5 to 6 days to join the classic Everest Base Camp route at Phakding. And if you also skip the return flight, it will add 3 more days. The Everest Base Camp trek from Jiri is about 20 days long. 

Other treks in Everest

Adding some places and skipping a few places along the route can add or lower your Everest Base camp trek time. For example, the trekkers often head for Gokyo Lake Trek is 16 days long from Kathmandu itself, and adding Everest Base Camp Trek and Gokyo Lake trek makes it about 20 days. Also, there is another Everest Three Pass Trek that is about 17 days. 

 Tips: Don’t rush, this journey is obviously a once-a-lifetime, so take your time. Although the trek is only about 10 days long, you can take a month-long vacation. You can add a few days to your trip by staying for a couple of days in Namche, Tengboche, and even Gorakshep. Hike to nearby hills and experience the culture. 

Is Trekking to Everest Base Camp worth it?

Yes, Everest is worth all pain and sweat you face on this tour. This is the busiest trekking route in the world and there are so many reasons for that. Here is why the Everest Base Camp trek is worth it.

Mountain View: 

Obviously, the first and foremost reason is the soaring mountain view that looks so magical. You will definitely see Mt. Everest soring high and proud. Together, there shall be other mountains to witness i.e Lhotse stands (8,516 meters), Makalu (8,485 meters), Cho Oyu (8,188 meters), and many other small peaks. You will see this spectacular view from not just Everest Base Camp, but many other magical viewpoints like Kala Patthar (Kalapathar), Everest View Hotels, and Nangkar Tsang / Dingboche Viewpoint. The sunrise view with the mountains before you will obviously be magical.

Sagarmatha National Park:

The rich bio-diversity of Nepal is preserved in the Sagarmatha National Park- a renowned World Heritage site. You can encounter Himalayan Thar, Snow leopard, Red Panda, Monkey, and many birds on the trek. While staying at the Namche Bazaar, you also get to visit this beautiful museum. 

Namche Bazzar: 

This beautiful town in the Everest region is just magical. With many great restaurants, bars, and a bakery, it’s a place to relax and enjoy. During your stay here, you get to visit many other villages hear by and interact with locals. Also, there is Museum, Edmund Hillary schools, and a local hospital to visit. 

Cultural insight: 

The life and culture of people living on Everest might be something that you have never known or heard of. The Sherpa are the bravest and most peaceful people in the hidden villages of Khumbu. They even let you borrow their clothes and let you cook some of the traditional foods in the Kitchen. You can form a group and even enjoy some dancing and singing in the tea houses of Everest you are staying in. You get to live their lifestyle, pray at their monasteries, and understand life from a different angle.

Tengboche Monastery: 

This oldest monastery which is also called Thyangboche Monastery or Dawa Choling Gompa is also an exciting place to visit. You can join the evening prayer and light candles. A visit here blesses you with calmness and happiness. 

Find peace: 

Strolling with pristine waterfalls and rivers, listing to the birds chirping, and hiding within the mountain, will help you discover yourself. This trip will surely fill you up with joy and peace, rejuvenating your core. 

So, Yes, IT IS ALL WORTH IT. 

How do you poop on Everest?

Though wired, this is one of the most searched questions on the internet. And let us answer that one for you. 

During the Everest Base Camp trek, we will be staying in quite comfortable hotels. So, the bathroom is not an issue. This might be a problem for mountain climbers who always travel with a tented camp. While camping, the trekkers poop in a hole toilet; making small holes in nearby places and closing it when done. Sometimes, they also use wag bags or poop tubes in your bag.

How do you go to the toilet on Everest?

Hotels up to Namche Bazaar have rooms with private bathrooms and western-style bathrooms. They even have hot showers and toilet amenities. So that’s not a big issue. 

Above Namche to Gorakshep, the landscape starts to be difficult and accommodation becomes the basis. So, naturally, you will have to use bathrooms on a sharing basis, and sometimes, they have squat seats. Hopefully, it’s clean.

In the daytime, we will find bathrooms in the villages that we cross along the way. In some cases, we might also have to big a hole to make a temporary toilet for the crew. 

Final Say, 

This is all about the Everest base camp trek guide. So, do you have any more questions for the My Everest Trip regarding your Everest endeavours? If you have more queries, we will be happy to address them. Just leave a comment below us and send us an email.

We are very excited to hear from you soon.