The Base Camp to Everest is quite simply the classic trek in Nepal. Get ready for the jaw-dropping natural scenario and unique cultural exploration that is similar to Tibetan culture and a challenging trekking route around the highest peak.

Being the world’s tallest peak, Everest Base Camp is one of the most preferable treks in Nepal. Everest base camp is high on the priority list of trekkers.

This trek offers you one of the most treasured breathtaking views of cliffs, towering Glaciers, and forested hills.

Besides, you will get an opportunity to explore local Sherpa culture and tradition, which is similar to the Tibetian lifestyle.

Trekking in Everest is the combination of a challenging trek to Everest panorama, Gokyo lake, Everest Base Camp, and Everest three high passes trek. Moreover, these are famous trials for enthusiastic adventure trekkers.

The average day for the trek is around 15 days. It may take longer than that as well. The starting and the ending place for the trek are Lukla.

Most of the international trekkers fly to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, spend a day sightseeing in Kathmandu and fly to Lukla.

The trek starts from a scenic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. From Lukla, the trek passes to Phakding and Namche Bazar. Namche is the gateway to the Everest Base Camp Trek.

It is a place that offers you the fantastic culture and settlement of sherpa. From Namche, you will trek through Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep and reached the highest summit at Kala Patthar (5400m).

Kala Patthar offers stunning sunrise and sunset view.

On the other hand, the trip will be filled with the splendid view of Annapurna, Makalu, Nuptse, and Pumori. You will be surrounded by the views of the highest mountain ranges.

Besides, the blooming Rhododendron fields will add extra natural scenarios to your journey, if you are around the flowering season.

Therefore, the Everest Base Camp Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that less you to witness the panoramic views of Mountains, splendid landscapes as well as Buddhist cultures and Monasteries.

 

How To Hike Everest Base Camp

 

Base camp to Everest is at an altitude of 5364m, so trekking to such a high altitude is a thrilling experience. There are mainly three major ways of trekking to the Everest Base Camp.

Firstly, you can do a package tour through some agencies. If you choose a package tour, the agencies will be responsible for every single thing required for the trek including the permit, guides, and the porters.

On the other hand, you can either do it by yourself without hiring guides or without a group. Then, the next is you can hire a porter or guide and do it without a group.

• Trekking in a group through an agency is a good option as you will be meeting people from other countries. You don’t have to worry about any permits, gears, equipment, porters, and guides as they will be organized by the agencies. If you are alone and don’t have any confidence to carry out the trek unassisted, it is easier but more expensive for you.
• Doing it all by yourself is another option if you are brave enough to travel and carry your needed equipment all by yourself. It will be a lot cheaper and you will gain different experiences in your journey alone.
• Hiring just a porter and guide without a group and any agency is another option for you. You can find porters and guides in Kathmandu as well as Lukla

 

Organized Everest Base Camp Trek

 

Base camp to the world’s highest peak at an altitude of 5364m is not an easy journey. you have to face the challenging weather, rough trails, and narrow routes.

Despite challenges, the trek will be much more interesting and comfortable if organized properly. For an organized Base Camp Trek, one needs to :

 

Have A Right Packing

 

you need to have the right packing whether that be the clothes or the shoes you need for the trekking. Don’t carry unnecessary things, it will just make your bag heavier and slow down your hike.

Pack all the needed clothes such as down jackets, t-shirts, gloves, shocks, trekking tracks, and more importantly trekking shoes. Besides, carrying a mouthguard and knee caps with you is another best option.

 

Carry Gears and Equipment

 

For extreme altitude treks like Everest, the roads are narrow and rough so you need various trekking equipment such as trekking poles, headlamps, and other needed stuff.

 

Carry Medicines

 

Altitude sickness is one of the major problems of this trek. So, you can carry some medicine that helps to overcome the sickness.

Besides, you can carry some extra medicines for headaches because of the changing weather, you may suffer from it. Also, if you are taking any medication regularly, don’t forget to carry that as well.

 

Physical And Mental Fitness

 

Your well-being is most needed for the Everest base camp trek. The trekkers need to trek for more than 5 hours a day, so for that extreme walking, one needs to be physically and mentally fit.

 

Everest Base Camp Trek Cost

 

Everest base camp trek is a bit of an expensive trek compared to any other trek in Nepal. Trekking to an altitude of around 5364m high takes a lot of physical strength and other materials.

Your cost covers the food, accommodation, various gears, and equipment needed for the trek. Similarly, the cost even covers plane tickets, insurance, and other forms of transportation.

 

Package to EBC with international agency $1700

 

Choosing the trek with an agency will be more comfortable and easier but will be a bit expensive.

Doing a trek to an extreme Everest Base Camp with an agency costs around $1700 and besides, you will be able to meet new people from around the world. Exchange the ideas, knowledge,

and even the language and culture of different countries people. Therefore, trekking with an agency may seem a bit expensive but it will be a chance to explore people of different backgrounds.

 

Package to EBC with local agency $1600

 

Various local agencies help the trekker to complete their Base camp trek to the world’s highest peaks.

So, with these local agencies, you can save up to 100$ as the local agencies are a bit cheaper than the international agencies.

With local agencies, you will be provided with an English-speaking guide, a porter, and all sorts of ground transportation and equipment and needed gear.

So, if you are alone and want to explore the base camp in a group then you can consider taking a package with local agencies.

 

Independent EBC your with guide and porter $1370

 

If you are willing to go for the trek alone without any agencies or any group but want a porter and guide, then it will be more cheaper and convenient.

Trekking with just a porter and guide will cost you around $1370. You will be saving around $300. Your guide will be there for you to show the way and the routes and the porter will be there for you to carry your equipment.

So, if you want a peaceful trek on your own then you can do this trek with just a guide and porter.

 

Independent EBC trek with a guide $1085

 

Despite being an extreme trek, the Everest trek is possible to do independently. If you want to do the trek independently with just a guide then it will cost you around $1085. You will be saving a lot more in this trek.

 

Independent EBC trek with a porter $930

 

Everest is a popular trek in Nepal, so you can do it independently with just a porter. As there will be a lot of people moving for the trek.

Finding a route will not be much harder as you can even take a trekking map and explore the way yourself. So, with just a porter, the trek cost around $ 930 which is almost half that of hiring an agency.

 

EBC trek completely independent $645

 

If you dare to finish this trek without any porter or guide, then it will be a lot cheaper. You will be saving around 1000$ if you intend to complete the trek independently.

Therefore, there are several ways to complete this base camp trek. And the cost varies accordingly.

 

Food on Everest Base Camp Trek

 

There are tea houses and some homestays in the Everest base camp trek. Even though there are not many options for the food in the tea house and lodges, one can have a taste of typical local food at Everest Base Camp.

Since the trek takes you to a higher altitude, your food should be according to that. You should consume food that is altitude-friendly.

In the cold climate, your body carves hot soup, hot noodles, and hot tea which helps in keeping you warm as well.

You should not walk immediately after the food. Rest for some time and enjoy the trek with full energy. Usually, three meals are planned for the day.

Besides, you can choose to have something else besides the regular food.  So, for the food, one can pay an average of $25 per day for three meals.

 

Breakfast in Everest Base Camp

 

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It is ideal to have your breakfast 30 minutes before your walking journey.

So, we try to include healthy food in breakfast which will give you energy for the whole day’s walk. You need to walk for around 5-6 hours per day. So you will be having your breakfast around 7 in the morning.

Most tea houses have the same options for breakfast such as bread, potatoes, porridge omelets, toast, and tea with milk.

 

Lunch at Everest Base Camp

 

Lunch is the main course of the meal for the whole day in Nepal. So, having a proper lunch is a must in the Nepalese food system. Lunch will be served from 12:00 to 1:00 in the afternoon.

We will stop at one of the tea houses for lunch. For Lunch, the popular items in the upper Himalayan region of Nepal are the traditional Nepali food, Dal, Bhat, Tarkari, and Achar.

Cooked meat and dry meat are also options here. Besides, you can have other options for lunch such as noodles, Thupka, momos, pasta, etc.

 

Dinner in Everest Base Camp

 

You will feel hungry and tired after the long walk throughout the day. So, the tea houses serve a proper dinner to boost your energy.

You will be having dinner at the same tea house where you will be staying. The dinner time will be around 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

After the whole day trek, you will enjoy the warm dinner that goes with the weather. Enjoying dinner outside in the campfire is another beautiful moment that this trek offers.

For dinner, you will again have the traditional Nepali food, Dal Bhat Tarkari Achar. You can even try some other dishes and soups for dinner.

So, these are the foods served on the Everest Base Camp trek. However, you can bring your dry foods for some mid-day snacks.

 

Everest Base Camp Trek Permits

 

Before 2018, only two permits were required to complete this trek, a TIMS and National Park Permit. Now, there is an addition of a Local permit.

 

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit

 

This is a new permit for the base camp trek which was implemented on 2018, Oct 1st. The local government of Khumbu collects Nrp 2000 per person from each foreigner.

This permit cannot be obtained in Kathmandu. You can get this permit from Lukla if you are flying to Lukla. Or else if you are trekking to smaller or Jiri you can obtain this from Monjo.

 

Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

 

While trekking to the Everest Base camp trek, you need a Sagarmatha National Park entry permit. This can be obtained from the Tourism Board from Kathmandu or Monjo at the park entrance. This will cost around NRP 3000 per person.

 

Additional Permit for Jiri to Everest Base Camp trek

 

You need an additional permit from Jiri for the Everest Base camp trek. For an additional permit, you need the Gaurishankar conservation area. This can be obtained from the Tourism Board in Kathmandu. This will cost around NRP 3000.

 

TIMS permit to trek to Everest Base Camp

 

Every trekker who visits Nepal for the Everest Base camp trek needs a special permit.  The Trekkers’ information Management Card (TIMS) is compulsory for every kind of trek in Nepal for foreign visitors.

It is a system that was set up by the central government of Nepal to collect data from all trekkers in Nepal. The card is for safety and security purposes and goes partly for rescue purposes and maintainability of the trials.

Free individual trekkers get the green TIMS and the group gets the blue TIMS card.

 

Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty

 

Trekking to Everest Base camp is tough and will push you to your limits. But it’s a most interesting and achievable goal for trekkers all around the world.

For the trek, you don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be prepared for the trek physically and mentally. You have to face several difficulties in your trek such as

 

Occupied Teahouse and Lodges

 

Everest Basecamp trek is one of the busiest trekking routes in Nepal. Even though there are several guesthouses available, they get easily occupied.

So, you might have difficulties finding guesthouses and lodges for accommodation. Besides, one has to wait in queues for the food.

On the other hand, the teahouses and lodges get crowded due to the high number of trekkers. Therefore, you have to pre-book the teahouse and lodge if you don’t want a crowded place

 

Altitude

 

Another major difficulties of the Everest Base camp trek are its altitude. Everest Base Camp is at an elevation of 5364m. The level of oxygen is very less at such a height which may cause altitude sickness.

On the other hand, the wind beats hard here and the climate keeps on changing. There is variation in altitudes while ascending and descending the Everest Base Camp.

However, if you are beginners here you might get altitude sickness.

 

The trails and routes

 

Another major obstacle of the Everest Base Camp trek is the trail itself. The trail to Everest is rough and unsteady. The trials keep on ascending and descending which makes trekkers tired in a short time.

The trail is long and tedious to those who are not used to traveling long distances. The roads are craggy and filled with rugged mountains.

Some places have narrow roads which are even difficult for a single person to walk with those backpacks. The trails remain under the snow for most of the year above 5000m.

You need to be careful with the herds of yak and mule which may push you off the cliff.

 

Best Time to Trek Everest Base Camp

 

The weather in higher altitudes is known for freezing weather but there are some times in the year when the temperatures are mild and wearable.

But again we cannot be so sure about the temperature of the Himalayan region as Bad weather can hit anytime here.

Therefore, you need to understand the weather pattern before planning your trip to the Everest Base camp. There are mainly two seasons considered for trekking to the Everest base camp and they are:

 

Spring Season

 

The month from Feb to May is the spring season in Nepal. It is the most popular season for trekking and expedition in Nepal, mostly on Everest.

Most people prefer trekking to the base camp during these seasons. The views of the springs are stunning. Springs provide a clear and undisturbed view of the Himalayan massif.

The trail is filled with green vegetation and blooming Rhododendron, and gushing rivers. Sometimes, there may be occasional snow showers in early February, but the weather stabilizes in mid or end of February.

 

Autumn Season

 

Another best season for the Everest Base camp trek is Autumn. It is one of the peak seasons for the base camp trek to the Himalayas of Nepal. Generally, autumn starts from September to October.

It is a season that attracts a lot of trekkers to the Everest region. This season is trendy among trekkers.

Offering the panoramic view of the majestic Himalayas, as well as the natural landscapes makes this season more preferable for the trek.

Besides, the clear blue Sky and the bearable temperature make this season the best for the trekkers.

 

Everest Base Camp Trek Tips

 

Start Early

 

It is always the best idea to start the trek early as you will witness a stunning view of the entire landscape and mountains in the morning.

You will have more time to spend with nature if you start early. Nothing can beat the sunrise view at the peak of the majestic Himalayas.

Besides, when traveling to mountain regions,  we must be cautious that bad weather can hit at any time of the month.

Thus, starting early and ending early are the best options. On the early hand, an early start can be less tiring and more satisfying.

 

Carry Extra Handcash

 

It is always wise to carry extra hand cash when it is for a trek to a mountain region like Everest. If you want to buy something you have to pay by hand cash as credit cards are not accepted in this region.

So if you want to buy anything you need a certain amount of hand cash. Besides, there are no ATMs and any other banking facilities. So, in case of emergency hand cash is most preferable in the upper Himalayas.

Make sure that you are carrying enough cash for extra spending. You can consult this with your guides as well.

 

Carry Comfortable Backpack

 

Your Journey to the Everest Base Camp may get harder sometimes. You may sometimes have to walk the whole day. So, it will be better if you carry a comfortable backpack with you.

You should only carry the needed stuff. If you carry the unnecessary stuff, it will only make your bag look bigger and get in the way of your walk.

Therefore, when traveling a long distance, it is only wiser to carry a comfortable backpack. It includes your dressing, your shoes as well as the weight of the bag you carry on your back.

 

Book the Teahouses Earlier

 

If you are traveling independently, we will suggest you book the tea house earlier. As you go up to the higher altitude, the number of tea houses and lodges gets limited.

And, in the peak season, the tea houses always get occupied fast. So, further booking is suggested.

Interest in this trek? Then here you go!