The Everest Base Camp Trek immerses you into those experiences and layers in the challenge of high altitude with some of the most amazing mountain vistas in the world. I could keep going but who really needs more reasons to understand why it’s on everyone’s list?
The Everest Base Camp Trek is located within Sagarmatha National Park. This 1148 sq. km park was established in 1976 to protect the Everest Region and ensure that future generations of adventurers get the opportunity to see and explore the Everest Region for decades to come. Given the sheer number of trekkers hitting the trails these days and increasing numbers of expedition teams heading to Base Camp to make summit bids, the role the park plays in conservation will be key to the protection of Sagarmatha, the Nepalese name for Mt. Everest.
When mapping out my Everest Base Camp Trek, I knew I wanted to accomplish three things:
- Overnight at Everest Base Camp, which requires a special permit.
- Find a route less trodden and more challenging to avoid the crowds and up the adventure.
- Minimize backtracking on the same trail to be able to see more of the Everest Region.
I enlisted the help of one of my favorite travel companies – OUT Adventures – to assist in the planning of the perfect, tailored itinerary. The result was a combination of the standard Everest Base Camp Trek with two of the three passes of the Three Passes Trek. OUT Adventures made all the arrangements for us locally and paired us up with an awesome local guide and Sherpa team. This trip is one that fed my soul and already has me wanting to go back for more.
Time to start planning your own adventure? Check out the Everest Base Camp itinerary below.
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK ITINERARY
Below is a snap shot of the itinerary we used for trekking to Everest Base Camp. You will find multiple villages along the various routes when planning your own trip. Depending on the route you take, the village may or may not be one of the standard stops. Note that we took additional side trips for acclimatization (and for fun), which means the approximated max altitudes listed may differ from a standard route. Accomodation along the trek varies from very basic to luxury. You will find a combination of both included in the below.
|
DAY |
ROUTE | MAX ALTITUDE | ACCOMODATION |
| 1 | Lukla – Phakding | 2,800m/9,200ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
| 2 | Phakding – Namche | 3,440m/11,300ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
| 3 | Namche – Thame | 3,820m/12,500ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
| 4 | Thame | 3,820m/12,500ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
| 5 | Thame – Lumdeng | 4,400m/14,450ft | Renjo Pass Support Lodge |
| 6 | Lumdeng – Gokyo via Renjo-La Pass | 5,100m/16,700ft | Himalayan Eco Resort |
| 7 | Gokyo – Thangna | 4,650m/15,250ft | Chola Pass Resort |
| 8 | Thangna – Dzongla via Cho-La Pass | 5,340m/17,500ft | Hotel Green Valley |
| 9 | Dzongla – Lobuche | 4,910m/16,100ft | Himalayan Eco Resort |
| 10 | Lobuche – Gorakshep | 5,160m/16,900ft | Himalayan Guest House |
| 11 | Gorakshep – Everest Base Camp | 5,364m/17,600ft | Camping |
| 12 | Everest Base Camp – Pheriche | 4,240m/13,900ft | Pumori Lodge |
| 13 | Periche – Tashinga via Tengboche | 3,860m/12,660ft | Everest Summit Lodge |
| 14 | Tashinga – Monjo via Kenjoma | 3,550m/11,650ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
| 15 | Monjo – Lukla | 2,800m/9,200ft | Yeti Mountain Home |
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK DAILY GUIDE
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 1
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 2
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 3
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 4
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 5
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 6
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 7
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 8
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 9
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 10
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 11
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 12
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 13
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 14
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK – DAY 15
TRAVEL PLANNING ESSENTIALS: NEPAL
Flights
Nepal is accessible via Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Check out Kayak to find the best deals on flights to Nepal.
Accommodation
As a long-time rewards member, Hotels.com is my first stop when exploring accommodation options. Not only do they have great inventory, but you get a free nights stay after every 10th booking.
Travel Insurance
Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. (As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OTHER PLACES VENTURED IN THE EVEREST REGION BE SURE TO CHECK OUT EVEREST HUB.
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Lovely article with stunning photo gallery, love your mountain adventure trip report.
Thanks for the kind words. Was a lovely trek – but you know that already. 🙂
I did this trek 17 years ago and seeing your photos brought back great memories, thanks!
Awesome – glad to hear it! Would be so interesting to see what the region looked like 17 years ago. Parts of it are like a tourist superhighway these days. 🙂
I can’t imagine hiking at this high of elevation! I even get short of breath and quite asthmatic in Tahoe………….this would really take some serious training.
But what a trip-and challenge! Unforgettable
Tahoe! I’d love to go there – it’s meant to be stunning. Hiking at high altitude is obviously a bit tougher but with proper acclimatisation you would be surprised how well your body handles it. You should give it a go sometime. 🙂
What an amazing experience! I love all the photographs. Out of this world!
🙂 Thanks!
WOW! I give you big props for doing this. It truly isn’t something on my bucket list but I know it is something my husband would love to do one day. I’ll be sharing this post with him. Also, congrats on such an amazing adventure!
Thanks for the kind words. Trekking to Base Camp will not be on everyone’s bucket list, that’s for sure. Thanks for checking us out. Happy Travels.
I am also fond of trekking and for anyone like us, the Everest Base Camp is probably THE one mythical trek to do! I have trekked in the Andes before and I have yet to discover the Himalayas, it’s great you managed to find a less travelled route because it must be a very busy trek. It’s nice that you did one article per day, it’s the only way to properly share this amazing adventure!
Thanks for the kind words Julien. The Trekking Everest Series was probably one of the most fun that I have done. The posts per day were a bit of work – but I kept getting questions about the trek and what the stops along the way are like. As each day is so different, why not? I have tons more content – loved this trip. The Andes are amazing as well. What’s been your favorite trek that you have done there?
Have been reading your EBC blog posts! And fallen in love with the landscapes of Nepal all over again. Have been reading about The friendliness and goodness of Sherpas and your blog post has actually inspired me to take on this adventurous journey someday in my life. some very interesting and useful facts here plus love the collection of in depth posts. Makes it a one-go stop for all information related to EBC! I even read your article in Travel3sixty!
Thanks for the kind words. It was an adventure of a lifetime and one that I am sure you will enjoy. Never heard of Travel3sixty – if you have the link of the article you read, I would love to see it. Thanks.
What a great adventure. It’s good to hear that there are some conservation efforts being made to preserve the integrity of Everest and Base Camp. I knew that there were a few options to get to base camp, but I did not know there were so many. I would love to take a slow trek to base camp and enjoy all the scenery and culture along the way.
Thanks for stopping by Lance. I think slow trekking is the way to go. There is so much to see in do in the area that you will miss if you just head up the basic trail, take your photo at Base Camp and come back down. I can’t wait to go back and get on some of the other routes in the region to see more.
Hey Dom, I’m hoping to do base camp at some point so this was a real good read. Friends of mine recently returned from hiking base camp however they tried to cut out acclimatisation days and really suffered! I won’t be making that mistake!
Hey Josh – Glad you enjoyed the series. The trip is definitely worth doing if you enjoy the outdoors and a bit of a challenge. Don’t cut out acclimatisation days. In addition to being great to get your body prepped for higher altitudes, there are tons of things to do in and around the villages on these days. As you saw in the series, we often went on acclimatisation walks to visit religious sites, monasteries and to get peaks over the surrounding mountain ridges. Wouldn’t trade those experiences in simply to rush to Base Camp. It’s all part of the experience.
This is one of the adventures I’d love to go for but I’m still trying to understand if it’s doable. I suffer with asthma and thus for now the only thing I can do is dream through your articles!
It’s totally doable. I’ve read that people with asthma tackle high altitude treks all the time, but they do so after consulting with their GP first. Acclimatisation is key for most people doing these sorts of activities – just need to be mindful of your body and ensure that you take care of yourself when doing it. If it’s something you never do, hope at least that these posts brought you there. Happy Travels.
I have never actually done trekking but I will say I am amazed by your drive to do all of this. The captures you got are so amazing and so pretty. I love how you laid out a daily outline. This was a fantastic post, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words. Trekking is one of my favorite things to do when I travel – glad you enjoyed the post. Happy Travels.
Always been wondering about base camp trek and this post gives a lot of information. Looks quite adventurous and fun to do once in a lifetime. thanks for sharing.
Great to hear and glad you find it helpful. Happy Travels!
I am torn between an Everest Base Camp push or trying to see one of the places less traveled in the reason. I have heard you can actually get above the ice fall and look down onto Base Camp. I had a friend who did this and said it was quite, clean, and tranquil. There is just so much history (and energy) at Base Camp it would be tough to pass over. I love how clear and clean you made the trip planning.
Thanks for the kind words. There are a wide variety of trails through the region that go to Base Camp and other larger trekking peaks. The only way to get above Everest’s dangerous Ice Fall and look down Base Camp is to climb Everest, make your way up one of the surrounding peaks or fly over with a chopper. I probably wouldn’t recommend the first two unless a person has high altitude and mountaineering experience. When our trek was over, we took a chopper ride and had the pilot fly up the Ice Fall to Camp 1. That’s pretty much as high as a chopper can safely fly – and was amazing.
Fantastic articles and they are sure burning up my desire to get out there asap. Love your photos as well. 🙂
Appreciate the kind words Danik. 🙂 I hope you get there one day – it is even more impressive in person.
I did BEC Trek last month and nostalgia evoked reading your post. It is really one of the most cherished treks of my life too like many others. You have given a good detailed out account of the trek. And your pictures and layout is pretty amazing.
Always fun to relive experiences like this eh? Thanks for the kind words.
thanks a lot for the great article! This is really helpful. I also want to try to hike Mt. Everest at least the base camp haha! But I think I will need a lot of preparation.
I think you would be surprised. General fitness levels and mental prep is really all you need for Base Camp. Enjoy.
I am not really a winter person but lets be honest Everest is a dream for every traveller ! I hope one day I can pack my back and start climbing the best mountain in the world! Looks like you had an amazing time over there! Congratulation !
Wow, this is impressive. And by the way the biggest challenge someone who is exited about trekking could face. Boy, the jealousy is real. Keep up the good job. ?? ?? ??
Thanks Patrick. Nepal is a gorgeous country and deffo needs to be explored. Add EBC to you bucketlist and get there.
Trekking on the Everest is such a challenge worth taking. It’s good to know that there are a few trekking options in the region that lead to Base Camp and that not all of them are reserved for fittest types of person only. I also find your Everest Base Camp trek itinerary very informative, as it gives me an overview of how such a trek might look like.
There are plenty of options for everyone – you are right. The abuility to see Everest in person shouldn’t just be reserved to those that summit, right? 🙂
There is some great information here. I’ve often wondered about a trek to base camp, this really helps lay it out for me. Good luck with the idea of doing a summit trip, that would be amazing. I’m going to check your blog out some more.
Thanks for your comments Matt. My route is one of many possibilities. I’ll keep ya posted if I decide to summit. 🙂