Everest Base Camp Trek
Fourteen days to the foot of the world's highest mountain, through the Sherpa heartland of the Khumbu
The journey
The Everest Base Camp trek is a 14-day round trip from Kathmandu: a mountain flight to Lukla, then twelve days on foot up the Dudh Koshi valley through Sherpa villages and monasteries to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and the viewpoint of Kala Patthar (5,645 m). The route is about 130 km there and back, with two acclimatisation days built in; you sleep in teahouse lodges and trek with a licensed guide and porters.
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Your route, and when to go
Best time for this tour
Mar–May · late Sep–Nov
Gold marks the best months. Thinking of another time of year? Ask us what's possible.
The stops
- 01Kathmandu2 nights
- 02Lukla1 night
- 03Namche Bazaar3 nights
- 04Tengboche1 night
- 05Dingboche2 nights
- 06Gorak Shep1 night
- 07Everest Base Camp
- 08Kala Patthar
The journey ends back in Kathmandu.
Day by day
Your guide meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and takes you to your hotel. In the evening we check your gear, go through the route and sort out your trekking permits.
NightKathmandu (hotel)
An early mountain flight lands on Lukla's famous hillside airstrip. In the busy spring and autumn seasons, flights leave from Ramechhap, a four-to-five-hour drive from Kathmandu. A gentle first walk follows the Dudh Koshi river down to Phakding, about three to four hours.
NightPhakding (teahouse)
Cross high suspension bridges strung with prayer flags, enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, then climb steeply to Namche Bazaar, with, on a clear day, your first glimpse of Everest on the way. About five to six hours.
NightNamche (teahouse)
Climb high and sleep low: a morning hike above town to the Everest View Hotel for a panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, then the afternoon free for Namche's bakeries, market and the Sherpa museum.
NightNamche (teahouse)
A contouring trail with Ama Dablam ahead, a descent to the river at Phunki Thenga and a long climb through rhododendron forest to Tengboche, the largest monastery in the Khumbu. Attend the monks' evening prayers if you can.
NightTengboche (teahouse)
Through Pangboche and past mani walls into the Imja valley, where the trees give way to stone-walled potato fields and yak pastures. About five to six hours.
NightDingboche (teahouse)
A slow hike up Nangkartshang Peak above the village, with views of Makalu, Lhotse and Island Peak, then a restful afternoon. This is the second of the two days that make this itinerary safer at altitude.
NightDingboche (teahouse)
Past the memorials to fallen climbers at Thukla Pass and along the edge of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche, surrounded by ice and moraine. About five hours.
NightLobuche (teahouse)
The big day: trek to Gorak Shep, drop your bags, then follow the glacier to Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. In spring the expedition tents of summit climbers fill the valley. Seven to eight hours in all.
NightGorak Shep (teahouse)
A pre-dawn climb to Kala Patthar, the best viewpoint for Everest itself, as the sun lights the summit. Then a long descent to Pheriche, where the thicker air feels wonderful.
NightPheriche (teahouse)
Retrace your steps past Tengboche and down through the forest to Namche for a well-earned celebration.
NightNamche (teahouse)
The last day on foot, down the Dudh Koshi to Lukla, with time to thank your guide and porters and toast the trek.
NightLukla (teahouse)
The morning flight back to Kathmandu (or Ramechhap, then a drive), a hot shower and a free afternoon. Mountain flights depend on the weather, so this day also serves as a buffer.
NightKathmandu (hotel)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or onward across the Himalayas to Paro and Bhutan.
Trek at a glance
Peaks in view: Everest 8,849 m · Lhotse 8,516 m · Nuptse 7,861 m · Pumori 7,161 m · Ama Dablam 6,812 m · Thamserku 6,623 m
| Day | Stage | Dist. | Time | High point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Lukla → Phakding | ~8 km | 3–4 h | 2,860 m |
| 03 | Phakding → Namche Bazaar | ~11 km | 5–6 h | 3,440 m |
| 04 | Acclimatisation hike | ~5 km | 3–4 h | 3,880 m |
| 05 | Namche → Tengboche | ~10 km | 5–6 h | 3,860 m |
| 06 | Tengboche → Dingboche | ~11 km | 5–6 h | 4,410 m |
| 07 | Acclimatisation hike | ~5 km | 4–5 h | ~5,080 m |
| 08 | Dingboche → Lobuche | ~8 km | 5 h | 4,940 m |
| 09 | Lobuche → Base Camp → Gorak Shep | ~13 km | 7–8 h | 5,364 m |
| 10 | Kala Patthar → Pheriche | ~14 km | 7–8 h | 5,645 m |
| 11 | Pheriche → Namche | ~20 km | 6–7 h | 4,240 m |
| 12 | Namche → Lukla | ~19 km | 6–7 h | 3,440 m |
In spring and autumn, Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), about four to five hours' drive from Kathmandu. Mountain flights are often delayed by weather, so we recommend adding a spare day before your international flight home.
What's included depends on the lodges, support and dates you choose. We confirm it in your personal quote.
Gallery
Everest from Kala Patthar at sunrise
Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital
Ama Dablam above the trail
Kathmandu Durbar SquareEnquire about this journey
Tell us your dates and we'll tailor Everest Base Camp Trek around you.
Everest Base Camp Trek FAQs
Good to know
Still wondering about something? Ask our Thimphu team directly. We're happy to help.
Ask us on WhatsAppIt is a challenging but non-technical trek: no climbing skills are needed, but you walk five to eight hours a day for twelve days and reach 5,645 m. The main difficulty is the altitude, which is why this itinerary includes two acclimatisation days. Good general fitness and some multi-day hiking experience are enough for most people.
It depends on group size, season and lodge level, so we quote each trek individually. As a guide to the fixed costs: the two trekking permits total about NPR 6,000 per person, and Lukla flights cost roughly USD 200–260 each way. Our price includes flights, permits, guide, porters, lodges and meals on the trek.
About 130 km there and back from Lukla, walked over twelve days including two rest days for acclimatisation. With the flights and a day in Kathmandu at each end, the full trip takes fourteen days.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November). Autumn has the clearest mountain views; spring is warmer, with rhododendrons in bloom and expedition tents at Base Camp. Winter is possible but very cold, and the summer monsoon brings cloud and delays to Lukla flights.
Nepal's trekking rules have changed in recent years and are applied differently in the Everest region, so they are worth checking before you go. Every Lucky Dragon trek includes a licensed guide and porters, for safety at altitude, route-finding in bad weather and help with permits and flights.
In teahouses: simple, family-run mountain lodges with twin rooms, shared bathrooms and a warm dining room around a stove. They get more basic the higher you go.
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