EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK

Duration : 16 days
Trek days : 12 days
Trek grade: moderate / strenous
Max altitude : 5545 m
Trekking style : Lodge to lodge ( tea house)
Best Season: Oct  to Dec,  March to mid June

A face to face with Everest is a long held dream  for many . This  amazing  trek to the  base camp of Everest  fulfills  the same .The Everest Base Camp trek follows the classic expedition route along Dudh Koshi river, the trail passing through alpine forests of pine and rhododendron, beautiful Sherpa villages and secluded Buddhist monasteries on the high Himalayas . The trek   ends with a visit to the base camp of Everest and then  the ascent of Kala Pattar for superb views of Mount Everest . The Everest Base Camp trek  truly deserves its reputation and is one of the most rewarding trek anywhere.

A fantastic 45 minute mountain flight takes us to the Lukla airstrip, the gateway to Everest region. From Lukla  we trek slowly upwards to the Sherpa  settlement of Namche Bazaar, following the valley of the Dudh Kosi river .We stay  for one day in this delightful Sherpa village   for acclimatization ( adjusting our body to high altitude, to the lower oxygen level) . As we leave Namche  we glimpse our first view of Everest as it peeks above the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Everest is  still few  days' walk away, but with careful acclimatization we keep on ascending , soon  to   find ourselves in Gorakshep. We visit the Everest base camp but the view is better from a small ridge of black rock called Kalapattar. Kalapattar gives a breathtaking view of Everest and the Khumbu icefall.

As soon as  you arrive in  Everest region , you soon notice that Mount Everest is just one of the many jewels to make this region so famous. Many other mountains here  are as beautiful as Everest. The Sherpa villages and Buddhist monasteries are other highlights of the trip. Special noteworthy is the monastery in Tengboche . Every climbing group seeks the blessing of the Lama of this monastery before they move ahead and the Mani Rimdu festival celebrated  here is the biggest Sherpa festival of the region.

Everest lies in the Everest National park , a world heritage site declared by UNESCO. It houses a great species  of alpine flora and fauna. In Spring you can see the spectacle of blooming of rhododendron flower and in summer the wild flowers bloom in higher slopes of Everest valley. You will also see the Impeyan Pheasant and Himalayan goats called “ Thar “ during your trek among other animals.

During our trek we sleep and eat in Mountain lodges called " tea houses". A guide will escort you and porters and yaks will carry your belongings .This is truly a classic trek which undoubtedly gives one of the best mountain views in the world.

Itinerary - Everest Base Camp Trek

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to hotel
Day 02: Fly to Lukla (2840m) - Phakding (2610m)
Day 03: Phakding  - Namche Bazar (3440m)
Day 04: Acclimatization day at Namche Bazar
Day 05: Namche Bazar  - Tengboche(3860m)
Day 06: Tengboche  -Dingboche(4410m)
Day 07 :  Acclimatisation day at Dingboche
Day 08: Dingboche  - Lobuche (4910m)
Day 09: Lobuche  - Gorakhshep(5140m), visit Everest base camp.
Day 10: Visit Kalapathar (5545m) early morning , take breakfast and trek to Lobuche
Day 11: Lobuche - Tengboche
Day 12: Tengboche - Jorsale (2800m)/ Phakding
Day 13: Jorsale / Phakding - Lukla (2840m)
Day 14: Fly back from Lukla to Kathamndu, rest and shopping
Day 15: Kathmandu  sightseeing, evening celebrate your Everest Base Camp Trek with farewell Nepali dinner.
Day 16: Fly back home /onward destination

Included in the price

1. All surface transfers as per itinerary including arrival and departure transfers by private vehicle.
2. Kathmandu to Lukla return airfare for you and our staffs.
3. Hotel in Kathmandu in twin sharing , bed and breakfast basis
4. Three meals with tea and coffee during the trek, accommodation on mountain lodges.
5. All expenses of  our guide and porter
6. Necessary permit and national park fees
7. Guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu
8. Farewell Nepali dinner

Not included in the price

1. Nepal visa ( requires USD 40 in cash and one photograph, granted upon arrival in Kathmandu airport )
2. Nepal internal airport tax $ 2
3. Personal equipments and clothing
4. Your  insurances
5. Cold drinks and beverages , tips, personal nature expenses
6. Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu.

FAQs on Mount  Everest Base Camp Trek

1. How fit do I need to be for this trek ? Can people of my age do this trek ?

Everyone with good fitness and without any physical problems can do this trek. Doing exercises  like swimming , jogging etc before arriving Nepal will help a lot.
The most important things to consider for a successful Everest trek are right amount of walking and  enough rest - at least two days of rest /acclimatization . We have seen over the years that very fit young people had to abandon the trek where as people in their sixties  doing it very comfortably. This is simply because those young people did not take enough rest and neglected the advice on altitude sickness.

2. What if we can not fly from Lukla to Kathmandu on the planned day  due to bad weather ?

This is usual problem during summer and also during January and February. So , you are advised to have one spare day incase of flight cancellations and also suggested to do the Kathmandu sightseeing at the end of the trek because in case of flight cancellation you can use the sightseeing day as an extra day for the trek.

3. What kind of food do I get in the trek ? What is a mountain lodge like ?

You get a la carte menu to choose the food from and mostly the food is continental and Nepali.The mountain lodges  are simple family run inns with good basic facilities like clean bed and toilets but do not expect luxury on them. Some of them have attached baths and at some of them , you have to share bathroom with often two other rooms.