Everest Base Camp Trek – 13 Days

Trip Highlights

Five reasons to do the Everest Base Camp Trek

1. The Everest Base Camp Trek is easily Nepal’s most iconic trek. This trek will bring you up close to the world’s highest peak! All throughout the trek, you will be in the breathtaking company of giant mountain peaks decorating the blue skyline.

2. As you walk through the Khumbu region you will experience the culture of legendary Sherpa people who are known around the world for their mountaineering skills. Their culture has a high influence of the Tibetan culture. You will stay in Namche Bazaar—a historical and important rendezvous point for Nepali and Tibetan traders in ancient times. You can also visit the Tengboche Monastery and receive blessings for a successful journey from the Buddhist monks who reside there.

3. Flying into Lukla Airport (also known as the Tenzing-Hillary Airport) is an incredible experience. The short flight from Kathmandu offers spectacular mountain views and you will see before your own eyes the change in topography as you leave the foothills hills and enter into the Himalaya.

4. Sagarmatha National Park is UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. It is home to rich flora and fauna that is unique to the Himalayan ecosystem. Trekking through its lush and tranquil Himalayan forest of birch, juniper, blue pines, and rhododendron is a special experience. The park is home to more than 100 species of bird and to many endangered exotic species of animals, like the Snow-Leopard and the Musk Deer and Himalayan bear and red panda.

5. At 5,380 m, the Everest Base Camp itself is of course the most significant highlight of your whole journey. Once you arrive you will be filled with an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. At Base Camp you will be able to take in views of the famous Khumbu Icefall

Trip Overview

The Everest Base Camp (commonly referred to as ‘EBC’) is easily the most iconic trek in Nepal. It is also the most popular!

Your trek to EBC at 5,364 m will take you into the heart of Sagarmatha National Park, a world heritage site, where you will also experience incredible panoramic views of the highest mountains on the planet.

More than just Mount Everest (8,848 m), you will seek the Thamserku Peak (6,623 m), Mount Ama Dablam (6,812 m), Mount Nuptse (7,861 m), Lhotse (8,516 m) and many more! These all emerge to make a glorious mountain tapestry.

On this trek, you will retrace the steps of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s epic journey in 1953 when they conquered the world’s tallest mountain. You will enter into the world of the Sherpa people, who have built their reputation as some of the world’s best mountain climbers.

As you trek through the famous Sherpa villages lying in the foothills of the Himalayas, you will also have the chance to tour high altitude Buddhist monasteries.

How difficult is the Everest Base Camp Trek?

The Everest Base Camp Trek is perfect for people who are in good health with average physical fitness. You do not need to have previous trekking experience.

On average you will be walking for 5 hours per day, which allows for steady altitude gain proper acclimatization.

For those who want a bigger challenge or want to head off the beaten path, the Everest Base Camp Trek can be combined with a trip to Gokyo Lakes.

Flights to Lukla – important note

Due to runway maintenance in Kathmandu, flights to and from Lukla Airport have been re-routed to Ramechhap airport, which is around a 5 hours dive from Kathmandu. It is possible to drive to Ramechhap and fly to Lukla on the same day. However, this will require a very early start in Kathmandu. We recommend you spend one night in Ramechhap before flying to Lukla the next day. The journey from Lukla to Kathmandu, via Ramechhap, is easily done in a single day.

Alternatively, you may choose to charter a helicopter from Kathmandu direct to Lukla. This is done on a 5-person sharing basis and will bear an additional cost. The helicopter flight takes around 1 hour.

Lukla Airport is not the only gateway to EBC. For those who do not want to fly, alternative arrangements can be made.

When to trek

The best time to trek Everest Base Camp is pre-monsoon (March, April, and May) or post-monsoon (late-September, October and November).

In the pre-monsoon period (March, April and May) it begins to warm up, trees start to blossom and yaks will be on the trekking trails after coming down to lower altitudes for the winter. You will still have incredible mountain views.

Post-monsoon (late-September, October and November), the mountains will re-appear, and temperatures will become more moderate. Unlike the early months of pre-monsoon, you will not need to worry about snow.

It is possible to trek in winter (December, January and February). The weather is predictable, however, it will be cold and there may be snowfall. The trail will be less populated with tourists and the views of the mountains are best. Many nature photographers say that February as an ideal month to take photos of the mountains.

The monsoon months of June, July and August are the least ideal times to trek. The trail will be lush, full of greenery and many flowers will be in bloom. As it is off-season, there will be fewer tourists on the trail. However, the haze will cover the mountains from view.

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