Talk with our expert
+977-9841280849
Quick Contactminthapa2006@yahoo.com
Walking to Everest Base Camp is the dream on many trekkers’ bucket lists around the world for good reason. The iconic trek carries you through a magical valley surrounding some of the planet’s tallest mountains down to the mountaineer’s den beneath the planet’s highest summit.
I did the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek myself and unguided in 2016. At that time, I couldn’t afford and didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars to take a tour package for this one-time activity, so I arranged all the permits and took all the precautions needed to do the hike alone.
Even though the majority of the logistics remain the same, as of 2023, Nepalese law now requires that you will need to have a guide if you are trekking in the Himalayas. Therefore, to help you on this exciting endeavor, I have updated my guide to include all the information you need to plan your own journey like permits, routes, accommodations, insurance and risks of the trip.
So you want to trek in the majestic Himalayas to see the world’s highest mountain but do not want to shell out thousands for a tour, this guide is your bible! And if you are looking for a tour group, fear not, I have some recommendations for you too. Here’s how to hike to Everest Base Camp…
New Regulations for Independent Trekkers in the Nepalese Himalayas
As I’ve just mentioned, from 2025, all treks in the Nepalese Himalayas are required to be led by a qualified guide.
Whereas the formerly completely guided tour bookers are not troubled by this update, do-it-yourself travelers like myself are likely asking themselves if the days of being open to everything are over… If you can identify with the latter you’re in luck, because there’s potentially a loophole!
This new rule is being implemented by the Nepal Tourism Board and is supposed to be valid for any region where the TIMS Card (Trekking Information Management System) is required – more on that later.
Although you are (and always have been) required to carry a TIMS card to trek the EBC, the local association in the EBC region has disobeyed the Nepal Tourism Board and declared that independent trekkers can still trek around the Everest region without a guide.
Technically the fines for being caught hiking in the area without a guide are up to 12,000 rupees (US$145), it’s not clear if and how you would be caught by anyone other than the local authorities (who have said they are ignoring the tourism boards’ bans).
At the end of the day, it is your choice if you take the risk or not but keep in mind that this is an open debate among the boards and regulations can be altered at any moment.
The requirement to take a guide does not make the trek less accessible for budget travelers. Private guides can be taken on for as little as US$30 a day, an expense that you and your friends can share to make it more manageable.
Difficulty of the Everest Base Camp Trek
In spite of what people believe, you don’t have to be a marathon runner or experienced mountaineer to complete the EBC trek. One of my favorite aspects of this trek is the huge range of people you encounter in the villages. I even met a man in a cafe in Namche Bazaar who had summited Everest 7 times!
For most people, physical fitness and good mental preparation are sufficient. It is strongly advised that you train yourself for hiking long distances with weight prior to starting the hike, but if you are quite fit your body will soon adjust to this once you get those first few steps in the mountains under way.
With hindsight, I realize that I lacked almost entirely the depth of mountain experience I possess now and that this hike was perhaps the doorway to my deep love of dramatic landscape and high peaks.
It was my first multi-day hike and I did not do any special training to prepare myself for the journey beyond research. Sure I was only 21 years old then, but you’ll be amazed at how resilient your body can be at any age.
Altitude will likely be the biggest physical obstacle you will face but this too can be overcome with knowledge and mind power. Not to be understated, the hiking itself can be hours of endless uphill at times that makes you wonder about your own sanity, but this only makes your bed that much sweeter at the end of the day!
The track condition is excellent, with wide even trails and easy sign-posting so apart from some large elevation gain days, the trek is not technical in any way.
Planning Your Hike
As I was just explaining, whether you are hiking with a group, with a guide or solo, the best training that you can possibly do is actually mental preparation. Knowing what to expect will make your hike a thousand times easier because you can listen to your body and adjust accordingly for the day.
Different Routes to Everest Base Camp
The climb to Everest Base Camp itself isn’t actually very hard. With literally dozens of people climbing it daily it would be almost impossible to become lost here. Having said that, once you reach base camp there are a couple of different routes that you can take in order to return to Lukla (where the trek begins).
The first decision you will have to make is which route to take. For most people, this will be determined by how much time you have and how much experience.
Following is a quick summary of some of the most popular routes in the Everest region:
Lukla – EBC – Lukla
Lukla – EBC – Gokyo Lakes – Lukla
Lukla – EBC – 3 passes – Lukla
If you’d like to have an even more adventurous experience, some go the extra distance and bypass flying into Lukla and take a hike in from Bupsadanda, adding 1-2 days by jeep and one additional day of hiking to your itinerary. I’ll discuss that a little later on in the “Getting to Everest Base Camp” section below.
Although there is just one main trail from Lukla to EBC, there are several tea houses and villages along the way so you can have your own personal itinerary to fit your own pace and physical stamina.
I have given you a great itinerary here below, but do buy a guidebook, go through the map and read the routes. Plan your route and schedule around what you know and your own situation. I used “Trekking in Nepal, Everest” by Partha S Banergee and it was my savior.
TOP TIP: Be adaptable as an individual treker. You never know who you might encounter on the trail and what treasures are in store for you in getting to know them if you permit that to occur.
I originally intended to trek Lukla to EBC and back through the Gokyo lakes in 20 days. But on day 2 of my trek, I incidentally bumped into friends and we had this phenomenal side trip away from the trekking trail to party with the Serpas, have tea with monks and live an entire alternate world out here that the normal tourist wouldn’t even notice. (Worried, didn’t stop me from making it to EBC too, by the way). Standard Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
There are just so many different tea houses and small villages along the way that almost everybody’s trip will be a bit unique.
It should be said, however, that while all of them are worth considering to have on your itinerary, some of them are more so than others, and thus it is well worth doing, but it’s truly only a personal matter as to where and when you rest your head each night.
NOTE: In order to decrease the chances of altitude sickness, you must not go up higher than 500 m (1,640 ft) in altitude per day after you get above an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). You may go up higher during the day but you must come down to the level of 500m at night.
To make things simple, I’ve got here below a template itinerary of a very typical Everest Base Camp itinerary that you may use at your convenience, arriving in Lukla on day 1 and departing on day 13.
Here, it’s important to note that the approximated hiking duration listed here is very low-key. I completed a lot of those in half time (but I know that I was trekking fast).
Everest Base Camp Trek distance
With a total distance of around 130 km (81 miles), the trek to Everest Base Camp is no small undertaking!
The minimum time you can take to hike from Lukla to EBC and back is around 10 days, but I would not recommend that unless you are seasoned and acclimatised.
13-14 days is a good number of days to take to complete the shortest route in a comfortable fashion.
I would never recommend completing the round trip (Lukla-EBC-Lukla) in less than 12 days under any circumstance because you need to have time to acclimatize and rest along the trek. The most common reason people have to turn around is because they are attempting to do too much.
Give yourself at least 2 rest days on the way up to give your body the best possible chance at acclimatising.
Altitude of Everest Base Camp:
The Everest Base Camp altitude itself is 5,364 metres (17,598 ft). However, most people will go even higher than that during their trek since it’s very popular to include the nearby Kala Patthar peak which is, in fact, 5,644 meters (18,519 ft).
Starting from 2,860 m (9,383 ft) at Lukla, this makes the total elevation gained on the trek to Everest Base Camp 2,504 m (8215 ft) or 2,784 m (9,133 ft) if you also undertake Kala Patthar (which I highly recommend that you do).
Taking into consideration that you shouldn’t gain more than 500m (1,640 ft) in altitude in a day after you hit an altitude of 3,000m (10,000 ft), you can see why it would take this amount of time to accomplish this distance.
Best Time to Hike to Everest Base Camp
If you’ve had any experience at all with mountains, you probably already know that weather is a force to be reckoned with, especially when you are surrounded by peaks so high that they have their own weather system.
That being said, if you’re seeking a phenomenal experience in the Everest Base Camp region, the ideal time of year to trek to Everest Base Camp is between September and November. You will experience the best weather of the year during this time but also the most crowds.
Mid September – December
The best time to trek to Everest Base Camp is in the premium dry season months between mid-September and December.
I hiked in early November and had blue skies every day of my 20-day trek while the temperatures dipped below freezing each night.
This is also the most busy time of year to hike in order to expect a bustling, energetic atmosphere along the trails. If you are hoping to see camps set up at Base Camp, there is a climbing season at the beginning of October so plan your visit around then to coincide with climbers.
January – Mid March
Cold, snowy and empty trails. It’s not impossible to walk to Everest Base Camp during this period and actually you may even get extremely clear skies due to the low temperatures (-20°C /-4°F). But you won’t find many people on the trails and some of the tea houses may be closed.
Mid March – Mid May
A second best season to hike in the Himalayas, this dry season is extremely popular for EBC trekking as temperatures aren’t too cold and there are lots of clear days for good visibility. If you’re looking to see tents set up at Everest Base Camp, this is the time you should visit as mountaineers spend time acclimatising between summit attempts.
June – Early September
This is monsoon and the worst time possible to trek to EBC. The trails will be muddy, washed out and full of leaches while the clouds are low in the valley obscuring your mountain views. There is also a very high chance of landslides so it is a more dangerous time to go.
Permits for Everest Base Camp Trekking
Even though you are not hiring someone to join you, you will still have to register as a trekker, pay fees and purchase a permit.
You will need an TIMS card (2,000 rupees / US$15) and the Sagarmatha National Park ticket (3,000 Rupees / USD$23).
The easiest place to have this done is in the Kathmandu office of the National Tourist Board. Holding the national park ticket here saves you standing in queues at the park entrance of people waiting to buy it.
You will need to bring the following with you to fill out all the forms:
2 passport photographs
Photocopy of passport
Emergency Contact Details
Insurance policy information
TOP TIP: Your permit will be stamped along the way at various locations on the trek so make sure that you keep it handy.
Everest Base Camp Trek Travel Insurance
Do your research here. You 100% want to carry travel insurance in case you do find yourself in a bad way, because those helicopters don’t come cheap man!
Make certain you read the entire fine print so that you will be protected in reality here and activity as many policies do not cover you beyond a set elevation or except when you’re traveling with a qualified firm. Something you will not want to discover after it happens.
I have the whole article about how to choose the right holiday insurance for your vacation here, but to give you some instant advice, the following are a few things to look for before you purchase.
Is trekking covered under your policy
Is there an upper limit on the altitude you are allowed to travel to
Must you travel accompanied by a licensed guide to qualify for insurance
Is air transportation covered in your policy if you need it
Is there a return ticket condition for checking your insurance
Purchase Travel Insurance
Travel to Everest Base Camp
Travel to Kathmandu
First things first… get yourself to Kathmandu, Nepal. I like to use Kiwi to book the lowest cost flights to where I am headed and find great stopovers along the way.
If you forgot to bring anything, you will be able to find it here. The tourist hotspot of Thamel has all you could possibly want and more.
Be aware however, the majority of products you purchase will nearly always be an imitation knockoff, so make sure you inspect the quality of the item (that it will last for the duration of the trek).
Flights to Lukla
The most common way of beginning this trek is by flying from Kathmandu to Lukla and the flight itself is an adventure!
A tiny plane with just 12 seats will fly you on a stunning 1-hour long flight, landing in the mountains via the world’s most risky airport.
To have your magic ticket onto this roller coaster, you can reserve flights on Kiwi like we did with the Nepal flights, or just stop by one of the many tour agencies in the streets of Kathmandu.
The flight will cost you around $220 USD to travel one way and the sole variation from that is the commission charged by the agency. Therefore, the fare is not as bargainable and reasonably consistent amongst the agents.
I would recommend that you book as soon as possible if you’re trekking in Nepal during peak trekking season. However, if you’re looking on Kiwi and you still can’t find any flights for your timeframe, don’t panic. They only seem to publish them for booking some time nearer the dates.
TOP TIP: Sit on the left-hand side for views to dream of.
I also recommend that you only buy a one-way ticket on the first morning flight or check the conditions to see if your return flight can be refunded.
This is important since weather in the Himalayas continuously varies and this flight takes off only on perfect weather. In the event of there being clouds covering either Kathmandu or Lukla, planes do not fly.
This is the reason why you must buy an early flight. Often times, the first few flights of the day might leave before flying for the rest of the day is canceled. Also, if all the flights are canceled for consecutive days, you would prefer to be high priority on the list when the weather gets better.
And if you should happen to be one of the unlucky ones whose leaving is delayed by a couple of days, you’ll appreciate you not having gone on ahead and booked that return ticket. Descending and only a couple of days from Lukla is when you book your ticket back to civilization.
There are a number of agents to choose from in Namche Bazaar where you can purchase your back ticket.
Make sure to keep cash in Nepalese Rupees or USD as although there are a couple of ATMs in the mountains, they could be out of order or don’t have money at all times.
Accommodation on Everest Base Camp Trek
The most comfortable way to spend your nights in the mountains is by residing in tea houses. They are extremely cheap, warm and your best opportunity at mingling.
Most tea houses cost between 100-1300 rupees ($1 – $10 USD) depending on the altitude and your bargaining skills. That being said, there is rarely a shortage of guests in the smaller villages so guest house owners aren’t as likely to appreciate bargaining.
The cost of the bed is made so affordable by the fact that you will likely also eat there. The meals are fairly uniform house to house and if you are really short on money there is always something for each meal under 700 rupees (US$5).
Such amenities as showers, laundry and internet are now offered at nearly every Guest house. They can’t guarantee the internet will be good or the water hot but they can charge as much as the market will bear. Such is the case with everything in the mountains, the higher you go the more expensive it gets.
My tip is to seize the opportunity to unwind a little and truly get into the trekking groove. No one cares that you’re covered in dirt, you’re all going to get equally dirty as soon as you hit the trail the next day. Baby wipes showers are the way to go.
TOP TIP: Tea houses fill up, especially the more you are close to Everest. If you do not have a guide book ahead of time get your seats for you, head out early each day to beat the crowd.
The walk will be so much more pleasant if you’re not being kept behind the entire time by a raucous crowd of groups and when you arrive at your chosen village, you can sit down and take your time to have a look around and find your desired room and rate.
Food on the Everest Base Camp Trek
As I mentioned earlier, it’s assumed that you will eat your meals at the Tea Houses where you will be residing and that’s why your bed is so cheap.
TOP TIP: Save your cash by bringing snacks, chocolate and tea bags with you. There is boiling water in cups half price of a cup of tea, you’ll thank me for that one afterwards.
You won’t be able to bring your water for the whole trek, of course, and the water along the trek is not recommended to drink. The majority of people prefer to purchase sufficient bottled water at the guest houses to get them through the day’s hike but added up this will cost a lot and is horrible for the environment.
Others buy water purification tablets to filter their water because they require it. This, however, takes time and generally leaves a terrible taste. I took my trusty horse the Lifestraw with me and can highly recommend it for this use as well as for overall travel.
The Lifestraw is a water-purifying straw that filters out micro bacteria as you drink. I have consumed straight tap water using this bottle anywhere in the globe including remote developing countries and never felt sick.
I would highly recommend purchasing one at home to bring on your hike to save plastic and your hard-earned dollar dollar bills.
Notice that water is not readily available along the path from village to village so I carried two 1-litre Nalgene bottles and switched the life straw between the two with the Lifestraw universal adapter kit.
Cost of trekking to Everest Base Camp
The price of trekking to Everest Base Camp can be very varied depending on how you intend to complete your trek.
Here I have listed the costs for one person to trek in the most used way to EBC including taking a flight to Lukla and having a personal guide, all prices in US dollars.
Permits – $38
Flights to Lukla – $440
Guide ($30 x 12 days) – $360
Guest Houses (~$8 x 12 days) – $96
Food (~$15 x 12 days) – $180
Total = $1,114 USD
This total is quite more than what I paid some years back but this is because the cost of guides has increased. In solo traveling, it may actually be more financially prudent to join a group tour today. Continue reading for the ones that I myself would recommend!
Of course, as I already explained, your guide’s price can be split between your group, so trekking with 3 friends that reduces the price to $90 per head.
Also, you may consider adding a porter to your group which costs around $20 a day, and your additional travel insurance fees which is required for trekking to Everest Base Camp.
Best Tours for Everest Base Camp Trek
Or if all of these arrangements just seem a bit too much to handle, or you simply like to sit back and enjoy your experience with a group of like-minded trekkers, below I have listed the best tours to Everest Base Camp.
All the tours include Lukla to Kathmandu flights and I have broken them down by route with a range of lengths so you can easily pick the one that fits you.
Everest Base Camp Only Route
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp 12 Days
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp 14 Days
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp 15 Days
Sleeping at Everest Base Camp Trek (17 days)
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp in 12 Days – return by helicopter
Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes Trek (15 days)
Everest Base Camp Gokyo Lakes Via Cho La Trek (17 days)
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes Trek (19 days)
Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Lakes & 3 Passes
Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp via 3 High Passes and Gokyo Lakes (20 days)
Gear list and packing
So obviously if you are carrying your life around for 2 weeks you’re going to want to keep it light. Keep in mind that the higher you go, the more weight you will feel in your pack.
My pack was 12kg with 2 liters of water. I now understand this was extremely heavy considering that I was not carrying tent or stove but I don’t believe I would have been able to shed anything, only have spent money on lighter equipment.
Pack the bare minimum that you’ll need, no one cares that you wear the same things repeatedly but do note that it will be cold so pack smart.
My list of packing for the adventure is below:
Clothing:
✔️ 1 hiking attire (hiking pants + t-shirt)
✔️ 1 thermal wear attire (top & bottom) – for sleeping
✔️ 1 light long sleeve layer
✔️ 1 x Good quality Down jacket
✔️ 1 x Waterproof shell jacket
✔️ 2 x Sports bras
✔️ 5 – 7 x Underwear
✔️ 4 – 5 x Hiking socks
✔️ Woollen hat
✔️ Sun hat
✔️ Buff
✔️ Gloves
Entertainment:
✔️ Book/s (1-2 as there is sufficient time for it)
✔️ Pack of cards
Equipment:
✔️ Map
✔️ Head lamp
✔️ Life Straw and bottle adapter
✔️ 2x Nalgene bottles
✔️ Hiking poles
✔️ Sunglasses
✔️ Sleeping bag (-15°C / 60°F)
✔️ Hiking boots
✔️ Sandals (in order to let sweaty feet breathe at camp)
✔️ Camera
✔️ Portable battery pack
Snacks:
✔️ Chocolate
✔️ Nuts
✔️ Dried Fruit
✔️ Cliff Bars
✔️ Tea Bags
Toiletries:
✔️ Toothbrush
✔️ Toothpaste
✔️ Deodorant
✔️ Sun Screen
✔️ Baby Wipes
Medication:
✔️ Pain killers
✔️ Anti-inflammatories
✔️ Diarea pills
✔️ Band aids/plasters
✔️ Strapping tape
✔️ Antiseptic cream
✔️ Altitude sickness medication (optional)
Safety during Hike to Everest Base Camp
Altitude Sickness
Learn the crap out of the signs of Altitude and be a guru of the signs of Altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS). It always starts for me with me getting knots in my gut before building into a splitting headache, but not everybody is like that.
Altitude sickness develops slowly, if you do not notice the onset of it, it will develop overnight into fatal, and if you have not noticed, there is no help 5000m up in mountains.
Unsure, return, making base camp is not worth if you do not return to say.
If you are going SOLO on this great adventure make sure you are relying on your own judgment. This was my greatest fear of traveling alone. I know that I myself have a lot of will and determination to reach where I have to go. I was afraid that despite knowing and having personally gone through the signs of AMS, my will to succeed would lead me to continue.
Fortunately, I never really did have any bad problems with altitude but do make sure that you feel you are prepared enough to decide if or not you do need to.
Altitude sickness medication:
You read there still is a great deal of controversy about altitude medicine. You should take it as a prophylactic treatment, they recommend, but the medication won’t prevent altitude illness, but rather mask its symptoms and signs.
I myself bought some pills in my pack but did not use them because I wanted to be able to feel and identify the symptoms as early as possible. I was extremely cautious with acclimatization and did not really notice the effects of altitude until about 4,500m.
I recommend that you learn and make an informed decision about mountain sickness management suitable for you.
Injury
Everest Base Camp trek is a pretty wide trek and is well kept for the most part except in the worst of weather. Even though the trek is not technically demanding, it does not mean that you can’t injure yourself somewhere in between.
Make sure that you carry a small first aid kit with you wherever you go and note down the Nepalese emergency number (100) in case you ever need to dial an emergency number.
Carry your travel insurance details like policy number and phone number easily accessible in case someone else needs to find it on your behalf.
Wildlife
Though you will be leaving the occasional wolf and black bear in the Himalayas, there is no threat of wildlife on the Everest Base Camp trek since the area is so populated by humans and animals shun the area.
In fact, if there’s any animal which would be a nuisance it would be the yak that hauls gear up and down mountain trails. The yaks are typically driven in groups by sherpas and will take up the whole trail in steep sections and on bridges.
While they would never do any harm intentionally, it is best to make way for them when they pass.
Stuff You Should Know about the Hike to Everest Base Camp
We have covered nearly all the things that you would like to know about the Everest Base Camp trek so far but here are the last few things that I can tell you so that you are 100% prepared.
ATMs – There are less than two ATMs along the entire hike to be found in Lukla and Namche Bazaar. While there are ATMs, they are not functional because they are out of cash or have a very high withdrawal fee.
Money/Cash – Be sure to carry sufficient cash either in Nepali rupees or USD for every expense with a bit of cash to spare on incidentals. You will never be able to spend on your cards once out of Kathmandu and shall be paying out for food, accommodation, internet, showers, laundry, souvenir and tips while traveling.
Showers – Most tea houses today have showers but they are an extra charge and not generally hot. If you want a hot shower, arrive early and shower up early in the day for your best chance.
Charging Electronics – There is barely space in most of the tea houses to charge and also for additional charge. Ports are commonly located in the primary dining rooms of the tea house or at the rear of reception but it is not secure. Taking along a solar-powered battery pack will suffice to keep all charged.
Wifi – The entire trek to EBC has cell towers so if you carry a local SIM card you can make calls and get 3G data. If you rely on wifi, you will be glad to hear that nowadays nearly all guest houses also provide Wi-Fi access for purchase. Free wifi is also accessible at the Lukla Starbucks and the Namche Bazaar bakery.
Tipping – Tipping your porters and guides on your EBC trek is customary but not as you would at home if you are American. If you have toured, to provide 10% of the cost of your tour is fair and they will split it among their employees. If hiring your own team, $10-15 per day for guides and $5-$10 per day for porters is appreciated.