Everest Base Camp Trek, famously known as the EBC Trek, is one of the most incredible trekking journeys to the base of the world's highest mountain at 5,364m ( 17,598 ft).
This is a 15-day trip leading to the base of Mt. Everest also known as ‘Sagarmatha’ in Nepali and ‘Chomolungma’ in Tibetan and is well-known among trekkers as the best place to be.
Trekking to Everest is not a mere hike, it is a journey to the highest base camp on earth with the majestic view of the Himalayan vista and diverse Himalayan vegetation and Sherpa culture.
The trail to Mount Everest Base Camp will lead you to the diversity of nature and culture and is once in a lifetime experience with the enchanting view of Thamserku 6,623m (21,729 ft), Ama Dablam 6,812m (22,349 ft), Lhotse 7,600M (24,934 ft), and of course Mt. Everest 8848.86m (29,032 ft).
Apart from all this, the culture and lifestyle of the Sherpa people are of great interest. Sherpa's are the only human inhabitant communities of the Himalayas. Their culture and welcoming hospitality will be one of the musts to experience things to do while being in the Himalayas.
The entire high Himalayan region which includes the Everest Region is one of the oldest settlements of the Sherpa people, who are also known as the people of the Himalayas.
Their age-old unique lifestyle, culture, religion and always welcoming attitude and gesture will make you visit this region again and again.
Moreover, the Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO-listed site is a protected zone of this region and is an asset for the people by protecting flora and fauna.
Everest region carries an important abode for different wild animals and birds which are found in high altitudes, making them rare living creatures.
The magnificent view from Kala Patthar 5,545m (18,192 ft) is the best place to observe the Himalayan range which will make you feel like being in paradise and the sunrise view of the Himalayas is a breathtaking experience.
Thanks to Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary for their journey to the summit in 1953 AD, which made this region known to people around the world. Now, for many, it’s once in a lifetime experience and wishes to visit this region.
Everest region is one of the spiritual lands on earth mainly influenced by Buddhism, hanging praying flags, praying wheels and the beating of monastic drums and pipes by the lama further purifies the region, which can be seen and heard from a far distance.
This 15-day Everest Trek starts with a sightseeing tour in the Kathmandu valley. This tour is an ample opportunity for trekkers to know about the history and culture of Nepal.
You will be informed about the importance of religion in the Himalayas; this will be an asset to know about the unique religion of the Sherpa people and the way they have been living in the Everest Region/ Khumbu region for centuries.
Discover Altitude has a specially designed Everest Base Camp 15-day Trek Itinerary with frequent field visits by our professional staff to make sure the program goes according to the itinerary mentioned below.
For the convenience of our client minute detailed itinerary of the Everest Base Camp Trek, cost, highlights, pictures, and the map have been provided.
As it is an energetic trek into the Himalayas, trekkers can visit this trail throughout the year. The cost for Everest Trekking varies on the number of days and person.
The itinerary of the trek starts after landing at Lukla airport. Trekkers will have multiple choices when it comes to Discover Altitude, we can further customize your trip according to your time frame and interest.
Everest Hike in 2023-2024
Everest a popular name for many but trekking to the base of Mount Everest is a dream. This was not an easy trail some decades ago, however with the development of infrastructure everything has changed and the trail to Everest has shortened and can now be accomplished in a short span of time.
The Everest base camp trek which used to be a 4-week long trek is now only a 9-day trek from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. This shortness of the trail has made Everest feasible to many and now their dream is no more a dream, it has become a reality and achievable.
Till 2019 AD, every year around 28,000 trekkers used to hike to the Everest base camp but due to the global pandemic Covid-19, trekking to all the regions of Nepal was closed by the central and the local government.
This restriction was applicable for almost 8-9 months but now everything seems normal. Trekkers are allowed to trek to all the regions of Nepal including Everest without any restrictions.
Travelers coming to Nepal can now get an on-arrival visa without any difficulty, YOU DON'T NEED to show proof of a 72-hour corona-negative report or proof of COVID Vaccination.
The number of trekkers is increasing and the trails are normal and open for trekkers. All the lodges and tea houses are open on the trail and trekkers are welcome. The government has already vaccinated tourism workers and hotel staff, as their safety will take trekkers to remain safe.
Nothing to worry about, it is normal now. Trekkers without any worries can now trek to the Everest base camp in 2023 and 2024 AD.
What to Expect During Everest Base Camp Comfort Trek:
Accommodation and Food
Everest Trek is entirely a tea house trek, here you will be spending overnight at the local tea houses also known as lodges. These are mainly operated by local Sherpa family members, which makes your stay home far away from your home.
They are friendly members and always love welcoming travelers, Sherpa hospitality is popular around the world for trekkers. They are very welcoming and will have an opportunity to understand their culture and customs.
Each room will have two beds with separate blankets, pillows, mattresses, and blank sheets. At the lower altitude, you will be able to find an attached bathroom room. However, as you ascend higher this will be rare.
However, there will be western toilets on each floor which can be used as a common toilet and a separate bathroom for showers.
Moreover, the foods are locally based vegetables and they are the perfect and well-trained chefs. Foods vary from Indian, Continental, Italian, Nepali, Tibetan, and many more. You will have multiple options to choose from a menu and are the best in the Himalayas.
Electricity and Internet in Everest Trek
Although Everest Base Camp Trek is one of the remote trekking trails in the Himalayas, the accessibility of electricity is available everywhere. At the lower altitude, you will be blessed with locally generated power from hydroelectricity, whereas at the higher tea houses and lodges have solar panels to generate electricity.
This helps trekkers to charge their mobile and camera upon payment of a certain sum of local currency.
For internet at the lower altitude tea houses and lodges will have Wi-Fi facilities, however at the higher altitude, you can carry a data pack (SIM Card). This can be used till the base camp of Mount Everest.
So, nothing to worry about electricity and internet during the Everest Base Camp Trekking.
Base Camp Trekking Trail
Upon landing at Lukla airport, your trek begins and ends stopping at the Lukla airport. This whole distance covers 130 Km/ 80 Miles. Trails are well maintained as compared to other routes of the Himalayas.
Due to the popularity of the Everest Base Camp Trek, every year thousands of trekkers visit the Everest region for trekking. This boosts local government to help maintain the trail regularly and hence it can be considered as an easy-going uphill trek to the base camp of Mount Everest.
Everest -Weather and Temperature at Base Camp
Weather in the Himalayas is unpredictable, Due to climate changes Himalayas experience unpredictable weather changes. Till Namche Bazaar you will experience rainfall very often. As you ascend higher above 3500M the possibility of raindrops declines.
However, during winter there will be snowfall at higher altitudes including Namche Bazaar. This will be very frequent during the night, so while hiking snowfall gets thinner and rare.
Regarding temperature, during the daytime temperature will range between 5 to 10°C depending upon the altitude, and in winter it will go below -5 to -20°C.
Flight Route and Transportation
Lukla is the shortest gateway to Everest Base Camp Trek. Every day on a regular basis there are dozens of domestic flights from Kathmandu airport to Lukla (both ways).
However, during peak season only one airport in Kathmandu gets very busy. This creates air traffic for international flights.
Thus, to reduce air traffic, the government in Nepal during peak trekking season diverts all the flights (both ways) to Manthali airport which is a 4-hour drive from Kathmandu. Make sure you have arranged transportation to Manthali from Thamel, This drive will start at 2 am in the morning and will take 4 hours to reach Manthali airport.
Any changes that occurred were notified by the minister of aviation some 2 weeks prior. For confirmation, please contact your local travel partner Discover Altitude.
Safety Related to Covid-19
Due to the global pandemic Covid-19, traveling in and around Nepal was restricted for more than a year. However, the government lifted the ban on travel.
Now, after the vaccination mission throughout the country, the international border has been reopened for international travelers. Travelers entering Nepal DON'T need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a 72-hour PCR Negative Test report at the port of entry while entering Nepal.
EBC Trek Difficulty
Everest base camp trek starts from a moderate hike to a strenuous trek, The trek itself starts upon arriving at Lukla 2840m ( 9318ft.) Apart from these Everest Base Camp 5364m (17598 feet) and Kala Patthar 5545m (18192ft) will be our hiking places, where we are not stopping overnight.
It is an easy-going trek, where experience forehand is not required because trekkers will be hiking all through the well-maintained trail. The important point to be noted in the Everest Base Camp Trek is the altitude because we will be trekking at a high elevation where the level of oxygen will be lower than at the normal altitude below 4,000 meters. As the elevation gets higher, we feel tired to hike uphill, to get rid of our tiredness we need to be physically fit.
Trekkers will be hiking all through the well-maintained trail with frequent stops for lunch, tea, coffee, etc. as there are restaurants on the trail apart from our overnight camp.
If trekkers want to spend the extra night for acclimatization or to make the trail shorter, then there are a sufficient number of lodges as well. Only the thing is we need to make sure the distance covered in a single day and the altitude we are supposed to stay at overnight should be good enough for our body to acclimatize.
If all this instruction is followed your age and locality of the nation will not be a burden to complete the Everest Base Camp Trek, only the thing that matters is the physical and mental outcome with solid determination.
Best Time To Trek Everest Base Camp
Mainly Base Camp Trek is for every season... despite all this, every trekking trail in Nepal has some best times to visit.
Trekking in Everest base camp is better during the months of September-November which is Autumn and March-May which is Spring. This is so because of a better view of the high Himalayas with clear blue sky and better visibility as well.
Trekking to Everest Base Camp is also possible during winter which is December and January, only the equipment required will be increased.
As the temperature in the high areas may go below -10 to -15. So warm clothes are highly recommended during winter.
But to speak the truth rainy season is not recommended for the Everest Base Camp trek which is June and July, Below Namche Bazaar normally we can experience rain during the rainy season but the views up in the Himalayas may be cloudy although it doesn’t rain over there.
Trekkers can be seen in the Everest Base Camp region throughout the year but the best weather will be Autumn and Spring with less snowfall varied vegetation and high visibility.
Trek Preparation for Everest Base Camp
Everest Base Camp starts with a moderate to strenuous hike with frequent rest to acclimatize our body to the high altitude. The trek starts with the lowest altitude at LUKLA (2840M) and takes us to the highest altitude of KALAPATTHAR (5545) and EVEREST BASE CAMP (5364M).
Blessed with varied flora and fauna, the Everest region is regarded as the abode of the Sherpa community and is the dream of every trekker to reach the Base of Everest.
However, trekking to Everest Base Camp requires a high level of physical fitness, and preparation prior to the trek is highly recommended. Here are some of the must-do lists for travelers before the trek.
Physical Fitness: Everest Base Camp Trek is considered a strenuous trek and requires a high level of physical fitness. Your trek will be through steep and rocky terrain in some parts and you will need to hike several hours every day with a light backpack.
For this, you have to prepare yourself with regular cardio exercise, which can be through swimming, cycling, or running, which will help your leg muscles.
Apart from this, train yourself with a hike, carrying a backpack prior to the trek.
Acclimatize with the altitude: Everest Base Camp Trek is a high-altitude trek leading you to the base of Mount Everest (5364M). The highest point-to-step will be Everest Base Camp (5364M) and/or Kalapatthar (5545M).
Moreover, your highest point for an overnight stay will be Gorakshep (5140M). This makes Everest Base Camp a high-altitude trek and hence altitude sickness might be a serious problem for first-time trekkers. Thus to avoid this, proper acclimatization during the trek makes the entire trek an easy hike.
Travel Insurance: It is highly recommended to have travel insurance covering high altitude evacuation in time of emergency. Please read the policy of your insurance.
Trekking Documents: For Everest Base Camp Trek, you will need three different permits, namely the Sagarmatha National Park Permit, Pasang Lhamnu Permit, and TIMS Card.
Trekking Gears and Equipment: You will need proper trekking clothes and trekking gear for your Everest Base Camp Trek. This mainly depends upon the month of the year you are trekking.
However, a good pair of hiking boots, a warm jacket, a sleeping bag, a trekking pole, sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, etc. are basic to have.
Mentally be prepared: Everest Base Camp Trek is challenging both physically and mentally. This trek requires effort and a certain level of flexibility and patience for long days trek, changes in weather conditions, accommodation, etc.
If trekkers follow all this guidance, your trek will be a flexible way to reach the base of the highest mountain.
We always recommend our clients consult a doctor before your high-altitude trek. This will help you to know about your physical condition and the possibility of trekking at Everest Base Camp. It is always good to carry your recommended basic medicine and first aid kit for any region where the possibility of hospitals and doctors is lacking.
Everest Trek Distance- Lukla to Lukla
