Treks
Preparation
Nepal: Everest Base Camp Trek
Teahouses (12 days)
On this page: Overview |Itinerary | Pricing
See also: Luxury Trek | 12-Day Trek | 18-day Trek/Tour
Overview
You arrive into Lukla in a small plane, a flight of about 45 minutes. On the same day, you start the walk to Phakding, which takes half a day. From there, you start gaining altitude along the Khumbu Valley, which brings you to the Everest Base Camp at the foot of the famous Khumbu ice-fall. The return path take you back down the same valley, but you visit different villages.
- Day 1: Fly Kathmandu to Lukla (2800m), trek to Phakding (2550m)
- Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3445m)
- Day 3: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar (3445m)
- Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3867m)
- Day 5: Tengboche to Pheriche (4240 m)
- Day 6: Pheriche to Lobuche (4930m)
- Day 7: Lobuche to Kala Pattar or Everest Base Camp (5545m) and get back to Lobuche
- Day 8: Lobuche to Pangboche (3985m)
- Day 9: Pangboche to Namche Bazaar (3445m)
- Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Phakding (2550m)
- Day 11: Phakding to Lukla (2800m)
- Day 12: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
Itinerary
Day 1: Fly Kathmandu to Lukla (2800m), trek to Phakding (2550m)
The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself. Meet with your sirdar and the rest of the crew. You will need to identify your luggage which is made into loads. While you have lunch, your crew will load these on the animals or get it ready for your team of porters. After lunch, trek for few hours along the Dudh Kosi river to the village of Phakding.
Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3445m)
After breakfast in the morning, you walk north up the Dudh Kosi valley with gentle ups and downs up to the Benkar village where one can see a beautiful stone carved prayer wall. Then the trail follows forest interspersed with magnificent rhododendron trees and old growth. The trail gradually ascends up to the village of Jorsale with an army check point and the entry to the Sagarmatha National Park. The trail climbs up slowly to the confluence of Bhote Kosi and Dudh Kosi. Crossing the bridge, the trail continues to climb until Namche Bazaar. Situated in the lap of Khumbu Himal range, the Sherpa capital is the home of the legendary Sherpas renowned the world over for their incredible climbing skills. This is typically the hardest day on the trek.
Day 3: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar (3445m)
You can spend the day either in rest at Namche enjoying the incredible scenery and getting used to the altitude. Or, if you are the adventurous type, you could explore the surrounding area. After breakfast, you may take a side trip onto a ridge and to the Everest View Hotel offering some of the best views of the high Himalayas including Mount Everest, Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. Or you could visit the Thame Monastery, and then trek to the serene Sherpa villages of Khunde (3890 m) and Khumjung (3790 m) where Sir Edmund Hillary established his first school and hospital.
Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3867m)
The incredible view of Thamserku and Amadablam is your constant companion as you ascend to Tengboche. The trail follows a steady path and steadily descends to the Imja khola. We stop for lunch at Phunki Tanga where there are series of water driven prayer wheels. After lunch, we make a steady and slow climb to Tengboche. The monastery here is a cultural and religious landmark. Set against the backdrop of the majestic that will linger on forever.
Day 5: Tengboche to Pheriche (4240 m)
After Tengboche, we descend down through a conifer forest past Debuche, a small cluster of houses with a nunnery. We cross the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola and climb up gently to the village of Pangboche 3985 m. The trail continues along yak pastures through a wide valley up to the settlement of Pheriche. The scenery is magnificent and glorious the whole day.
Day 6: Pheriche to Lobuche (4930m)
We climb up a small ridge, then skirt the base of the Khumbu glacier and we reach Dughla from where you can see the stunning views of Cholatse and Tawache from close quarters. We maintain a steady climb until we are at Lobuche, a settlement of a few lodges. An extra acclimatization day can be spent here.
Day 7: Lobuche to Kala Pattar or Everest Base Camp (5545m) and get back to Lobuche
Today, very early in the morning from Lobuche, you start to walk along the Khumbu glacier moraine again. The actual distance is not so far, but you go very slowly to compensate for the altitude, stopping at Gorek Shep to drink some tea. Continue up to Kala Pattar at an elevation of 5545m. The view surpasses anything you imagine... all around us flow huge glacier ice. The mountains of Pumori (7145m), Lingtren (6697m) and Khumbutse (6623m) separate us from Tibet and just over the Lho La pass you see the huge rock of Changtse (7550m) in Tibet itself. But the queen of all them tower over everyone is Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest / 8850m). This is the roof top of the world. After exploring with breath-taking view on the top, you come down to Gorak Shep and retrace the same way back to Lobuche.
Day 8: Lobuche to Pangboche (3985m)
Today, the trail gradually descends down to Pangboche, retrace your trek to Lukla.
Day 9: Pangboche to Namche Bazaar (3445m)
Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Phakding (2550m)
Day 11: Phakding to Lukla (2800m)
Day 12: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
Today, you have to take your breakfast early in the morning, and have a short walk onto the Lukla airstrip and fly back to Kathmandu. After arriving in Kathmandu, you will transfer to the hotel and overnight in the hotel.
Pricing
All prices are per person in U.S. dollars.
| Group Size | Tea Houses (12 Days) |
| 2 - 5 people: | $875 |
| 6 - 9 people: | $785 |
| 10 - 14 people: | $750 |
| Single Supplement: | $45 |
| Local Payment: | $255 |
| Extra Day: | $65 |
Included with all Treks
- Sirdar (group leader) and necessary sherpas (assistant guides)
- Guide is included with groups of 4 or more
- Necessary porters or Zopkios (yaks) -- 30 lbs. maximum
- Hyperbaric pressure bag
- National Park fees for Sagarmatha National Park
- Insurance of staff and porters
- All domestic airport arrival and departure transfers (Lukla and Kathmandu)
- Trekkers registration certificate
- Accommodation in lodges in private rooms with shared baths
- Breakfast in lodges
- You will have a private room with shared bath in the tea houses. You should budget $15/person/day for lunches and dinners (continental and Nepalese food, vegetarian and meat dishes). Showers are $1-2/person. There is also hot water for washing. You will need to bring or rent a sleeping bag.
Not Included
- Domestic/ international airfare, tipping, sleeping bags and personal clothing, insurance, rescue evacuation of any form, lunches and dinners at tea houses, bottled water or drinks, cost arising due to unforeseen circumstances like landslide, road blockade, cancellation of flights and reason beyond our control, hotel and meals in Kathmandu, expenses of personal nature, international airport arrival and departure transfers and any other expenses not mentioned in the cost.