Everest Base Camp Trek

On this Nepal hiking tour, we will pick you up from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal and transport you to our hotel in Thamel (tourist section of Kathmandu). We will have some down time to rest, have showers and eat. This evening we will meet for team introductions. Subsequently, we will go out to dinner at our favorite local Nepali restaurant. Be sure to drink copious amounts of water in route, as flying and traveling will certainly dehydrate you. Self care begins immediately.

This morning we will enjoy our first Nepali breakfast at the guest house in Thamel. Then we will visit the famous “Monkey Temple” of Kathmandu, Swayambhunath. Once we are ready to leave Swayambhunath, we will travel to the largest Buddhist stupa in the world, Boudhanath. After our temple tours, we will travel back to Thamel. We will have free time to wander the streets of Thamel, purchase last minute trekking supplies or rest in your room. Lunch and dinner are on your own today so feel free to explore. We will set a time to meet for preparation for the following day and for a thorough introduction of our itinerary to the Khumbu valley and Everest Base Camp.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.9 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 8,700 feet
• Highest Elevation: 9,186 feet
• Trekking Duration: 4 hours

This morning we will have breakfast at the guest house and then travel back to Tribhuvan International Airport for an in-country flight (35 minutes) to the village of Lukla. Most companies take planes to Lukla due to lower cost, however we opt for the much more reliable helicopter option. The weather in Lukla often causes in-bound flights to be delayed for days or even weeks. It is extremely common to see upset visitors leaving the airport returning to Kathmandu. By using helicopters, we have a much higher possibility of getting to Lukla without problems.

Upon arrival in Lukla, we will be immersed in the Sherpa and Tamong cultures of the Khumbu Valley. At the airport, we will meet our porters for the expedition and arrange our personal and group gear accordingly. This begins our journey to Everest Base Camp as we begin walking slowly from Lukla to the village of Phakding. Today’s walk is mostly downhill and will take roughly 3 hours. Upon arrival in Phakding, we will check into our tea house and have some down time to take in the area before being served our nutritious Nepali dinner.

Note: If time permits, we will visit the Buddhist lamasery (Buddhist orphanage) across the river and get a glimpse into the life of Buddhist orphans.

• Hiking Mileage: 4.6 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 8,700 feet
• Highest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Trekking Duration: 5-6 hours

After breakfast, we will embark on a journey to the famous Namche Bazaar! From Phakding, we will cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond the village of Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set-up in order to protect and preserve this fragile mountain environment. If the weather is clear, we will have our first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu valley and has a traditional market. Historically, Hindu traders from the lowlands would meet Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La at this market. Once we arrive in Namche, we will check into our rooms, change clothes and have some free time. At a designated time, we will meet at the guest house for dinner and after dinner we will deliver the plan for the next day.

• Hiking Mileage: 1 mile
• Lowest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Highest Elevation: 11,586 feet
• Trekking Duration: 1-2 hours

Today we will sleep in and have a late breakfast. We will be staying in Namche in order to acclimatize to the altitude and rest before ascending higher. Namche is tucked away between two ridges amidst the magnificent peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of guest houses, tea shops and souvenir shops. After breakfast, we will choose to either visit the Khunde hospital, which was set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a walk up to the ridge above Namche for the amazing view of the mountains Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest. We will come back for lunch at the guest house and then have the afternoon free. It is a great day to drink Chia(tea), read books, send post cards or hang out around the fire with the locals. We will determine a time to meet for dinner where we deliver the plan for the next day.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.7 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Highest Elevation: 12,687 feet
• Trekking Duration: 5-6 hours

This morning we will wake up early in Namche, have a big breakfast and continue walking slowly along the waters of the Dudh Kosi (Milk River). We will follow the ridge for amazing views of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse in route to our destination. Tonight we will be staying in the village of Tengboche, home to the famous Tengboche Monastery. Inside the monastery we will see large wall hangings, a 20-foot Buddha, and the musical instruments and robes of the local Lamas. Depending on our timing, we will observe a local prayer ceremony. We will be eating dinner and sleeping in a local Tea house in Tengboche.

• Hiking Mileage: 5.6 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Highest Elevation: 14,297 feet
• Trekking Duration: 5-6 hours

This morning we will enjoy a hearty breakfast served with chia (tea). After breakfast we will depart from Tengboche on “Nepali flat” terrain (Ups and Downs). We will be walking through the villages of Debuche and Pangboche. If time allows, we can visit Lama Geishe in Pangboche for a prayer ceremony and expedition blessing. We will then ascend to the traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche. From Dingboche we will have great views of Mt. Lhotse, Imja Tse and Ama Dablam. We will check into our rooms and have some down time to freshen up before being served dinner. After dinner, our guides will provide the plan for the next day.

• Hiking Mileage: 1-2 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 14,297 feet
• Highest Elevation: 15,518 feet
• Trekking Duration: 4 hours

This morning we will sleep in and have a leisurely morning for acclimatization purposes. After copious amounts of hot drinks and a hearty breakfast, we’ll take an acclimatization hike up a hill behind Dingboche. The old heuristic is “climb high, sleep low”, and gaining 1,000 ft. elevation that day is the goal. We will be back in Dingboche for lunch and the afternoon is free before being served dinner.

• Hiking Mileage: 7.4 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 14,297 feet
• Highest Elevation: 16,167 feet
• Trekking Duration: 7 hours

This morning we will wake up, eat a large breakfast and depart Dingboche. The trail to EBC continues along the lateral moraine (glacier made ridge) of the Khumbu Glacier and passes by memorials for climbers who have died on nearby mountains. We will continue to ascend higher into the mountains until we arrive at the small outpost called Lobuche, named for the peak which stands to the south. Once in Lobuche, we will eat food, drink water and chia and have some time to acclimatize and rest.

• Hiking Mileage: 6.5 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 16,167 feet
• Highest Elevation: 17,585 feet
• Trekking Duration: 6-7 hours

This morning we will wake up at Lobuche, eat breakfast and depart for the village of Gorak Shep. We will walk for roughly 2 hours with the most beaufitul views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse and Mt. Pumori. Once we arrive in Gorak Shep, we will check into our rooms and have a light lunch. After lunch we will begin walking slowly to Everest Base Camp (17,590 ft.). Upon arrival at base camp, we will celebrate with group photos and celebratory treats! Additionally, there will most likely be Mountaineering teams attempting to climb Mt. Everest staying at EBC. We will have incredible views of the highest mountains in the world as well as the Khumbu Icefall. Once our team is ready, we will begin to descend back to Gorak Shep where we will rest, drink and have a hearty dinner. After dinner our guides will provide the plan for the following day.

• Hiking Mileage: 11.8 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 14,340 feet
• Highest Elevation: 18,514 feet
• Trekking Duration: 8-9 hours

Today will be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding days of the trek (optional). This morning we will wake up early at around 5am, grab a hot drink and head out into the mountains to attempt to climb Mt. Kala Pattar, a small peak (by Himalayan standards) at 18,514 ft. which offers the best view you will get of Mt. Everest in Nepal without climbing it! You can also get magnificent views of other giants, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Chagatse and Mt. Lhotse. This portion of the trek is optional but we highly encourage participation. After the ascension, we will head back to Gorak Shep, where we will eat breakfast and pack before a gradual descent to the village of Lobuche, where we will eat lunch.

After lunch, we will continue down to the village of Pherice, where we will check into our rooms, freshen up and have free time until dinner is served. We will be ready for a well deserved, good night sleep!

• Hiking Mileage: 5.2 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Highest Elevation: 13,910 feet
• Trekking Duration: 7-8 hours

This morning we will have breakfast and begin our decent out of the mountains. We will follow the river and climb back up to the Sherpa village of Tengboche. We will have great views of the giant Himalayan range consisting of such mountains as Kwangde, Tawache, Ama Dablam, Kantega and Thamserku! We will check into our guest house and have a relaxing evening and dinner.

• Hiking Mileage: 4.6 miles
• Lowest Elevation: 8,700 feet
• Highest Elevation: 11,286 feet
• Trekking Duration: 5-6 hours

This morning we will wake up early, have breakfast and retrace our steps down to Phunki Thenga, then climb the ridge towards Namche Bazar. We will have lunch in Namche and then decend down to another small Sherpa village named Monjo where we will stay the night. After dinner our guides will provide the plan for the following day.

This morning we will wake up early, have breakfast and follow the Dudh Kosi (Milk River) down to Phakdinga and Chhuthawa. Then climb to the village of Lukla. This is our last day trekking so make sure you are being present in the moment. Once in Lukla, we check into our guest house, have dinner and let the celebratory party commence. This will be our last night with our local guides and porters and will be a good opportunity to say a farewell thank you and provide gratuities. Additionally, this will be a good opportunity for you to try some local “Rocksi, Chang, or Thumba”! We will dance and sing traditional songs until the night is over.

This morning we have breakfast and head to the airstrip for our flight back to Kathmandu. There are 2 potential scenarios for this day. Because of the uncertain nature of the weather in Lukla, sometimes flights are postponed, delayed or even canceled. If our flight is delayed or canceled, we have a contingent day and will relax in Lukla. If we do fly to Kathmandu, we will transport to our hotel, take showers, have free time until we meet for lunch and dinner.

Today is our contingent day. If we wake up in Lukla, we will fly back to Kathmandu, check into our hotel, take showers and have some free time before exploring Durbar square for the afternoon. If we wake up in Kathmandu, we will have time to rest, visit Durbar square and free time for shopping until we meet for dinner. Tonight will be our last night together in Nepal. We will make it a good one with farewell dinner in a Nepalese restaurant with cultural dancing!

Today is the final day of the Everest Base Camp trek. Our shuttle driver will come to your hotel 3 hours before your flight departure and deliver you to Tribhuvan International Airport. If you are remaining in Nepal, please let us know. We can arrange extra activities in Nepal for you. Thanks for choosing Wildland!