Everest Base Camp Trek

Early in the morning, at 1:00 AM, we will take a 3- to 4-hour drive from Kathmandu to Ramechhap, followed by a short flight to Lukla. Lukla Airport is one of the most treacherous airports in the world, serving as the gateway to Everest Base Camp. The short trip to Lukla will take you to the land of the highest peak in the world, “Mt Everest.” Reaching the vicinity known as The Land of Sherpa, you will be amazed by the nature around you. There are several hotels in Lukla offering a delicious breakfast and lunch. We will eat and rest for quite a while and head towards Phakding, a delightful little town, for around 2 to 3 hours. Stay overnight in Phakding.

After having breakfast in the morning at Phakding, we will head towards Namche (3440m). Namche Bazaar is known as the capital of Khumbu and a market of the entire Everest region trek. We can find hotels, lodges, resorts, bars, snooker halls, bakeries, trekking stores, retail shops, and other essential amenities in Namche. It takes around 5 to 6 hours to reach Namche from Phakding. The trail to reach Namche is varied, as it involves walking through sections that alternate between flat, uphill, and downhill terrain. Since the path is a blended one, there will be less pressure. Likewise, there are suspension bridges, such as the Hillary Bridge, on the way. In the middle, when we reach Monjo, we will take a permit to enter Sagarmatha National Park. We can see the perspective of Kongdey Peak from Namche and Kusung Kangaroo while traveling to Phakding and Namche.

Usually, this day is referred to as a rest day by many individual trekking organizations. It is called Acclimatization Day, as one will trek through the entire Khumjung and Khunde towns on this day. Namche is the largest city in Nepal, boasting over 80 hotels and lodges that cater to tourists. We will walk for approximately 4 to 5 hours and complete a full circuit of Namche. The adventure of Namche includes the Sherpa Museum, Khumjung Airport, Everest View Hotel, Khumjung Village, Khunde Village, Hillary School, and the Government Development Yak Farm. We will climb up to the Everest View Hotel. From there, the clear view of Mt Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and numerous other little pinnacles can be seen. For individuals participating in the Everest Luxury Lodge Trek, accommodations will be provided at the hotel, and they will return to their original location. As we are on the Everest Base Camp trek, we will stop for some nourishment and then return to Namche. If time permits, we can walk around Khumjung town.

Additionally, we can visit the world’s highest airport, Syangboche Airport, located at an elevation of 3,880 meters. Local people in Namche are benevolent individuals with a welcoming nature. We can enjoy and talk with them at night.

Today, we will head towards Tengboche from Namche, a 5-6 hour walk away. The trail is flat from Namche to Phungi Thanga for 1.5 hours, then descends for 45 minutes, and continues uphill for 2 hours to Tengboche. One may experience slight difficulty while ascending to Tengboche, as the path is straight and steep. Similarly, we will walk through the forests, crossing numerous suspension bridges.

Tengboche Monastery is probably the oldest and largest monastery in the Everest Region, which is the primary attraction for most Everest Base Camp Trekkers. It was constructed, but it was destroyed by fire. Due to reconstruction, it appears new and bright. Likewise, the monastery held a prayer ceremony every morning. Additionally, Mt. Everest is visible from the entire area of Tengboche, alongside Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, and numerous other peaks. For individuals on the Everest View Trek, this is the last destination, as they will retrace their entire route back to Lukla. However, as a base camp trekker, we will proceed further towards the monastery and, if possible, attend evening prayers as well.

We will walk for around 5 hours to reach Dingboche from Tengboche. From the start, the trail is downhill for 30 minutes up to Diboche. After crossing one suspension bridge on the way, the pass is uphill till the destination. But the trek isn’t that troublesome. We will visit the villages of Pangboche and Shomare before arriving at Deboche. From Shomare up, you will discover bushes and forests, while from Pangboche, there are just hedges or shrubs, no forests.

Dingboche, a support center for both the Ama Dablam Expedition and the Island Peak Expedition, is another town inhabited by local individuals. The majority of individuals in this area are engaged in potato cultivation. Similarly, if the weather is favorable, we can also see the views of Pokalde and Nangkar Tshang. A few hotels in the area offer fantastic accommodations with a view of Mt. Ama Dablam. Toward the west, we can see the Kongde Range on Namche. It is the main gateway for the Island Peak Expedition as well as the way to Ama Lapcha Pass and Sherpani Col Passes, which are extreme treks in the Everest Region. We will spend the following day acclimatizing again in Dingboche, from where we may either trek to Chhukung or Nagarjun Viewpoint, depending on the conditions.

Today, we will walk around Dingboche, as it is an acclimatization day. There are two options for a side trip at Dingboche. One is Chhukung, which takes 2.5 to 3 hours on foot. Another is Nagarjun, which takes about a 1.5-hour trek.
Chhukung is the Support Camp for the Island Peak Expedition. It is a small village that generally offers lodging, a guide, a porter, and equipment rental for climbing Island Peak. Aside from that, it also provides space for acclimatization, as it is located at a higher elevation than Dingboche. Island Peak Base Camp is another four-hour walk from Chhukung. So, for a beautiful view and better acclimatization, it is smarter to climb up to Nagarjun Hill. Nagarjun Hill is a steep climb to the top. It offers perhaps the best view of Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Makalu, with a stunning view of the floating mass of snow, i.e., Island Peak. The Lhotse Massif entirely hinders the view of Mt. Everest; nonetheless, the spot is astounding, with picturesque views of the Himalayan Ranges.

Today we will walk for 4 to 5 hours to reach Lobuche. The trail is a 2-hour gradual uphill climb to Thukla, our lunch stop. After that, the path is entirely uphill to the destination. Between Thukla and Lobuche, numerous Chortens are dedicated to the memory of those who died during the summit. On the way, mountains like Lobuche West, Nirekha Peak, and Awi Peak can be seen.

Lobuche is a remote area with mediocre housing available. The house appears extremely basic from the outside, although the dining room and interior are comparatively similar to those of the other houses on the Everest Base Camp Trekking Trail. From Thukla Hotel to Thukla Pass, the rest of the trail is flat and gentle up. Despite the altitude, walking on flat ground becomes even more difficult. The path isn’t too long, so perhaps by evening, we will wander around to the sides of the Khumbu Glacier, which offers a fantastic view of the icy masses in the Everest Region.

Early in the morning, we will head towards Everest Base Camp via Gorakshep. It takes 3 hours to reach Gorakshep from Lobuche. The trail from Lobuche to Gorakshep is one of the shortest and most straightforward routes to cross, taking 2 to 2.5 hours with a flat route to the Lobuche Pass. The path is available from where there are minor ups and downs ahead till Gorakshep. Last but not least, our next trail is centered on the exploration of Everest Base Camp, known as “The Paradise”, and the Kalapatthar Trek. After checking in at the hotel and having lunch, we will begin our trek to Everest Base Camp, leaving our backpacks there. Although the trek is gentle and flat, the elevation makes it difficult.

At last, a few strolls to the ice sheet are expected to arrive at base camp. It is approximately a 4-hour walk from Gorakshep to reach our destination, Everest Base Camp. Getting a charge out of some time in Everest, we will go to Gorakshep.

Early dawn over the highest point of the world from Kalapatthar is one of the fundamental features of the Everest Base Camp Trek. To outline this minute, we will begin our climb up to Kalapatthar promptly at the start of the day. It will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours to reach the summit of Kalapatthar. Contingent on the general time of sunrise, we will set ourselves up. From Kalapatthar, we can see more than a panorama and less than 360 views. After taking in the unique perspective of dawn over the top of Mount Everest, we will descend to Gorakshep for breakfast. And further fall apart to Pheriche, following a similar trail up to Thukla, from where we will diverge onto the downhill trail and follow the riverbank until Pheriche.

Today, we will descend to Debouche from where the last twenty-minute climb up leads us to Tengboche. Afterwards, we will follow a similar itinerary as in the past, for example, participating in prayers at the monastery, strolling around, taking a photo of the most noteworthy pinnacle, Mt. Everest, and spending the night in hotels.

Contrasting the route from Namche to Tengboche, today we will navigate a relatively long distance as we descend to Monjo, most likely after having lunch in Namche. From Namche, we will descend through Monjo.

Passing through Phakding and its other villages on the trail, we will backtrack to Lukla. Before taking the Kathmandu to Lukla flight, we will spend our last night in the Himalayas and might even throw a party with crew members, as a porter will remain in Lukla. Many pubs are organizing parties, along with snooker, and offer free Wi-Fi in Lukla. Get in and grab some beer – we recommend Everest Beer.

After enjoying, celebrating, and praising the goodbye at EBC with the porter, we will fly back to Kathmandu and return to the hotel in Thamel. Refreshing ourselves, we will give our bodies a chance to unwind. At night, we will have a farewell dinner, accompanied by feedback from the entire NEST Adventure group and a cultural show during dinner.