Having been to Base Camp more than a dozen times, this comprehensive review will give you a good insight into what the Everest Base Camp trek is all about, including some useful tips.

When you’ve read this, you should go away with some perspective on if the Everest Base Camp is worth it, the difficulty (for you), what to expect regarding accommodation and food-wise, what you need, and where the challenges really lie.

First and foremost, this is a great, classic bucket list trek and deservedly so. For anything of this nature to be worth it, it has to be long enough to be able to immerse yourself into the life that is the Everest region. Once you get up high (Day 2 onwards), you are among the highest mountains this planet has to offer. The scenery is stunning and Everest’s lofty summit can be seen for much of it, but not all.

Go straight to our Everest Base Camp trek page.

Who’s Writing?

Terry Crosby (founder and MD of Travel and Trek Limited) has been to Base Camp more than a dozen times and trekked extensively in the region including Gokyo, the High Passes, Island, and Mera peaks.

He has taken part in medical studies involving Diamox and assisted in numerous rescues on foot and by air.

TIP … look carefully at any potential itinerary before you book because you need flexibility with days for this trip.
Lukla is the first obstacle! or to be more specific, the weather at Lukla. Read our article on why a resilient itinerary is needed for Everest Base Camp.

Lukla’s airport is perched on the mountainside and is very vulnerable to the weather (wind, rain, cloud). The skilled pilots get one shot at landing onto the short inclined runway. There’s no radar assistance, all done by the mark one eyeball of the pilot. If the visibility or other conditions are not good enough to land, they won’t even take off from Kathmandu. Delays and cancellations are therefore possible. If you have no spare days in your itinerary, a single canceled flying day will mean you won’t make Base Camp; it’s simple mathematics.

Just one bad weather day on your due date to fly to Lukla means you lose a whole day. Tight itineraries can’t afford to lose that time. Make sure your itinerary has spare days.

FLIGHTS TO LUKLA – NOTE – (still current 2026), flights to/from Lukla may be operating from Manthali airport in Ramechhap NOT Kathmandu. Ramechaap is approximately 130km away from Kathmandu (5 hr drive), and you should therefore factor this into your overall travel plans. It may effect your downtime in Kathmandu.

UTube video of the Lukla landing (1.21 mins)

Private Everest Base Camp Treks?… we will run an Everest Base Camp trek for any number of people. Our min at the advertised price is just 2.
It allows you to choose your own dates, go at your own pace, and adjust the itinerary if you want to.
Call Terry: 07725 943108, or email us to discuss.

Day 1 – Weather conditions dictate that most flights will be in the morning. The domestic airport is organized chaos but it works. The tiny planes (about 18 seats) will get you to Lukla in about 30 mins. Pack your trekking holdall well, it’ll be thrown about quite a lot throughout the loading/unloading process.

Once you land at Lukla, follow your Guide’s lead on what happens then. You may head for a tea house for a 2nd breakfast, or simply gather the porters, load up and get trekking. This will often depend on what time you arrive at Lukla. It is quite normal to hang around a bit to see the comings and goings of this fascinating place. Keep some warm clothing handy, the air temperature will have dropped from Kathmandu, you’re up at about 2600m.

The time you landed will also dictate how far you go today. The village of Pfadking is about 3hrs away (surprisingly predominantly downhill) with Monjo a further 2 – 3 hrs. You could stay anywhere in between, the Guide is likely to have his favored spots. It doesn’t matter where you end up staying as tomorrow’s destination will be Namche Bazaar.

Day 2 – So far, you will have crossed numerous suspension bridges, and there is more today. You will pass through the checkpoint that marks the entrance to the Sagamartha (Everest) National Park (it’s on the far side of Monjo). It won’t be long before you hit your first BIG ascent. It’s a grinding 2 hr climb and if the weather is clear, you will get your first glimpse of Everest on the way up (there is a viewpoint). The hill will continue into Namche, which is by far the biggest village in the region. Lots of little shops and cafes. The village is horseshoe in shape and built into the side of the hill so the altitude varies depending on where you’re staying! Last chance to grab any clothing/equipment you have missed or found wanting having been in the region for a couple of days.

Be wary of any internet cafe’s quoting ‘broadband’ speed connections. They are not as you know it! Connection speeds have improved over the years (including mobile coverage) but not to broadband levels!

The first few days of the Everest Base Camp
trek is along the river with lots of forests.

Your daily routine will be based around these tea houses. They differ from place to place but basically they are a communal dining hall with a good number of bedrooms attached off on a single or double-story. The vast majority of tea houses will have communal toilets, you may be lucky and get an en suite!

Meals work on a pre-order system (from a menu) so that they can prepare and serve at a pre-determined time for efficiency. You will, therefore, find yourself ordering dinner pretty much the minute you arrive there and ordering breakfast before you go to bed.

The menus are pretty good given where you are and how they are cooked and there are all sorts of other goodies that you may appreciate from time to time such as chocolate bars, fizzy drinks, and beer!

Communal dining rooms are
the hub of tea houses.

TIP … make sure you have a decent daysack, with a capacity of around 35 litres. Your daysack will be on your back for a significant number of hours throughout this trip. It’s your friend, make sure it’s fitted to your back.
Why 35 litres? A daysack of this size may look big when you first see them but you will need the capacity. Not for weight carrying, but bulk. Your duvet jacket for example is light but it’ll be with you all of the time and when not worn, just stuff it in the daysack. Read more in our Essential Notes section.

Acclimatisation is a big important subject that should be understood. Disregarded, it could ruin a trek simply due to the lack of understanding of what’s happening to the body. Body’s needs time to adjust to the thinner air. Anyone can acclimatise, but not everyone acclimatises at the same rate.  Standard itineraries spend 2 nights at Namche (~3600m) and also 2 nights further on at Pferiche or Dingbouche (~4300m). There is strong evidence that more time acclimatising at the lower altitudes pays dividends later on. Our itineraries spend 3 nights in the lower Namche area.

What’s the shortest time you can do Everest Base Camp in?

Another element that could ruin a trek is footwear. Boots are highly recommended, see if you can get to Everest Base Camp in training shoes!

Over the 2 full days in the Namche area, the well-known process of ‘trek high, sleep low’ to aid acclimatisation is utilised. The Everest View Hotel is a favorite place to go, which has a glorious view of Everest’s summit.

During the latter part of this period, we tend to move up and over the ridge into the village of Khumjung (~3800m). It’s a slight increase in altitude, provides an insight into a different village, and takes an hour or so off the next day.

The standard Nepalese toilets are the squat style. Through the tourism demand of western people, many tea houses have installed western style, sit on toilets. Whilst this may seem a great idea and of some comfort, there is a downside. These western toilets rely on a decent plumbing system, which they don’t have! Equally, this is a very cold environment, and water freezes. It would not be uncommon to walk into a toilet only to find the whole thing frozen up.

My advice is to use the squat style toilets (especially at the higher altitudes when the temperatures get very low). They are more hygienic to use and work every time!

All-round hygiene is important. A good wash at the end of each day makes you feel good (and not smell!) but consistent hand washing will also keep you healthy. Hot showers will be few and far between. Those that are hot are likely to be gas-powered but most rely on solar power to heat the water in the big tanks that sit on top of the buildings. The tanks gravity feed the shower. There will be a charge for the shower, expect £2 – £3 per shower. It may, therefore, be wise to pick your spot as you progress and not shower every day. A good alternative is to ask for a bowl of warm water (it should be free of charge) and retreat into your room for a strip wash (take a flannel). Rooms are not heated so I suspect you won’t take too long! My advice is to wash shortly after you arrive at the tea house each day. It will set you up for the evening, feeling fresh and warm having put your evening clothes onto a clean body.

It will take 2 days to reach Dingbouche. The overnight stop in between is up to the Guide and he will gauge that on how the group is feeling. A stop as early as Tengbouche is possible, or Debouche, or continue as far as Pangbouche. If you reach Pangbouche, it will be far enough for the day.

Day 5 – Starting in the morning from Khumjung, it’s an easy downhill run back onto the main track that contours out of Namche. Once on that, the descent continues sharply down to the river, and then a big 2 hr ascent up to Tengbouche (~3900m).

Tengbouche is famed for its Monastery and also perhaps (less so) it’s German Bakery! It displays an awesome array of cakes and pastries but they’re not always what they seem to be! But it still doesn’t stop the hoards feasting themselves; great place. Well worth a break here but perhaps too early for an overnight. Note that the view of the summit of Everest is good from here and the last time you’ll see it until you climb Kala Patthar. Everest sits behind other mountains and therefore the angle prevents any further sighting beyond this point. You can’t see the summit from Base Camp.

Another hour (descending) will see you across a Girder Bridge (just after Debouche) before you’re back into slow ascent mode to Pangbouche (assuming you got this far).

Day 6 – A short ascent out of Pangbouche will get you up onto and across an open plateau, before descending to cross the river. It’s a further 1 hr up to Dingbouche.

The terrain by now has opened up. The trees have gone and the sky opens to reveal the BIG peaks. Most of what you see will be well over 7000m and in some cases over 8000m. The ambient temperature will have dropped a few degrees and if you were wearing shorts, you may have switched to trousers!

Up on the flat’ ish plateau after Pangbouche, heading towards Pheriche.

The two villages of Pferiche and Dingbouche are about 45 mins trekking apart. The altitude is between 4200m – 4300m depending on which village you’re in.

Pheriche is home to a Medical Station, manned by professional Doctors who are volunteers from western countries such as the UK, USA, Australia, etc…  as well as Nepalese medical staff. This only happens during the main spring and autumn trekking seasons.

Why is it stationed here? Through experience, they know that if altitude issues are going to surface, it will be around here. There is a helipad here too.

Dingbouche has an ‘outstation’ of the main Pheriche facility.

There is a small ‘briefing room’ within which a 3 pm daily briefing takes place (about 30 mins long) on the effects of altitude. It is usually given by Doctors. Attendance is highly recommended. By the time you get here, the issue of altitude sickness is very much in focus and therefore you can ask questions and if needed, obtain some Diamox, or seek advice.

Demonstrating a Gamow bag as part of the
Pheriche Medical Station’s daily altitude briefing.

This second, and final, acclimatisation phase is vital. It is a day of rest although you will be encouraged by your Guide to get some higher altitude into your lungs! If you feel up to it, trekking up above Dingbouche is well worth the effort for the views alone (weather dependent). Dingbouche is situated in the Chukkung Valley, with Island Peak visible in the distance.

By now, you will have established a daily routine and perhaps realise that the trekking distances are not huge. Staying healthy, maintaining energy levels and the high altitude is perhaps more of a challenge than the physical effort. Be mindful from here upwards as you’re about to enter the ‘sharp end’ of the altitude spectrum as far as this trek is concerned. Can you train for the high altitude?

Day 8 – After the initial short sharp ascent out of Dingbouche, it’s a long slow shallow ascent to the small hamlet of Dughla. It has just a couple of tea houses and sits at the foot of the Khumbu glacier. It’ll take a few hours to reach this place, which survives on the passing trade. Once you leave, the ascent you see (about 45min – 1 hr) is actually up the front end of the glacier, and once on the top, you will enter what is the Memorial to Everest Climbers. Take some time out here to walk around and see who’s who, great place.

From here, you’ll be trekking on the left-hand side of the glacier, not too far to Lobouche. This village has built up in recent years. It’s not unusual to feel the effects of altitude here in terms of sickness. Be wary of it, know what symptoms are dangerous and what’s not.

Day 9 – The day you’ve been working towards! It’ll take about 3 hrs to get to Gorak Shep, easy walking initially and then across the more difficult moraine before reaching the highest village on this trek (Gorak Shep). There are a good number of tea houses here and you’ll take a good break before heading onto Base Camp, which is a good 5 hr return journey.

The route will take you alongside the glacier before eventually stepping onto it. Be wary as the route will vary each year; the glacier moves!

The Everest climbers’ memorial.
Be sure to spend some time here.

Everest Base Camp is situated on the Khumbu glacier. There are no buildings and no fixed point at which you can say ‘this is Everest Base Camp’ as such, just an area. When occupied and in full flow (Apr/May), the area is packed with expedition teams and their respective logistical support. It’s a spectacular sight with approximately 300 tents of all shapes, colours, and sizes. You will see the full scale of this from the top of Kala Patthar (~5500m), which you can ascend in the morning.

If you trekked here in the autumn season, you would not see this level of activity, potentially none. It’s not the climbing season.

On a standard tea house trek, using tea houses for accommodation and food, you cannot stay at Base Camp overnight. You will not be equipped for it (no tents or other supporting equipment). Besides, in recent years, Guides have stopped short of actually entering Base Camp (in amongst the tents of the climbing teams). Some theft has taken place in the past and therefore the climbing teams have objected to trekkers entering the Camp. They have a point.

Take the time to view what’s around you, especially the imposing Khumbu Ice Fall. It’s the first obstacle climbing teams have to negotiate on their ascent (and the acclimatisation runs) of Everest. They go up and down this numerous times, which due to its movement, is quite dangerous. These ice blocks are as big as houses. Compare Everest Base Camp with Annapurna Base Camp.

Trekkers walking on the Khumbu glacier,
close to Base Camp.

Group successfully sitting at Base Camp.

To see Everest Base Camp from above, and a close-up view of the summit of Everest itself, you will need to ascend Kala Patthar (~5500m, 18,044′). This will require a pre-dawn ascent. It’ll be cold, dark, take about 90 mins but well worth the effort. This is the highest point on this trek. Be aware that at this stage of the trek, you might be fatigued, possibly suffering from the high altitude a bit and getting out of bed at such an early hour may be a step too far for some. It is not a compulsory side trip.

Then it’s down to Gorak Shep, good breakfast and the return journey to Lukla begins. Once you trek beyond the moraine (about an hours trekking), you will feel as if you’re running! It’s amazing how much of an effect going downhill and losing altitude can do!

A common 3-day descent itinerary to Lukla would be Gorak Shep – Pferiche – Namche – Lukla. We take 4 days, adding Phortse, to provide greater flexibility should you need it but you can remove a day and arrive back into Kathmandu a day early if you wish. The days are long on the 3-day descent but
people don’t mind too much when they’re heading back!

People often forget that when they start the trek out of Lukla, the terrain is predominantly downhill. On the return, it suddenly hits them that the last 2 – 3 hrs is uphill! But all that doesn’t matter when you trek through the arch, back into the village. Great feeling.

Enjoy your last night in the region, a shower, a meal, ready for your flight the next day.

On the morning of your flight down to Kathmandu, you are highly likely to be ‘held’ in your overnight tea house until you get ’called forward’. This is a local filter system designed to prevent the small airport building from getting clogged up especially if there are delays. Expect them. It’s more organised chaos but again, it works. Relax and follow your Guide and enjoy the flight down.

TIP … save yourself loads of money and take your own snack bars (but watch the weight, it can add up to several kilos!). They can be expensive in the hills. In all fairness, they have to take into account the cost of getting them up there but they can also be out of date!

The default option is to ‘pay as you go’ as mineral water in plastic bottles is available all along the trail. The cost will increase as you get further (and upwards) on the trail. If you drink a decent amount of water (as you should), £50 is not an unreasonable amount to have spent throughout the trek. The biggest issue is the plastic bottles (waste). Check out the alternative Everest drinking options, such as taking your a filter or using tablets. See our journal for more information.

What To Take … It’s easier to point you to our kit list but in short, the main items you should concentrate on are; walking boots, a daysack, a sleeping bag, and waterproofs. Go to any of the Nepal webpages and within the Notes section, you will find a whole host of useful information, in addition to a Kit List. Also useful is our article on the Layer Clothing System.

So, is the Everest Base Camp trek worth it? At approx 13 days long, this trek is more of a journey, and one you can get your teeth into. Take the altitude seriously, be well equipped, be as fit as you can when you start, and be well organised. You will then enjoy this trek so much more.

Call Terry: 07725 943108, or email us to discuss.