A Complete Guide To Everest Base Camp Trek

ByTanya Khanijow

To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.
– Tenzing Norgay

I could feel what Norgay meant when I touched the foot of the highest mountain in the world last year. When I reminiscence my memorable trek to the Everest Base Camp, I feel equally enthralled as I take you all along on a flight of fantasy of hiking the Khumbu region!

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Like many of you, Everest Base Camp was in bucket-list for a very long time. I am sure if you’re one of them, you must have questions in your mind. What’s the height of the Mount Everest base camp? How’s the weather? How much does a trek to Everest base camp cost? How long does it take to reach the base camp? Fret not, I have all the answers! Presenting to you the complete and most exhaustive guide on how to trek the Everest base camp and what are the things you must keep in mind before planning one! let’s proceed, shall we? 🙂

14 Days Everest Base Camp Itinerary

After my arrival in Kathmandu, I spent a night in the capital city. The next day on day 1, I took another flight to reach Lukla. Lukla is the start point of the trek where one must take a flight or a chopper, because otherwise it takes atleast 3 days to arrive here by road/hike. Our first destination to be reached by trekking was Phakding (2610m) on the same day and then we trekked to Namche Bazar (3440m) on day 2. After spending an acclimatisation day at Namche Bazar on day 3, we headed towards Deboche (3820m) on day 4 and then Dingboche (4410m) on day 5. We spent another acclimatisation day at Dingboche on day 6. We continued the trek to reach Lobuche (4940m) on day 7 and then the last stop before heading to Everest base camp, Gorak Shep (5164m) on day 8. After lunch, now it was time for the final destination point i.e. the Everest Base Camp (5600m)!

We followed almost the same route to return back to Lukla. From Everest base camp we trekked down to Gorak Shep to spend the night there. On day 9, I did an optional hike toKala Pathar for sunrise followed by a trek to Pheriche. From Pheriche on day 10, we hiked towards Debuche and on day 11 to Namche Bazar and then finally to Lukla on day 12. On day 13 we took a flight to Kathmandu. The next day you can extend your trip or fly back to your home country.

The itinerary map of the trek to reach Everest Base CampThe itinerary map of the trek to reach Everest Base Camp

 

Tentative Budget For Everest Base Camp Trek

The 14-day trek to the Everest Base Camp cost me INR 1, OO, OOO excluding my flight fares to and from Lukla and round trip fare to Kathmandu from India. Indian citizens do not need any visa for Nepal. To confirm my participation, I had to pay INR 20, 000 prior to the expedition through bank transfer to the organising company Talisker Expeditions, and paid the balance amount in cash at the point of contact in Kathmandu. The amount included the expenses of food (tea breaks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner), accommodation in tea houses, park fees, trekking permits, sherpa fees, guide fees, and two nights stay at Kathmandu including breakfasts & airport transfers on the first & last days of the trip. I had to pay additionally for all flights, tips to sherpas/guides, personal items like souvenirs, cost of equipment/gear and additional food items that were not included in the trek fees.

If you’re planning to climb EBC (used interchangeably with Everest Base camp) individually, the accommodation during the trek costs around 500-1000 NPR per night. Along with food and a safety net budget, daily. expenses could range from 2500-3000 NPR/day. The trek permit costs 600 NPR that needs to be collected from Kathmandu. And you’ll have to buy an entry ticket to Sagarmatha National Park worth 1600 NPR for SAARC countries and 3500 NPR for others.

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What To Pack For Everest Base Camp Trek

  • Trekking Clothes: A full fleece jacket, a down jacket, thermals top and bottom, waterproof jacket, poncho, five to six dry fit t-shirts (full sleeves), light full sleeve or short trekking pants, trekking slacks, woolen cap, warm waterproof gloves, a few clean full-length socks, three woollen socks, clean undergarments for all days of the trek and a sun hat are all you need during your hike and stay in teahouses.

  • Shoes: Sturdy trekking shoes, an extra pair of running shoes, a pair of slippers or sandals will be enough for a hassle-free experience.

  • Skincare essentials & toiletries: Sun Block SPF 40 or higher, body lotion, lip balm, hand sanitizer, quick-drying towel, wet wipes, and tissue papers.

  • Sleeping Bag: Rooms in teahouses get really cold during the night time and you can’t compromise on your sleep after trekking for all the day. You should get a sleeping bag that is certified for at least -8 degrees celsius.

  • Protein bars: You may carry energy protein bars with you to munch on to boost your energy and you’ll also not end up buying expensive snacks on the way.

  • Miscellaneous: Basic first aid kit, a headlamp, a camelback hydrating system, a 1-litre water bottle, a small day pack, buff, UV protection sunglasses, and trekking poles.

Things to carry in the day pack:

  1. Sunblock

  2. Lip-balm

  3. Sunglasses

  4. Empty water bottles and camelback hydrating system

  5. Rain jackets or poncho

  6. 1 to 2 energy bars

  7. Hand Sanitizer

  8. Passport and other essential items

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Things To Know Before Trekking Everest Base Camp

  • Internet connectivity: Although, the internet is a non-essential part of the trek, if you need it and I recommend you buy an NCell sim at Kathmandu airport. Internet is available till Namche Bazaar. You can additionally purchase wi-fi at tea houses @NPR 100-500 for 250 mb at different tea houses if you need it.

  • Cash: You will need Cash throughout the trek to make payments at different points. Make sure you have enough cash on you because there are only a few ATMs on the trek at Lukla and Namche Bazaar.

  • Best place to stay in Kathmandu: You may have to stay in Kathmandu at the beginning and the end of the whole trip. You can book accommodation in the Thamel area famous for nightlife, restaurants and shopping places.

  • Travel insurance: The best company to get travel insurance from is World Nomad, in my opinion. Be sure to choose a scheme that covers accidents at higher altitudes of 5000m.

  • Don’t go overboard: You must not climb more than 400-500m a day. Please take rest after trekking for 600-900m.

  • Take Diamox: To avoid altitude sickness, intake administered course of Diamox after Namche Bazar. Most importantly, take symptoms of altitude sickness seriously and rest adequately.

  • Drink water: You’ll have to keep yourself hydrated by drinking at 8-10 liters of water every day.

  • Food availability: You’ll find good food till Namche Bazar and during most part of the trek. Dal Bhat is the most economical and nutritious meal available and it’s advised to avoid non-veg food items. Also, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol throughout the trek.

  • Prefer a menstrual cup: Take note, ladies! it’s the best idea to start using a menstrual cup if you’re trekking on your periods.

Now that you have all the information you need, it’s time to plan your dream trek to Everest base camp right away! Did you know Nepal has already opened the Everest trek for mountaineers post lockdown? Maybe you can also visit soon for EBC

Do you have any questions related to the Everest Base Camp trek? If yes, ask me in the comments section so that I can answer them in my next detailed blog post! Till then happy wanderlust-ing! 🙂

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