Nepal Now / Treks / Everest Base Camp
Route guide · Khumbu
Everest Base Camp Trek: Days, Cost, Difficulty and Best Season
The most walked trail in the Himalaya, laid out stage by stage with the altitude of every night, the permits you actually need, and what it costs — sourced and dated.
The route
The Everest Base Camp trek is a walk up the Khumbu valley from the airstrip at Lukla to the foot of the Khumbu glacier, and back down the same valley. Almost everyone flies in. The archive's own stub puts it plainly: "most people fly from kathmandu(1,400 m) to lukla( 2,860 m),dubbed the scariest runway in the world, unless you'd prefer a bus to Jiri or Salleri and 4 to 5 day's hike from there to reach the Lukla trailhead." A 2015 gazetteer on the site counts 6 days on foot from Jiri to Namche Bazaar.
Recorded · Lukla · Everest Base
Recorded · Jiri · Explore the mountains of Khumbu Nepal
The shape of the route is set by the valley: Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorak Shep, then base camp and the viewpoint of Kala Patthar, and the same villages in reverse. The stage table below gives sleeping altitudes, hours and distances for each day. This section is what the archive's diaries, 2014 to 2023, say the days felt like. The last of them, a rider going for a record in May 2023, measured Lukla to base camp as "63 km, and around 4,000 m of vertical gain".
Recorded · Lukla to Everest Base Camp · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
The Lukla flight
The flight takes about 35 minutes. What the diaries record more often is its absence. Marcel DAllende, who trekked with Nepal Hiking Team at the end of August 2015, wrote: "we were so lucky to fly out on that Sunday, all flights were cancelled for the rest of the week and the next flight into Lukla was only on the following Friday." The first Intrepid group after the earthquake lost a day to weather the following month. A party of four in September 2016 waited 3 days at Kathmandu airport and then hired a helicopter. The stage table keeps 2 spare days at the end for this reason.
Recorded · Kathmandu to Lukla · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · Lukla · Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Kathmandu · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Recorded · Kathmandu airport · Reaching the top of the world at 71
Lukla to Namche Bazaar
Day 1 is short: Lukla to Phakding took the Intrepid group 3 hours. Day 2 is not. The same diarist set off on "a 6 hour of trek full of ascents and descents", was warned that the last 2 hours would be solid uphill, and counted 5 suspension bridges on the way.
Recorded · Phakding to Namche Bazaar · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
The park boundary sits between the two days: the 2015 gazetteer places Sagarmatha National Park "above Monju". In March 2014 Beinko Takashi, walking with Icicles Adventure Treks, recorded the paperwork at Jorsale: "We stopped at Jorsale to get our Everest permit. I was just enjoying my trek to Everest as all those permits and legal paper works were handled by my trekking guide." By May 2023 the archive's last Khumbu entry describes an army-staffed gate at Monjo and a second checkpost below Tengboche where a permit was stamped. The fees as quoted in 2026 are in the permits section below.
Recorded · Monju · Explore the mountains of Khumbu Nepal
Recorded · Jorsale · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · Monjo · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
The climb after the last bridge is where Everest first shows. The 2014 diary again: "we crossed very long suspension bridge followed by steep climb through forested land of rhododendron and alpine vegetation. There was one small place named 'chautara' to take rest, where I saw the first view of Mt. Everest in my life."
Recorded · Jorsale to Namche Bazaar · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Namche to Dingboche
Namche Bazaar, at 3,440 m, is where every itinerary in the archive spends a second night, with an acclimatisation walk up to the Everest View Hotel and Khumjung: "a long 3 hour trek up to 3800 m" for the Intrepid group, then back down to sleep.
Recorded · Namche Bazaar · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
From Namche the trail runs gradually for about 2 hours, drops to lunch at Phunki Thanka and climbs steeply through forest to Tengboche, the largest gompa in Khumbu. Shegufta Mahzabeen, on her first solo trek in April 2016, "personally found the trek to Tengboche the hardest of all. It seemed like a never ending ascent to her." Above Pangboche the trees go; an independent couple wrote of "the barren mountain desert landscape above Pheriche".
Recorded · Namche Bazaar to Tengboche · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · Tengboche · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Pheriche · Memories of Everest Base Camp Trek
Dingboche, at 4,410 m, is the second rest stop, and in 2014 "not completely a rest day": the diarist walked up Nagarjun hill with his guide. The next day is 2 hours to Thukla, which had one lunch place and a crowd in it, then the memorials on the pass and an hour more to Lobuche.
Recorded · Dingboche to Lobuche · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Lobuche to base camp and Kala Patthar
The base-camp day starts at Lobuche. The we12travel diarist, there on 27 November 2015: "First it's a three hour trek to Gorak Shepa at 5.164 meters and from there it would be another 2.5 hours to Everest Base Camp. We trekked through a wide valley between the yaks and carefully crossed a glacier." The Intrepid diarist found base camp at the end of the monsoon "a stony space redolent of the moon", with no snow on it.
Recorded · Lobuche to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp · Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Kala Patthar is a pre-dawn climb the next morning. The 2014 diary has the alarm at 4 am, breakfast back at Gorak Shep by 8 am and a long descent to Pheriche for the night. Bob Cox, up there in February 2015 after an unseasonal snowstorm: "At such altitude (5644.5m), the oxygen is half of what it is at sea level. We took two long breaths on every step uphill." The archive does not agree on how high Kala Patthar is; see the questions below.
Recorded · Kala Patthar to Pheriche · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Memories of Thin Air and Strong Bonds on Everest Trek
The way down
Coming down is quick. The we12travel pair, who had come in over the Cho La, "needed only 3 days to walk down while it took us 12 days to climb up." Namche to Lukla is "almost 18 kms and two days worth of trekking", and then the flight again, with the same odds.
Recorded · Everest Base Camp to Lukla · Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!
Recorded undated · Namche Bazaar to Lukla · Momos and the Mountains
Day by day
Full itinerary and variations →| Day | Stage | Sleep | High point | Hours | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathmandu / Ramechhap → Lukla → PhakdingFly to Tenzing–Hillary Airport. Most flights leave from Ramechhap in the peak months. | 2,610 m | 2,840 m | 3–4 | 8 |
| 2 | Phakding → Namche BazaarSagarmatha National Park checkpost at Monjo. Long climb after the Hillary bridge. | 3,440 m | 3,440 m | 5–6 | 11 |
| 3 | Namche Bazaar → Namche Bazaar (acclimatisation)Walk high, sleep low: Everest View Hotel or Khumjung, back to Namche. | 3,440 m | 3,880 m | 3–4 | 6 |
| 4 | Namche Bazaar → TengbocheDrop to the Dudh Koshi, then climb to the monastery. | 3,860 m | 3,860 m | 5–6 | 10 |
| 5 | Tengboche → DingbocheAbove the tree line from Pangboche. | 4,410 m | 4,410 m | 5–6 | 11 |
| 6 | Dingboche → Dingboche (acclimatisation)Nangkartshang hill; turn back when you have gained 400–600 m. | 4,410 m | 5,083 m | 3–5 | 5 |
| 7 | Dingboche → LobuchePast the memorials at Thukla pass. | 4,910 m | 4,910 m | 5–6 | 8 |
| 8 | Lobuche → Gorak Shep → Everest Base Camp → Gorak ShepBase camp on the Khumbu glacier moraine. You cannot see the summit from base camp. | 5,140 m | 5,364 m | 7–8 | 13 |
| 9 | Gorak Shep → Kala Patthar → PherichePre-dawn climb for the Everest view, then a long descent. | 4,240 m | 5,545 m | 7–8 | 14 |
| 10 | Pheriche → Namche Bazaar | 3,440 m | 4,240 m | 6–7 | 20 |
| 11 | Namche Bazaar → Lukla | 2,840 m | 3,440 m | 6–7 | 19 |
| 12 | Lukla → KathmanduWeather can hold flights for days. Keep two spare days before an international flight. | 1,400 m | 2,840 m | flight | — |
Altitude
Every EBC itinerary in the archive stops twice on the way up: a second night at Namche Bazaar and a second night at Dingboche. A 2015 primer explains why: "Acclimatisation days are built into your trek to allow your body to catch up with the large daily gains in altitude." The Namche day is a walk to about 3,800 m and back. A Nepal Hiking Team client in November 2015 "had a day rest to become accustomed with the high altitude" and walked to the Everest View Hotel; a solo trekker in April 2016 spent 2 nights there and hiked to Khumjung. At Dingboche the 2014 Icicles diary records a walk up Nagarjun hill, then a 30-minute climb above Lobuche the next evening "which was a part of acclimatizing."
Recorded · Nepal: Trekking The World's Most Spectacular Mountains
Recorded · Namche Bazaar · Completed Everest Base Camp Trek with full of joy
Recorded · Namche Bazaar and Khumjung · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Dingboche and Lobuche · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
The same 2014 diary is the archive's clearest account of a trek being managed for altitude by a guide. Approaching Dingboche: "I had little trouble in breathing while walking up the hill; that was when my guide helped me. It was due to thin air pressure on high altitude and he requested to take a rest." At Pheriche the diarist visited the hospital, where people were being treated for altitude sickness, and sat in on the awareness talk its doctors give every day. At Lobuche he could not sleep; at Gorak Shep he lost his appetite.
Recorded · Dingboche to Pheriche · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Not every diary went so well. The we12travel trekker of November 2015 got food poisoning on day 3, took 3 courses of antibiotics, was hauled over the Cho La by her guides and "collapsed just one day before reaching my final destination". Her own verdict was that continuing after she fell ill "was probably not the smartest idea". In May 2023 the rider going for the Lukla-to-base-camp record wrote that "a large amount of the trekkers I passed were in a drunk state from being altitude sick", with helicopters heading to base camp every 5 minutes that morning. A 2016 list of trail problems says almost everyone who spends time around 5,500 m gets some degree of Khumbu cough; a spring 2019 account records a night at minus 25 °C at base camp.
Recorded · Cho La to Everest Base Camp · Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!
Recorded · Gorak Shep · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
Recorded · 5 Problems You Might Encounter While Trekking
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Manisha Koirala's Journey to Everest Base Camp
The rules the archive records are short. The site's 2015 FAQ: with headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, poor sleep, swelling or loss of appetite, "descend to a lower elevation immediately, and seek medical help." A 2016 comparison piece passes on UK NHS guidance: with mild symptoms go no higher for 24 to 48 hours; if they worsen, descend by at least 500 m. The 2016 problems list adds that medics suggest Diamox and that you should not ascend too quickly. What the archive does not contain is any statement of who decides to turn a trekker round on a guided trip, or what an evacuation costs; the operators page has what the 2026 quotes say. The general guide is at /guides/altitude-sickness/ and the EBC altitude profile is at /treks/everest-base-camp/altitude/.
Recorded undated · c. 2015 · FAQ
Recorded · Should you do ABC or EBC?
When to go
The archive's gazetteer, written in December 2015, gives the windows operators still quote: "The best times to visit Khumbu region are between March – May and September – November", with the hedgerows in bloom in April and early May and a "much reduced" Lukla flight service in the off-season months. The stage table's best-months line follows it.
Recorded · Khumbu · Explore the mountains of Khumbu Nepal
October and November. A 2016 piece on autumn treks calls September to November "the most apt time". A CN Traveler writer found September and October gave "clear skies for mountain views and temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees, though higher elevations can see occasional snowstorms." One couple chose November 2015 "as it was the best season to visit Nepal"; that November also had the fuel blockade, with petrol queues in Kathmandu and teahouse menus cut back on the trail.
Recorded · 7 Top Treks in Nepal during Autumn Season
Recorded · Things you need to know before hiking the Himalayas
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Anniversary at Kalapathar with a message that Nepal is safe
Recorded · Visit Nepal Now
March to May. Spring is "the apt time to trek if you wish to hike in snow and watch the orchids and rhododendrons in full bloom", a 2016 guide says. "But with the glistening snowflakes comes flickering weather conditions." The record bears that out. Spring 2016 brought "surprise rains and cooler than usual weather with a few unexpected hail storms and snowfall"; a Lukla flight on 2 April 2016 was cancelled and went the next day; runners at the marathon on 29 May 2016 sat through nine avalanches near base camp in 2 days. A spring 2019 diary has rhododendrons in bloom and a night at minus 25 °C at base camp; May 2023 had mornings with almost no cloud.
Recorded · Things you need to know about EBC Trek
Recorded · News
Recorded · Kathmandu to Lukla · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Mel Fey from Wattle Down follows Ed Hillary Path to Everest
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Manisha Koirala's Journey to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Gorak Shep · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
Monsoon, June to September. Anita Purves crossed the three passes in July 2016: rain "at least once a day", T-shirts to 4,500 m, no wifi above Namche, and "I didn't once see the summit during my entire trek because of the clouds." In late August 2015 one Sunday flight got out of Lukla and none followed for the rest of the week; a family that month flew to Phaplu instead and walked 4 days to Lukla in cloud and rain. By mid-September the monsoon is ending: the first Intrepid group after the earthquake found base camp free of snow.
Recorded · High passes of the Solu Khumbu in July.
Recorded · Lukla · Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Phaplu to Lukla · Journey Back to Nepal
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Winter, December to February. The archive has fewer winter records. A couple at Kala Patthar in mid-February 2015 met an unseasonal storm and thigh-deep snow, then had the view to themselves. Lower Everest trails were "perfect" with teahouses open in January and February 2016. A 48-person team walked from Lukla on 18 January 2020 to Kala Patthar on 26 January in freezing wind.
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Memories of Thin Air and Strong Bonds on Everest Trek
Recorded · Phaplu · A memorable journey in Lower Everest..
Recorded · Lukla to Kala Patthar · High Fashion Meets High Altitude with Sustainable Cause
Two seasons that were not normal. Autumn 2015 was the first after the April earthquake. Miyamoto engineers assessed 15 villages, 710 buildings and 9 suspension bridges between 27 June and 2 July and gave 83 per cent of buildings a green tag; TAAN said treks could resume from September. They did, but Namche tourism was down 60 per cent on the year before, the Intrepid group that had been full at 16 walked as 5, and Lukla's tourist police counted 27,465 visitors in 2015 against 36,694 in 2016. Then 2020: the national lockdown began on 25 March, about 150 tourists stranded at Lukla were given free lodging and food by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, one Scottish family sat out 133 days, and trekking reopened on 17 October 2020 with a PCR test under 72 hours old required for EBC in November.
Recorded undated · assessment 27 June to 2 July 2015 · Damage Assessment of Everest Region
Recorded · Namche Bazaar · Things you need to know before hiking the Himalayas
Recorded · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Recorded · Lukla · Inflow of Tourists in Everest Region Up by 33.66% in 2016
Recorded undated · capture 2020 · Lukla · Nepal News
Recorded · Lukla · An Epic Clan Wander: Lockdown Trek to EBC Part 3
Recorded · Status Update - Nov. 14, 2020
The archive never mentions Ramechhap; every diary in it flew from Kathmandu. Month-by-month detail is at /treks/everest-base-camp/best-time/, and the picture for all routes at /guides/best-time/.
Permits
What the archive records is where permits are checked, not what they cost. The site's 2015 FAQ holds the only fee it has: a TIMS card at "20 US $ equivalent Nepalese Rupees" for individual trekkers, or "10 US $" for those booked through a registered agency, issued at NTB and TAAN offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara and "non-transferable, non-endorsable and valid only for one entry". It gives no national park fee and no municipality fee at any date.
Recorded undated · c. 2015 · Kathmandu · FAQ
On the trail, the 2014 Icicles diary has the park permit issued at Jorsale on the way up and checked out at Jorsale on the way down, both handled by the guide. A solo trekker in April 2016 hired a porter in Lukla "who also looked after arrangements for the permits for Sagaramatha national Park." By May 2023 the entrance was an army-staffed gate at Monjo, with a further checkpost below Tengboche where a permit was stamped; that trip had been "delayed 3 days due to flights and permits", the paperwork done by a Nepali contact.
Recorded · Jorsale · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · Lukla · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Monjo and Tengboche · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
For fees we can only pass on what operators quoted in 2026. Nepal Hiking Team lists the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit at NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals (NPR 1,500 SAARC) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit at NPR 3,000, "roughly NPR 6,000, or about USD 40 to USD 50" together. Ace the Himalaya gives NRS 3,000 for each (SAARC NRS 1,500 and NRS 2,000). Follow Alice gives "Approximately 3,000 Nepalese rupees ($25–$30 USD)" for the park and "Around 3,000 Nepalese rupees ($15–$25 USD)" for the municipality.
Quoted · Nepal Hiking Team · What does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Quoted 2026 · Ace the Himalaya · Everest Base Camp Trek - 14 Days
Quoted · Follow Alice · How much does the Everest Base Camp trek cost?
On TIMS the operators disagree. Nepal Hiking Team says the card "is not required at present for the standard Lukla to Everest Base Camp route" and gives the previous fees as NPR 2,000 for solo foreign trekkers, NPR 1,000 in a group and NPR 600 for solo SAARC. Ace the Himalaya lists "TIMS permit – NRS 2,000 per person" among the permits in its package. Horizon Guides says "individual permits cost R 2,000 per trekking route per entry, while group trekkers pay R 1,000 per person", and 10Adventures budgets "$8.35" and says a TIMS card is required for EBC.
Quoted · Nepal Hiking Team · What does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Quoted 2026 · Ace the Himalaya · Everest Base Camp Trek - 14 Days
Quoted · Horizon Guides · Trekking in Nepal
Quoted · 10Adventures · A Guide to the Best Treks in Nepal
These fees are quoted, not verified by us, and the TIMS position has changed at least once since the archive's 2015 figure. Check the current rules before you travel, and have your operator put in writing which permits it will buy. Line items and history are at /treks/everest-base-camp/permits/; the rules for every region are at /guides/permits/.
Cost
The archive's prices are from 2015 and 2016 and are worth reading as history. A Herald Sun piece from December 2015 describes a 15-day Everest Base Camp trek that "includes return flights from Kathmandu to Lukla as well as guesthouse accommodation, some meals, and local guides. Prices start from $1296 (excluding international flights)." Return tickets to Kathmandu were "about $900-$1100". A March 2016 comparison put the Lukla flight at "about US$330". Going independently, a father and son in October 2015 stayed "at basic lodges for $2 a night", a backpacker on the three passes that autumn spent "$15-25 a day", and a photographer in September 2015 found Namche "atleast thrice as expensive" as Kathmandu. Unlimited wifi at Lukla and Namche was 500 rupees in November 2015.
Recorded undated · capture 2015 · Recalling my trip to Nepal
Recorded · Should you do ABC or EBC?
Recorded · My crazy Everest Base Camp and Island Peak adventure
Recorded · 10 reasons to hike in Nepal
Recorded · Namche Bazaar · Everest - A Dream Come True
Recorded · Lukla and Namche Bazaar · Is there WiFi on Everest Base Camp Trek?
The 2026 quotes sit a good deal higher. Nepal Hiking Team's cost page gives a do-it-yourself trek at USD 950 to 1,200, a standard guided group trek at USD 1,250 to 1,800, a private guided trek at USD 1,800 to 3,000 and luxury or helicopter-assisted trips at USD 3,000 to 5,000 and above; its own 16-day package is from USD 1,525. Ace the Himalaya's 14-day trek is USD 1,500 a person, USD 1,380 to 1,550 depending on group size. Intrepid's 15-day trip is "From USD $1,610". Follow Alice puts the whole range at "$1,500 and $8,000 per person" and the Lukla return flight at "$360–$450 USD".
Quoted · Nepal Hiking Team · What does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Quoted 2026 · Ace the Himalaya · Everest Base Camp Trek - 14 Days
Quoted undated · capture 2026 · Intrepid Travel · Everest Base Camp Trek
Quoted · Follow Alice · How much does the Everest Base Camp trek cost?
What sits inside those bands, and what is charged on the trail for water, showers, charging and tips, is itemised at /treks/everest-base-camp/cost/. For how EBC compares with other routes, see /guides/cost/.
Compared with the alternatives
All 13 routes →| Everest Base Camp | Annapurna Circuit | Everest Three Passes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trekking days | 12–14 | 12–18 | 17–20 |
| Highest point | 5,545 m (Kala Patthar) | 5,416 m (Thorong La) | 5,535 m (Kongma La) |
| Highest night | 5,140 m | 4,540 m (Thorong Phedi) | 5,140 m |
| Difficulty | 3 · Demanding | 3 · Demanding | 5 · Very hard |
| Getting there | Flight to Lukla | Road to Besisahar/Chame | Flight to Lukla |
| Lodges | Teahouse every night | Teahouse every night | Teahouse; sparse near passes |
| Permits | SNP + Khumbu RM | ACAP + TIMS | SNP + Khumbu RM |
| Guide required | Not for EBC (Khumbu is outside the 2023 rule as applied by the municipality); most trekkers hire one | Yes since April 2023 in ACAP | Not required; strongly advised |
From the record
-
Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
“Hitting base camp at 12:59 pm, 11 hours and 19 minutes after leaving Lukla, signalled the end of the FKT.”
Recorded · an unnamed contributor (Cory Wallace, Canada)
-
An Epic Clan Wander: Lockdown Trek to EBC - Part 2
“It wasn't until we reached Pakhepani that we were told that lockdown had officially arrived in Nepal and repatriated flights were already leaving Lukla. This is where our lockdown story begins and our 3 months in Lukla starts.”
Recorded · an unnamed contributor (Clan Wander, Aberdeen)
-
Reaching the top of the world at 71
“Our team spent three days waiting in the Kathmandu airport for the weather to clear, but it never cleared, so we hired a helicopter.”
Recorded · Isha Balla (Les Connell, Phoenix)
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My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
“We even visited the local hospital where some people were hospitalized due to altitude sickness. I even attended the altitude sickness awareness organized by doctors that day. And my guide told me that it is organized everyday by the hospital.”
Recorded · Te Awhi (Beinko Takashi, Pheriche, 2014)
-
Things you need to know before hiking the Himalayas
“In Namche Bazaar, a hub for trekkers, tourism was down 60 percent compared with the same period the year before, despite minimal damage. The town's 50-plus lodges, including ours, were essentially vacant during our visit.”
Recorded · Isha Balla
-
Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!
“Though the base camp spot has been destroyed by the earthquake in Nepal, I was amazed by the landscape.”
Recorded · Isha Balla (we12travel, 27 November 2015)
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Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
“Ram Bahadur told us that we were the first group of brave people to be going to the Everest Base Camp after the Earthquake.”
Recorded · Isha Balla (Intrepid group, September 2015)
-
Damage Assessment of Everest Region
“none of the nine suspension bridges assessed by Miyamoto engineers appear to have been affected by new geotechnical hazards. Much of the trail and most of the rock retaining walls, both above and below the trails, are undamaged”
Recorded undated · assessment 27 June to 2 July 2015 · an unnamed contributor
Going with an operator
Every EBC diary in the archive that went with an operator praises it. The archive holds no complaint about a named trekking company and no independent comparison, so read the verdicts with that in mind. Marcel DAllende, with Nepal Hiking Team in September 2015: "our guides were great in pointing out the areas where we were urged to 'continue without taking pics'". Mavita Woods, with the same company in November 2015: "Nepal Hiking Team left no stone unturned to present the best services." Beinko Takashi, with Icicles Adventure Treks in 2014, picked them after emailing several agencies "as I felt him genuine and was also recommended by my friend", and wrote of his guide: "I felt relief as I had knowledgeable and friendly guide." Anita Purves, on the three passes with socialtours in July 2016: "I had an excellent guide and also used a porter."
Recorded · Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Completed Everest Base Camp Trek with full of joy
Recorded · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · High passes of the Solu Khumbu in July.
Staffing is recorded more precisely than verdicts. The first Intrepid group after the earthquake, 5 trekkers where 16 had booked, walked 11 days with lead guide Ram Bahadur Moktan, assistant guide Sanjay, lead porter Surya and 3 more porters. A party of 4 in September 2016 had 2 guides and 2 porters. A CN Traveler writer's small team had leader Maya Sherpa, 3 Sherpas and 2 porters. A solo trekker in April 2016 hired one porter in Lukla, who also arranged her park permits. An independent couple spent 22 days on the route with no staff at all.
Recorded · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Recorded · Reaching the top of the world at 71
Recorded · Things you need to know before hiking the Himalayas
Recorded · Lukla · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Memories of Everest Base Camp Trek
What to ask an operator, what a package should include, and what the archive records about porters' loads and pay are on the operators page: /treks/everest-base-camp/operators/. The general method for choosing a trekking operator is at /guides/choose-an-operator/.
Questions people ask
How many days does the Everest Base Camp trek take?
The stage table above is 12 days, Lukla to Lukla. Two groups in September 2015 reached base camp on the 8th day of walking; a 2019 account says "it usually takes seven days to reach the base camp"; a father and son who stopped for extra days to acclimatise took 10. Add the descent and the Kathmandu ends and the 2016 advice was "around 14 days for average trekkers", plus 3 for Gokyo. Variants run longer: the we12travel pair took 12 days up via Gokyo and the Cho La and 3 down; an independent couple spent 22 days and walked out to Shivalaya. Day by day at /treks/everest-base-camp/itinerary/.
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Lukla · Manisha Koirala's Journey to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Everest Base Camp · My crazy Everest Base Camp and Island Peak adventure
Recorded · Should you do ABC or EBC?
Recorded · Gokyo to Everest Base Camp · Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!
Recorded · Shivalaya · Memories of Everest Base Camp Trek
How hard is the Everest Base Camp trek?
The archive calls it "one of the hardest treks in the world" in one place and, in another, a trek that "anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can complete" if mentally prepared. The walking is 4 to 6 hours a day; the difficulty is the altitude. A 2016 comparison judged EBC "more physically demanding than the ABC trek due to higher elevations, colder temperature and thinner air." Les Connell, 71, wrote "It was tough, but I would not trade the experience for anything" and said he would not do it again. Hollie Swanton prepared with 3 or 4 hikes a week and all-day walks at weekends. Our rating is at /treks/everest-base-camp/difficulty/ and the scale is explained at /guides/difficulty/.
Recorded · Student attempting a charity trek to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Things you need to know about EBC Trek
Recorded · Should you do ABC or EBC?
Recorded · Reaching the top of the world at 71
Recorded · Cairns · To Everest Base Camp for Cancer Council
Can you see Everest from base camp?
Not the summit; the stage table says so, and the archive's diaries go to Kala Patthar for the view. A 2015 primer: "After a stiff steep climb, the top of Kala Patthar reveals the dominating and overwhelming presence of the mighty Everest, shouldered by the more beautiful peaks of Nuptse and Lhotse." Earlier glimpses on the way up are recorded from a rest spot above Jorsale and from the Everest View Hotel above Namche. In July 2016, in the monsoon, Anita Purves "didn't once see the summit during my entire trek because of the clouds."
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Nepal: Trekking The World's Most Spectacular Mountains
Recorded · Jorsale and Everest View Hotel · My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary with Icicles Adventure Treks
Recorded · High passes of the Solu Khumbu in July.
How high is Kala Patthar?
The archive cannot settle it. Its pages give 5,644.5 m (a February 2015 diary), 5,550 m and 5,664 m (two accounts from November 2015), "18,200ft" and "just over 18,000 feet" (two 2016 pieces), 5,644 m (a January 2020 event notice) and "5,340 meters (17,515 ft)" (the report on the same event). The spread is more than 300 m, and the figures disagree. The stage table uses 5,545 m, a survey figure that our route data flags for verification. Treat any number you are given, including ours, as approximate.
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Memories of Thin Air and Strong Bonds on Everest Trek
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Memories of Everest Base Camp Trek
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Anniversary at Kalapathar with a message that Nepal is safe
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Things you need to know about EBC Trek
Recorded · Kala Patthar · Student attempting a charity trek to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Kala Patthar · "The Mt. Everest Fashion Runway"
Recorded · Kala Patthar · High Fashion Meets High Altitude with Sustainable Cause
Do I need a guide for Everest Base Camp?
For the years the archive covers, no. An NTB update posted on 11 August 2015 confirmed "the government has not made any mandatory restrictions regarding accompanied trekking for Free Independent Trekkers (FITs)". An independent couple spent 22 days on the route that autumn; a woman on her first solo trek in April 2016 hired only a porter, who arranged her permits. A backpacker who went without either wrote: "If you can afford it, it is always a good idea to hire a guide or porter." The archive ends in June 2023 and holds no record of the guide rule announced that year. The compare table above records what we know: NTB announced a licensed-guide requirement from 1 April 2023, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality said it would not enforce it on Everest trails, and it has been applied unevenly. Check the current position before you book. The rules for solo trekking are at /guides/solo-trekking-rules/; what to ask an operator is at /treks/everest-base-camp/operators/.
Recorded · #NepalNOW News Update / August 11 2015
Recorded · Memories of Everest Base Camp Trek
Recorded · Lukla · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · 10 reasons to hike in Nepal
What happens if the Lukla flight is cancelled?
You wait, walk or pay. The archive records a week with no flights in late August 2015, a one-day delay in September 2015 and again in April 2016, and 3 days of waiting in September 2016 that ended in a hired helicopter. One family in August 2015 flew to Phaplu instead and walked 4 days to Lukla. In May 2023 a morning flight went at noon. The stage table keeps 2 spare days before any international flight. The 2026 quotes put a shared helicopter seat to Lukla at "USD 450 per person" on a "5-people sharing basis" (Ace the Himalaya), a private charter at "USD 2,500 to USD 3,000 per flight, with space for up to five passengers" (Nepal Hiking Team), and Intrepid's contingency helicopter at "up to USD 500 per person". Ask before booking who pays: it is question 10 on the operator checklist.
Recorded · Lukla · Trekking to Everest Base Camp
Recorded · Kathmandu · Trekking in Nepal-An experience of a Lifetime
Recorded · Kathmandu · Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible
Recorded · Kathmandu airport · Reaching the top of the world at 71
Recorded · Phaplu · Journey Back to Nepal
Recorded · Lukla · Everest Base Camp Cycling in "Fastest Known Time"
Quoted 2026 · Ace the Himalaya · Everest Base Camp Trek - 14 Days
Quoted · Nepal Hiking Team · What does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Quoted undated · capture 2026 · Intrepid Travel · Everest Base Camp Trek