Khumbu
Everest Base Camp
From the Sherpa villages of the Khumbu valley to the foot of Everest, with sunrise on the summit from Kala Patthar.
- Walking days 11 days
- Highest point 5,645 m
- Level Demanding
- Permits 6,000 NPR (≈ €35)
- Start Lukla
- Guide not required
At a glance
You fly into Lukla on a small plane, then walk up the Dudh Koshi valley to Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital. After two acclimatisation days (Namche, Dingboche), you reach Gorak Shep (5,164 m), then Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and the Kala Patthar (5,645 m) viewpoint, where you finally see the summit.
It is the best-equipped trek in Nepal: comfortable lodges, bakeries, ATMs in Namche, wifi almost everywhere. You can do it without a guide: the Khumbu municipality does not enforce the 2023 national requirement.
Highlights
- The view of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam from Kala Patthar
- Sherpa culture: Tengboche monastery, prayer flags, mani walls
- Comfortable lodges and connectivity (Everest Link wifi almost everywhere)
- A trek you can do without a guide
Drawbacks
- Lukla flights, often cancelled due to weather, and often departing from Ramechhap, 4 hrs by road from Kathmandu
- The cost: flights, and prices that rise with altitude
- Very busy in October; base camp itself has no view of the summit
In pictures
Route
Out and back through the same valley, with two acclimatisation days you must not skip: Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Choose to arrive by plane or by road.
- Airstrip
- Chosen route
- Other possible trails
- Possible start or finish
Drag the “Start” and “Finish” labels to another served point, or tap a point. The “+” buttons add a side trip. Zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll wheel), then drag the map to move around.
How do I use it in a hiking app?
The file contains the route you chose on the map (start, finish, side trips), with altitude, and a marker for each night, pass and viewpoint.
- Organic Maps or Maps.me (free, offline): download the Nepal map before you leave, then open the GPX file from your phone and choose the app.
- OsmAnd: menu “My places” → “Tracks” → “Import”.
- Komoot, Gaia GPS, Wikiloc, Garmin: use the app's or website's “Import a GPX file” feature.
With no signal, your phone's GPS still works: you can see your position on the track. The track is indicative: on the ground, waymarks and advice from the lodges come first.
Itinerary
- D 0Lukla2,860 m
- D 1Phakding2,610 m−250 m8 km140 m370 m
- D 2Namche Bazaar3,440 m+830 m9 km910 m120 m
- D 3Namche Bazaar via Everest View Hotel 3,880 m rest and acclimatisation3,440 m±0 m8 km490 m490 m
- D 4Tengboche3,860 m+420 m9 km880 m470 m
- D 5Dingboche4,410 m+550 m12 km710 m210 m
- D 6Dingboche via Nangkartshang 5,083 m rest and acclimatisation4,410 m±0 m3 km620 m620 m
- D 7Lobuche4,940 m+530 m9 km670 m120 m
- D 8Gorak Shep via Everest Base Camp 5,364 m5,164 m+224 m11 km360 m120 m
- D 9Pheriche via Kala Patthar 5,645 m4,371 m−793 m15 km410 m1,330 m
- D 10Namche Bazaar3,440 m−931 m18 km630 m1,470 m
- D 11Lukla2,860 m−580 m17 km420 m970 m
- Lukla — 25 to 35 min flight from Kathmandu, or 15 to 20 min from Ramechhap (Manthali). In high season (spring and autumn), some flights, sometimes all of them, leave from Ramechhap depending on civil aviation decisions: in October 2026, Tara Air, Summit Air and Sita Air sell flights from both airports, but most leave from Ramechhap. The departure airport is shown on the ticket. For Ramechhap, leave Kathmandu around 1 to 2 am, 4 to 5 hrs by road. Tickets cost about 200 to 205 USD (≈ €180 to €185) one way from Ramechhap (245 to 255 USD (≈ €220 to €230) from Kathmandu), 10 kg checked and 5 kg cabin baggage. Allow 1 to 2 spare days: weather cancellations are frequent.
- Lukla — Fly back to Ramechhap or Kathmandu, with the same weather risks: don't book your international flight for the next day.
Elevation
Variants
- Gokyo Lakes: another, quieter valley, with Gokyo Ri (5,357 m); you can link the two via the Cho La pass.
- Chhukung and Island Peak: from Dingboche, a side valley at the foot of Lhotse, a good acclimatisation day.
Permits
Two entry fees, no TIMS card: Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu municipality tax.
National park
Sagarmatha National Park
3,000 NPR (≈ €17)
At the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or at the park entrance in Monjo, in cash.
Local tax
Khumbu municipality permit
3,000 NPR (≈ €17)
Only on the spot, in Lukla (or in Monjo if you arrive on foot). Replaces the TIMS card in the Everest region.
Guide
Guide not required
A guide is not required in the Everest region: as early as March 2023, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality announced that it would not enforce the requirement set by the Nepal Tourism Board. Independent trekkers remain numerous on this trek.
A guide is still useful above 4,000 m to keep an eye on acclimatisation. Rates and advice on the Guide and porter page.
A guide for this trek? The Guides Nepal directory lists guides, porters and agencies who know this trek, with their licence checked, the languages they speak and traveller reviews.
Transport
Getting to the start
Kathmandu or Ramechhap → Lukla
Airlines: Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air. Morning flights only. In high season, some flights (sometimes all) leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), 4 to 5 hrs by road from Kathmandu: shared overnight shuttles from Thamel. Check the airport shown on your ticket.
Kathmandu → Salleri → Surke (by road)
Shared jeep from Chabahil, leaving between 4:30 and 6 am. Paved road to Salleri, dirt track after that, mud in the monsoon.
Getting back
Lukla → Ramechhap or Kathmandu
Same airlines, same risks. Keep at least one spare day before your international flight.
When to go
IdealPossibleNot advised
Mid-October to mid-November and April to mid-May: clearest skies, more reliable flights. October is also the busiest month.
Monsoon (June to mid-September): clouds, rain lower down, Lukla flights often cancelled. December to February: often clear skies but very cold nights at Gorak Shep; some high lodges close in January.
On the trail
| Accommodation | Lodges in every village, rooms often cheap if you have dinner and breakfast there (more expensive in Lukla and Namche). |
| Food | Dal bhat around 500 to 700 NPR (≈ €3 to €4) in Namche, 800 to 1,000 NPR (≈ €5 to €6) at Gorak Shep. |
| Budget | About 35 to 60 USD (≈ €31 to €54) a day excluding guide and flights: showers, charging, wifi and water become paid extras and get pricier as you climb. |
| Money | ATMs in Lukla and Namche Bazaar, the last ones in the valley. Bring enough cash for the upper section. |
| Phone signal | Nepal Telecom up to Namche, patchy above. The Everest Link wifi card (about 2,000 NPR (≈ €12) for 10 GB, sold in Lukla and Namche) works in most lodges. |
| Rescue | Himalayan Rescue Association post in Pheriche during the season. |
Good to know before you go
What about the visa? A two-week trek plus a few days in Kathmandu and Pokhara quickly adds up to more than 15 days: get the 30-day visa. The calculator on our sister site Visa Nepal shows the cheapest length.
Which visa length?Comments
A question, recent news from the trail, your own experience? Share it here.
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