Everest Base Camp Trek

It is important to choose the right itinerary when you think if hiking or trekking to Everest Base Camp. Your success ultimately does not boil down to your fitness. It’s acclimatization that counts. As most of your time, you will be spending on high altitude, you have to take sufficient time into account to prepare your body for the differences. The more time you take for your trek, the better you will acclimatize. It will be worth it to spend some extra time in Namche Bazaar, one of the great Sherpa settlement in the Everest Region. If you want to make the most of your trek to Everest Base Camp, it is wise to take as much time as you possibly can. Read more about how to prevent altitude sickness in this blog post.

The Everest Region, along with the rest of Nepal has 4 distinct seasons. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The months from February to May, pre-monsoon, and from October to December, post-monsoon, are the most popular for trekking to Everest Base Camp What must be said, is that every trekking season offers its own excitement and atmosphere for hikers. You can read more about the most favorable trekking and hiking seasons in Nepal in this blog post.

A 25-minute flight from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) takes you to Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA), named after the famous pioneers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The airport is known to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world. That fact makes the flight particularly interesting. In the past flights were irregular and flight schedules were when the weather was rough, hard to count on. However, as more airlines are no offering flights on this exciting route, things have improved a lot compared to the days in the 90s and 00s.

Your flight tickets will be organized by your trekking company. To be sure about your itinerary, it is important to book as early as possible, as the flights are booked on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you want to do more than just the Everest Base Camp Trek, it may be worth it to add the two or the three high passes to your trek. If you do this, you automatically add some of Gokyo Valley to your itinerary. Some trekkers are so amazed by Everest Base Camp that this is the ultimate goal. Because of the appeal of Everest Base Camp, it can be very busy on the trails in the Everest Region. One sidestep can make a massive difference in experience. Crossing the Kongma La, the Cho La and the Renjo La pass sets you apart from the ordinary adventurer in Everest Base Camp. More elevation, more fun! But rest assured, if you don’t have time for more, your Everest Base Camp Trek still is a great adventure.

For trekking to Everest Base Camp, you need the following permits:

TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System): This permit is important for every trekker wishing to trek in Nepal. This costs NRS 2000 per person. This equals about 17 USD or 15 EUR.

Alternatively, your trekking company arranges you a location permit in Lukla which costs around 20 USD.

Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit: For entering the Sagarmatha National Park, the park that is home to the Mount Everest Region, you need to obtain an entry permit. This permit costs 30 USD + government tax.

All permits are arranged by your trekking provider.

Safety is of the utmost importance to us. That is why this is an area in which we simply do not compromise when it comes to keeping the cost of our hikes and trekkings low. Our trekking guides have been selected on the basis of their technical competence, proven safety performance, impeccable judgment, friendly attitude and ability to provide useful and expert instructions. They are also very professional and well trained in first aid and personal protection equipment. First aid kits are available on all guided treks and hikes to Everest Base Camp.

When you are planning to go trekking or hiking to Everest Base camp, you are likely to stay in a hotel in Kathmandu and you would be spending the nights in teahouses along the trek. Regardless of where you stay in Nepal, do not expect a luxury show. Accommodation is relatively basic but is perfect for those who are resting their legs from hiking and trekking. Down below you can read more about staying in teahouses.

Tea houses are small hotels known as Bhatti. Them being small hotels, you can expect a certain level of comfort. Yes, you can, but just know that comfort is a relative concept. They are comfortable to the extent that you have a place to sleep and that you can enjoy home-cooked meals. That’s right, tea houses are run by local families who have opened their houses to trekkers passing by.

Because trekking in Nepal has become so popular in recent years, more and more tea houses have opened their doors and the concept has improved over the years. The more popular your route, the better the quality of your tea house is. If you are headed to Everest Region or the Annapurna Conservation area you can expect to see tea houses being of good quality. Quality meaning that you can expect flush toilets, hot showers and in some cases wireless internet. The use of these amenities is at an extra charge. On popular routes, it is even likely that you will stay in a building that has been built with the sole purpose of serving as a tea house. Read more about staying in teahouses here.

Hiking or trekking to Everest Base Camp can be a challenge. But this doesn’t mean that you can not do it. If you like hiking and make sure you start to get fit well ahead of the start of your trek, you can definitely make it.

The average trek in the Everest Region is not difficult but hikers and trekkers should still be moderately fit. After all, you are stilling trekking through the Himalayas of Nepal. If you are wondering what it physically takes to go trekking in Nepal and what you can do to become the fittest version of yourself, check out this blog post.