Windhorse
Prayer flags strung near Everest Base Camp with the Khumbu icefall rising behind

Khumbu, Solukhumbu District

Everest Base Camp

To the foot of the world's highest mountain

The classic. Thirteen days from Lukla to Kala Patthar and back, built around two proper acclimatisation days so the altitude gain stays honest rather than reckless. You will sleep in family-run teahouses the whole way, cross the Dudh Kosi on the same swaying bridges every EBC trekker photographs, and stand on the Khumbu Glacier itself, beneath the icefall that climbers on summit attempts must pass through before dawn.

Duration
13 days
Max altitude
5,364 m · Kala Patthar
Difficulty
Challenging
Best seasons
Mar – May, Sep – Nov
Group size
2 – 10 trekkers
Route
Kathmandu to Kathmandu (fly Lukla both ways)

Trip highlights

  • Stand at Everest Base Camp, beneath the Khumbu Icefall
  • Sunrise over the Everest massif from Kala Patthar, 5,364 m
  • Sherpa villages, mani walls, and Tengboche monastery
  • Two built-in acclimatisation days, not rushed for a schedule
Trekkers climbing a rocky ridge above the Khumbu Valley
Trail signpost above the Khumbu Valley with prayer flags in the distance

Everest Base Camp · 13 days

The route, day by day

This is the exact itinerary our Everest Base Camp groups follow, built around real acclimatisation, not a rushed schedule.

  1. 1

    Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding

    Lukla → Phakding 2,610 m → 2,610 m

    A short, dramatic flight into Tenzing-Hillary Airport, then an easy afternoon descent along the Dudh Kosi to Phakding to acclimatise.

  2. 2

    Into the Sagarmatha park

    Phakding → Namche Bazaar 2,610 m → 3,440 m

    A long climb through pine forest and suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi, entering Sagarmatha National Park before the final switchback push into Namche.

  3. 3

    Acclimatisation day

    Namche Bazaar 3,440 m

    A rest day with a purpose: a walk up to the Everest View Hotel for a first sight of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam before returning to sleep low.

  4. 4

    Along the Khumbu wall

    Namche Bazaar → Tengboche 3,440 m → 3,860 m

    A ridge-line trail with the first full views of Ama Dablam, descending to the Imja Khola before the climb to Tengboche monastery in time for evening prayer.

  5. 5

    Toward the Amphu range

    Tengboche → Dingboche 3,860 m → 4,410 m

    Through rhododendron forest and past mani walls into the wide Imja Valley, with the terrain opening out beneath Lhotse and Island Peak.

  6. 6

    Second acclimatisation day

    Dingboche 4,410 m

    An optional climb to Nangkartshang viewpoint at 5,083 metres, the last major altitude gain before Base Camp, then a slow afternoon in the village.

  7. 7

    Above the tree line

    Dingboche → Lobuche 4,410 m → 4,940 m

    Bare, wind-scoured terrain past the Thukla memorials for climbers lost on Everest, then along the Khumbu Glacier's lateral moraine to Lobuche.

  8. 8

    To the foot of Everest

    Lobuche → Gorak Shep → Everest Base Camp 4,940 m → 5,364 m → 5,180 m

    Onto the glacier itself, weaving between ice pinnacles to reach Base Camp beneath the Khumbu Icefall, then back to Gorak Shep for the night.

  9. 9

    Sunrise from Kala Patthar

    Gorak Shep → Kala Patthar → Pheriche 5,364 m → 4,240 m

    A pre-dawn climb to Kala Patthar for the clearest possible view of Everest's summit pyramid, then a long descent back down the valley to Pheriche.

  10. 10

    Back through the forest

    Pheriche → Namche Bazaar 4,240 m → 3,440 m

    Retracing the trail through Tengboche and the Imja Khola gorge, with the descent noticeably easier on lungs already adjusted to thinner air.

  11. 11

    Down to the Dudh Kosi

    Namche Bazaar → Lukla 3,440 m → 2,860 m

    A final full day of trekking, retracing the suspension bridges and pine forest back to Lukla for a last night in the mountains.

  12. 12

    Fly to Kathmandu

    Lukla → Kathmandu 2,860 m → 1,400 m

    A morning flight back over the foothills, with a free afternoon in the capital to rest, shower properly, and mark the trek's end.

  13. 13

    Departure

    Kathmandu 1,400 m

    International departure, or the start of an extension. Airport transfer included regardless of flight time.

Cost & what's included

per person, twin-share teahouse

$1,450

Included

  • Airport pickup and drop-off in Kathmandu
  • Kathmandu to Lukla flights, both directions
  • Sagarmatha National Park permit and TIMS card
  • Teahouse accommodation for the full trek
  • Three meals a day while on the trail
  • A licensed English-speaking guide and porters (1 porter per 2 trekkers)
  • Guide and porter wages, insurance, and equipment
  • First-aid kit carried by your guide

Not included

  • International airfare to and from Kathmandu
  • Nepal entry visa fee (available on arrival)
  • Travel and evacuation insurance
  • Personal trekking gear
  • Meals in Kathmandu outside the welcome dinner
  • Hot showers, WiFi, and battery charging on the trail
  • Tips for your guide and porters

Upcoming departures

Start dateSpots left
September 6, 20264 open
October 4, 20262 left
November 1, 20267 open
March 7, 20279 open

Don't see a date that works? We also arrange private departures for groups of 2 or more.

Ready to walk among giants?

Tell us which trek and which season. A guide, not a call centre, will write back within two working days.

Plan Your Trek

Or call +977 98-0123-4567 , Kathmandu office hours