Everest Base Camp Trek — 16 Days

After breakfast, explore Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa with your guide, travelling between the sites by private vehicle. These visits introduce two of Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage monument zones.

Your guide explains visiting customs and gives you time to look around. Later, return to the hotel for trek preparation, checking your equipment and organising your trekking bags. Keep your passport, insurance details, medicines and daily essentials accessible. The evening gives you time to finish packing before tomorrow’s early journey to the Everest region begins.

Your mountain journey begins with a flight to Lukla at 2,860 m. Depending on airline operations and the season, the flight may depart from Kathmandu or Manthali Airport in Ramechhap.

After landing, you meet your trekking team and begin walking towards Phakding. The trail passes village homes, prayer wheels and forested slopes, with downhill stretches and shorter climbs along the way. Sections follow the Dudh Koshi River, introducing you to the valley you will explore over the coming days. We spend the night in Phakding.

We follow the Dudh Koshi through villages and pine forests, passing Benkar and Monjo before entering Sagarmatha National Park. Your guide handles the permit checks along the route.

Suspension bridges connect the valley trails, followed by a sustained uphill walk towards Namche. This final climb is the most demanding part of the day, so we allow time for breaks. Namche’s shops, lodges and houses spread across the hillside, making it an important trading town and a useful place to spend the next two nights.

We stay another night in Namche and take a shorter hike above the town. A usual option is the trail towards Hotel Everest View, where clear weather offers views of Everest and nearby peaks.

Your guide chooses the walk according to conditions and how the group is feeling. Afterwards, we return to Namche for the night. The afternoon gives you time to rest, visit the shops or stop at a café before continuing towards Tengboche tomorrow.

Leaving Namche, we follow the hillside trail before descending towards Phunki Tenga. Mountain views accompany sections of the walk, while the river marks the low point before the climb to Tengboche.

The uphill trail passes through pine and rhododendron forest. Once we reach the village, you can settle into the teahouse and explore the surroundings. Tengboche’s Buddhist monastery stands against the mountain backdrop of Ama Dablam. If it is open to visitors, your guide explains the visiting customs before you enter.

We descend through forest towards Debuche, cross the Imja Khola and continue through Pangboche. As the route gains height, the trees become fewer and the valley opens into slopes with low vegetation and stone buildings.

The trail passes Somare before reaching Dingboche in the Imja Valley. Today brings a noticeable gain in sleeping altitude, so we keep a steady pace throughout the walk. After checking into your teahouse, the remaining afternoon is available for rest before tomorrow’s acclimatisation hike.

Our second acclimatisation day includes a hike above Dingboche followed by another night in the village. The usual direction is towards the Nangkartshang viewpoint, with the turnaround point determined by conditions and the group’s progress.

The hillside gives you a broader view of Dingboche and the surrounding valley. We then return to the teahouse, leaving the afternoon for rest and preparation. Tomorrow, the route continues towards Lobuche, where the terrain becomes increasingly rocky and glacial.

We leave Dingboche and cross open ground towards Thukla. After a break, the trail climbs more steeply to the memorial area above the village. The stone memorials commemorate climbers and Sherpas who lost their lives in the mountains.

Beyond this section, we continue beside the Khumbu Glacier towards Lobuche. Uneven ground and increasing altitude make the walking more demanding, even where the gradient eases. We settle into the teahouse and prepare for tomorrow’s journey to Everest Base Camp.

We start from Lobuche and follow the rocky trail towards Gorak Shep. After a break, we continue to Everest Base Camp, crossing uneven glacial ground along the Khumbu Glacier.

Reaching base camp brings you into the landscape used by Everest expedition teams. During the spring climbing season, tents and expedition activity may be visible. At other times, the glacier and surrounding mountains define the visit.

After spending time at base camp, we retrace the trail to Gorak Shep. Tonight’s stop puts us close to the starting point for tomorrow’s Kala Patthar hike.

We make an early start for Kala Patthar. The climb above Gorak Shep is steep in places, and the altitude makes it demanding. In clear weather, the viewpoint offers close views of Everest, Nuptse, Pumori and the surrounding Khumbu peaks.

After the hike, we return to Gorak Shep for breakfast and continue towards Pheriche. The route passes back through Lobuche and the Thukla area before descending into the valley. It is another substantial walking day, ending with an overnight stay at a lower elevation.

We leave Pheriche and walk towards Somare and Pangboche. As we lose altitude, the wide, open mountain slopes gradually give way to patches of woodland along the lower trail.

Beyond Pangboche, we cross the Imja Khola and continue through Debuche before climbing to Tengboche. The final uphill stretch leads back to the monastery village, where we spend the night. You have time to rest at the teahouse, with any additional short walk depending on your energy and the weather.

We descend from Tengboche through forest to Phunki Tenga, cross the river and climb back towards the hillside trail leading to Namche Bazaar. The route mixes substantial descents with uphill sections.

After passing through Namche, we follow the steep trail down towards the Dudh Koshi valley. Suspension bridges, forest paths and the villages near Jorsalle mark the lower part of the walk. We continue to Monjo for the night, where you can rest before tomorrow’s final trekking stage back to Lukla.

Our final trekking day follows the Dudh Koshi through Phakding, passing village homes, small fields, prayer wheels and bridges. We continue towards Lukla, where the walking programme ends.

The route includes uphill stretches as you approach Lukla, so the day still involves some effort. After checking into your teahouse, organise your belongings for tomorrow’s scheduled return flight and spend the evening with your guide and porter team.

We prepare for the return flight from Lukla. Depending on the operating schedule, you may fly directly to Kathmandu or land at Manthali Airport and continue by road.

After reaching your hotel, the remaining time is free for rest, shopping or exploring nearby areas. We arrange your farewell dinner around the confirmed return journey. Flight timing remains dependent on weather and the airline’s operating schedule that day.

Your 16-day Everest Base Camp Trek ends today. After breakfast, you prepare for your onward journey. Depending on your departure time, there may be an opportunity for a final walk nearby before leaving the hotel.

Our representative accompanies you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your departure.