Everest Base Camp Trek

Day 01:  Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m/4,428ft)

After landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport, we will be greeted by a representative of Rupakot Holidays. who will drop us off at our hotel. We then check-in at the hotel, freshen up and take a rest. In the evening a welcome dinner will be hosted by Rpakot Holidays. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 02:  Kathmandu: Sightseeing and trek Preparation

We tour Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa and Bouddhanath stupa which are all world heritage sites. The Durbar Square sheds light on the life of the royals in ancient times. Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Swayambhunath is also known as the Monkey Temple and Baudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, we are introduced to our fellow participants and discuss our trip at Rupakot Holidays' office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 03: Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding (2,651 m/8,700ft): 40 minutes flight; 8km, 3 - 4 hours trek

We take an early morning flight to Lukla which is where all Everest treks begin. We meet the rest of our team in Lukla and start trekking from there. We walk on a trail that gradually descends to Cheplung village from where we get a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain which has never been climbed. From here, we gradually descend until Phakding. Overnight in Phakding.

Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,438 m/11,280 ft): 11km, 5 - 6 hours

Our trail passes through a pine forest and we continue our walk on the trail that goes north up the Benkar valley. We cross Dudh Koshi River and pass Chumoa and Monjo villages before reaching the entrance of the Everest National Park. Then after crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk alongside the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We ascend on a steep trail and reach Namche Bazaar which is probably the biggest town in the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Day 05: Acclimatization Day - Namche Bazaar: (3,440m/11,284ft)

We can tour Namche Bazaar which is the primary town of the Everest or Khumbu region and has government offices, ATMs, internet cafes, shops, restaurants, and a colourful market. We can hike-up to Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde and so on. If we are interested in a day hike, we can trek to Khumjung village.

Day 06: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,870 m/12,694ft): 10km, 5 - 6 hours

The trek until Phunki is an easy walk. From here we ascend towards Tengboche village which houses the very famous Tengboche monastery which is the biggest monastery of the Everest region. It is located within the Sagarmatha National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is blessed with panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamserku. The Tengboche Monastery opens at 3:00 pm, so if we reach there by 3 o’clock we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.

Day 07: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 9km, 5 - 6 hours

Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees. While trekking we can admire good views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We walk downhill to Debuche and cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche. We choose the upper Pangboche trail and admire the Himalayan vista and the Pangboche Monastery. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche. It is a picturesque village with beautiful barley, potato and buckwheat field complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields.

Day 08: Dingboche: Acclimatization

Spending a day in Dingboche will help us to acclimate to the high altitude. Instead of staying idle, we climb a ridge located behind the village and see six of the world’s tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Furthermore, we can also admire Cholatse and Taboche peaks. On our north-west we see more Himalayan peaks rising above the Khumbu Khola Valley. Among those peaks, Lobuche West, Lobuche East and Lhotse are the most dominant. From another location on the ridge, we can also admire the picturesque Imja Khola Valley and the beautiful Dingboche village. Overnight at Dingboche.

Day 09: Dingboche to Duglha (4,600 m/15,090 ft): 4km, 3 - 4 hours

It is a relatively short journey from Dinboche to Duglha. We trek across a wide pass which is a much-wanted change from walking in a straight line.  Around the beginning of our trek today we enjoy the company of the mighty Himalayas on all sides. The valley begins to narrow as we come closer to Dusa. We pass the campsite of the first successful Everest Expedition in 1953. We begin to see Mt. Pumori as we continue on our trail. As our trail descends and curves, we bid goodbye to Mt. Pumori. We cross a stream and ascend to Duglha which is a tiny village with a huge strand of prayer flags hung across the valley. After reaching Duglha, we can walk for 45 minutes to an hour and visit the Memorial Shrine. Overnight in Duglha.

Day 10: Duglha to Lobuche (4,940 m/16,207 ft): 4km, 2 - 4 hours

We ascend to the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail passes through boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara which is a ridge that provides spectacular mountain views. The top of the ridge is filled with prayer flags and stones which are memorial shrines for climbers who lost their lives on Mt. Everest. As the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, we find ourselves facing several great peaks including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. As we are crossing Khumbu Glacier we can also see Mt. Nuptse. Overnight in Lobuche.

Day 11: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5,170 m/16,961ft), visit Everest Base Camp (5,364 m/17,594 ft): 13km, 6 - 7 hours

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on a glacier path. There is also a lot of meandering on rough terrains. As we reach the base camp, we enjoy the incredible melt patterns and admire the gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful. We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp. After soaking in the beauty, we walk back towards Gorak Shep where we spend the night. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

Day 12: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar (5,545m/18,192ft) to Pheriche (4,288m/14,070ft): 16km, 7 - 8 hours

We wake up early for the walk up to Kala Patthar. It is dark outside with cold temperature and most likely chilly winds.  We walk on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace. As we are climbing up the hill we can see Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse mountains. The view from the summit is outstanding. We can see the world’s tallest mountain Everest along other mighty Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit of Kala Patthar, we walk back to Gorak Shep which is relatively easier than hiking up to Kala Patthar.

Trekkers who visit the Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast as the hike up to the Everest base camp takes longer than the hike to Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both the groups will have lunch together. After lunch, we descend to Pheriche to spend the night. Overnight in Pheriche.

Day 13: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m/11,280 ft): 20km, 6 - 7 hours

We lose approximately 2,000 feet in elevation today and walk on a trail with a lot of ups and downs. We descend through a hillside filled with rhododendron and juniper trees and cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. We descend rapidly through pine forest where we can easily spot mountains goats, pheasants and other wild animals and birds common to the area. The path eventually reaches Sansa from where we can enjoy views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse mountains. We walk on winding trails followed by another walk through a forest before reaching Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Day 14: Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,860m/9,186ft): 19km, 6 - 7 hours

We begin our trek to Namche Bazaar today on rocky terrain.  It is mostly a downhill trek on a trail alongside the Dudh Koshi River. We cross several suspension bridges, pass by several monasteries and villages before reaching Lukla. After reaching Lukla we spend the rest of the day taking rest as today will be our last day on the mountains. Overnight in Lukla.

Day 15: Fly to Kathmandu

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 16: Final departure

Our adventure in Nepal ends today. A Rupakot Holidays representative will drop us off at the Tribhuwan International Airport a few hours before the scheduled flight.

Accommodation

A ‘TH [Teahouse Lodge] is a term used for sleeping in teahouse lodges on the trails. These teahouses are pretty basic but provide all the comforts that you would expect when hiking in remote conditions, they are cosy and warm – you’d like the homely environment. We crash out in single rooms wherever available, but often times we sometimes have to adapt to sleeping out in dormitory type rooms for a night. Generally, it’s just a bed with a pillow and blankets. It’s a matter of choice, if you want, you bring your own ‘Air pillow’ and freak out anyways, and this is an adventure in the wild…the rougher it gets the better. We accommodate our trek groups in local lodges available each day. Our porters hike ahead of us to book the required rooms for the group (rooms cannot be booked in advance). Please note, that some of them are very basic and a spirit of adventure is the call of the day. It is cheaper to stay in lodges rather than organizing a camping trek.

We have a pool of hotels in Kathmandu under 3 Star categories which we provide to clients in connection with this itinerary unless it is mentioned otherwise or clients have a special choice. You can check on the description of such hotels through our website. Accommodation is never a problem, the choice exclusively yours.

Dining 

At ‘Rupakot Holidays’ – it's zero tolerance on cutting of cost when it comes down to feeding our trekking guests because we know how tough it is on the trails; we ensure that the lodges provide three tasty, bountiful and nutritious meals daily with a variety of local and Western dishes. To start the day, breakfast is ‘king size’ [the first meal of the day] consisting of a choice of porridge, muesli and cereals followed by omelette, fried or scrambled eggs with chapattis or bread. Lunch is generally a selection of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta and traditional bread.
 
After a lengthy gritty day on the trail, dinner is a hearty 3-course meal - soup, followed by a variety of vegetables, meat, rice and pasta dishes completed with a simple dessert. Don’t be surprised if the delectable ‘apple pie’ lands on your plate, it’s literally ‘yummy’’, even better than the ones you come across in Thamel. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are also provided at all meals. We use as much fresh produce as possible and special diets are regularly catered for. The local trek leaders are able to maintain very tight controls on health and hygiene in the kitchen with respect to general cleanliness and food preparation and also within the group with respect to personal hygiene. This has allowed us to maintain extremely high standards of health over many years of planning treks - and good health is vital to an enjoyable and successful trek and climb. All foods are well cooked and vegetables are treated by potassium permanganate or iodine. Boiled water is served for drinking. Antiseptic soaps and potassium or iodine treated water are provided for washing. Special dietary requirements can always be catered for. ‘Gluttony is a sin’ but there are no restrictions on the grub we serve to our guests on the mountains; we leave it up to our trekking guests who are the best judge of their own appetites…Bon Appétit!

The best time to visit for a trip of this kind would be in the Spring and Autumn.  It is wonderful during this time of the year when overall beauties of the landscapes found in these trips are so distinct & stunning, due to clear weather pattern & sunny blue skies. Our program could be changed to accommodate individual group choices and preferences in order to give you proper holidays that become signature ventures for a lifetime.

Cost Inclusion

• 3N Hotel accommodation on twin sharing basis at KTM on BB plan 
• 12N hotel accommodation  on tea houses / lodge in the trail                     
• One English speaking guide 
• Porter (1Porter for 2Pax)
• 3 meals (Breakfast, Lunch & dinner) everyday during Trekking 
• National park fees
• TIMS (Trekkers’ information management system) Card
• Airport pick up and drop (international & domestic)
• All ground transfer as per itinerary 
• KTM-LUK-KTM Domestic air tickets 

Cost Exclusion

• Nepal Visa Fee
• Drinks and Bar Menu
• Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu 
• Telephone, laundry and Personal expenses
• Any accidental and emergency support (if any)
• Driver and guide tips
• Emergency Evacuation
• Domestic and International Air Tickets
• Extra activities and expenses other than above itinerary

NOTE: If there will be any changes in the schedule due to a natural disaster (force majeure), Rupakot Holiday will not be responsible for any extra expenses incurred.