Everest Base Camp Trek is one of the most popular and rewarding treks of Nepal. It takes you to the foot of the highest mountain in the world. The trek is a great way to explore the heavenly landscapes of the Himalayan region such as snowcapped rocky mountains, glaciers, lakes, Morain valleys, deep valleys gorge, rivers, waterfall, etc.
There are many ways you can get to the Everest Base Camp. The distance varies with the trail you choose to take. We will be here discussing the major and most popular route we take. You will cover approximately 6-7 km distance on average while walking about 4/5 hours a day. However, the distance you can cover varies according to the time, place and situation.
There are many factors that affect the distance you cover in a single day. In the case of Everest Base Camp Trekking, you have to trek on high altitudes for several days. Thus, it becomes a major issue while trekking. You need to optimize the distance you cover according to the altitude you are trekking in order to avoid altitude sickness. The higher you go, the lesser the distance you cover becomes.
Other factors that determine the distance you cover during the Mt. Everest Base Camp trek are your physical strength, nature of the trail, weather conditions, etc. As the trek to Everest Base Camp is considered to be strenuous, you need to be extra careful while trekking. Rushing through the trail might be exhausting which keeps you from enjoying the amazing view of the surrounding. You need to keep your pace almost constant or rather relaxing as you have to walk for many days.
If your body shows any sign of altitude sickness, you need to take a rest to acclimatize your body or try to minimize the distance you cover. Walking for only a few hours a day and enjoying the heavenly landscapes, interacting with local people, and exploring their culture is the best way to make your trip great.
Everest Base Camp Trek Route
Among the many ways that lead to Everest Base Camp, 13 days Everest Base Camp Trekking Package is the most popular one. However, all trekkings start from Lukla after the plane flight from Kathmandu to Lukla.
Starting from Lukla, the trail passes through Phakding, Namchebajar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche Gorakshep, and finally to the Everest Base Camp. While returning back you can follow the same route as before or take a slightly different route to get to Namche. While taking a different route, you will have to cross Pheriche and Phrotse from Gorakshep instead of Lobuche, Tengboche, and Dingboche. From Namche bazaar, you again follow the previous route to come back to Lukla and where the trekking route ends.
You can reach one station to another within a few hours. You will then take a rest and explore the rest of the village of the day as you take it slow and steady. However, you can cross more distance while returning back as it is relatively easy to walk downhill and the altitude does not become an issue. It takes almost 9 days to get to Everest Base Camp from Lukla among which 2 days will be acclimatization days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche to adapt your body to the high altitudes. While returning back, it only takes 4 days to get to Lukla.
While walking an uphill trail or climbing thousands of steps in Ulleri, one must proceed slowly and steadily. More distances can be covered in a short time while passing through some early villages, easy terrains, and downhill trails. Let’s see how much distance is covered each day of this trek.
[Note: You can check the map of the area for a better understanding of the trek route you will be followong]
Everest Base Camp Trek Altitude and Distance
In the classic Everest Base Camp Trek route, you will be covering a total of 135 km distance during the round trip starting from Lula. Here are the details of the distance that can be covered in each day while having Everest Base Camp Trekking.
Lukla to Phakding
Trekking starts from Lukla which lies at the altitude of 9100 ft/2800 m. You will have a relaxing and easy walk along almost flat terrain. You will cover about 7.6 m distance but won't gain any altitude. In fact, you will reach Phakding (8563 ft/2610) which is at a lower altitude than Lukla. It takes about 3 hours approximately to complete the trek.
Phakding to Namche
From Phakding you will have to ascend upward to get to Namche Bazaar. Phakding being at the altitude of 8563 ft/2610 and Namche Bazaar at 11290 ft/ 3440 m, you will have gained the altitude of 2727ft/830 m when you reach Namche Bazaar. You will cover a distance of 7.4 km and it takes about 4-5 hours to complete the trek. Next day you will be acclimatization day at Namche so you will not trek any further. However, you will have small hikes around nearby places.
Namche to Tengboche
From Namche, you will reach Dingboche on this day which is at the elevation of 12,687 ft/3867 m. Thus you will have gained the elevation of 1397 ft / 427 m. You will cover a distance of 9.2 Km and it takes about 4-5 hours to complete the trek. You will spend the rest of the night and day at Tengboche.
Tengboche to Dingboche
From Tengboche, you will trek to Dingboche which is at an elevation of 14469 ft / 4410 m. You will gain an elevation of 1,772 ft / 540 m when you reach Dingboche. You cover a distance of 10.8 Km and it takes about 4 hours to complete the trek. You will stay overnight at Dingboche. The next day also will be an acclimatization day at Dingboche. Thus you will not cover any distance or gain altitude. However, you will hike to the nearby ridges and come back to Dingboche to spend the night.
Dingboche to Lobuche
You will then head towards Lobuche from Dingboche which is at the elevation of 16142 ft / 4920 m. You will have gained an altitude of 1673 ft/ 510 m. You will cover a distance of 6.6 Km and it takes about 4-5 hours to complete the trek.
Lobuche to Gorakshep
From Lobuche, you will trek to Gorakshep which is at an elevation of 16863 ft / 5140 m. You will have gained an altitude of 721 ft / 220 m. You will cover a distance of 43 km and it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the trek.
Gorakshep to EBC and back to Gorakshep
You will finally reach the Everest Base Camp from Gorak Shep which is at the altitude of 17598 ft / 5364 mm. You will have gained an altitude of 735 ft / 224 m when you reach Everest Base Camp. Then you will get back to Gorakshep on the same day. It takes about 2-3 hours to ascend to Everest Base Camp and approximately 1.5 hours to return back to Gorakshep. You will cover a 3.5 km distance while trekking.
Gorakshep to Kalapaththar and Kalapatthar to Pheriche
On this day you will reach the highest elevation of your Everest Base Camp trekking journey which is Kalapathhar (18,209 ft / 5,550 m). You will have gained the elevation of 1246 ft/ 310. when you reach Kalapatthar. And you will cover a distance of 1,345 ft / 410 m. Then you will get back to Gorakshep. It takes about 3-4 hours to complete the round trip.
You will then descend to Pheriche from Gorakshep the same day which is at the elevation of 14340 ft/4,371 m. You will cover a distance of 9.8 m during the trek and it takes about 5-6 hours to complete the trek.
Pheriche to Phrotse
From Pheriche, you will trek to Phrotse which is at an elevation of 12500ft/3810 m. You will cover a distance of 19 km and it takes about 5-6 hours to complete the trek.
Phrotse to Namche
From Phrotse to Namche you will have covered a distance of 9.2 Km. It takes about 4-5 hours to complete the trek.
Final Thoughts
Everest Base Camp Trek if done properly can be a very rewarding and unforgettable experience. However, it is strenuous so you need to be physically fit to complete the trek. On the other hand, altitude sickness can be a major problem. So you need to keep your pace slow and steady and acclimatize properly to complete this trek properly.
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