Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla
The infamous Lukla flight is also a part of the adventure of the Everest Base Camp Trek. Starting from Kathmandu, the thrilling ride gives you a bird’s eye view of Kathmandu Valley. Slowly, the mountains slowly start to appear. You will land in Tenzing-Hillary Airport, one of the world’s highest airports.
Food and Accommodation During the Everest Base Camp Trek 5 Days
While you stay at these mountainside villages, you will have meals made from local, fresh, farm-grown vegetables and dairy products. You can also try Yak cheese packed, which is also packed with nutrients. Simple and clean rooms provided by tea houses run by locals. They provide three meals which include dal bhat, fried rice, noodles, pasta, eggs, soups, bread, vegetable curry, etc. You can find almost any food item in villages near Lukla and Namche Bazaar but as you move further, you will have fewer choices. Any snack eaten during the trek should be carried by yourself from Kathmandu. There are few shops in early villages but it is more expensive to buy them there.
Sherpa Tradition and Culture
While you stay at tea houses, you will see that the Sherpa people practice a different way of life. They are mostly farmers, tea house owners, trekking guides, mountain climbers, and traders bringing goods to mountainous villages from other parts of the country. The local people are humble, resilient, kind, and seemingly immune to the high altitude and extreme cold. By staying among them for several days, you will gain insight into their unique lifestyle.
Sagarmatha National Park
After Monjo, you will enter the area of Sagarmatha National Park. You will witness the diversity in flora and fauna while trekking in this area. You will see oak, pine and rhododendron forests. If you get lucky, you may also catch glimpses of animals like musk deer, snow leopards, Himalayan black bear, red panda, and more. The sounds of birds chirping and rivers flowing will soothe your ears. This national park is also home to the highest mountain Everest and several other mountains higher than 7000 and 8000 meters.
Helicopter Ride and the Aerial View
In this trek, most of the distance people walk in regular Everest Base Camp trek is covered in a helicopter. After being picked from Namche in a helicopter, all you have to do is enjoy the scenic beauty from the top. You will get a 360-degree panorama of mountains, a bird’s eye view of villages, green forests, and Everest Base Camp itself. After enjoying the outstanding beauty you will head towards Kalapatthar again above the rugged terrain. During the helicopter flight, you will get views of great mountains like Mt. Pumori (7,156m), Mt. Nuptse (7,864m), Mt. Lhotse (8513m), and Mt Cho Oyu (8,153m).
Everest View Hotel and Kalapatthar
Everest View Hotel is the first viewpoint from where you can catch beautiful views of mountains like Everest, Lhotse, Pumori, Nuptse, etc. Another viewpoint, Kalapatthar, is the best place to see Mount Everest. During the helicopter ride, you will only land at Kalapatthar before returning to Kathmandu. That’s because Kalapatthar is the main highlight of Everest Base Camp Trek. It is a famous activity to go to Kalapatthar for a magnificent sunrise view over Mount Everest and adjacent peaks. You will also get an amazing view of Khumbu Glacier and Khumbu Icefall.
Safety and Security
Everest Base Camp tour runs for five days. The most altitude you'll gain is 3,880 metres at Hotel Everest View in Syangboche.
From the perspective of safety and security, this trip is the most secure and safe in the Everest region. There is no risk of altitude sickness on this trip. Hence, you can hike with your teens and elderly loved ones safely.
Second, the Kathmandu to Lukla flight is safe. Even though the runway is short and classified as dangerous, the experienced Nepali pilots land the aircraft swiftly.
Further, your trek guide and porter will be with you throughout this trip, ensuring your 100% safety.
Baggage and weight limit
Everest Base Camp tour for five days is short trekking to the Everest region. You'll hike to Namche Bazar and climb to Everest View Hotel for acclimatisation and to view Everest and other mountains.
This tour doesn't require a heavy backpack and trekking gear. Hence, you can complete this tour with a light to medium light bag. You can carry a load of around 5,6 kg.
In this way, you can save the cost of hiring a porter. But, if your backpack becomes heavy and you find it difficult to hike, you may need a porter. At such times, the cost of porter adds on.
If you book this trip with us, we'll offer a porter for you, including the payment you make for the package.
Similarly, airline companies allow trekkers to carry 15kg and 10 kg in backpacks and 5 kg on hand carry.
Weather and Climate
Autumn and Spring, from March to May and September to November, are the best time in the year for a five days Everest Base Camp tour.
You'll view Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku, Kongde, Kusum Kanguru, Tawoche, Kantega, and Khumbila from the Everest View Hotel. For this, the weather has to be stable and ideal for viewing.
On a clear weather day, the view of these mountains steals your heart. Without trekking to Everest Base Camp, you'll be amazed at these mountains.
Autumn's temperature averages 18 degrees, an ideal daytime temperature for an effortless hike. Also, a nighttime temperature of 4 degrees won't be an issue. You'll be accommodated at the best tea house with warm blankets and decent beds.
In Spring, the temperature becomes ideal for a day hike. The main benefit of Everest trekking in Spring is a rain-free day. Daytime temperature averages around 17 degrees, and nighttime averages around freezing point.
Everest Base Camp Tour Difficulty
Five days tour on the Everest Base Camp trek route takes you to Lukla, Phakding, Monjo, Namche Bazar, and Hotel Everest View.
The trekking trails to Namche Bazaar are well maintained and navigated. As a trekker, you won't have any issues hiking on the sublime trails till Namche. Anyone without prior trekking experience can also complete this tour successfully.
Altitude Sickness
The most altitude you'll reach on the Everest Base Camp tour is 3,880 metres in Hotel Everest View. There's a meagre chance of getting altitude sickness at this altitude.
We have been operating this tour for years, and on our record, every trekker has completed this trip without getting altitude sickness.
Physical Fitness requirements
Whether trekking to Everest Base Camp or till Namche, you must be physically fit. This tour involves multiple hiking days and 5-6 hours each day. Hence, you must be in ideal physical shape to maintain the pace without struggling.
For preparations, you can train cardio, do mini marathons, and do hikes. These exercises prepare you well for the tour.
Trekking route Elevation
There are several elevations along the Everest Base Camp tour itineraries. At 2,860 metres, Lukla is higher than Phakding (2,651 metres), Monjo (2,836 metres), Namche (3,440 metres), Khumjung (3,790 metres), and Hotel Everest View (3,880 metres).
You'll also get the option of a one day Everest Base Camp helicopter tour from Namche. Most trekkers on the Everest Base Camp tour to Namche prefer flying to base camp by helicopter because they get attracted to mountains as they see them from proximity.
Flight delays and transportation
Kathmandu to Lukla flight is the only quickest option to reach Lukla and start to trek. Spring and Autumn are the best times for Everest Base Camp Tour. We also run this trek package mainly in these months to avoid flight delays and cancellations.
But, sometimes, the flight gets delayed due to sudden weather changes. At such times, you have to wait at the airport for the flight to take off. On rare occasions, the unexpected rain for multiple days may cause flight cancellation. So to bear such, we request you to allocate one or two days as buffer days.
Permits for Everest Base Camp tour
There are two main permits for the Everest Base Camp trek and tour. Sagarmatha National Conservation Area Permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit are two mandated permits for foreign trekkers.
You can get Sagarmatha National Conservation Area Permit in Kathmandu and Monjo. However, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit is only available at Lukla. The combined cost of these permits is USD 50.
If you book this trip with us, we'll manage all required permits for this trek before you start the trek. The trek permits are all-inclusive in the Everest Base Camp Tour for five days package.
Guides and Porter Safety
We at Sublime Trails value our trek guides and porters equally as we value our happy customers, you. We commit 100% safety and security of our trek crews. Our trek guides come with health insurance, first aid knowledge, basic medication knowledge etc.
Since this trip is short, its risk factors are very low or absolute zero.
Respect ethnic cultures and values
Everest region is home to Sherpa, the well-known people in the climbing community. These people have a pre-dated history of culture, tradition, values, and lifestyle.
As a trekker on Everest, you must respect these people and their culture. Try not to harm monuments, artefacts, flora, and fauna. We at Sublime Trails promote Sustainable Trekking and request our valued clients who join this trip support our motto of contributing to sustainable trekking.
Tipping for the crew
At the end of this trip, you should tip the trek crew, including guides and porters. Your tip encourages them to continue delivering the best support for trekkers in the Everest region.
Trekkers usually tip guides and porters in Lukla before flying to Kathmandu. It includes the money and a happy meal. There's no recommended tip, but you must list at least 10% of the trek fee to guides and porters.
Backpack for Everest Base Camp Tour
This tour runs for just five days. Hence, you don't need to carry heavy backpacks. Plan your items as per necessity. Keeping the backpack medium-light will be best.
- Trekking boots, Trekking tracks
- Down jackets
- Hiking poles
- Caps, scarf
- Skincare products
- Mobile devices, camera, binoculars
Keeping the backpack light helps you to hike comfortably without carrying many loads.
