Everest Base Camp trek is the best among all treks. Its name alone draws the imagination of thousands of trekkers nationally and internationally. The towering peaks of this region such as Everest, Nuptse, Thamserku, etc elevates the beauty of the surrounding villages. The challenges of hiking to Everest Base Camp make every outdoor enthusiast want to test their fitness. And the joy of finally making it to the Base Camp is unparalleled.
Ever since Tenzing and Hillary’s duo did what was thought to be impossible- i.e. climbing Everest- a lot of mountaineers flooded to the Everest region. And this opened the region commercially. And with good access to trekking trails and the ability of people to stay in cozy houses along the way, Everest Base Camp embraces not only mountaineers but also a lot of trekking enthusiasts each year.
With modern housing in commercial hotspots such as Lukla, Namche Bazaar, and Khumjung, stays during the Everest base camp trekking are warm. The food that is served along the way has a lot of varieties too, ranging from traditional Nepali dishes to Tibetan-styled breakfasts and lunches. There are a lot of coffee shops and bakeries that have opened in various villages. The availability of world-class hotels such as Hotel Everest View makes the range of food even greater.
There also are various monasteries along the way- the centers that give you glimpses of how good the culture and tradition of the places along the way are. As there are virtually no transport facilities (besides air transport) in the Everest base camp trek region, the air here is pristine. The silences you experience along the way and the astonishing beauty of the stars that shine in their majesty are often discounted.
All of the wonderful scenery, picturesque villages, fresh air and water, and staggering mountain views add up to make the 14 days Everest base camp trek an unmissable place to visit during your lifetime.
Why book Everest Base Camp Trek with Sublime Trails
- We have an all-inclusive package where you should only pay for your bar and cola bills during your trek
- We have some of the very best trekking guides in the country. They are Motivated, extremely friendly, quality speakers, professional, informative, and have a good sense of humor.
- In case of bad weather in Lukla, we offer to bear 50% of the helicopter cost while you pay only 50%.
- Our treks are free of the hassle of petty cash: Hot drinks, Purified drinking water, 2 liters of hot water a day, battery charges, Shower, internet and things are included with our price. ( When you buy a cheaper package you will still have to pay for this and cost you even more than what you expect. )
- We apply all of the safety measures: we will have an oximeter, first aid kit, proper risk assessment information on the pre-trip briefing, proper acclimatization, and hygienic food.
- We offer a Carbon offset trek.
- Our company focuses on having local people as our employees which benefits the region financially.
- Since your safety is our priority, we provide extra days for acclimatization.
Everest Base Camp Trek 14 Days
Who hasn’t heard of Mount Everest and the Everest Base Camp Trek? Scaling Everest is the dream of many. For the rest of us, trekking to base camp is a more achievable goal! With a good level of fitness and a big pinch of determination, Everest Base Camp is within your reach with Sublime Trails.
Are the Views Really as Spectacular as I Have Heard?
Yes, The views of Everest and surrounding mountains from Kala Patthar are perhaps even more spectacular than those of base camp and other camps on the mountain.
Iconic Stories and Famous Places The Everest base camp Trek starts with a breathtaking flight from Kathmandu to Lukla - one of the highest airports in the world. And then you are off on your Everest Base Camp hike through Sagarmatha National Park and on to the famous market town of Namche Bazaar. Visit the monastery at Tengboche where the monks will welcome you to participate in a Buddhist ritual and where the surrounding mountains entice you to believe in the power of nature.
The Beauty of Nature
The lower areas of the trek to Everest Base Camp are lush green forests and farmlands. As we go higher the landscape changes to more rugged trails and rocky moraine. The beauty of icefalls, snowy peaks and glaciers will astound you. Kala Patthar is The place to view Mount Everest. Much more so than Everest Base Camp itself. While the base camp is the ultimate destination for trekkers to see (a little in the distance) mountaineers preparing to scale the world’s highest mountain, it is at Kala Patthar that trekkers get the most wonderful views of this majestic mountain. Watching the sunrise over the Himalayas from this viewpoint is one of the main highlights of this trek.
What Should I Expect?
Aside from the mountains, glaciers, icefalls, scenery, and culture mentioned above, you may experience a spiritual awakening or inward serenity. Definitely, you will experience tired muscles - but with a sense of achievement. The lodges on the trail are pretty good and the food is great so your body can rest and recover each evening. Our guides are knowledgeable and will provide you with all the information you need about the mountains and surroundings. Read on for highlights of the trip and full details of this 14 days Everest Base Camp Trek.
Everest Base Camp Trek Highlights
- Experience a flight to the most thrilling airport in the world- Lukla Airport
- World’s highest airport at Syangboche (3,780m / 12.402ft)
- You will tour the sacred sites of ancient Kathmandu valley
- Walk past the beautiful, narrow mountain trails along historically and culturally rich stupas of the legendary Khumbu Valley.
- Explore Sagarmatha National Park
- Panoramic Views of Mt. Lhotse(8,516m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), and Mt. Makalu (8,463m) from Kala Patthar
- Trekking to an ancient monastery in Tengboche (3,867m / 12,687ft)
- Visit the highest glacier on Earth- Khumbu Glacier (4,900 m)
Everest Base Camp Trek Guides and Porter
Although the Everest Base Camp trek can be done independently, without a guide, we, at Sublime Trails, have the best of guides for you. This is because the trek brings about challenges that can be unforeseen- ranging from altitude sickness to falls and cramps during treks and losing your way amidst the thick forests. And without proper resources and the ability to manage those situations, treks can turn into nightmares. That is exactly what the guides will take care of.
Besides, you would also want some insight into the rich history, religious traditions, and cultural practices of the various places you will travel to. The guides of Sublime Trails are well-versed in these matters. So they will always be there to answer any of your queries regarding these matters.
Porters are also quite important to make sure that the weight of your backpack at the Everest Base Camp doesn’t strain you. Especially when you have a group with you, you might want to shed off the heavy load that you might be bringing for the trek. This means that there will be fewer chances of being fatigued and physically drained- which are the major reasons why people suffer from altitude sickness.
All-inclusive Everest Base Camp Trek Package
The package for the Everest Base Camp trek by Sublime Trails is all inclusive i.e. it covers the various hidden charges that you might be unaware of when you're trekking with others. You might be tempted to jump into various Everest Base Camp Trek packages from other companies that are quite cheap in comparison.
But those cheaper trek packages are where you might be paying for hot showers, internet, charging your devices etc. But with Sublime Trails, we get rid of paying petty cash for these things which makes your trek hassle-free. There are also times when you might end up paying for hot water that you drink or even for normal water. But when you are with us, you can forget about such worries.
There might be times when you might want to buy heavy chocolate bars in order to boost your strength when you are physically exhausted. We don’t cover those expenses though. We cover the expenses of meals i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but any other extra food that you might want to consume such as energy drinks or power snacks is not covered.
But we don’t charge you for any other petty expenses like the aforementioned ones that are a part of trekking in the terrain of the Himalayas.
Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
The Everest Base Camp trek starts after your flight to Lukla. This flight is one of the most staggering ones that you can take. Lukla’s unique landscape and the airport itself will take your breath away.
After Lukla, we head out to Namche Bazaar from Phakding. The journey to Namche from Lukla will take you 2 days and we also ask you to acclimatize for a whole day after you reach Namche. Without proper acclimatization, it would be impossible to complete the trek as you’ll feel dizzy, fatigued, and exhausted throughout the trek.
From Namche Bazaar through Tengboche monastery, we go all the way to Dingboche, which is our next stop for acclimatization. But even during our acclimatization days, we take you to surrounding peaks and villages so that your body gets a proper amount of physical exercise. After reaching the Base Camp, we take the journey back home retracing the path we took to the Base Camp.
But this is the standard 14 days trek itinerary. There are also alternatives to this itinerary. If there is a flight delay, we might also stretch it to 15 days. As the weather in Lukla is really dynamic, some flights which are about to land at the Lukla airport return for a stoppage to Phaplu or retrace back to Kathmandu.
Also depending on your fitness, we can curtail the number of days it takes to get to the Base Camp to 10 days. This itinerary might skip some days you spend for acclimatization. Besides, we also have the option of completing the EBC trek in 7 days. In this case, you will be taking a chopper back to Kathmandu from Kala Patthar.
We also offer you to get to the Everest Base Camp in a tour rather than a trek if you have the busiest of schedules. This involves trekking to Namche Bazaar and then taking a chopper to Kala Patthar and back. This tour will take 5 days in total.
But if you are willing to explore the Himalayas of the Everest region deeply, then you can also choose to go to the Everest Base Camp trek along with Gokyo lakes and reach the Chola Pass. This will take 17 days in total. The most challenging of all the treks in the Everest region would be the Everest 3 passes trekwhich will take you to places such as Chhukung, Kong-ma La, and Dragnag while also offering you the chance to visit the pristine Gokyo valley and Kala Patthar. All in all, the trek will take 20 days in total.
Fixed Departure Everest Base Camp Trek
At Sublime Trails, we organize a fixed departure Everest base camp trek with groups joining on specific dates. The greatest advantage of joining a group is that you can be with like-minded people. Our group has 2-16 people in a group. We take a guaranteed departure for the trek when we accept the booking from the people.
The fixed departure trek is cheaper as well. This has got to do with the fact that we can share guides and porters with the rest of the group. This reduces the costs of the trek to the Everest Base Camp.
As the name itself suggests, a fixed departure trek leaves at a designated time as soon as a group is complete. You can give us the details of how many people would want to join the group and we will include you there. The ability to join this trek with others makes it possible for you to unite with people of different nationalities. This will give you a unique outlook on travel and trekking.
Private Group for Everest Base Camp Trek
For all the trekkers with a fixed number of people, we operate the private trek to Everest base camp. The private group can be among friends, family members, corporate houses, like-minded people from sports clubs, colleagues, etc. If you are a solo trekker then we also consider it as a private Everest base camp trek, We also receive a booking for solo trekkers who want to be free from other trekkers.
All you need to do is let us know when you would want to leave for the trek. Unlike the fixed departure trek, the Private Group for Everest Base Camp Trek will start when you would want. You can also choose the people who would accompany you during the trek- whether it be your close-knit circle of friends and family or with your friends.
You have a say over what sort of people you want during your trek or when you want to embark on your journey. This gives you the maximum amount of comfort of being with the closest people you want to trek with.
Lodges and Meals on Everest Base Camp Trek
In all the lodges where we house you during your Everest Base Camp trek, we ensure that the lodges are as good as they can get. They are properly insulated and have facilities of chimneys in the dining room- all of which ensure that your stays are warm. With the cold that is there during the morning and evenings, you stay in the various places at Everest Base Camp, it is important that you stay in well-insulated lodges.
Further, these lodges are the ones where you have warm and cozy blankets. This ensures that you sleep well for nights during the trek. And without proper sleep, the chances of altitude sickness are also high. One of the risks of going for an independent trek to Everest Base Camp or choosing a cheap trek package is that you might run into lodges that have substandard stays. They might be lodges with leaky rooftops and worn-out blankets that make your stay uncomfortable.
We also ensure that you eat a healthy diet during your trek which is why we serve the traditional Nepali meal. Traditional Nepali meal- Dal Bhat gives you a mixture of carbohydrates that you get from “Bhaat”. This provides you with a short energy burst. And “Dal” gives you the right amount of protein which keeps you going the long way.
We also ensure that the food we serve is as local as possible. This reduces the environmental strain of transporting goods from one place to another. Transportation of food from one region of the world to the Everest Base Camp also leads to burning a lot of fuel. You also might want to stray away from that using products that are locally grown.
Best Season for Everest Base Camp Trek
The Best season for the Everest Base Camp trek depends upon which of the various trekking routes you want to take. If you are simply trekking to EBC, then you might want to go there either in the spring season or in the autumn. These two seasons are where you would see a maximum number of trekkers and mountaineers.
But if you are looking for a more tranquil trek, winter is the season for you. If you trek there in the peak winters, it might be tough due to the extreme cold you might experience. But if you are someone with a healthy experience of trekking in cold climates, early winters when the trekking traffic has died down might be the best option for you.
Besides, some people also like to complete Everest Base Camp trek, partially doing the trek and then taking a helicopter. If that is the case, then you can trek to Namche Bazaar or Hotel Everest View, and then take the chopper to either the Base Camp or Gokyo lakes. As long as the weather is scenic and the visibility is not an issue, you can complete this journey all year round.
If you want to complete the more rigorous treks such as the 3 passes trek in this region, you might avoid the winter season because the snowfall can be quite heavy at times. In the summer, which is a season when the monsoon rain falls, the tracks in snow-covered areas are quite slippery at times.
But with caution, proper trekking gear, and plenty of experience, you can do it in summer as well. But poor visibility of the mountains in this season means that you might have to spend an extra day or two to get the views of the mountains that you might be looking for.
How is The Flight From Kathmandu to Lukla and Return
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is often dubbed as one of the most mesmerizing experiences that any person taking a flight can have. Often bringing out great gasps from the passengers, the flight to Lukla is one of the most scenic.
We provide regular plane flights when the weather is good. If the weather is bad then we provide helicopter flights with an extra cost of 250$ per passenger. The cost of the flight is 500$ from the company. We top up the rest from our company's flight delay insurance for our passengers.
If you are looking to avoid this flight to cut off your carbon footprints, we can also arrange a bus service to Jiri and then trek to Everest Base Camp. There are alternatives to starting your trek from Jiri as well. The same is also true for your return. But if you are looking for alternatives to a Lukla flight, you should keep in mind that your travel will extend by a week or possibly more.
The Following Things You Should Know Before Going to Everest Base Camp Trek
Can you trek to Everest base camp on your own?
As we’ve enumerated before, it is something that you can do but we don’t advise it. There have been a number of trekkers who have lost their way during the Everest base camp trek and lost their lives. Besides, there are also possibilities of avalanches or landslides. These are situations that we wish never to befall any trekker. But we encourage you to take the worst-case scenario into consideration as well.
So a guide will provide you with a sense of relaxation during the trek as he will be there for you in the worst of times. Our guides also carry a first-aid kit with them which you can use when you need it. Besides, there might be times when you feel like giving up on the long and arduous trek to Everest Base Camp. A guide will constantly motivate you to complete the trek. He will also be someone you can converse with during some boredom you might experience during your trek.
How long does the Everest base camp Trek take?
The Everest Base Camp trek takes anywhere from a week to a month to complete. And this depends upon the number of places you want to cover during the trek. Also, you might want to factor in the transport you are looking to take during the trek.
If you want to complete the classic Everest base camp trek without the flight to Lukla, this can take you around 21 days. The regular Everest base camp trek takes 14 days but If someone wants to complete the EBC trek with a visit to Gokyo lake, it might take a few more days than the 14 days.
If you want to go to the Everest Base Camp trekking and then take a chopper while returning, the number of days that you will be journeying in will be cut in half. If you want to complete the 3 passes trek in addition to the Base Camp, your trek is likely to be physically demanding and also in terms of the number of days you spend.
How far you will go to Everest base camp?
The highest altitude that you will trek to during the Everest base camp trek is 5,364m, but this is not the highest altitude you will trek to. The highest place during your trek will be Kala Patthar. It is at an altitude of 5,545–5,550 m. There are some sources that claim that the altitude of Kala Patthar is as much as 5600 meters.
But you should keep in mind that these measurements are the ones from the Everest Base Camp in Nepal which is often referred to as the Southern Base Camp. There is also the northern Base Camp which is located in Tibet. The northern Base Camp has an altitude of 5150 meters.
How hard is Everest Base Camp Trek?
Everest Base Camp trek is not the easiest of the treks and nor is it the most difficult. The greatest challenge that you will face is whether your body will adapt to the altitude gradient. The first flight to Lukla will take you to around 2800 meters which is twice the altitude of Kathmandu. Such steep gradient shifts might cause problems if you don’t acclimatize properly.
Besides, there’s also the question of your experience. If you are used to trekking to relatively high altitudes of around 3000 meters, this might not be the most difficult of treks. And even if you have no experience, you might want to train yourself physically and get in shape to make the most of this trek.
When can you trek to Everest Base Camp?
Needless to say, you can trek to Everest Base Camp any time. But there are seasons when the cold might be too heavy or the rain can make trekking dangerous. So you need to be watchful of those seasons. You can look out for the best season to trek to Everest Base Camp. These are generally the months of spring (April/ May) and autumn (October/ November).
If you’re looking to trek during off-seasons, this might free you up from the trekking traffic. Especially, if you are someone who likes solitude, trekking during the winter is an option. But there might be some snowfall during this season. You have to prepare for this with better trekking gear.
Although you might have some recommendations to complete the trek in the summer season, the poor visibility and high chances of flight cancellation during this season are two of the biggest obstructions to enjoying the beauty of the Everest Base Camp.
How much does it cost to trek to Everest base camp?
Whether you want your Everest base camp trek to be luxurious or not depends upon you. And this also means that there is a range of costs to the Everest Base Camp rather than a fixed number. The cheapest of all is the budget trek to the Everest Base Camp which starts from US$ 1100. The Everest Base Camp fixed departure trek, which involves trekking with a particular group, is a tad costlier than that.
It goes without saying that the higher the number of days you take to trek to the Everest base Camp, the cost increases. This has got to do with the fact that the higher the number of days you spend, the greater the expenses for lodging, fooding, and other miscellaneous expenses you might have. For instance, the Everest Base Camp Mani Rimdu Festival trek is 16 days long and costs more than the regular EBC trek. During this festival, we spend 3 days at EBC observing the festival which makes it a higher cost.
The high pass trek to the Everest Base Camp is 20 days long and costs a tad higher. But if you are looking to make use of the facilities of a Helicopter to the Base Camp, this will cost even higher. The price depends upon how long you want to use the chopper services. And how many days you are willing to spend in the Everest region?
The most comfortable of all the treks to the Everest Base Camp is the Everest Base Camp Luxury Lodge Trek. Needless to say, this is the coziest of the treks and costs US$ 3500.
With Love from Us to You
- Use of sleeping bag and down jacket during the trek.
- Free Sublime Trails t-shirt and duffel bag for you to use and take home.
- Invisible check-in to lodges during the trek.
- Farewell, celebratory dinner.
Things To be Noted While Booking This Trip With Us
Our crew: We only employ fully trained and certified staff. Our guides are very knowledgeable and our porters and other staff are well cared for by Sublime Trails.
Accommodation: We use a three-star hotel in Kathmandu and the best available teahouses on the treks. It should be noted that in high season the demand on teahouses is high but we assure our clients of high standards of hygiene and friendliness! Hot water may not be available everywhere. Electricity to recharge your gadgets may not be available everywhere and where there is normally a small charge for this service. Please be understanding of the situation in these more remote areas.
Food: Many of the items trekkers won't need to be transported into remote regions. Therefore prices may be higher than in the cities for items such as snacks, chocolate, beer, etc. Please do not haggle with the shopkeepers or teahouse owners. Snacks that may not be available further up the trail can be bought in Namche Bazaar.
Transport: We will collect and drop you to the airport by car or van. Domestic flights are subject to delays due to the weather. Please be patient. On that note, please try to leave one or two days between arriving back by domestic flight and your international flight in case of delays.
Weather: This is something we have no control over! Please see the best time to visit the Everest base camp regarding the best months to visit the Everest Region. Weather is very changeable between Kathmandu and Lukla so flight delays do happen. We will do our best to rebook your flight. We do also offer a helicopter alternative (helicopters can often fly when fixed wings cannot).
What to bring: We will bring the best possible crew. You need only bring your sense of adventure! But seriously, we will prove you a sleeping bag and a down jacket but please bring warm clothes you can layer. Please wear your trekking boots for some time before coming to Nepal. Blisters hurt! You may also want to bring some kind of slippers or flip-flops to wear in the teahouses to rest your feet in the evenings. Don’t forget gloves, a hat, and sunscreen! You might want to bring extra batteries or a power pack for your phone, camera, etc.
Your preparations: A good level of fitness is required while trekking in the Himalayas. Particularly on the 14 days Everest Base Camp Trek. We suggest you prepare at home by working out in the gym, going on hikes, and looking after your general fitness and health. You will thank us later!