Everest Base Camp
The classic walk to the foot of the world's highest mountain — Sherpa villages, suspension bridges, the Khumbu glacier.
The walk to the roof of the world
The Everest Base Camp trek is the one that put Nepal on the trekking map. It's also the one most people get wrong — rushed itineraries, big groups, and acclimatisation schedules optimised for tour-operator margins instead of your body.
Our Base Camp trek takes 14 days: long enough to acclimatise properly (two scheduled rest days, plus altitude-sleep-low at every stage), short enough to keep two weeks of holiday in play. You walk with a private guide and one porter per two trekkers — no large group, no rotating staff.
What makes our version different
- Sherpa-led, every day. Your guide grew up in the Khumbu. They know the lodge owners by name, the alternate routes when the main trail is icy, and the early signs of altitude sickness in their guests.
- Acclimatisation, not box-ticking. Two true rest days at Namche (3,440 m) and Dingboche (4,410 m). Daily oxygen-saturation checks from 3,500 m up. We sleep at Gorak Shep (5,180 m) only one night — descending immediately after the Kala Patthar sunrise.
- Hand-picked teahouses. We skip the largest, most-trafficked lodges in favour of family-run places where the food is hotter and the rooms are quieter.
- A buffer day for Lukla weather. Built into the itinerary, not bolted on. If the flight goes on time, you get a free day in Kathmandu at the end. If it's delayed, the trek still works.
When to go
Two seasons. Late September through November is the post-monsoon window — clear skies, cool air, the busiest months. March through May is the pre-monsoon window — slightly hazier visibility but rhododendron forest in bloom on the lower trail. Avoid June through early September (monsoon) and December through February (very cold; Lukla flights frequently delayed).
A note on altitude
Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres. Everyone feels altitude differently — fitness is not a reliable predictor. Our itinerary is one of the more conservative on the Khumbu, and 96% of our guests reach Base Camp on the first attempt. The 4% who don't are usually slowed by something we caught early during a daily SpO₂ check; we extend the schedule or descend to acclimatise further. Reaching Base Camp matters. Reaching Base Camp safely matters more.
14 days, step by step.
Every distance, lodge and rest day is adjustable to your pace. This is the starting sketch.
Airport pickup, transfer to a heritage hotel in Thamel, evening welcome briefing with your guide.
OVERNIGHT · KATHMANDUMorning gear check with your guide, afternoon visit to Boudhanath stupa and a traditional Newari lunch.
OVERNIGHT · KATHMANDUEarly flight into Lukla (2,860 m), then a gentle 3-hour walk along the Dudh Koshi river to Phakding.
OVERNIGHT · PHAKDINGCross the famous Hillary suspension bridge, then a steep climb through pine forest into the Sherpa capital.
OVERNIGHT · NAMCHE BAZAARHike up to the Everest View Hotel for a first sight of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, then descend to sleep low.
OVERNIGHT · NAMCHE BAZAARWalk above the Imja valley to the spiritual heart of the Khumbu — Tengboche monastery — for evening prayers.
OVERNIGHT · TENGBOCHEAbove the treeline now. Cross the Imja Khola, climb to a wide plateau ringed by 6,000-metre peaks.
OVERNIGHT · DINGBOCHEOptional climb of Nangkartshang peak (5,083 m) for a closer look at Makalu.
OVERNIGHT · DINGBOCHEPast the memorial chortens for climbers lost on Everest, onto the Khumbu glacier moraine.
OVERNIGHT · LOBUCHEThe big day. Push to Gorak Shep, drop bags, and walk onto the glacier to Base Camp itself (5,364 m). Return to Gorak Shep to sleep.
OVERNIGHT · GORAK SHEPPre-dawn climb of Kala Patthar (5,545 m) for the iconic Everest sunrise, then a long descent to thicker air at Pheriche.
OVERNIGHT · PHERICHEA long but gentle downhill day back into the forest.
OVERNIGHT · NAMCHE BAZAARFinal descent to Lukla, hot showers, and a celebration dinner with the team.
OVERNIGHT · LUKLAMorning flight back to Kathmandu, transfer to airport for international departure (or extend with a Pokhara add-on).
Transparent line items, no surprises.
- Private licensed UIAGM-trained guide for the full trek
- 1 porter per 2 trekkers (luggage to 12 kg)
- All TIMS card and Sagarmatha National Park permits
- Round-trip Kathmandu–Lukla flights
- All teahouse accommodation on the trail (private room where available)
- All meals on the trail (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- 2 nights heritage hotel in Kathmandu (B&B)
- Daily oxygen-saturation checks above 3,500 m
- Comprehensive first-aid kit + satellite communicator
- Airport pickup and drop-off
- International flights to/from Kathmandu
- Nepal entry visa (USD 50 on arrival, 30 days)
- Travel insurance with high-altitude trekking + helicopter evacuation
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
- Personal trekking gear (boots, down jacket — rentals available)
- Tips for guides and porters (suggested USD 12/day total)
- Extra nights in Kathmandu due to flight delays
- Drinks (alcoholic and bottled) on the trail
Frames from the route, not stock.
Tap any photo for the full frame. All shots taken by our guides on past departures.
A walk through Khumbu.
Topographic profile across 14 days. Rest days appear as plateaus; summit days as peaks. Every line is on foot.
Pick a date, or set your own.
All departures are private — you and your group only. Past dates are filtered out automatically.
Walk the Everest Base Camp with us.
Tell us your dates and we'll draft a custom itinerary within 48 hours — written by hand, not by template. No card needed to start.
