Everest Base Camp Trek

An early start, and a short, spectacular flight. In peak season it leaves from Manthali in Ramechhap, a four to six hour drive from Kathmandu that begins between one and three in the morning; off-season we fly direct from Kathmandu to Lukla, at 2,840 m. From Lukla we walk a gentle three to four hours down the Dudh Koshi valley to Phakding. It is an easy first day on purpose, losing a little height to help us settle in.

Today we climb to Namche. We follow the river over a series of suspension bridges and enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, where permits are checked, then take on the long final climb, about 600 m of steady ascent. Namche Bazaar, at 3,440 m, sits in a natural amphitheatre and is the trading heart of the Khumbu. It is the busiest and best-supplied village on the route, and where the altitude begins to make itself felt.

The first of our two acclimatisation days, and one we never cut. We climb higher during the day and come back to sleep in Namche, which is how the body adapts to thinner air. The usual walk goes up toward the Everest View Hotel, around 3,880 m, for the first clear sight of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, then back down for the night. There is also time to visit Khumjung village and its monastery.

A classic Khumbu day, with Ama Dablam ahead of us for much of it. The trail contours above the river, drops to Phunki Tenga by the water, then climbs steadily through forest to Tengboche. Tengboche, at 3,860 m, holds the most important monastery in the region, set against a wall of high peaks. If the timing is right, we can sit quietly in on the afternoon prayers.

We leave the trees behind today. The trail descends through rhododendron forest to Deboche, crosses the Imja Khola and passes Pangboche, the last major village before the high country. Dingboche, at 4,410 m, sits among stone-walled fields below Ama Dablam and Lhotse. From here the landscape is alpine and open, and the altitude is real.

Our second acclimatisation day, and the most important one. We climb the ridge above the village, usually Nangkartshang toward 5,080 m, then come back down to sleep in Dingboche. This day shapes the rest of the trek. Going above 5,000 m and back is exactly the load the body needs before Base Camp, and it is when your guide watches your oxygen numbers most closely.

A demanding, sobering day. We climb to Thukla, then up the steep moraine to the memorial ridge, a line of stone cairns for those lost on Everest. Beyond the memorials the trail levels out along the Khumbu glacier moraine to Lobuche, at 4,940 m. The air is noticeably thin now, and we keep the pace deliberately slow.

This is the big day. We walk the rough glacier trail to Gorakshep at 5,140 m, leave our packs, and continue to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. It is long and hard, around seven hours on uneven moraine above 5,000 m, and then we return to Gorakshep for the night, the coldest and highest we will sleep. For most of us, this is the day we came for.

We climb in the dark to reach Kala Patthar at first light. At 5,545 m it is the highest point of the trek and the classic viewpoint for Everest, Nuptse and Pumori, the view this route is known for. After dropping back to Gorakshep we begin the long descent to Pheriche, at 4,200 m. Losing height quickly helps recovery, and the body feels the difference within hours.

Today we walk back into greener country. We retrace the valley through Tengboche and down to the Imja Khola, then climb back up to Namche. The air thickens with every hour and the walking gets easier. After the high camps, Namche feels wonderfully comfortable on the way down.

Our last full day on the trail. We retrace the Dudh Koshi valley and cross the suspension bridges back to Lukla, around six to seven hours with a few stings in the climbs. The evening in Lukla is the trek's natural close, usually shared with the guides and porters who walked every step with us.

A morning flight back to Kathmandu or Manthali, weather permitting. This is where the schedule slack matters: if weather closes Lukla, we use the buffer rather than gamble with your international flight. Back in Kathmandu the afternoon is free to rest, take a proper shower and start to take in what we just walked.

A free morning, then we take you to the airport for your onward flight. If you built in spare days, this is where they sit, protecting you from any earlier Lukla delay.