8 Days Everest Base Camp Trek
Starts at: Lukla | Ends at: Lukla |
Trek Region: Everest | Transport: Flight |
Duration: 8 days | Trip Grade: Strenuous |
Max Altitude: 5,545 m/ 18,192 ft | Accommodation: Teahouse |
Experience the wonder of Mount Everest, the friendliness of the Sherpa people, the culture of Tibetan Buddhism, and the thrill of flying by helicopter to Everest Base Camp, all within six days.
On this tour, you experience all the highlights of the normal 12-day Everest Base Camp trek without so much body stress. There is plenty of trekking included in this short trip for those who love to trek but perhaps do not have enough time to complete the full circuit.
With an average of 5 hours hiking per day, a good level of fitness is still required but if you generally hike, gym, and are pretty active in your everyday life this could be just right for you.
There is a wonderful helicopter tour of the base camp and the amazing viewpoint of Everest to complete the adventure. Then a relaxing helicopter ride back to Kathmandu to round it off.
We also include two two-night stays in Kathmandu, one before and one after the trip.
Highlights of the 8-Day Everest Base Camp Trek
- Fly into the high-altitude airport at Lukla, named after the first successful summiteers: the Hillary Tenzing Airport. Quite an experience all by itself.
- Meet wonderful Sherpa people, who could be your porters, lodge owners, villagers working in their fields, or yak herders.
- Feel a sense of achievement when you complete this tailored trek.
- Live in the mountains and soak up their majesty and mystery.
- Learn something about Buddhism at Tengboche Monastery.
- Stand on the viewpoint of Everest, which is over 5,000m high with the ultimate close-up views of the mountain.
- Learn the names of other iconic mountains through your guide.
- See glaciers, the famous Khumbu Ice Falls, and Everest Base Camp.
- Fly back to Kathmandu by helicopter with views of Everest, the Himalayas, the Himalayan foothills, and the Kathmandu Valley.
A Typical Day on the 8-Day Base Camp Trek
Aside from the final day when you will be traveling by helicopter, days on the Everest trails follow a simple routine. Wake up early, eat breakfast in the lodge (known as a teahouse on the trails), and set off. It is important to try and eat a good breakfast even if you don’t normally tuck into porridge, bread, and eggs at 7 a.m. Food is fuel and water is life on the trek, so eat up. Having a few snacks in your day pack also helps!
Your guide will have explained the night before the route you are taking and what to expect on the trail. The porters will set off ahead of you (yes, these amazing people walk fast) and you and your guide can set off at a pace right for your body. Don’t forget to stop to take in the beauty of your surroundings.
Lunch is taken on the trail itself at a small tea shop. Usually, it is rice or noodles. This is where your snacks might come in handy.
On reaching your lodge for the night it’s a good idea to put your order in for dinner before going off to wash up. Great conversation can be had around the dinner table with your fellow trekkers and those of other groups, but everyone generally goes to bed very early.
Important Notes for the 8-Day EBC Trek
As with all treks in the Everest Region, there are some things you need to know before you go.
- It is unusual for helicopters to be delayed by bad weather but delays can occur when travelling by fixed-wing plans due to fluctuations in the weather. Please bear with us, we cannot change the weather! We suggest you book your international flight out of Nepal only one, two, or even three days after your planned return to Kathmandu.
- You may have heard that flights to Lukla in the Everest Region now leave from the far east of Nepal. This means a four-hour road journey from Kathmandu in the early morning hours in order to board your plane at 6 a.m.
- We realize this is not ideal, but again we are unable to change this. In the near future, we anticipate hotels will be built in this area, making life easier. Meantime, please take the road trip as part of the overall adventure of the Himalayas!
- We need a copy of each passenger’s passport, when you book your trip, so we can purchase the domestic flight tickets.
- Porters are included in the price of your trip and it is normal for one porter to carry the bags of two trekkers. These guys are amazing but are not superhuman so please keep your bag under 10kg in weight. We will provide you with a bag best suited for being carried by the porter.
- In your day pack you should carry only what you need for that day: medications, water, snacks, sun cream, camera, and/or phone.
- Airlines have a weight limit of 15kg per person so please keep the weight down.
- Although meals on the trek are included in the cost, the price does not cover cold drinks, extra hot drinks, extra food or snacks, or alcohol. It also doesn’t cover hot showers, charging your phone, etc., for which the lodge will charge extra.
- Hot showers are around $3 to $5 and battery charging is $1 to $3. You will need to pay for these services, and extra food/drink, in rupees.
- Please exchange your foreign currency in Kathmandu. We suggest you bring around $20 to $30 worth of rupees per day. Beer costs Nrs 700 to Nrs 1,000, cold drinks around Nrs 400 per bottle, and in the lower settlements, you may find a café latte at around Rs400. Calculate and change money before setting off.
- Alcohol affects your hydration level which can heighten the risk of altitude sickness. Stick to cold drinks, tea or coffee, and plenty of water.
- If you need more sugar there is a bakery in Dingboche and Namche.
- You can buy a Wi-Fi card in Lukla or Namche Bazaar http://everestlink.com.np/ for $25. 10 or 20 GB of data for 30 days in the Everest Region only. The strength of the signal is not guaranteed!
- The weather often changes quickly in the mountains, so please follow the advice of your guide if there are delays or changes to plans.
- Drones are not permitted.
- Obtain your insurance at home to cover trekking above 5,000m.
Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu!
Kathmandu – 1,300 m / 4,265 ft
Day 2: Kathmandu to Lukla (Flight) to Phakding
Phakding – 2,651 m / 8,697 ft – 4 hrs
Day 3: Phakding to Namche
Namche – 3,440 m / 11,286 ft – 5 to 6 hrs
Day 4: Acclimatization Day in Namche
Namche – 3,700 m / 12,139 ft – 4 to 5 hrs
Day 5: Namche to Everest Base Camp by Helicopter, Landing at Kalapattar, Helicopter from EBC to Kathmandu
Kalapattar – 5,600m / 18,000 ft – 2 hours
Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu
- Accommodation: Hotel
On your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.
Your hotel is in the city’s center, the vibrant and colorful area known as Thamel. With its restaurants, bars, and shops with unique Nepali handcrafted items and trekking gear, this is an interesting place to spend the afternoon.
There will be the opportunity to meet your guide today and ask any questions you may still have about your trip to Everest Base Camp.
Day 2: Kathmandu to Lukla (Flight) to Phakding
- Flight time: 35 to 40 minutes
- Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
- Accommodation: Tea House
- Trek Distance: 6.2 km/3.8 miles
Your trip starts with an early morning road journey from your hotel in Kathmandu to Manthali Airport in Ramecchap District, some four hours’ drive away.
Since your flight to Lukla takes place around 6 am, you need to leave Kathmandu very early indeed. The short flight takes only 20 minutes and during that exhilarating flight, you will forget about the road trip to get there.
Once you land in Lukla, our team of porters will greet you and your guide will get you on the right path heading out of Lukla to your first overnight at Phakding. Interestingly, despite some uphill parts, the trail to Phakding takes you to a lower altitude than you landed at in Lukla. Part of the reason for that acclimatization day in Namche.
Today the trail is not too difficult, with stone and rocky paths and lots of green pines. The Dudh Koshi is the river most prominent today. After the early start from Kathmandu, it’s a relief to reach the lodge for an early night in preparation for Day 2.
Day 3: Phakding to Namche
- Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
- Accommodation: Tea House
- Trek Distance: 7.4 km/4.6 miles
A bit more greenery and forests and some ploughed fields and yak pastures around small villages are on the menu today. Today we pass through the gateway into Sagarmatha National Park. Then it’s on to Namche Bazaar.
As you may know, Namche is the biggest Sherpa town in the region and is famous for being the last main stop on the route to Everest. For decades trekkers and mountaineers have made their way up the path to Namche, stopping to buy last-minute purchases and prepare themselves for what is ahead.
Day 4: Acclimatization Day in Namche Bazar
- Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
- Accommodation: Tea House
In order to endure the high altitude and low oxygen, our bodies need to acclimatize. Here at Namche, everyone takes an extra day to allow their bodies to adjust. The best way to adjust is, believe it or not, to be active. This is a perfect day for exploring Sherpa culture, exploring the legacy that Edmund Hilary left behind, and simply enjoying being out in the Himalayas.
We suggest walking to Khumjung village to see the school set up by Hillary. And we also suggest stopping to enjoy, and photograph, some of the mountains on display. These include Thamserku (6,623m), Lhotse (8,516m), Ama Dablam (6,812m), and of course Mount Everest at the record-breaking 8,848m. Among others.
By now you are feeling part of the community of trekkers and mountaineers and joining the conversation over dinner.
Day 5: Namche to Tengboche
- Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
- Accommodation: Tea House
- Trek Distance: 9.2 km/5.7 miles
While Namche is a Buddhist town, the route between Namche and Tengboche is even more colorful with prayer flags, mani walls, and stupas – all related to the Tibetan Buddhist culture. Climbing the switchback road to Tengboche with its monastery, we see great mountains and a great panorama once we reach the monastery.
We may have an opportunity to join the monks in prayer and private contemplation and the lighting of lamps for loved ones is always available. A small donation will be much appreciated.
We sleep in Tengboche tonight. Or try to sleep, for tomorrow is a big day!
Day 6: Tengboche to Everest Base Camp and Kalapattar by Helicopter and Kathmandu Return
- Trek time: 4 to 5 hours
- Accommodation: Tea House
- Trek Distance: 12 km/7.45 miles
After breakfast, we board a helicopter to fly over Everest Base Camp and land at Kalapattar. It is not possible to land a non-emergency helicopter at the base camp, so we land on Kalapattar at the height of 5,600m / 18,000 ft. Kalapattar is a well-known viewpoint for Everest and it is from here you get the best views.
Much better than at base camp because at base camp we stand too close to the mountain to get a good view. From Kalapattar we feel we can reach out and touch the mountains. Due to the altitude and high winds, we can only land for 10 to 15 minutes but that is plenty of time to take photographs and fix the scene in your memory.
While flying we will also see the Khumbu Ice Fall and other glaciers. Also, perhaps some mountaineers are far below. Then it is time to turn the helicopter around and head back to Kathmandu. Kathmandu brings us back to reality as we reach the bustling capital city in time for lunch.
Day 07: Departure
After breakfast, our representative will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport in time for your onward flight. Should you stay longer in Nepal or have a late flight, please note that the hotel check-out time is 11 am.
Not satisfied with this everest base camp Itinerary?
Are you interested on planning custom trip? It only takes 2 minutes.
Includes for EBC Trek
- Local transfers for your international flight x 2 (arrival/ departure)
- Local transfers for your domestic flights x 2
- Kathmandu Lukla Kathmandu flight
- Sagarmatha National Park Entry Park and Local Entry Permits
- Guide for 5 days
- Porter for 4 days
- 2 nights accommodation in a Kathmandu (Hotel Mulberry or similar)
- 4 nights Luxury accommodation in Yeti Mountain Home
- Staff insurance and necessary ground transport for support staff
- 5 x set breakfast, 5 x set lunch and 4 x set dinner while on the trek
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
- Personnel expenses of any kind and travel insurance
Everest Base Camp Trek Map
After your trek, we would love to hear from you about how you enjoyed the trip and any suggestions on improving the experience for others.
Related Trips in Everest Region
Everest View Trek | Gokyo Lake Trek | Gokyo Chola Pass EBC Trek | Everest Three Pass Trek | Jiri To Everest Base Camp Trek | Island Peak Climbing | Lobuche Peak Climbing | Mera And Island Peak Climbing | Mera Peak Climbing | Baruntse Expedition | Everest Helicopter Tour
- Satisfied Client
- Personalised Guide
- Instant Response