Classic Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trek Highlights
- Choosing this trek, you will be following the footprints of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.
- You will get a chance to control your budget since you will be driving to Jiri from Kathmandu and then trek to Lukla.
- You will enjoy the pleasant trails from Jiri which passes through different ethnic settlements of Brahmins, Chhetris, and Newar people.
- On this trek, you will be enjoying longer days in the trekking trail. So, you will have many fun-filled experiences on the route.
- You can get enough time to spend on the extended pastures, yak farms, and glaciers en route to the Everest Base Camp.
| Durations days | 20 days |
| Max. elevation | 5,643 m / 18513 ft (Kala Patthar) |
| Trek Start/Finish | Bhandara/Lukla |
| Difficulty | challenging |
| Accommodation | Teahouse |
Classic Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trek Map
The trek from Jiri to Everest Base Camp begins by taking road transport from Kathmandu to Jiri (approximately 8 hours) from where the trail begins. Known as the ‘Classic Everest Trek’ this trek is great for people with plenty time and also enables trekkers to acclimatize well to the altitude before climbing to the beautiful Everest viewpoint at Kalapatthar, which, at around 5,500m is the highest point of the trek.
You need to be prepared to walk between 5 to 7 hours each day but there is plenty of time given to enjoy the views and take photographs. At the end of the trek, it is a short flight from Lukla Airport back to Kathmandu.
While trekking through breathtaking scenery it’s impossible not to think about the mountaineers of old who forged not only the way up Everest but the trekking trails which are now world famous.
As a further reminder, prayer flags and mani stones are scattered along the trails, placed by the local peoples, trekkers and mountaineers alike as an offering to the mountain, which is locally known as Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky) in Nepali, and Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of the Universe) in Tibetan.
The trek from Jiri to Everest Base Camp begins by taking road transport from Kathmandu to Jiri (approximately 8 hours) from where the trail begins. Known as the ‘Classic Everest Trek’ this trek is great for people with plenty time and also enables trekkers to acclimatize well to the altitude before climbing to the beautiful Everest viewpoint at Kalapatthar, which, at around 5,500m is the highest point of the trek.
You need to be prepared to walk between 5 to 7 hours each day but there is plenty of time given to enjoy the views and take photographs. At the end of the trek, it is a short flight from Lukla Airport back to Kathmandu.
The names Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa are familiar to everyone for their astonishing feat of being the first people to summit Everest. This fact alone has ensured that trekking to Everest Base Camp is high on the bucket list of serious trekkers and those who want to enjoy the rich environment of the mountains and mountain peoples of this region.
The scenery on this trek is varied – from alpine forests, Sherpa villages, and yak pastures to glaciers, glacier-fed rivers crossed by amazing suspension bridges, and the bustling market town of Namche Bazaar.
One of the highlights for many trekkers on this route is a visit to the famous Tengboche Monastery, which unfortunately suffered considerable damage during the April 2015 earthquake.
But such is the power of this region that even this deadly natural disaster has a twist: just a few hours after the earthquake, the sons of both Sir Edmund and Tenzing Norgay literally came face to face with each other while seeking shelter. Both of them were, unknown to each other, guiding trekking groups near EBC when the earthquake hit.
This unique, spiritual power that Everest seems to have is something that also draws people from all walks of life to this area, along with the stunning mountain views, spectacular and sometimes challenging terrain, and the beauty of the Sagarmatha National Park, home of the allusive snow leopard and red panda. Not for nothing has this area been included in the Sacred Himalayan Landscape initiative by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
And let’s not forget the magnificent mountain itself. In order to reach Everest Base Camp, the trail runs alongside the Khumbu Glacier, offering spectacular views of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the South Col. The aptly named Everest View Point at Kalapatthar offers trekkers the best views of Mount Everest, as well as Mount Pumori and Ama Dablam.
| Days | Itinerary | Altitude | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Kathmandu | 1400 m / 4593 ft | |
| Day 2 | Kathmandu to Bhandara (Drive) | 2190 m / 7185 ft | 8-10 hr |
| Day 3 | Bhandara to Sete | 2575 m / 8448 ft | 6-7 hr |
| Day 4 | Sete to Jun Beshi | 2670 m / 8759 ft | 6-7 hr |
| Day 5 | Jun Beshi to Nunthala | 2220 m / 7283 ft | 6 hr |
| Day 6 | Nunthala to Bupsa | 2360 m / 7742 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 7 | Bupsa to Surke | 2290 m / 7513 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 8 | Surke to Phakding | 2652 m / 8700 ft | 4-5 hr |
| Day 9 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar | 3440 m / 11286 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 10 | Acclimatization Day | 3700 m / 12139 ft | 5 hr |
| Day 11 | Namche Bazaar to Tengboche | 3870 m / 12696 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 12 | Tengboche to Dingboche | 4360 m / 14304 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 13 | Dingboche to Thukla | 4600 m / 15091 ft | 3-4 hr |
| Day 14 | Thukla to Lobuche | 4940m / 16207 ft | 3-4 hr |
| Day 15 | Lobuche to Gorakshep (Day trip to EBC) | 5368m / 17611 ft | 7-8 hr |
| Day 16 | Gorakshep to Pheriche (Morning trip to Kalapatthar) | 5545m / 18192 ft | 7-8 hr |
| Day 17 | Pheriche to Namche Bazaar | 3440m / 11286 ft | 5-6 hr |
| Day 18 | Namche Bazaar to Lukla | 2860m / 9383 ft | 7-8 hr |
| Day 19 | Lukla to Kathmandu (Flight) | 1400 m / 4593 ft | 40 min |
| Day 20 | Departure |
