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Everest · 12 days · Level 4

Everest Base Camp

A high-altitude teahouse journey from Lukla to the Khumbu Glacier, paced around acclimatisation in Namche and Dingboche.

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The Khumbu glacier and moraine near Everest Base Camp
Photo: McKay Savage · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Day by day

Sample 12-day itinerary

  1. 01

    Lukla → Phakding

    Fly to Lukla and begin with a shorter walk in the Dudh Koshi valley.

  2. 02

    Phakding → Namche Bazaar

    Enter Sagarmatha National Park and climb to Namche.

  3. 03

    Namche acclimatisation

    Make a controlled day walk and return to sleep in Namche.

  4. 04

    Namche → Tengboche

    Traverse above the river, descend, then climb to Tengboche.

  5. 05

    Tengboche → Dingboche

    Continue through Pangboche into the upper Imja valley.

  6. 06

    Dingboche acclimatisation

    Use a second sleep-low day with a conservative local walk.

  7. 07

    Dingboche → Lobuche

    Climb toward the Khumbu Glacier and Lobuche.

  8. 08

    Lobuche → Gorak Shep → Base Camp

    Reach Gorak Shep, continue over glacial terrain to base camp, then return to sleep at Gorak Shep.

  9. 09

    Gorak Shep → Pheriche

    Take an optional early viewpoint walk only if conditions and acclimatisation permit, then descend.

  10. 10

    Pheriche → Namche

    Make a long descent through the Khumbu villages.

  11. 11

    Namche → Lukla

    Return through Monjo and Phakding to Lukla.

  12. 12

    Fly to Kathmandu

    Keep contingency time for weather-related flight changes.

Before you go

Everest Base Camp: common questions

How many days is the Everest Base Camp trek?

A common itinerary is 12 days starting and finishing at Lukla. Add buffer time for weather, road conditions and, where relevant, domestic flights.

How high does the Everest Base Camp trek go?

The highest point on this itinerary is about 5,364 m. Because you sleep above 3,000 m, plan a gradual ascent and treat headache with nausea, dizziness or unusual fatigue as possible acute mountain sickness.

What permits does the Everest Base Camp trek need?

Licensed guide and agency-issued TIMS are required on the listed EBC route; local and Sagarmatha National Park permits apply. Check the current Nepal Tourism Board and Department of Immigration pages close to departure, and ask a government-registered agency to name every permit your itinerary requires.

When is the best season for the Everest Base Camp trek?

October–November and March–May. Winter is colder with snow higher up; the monsoon brings rain, cloud and, on some trails, leeches.

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