Everest Base Camp Trek – 14 days
Accommodation – Normal tourist standard Hotel in Kathmandu / lodge in Trek
Grade – Moderate / Strenuous
Best time to visit – September to December / March to May
Culture / People- Sherpa
Elevation up to – 5643 meters / Kalapathar
Trek start – Kathmandu (First Week September 2019 arrival in Kathmandu)
Trek end – Kathmandu (Last Week September Departure from Kathmandu)
Group size – Maximum 08 Guests
Estimated Trip cost – USD 1100 per person
Estimated Down payment – USD 350 for trip confirm
Interest – Most people’s reason for traveling so far is to see Nepal’s Everest Base Camp, and most do make it, earning a lifetime of bragging right – But others really want to spend time with the people – What else do you want to experience on your journey there – We often get asked how hard is the trek to Everest Base camp and quite often people think they need to climb Kilimanjaro first but in all honestly Kilimanjaro is a lot tougher and the trek to Everest base camp isn’t as high, it’s over a longer period in terms of acclimatization to the altitude and it’s actually very relaxing and stunningly beautiful. First things first – it’s not a climb! It’s a trek and for most parts it’s on mountain paths with gentle gradients. Yes there are a couple of steep ‘sections’ on a couple of days but there’s no rush and people stop on these sections for a rest and a chat. There is no need of crampons, ropes or any technical equipment or skills. It is a simply a straight forward trek – There are also differing route options above Lukla on the way to Everest Base Camp, which add length to your trek such as going via Gokyo Lakes, or taking a detour up to Chukung – so really it depends on how long you have.
Details Itinerary – Arrival in Kathmandu (Altitude 1,400 meters) – Flight to Lukla and trek to Phakding – Trek to Namche Bazaar (Attitude 3440 meters) 6 hours – Acclimatized hike for first views of Mt. Everest – Trek to monastery at Thyangboche (Altitude 3,867 meters) 5 hours – Continue up the khumbu &Imza valley to Dingboche (Altitude 4,360 meters) 5 hours – Acclimatization Day at Dingboche – Trek ascent to Lobuche (Altitude 4,930 meters) 5 hours – Visit EBC & spend the night at Gorak Shep (Altitude 5,180 meters) 5 hours – Climb KalaPattar and descend to Pheriche (Altitude 4371 meters) 8 hours – Retrace our steps to Namchhe, 07 hours – Descend to Lukla – 07 hours – Fly back to Kathmandu – International Departure
Day – 01 – Arrive Kathmandu – You would have a great flight to Kathmandu and land on the Tribhuvan International airport. On your fairly interesting flight, you can have a grand view of some mountain ranges, rivers and waterfalls – Once you reach Kathmandu, you can check-in to your hotel if you have already booked one, or can choose among the many available – After this, you may hire a Sherpa to give you a brief orientation of the city – You would also like to gather more information on the trek and the do’s and don’ts – Kathmandu is also a great place to go around and have a great time – You will trek the Himalayas for some day here
Day – 02 – Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding – Early morning next day, you would have a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla – You should keep your pen- knifes, lighter, matchboxes and other related stuff in the bigger baggage than in your hand-bag to avoid any security breach and unnecessary delay – The planes are generally small for these flights but the journey is panoramic – On arrival to Lukla, you would be received by your trekking guide, if you have booked one – You will have some time to see Lukla and enjoy its beauty – Your trekking in Nepal would begin from this point – The walk from Lukla to Phakding is gradual and has few ups and downs on the way – You would have a superb view of Kusum-Kangru, while you are crossing the short suspension bridge on your way – After a short climb, you would reach the Ghat village and another one and a half hours of gradual walk brings you to Phakdng village
Day – 03 – Phakding to Namche bazaar – From Phakding, after crossing the Dudh-koshi suspension bridge, the walk is easy and pleasant with short uphill and down-hill climb. You would be re-crossing the same river again – You would have a magnificient view of Thermasarkhu which is 6,608 meters from the village of Benkar – Now you would cross the long suspension bridge over the Bhote- Koshi River – This is a busy area and is full f trekkers and porters – After here you would finally arrive to the small river of Monjo, after a climb of 20 minutes from this area – Here, you can see some interesting water mills which are used for grinding corns and barley – It is one of the major staple diet of the Sherpas. Monjo is situated below the magnificent peak of Thermasharkhu – Close to this you have the entrance to the Sagarmatha national park – At this point, your trekking permit is checked and the officials kleep a record of all the trekkers going ahead – After a gradual walk you would reach Namche bazaar – You can also get prepared for some high altitude trekking
Day – 04 – Namche Bazaar – This day is reserved for acclimatization and going around the place – Namche Bazaar is a good place to shop and see magnificent views of the area- You would cherish the view of Kwangde peak and its sister peaks in the east- The houses in Namche Bazaar when looked from a distance appear to be in a U shaped bowl – You can have a short up- hill walk towards the Sangmatha National Park headquarter – This spot is on the top of Namache Bazaar with breath-taking view of the surrounding areas – You would have a look at the giant snow- covered peaks and mountains – There is also a local museum which gives you a fair detail of the history of Himalayas, its geographic and cultural aspects, mountaineering history and various other information on the flora and fauna of the area – The overnight stay would be in guest houses- You would be highly acclimatized to the area by this time
Day – 05 – Namche Bazaar to Tengboche -The first half of the walk is fairly simple and easy – You can reach the top of Namche Bazaar after a walk of 20 minutes – After a pleasant walk of 02 hours, you come to a small place at Shanasa – Here you can see the colorful Danphe pheasant, which is the national bird of Nepal and might also get a chance to have a look at the musk – deer and also the Himalayan Thar, which is a mountain goat that looks like an antelope – With a gradual descent, you would reach the Imjatse River at Phungitenga which is at a height of 3250 meters – After a strenuous walk from here for an hour, you would reach the religious Buddhist entrance which lies just before Tengboche – Here, your walk is over for the day after 05 hours and you can admire and enjoy this religious place – The overnight stay is in guest houses
Day – 06 – Tengboche to Dingboche –After you have relaxed for the day, you begin the trek towards Dingboche – The path goes through a forest that has trees like birch, juniper, fir, rhododendron etc – Through this forest you arrive to a lovely place i.e. Deboche which is at 3,650 meters – This place gives you a magnificent view of Mount Ama Dblam, Mount Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse- From here, the walk is mostly up-hill and continues to be so until you reach a large mani- wall gate – From here the way to Dingboche is divided into two paths- One of the paths towards Dingboche also goes through Pangboche – You can take this route to see more views and natural beauty – Dingboche is a lovely place and you will find stone- walls protecting the agricultural fields – The walls are built to protect the crops from cold winds and grazing animals – Your over night stay would again be in guest houses
Day – 07 – Dingboche – Dingboche is a lovely and green place – The greenery is spread all around the village and you would find farms and crop – fields all around – The natives here grow crops like barley, buckwheat and potatoes – Dingboche has more than tea- houses so you would also like to have a cup of the same – This day is reserved for acclimatization to the weather and place – You can go for a short walk around the village or might trek to Chukung, which is 03 or 05 hours trek and at a height of 4,730 meters – Chukung is towards the east and lies within the Imjatse valley – Thought the trek is gradual, you would still feel the thin air developing around this place – At Chukung, again there are about five tea- houses and give a superb and over- looking view – You can also explore the valley in the surrounding area and later return to your guest house
Day – 08 – Dingboche to Lobuche – From Dingboche the trail diverts towards the north, and the path is gradual and easy for the first 40 – 50 minutes – After this easy walk you would come to a mani- prayer stupa – From here the trail s slightly down towards Pheriche village – On this day of your walking, you would have a beautiful view of the Mount Tawache, Ama Dablam, and Pokalde, which is approximately 5,741 meters towards the north – You would also have a view of the great wall of Nuptse – You would have a pleasant walk for the next one and a half to two hours from Pheriche till you reach the small wooded bridge over the river of Khumbu glacier – This place is called Thugla and is the only place which has tea- houses before Lobuche – From here another 03 hours of strenuous trekking time brings you to Lobuche which lies at one corner of the hill – The overnight stay would be in guest houses
Day – 09 – Lobuche to Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp (EBC) and back to Gorakshep -Today will be an exciting day for you as you are very close to your final destination – Today you will have an adventurous journey and a great trekking experience – The first walk of an hour is gradual up to the valley and leads to a grassy field – A walk of nearly 20 minutes takes you to the rocky moraine dunes – As you go ahead on your journey you can see the icy – glacial ponds and icebergs which lie below the Khumbu glacier – After a few more rocky moraine dunes and a gradual downhill walk, you reach Gorakshep – After this, the trek to EBC can be misleading among the high- altitude trekking which is a strenuous climb – You must follow the lead Sherpa as the paths change every season due to the movement of the glaciers. But once you reach to EBC after a total of 07 hours walk, a grand view of the Khumbu ice fall awaits you – Everest Base Camp is a lively place during the high expedition season
Day 10 – Hike upto Kalapatthar and retreat trek to Pheriche – After you have trekked to the EBC and returned back to Gorakshep and an over night stay in Guest houses, you are now prepared to climb up to Kalapatthar – Besides, Gorakshep also is a good place to go around – It has a couple of tea- houses and it also used to be the base camp for trekking the Everest in the 1950’s – The walk towards Kalapather from Gorakshep starts with a few minutes of easy walk – All this while, you will be walking in the sandy fields- After here, there is a steep climb for about 45 minutes – Post this tiresome and strenuous mountaineering, you would come to the level fields and the walk from here is easy ad gradual – You would have the comfort of walking for the next one hour, post which there is again a steep trek to the top of Kalapatthar for about half an hour – The Everest from this point looks closer than you will imagine – After here, you trek back to Pheriche
Day – 11 – Pheriche to Namche bazaar – After you have already reached your final destination the previous day, your cumbersome trekking time is almost over- You have done the Everest base camp trek and a lot of Himalayan treks – From this day onwards, you would have pleasant and easy walks throughout – You will be heading downwards to lower elevations – The walk is similar all the while to Thugla – After you reach the ridge, you would follow the stream and start traveling towards Pheriche valley – After a walk of around 40 minutes you reach the valley floor – You can take another one hour of easy and simple walk to reach Pheriche which is at 4,243 meters. You would have a wonderful the treks in Nepal by now. You trek down the slope to reach Namche bazaar- Once you reach here, the walk for the day is over and you would spend the night in guest houses and enjoy the local meals
Day -12 – Namche Bazar to Phakding to Lukla – Once you wake up to the lovely weather in Namche Bazaar, you would like to visit the place and go around a little bit, before you start your downhill journey – You can visit the local markets of Namche Bazaar and have a look at the local art crafts and handicrafts – You can buy a lot of stuff from here to make your journey memorable – You would like to have a small walk in and around the Sagarmatha National Park – It is a good place for photography and collecting memories – You would also enjoy the local food which has a distinct taste – The trek from Namche Bazaar to Phakding is again a simple and easy walk. You would be trekking down the slope most of the time – The beauty of the forest and distant mountains with several water – falls add to your journey a great delight – This is the beauty of Nepal trekking.There will be a few uphill climbs but you will manage it very easily – The lush green beauty and forests will take your pain away – After this easy walk you would reach Lukla – This will be your last day with the Sherpas and other crew members, so you would like to enjoy the day with a delicious dinner and a few drinks
Day – 13 – Fly back to Kathmandu – On this day you would have to wake up early as the flights to Kathmandu are generally scheduled in the morning – This is because during daytime, the weather is generally windy and there might be a delay in the flight timings – However you expect a slight delay in you r early morning flight as well if the weather is not suitable – As you make your way through the security checks and your flight takes off from Lukla airport, you would have a magnanimous view of the surrounding – Consider yourself lucky if you manage to get a window seat as you would take about 45 minutes to reach Kathmandu
Day – 14- Departure from Nepal – If Time permits – Spend the following day discovering medieval Kathmandu – Venture into Pashupatinath and visit Nepal’s largest Buddhist stupa, the Bodhnath Stupa, both part of a UNESCO World Heritage site – After you have visited Kathmandu for half a day, you are prepared to depart from Kathmandu, Nepal – You have by now enjoyed the panoramic view of nature, mountains and rivers – You will be transferred to the International airport by your hotel’s taxi or the one you have arranged yourself – And this would mark your departure after an excellent trekking in Nepal
What to Expect – This expedition has an activity level of maximum, and is designed for serious hikers who are very fit and have experience hiking or trekking at high elevations. During our 14-day trek, we will hike 4 to 10 hours per day (02 to 10 miles) on moderate to steep grades, at elevations ranging from 9,318 feet to a maximum of 18,192 feet – Some days will be rest days with optional hikes to properly acclimatize – Your trip leader will set a suitable pace to minimize risk of altitude issues. Porters and pack animals will transport our gear – A signed medical consent form from your doctor will be required for participation
Accommodations – We stay 4 nights in a comfortable, modern hotel in Kathmandu with a beautiful pool and spa – On our trek, we spend 14 nights in simple, rustic mountain lodges with basic, shared facilities
Season – There are two main seasons being pre and post monsoon, which is March – May and October – November – It’s also possible to go outside of these months but they would be the most popular times due to weather – From March to May it starts cold and gets warmer and the opposite is true post monsoon
So there we have it, that’s how hard – or easy – it is to trek to Everest Base Camp.
Expedition Overview – Trek to the foot of breathtaking Everest, the world’s highest mountain – Set out on challenging hikes to Kala Pattar (18,192′), Nangkartshang Peak (16,672′), and Everest Base Camp (17,590′) – Explore Sherpa villages and the ancient Thami and Tengboche monasteries – Visit a school established by Sir Edmund Hillary in the mountain village of Khumjung
Inclusions
Normal tourist standard Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with Breakfast
03 meals a day (Breakfast-lunch-dinner) during the Trek
One Experience Trekking guide & one porter
All necessary paper works and Sagarmatha National park Entry Permits
Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS)
All accommodation During the Trek Available Lodge /Tea Houses.
Airport picks up/ drops and all ground transports in private vehicle
First aid medical kit (with the guide).
Trekking map and trip achievement certificate by our agency
Round trip flight Kathmandu – Lukla – Kathmandu i
Icluding departure taxes (Guide + guest)
Government taxes & office service charge
Exclusions
Personal Equipment for Trekking
International
Nepal entry visa
Personal expenses
Lunch & evening meals in Kathmandu
Emergency Rescue evacuation
Tipping (Tips) for trekking staffs
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