Mount Everest Camp Base Trek: EBC Trekking Guide Nepal

Mount Everest One of the world’s top climbs on bucket lists is the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal.

You can hike to the base of Mount Everest and other snow-capped summits in the Himalayan Mountains in less than two weeks.

The good news is that you don’t need a large budget to complete the hike, and it is not particularly difficult. Beyond the incredible views of the Himalayas, the EBC journey is well worth it for its own sake, both in terms of enjoyment and achievement.

This travel guide will provide you with all the information you need to plan your trip, including packing lists and instructions on how to walk to Mt. Everest Base Camp independently (with or without a tour guide)!

Top Tours to Everest Base Camp

First of all, Klook offers Everest Base Camp Tours for as little as USD 900 for a full 12-day trip if you’d prefer to avoid the trouble of organizing your own EBC trip.

Once you are in Kathmandu, you might be able to find something cheaper, but there are a lot of benefits to reserving online with a reputable tour operator, and their website has a lot of favorable ratings.

We’ve done numerous excursions and activities all around the world with Klook, and they’re fantastic! Strongly advised.

Tours to Everest Base Camp: Reserve Now!

When To Go On The EBC Adventure

There are four distinct trekking seasons in the Mt. Everest region:

Season peak: March to May. Ideal weather, with days that are bright and sunny and temperatures that are steady, but the trails can grow busy. In these months, professional climbers may pass you by on the EBC trail as they attempt to reach the peak of Everest.
The monsoon season runs from June to August. These are the months when it rains a lot more, and the trails are largely deserted.

September through October: sunny days and crowded paths. One of the busiest times of year for trekking is now.
Although it’s the coldest season, November through February see steady, dry weather. For the most part, the trails are clear.
I hiked around the beginning of February, and while it was pleasant to have the trail to myself most of the time, the evening cold was

Weather at Everest Base Camp

Depending on the month, temperatures on the Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek can vary from 5 °C (40 °F) to 20 °C (70 °F), with nighttime lows of -30 °C (-22 °F) in the winter.

Trekking in the warmer months (March to May and September to October) should make enduring the cold less difficult. That’s not the case in the winter. Gorak Shep will make your snot freeze in your nostrils.

In Nepal, winter trekking requires plenty of sunshine, which is fortunate to be present in most months save for the rainy season. I frequently found myself taking off all of my clothing while hiking in February because I was getting too hot in the

EBC Trek Equipment / Packing List

These are just some of the essentials; there is more to pack for a Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek depending on the month you go. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

The majority of this equipment is available in Kathmandu, but if you shop online, I think you’ll receive better quality and a larger selection.

Beanie: I wore this only at night, but it kept my ears warm all right.

Bring the biggest, coziest DJ you can find for your down jacket. This is the

most crucial item of equipment you have. At night, you can use it as an additional cover.
Fleece Sweater: On most days, especially in the summer, this is the only jacket you’ll need for trekking.
Shirts: Choose comfortable clothing that dries quickly.
Trekking pants should be airy and light.
Thermal Underwear: If you hike during the warmer months, you might not require it.
Gloves: Although I only wore them at night, they undoubtedly kept my hands

• Refillable 1-liter water container to be used every day when trekking.

Sunscreen: At high elevations, sunburn is easily acquired. It only takes a tiny bottle.
Sunglasses: ideal in the winter. Unless you intend to hike a mountain pass like Cho La, it might not be essential.

Hat: Throughout the hike, I wore my trusty old hat.
Watch: Using an altimeter watch here might be entertaining.
Camera: Obviously. The Mount Everest Base Camp Trek would not be possible without capturing a ton of photos.
Power Bank: If you pack a large power bank, you may only need to recharge it once over the entire journey.

Trek Cost to Everest Base Camp

I spent roughly USD 21 a day on meals, drinks, and lodging for a 13-day journey. A porter or guide was an additional $25 per day, but not necessary. Return flights to Lukla cost $330, but hiking in is still permitted.

For additional information on the daily trekking prices and value for money, please read the sections below. When all is said and done, the trek isn’t that pricey!

Remember that all figures are as of 2020. They will gradually increase. Check the most recent exchange rates, as they may change.

Solo, Porter, and guide

The EBC hike can be completed individually (solo) or with a guide or porter.

A guide can help you with lodging, navigation, advice, taking pictures for you, and more, in addition to showing you the route to Mount Everest Base Camp. Along with performing these tasks, a porter guide will also lift a 20-kilogram (45-lb) rucksack for you.

It is NOT necessary to have a porter or guide for this hike, particularly if you travel in the warmer months when you might not need as much kit. Thankfully, the guideline requirement for EBC that was intended to be introduced in 2023 has not been implemented at all.

Having said that, hiring a guide has some benefits and is reasonably priced by Western standards.

Increased Fees

There are two fees you must pay near the beginning of the trek if you’re trekking EBC on your own.

In Lukla, the local administration has recently begun to collect a tax. Right now, this one costs 2,000 Rupees (USD 17).

You must also pay an Everest park fee or ticket at the Sagarmatha National Park gate, which is located just past the little Nepalese settlement of Monjo. Right now, this one costs 3,500 Rupees ($30).

Lodging and Facilities

You will spend the night at teahouses, which are tiny guesthouses along the route to Everest Base Camp.

You can purchase food and beverages here for the hike, as well as sporadic conveniences like WiFi, charging stations, and showers. As you go up the route, the teahouses quickly get more run-down from their initial decent state.

Naturally, you have to pay for everything you use, and as you proceed, the costs increase significantly because the poor porters must lift

On the EBC hike, the teahouses have drop toilets, and cracked walls, and are dark and chilly. Don’t anticipate luxury.

If you purchase meals there, the majority of the rooms are free (this is how they make their money). You will have to pay for your accommodation if you stay at a lodge and don’t eat there.

I occasionally paid 500 Rupees for a hotel in addition to the expense of my meals. Though most teahouses included free meals, I never paid more than 500 Rupees for a room. I’m not sure why some do this and others don’t.

Food and Beverage

I’m pleased to inform you the Everest Base Camp trip offers excellent food and beverages, particularly after hiking up an appetite.

You can choose from traditional local fare like steamed momos (dumplings), mushroom soup, and vegetarian fried rice, or you can try some Western cuisine. It was all fresh and steamy. Depending on altitude, meal costs for these varied from 250 to 750 Rupees. Not too horrible.

I experimented with hot chocolate, tea with lemon, apple, and mint, and even bottled water for my tumbler. They were priced between 100 and 400 Rupees. There’s generally boiled water available, which is safe to drink if you wish to avoid disposable bottles.

On the hike, finding enough water is never an issue. Simply complete a 1

Showers
Depending on the time of year and elevation, showers are only offered at a select few resorts and cost between 600 and 1200 Rupees. Higher up, the water will be frozen throughout most of the winter.

On my February EBC climb, I never took a shower, and it seems that’s the standard (though I did have one or two in Namche). It is, indeed, disgusting. By the conclusion of the walk, I could smell myself, and it wasn’t pretty.

However, I didn’t feel too bad about it because, apart from the fact that I detest paying money for something as simple as a shower, I never really became close to other people on the walk.

The majority of days were chilly.

Cell service and WiFi

If you purchase WiFi from the teahouses, it can cost anything from $5 to USD 10 each day.

Alternatively, you can get an Everest Link WiFi card in Namche Bazaar for 10 GB and 30 days, which you can use for the whole EBC trek. Unfortunately, I was unable to use any of these choices because the WiFi was unavailable throughout the entire region throughout my trek to the base camp of Mount Everest.

Half of the days I spent hiking to Everest Base Camp had 3G coverage thanks to a Ncell local SIM card I purchased at the airport in Kathmandu. I would carry a local SIM card if you need to stay connected, as the area’s coverage is still getting better.

How Much Money Should I Bring?

During the Everest Base Camp walk, cash is required for all purchases, including food, WiFi, charging stations, and other amenities. It won’t accept credit cards. Outside of Lukla and Namche Bazaar (Days 1-4), there are no ATMs, and the ones that are there are unreliable.

This implies that you will need to take out enough money from an ATM in Kathmandu (Nepalepalese Rupees) to cover the cost of the entire expedition. Though I detest carrying a lot of cash, the ATM fees will get the better of you in this situation.

During the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek, I spent a total of USD 20 (2,400 Rupees) every day and never more than USD 25 in a single day. That being said

Trek Difficulty to Base Camp on Mount Everest

This is not an easy walk, I won’t lie. It’s considerably more difficult if, like I did, you attempt it during the winter. Having said that, you should have no trouble getting to base camp if you are in reasonable physical condition, are resolute, and follow the instructions for avoiding altitude sickness (more on that later).

This hike has a significant amount of elevation gain and decline. Though the trail is never extremely steep or hazardous, the many ups and downs in the vicinity of Lukla will occasionally give you the impression that you are hiking a roller coaster. It’s mainly a slow uphill trudge after Namche.
Both youthful hikers in their preteen years and elderly, experienced hikers in their seventies have completed this journey. Additionally, fit individuals in their 20s and 30s who attempt to rush through it without enough altitude acclimation have failed it.

It takes discipline and patience to walk to Everest Base Camp. Here, consistency is the key to winning.

Hiking Altitude
Trekking from Lukla to Mt. Everest Base Camp takes roughly 65 kilometers (40 miles) in one direction.

That means that even if you skip all of the detours, the overall round-trip mileage of an EBC Trek is roughly 130 kilometers.

Don’t be put off by that. The hike is somewhat lengthy, but each step is worthwhile.
Altitude Illness
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), commonly known as altitude sickness, is by far the biggest risk you face while trekking to

the Everest Base Camp.

No matter how fit you are, this affects everyone equally. You run the risk of becoming ill and in certain cases even dying if you ascend too quickly. On the EBC Trek, AMS has claimed the lives of several individuals.

The issue is that many too-enthusiastic hikers strain the envelope on this trek, necessitating a pricey helicopter evacuation to a lower altitude.

Traveling slowly is the best defense against altitude sickness. Don’t raise your sleeping elevation more than 300–500 meters (1,000–1,500 feet) at elevations above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).
You should also spend a second night at the same elevation every 1,000 meters (3,000 feet). If you have nausea, vertigo, or a strong headache, drop down to a lower altitude until you feel better. If you adhere to these broad recommendations, you ought to be fine.

For added AMS protection on the trek, you can take Acetazolamide, often known as Diamox. You may get this medication in Namche or Kathmandu. My headache and a little fuzzy sensation seemed to go away when I

purchased mine in Namche. Other than the typical tingling, I had no adverse effects.

Altitude of Everest Base Camp

5,364 meters (17,598 feet) is the altitude of Mount Everest Base Camp. Half of the oxygen found at sea level is present at this elevation.

The best views of Mount Everest may be found at Kala Patthar, a viewpoint that is even higher than the base camp and is visited by most trekkers.

At Kala Patthar, the height is 5,644 meters (18,519 ft). A breathtaking vista of Mount Everest and other snow-capped peaks, including Pumori, Lhotse, and Nuptse, will greet you upon reaching that point.

Happy journeys!