Heading out on your Everest adventure, but not entirely sure about what to expect or where to begin? This Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary will detail everything you need to know before you embark on your 12-day adventure!
Day 0: Kathmandu
Starting Altitude: 1400m (4,593 ft)
Ending Altitude: 1400m (4,593 ft)
Trek time: 0 hrs
Trek Distance: 0km (0 mi)
If you are flying to Nepal internationally, you will likely land at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. I recommend building in a night of accommodation at one of Kathmandu’s many hotels.
When you arrive at the airport, you will catch a cab to your accommodation. Trekking groups and agencies will have a cab pre-planned for you – so look out for your tour company. If you are traveling solo, it is important to pre-book your taxi or van. You can do this by calling your accommodation and arranging a shuttle service with the front desk.
There are a number of great hotels located in Kathmandu’s “trekker haven” the Thamel district. Thamel is packed full of trekking gear shops, tour agencies, small artist boutiques, and endless restaurants.
Trekking companies and tours will typically book accommodation for you. If you are traveling solo, be sure to book your own. Below are a few popular hotels in the Thamel District that you might consider checking out.
- Aloft Kathmandu Thamel (a Marriott affiliate)
- Arushi Boutique Hotel
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Today is a final rest day before the Everest Base Camp trek begins! Explore the city, enjoy the food, and stock up on any last minute cash or gear that you might need before taking off!
Note: If you are traveling solo, do not forget to pick up trekking permits in either Kathmandu or Lukla!
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 1: Kathmandu to Lukla (flight) to Phakding
Starting Altitude: 2,800m (9,100 ft)
Ending Altitude: 2,610m (8,563 ft)
Trek time: ~3-4 hrs
Trek Distance: 6 km (3.7 mi)
You’ll kick off this morning with a flight to Lukla – the official start to the Everest Base Camp trek! Planes run from both Manthali (six hour drive from Kathmandu) and Kathmandu, so you’ll want to confirm where your flight will depart from.
Note: Flights to Lukla are extremely weather dependent, as the runway in Lukla closes at the mere sight of a cloud. For this reason, it is important to bake in a few extra days for your trek in the event of delays. It is also important to wake up early and fight for a position on one of the first flights out of the airport.
After arriving in Lukla, grab a quick tea in the town before setting off for Phakding. You’ll notice that the ending altitude in Phakding is actually lower than the starting altitude in Lukla. That is intentional! It is important to trek high and sleep low to ward off the effects of potential altitude sickness. Check out my altitude guide on the Everest Base Camp trek here.
Today’s trek is along a well paved road, and is mostly downhill. It is the perfect first day introduction to the Himalayas. And boy, is it awe inspiring. You’ll walk over your first of many steel suspension bridges lined with brightly colored scarves, trek through heavily wooded areas, and pass through villages built in the basin of the towering mountains.
Grab accommodation in Phakding, grab some dinner, and settle down for the evening.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Starting Altitude: 2,610m (8,563 ft)
Ending Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Trek time: ~5-6 hrs
Trek Distance: 10.9 km (6.8 mi)
Today is the day we make it to my favorite place on the entire route: Namche Bazaar! Namche Bazaar is the largest trekking village in the area – equipped with bars, art studios, restaurants, gear shops, and one coveted karaoke lounge. Namche is really the last place where you can stock up on any items that you’ll need for the rest of the trek – so be sure to do so!
The route from Phakding to Namche is perhaps the most stunning. On today’s hike, you’ll pass through the official entrance to Sagarmata National Park, where you will need to show the permits purchased in Kathmandu or Lukla. Notably, this is also the day where you will get your first official view of the Mount Everest summit!
Once again, you will be trekking mainly on a well trodden path. Prayer flags zig-zag across the surrounding mountains and trees, and flutter in the wind like tethered butterflies. The rhythmic chime of prayer wheels cuts through the silence.
We stopped for tea several times throughout the day. Something about consuming lemon-ginger-honey tea in the crisp mountain air is truly magical. I recommend going slowly this day to really take it all in.
Upon arrival in Namche, find your accommodation. You’ll stay here for two nights.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 3: Namche Rest Day
Starting Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Ending Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Trek time: ~5-6 hrs
Trek Distance: 0 km (0 mi)
Today is an acclimatization day. This means that you will stay at Namche Bazaar an extra day to allow your body to adjust to the high altitudes. This does not, however, mean that you get to skip a day of hiking! An important aspect of acclimatization days is to make sure that you trek almost directly upward, and return to your starting altitude to sleep.
We trekked up to the Everest View Hotel, which was roughly 450m (1,100 ft) above the Namche city center. Here you can get an incredible 360-degree, panoramic view of all of the surrounding mountains: Lhotse, Khumbila, Kongde, and Ama Dablam to name a few. We had such a fun time here trying to match the mountains to their names – then quizzing each other.
On this acclimatization day, you may also choose to take a short hike over to the Sherpa Culture Museum. Here you can learn a great deal about the mountains in the area, the first expeditions to Everest, and Sherpa culture and customs.
After your day of hiking, head back to Namche and explore the town. Pick up any last minute items that you need, and prepare to move forward the following morning.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 4: Namche to Phortse
Starting Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Ending Altitude: 3,680m (12,073 ft)
Trek time: ~5-6 hrs
Trek Distance: 9.2 km (6 mi)
While most trekking groups tend to travel from Namche to Tengboche, the town known for its beautiful and significant monastery, we opted to continue just a tiny bit further to Phortse. Phortse is a small town that may be overlooked by many trekking groups.
In Photrse, we stayed in a guest house run by a famous climber in Nepal who has summited Everest several times and won the annual marathon that runs from Base Camp to Lukla. They even had a pet yak that hung out right outside our window.
Of all the accommodations that we stayed at along the trek, this one felt the most like a “homestay”. The building itself was cozy, and the family that ran the tea house were wonderful. Too bad this also happened to be the day that I was CLUNKED with altitude sickness.
The hike from Namche to Phortse consists mainly of switchbacks through the forest. This is also the part of the trail where trekkers begin to rise above the treeline. Tall trees are swapped for shrubs, and the surrounding mountains appear to tower over the valley.
Temperatures can be a bit colder on this day, so pack layers. It is also important to bring a hat with a brim and sunglasses once you rise above the treeline. The sunbeams can do some damage if you’re not ready! Check out my Everest Base Camp packing list for more information!
Tengboche is also a lovely town to stay in during this night.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 5: Phortse to Dingboche
Starting Altitude: 3,680m (12,073 ft)
Ending Altitude: 4,410m (14,468 ft)
Trek time: ~5-6 hrs
Trek Distance: 9.5 km (6 mi)
Hiking to Dingboche is one of the most memorable experiences on trail. You’ll walk along switchbacks that offer some of the best views of the valley below – and cross swinging bridges with glacial rivers flowing swiftly underneath. You will also have the opportunity to stop off at Pangboche – which has some of the best vantage points for “mountain watching”. Here you can see an astounding view of Ama Dablum
The trail dips below and above the treeline. This was the first day on the trail that we experienced snow. It was also the first time that I donned my puffy coat, gloves, and wool hat. Be sure that you pack layers in your day pack before setting out for today’s hike!
You will stay in Dingboche for an extra acclimatization day – similar to the one taken in Namche. Choose your accommodation, and make yourself at home!
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 6: Dingboche Rest Day
Starting Altitude: 4,410m (14,468 ft)
Ending Altitude: 4,410m (14,468 ft)
Trek time: ~3-5 hrs
Trek Distance: 0 km (0 mi)
Once again, just because we are taking an acclimatization day does not mean that we get to rest. Today, we will hike directly upward for a few hours, and then return back to our accommodation in Dingboche at a lower altitude to sleep for the night.
For our acclimatization day, we visited Nangkartshang Peak. You will leave most of your belongings in your accommodation, and just back a small daypack for your hike. Nangkartshang Peak was a “straight up, straight down” climb, and the trailhead was directly behind our accommodation.
After returning from your day hike, you can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town of Dingboche. We opted to go to a local bakery to watch a movie about mountaineering in the himalayas.
Everest Base Camp Itinerary Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche
Starting Altitude: 4,410m (14,468 ft)
Ending Altitude: 4,910m (16,109 ft)
Trek time: ~4-6 hrs
Trek Distance: 8 km (5 mi)
Today is one of the most mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging day of the trek. It is also the most memorable, the most humbling, and the most rewarding.
The morning of this hike is mentally challenging. You’ll walk across the Pheriche Valley. After several hours of walking, you will feel as though you have made zero progress. Because the scenery does not shift, you’ll tend to focus on your pain and exhaustion. It takes a lot of mental bandwidth to power through the morning.
Eventually, you’ll make it to a small town where you will stop off for lunch and a much needed pot of tea. This is all in preparation, of course, for the most physically exhausting portion of the trek.
The afternoon involves tackling the climb up to Thukla Pass – a vertical climb that takes nearly an hour to complete. At this altitude, it is difficult to regain your breath after getting your heart rate up. So, instead, we focus on going painfully slow so the heart rate does not have a chance to rise in the first place.
At the top of the climb awaits the final, emotional challenge. The memorial to all climbers lost on Everest and the surrounding mountains. Prayer flags and rock cairns expand far beyond the line of sight. There is a heaviness to these prayer flags. It is quiet.
You will see Scott Fisher’s memorial (from the 1996 climbing disaster that inspired the book Into Thin Air), the memorial of a Sherpa team swept into the Khumbu IceFall, and the cairn of a Japanese climber who disappeared on the mountain and was never found. It is such a humbling reminder of the raw power of nature. We spent a good deal of time here paying respects, and leaving rocks on the many piles of cairns.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 8: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (Base Camp Day!)
Starting Altitude: 4,910m (16,109 ft)
Ending Altitude: 5,164m (16,942 ft)
Trek time: ~4-5 hrs
Trek Distance: 5 km (3.5 mi)
Today is the day! You will reach Everest Base Camp in a few mere hours! Notably, trekkers do not sleep at Base Camp – as you need expensive specialized permits in order to do so. Instead, you will trek to Base Camp and then descend an hour back down the route to Gorak Shep – the highest village with accommodations along the trek.
Base Camp is in the valley, so you will descend into it. You’ll see a huge rock decorated with prayer flags with the words “Everest Base Camp – 5,364 m” spray painted on in red. The Khumbu IceFall, the most notorious and dangerous section of the Everest climb, can be seen in the distance. If you listen closely enough, you can hear the glacial ice creaking in the silence.
You can see Everest’s peak from Base Camp. Though, standing amongst of all the other massive Himalayan peaks, it appears so tiny! A wild lesson in perspective.
During climbing seasons, expedition tents are set up all along the glacier about a 45 minute walk from the “trekker Base Camp” to the “official climber Base Camp”. We stayed at Base Camp for at least an hour celebrating and taking it all in before turning around and making our way back to Gorak Shep.
There are very few accommodations in Gorak Shep, which means you may have to share a room with another trekker – or even sleep in the dining rooms depending on the volume of people trying to sleep.
If you would like to trek to Kala Pathar (the highest point you can climb in Nepal without an official climbing permit) you will want to head to bed. Your final ascent will begin at 4am.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 9: Gorak Shep to Tengboche
Starting Altitude: 5,164m (16,942 ft)
Ending Altitude: ~4,000m (~13,121 ft)
Trek time: 6-8 hrs
Trek Distance: ~11-13 km (~7-8 mi)
For today’s trek, you will begin your descent down the mountain to a small town called Somare. Listen. For all the struggle that it took to go up the mountain, going down was a breeze! I felt as though I could jog from base camp all the way back down to Lukla in a T-Shirt.
That said, the early morning Kala Pathar ascent left the energy levels a bit drained. We joked that one member of our party kicked rocks from base camp all the way down to our accommodation by dragging his feet.
This is a great afternoon to spend some time at Tengboche – the famous monastery. Visit the temple, and grab a cup of tea in a nearby tea house.
This was my favorite accommodation of the entire trek. It felt much more remote and quiet – almost like it was a secret just for us. We were the only four trekkers staying at the lodge. It was a great time to reflect on the trek.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 10: Somare to Namche
Starting Altitude: ~4,000m (~13,121 ft)
Ending Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Trek time: 6-8 hrs
Trek Distance: 19.31 km (12 mi)
We’re heading back to Namche! On this day, you will return below the treeline. But the hike is far from easy. Once again, the trek will be “Nepali Flat”, meaning many ups and downs. This is also the first day of the trek where it really feels like things are coming to an end.
Today’s hike is roughly 12 miles. But it feels far less difficult compared to other days since we are descending to lower altitudes.
Enjoy some shopping in Namche, and spend a day exploring the narrow alleys, nooks, and crannies of the fabulous town.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 11: Namche to Lukla
Starting Altitude: 3,440m (11,286 ft)
Ending Altitude: 2,800m (9,100 ft)
Trek time: 6-8 hrs
Trek Distance: 19.31 km (12 mi)
We’re back to the start. It’s a bittersweet day to say the least. You’ll pass one final time through the emerald forests and
Before you take off, please consider taking a bag of trash off of the mountain. A non-profit charity called [NAME] packages trash from base camp so trekkers can easily transport it back to Lukla and out of the park. We each carried 4-5 packages of trash down from the mountain, where it was shipped back to Kathmandu. It’s the least we can do to help with the trash problems on the mountain.
When you make it back to Lukla, you’ll have a final chance to say farewell to your guides and porters. We celebrated the end of our trek with a massive feast altogether at a tea house. It was a fantastic way to close out the journey.
Consider donating any trekking gear you no longer need to the tea house. Others would love to have it.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 12: Lukla to Kathmandu
Starting Altitude: 2,800m (9,100 ft)
Ending Altitude: 1400m (4,593 ft)
Trek time: 0 hrs
Trek Distance: 0 km (0 mi)
The final day of the trip only consists of one last activity: The flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu. Congratulations – you did it!
Consider spending a few additional days in Kathmandu exploring the food, temples, and shops. The city is bursting with energy – and there are so many hidden gems to find!
That’s All, Folks!
I hope this Everest Base Camp itinerary gave you an inkling of what to expect on the trek. It is truly one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had – and I highly recommend that anyone who is interested give it a try.
Have you trekked to Everest Base Camp? If so, leave a comment to share your favorite villages and experiences along the way!
Check out my full Everest Base Camp guide here.
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