Everest Base Camp Trek - 16 Days

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” – Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Having mentioned above, autumn (mid September to early December) and spring (March till mid June) seasons are considered the best time for Everest Base Camp trekking and any other treks in Nepal. These seasons have mild temperature, good weather, clear mountain views, and the crisp surrounding that attracts a lot of trekkers.

But, if you can not trek in these season, you can join the trek in off-seasons as well. Summer/ monsoon (mid June onward till mid September ) and winter ( mid December to end of February) are the off-trekking seasons. These months may have hostile weather and temperature than in peak months.

If you are planning to trek in winter then you must come ready to face the cold with temperatures dropping down to minus degrees; about minus 20 or even below that. While if you plan to trek in summer you must be prepared with proper rain gears.

Trekking to Everest base camp means you will be walking inside Sagarmatha National Park in the Khumbu region. So, to walk through the region currently you need to obtain two different permits. They are Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit (USD 20 per person) and Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit (USD 30 per person).

When you book one of our EBC tour, these permits are included and arranged by us so you don’t have to worry about it.

Total cost of Everest base camp trek is USD 1485 per person. This amount covers the cost of your food, accommodation, the charge of guides and porters, permits cost, cost of transportation, flight etc. To find out more on cost please click on ‘COST’ tab.

The Everest base camp trek is considered to be a relatively strenuous trekking route in Nepal. But, that does not mean you require any previous trekking or mountaineering experience.

You are attempting to reach the base camp, not climbing to the summit itself, it is not required that you have any technical experience, only that you be in the good physical condition and are able to walk for four to six hours per day over hilly terrain with a light backpack.

If you are not an experienced trekker or do not exercise regularly, we recommend that you embark on a training program well in advance of commencing this trip. You will be given plenty of time to rest throughout the trek and the pace will be slow to help you acclimatize safely to the increasing elevation.

In Kathmandu, your accommodation will usually include an attached bathroom and have facilities such as air conditioning, reception and dining services. The level of accommodation is generally Nepalese 3 star and is comfortable and clean.

If you require an upgrade of accommodation in Kathmandu, there are many 4-star and 5-star options at an extra cost. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require an upgrade.

Once you start your trek, you will be staying in “Teahouses.” Accommodation is limited, especially the higher you get, so your room may vary from a private single/double room to a bed in a dormitory. Bed mattresses are usually firm, not sprung mattresses that you may be used to at home.

The accommodation is very basic and there will usually be shared shower and toilet facilities. There is a communal dining hall in all teahouses offering limited meal choices. Although basic, the teahouses are clean and are a welcome, friendly and warm resting place after a day trekking

We organize both fixed and customized tours. Fixed tours are operated on group joining basis with dates available under ‘Availability’ tab. We also operate tailor-made itineraries for the trek. For those trekkers wanting to do short and longer treks, we have different itineraries like 14 days EBC trek, 12 days EBC trek, 20 days EBC and Gokyo lake trek, Everest Panorama trek, Everest Base Camp Helicopter trek, and so on.

These are the customizable itineraries which you can modify depending on your convenience. You can lengthen or reduce the number of trekking days from these itineraries.

You will find many tea houses on the trail that offer a wide option for foods and drinks. From typical Nepali dishes to the continental dishes, you can find all type of food and drinks in the trekking trail.

You can enjoy popular Nepali dish- Dal Bhat with season vegetable and pickle. Or, you can enjoy pizza, momo, noodles, macaroni, sizzler, sandwich, burger, and so on.

Along with this, you can enjoy a different type of coffee, fruit juice, and alcoholic drinks. But since this is a high altitude trek you need to maintain body hydration. So, avoiding alcoholic drinks is a good idea.

We ask that all our customers bring water purification tablets and a water bottle with them. (they can be bought in Kathmandu if forgotten) Mosaic Adventure supports responsible tourism so we do not encourage trekkers to buy bottled water when in the Himalayan region, although it is available, there is no proper disposal system for plastic bottles and we would like to keep our mountains clean and trash free.

There will be plenty of water available along the way to fill your bottles and most brands of purification tablets take just 30 minutes before you can drink your water. You can carry water bottle of about 1.5 liters and fill it as you go, no need to carry water for whole day. We recommend that you drink a minimum of 3 to 4 liters of water per day whilst on your trek.

Showers are available at the teahouses. They will usually be shared bathrooms in most teahouses, especially the higher up you go. You will have to pay for a hot water shower per person. The higher you are, the colder it gets and you may find that you do not want to shower as often so you can wait just a few days until your descent.

If you do not want to take a shower then you can use wet wipes to clean your body. You may not find them during the trek or, if you find any they may cost higher. So it is good to buy them at Kathmandu.

Walking poles are not compulsory but can be useful especially on the way down. Poles help you balance on the way down and take the strain off of your legs (quad muscles) on some of the steep climbs. You can buy poles in Kathmandu and they easily collapse so you can attach them to your backpack when they are not needed.

There are plenty of trekking shops in Kathmandu selling equipment inexpensively compared to the prices you would normally pay at home, although, the quality of these products cannot always be guaranteed.

If you do not want to take the risk, we recommend you buy major items such as trekking shoes, before you arrive in Nepal. It is also recommended you buy your shoes well in advance of your trek so you can “break them in” and avoid blisters during your trip.

If you want to manage the trek cost, you can even rent some gears after paying some deposit amount.

Or, if you happen to forget some gears at Kathmandu, you can buy them at Namche Bazaar as well.

Yes, you can, in the teahouses. Please remember that plugs might be different than at home so don’t forget to bring adapters with you or buy them in Kathmandu before the trip. You will have to pay for the use of electricity to recharge your electrical items, usually at a cost of $3-5 US per hour.

The local currency in Nepal is rupees. We recommend you bring US dollars with you to Nepal and exchange them here as this is easily done and is a widely accepted currency.

The amount of money you will need on a daily basis depends on your spending habits.

A guide would be $15 per day for extra drinks and bar bill during your trek and $20 per day to cover lunch/dinner whilst in Kathmandu.

As for currency, it is a better option to carry enough Nepali currency. Almost all teahouses prefer Nepali cash. Also, you will not get ATMs in places higher than Namche Bazaar in the trek. So, carry enough cash in hand.

You will need to carry a reasonable sized daypack, big enough to carry personal items, water, camera, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, a fleece jacket and gloves for higher altitudes.

For the trek to Everest Base Camp, the most important things you should carry in your daypack are personal items that you need for the day.

And, do not forget to pack enough snacks and a water bottle. Do not forget to include lip balms, moisturizers, sanitizers, and sunscreen.

While you carry the light pack, your porters will carry the bigger packs with your clothes, etc. They will carry packs up to 20 kilos (10 kilos of each participant)

It depends on the nature of the sickness. Usually, if you become sick, you will descend to a lower altitude with the help and support of the guide or porter. If you are seriously ill, we will arrange an emergency helicopter evacuation service.

Our guide will take immediate action according to the situation. Please make sure you arrange travel insurance that covers you for a medical evacuation service and trekking at high altitudes.

Do not take altitude sickness lightly. It can be fatal! Please familiarize yourself with the symptoms of altitude sickness before your trek. Do not ignore even the mildest of symptoms, inform your guide immediately.

Our guides carry basic medicine and first aid equipment including simple painkillers, altitude sickness tablets, bandages, balm for muscle ache and medication to treat diarrhea and vomiting.

Our experienced guides will walk with you throughout the trek. If anything happens to you they will take care of you. If, by any chance, you fall sick there are health posts in Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Pheriche where you can get medical services.

While walking to a new destination with the increasing altitudes you are prone to altitude sickness. You may notice some symptoms like sleeplessness, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, short breath. If you feel any of these, know that it may be symptoms of altitude sickness.

These are the minor symptoms of altitude sickness. If you avoid these symptoms and continue to walk to altitude regions, then you may feel worst case like trouble walking, severe headache, tightening in chest, frequent cough and shortness of breath, confusion, and so on.

A high altitude trek like EBC definitely demands reliable travel insurance. While you go on the trek, the chances of unexpected accidents, altitude sickness are common. Sometimes trekkers fall seriously ill that they need an immediate helicopter evacuation.

In such emergencies, the cost of evacuation is quite expensive. Due to these reasons and to ensure your as well as your belongings’ safety, travel insurance is a must. While getting one, you must check if it covers you up to the height of 6000 meters.

You will spend your night in the tea houses where you get a room with a bed, a mattress, a blanket, and a pillow. But the blanket is not sufficient at all. To be on the safe side it is a good idea to pack a proper sleeping bag.

Yes, even a novice trekker can opt for this trek. For this, you need to prepare yourself few months before the actual trek by involving in physical fitness training. Plus, you must prepare yourself mentally as well because the trek is not going to be easy in high altitudes for many days.

To prepare yourself physically, you can do cardiovascular training like running, swimming, cycling, and so on. While for the strength and endurance training, you can do squats, lunging, aerobics, push-ups, sit-ups, and so on. Also, you do some short hike frequently before the actual trek so that your body gets adjusted to walking in the uneven terrains.

Everest Base Camp trekking trail is among the safe trekking trail in Nepal with least news of casualties and unforeseen happenings. There are least to no news of trekkers facing theft or any unpleasant behaviors by the locals on the trekking trails.

Also, as the trails are well-marked there is the least chance of getting lost on the trails. So, except for some natural happenings, trails to Everest base camp is safe for all trekkers.

If you book with us staff (guide and porter) is included in the package. Hiring a trekking staff or booking organized tour for Everest Base Camp trek is not mandatory but doing it individually without experienced staff is not recommended.

Solo trekking to the Everest base camp is absolutely possible. You can trek to this region without joining a group but with a reliable trekking staff. Or, you can even trek without any trekking staffs as well. The trek is completely safe for solo trekkers.

However, this will be safe only if you have prior experience of high altitude trek and other treks in Nepal. Otherwise, a novice trekker walking alone may go through several unexpected problems.

Everest base camp trek is among the most popular treks in Nepal. Being this popular, there are well-developed tea houses serving basic to higher end facilities. So, ‘luxury’ stay is possible (only up to Namche Bazar) during the Everest base camp trek.

On these treks, you will spend nights in the high-quality teahouses with the finest services and the best food. The cost of luxury trekking may be high for the EBC trek but the services you will enjoy there will make you forget the amount you’ve paid. Luxury lodges are available up until Namche Bazaar only so above that you have to go for basic teahouse.

Tipping is not mandatory at all. But this has become a custom to show gratitude to the guides and porters who helped participants throughout the journey. You can give them a certain amount depending on your choice at the end of the trek.

Lukla airport which rests under the lap of Himalayas experiences frequent weather changes in every hour. And, even a hint of bad weather leads to flight delays in Lukla. Sometimes when the weather goes worst, the flight even gets canceled. So, it is good to be mentally ready to face such unforeseen situations and plan your return flight accordingly keeping some buffer days

You will find many monasteries while on the trekking trail and they are open for all. But the monasteries have certain opening and closing time. So, you can enter those monasteries only during the opening hours. Also, do not forget to take off your shoes before you enter the monastery and do ask your guide before taking deciding to enter.

The month of spring (March, April, May) is the time of wildflowers and rhododendrons in Nepal. It is the same in the Everest region.

If you plan your EBC trek in March, you will see the forest shining in flower buds. While in the month of April and May, you will find the flowers blooming everywhere on the trekking trail. The views of the forest shining in different colors under the glistening view of the chain of mountains will leave you in awe during the trek.

Not in every season, you will meet the Everest expedition team. You will meet and get to interact with the expedition team if you plan this trek during April, and May. Because the mountaineers have to spend months before attempting the actual summit in may, you will find them preparing for the summit while on the trekking trail.

Also, you can meet the expedition team at Tyangboche monastery where they collect the last blessing before they start climbing the summit.

In many places, you can click pictures of the locals, the monasteries, chortens, and mani walls. But, at some places, all the locals you meet on the trails may not like being photographed. Also, it is not allowed to click photos inside some monasteries. So, it is a good idea to ask locals or your guide before clicking any picture.

The trek to Everest Base Camp is difficult because of the altitude and the uneven terrains. There are no technically difficult parts in the trek where you need to use special climbing gears like ice axe, harness, and crampons. So, you don’t need to bring these.

However, if you are trekking in the month of winter we recommend packing micro spikes for shoes and gaiters

Yes, almost all teahouses in the trekking trail offer an internet connection. Along with it, you can also use telephone services as well. But these services are not free of cost. You need to pay a certain amount to get the wifi services.

In general, most of the teahouses charge USD 5 for the wifi service. While the charge of telephone service varies depending on the teahouse and the duration of the service you use.

For the trekkers who want to trek to the base camp and Kala Patthar but do not want to return on foot, we have an Everest base camp helicopter trek package. On this tour, you will walk to the base camp but will not walk back on foot following the same trail. Instead, you will take a direct helicopter flight back to Kathmandu. So, if you get tired or feel monotonous to walk back the same trail from the base camp, you can choose this helicopter fly back Everest base trek.

Many people love standing at the Everest Base Camp, 5364 meters. But not everyone wants to do around 2 weeks long trek. Or, some may be physically unfit to join this long walk. For such travelers, there is an option of Everest Base Camp helicopter tour. With this tour, you will fly over the Khumbu region and land at the base camp or Kala Patthar to catch the finest views of the chain of Himalayas.

Yes, you can take your children on this trek to Everest Base Camp. But make sure they are above 12 years. Kids below 12 years of age find it difficult to cope up with the increasing altitudes. Plus, it is difficult to detect the symptoms of altitude sickness in them as may not able to communicate properly or find out what is happening with them.

It demands your physical strength as well. So, before trekking with your kids you must prepare them physically and mentally. Plus, you must spend a few more rest days than the scheduled itinerary to help your kids adjust with the changing weather.

Or, you can choose short treks like Everest View trek AKA Everest Panorama trek if you are trekking with your children.

The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is an easy and convenient way to start the trek. But this is not the only option for the trek.

If you want to avoid this flight, you can take a jeep ride from Kathmandu to Salleri and start the trek from there. Or, you can take a bus ride from Kathmandu to Salleri and start the trek from there. These rides will add extra days to your trek but will take you to Lukla without taking the flight.

Most people can obtain a visa on entry to Nepal. There are some countries where a visa will need to be obtained prior to traveling (you can find a list of these countries at www.immi.gov.np)

If you want to avoid the sometimes lengthy queues at the airport, you can obtain a visa from the Nepali embassy in your home country before you travel. Please visit the appropriate websites in your country for details.

If you want to obtain a visa on arrival, you will need to fill in a landing card, (most airlines provide these before landing in Kathmandu, if not, they will be available in the airport) pay a fee (cost differs depending on your length of stay) and provide a passport photo so don‟t forget to bring one in your hand luggage to present to the immigration officers. Visa fees are as follows:

30 USD for 15 days.
50 USD for 30 days.
125 USD for 90 days.
(information from the Nepal Immigration Department)

We would advise you to bring US dollars to pay for your visa, most major currencies are usually accepted also. Although there is a currency exchange in the airport (if they will not accept your currency), you may not get the best exchange rate; therefore it is always a safe bet to bring US dollars.

Any luggage that you do not need to take with you on the Everest Base Camp trek can be kept securely in the hotel in Kathmandu or in the store room of our office.

They do. We carry comprehensive first aid kit and guides are adequately trained on their use. All of our guides are fully trained, hold required certification and license.

We arrange pick up from Tribhuwan International Airport as per your flight time. Once you book the tour, one of our tour coordinators will reach out requesting these information.