Everest Base Camp Trek hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Everest Base Camp Trek is the classic walk to the foot of the world's highest mountain. It starts at the airstrip in Lukla (2,860 m) and climbs the Dudh Kosi and Imja valleys through Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) on the edge of the Khumbu Glacier. On the way you pass Sherpa villages, monasteries and suspension bridges below Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse and Everest itself. You sleep and eat in teahouses, so you only carry a day pack if you hire a porter.

The route

The trail descends from Lukla to Phakding on the Dudh Kosi, then follows the river past Monjo, where you enter the national park, to the high Hillary suspension bridge and the long, steep climb to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m), the trading town of the Khumbu. From Namche a balcony path leads to Kyangjuma, drops to the river at Phunki Tenga and climbs to the monastery of Tengboche (3,860 m). Beyond Deboche and Pangboche the valley opens out to Dingboche (4,410 m). The next day climbs past the climbers' memorials at Thukla to Lobuche (4,940 m), and a rough path along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier leads to Gorak Shep (5,164 m), the last place to sleep. Everest Base Camp is a further 2 hours across the moraine.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap, 54 km one way from Lukla to Base Camp, and splits it into 7 stages, about 7.7 km each. Agencies often quote 62-65 km one way and 130 km for the round trip; those are rounded walking estimates. The stages are short because of the altitude, not the distance. Rest days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche are not stages: they are acclimatisation days, described below. The return to Lukla takes 3 to 4 days on the same trail, usually via Pheriche instead of Dingboche.

Highlights

• Namche Bazaar: the Sherpa trading town, with bakeries, gear shops and the Saturday market, and the first view of Everest from the hill above
• Tengboche Monastery: the largest monastery in the Khumbu, on a saddle facing Ama Dablam and Everest
• Dingboche and Nangkartshang: the acclimatisation hike above Dingboche to about 5,000 m, with views to Makalu and Island Peak
• The climbers' memorials at Thukla: stone cairns for Sherpas and climbers who died on Everest
• Everest Base Camp: the Khumbu Icefall and, in April and May, the expedition tents
• Kala Patthar (5,644 m): the dark hill above Gorak Shep, climbed at dawn for the best view of Everest; it is not on the line but almost everyone goes

When to trek to Everest Base Camp

The best months are October and November: dry, stable weather and clear views, but also the most walkers. March to May is the second season, with rhododendrons in flower and the Everest climbing expeditions at Base Camp; it is warmer but hazier, with afternoon cloud. December to February is cold (often below -15 °C at night at Gorak Shep) but clear and quiet; some lodges higher up close. June to September is the monsoon: rain, leeches in the lower valley, clouds over the peaks and frequent cancelled flights.

How many days do you need?

Plan 12 to 14 days from Lukla and back: 8 to 9 days up, including two acclimatisation days, and 3 to 4 days down. A common plan is Lukla - Phakding, Phakding - Namche, rest day in Namche, Namche - Tengboche, Tengboche - Dingboche, rest day in Dingboche, Dingboche - Lobuche, Lobuche - Gorak Shep and Base Camp, then Kala Patthar at dawn and down to Pheriche. Add 1 or 2 spare days for Lukla flights, which are often delayed by weather. On "rest" days do not sit still: walk a few hundred metres higher and sleep low.

Permits and booking

You need two permits. The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit costs NPR 3,000 per person (NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals) and is sold at the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or at the park gate in Monjo. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee is paid in cash in Lukla; it was NPR 2,000, and some agencies report NPR 3,000 for 2026, so carry enough rupees. Since 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board lists the Everest Base Camp trek among routes where foreigners must walk with a licensed guide and carry an agency-issued TIMS card (NPR 2,000). Enforcement in the Khumbu has been patchy, but plan on a licensed guide or porter-guide booked through a registered agency.

Teahouses rarely need booking outside October, November and April. In those months Tengboche, Lobuche and Gorak Shep fill up early, so your guide will phone ahead.

Getting there and away

Almost everyone flies to Lukla. The flight is about 35 minutes from Kathmandu, but in the busy seasons most flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), 4 to 5 hours by road from Kathmandu, with a very early start. The baggage limit is about 15 kg including hand luggage. Flights only operate in good visibility, mostly in the morning, so build in spare days and book a flexible ticket. The alternative is to walk in for several days from the road at Salleri or Jiri.

Teahouses, money and phone signal

Teahouses are family lodges with twin rooms, a shared toilet and a heated dining room. Rooms are cheap or free if you eat dinner and breakfast there, but food, hot showers, charging and Wi-Fi cost more the higher you go. Lukla and Namche have pharmacies and ATMs; ATMs can be empty or offline, so bring enough Nepali rupees in cash for the whole trek. Mobile data works in most villages but is weak in places; many lodges sell Everest Link Wi-Fi cards.

What to pack

A warm down jacket and a sleeping bag rated to about -15 °C, thermal layers, a warm hat and gloves, a waterproof shell, broken-in boots, trekking poles, sunglasses with full UV protection, high-factor sun cream, a headtorch, a power bank, a water bottle with a filter or purification tablets (plastic water bottles are banned in the Khumbu) and a small medical kit.

Difficulty and altitude

The walking is not technical: it is a well-used trail with stone steps, suspension bridges and rocky moraine at the top. What makes it hard is altitude. Above Namche the air has about two-thirds of the oxygen at sea level, and at Base Camp about half. Altitude sickness can affect anyone, however fit. Go slowly, drink plenty, take both acclimatisation days, and never go higher with symptoms such as headache, nausea or unusual tiredness. If symptoms get worse, or you are breathless at rest, confused or unsteady, descend at once. The Himalayan Rescue Association aid post at Pheriche (spring and autumn) treats altitude illness. Make sure your travel insurance covers trekking to 5,500 m or higher and helicopter evacuation.

Safety

There is no public ambulance or mountain rescue service in the Khumbu: serious cases leave by private helicopter, arranged through your insurer or agency. Carry your insurer's 24-hour number. The Tourist Police hotline is 1144. When yaks or porters pass, stand on the inside of the trail, away from the drop, and walk to the left of mani stones and stupas.