Everest Base Camp

Included:

• Porters and guides
• Transport (including airport transfers and internal flights to Lukla)
• Accommodation
• Permits & national park fees
• Sightseeing tour in Kathmandu
• Filtered water on the trek

Excluded:

• International flights to Kathmandu
• Food - we recommend you allow $400 USD for food on the trek
• Warm showers in the tea houses (usually c.$4)
• Tips
• Visa fees (typically $50 USD)
• Personal travel/rescue insurance

Everest Base Camp requires you to trek at altitude for up to 8 hours per day, with a small 5-7kg rucksack. We recommended to train with long hikes and/or a sport of your choice (e.g. jogging).

Documents

• Passport

• Travel insurance details

• Boarding passes for flights

• 2 passport photos

• Cash USD

• Credit/Debit Card (ensure you have $500 on your card in case an emergency helicopter evacuation is needed)

Sleeping

• City footwear: sandalsmend one with a comfort rating of -15C or 5sF)

• Sleeping bag liner (optional)

Footwear

• Trekking boots: 3 or 4 season lightweight

• City footwear (e.g. sandals)

• Shoes for the plane and tea houses (optional)

Clothing

Please make sure that you have non-cotton clothing for trekking.

• Base-layer t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts)

• Fleece/windproof jacket

• Waterproof jacket

• Down jacket for warmth

• Travel clothes and city wear

• Underwear

• Base-layer trousers (optional)

• Waterproof trousers

• Trekking trousers

• Trekking shorts (optional)

• Thick wool mountaineering socks

• Lightweight and breathable trekking socks

• Gloves and wool hat

Other

• A daysack: 35 litres

• A duffel or rucksack with straps to go over your back (max 8kg of weight for porters to carry)

• Dry liner or dry bag

• Water bottle/thermos: At least 2L woth (we recommend Nalgene bottles).

• Sunglasses

• Suncream

• Personal medication – Inhaler, blister pads etc

• General toiletries, contact lenses, glasses (if needed)

• Towel

• Electronics - head torch, travel adaptor, phone & charger

• Lipsil

• Book

• Headphones

• Travel wash

• Hand sanitizer, wet wipes

You can see the latest NHS advice at https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/asia-east/nepal 

You stay in hotels in the city of Kathmandu and tea houses whilst you are on the trek. The hotel will be 3 stars, and you'll stay in a twin shared room, but a single suppliment is available if you want your own room (you can request this on your trip form after booking). The hotel has showers and intermittent internet access.

The teahouses are in remote locations and very basic. Some of them have squat style toilets, and the showers do not always offer warm water. Most tea houses will charge a small fee for hot showers.

Meals are available from all tea houses, but please be aware that the food has been carried up there by porters, so it becomes a little more expensive as you get closer to base camp. Some tea houses do have access to the internet for a small fee, but it can be slow and unreliable.

The minimum age for this trek is 18, or 16 with a parent/guardian.

It is customary in Nepal to tip guides and porters. You can give any tips to your lead guide at the end of your trip, which will then be shared amongst the whole team. 

As part of our transparancy initiative, the lead guide will distribute the tips to the guides and porters in your presence.  

A good rule of thumb is to budget around $150 in total for tips, although the amount you give is entirely your choice.  

Yes - there is far less oxygen as you get to higher altitudes on the trek. For most people, this means that you will find trekking more challenging, and the guides will set a slower pace to adjust for this.

The itinerary is designed to allow plenty of time for your body to acclimatise, with several rest days. However, everyone reacts to the altitude differently and it is possible that you will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness (e.g. headaches or nausea). The guides are trained in high altitude first aid, and will also ask you to let them know if you experience any symptoms.

In extreme cases altitude sickness can prevent you from continuing your trek, and in this case the guides can arrange for you to descend quickly (by foot or by helicopter). Your safety is always the number one priority.

To be sure that you make your trek, or return from it, it may be necessary to make the flight to/from Lukla by a chartered helicopter. Helicopters can operate in some weather that aircrafts cannot. In the rare case that a helicopter will be needed, it will be at the expense of the travellers and can cost around $600/person. Please make sure you have travel insurance, and we recommend speaking to them to check they cover this scenario.

Whilst weather delays do occur, they're usually temporary and it's much more normal to simply wait for a later flight time. If a helicopter does become a more viable option, a collective decision will be made by the group on how to proceed.   

The average group size is 12 people, with a maximum of 14.

The porters will carry up to 8kg for you, in accordance with recommended safe loads. 

The weather can change rapidly, and the guides may be forced to change the trip itinerary accordingly. Travellers need to be prepared for all weather conditions. For more information please read the kit list provided. 

Low Season (End Nov - March) 

Daytime temperatures will be cooler, and the nights will be very cold. The days can bring winter storms, with regular snowfall above 2500m. Domestic flights are difficult at this time of year.  

Monsoon (Jun – Mid Sep) 

Temperatures are hot, with heavy rainfall almost every day. Trails can be very muddy, with frequent thunderstorms and high winds. 

Trekking season (End Mar-May & Mid Sep – End Nov) 

The most popular time to trek with mild – warm days and cold nights. The mornings tend to be clear, with some short rainfall in the late afternoons. In the higher altitudes, the temperatures often drop below freezing in the evening. At Everest Base Camp, the temperatures can drop as low as -15°C.
 

You can arrive at any time on the start date of your trip, and you’ll be picked up from the airport. We recommend you fly out on the afternoon of the last date of your trip, as the internal flights the day before can be delayed in poor weather. You can see the itinerary on your dashboard after booking, with the specific dates for your trip.

The currency used in Nepal is Nepalese Rupees (NPR). You are unable to get NPR outside of Nepal and therefore you will need to get it when you arrive.

 Most people withdraw money from ATMs whilst in Kathmandu, but please do check with your bank in advance that they allow this, and ideally bring 2 cards to be safe. Alternatively, you can bring US dollars (or euros) and exchange them on arrival.

Please Note: If using your card directly in Nepal, then you will often be charged a 4% service charge. Many places outside of Kathmandu and in the mountains will not accept cards, so it's important to take out cash in Kathmandu for the trek.   

When traveling in countries such as Nepal, it's important to maintain vigilance with hygiene and food safety. Bring plenty of hand sanitiser. 

Water

Whilst on the trek you have a few options for water. You can buy bottled water from the tea houses or you can fill up from the tap. If filling up from the tap, be sure to use the free purification tablets. These will be provided by your guide. Bottled water can be quite expensive to buy.  

Food

It may be a good idea to consider going vegetarian when you are trekking to Everest Base Camp. It is not uncommon for meat to be carried up to the Tea Houses for a few days in the hot sun by the porters.  

Hotel Holy Himalaya, Bramhakumari Marg, Thamel, Nepal.

Currently, all foreign nationals (except Indians) require a visa to enter Nepal. Visas are obtainable from embassies abroad, or on arrival at Kathmandu's Airport. If getting the visa at the airport be prepared for long queues. You will also need to provide one passport photo and the $50 USD fee if staying for less than 30 days.

Flights go from Ramechhap to Lukla. Because of the ever changing weather, your internal flight may be cancelled or delayed for safety reasons. In this instance, your guides will book you onto the next available and safe flight at no extra cost. You will however be required to pay for
accommodation at the hotel for any additional nights not noted on the itinerary, so we recommend having travel insurance that covers delayed flights. The internal flight is included in the cost of your trip. It is important that you provide your passport information after booking, which you can do in your trip form, so that we can book the internal flights for you. Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to the flight departure. 

In the event that the flights are cancelled on day 3 and 4 of your itinerary and no helicopters are available, it will not be possible for you to ascend to Everest Base Camp safely and with the required acclimatisation stops. In the unlikely event that the above does happen, the group will be taken on the Annapurna Base Camp trek, which requires no internal flights. Annapurna Base Camp is also a 16-day itinerary which reaches a maximum altitude of 4,130m, starting in the beautiful city of Pokhara.  

Many different ethnic groups coexist in Nepal, and as a foreigner you may be an object of curiosity. You may find that in certain places, the locals will want to talk to you or take pictures with you.  

You will almost certainly be subject to a bit of hustle and hassle in Nepal, getting a dose of it immediately when you arrive in the airport. Nepal has a haggling culture, with almost every monetary transaction (outside of hotels and restaurants etc) involving haggling.

It is likely that you will see beggars in Kathmandu. This can include children.

Please be vigilant with your valuables, especially when in the city.