Everest Base Camp Trek (12 Day Hike)

INCLUDED: - Local airport pickup and drop-off services (for internal flights during the trek to and from Lukla Airport) on a private vehicle - Kathmandu to Lukla return flight on domestic airline tickets (15 KG / 33 lbs including hand luggage) (In the main travel season; March, April, May, October, and November, the flights to Lukla are rerouted from Ramechhap Airport which is approximately 130 Kilometers and takes about 4 hours to drive. We will arrange the drive on a shared vehicle if needed without additional costs) - All main course meals during the trek (12 Breakfast, 11 Lunch, 12 Dinner) - Tea house/ lodge accommodation during the trek (Twin-sharing accommodation,) - Everest National Park Entry Permit - Trekkers Information Management System [TIMS] registration card / Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality local entry permit - Experienced English-speaking, government-licensed trekking guide - Assistant trekking guide for groups of over 6 people - Down jacket, sleeping bag, duffel bag, and trekking map (jacket and sleeping bag are to be returned after the trip) - Comprehensive first aid kit, carried by the guide - All the necessary paperwork, all government and local taxes, and company service charges (NO hidden fees) - Complimentary welcome OR farewell dinner (your choice) in Kathmandu at a Nepalese restaurant (Attendance is optional) NOT INCLUDED / OPTIONAL EXTRAS - International airport transfers - International airfare, Nepal visa fees, travel, and medical insurance (including emergency evacuation) - Beverages (Alcoholic & Non- Alcoholic, hot and cold drinks) - Extras at accommodations (Hot shower approx. $5-$8 per shower, WiFi, phone charging, etc.) - Costs arising from natural calamities, mishaps, or anything beyond our control - Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu (unless otherwise stated in the itinerary). - Expenses in the case of late departures/ early returns. - Tips and Gratuities

March-May, and September–December are considered the best months for trekking in Nepal. Trekking is doable throughout the year however, some months are better than others. June – August is monsoon season so there might be some rain showers in these months. January – February is the winter months and it’s usually much cold in higher areas.

Below is a list of essential gear for trekking EBC; - Waterproof trekking boots - Flip Flops (to wear at the tea house accommodation) - Socks - Undergarments - Shorts - Trekking pants - Quick dry T-shirts - Long sleeve shirts - Fleece (Lower / Upper) - Rain/wind jacket - Down jackets - Backpack / Day Pack - Sleeping bag (rated to -15C or 5F) - Water bottles or camel bag - Water purification tablets/filter - Sunscreen Hat or balaclava - Trekking poles - First aid kit - Hand sanitizer - Toilet paper / Tissue paper - Quick dry towel - Soap / Shampoo - Headlight / Flashlight - Camera - Sleeping bag liner - Light / heavy gloves - Toothbrush / Toothpaste - Shampoo / Soap or Bath gel - Female hygiene product

If you are reasonably fit and have multi-day hiking experience, you will do just fine on this route. You should be able to walk for 6-7 hours every day, some of it up steep gradients. The Everest Base Camp trail itself is not extremely difficult and does not have technical sections. However, the low Oxygen levels at altitude make this a tough hike. It is recommended to get into a good fitness regime at least 3-months prior to this trek.

Unfortunately no. There are no lodges or guest houses at the base camp. The nearest place where lodges are available is Gorakshep. It takes approximately 5 hours to go to the Everest Base Camp and return back to Gorakshep. Only climbers stay at the base camp during the climbing season (usually in late April / May).

Food is included with the lodge/ tea house accommodation. Generally, rice, noodles, pasta, vegetables, curry, potatoes, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, etc. are available. Meat is available but we generally recommended to avoid it as a health precaution.

Get up in the morning, get fresh, and take a warm breakfast before we start our walk. Generally, breakfast will be between 7 to 8 AM and we will start the hike after 8. We will walk for about 6 - 7 hours every day covering approximately 2 kilometers per hour on average. We will have lunch along the trail approximately halfway. The guide will be walking together with the group however porters will follow their own pace and meet you only upon reaching the tea house.

We recommend our guests have a couple of buffer days after the trek so in case our flights are canceled we can postpone the flights for the following day. In some cases, the flights for the following date can be fully booked and we may need to use a chopper or go via road. The road option will need 3 additional days.

From Lukla to Everest Base Camp we will be staying in lodges / traditional Nepal tea houses. In most cases, we will provide you with a private room or twin sharing rooms. However, in rare cases, you may need to share the rooms with other travellers (especially if you are travelling alone). There are several teahouses on route so where we stay depends on availability. Generally, hot showers a available for about 9 nights of the trek. It’s not available in Lobuche and Gorakshep.

All foreign nationals (except Indians) require a visa to enter Nepal. You can get your Visa from your local embassy before you travel. If you are prepared to wait in the queue, you can also get a Visa on arrival at Kathmandu Airport. Currently, Visas cost between US$30 (15 days ) and $50 (30 days) visa. You need the following for a visa on arrival: 1) A barcode that you receive by doing the application for Online International Travel Arrival Form. See link below 2) Vaccination certificate or negative COVID-19 PCR test result, obtained within 72 hours of the departure

Families with children are welcome! We take bookings for this trek for people over 6 years old. We recommend that families with children contact us for a private booking.

As local operators, we started out as porters and guides. We understand the struggles in this industry and take pride in treating our team fairly in terms of pay and trekking conditions. All our trekking staff (guides, porters, chefs, and assistants) receive all meals, accommodation, salary, and insurance. Sherpas carry a maximum of 25kg per person (government-recommended weight).

Our guides are experienced from 8 to 20 years. They speak great English but we are not from English-speaking countries, we may not be fluent. The guides are capable of communicating with the clients and assisting you during an emergency situation. We only have guides who are highly rated by the guests.

In Nepal, it's not recommended to drink tap water. You can refill bottles from the tap but need to use purification tablets or a filtration device. We can provide complimentary purification/iodine tabs, please let us know in Kathmandu during the tour briefing. Popular filtration products to use are Lifestraw and Steripen. You can buy bottled water from the tea houses but it does work out more expensive.

Generally we recommend about USD 10 - USD 15 per person per day for the personal expenses such as drinks, hot shower, WiFi, battery charging etc.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of fraudulent/unnecessary helicopter evacuation claims in the EBC region that have made insurers hesitant to cover helicopter evacuation. The following is good to know; In the rare event that emergency evacuation is required, we will generally talk with the rescue agency and they will collaborate with the insurance companies to process the evacuation. Usually, it takes about 3 - 4 hours to approve or deny the evacuation by the insurance companies. Some insurance providers ask the customers to make an upfront payment and submit the claim upon return. In this case, there is no guarantee that the customer will get paid by the insurance company, they will approve or deny the claim based on the documents provided. We strongly recommend checking your insurance conditions directly with the insurer, before embarking on this trek.

Tipping is at your own discretion but our guests often ask us what is the general policy for tipping. 10% of the total amount is a reasonable amount. It’s hard to give exact figures as this depends on customer satisfaction.

Trekking poles can be bought at a small price in Kathmandu (a reasonable quality pair starts around USD 20). Occasionally items are available for rent in Lukla and Namche but availability is limited. We recommend you sort out the equipment you need in Kathmandu.

We usually work with Hotel Thamel Park and have rooms from USD 35 to USD 65 per night. Online prices can be higher so we do not recommend booking online, you can message us directly and we'll help you make the booking. Other hotels that we recommend; - Hotel Mulberry - Fairfield by Marriott - Aloft Kathmandu - Kantipur Temple House