Sagarmatha National Park

In the Khumbu, Solukhumbu district, in north-eastern Nepal. Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Everest; the park includes the mountain, the valleys below it and Sherpa villages along the walking trails.

Everest Base Camp is inside the park. On our Everest Base Camp trek, you walk through Monjo towards Namche Bazaar on day 2, and reach Everest Base Camp on day 8. The park headquarters are in Namche.

On 19 July 1976. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage site in 1979, recognising its mountain scenery and the relationship between the landscape and Sherpa life.

Everest is the park’s highest mountain. The park office also names Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Thamserku, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Pumori. Forested river valleys give way to open slopes, rock, glaciers and snow higher up.

The Nepal Tourism Board lists Himalayan tahr, musk deer and snow leopard among the wildlife, and birds including Himalayan monal (danphe), blood pheasant and red-billed chough. These are species recorded in the park; seeing one on a trek depends on the animal, the place and the day.

Sherpa villages and Buddhist monasteries are part of this inhabited landscape. The park office names monasteries at Tengboche, Thame, Khumjung and Pangboche. Follow your guide’s advice when visiting them, and keep your distance from wildlife.

Fly to Lukla airport, then walk up the valley to the park entrance at Monjo. From Kathmandu the flight takes about 30 to 35 minutes; in busy seasons most flights use Manthali, in Ramechhap district, instead.

That departure adds a drive of about 4 to 6 hours from Kathmandu before the shorter flight to Lukla. The airport used depends on the season, so confirm it for your dates.

Our plan sleeps at Phakding first, then passes the park gate on the climb to Namche on day 2. See how to get to Everest Base Camp for the flight, the walk in and the return.

The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality trek card are separate permissions; our Everest Base Camp trek cost and permits guide gives the foreign and SAARC fees, the national and local rule conflict, and what to confirm before travelling.

Our Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Cho La and Everest Three Passes treks all walk through the park. Choose the route by the days you have, the height you want to reach and how much walking you are ready for.

The Everest Base Camp trek follows the valley to base camp and climbs Kala Patthar for the view. The Gokyo Lakes trek visits the lakes and crosses Cho La; the Everest Three Passes trek links the valleys by high passes.