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Everest Base Camp trek

A typical plan runs 12 days from Kathmandu and back, up to Kala Patthar at 5,644 m, with 2 rest days on the way.

Guide price from US$1,419: our 2023 price for the 16-day itinerary. We confirm this season’s price in your quote.

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Rated 4.9 from 21 reviews on TripAdvisorMember of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal
Everest Base Camp trek, Kala Patthar 5,644 m: the May 2026 Everest Base Camp group with the High 5 banner, Nepalfrom US$1,419
The photograph shows the May 2026 Everest Base Camp group with the High 5 banner in Solukhumbu District, Koshi Province. The Everest Base Camp trek runs from Lukla and back through Sagarmatha National Park.

Trip facts

Days
12 days from Kathmandu and backUp to 14 with spare days, and 11 days on the trail. How long the trek takes
Distance
About 42 km (26 miles) each wayFrom Lukla to Gorak Shep, the last lodges below base camp. The walk to base camp comes on top. Distances stage by stage
Starts and finishes
Lukla, 2,860 mYou fly in and out. Getting from Kathmandu to Lukla
Highest point
Kala Patthar, 5,644 mClimbed before dawn on day 9. About Kala Patthar and its two tops
Everest Base Camp
5,364 m, approximateReached on day 8. The camp sits on a moving glacier. How high Everest Base Camp is
Highest night
Gorak Shep, 5,164 mThe night of day 8. The plan day by day
Walking each day
3 to 8 hoursThe longest is day 8, at 7 to 9 hours. How hard the trek is
Difficulty
No climbing skills neededThe altitude is the hard part, with five nights above 4,000 m. Why altitude is the hard part
When to go
October to November and March to MayThe trek month by month
Permits
Two permits, NPR 3,000 each for foreign visitorsSagarmatha National Park entry permit: NPR 1,500 for citizens of SAARC countries.Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality trek card: NPR 2,000 for citizens of SAARC countries and China.Sources: Nepal Tourism Board and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, checked on 1 October 2026. Everest Base Camp permit fees
Guide price
from US$1,419Our 2023 price for the 16-day itinerary. We confirm this season’s price in your quote. What the trek costs

Typical figures for this route, checked on 1 October 2026. Narbin’s team confirms the days and heights for your dates.

Getting there

Fly to Lukla. In recent peak seasons most Lukla flights have operated from Manthali (Ramechhap) airport rather than Kathmandu: drive about 4 to 6 hours (132 km) from Kathmandu to Manthali, usually leaving before dawn, then fly about 17 to 21 minutes to Lukla. When flights run from Kathmandu the flight takes about 30 to 35 minutes.

Getting back

Reverse of the approach: in peak seasons fly Lukla to Manthali (about 17 to 21 minutes) then drive about 4 to 6 hours to Kathmandu; otherwise fly Lukla to Kathmandu (about 30 to 35 minutes). Lukla flights operate only in daylight in good weather and are often delayed by a day or more, so itineraries keep a spare day.

Route and altitude

The map below shows every stop on the Everest Base Camp trek, with its height.

Phakding2,610 mNamche Bazaar3,440 mTengboche3,860 mDingboche 4,410 mPheriche 4,371 mLobuche4,940 mGorak Shep5,164 mLukla2,860 m5 km
  1. Phakding, 2,610 m
  2. Namche Bazaar, 3,440 m
  3. Namche Bazaar, 3,440 m
  4. Tengboche, 3,860 m
  5. Dingboche, 4,410 m
  6. Dingboche, 4,410 m
  7. Lobuche, 4,940 m
  8. Gorak Shep, 5,164 m
  9. Pheriche, 4,371 m
  10. Namche Bazaar, 3,440 m
  11. Lukla, 2,860 m
Each dot is a place you sleep, joined in the order you walk. High point: कालापत्थर Kala Patthar, 5,644 m.

Heights on the way

Passes, viewpoints, camps and side trips, highest first.

कालापत्थरKala Patthar
5,644 m
Everest Base Camp (south side, Nepal)
5,364 m
Nangkartshang (ridge above Dingboche)
5,121 m
Chhukung
4,730 m
Hotel Everest View (Syangboche ridge above Namche Bazaar)
3,880 m

Route highlights

Five places mark the way: Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar.

The chart below shows the height where you sleep each night, from day 1 to day 11, and the numbered list opens each place.

Altitude each night on the Everest Base Camp trek. The high point is Kala Patthar, 5,644 m, on day 9. The line also rises to Lukla, 2,860 m, on day 1 and to Everest Base Camp, 5,364 m, on day 8.
DayOvernightAltitude
1Phakding2,610 m
2Namche Bazaar3,440 m
3Namche Bazaar, rest day3,440 m
4Tengboche3,860 m
5Dingboche4,410 m
6Dingboche, rest day4,410 m
7Lobuche4,940 m
8Gorak Shep5,164 m
9Pheriche4,371 m
10Namche Bazaar3,440 m
11Lukla2,860 m

Day 1. Kathmandu to Lukla, then Phakding.

Overnight
Phakding
Altitude
2,610 m
Walking
3 to 4 hours

The walk starts at Lukla, 2,860 m.

Days 1 to 11 run from Lukla back to Lukla. Day 12 takes you from Lukla back to Kathmandu.

  1. LuklaDay 12,860 m

    The flight lands at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport: about 30 to 35 minutes from Kathmandu, or 17 to 21 minutes from Manthali in busy seasons.

    2,860 m is the town. The airstrip is given as 2,845 m.

    Trekkers holding a High 5 Adventures banner under the Pasang Lhamu Gate in Lukla, May 2026

    Lukla

    2,860 m

    Sources: Nepal Tourism Board, The Himalayan Times and Wikipedia.

  2. Namche BazaarDays 2 and 33,440 m

    Two nights: the climb in, then a day to get used to the height, with a walk up to the Hotel Everest View, 3,880 m.

    Some sources give 3,450 or 3,500 m, because the town climbs a hillside.

    Read our Namche Bazaar guide.

    Sources: Nepal Tourism Board, Hotel Everest View and Wikipedia.

  3. TengbocheDay 43,860 m

    A steep climb from the Dudh Kosi brings you to Tengboche and its monastery.

    Source: Nepal Tourism Board.

  4. Everest Base CampDay 85,364 m

    From Gorak Shep you walk along the Khumbu Glacier to base camp and back: the longest day, 7 to 9 hours.

    The camp sits on moving ice, so its height is approximate.

    Yellow expedition tents below the icefall and trekkers on the rocky glacier trail, Everest Base Camp, Khumbu Glacier

    Everest Base Camp

    5,364 m

    Sources: Nepal Tourism Board, Wikipedia and Lonely Planet.

  5. Kala PattharDay 95,644 m

    The trek's highest point: a pre-dawn climb of 1.5 to 2 hours from Gorak Shep to the prayer-flag summit, for the view of Everest.

    Some maps and the Nepal Tourism Board print 5,545 m. That is the lower southern top of the same ridge; the prayer-flag summit is about 5,644 m.

    Read our Kala Patthar guide.

    The summit pyramid of Everest above snow-fluted ridges, seen from Kala Patthar

    कालापत्थर

    Kala Patthar

    5,644 m

    Sources: Lonely Planet, Wikipedia, Nepal Tourism Board and Rough Guides.

Altitude by day on the Everest Base Camp trekEach dot is where you sleep that night, so a rest day shows as a level stretch, and the numbers mark the places in the list.Heights and walking times: Wikipedia, Nepal Tourism Board, Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal, The Himalayan Times and other companies’ itineraries, checked on 1 October 2026. Narbin’s team confirms the plan for your dates.

Day by day

A typical plan. The team adjusts it to the weather, the flights and how the group is doing.

  1. Day 1

    Route
    Kathmandu to Lukla, then Phakding
    Overnight
    Phakding
    Altitude
    2,610 m
    Walking
    3 to 4 hours

  2. Day 2

    Route
    Phakding to Namche Bazaar
    Overnight
    Namche Bazaar
    Altitude
    3,440 m
    Walking
    5 to 7 hours

  3. Day 3

    Route
    Rest and acclimatise: Namche Bazaar
    Overnight
    Namche Bazaar
    Altitude
    3,440 m
    Walking
    3 to 5 hours

  4. Day 4

    Route
    Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
    Overnight
    Tengboche
    Altitude
    3,860 m
    Walking
    5 to 6 hours

  5. Day 5

    Route
    Tengboche to Dingboche
    Overnight
    Dingboche
    Altitude
    4,410 m
    Walking
    5 to 6 hours

  6. Day 6

    Route
    Rest and acclimatise: Dingboche
    Overnight
    Dingboche
    Altitude
    4,410 m
    Walking
    4 to 5 hours

  7. Day 7

    Route
    Dingboche to Lobuche
    Overnight
    Lobuche
    Altitude
    4,940 m
    Walking
    5 to 6 hours

  8. Day 8

    Route
    Lobuche to Gorak Shep, then Everest Base Camp and back
    Overnight
    Gorak Shep
    Altitude
    5,164 m
    Walking
    7 to 9 hours

  9. Day 9

    Route
    Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar (5,644 m), then Pheriche
    Overnight
    Pheriche
    Altitude
    4,371 m
    Walking
    6 to 8 hours

  10. Day 10

    Route
    Pheriche to Namche Bazaar
    Overnight
    Namche Bazaar
    Altitude
    3,440 m
    Walking
    7 to 8 hours

  11. Day 11

    Route
    Namche Bazaar to Lukla
    Overnight
    Lukla
    Altitude
    2,860 m
    Walking
    6 to 8 hours

  12. Day 12

    Route
    Lukla to Kathmandu
    Overnight
    Kathmandu
    Walking
    Travel day, no trekking

12, 14 or 16 days?

12 days is the standard plan from Kathmandu and back, and guidebooks put the trek at 12 to 14 days, the longer plans keeping a spare day or two for the Lukla flights.

The guide price, US$1,419, was quoted in 2023 for a 16-day itinerary that added two nights in a Kathmandu hotel and a sightseeing day in the city. Whatever the length, keep a day free at the end: Lukla flights need daylight and clear weather, and a delay of a day or more is common.

How long the trek takes

Sources: Lonely Planet, Nepal Tourism Board, Rough Guides, Wikipedia and Our 2023 trip page, as saved by the Wayback Machine; checked 1 October 2026.

What is included

From our 2023 trip notes; to be confirmed in your quote.

Included

  • Airport pickup and drop-off by private car
  • Two nights in a tourist hotel in Kathmandu, with breakfast
  • A welcome dinner and a farewell dinner in Kathmandu
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trek
  • Tea or coffee four times a day on the trek
  • A sightseeing day in Kathmandu: Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath
  • Rooms in family-run lodges on the trek
  • TIMS card (a trekker registration card)
  • Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park entry permit
  • The paperwork for your permits
  • Transfers to and from the domestic airport
  • A trekking guide
  • Porters: one porter for every two trekkers
  • Wages, meals, rooms, transport and insurance for your guide and porters
  • A certificate to mark your trip
  • A rescue helicopter arranged in an emergency, paid for by your travel insurance
  • A first-aid kit
  • Government taxes
  • Our service charge

Not included

  • Your Nepal visa fee
  • Travel insurance with rescue cover
  • International flights and departure tax
  • Other meals in Kathmandu
  • Extra costs if you come down from the mountains early
  • Extra costs from strikes, delays or cancelled flights
  • Extra hotel nights in Kathmandu
  • Drinks and personal costs: phone, laundry, battery charging, water and showers
  • Tips for your guide and porters

Permits and rules

We arrange these permits for your trek. Fees are as the issuing office lists them, with the date we checked.

  • Sagarmatha National Park entry permit

    Issued by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

    Foreign visitors
    NPR 3,000person per entry
    Citizens of SAARC countries
    NPR 1,500person per entry
    Nepali citizens
    NPR 100person per entry

    Issued by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation; paid at the Tourist Service Centre, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, or at the park entry points. Children under 10: free.

    Source: Nepal Tourism Board (figures supplied by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation), checked 1 October 2026

  • Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality trek card (local entry permit)

    Issued by Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality

    Foreign visitors
    NPR 3,000person
    Citizens of SAARC countries and China
    NPR 2,000person

    Issued by Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, Tourist Information Centre, Lukla.

    Source: Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality (Wayback capture of 2026-06-13), checked 1 October 2026

Rules on this route

  • Since 1 April 2023 foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas must trek with a licensed guide arranged through a registered agency, and get the TIMS card through that agency.

    The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality does not apply it in the Everest region; news in 2025 still reports the Everest region as the exception.

    Source: The Kathmandu Post, checked 1 October 2026

  • Peak-season Lukla flight routing set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal: in busy seasons most Lukla flights are moved from Kathmandu to Manthali (Ramechhap). Dates are announced each season.

    Source: Republica (1 October 2022), checked 1 October 2026

Is this trip right for you?

Non-technical trekking on well-used trails: no climbing skills or climbing kit are needed on the standard route, but there are long steep climbs (notably up to Namche) and days of 3 to 8 hours. The main challenge is altitude: at least four nights above 4,000 m and one at about 5,000 m, with a real risk of acute mountain sickness, and cold nights at Gorak Shep.

Ask us if this trek suits you
Walking each day
3 to 8 hours
Highest night
Gorak Shep, 5,164 m
Rest days in the plan
2
High point
5,644 m

Price and booking

from US$1,419

2023 price for the 16-day itinerary

This is a guide price for the Everest Base Camp trek. The typical plan on this page runs 12 days, so your quote sets this season's price for the plan you choose. It depends on the size of your group, the season and whether you travel privately or join a group.

We confirm payment terms in your quote. Nothing is paid online.

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