Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
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- By accessnepaltour
The top of the world, “Mount Everest“, echoes to thousands of people all across the world. Many people wish to climb the mountain, or at least catch a glimpse of the giant once in their lives. Here at Access Nepal Tours and Trekking, we provide you with the best experience of the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary and help tick one of the boxes off your bucket list.
About Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
Everest Base Camp trek itinerary of a classic 14-day trek includes visiting major landmarks, experiencing the tallest mountains, exploring famous lakes and glaciers, and more. The Everest lies between the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and Nepal. There are two base Camps in the vicinity of the mountains. The Everest Base Camp of Nepal is also known as the South Base Camp, while the Everest Base Camp of Tibet is considered the North Base Camp. However, in this blog, we will be covering more of the Everest Base Camp trek located within the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal.
Everest Expedition is a mountaineering trip to the summit of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
The total Everest base camp trek distance from Lukla to the Everest Base Camp is approximately 130 km (80 miles). With an elevation gain of 3300m (10,827 feet), the distance from the base camp to the tip of Mt. Everest is about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles). In this journey to the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary, you can also visit the National Park situated at the highest altitude in the world.
The Sagarmatha National Park, established in 1976, showcases the various species of plants and animals. Enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage site, the National Park has become one of the major stops to explore for everyone travelling in the Everest Region.
Following the Everest Base Camp trek Itinerary, you can explore many famous tourist attractions on the trails to the Everest Base Camp Trek routes, such as Kala Patthar, the “Black Stone,” Lukla, the main gateway to Everest, Namche Bazaar, the oldest market in the Khumbu Region, Tilicho Lake, the highest Lake in the world, and many more. These places in the high altitudes, with their rich history and interesting stories, gave many great memories to the trekkers, gradually gaining popularity all over the world since the 1930s.
Kala Patthar: A notable landmark located south of Pumori above Gorakshep.
While climbing the tallest mountain, you either create a story to tell everyone, or you become a story that everyone remembers. Each body that you see lying down on the snow in the mountain has a chilling story to tell. Every climber knows about the story of Sleeping Beauty, Green boots, and many other stories like these over their journey while reaching out to the mountains following the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary.
Highlights of the Everest Base Camp Trek Route
There are many fascinating things and charming places you can explore while you visit, following the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary. Such as the numerous tall mountains, the world’s shortest airport, vibrant towns and villages, monasteries, temples, and lakes at the highest altitude.
While following the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary, you can see numerous mountains over 6000 m, 7000m, and 8000m. The beauty of each mountain gives you the distinctive serenity during your travels. You can experience the mountains over 6000m, such as Loboche West: 6,145 m (20,161 ft) and Loboche East: 6,119 m (20,075 ft), Mount Ama Dablam (6,812m), Mera Peak (6,654 m), and Thamserku (6,623m).
Mountains over 7000 m, such as Gangapurna at 7,455 metres (24,459 ft), Pumori at 7,165 m, Annapurna VI at 7,525 m (24,688 ft), the least climbed peak of the Annapurna Massif, and Tilicho Peak at 7,134 m. At the base of the Tilicho Peak, here lies Tilicho Lake, Nepal’s highest Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,919 meters (16,138 ft). Including these giants, there are many other mountains over 7000m.
Coming over to the mountains over 8000m, there are 8 of the 14 mountains over 8000 m known as the “eight-thousanders“. Mount Everest at 8848 m, being the top of the world, joining the list; here are Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,463 m), Cho Oyu (8,201 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), and Annapurna I (8,091 m).
Lukla is known as the gateway to Everest and the starting point of the Everest Base Camp trek Itinerary. Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu District that you will visit through the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary. Another thing Lukla is famous for is that it has the smallest airport in Nepal. Yes, you heard it right. Lukla airport, now known as the Tenzing-Hillary Airport, is a functioning airport in Nepal with a 527-meter (1,729-feet) long runway that ends near the cliff of a hill.
Exploring the airport at an altitude of 2,860 meters (9,334 feet), it will be a thrilling and memorable experience to travel on a plane from here. The weather at the place is unpredictable, and the clouds and fog often cover the runway, making landings and takeoffs challenging. Believe it or not, this unpredictable and dicey experience is one of the adventurous experiences most people come to participate in at the Tenzing-Hillary airport. However, the highly experienced pilots and the glimpse of the majestic Mount Everest from your window will reduce the anxious emotions and replace them with the emotions of excitement, making your flight experience even better.
Travelling through the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary, on the 10th day, you will be ascending to the highest point of the trek to Kala Patthar. Situated near the Everest base camp trek route at 5,643m, Kala Patthar is one of the main highlights of the trek. The location is famously known to be visited early in the morning before sunrise. It is the best place for travellers to get exposed to the beautiful view of Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, and Mount Everest.
Another major highlight of the Everest base camp trek itinerary is visiting the highest lake in Nepal. The Gokyo Lakes are religiously significant to the Hindu and Buddhist people residing in the Everest region. The glaciers, situated at an altitude of 4,919 meters (16,138 feet), you can witness six major lakes while following the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary.
Gokyo: A small village in the Solukhumbu district in the Himalayas of Nepal.
Gokyo Cho is the most famous glacier lake in the region. Due to the high concentration of minerals, the appearance of the water in the lake seems milky or white from a distance, hence getting its name as “Dudh Pokhari”. Thonak Cho Lake, Gyazumpa Cho Lake, Ngojumba Cho Lake, Tanjung Cho Lake, and Taboche Tsho Lake are the other famous lakes near the Everest Base Camp Trek distance.
Everest Base Camp Trek Detailed Itinerary
The initial few days of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary will be an easy trip, exploring the beautiful villages of Lukla, Phakding, and Namche. An exciting 20-minute flight to Lukla and 3-4 hours of trek to Phakding on the second day of the trek will give you more than just memories. On the third day, after the ascent through the beautiful Dudh Koshi Valley, crossing numerous bridges, including the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge, we reach Namche.
Namche is a beautiful and vibrant Shepa settlement valley situated at 3,440m above sea level. Surrounded by the glimpse of the big mountains, it can also be the last-minute stop for the gear required for the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary. You can rest here and explore more of the places in Namche, like the Sherpa culture museum, as this will be your first acclimatization stop of the trek.
Related Packages
Everest Base Camp Trek - 14 Days
5,550m/18,209ft
Challenging
All
Inclusive Plan
The next few days of the trek will be a 5-6 hour hike each day, and an exploration of different monasteries and getting to see a better view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. After numerous ascents and descents during the Everest Base Camp Trek route, you will reach Tengboche Monastery on the sixth day and Dingboche village on the seventh day of the trek. They are covered with Chortens and prayer flags all over the place, as Tengboche is considered one of the major landmarks of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary.
Dingboche village at 4,410 m (14,470 ft) will be our second acclimatization stop of the trek. With the clear, breathtaking view of the Ama Dublum and other mountains, you can rest for the day and enjoy the moments. On the next day, we will be passing through the Thukla Pass. The pass situated at (4,830 m) is also known as the “saddest viewpoint” in the region.
It is because this place is significant and here lie the bodies of the honorable and brave Sherpas who lost their lives on the Everest. As beautiful as the place can be, surrounded by the mountains and landscapes, along with it, a small part of grief and sadness will always be here. Crossing the pass, eventually checking out the clear view of Nuptse, Lobuche, and Pumori, we reach the Lobuche village.
The next few days are important as we will be reaching our main destination of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary. Early morning, from Lobuche, we will trek towards Gorak Shep along the rocky pathway beside the Khumbu glacier. This four-kilometer trek brings you closer to your destination. Short breaks and rests are very necessary in these high-altitude areas. So we will be having lunch and resting for a while before the final climb of this trek.
Spread with prayer flags all along the Everest Base Camp Trek route, with the presence of Khumbu Icefalls and clear views of Lhotse, Pumori, and Nuptse, you will finally reach the Everest Base Camp. After spending some memorable time in the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain, we will head back to Gorak Shep for the night and celebrate the big achievement.
The next day of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary will be even more interesting. A long day, a 7-8 hour trek to the highest point of the trek. Kala Patthar, which translates to “Black Stone,” is situated at 5,550 meters (18,209 feet). It is considered the best viewpoint of the sunrise among the highest snow-peaked mountains. Most of the travellers hike to the viewpoint early in the morning before sunrise.
We experience the majestic once-in-a-lifetime view of the dawn between the mountains, trek back to Gorak Shep, have breakfast, and descend to Pheriche. A 6-7 hour trek through a 9.6 km descent rough section of road. On our next day, many things seemed to be familiar. Travelling through the lush rhododendron forests, walking down the paths of the Tengboche village, and crossing the same famous bridge, we will reach the Namche bazaar and stay for the night. The next day, we will travel back to Lukla and return to Kathmandu a day later.
Variations of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
The information given above is the basic explanation of the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary. However, there are many variations of the Everest Base Camp Trek route that people can travel and explore more of the Everest region differently.
Everest Base Camp Trek by Road 16 Days Itinerary
To travel to the Everest region, almost all travellers have to take this thrilling yet exciting flight to Lukla in the beginning. As it is a fast and efficient way to reach the Gateway to the Everest region, the Tenzing Hillary Airport is included in the classic route to the Everest Base Camp trek itinerary. However, some explorers travel through the roads, excluding any kind of airways. It will be a long 8-10 hour road trip through a mix of excitement along the way. Mostly committed travel enthusiasts choose this Everest Base Camp trek route.
In this Everest Base Camp trek by Road, the trek starts from Kathmandu to Thamdanda with an 8-10 hour road trip, and also ends with another 8-10 hour road trip returning to Kathmandu from Thamdanda. In the classic Everest Base Camp trek, the actual trekking starts from the second day, travelling from Lukla to Phakding. But as we are travelling on a road that takes more amount of time than a flight, the trek to Phakding will start from the next day on this Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary.
Related Packages
Everest Base Camp Trek by Road - 16 Days
- 5,550m/18,209ft
-
Moderate
- All
Inclusive Plan
These trails are moreover the same route as the classical Everest Base Camp trek, but as the beginning and the end are slightly different, this trek will be extended to 2 more days. All the other parts of the journey are similar to the classic trek to Namche Bazaar while returning. In the classic Everest Base Camp trek, we reach Namche by travelling through some villages and numerous suspension bridges, and by crossing them, we eventually reach Lukla. On the other hand, in the Everest Base Camp Road trek, crossing through the same villages, we will reach Chaurikharka.
If you are interested in visiting the Lukla airport, you can get a glance at the smallest airport in Nepal, which is only a 20-minute walk from Chaurikharka. We rest here in the village for the night and trek to Thamdanda the next day. The another day will be the last day of this Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary, as you will be taking an 8-10 hour bus ride to Kathmandu.
Everest Base Camp to Gokyo Lake Trek 17 Days Itinerary
The Everest Base Camp Gokyo Lake Trek is the most followed alternative Everest Base Camp Trek route. The initial days of the journey are the same as the classic Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary. After reaching Kala Patthar and experiencing the majestic sunrise at dawn, in the classic Everest Base Camp and Everest Base Camp Road trek, we descend to Pheriche. As this is the trek to the lakes, the trails continue the journey, taking another route.
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From Kala Patthar, the trail goes through Dzongla and passes the famous pass, Cho La Pass, eventually reaching Thangnak. After spending a refreshing night here surrounded by the mountains, we will finally travel to the Gokyo Valley. The following day, early in the morning before dawn, we will have a jaw-dropping experience of the turquoise Gokyo Lake and Gokyo Ri excursions.
You can explore the Ngozumpa Glacier, stretching over 36km long, and the tallest mountains like Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Nuptse, Cho-Oyu, and Gyachung Kang from the top of the Gokyo Ri. Returning from the amazing excursions won’t be difficult. From Gokyo Ri, progressively trekking through the beautiful village of Luza and Lhafarma, we reach Doley. Spend the night here today and trek to Namche Bazaar the next day. The journey continues the next day to Lukla, eventually reaching Kathmandu and ending the Everest Base Camp Trek distance to the Gokyo Lake.
Everest Three Passes Trek
The Everest Three Passes Trek is the most travelled trek after the Gokyo Lake Trek. With all the perks of the basic Everest Base Camp itinerary, this version includes more of the trek. This trek is made to cross the three high mountain passes. Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La.
Related Packages
Everest Three Passes Trek - 18 Days
- 5,550m/18,209ft
-
Challenging
- All
Inclusive Plan
The initial few days of the Everest Base Camp Itinerary for the Three Pass Trek are the same till Dingboche. In the classic trek after acclimatizing in Dingboche, we directly move on the pathways towards Lobuche, while in the Three Pass, it’s different. In the three-pass trek, after acclimatizing in Dingboche, we head towards Chukung. We then continue the trek, crossing through the Kongma La Pass, finally reaching Lobuche.
The next pass to cross is the famous Cho La Pass. Until Groakshep, we follow the same Everest Base Camp Trek route to Gokyo Lake. Following the route, travelling through the Cho La Pass, we reach and explore the majestic Gokyo Lake for a while. However, the return of the three pass trek will be different than the Gokyo Lake Trek.
While returning from the Gokyo Lake Trek, we travel through Gokyo Ri, Machermo, and Doley. In the Three Pass Trek, we will trek through our last pass: The Renjo La Pass, and reach Marlung and stay for the night. The next morning, we will reach Thame and Thamo on another day. Eventually, we will reach Namche Bazaar and Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu, concluding the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary for the Three Pass.
Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek
The Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary with the Helicopter is quite similar to the basic Everest Base Camp trek. The only difference is that instead of taking a flight from Kathmandu, we will be travelling on a helicopter to Lukla. From there, we will be trekking to Phakding. The rest of the trek is similar. You can witness the highest snow peaks, visit the vibrant Sherpa villages, and monasteries.
Everest Heli Tour is for breathtaking aerial views of the Himalayas, including Mount Everest and Kala Patthar.
However, in this Deluxe Everest Heli Trek, after completing the Everest Base Camp distance, while returning to Gorak Shep, it will be a different route back. From Gorakshep, we will be heading back by a helicopter. It will take us directly to Kathmandu, skipping the descent to Pheriche, Namche Bazaar, and the flight from Lukla.
Conclusion
In the blog, we talked about some of the highlights and different variations of the Everest Base Camp Trek for the Everest Base Camp Trek routes. Following the Everest Base Camp trek routes, enjoying the mountains and the serenity of the ranges, the travellers cannot ask for a more blissful moment than this. Let us know which part you like the most for your next trip to Nepal. You can even customize the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary with us. See you soon on your next trip to the Himalayas.
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