11 Days Everest Base Camp Trek from Lukla

Our adventure begins after arriving at Tenzing Hillary Airport at Lukla and then trekking to Phakding. Our trek takes us through Chaurikharka Village before ascending to Dudh Koshi Ghat (2,530m/8,300ft) then on to Lukla and on to Phakding. At Phakding we will visit Rimishung Monastery.

Today we trek through the valley with the Dudh Kosi River at our side. On several occasions, you cross the Dudh Kosi River on suspension bridges before climbing higher before reaching the small village of Jorsale in the Khumbu region – just south of Namche Bazaar. After a two hour trek, you will finally reach Namche with some fascinating views along the way, including some spectacular views of captivating Mt. Everest (Sagamartha in Nepali). You enter the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale where authorities will check your license. Continuing on for another 5 or 6 hours of fairly hard going we arrive at Namche Bazaar.

Acclimatization is important for your safety before heading to higher elevations. It is recommended that you stay active during the day, so we will go for a day’s trek through the towns of Khunde and Khumjung, taking in the stunning views of Everest, before returning to Namche. At Namche, you may decide to view what is supposed to be a Yeti skull! Namche also boasts of having a bakery! Besides Everest, you can, weather permitting, also see Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and numerous other spectacular peaks. After breakfast, we will trek to the Syangboche airstrip (3790m), from where we ascend towards Khunde.

The fairly even trek, taking around 6 hours, to Tengboche zigzags, taking us past many valleys before arriving at Kenjoma, where it connects with the path from Khumjung just before passing many Mani stones (stones inscribed with sacred Buddhist prayers). The views of Everest and Mt. Ama Dablam are nothing short of breath-taking along this section of the trek. We pass the small village of Sanasa from where the path descends to Phunki Thanga (3250m) before a steep ascent through pine forests while passing more Mani stones as the trail hugs the slope before reaching Tengboche (3870m). Tengboche is famous for its sublime views of many of the world’s tallest peaks, such as Kwangde (6187m), Tawachee (6542m), Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse (8501m), Amadablam, Kantega, and Thamserku.

Today we head downhill on a 6-hour trek passing through forests before crossing the Imja Khola passing through the village of Pangboche, memorable for its fields encompassed by rock walls. Tonight, we stay at Dingboche.

Our trek today begins at around 8.30 a.m taking us on a relatively easy route up to Chhukung. From here you get a superb view of Mt. Ama Dablam. The views from Chhukung and later in the valley of Island Peak is spectacular. Today’s trek is relatively short, mostly downhill, before reaching Dingboche where we stay overnight. This trek is often accompanied by strong winds.

urs before reaching the village of Thugla (4600m) where we have lunch at its tea house. After lunch, we head towards some towering peaks, such as Mt Pumori (7161m) and Mt. Nuptse (7861m) before reaching Lobuche Village (4940m). We then pass through an open valley before arriving at Thukla after leaving the Pheriche Aid Post at Pheriche (4371m). The aid post is manned during the peak trekking seasons We then descend to the yak pastures of the small settlement of Lobuche. Today's trek will take around 5 hours.

This morning we will begin with a two-hour trek to Gorakshep. The trail is initially quite easy but progressively becomes more difficult. Along the trail, we have some fantastic views of several towering peaks, such as Everest, Nuptse, and other enormous peaks. The trail continues for about 150 meters before traversing a moraine and then gets easier before arriving at Gorakshep, one on the world’s most isolated and highest settlements. After stopping for lunch we trek toward EBC following a trail alongside the Khumbu ice sheet. The trek around the ice sheet takes around 1.5 hours before crossing the glacier and into the region of EBC (5360m). At base camp, you will have an opportunity to meet other climbers and share stories. From EBC you will have views of the Khumbu ice sheet and glacier with its frightening and dangerous crevices. We will then descend to Gorakshep, a journey of 6 to 7 hours.

The early morning trek to Kalapathar (5550m) from Gorakshep will take around two hours. After a short climb to Kalapathar, you will have uninterrupted views of Everest and other towering peaks. The magnificent photos of Everest seen on the internet are taken from this vantage point. From here we head down to Gorakshep, a fairly easy downhill trek. At Gorkashep we stop for tea and a snack before continuing on our descent to Pheriche. After accomplishing your goal of reaching EBC and experiencing high altitude climbing, you will sleep soundly at Pheriche. Today’s trek will take between 6 to 7 hours.

Leaving Debuche, we take a fairly easy trek for around 30 minutes before reaching Tengboche and then descend to Phunkithanga (3200m). Our final trek is to Namche where we can celebrate our success and reminisce sharing the highlights. This is also your last opportunity to appreciate the beauty of these towering peaks. At Namche you can reconnect via the internet with the outside world, visit the bread shop and maybe hang out at a bar!

It is a fairly long day with a 7-hour trek from Namche to Lukla, which is mostly downhill with several sections of level ground. We leave the Sagarmatha National Park and eventually reach Lukla where we stay overnight.