A complete guide to Everest Base Camp Trek: Food, Accommodation, Internet, Difficulty, Tips

A complete guide to Everest Base Camp Trek:

Nepal is renowned in the world as the country of the Mt. Everest (8,848m/29,029ft). The country is a pristine heaven on Earth with unspoiled nature, primitive culture, wonderful landscape, and gleaming mountains. It is a dream destination to explore the hidden natural beauty and to witness the close-up view of dazzling snow-capped peaks. So, many avid trekkers, adventure enthusiasts, and expedition lover add Nepal in their travel bucket list. Group photo taken at Everest base camp trek

Trekking in the Khumbu region is melodious and everlasting experience. But, the reckless decision of the amateur trekkers can make the Everest Trek a dreadful nightmare. Therefore, MMT has shared this article “A complete guide to Everest Base Camp Trek” to provide some useful guidance for the Everest Base Camp Trek.

Highlights of Everest Base Camp Trek:

Everest Base Camp Trekking is once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the UNESCO world heritage sites and some religious or historical monuments in Kathmandu with our fluent English speaking professional Everest Base Camp Trek guide. Buckle up the seat belt for 30 minutes of scenic Kathmandu to Lukla flight from Kathmandu domestic airport. The turbulence flight, aerial view of the thrilling terrain, and breath-taking landing at the most dangerous Lukla airport become the everlasting trekking memory in Nepal. The trek also ventures the wonderful landscape, off-beaten trails, and traditional human settlements in the Everest Region. From the gateway to Everest, Lukla, to the last human settlement, Gorakshep, the trek bestows to experience the typical lifestyle, traditional culture, and religious beliefs of the people of this region.

Way to Lukla- The gateway to Everest

Enjoy the international cuisine, Starbucks coffee, alcoholic beverages, Billiards, standard accommodation, and other modern amenities at the famous tourism hubs, Lukla and Namche. More important, the world’s highest Hotel Everest View at Syngboche near Namche Bazzar is built on the ridge overlooking the Everest range from where you can witness the wonderful terrain and close-up view of many snow-capped peaks like Mt Khumbila, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Everest, and many others. During the acclimatization at Namche, explore the Khumjung Hillary School and Kunde hospital established by Sir Edmund Hillary in the remote Khumjung and Kunde villages. The Yeti headed monastery and Syangboche airstrip also add the thrill of the acclimatization. The Khumbu region is famous not only for mountains but also for the cultural and religious richness. The fluttering player flags, Mani wheels, Mani boulders, Chortens, and ancient monasteries like Tengboche Gompa and NangkarTshang Gompa are also the attractions of the trek. The world’s highest Khumbu glacier and Khumbu icefall in between Mt. Everest and Nuptse-Lhotse ridge seem elegantly sublime from the Everest Base Camp. But the major highlights of the Everest Trek are excellent sunrise view over the Everest and 360-degree view of the Himalayan range from Kala Patthar summit. The Everest Trek is well remembered for the panoramic view of the soaring snow-capped peaks like Mt. Everest (8,848m/29,029ft), Mt. Khumbila (5,761m/18,901ft), Lhotse (8,516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7,861m/25,791ft), AmaDablam (6,812m/22,349ft), Cho Oyu (8,188m/26,864ft), Pumori (7,161m/23,494ft), Thamserku (6,608m/21,680ft), Cholatse (6,440m/21,130ft), Lobuche (4,940m/16,210ft), Kongde Ri (6,187m/20,298ft), Gokyo Ri (5,357m/17,575ft), Kangtega (6,782m/22,251ft), Kusum Kanguru (6,367m/20,889ft), and many others.

Trekkers are passing through the snowy trails

Besides, there are many highlights and attractions of the Everest Base Camp Trek that make the trek everlasting and memorable. If you want to try the adventurous and challenging trek then you can try the Everest Three Pass Trek that is all about Gokyo Lake, glacial rivers, narrow ridges, dazzling peaks, and three passes: Kongma La (5,535m/18,158ft), Cho La Pass (5,420m/17,781ft), and Renjo La (5,345m/17,535ft). There are also few alternative EBC Treks which can be customized according to the time, budget, and the taste of adventure of the trekkers.

Transportation available for the Everest Base Camp Trek:

Unlike the Tibetan side Northern Everest Base Camp can be reached by road, but the Nepal side Southern Everest Base Camp doesn’t have road accessibility up to the Base Camp. Either, the trekkers need to take a 30 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Lukla airport, or they can drive for 10-12 hours from Kathmandu to Khari Khola 2 days walk to Lukla; gateway to Everest Base Camp. Then after, the trekkers must walk on foot through different villages on Tenzing Hillary Everest Base Camp trails. But, the trekkers who are physically moderate, or want to experience the Everest Luxury Trek can charter a private Helicopter and enjoy the astounding aerial view of the sparkling mountains, green surrounding, and beautiful terrain.

Food and water on Everest Base Camp trek:

The trekkers on the Everest Base Camp Trek burn too much calories. So, they need to intake healthy and hygienic food that refuels energy in the body. The food trekkers consume must provide vitamin, minerals, carbohydrate, protein, and essential nutrients. There are many tea houses on EBC Trails that serve hot meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to the trekkers. They serve you international or local food as per your appetite. But, you need to adopt healthy habits and eat balanced-hygienic food. The trekkers trekking with Mountain Mart Treks (MMT) get amiable hospitality and quality service. We offer 3 times meals a day on your choice. Whatever you order will be served on your dining table. We also serve Vegan food with extra cheese and egg for the vegetarian trekkers. There will be fruits and other energy giving perks for the trekkers on the regular basis and it will be provided by MMT in free of cost. MMT is top rated tripadvisor local company that caters vegan and gluten free food during the trekking in Nepal

Here is the menu of the food you will get at the tea houses of the EBC Trails:

• Breakfast:

The first meal of the day is eaten in the early morning and it must replenish your body with energy for longer period of time. In the tea houses, you will be served healthy breakfast like: Porridge/Oats, Muesli,Toast with honey/jam/butter, Eggs,Tibetan Bread, Pancakes, and few more. Check the detail food guide list served at the tea houses.

• Lunch:

Mainly, the typical lunch includes dal, bhat, tarkari, and acchar; means rice, lentils, vegetables, and pickle. The Nepali lunch is best recommended by expert as it refuels the constant body energy. Besides Nepali food, you can get varieties of western meals in lunch like noodles, Momo, pasta, sandwich, pizza, macaronis, spaghetti and etc. The Everest Region is a Buddhist territory so no animals are slaughtered here. However, meat is carried by the aircraft to Lukla and porters or mules carry it to the tea houses. Therefore, the health experts and our consultant suggest not eating non refrigerated stale meat while trekking in the Himalayas. Trekkers Enjoying the Food at Everest Base Camp Trek

• Dinner:

The last meal of the day is served as per the menu of the tea houses. Often, dinner is as similar as the lunch, like typical Nepali food: dal, bhat, tarkari, achar and continentals. You can also order your favorite appetizer at the tea houses.

• Water:

The trekkers on EBC Trek need to drink at least 3-4 liters of clean drinking water to keep hydrated. There is facility of bottled water at the tea houses on EBC Trails which may cost $1 to 5, ascend higher raise the price. Unlike, Mountain Mart Treks provide you unlimited safe drinking water. MMT personally suggests the trekkers not to buy bottled water as we organize the eco-friendly trek in the Himalayas. There is also frequent news that every year, piles of waste plastic bottles are collected during the cleaning campaign. So please, avoid bottled water. Instead, bring your own water bottle, MMT fill in the natural spring water, and purify it by adding chlorine tabs. It saves the money as well as helps to conserve the ecosystem.

Accommodation on Everest Base Camp Trek:

Everest Base Camp Trekking packages by Mountain Mart Treks offer the comfortable accommodation facility. At Lukla, Phakding and Namche, the trekkers get attached bathroom with hot shower facility. But in the higher elevation, the tea houses have twin room with share toilet and a small tea table.The tea houses may have attached bathroom with/without hot shower facility. Some tea houses have squat-style toilets at outside or on backyard. MMT provides good facility of beds, bed-sheet, duvet, and pillow. As Everest Region is cold, Mountain Mart Treks provides 4 season comfortable sleeping bag for warm sleep and clean blankets every night in Everest Base Camp Trekking Lodges. if you feel extreme cold at the higher elevation, our ever smiling trekking guides manage additional blankets on request.

Accommodation on Everest base camp trek

Almost every Everest Base Camp Trek is a tea house trek. But, the trekkers can also experience camping trek on request. MMT offers you the best camping trek under the canopy of the bright trillions of stars.

Internet facility on Everest Base CampTrek:

There is a good facility of internet connection at the tea houses in the Everest Trail; but you need to pay for it. You can purchase wi-fi card for good connectivity. The price of the wi-fi connection at the Everest tea houses depends on the altitude; higher you climb, more you need to pay.

Internet or Wifi price on Everest base camp trek

Some trekkers buy a 3G-4G sim card of NTC or N-Cell at airport and superstore in Thamel. The 4G data works up to Namche; and for beyond to Everest Base Camp but does not work couple of days in Dingboche and Lobuche.

How difficult is Everest Base Camp Trek for beginners, solo, and female trekkers?

The Everest Base Camp Trek is a moderate-strenuous trek on the higher elevation. Basically, the trekkers need to walk for an average of 6-7 hours per day. So we think that the trekkers with average physical fitness and strong dedication can easily walk up to the world’s highest base camp without any serious threat. However, trekking in the higher altitude above 4,500m is always risky due to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) problem. To avoid possible risks of AMS, MMT schedules two days of acclimatization so that all kind of trekkers can easily adjust the thin air in the Himalayas.

Trekkers are heading towards the Everest base camp

The beginners, solo, or female trekkers may experience the EBC Trek somehow difficult due to the steep ridges, narrow cliff, moraine boulders, and dense forest trails. But if you trek in group enjoying with the team then the trek becomes pleasant and comfortable, Despite this, MMT also customize perfect packages with exact fit to your physical condition, budget and vacation length. Our experienced local guides of MMT give you proper briefing of the trails and teach you Everest Base Camp Trek guide on how to trek through the trails. In case of the solo trekkers, it will be difficult to read the maps and there might be possibility of getting lost trekking on the wrong trails.

Do I need prior training or physical exercise before Everest Trekking?

Unlike Everest climbing, the Everest Base Camp Trek is a non-technical trek and can be comfortably accomplished by the average physically fit trekkers. If you are planning for the Everest Trek then you need to make a habit of normal exercise, jogging, cycling, swimming, and hiking before 90 days of the trek date. Besides prior exercise, check your health condition and other injuries to make the trek convenient and successful.

 What paper-works and legal documents are needed for Everest Base Camp Trek?

Obviously, you will need a legal and valid passport that has validity of 6 months for trekking in Nepal. You can get on arrival visa service at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu; or you can obtain it at the Nepal embassy or diplomatic mission of home country. For trekking in the Khumbu region, the trekkers need Khumbu Municipality Permit Card and Sagarmatha National Park entry card. All the flight tickets and permit cards will be included by MMT trekking packages. But, some trekking agencies make you pay for the permit cards. So, know about the detail price inclusion and exclusion before booking the trek. Also check the complete guide for Everest Base Camp Trek.

Is Travel Insurance important and compulsory?

While trekking above 4,500m altitude, trekkers must have Insurance policy to minimize the risk of any possible incidents. Most of the trekkers think that travel insurance is not compulsory. But, MMT suggests you to do insurance with the authorized insurance company which ensures to cover the insurance of baggage lost, theft, or misplaced; flight cancellation compensation; and helicopter evacuation above 6,000m in case of medical emergency in the Himalayan region. So, explore the internet for the best travel insurance for trekking in Nepal.

How often do flights to/from Luka get cancelled/ delayed?

Mainly in summer and winter seasons, many flights of Lukla/Kathmandu/Lukla get cancelled/ delayed due to poor visibility caused by bad weather condition. The turbulence and cloud lifting at Lukla airport is also a factor that forces the flight scheduled to be delayed for some minutes to a couple of hours or cancelled too. The issue of flight cancellation frequently occurs in early and late summer. However, the flight gets delayed or cancelled at any time or any month. So, trekkers need to be well prepared by adding extra buffer days in the scheduled date. 

 What are the alternatives if flight get delayed or cancelled?

Sometimes, the flight gets delayed for a few minutes to a couple of hours due to poor weather condition. In this case, the trekkers will get chance to fly on the same day when the climate turns favorable. But, if the flight gets cancelled then the trekkers will have option to wait for the next day’s flight.The improvement of climate guarantees your flight to/from Lukla. Try alternative trek to Annapurna Base Camp Trek or Langtang Trek if you have tight schedule and can’t fly tomorrow. Or, you can charter a helicopter flight or buy a regular helicopter ticket and enjoy the Everest Helicopter Trek.

Trekkers taking rest at Namche Elevation (Sagarmatha National Park)

What is the best time for Everest Base Camp trekking?

Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) are the two best seasons for trekking in Nepal. In spring, the surrounding looks elegant with blooming flowers. During this time, the temperature at day time is bright and sunny. Also, the sky remains crystal blue and the mountains seem astounding due to the bright radiance of sunlight. While in autumn, the temperature is moderate and favorable for trekking. It is the best season to enjoy the magnificent weather and wonderful scenery. Although spring and autumn are best seasons for trekking, it is possible to trek even in early winter of mid December. Trekking company like Mountian Mart Treks organizes Everest Base Camp Trekking in winter; December, January, February and Summer: June, July and August. However, summer season is favorable for over the rain shadow areas like Upper Mustang Trek, Dolpo Trek, etc. But, why summer isn’t preferred for trekking is flight cancellation/delay due to frequent climate fluctuation and continuous rainfall in lower elevation.

Packing list for Everest Base Camp Trek:

• T-shirt
• Shorts/pants
• Trekking trousers
• Underwear
• Hiking boots
• Light trekking shoes
• Sandals
• Hiking socks/Thermal socks
• Sleeping bag
• Gloves
• Sun hat
• Eye mask and ear plugs
• Trekking poles
• Sunglasses
• Headlamp
• Water bottle
• Camera
• Journal/guide book/ book
• Oximeter
• Water purification tablet or UV purifier
• ORS or Isotonic powder
• Diamox
• Ibuprofen
• Antibiotics
• Plasters/tape
• Toilet paper
• Hand sanitizer
• Deodorant
• Towel
• Diaper rash cream
• Face lotion
• Hair brush
• Tooth brush
• Tooth paste
• Hair ties/headband
• Wet wipes
• Toilet paper
• Tampons
• Sanitary pads
• Insurance
• Passport/VISA
• Cash/Card
• Dry food, chocolate bar, candies, protein bars
• Shoe gaiter

Additional packing list for summer:

• Raincoat/Poncho/umbrella
• Sunscreen lotion
• Half-sleeve T-shirt
• Insect repellent
• Water proof bag cover
• Waterproof shoe cover

Additional packing list for winter:

• Thermal inner ware
• Fleece jacket (insulin layer)
• Down jacket (outer layer)
• Sleeping bag with liner
• Inner thermal gloves
• Windproof gloves
• Shoe gaiter

Some useful tips for Everest Base Camp Trekkers:

• Best travel agency/guide: Book the top-rated trekking agency of Nepal and hire the experienced local guides for the everlasting experience in Khumbu region.
• Season: Always chose the best trekking season for overwhelming scenery and tantalizing mountains’ view.
• Backpack with necessary gears: Travel smart and add essential gears in your backpack. Make sure your porter bag also be light and easy to be carried for porters.
• Travel Insurance: To minimize the risk and any other possible problems, purchase insurance from authorized and rated company.
• Buffer days: The buffer days helps to minimize the panic and enjoy the hassle free trek in case of flight delay.
• Physical and mental fitness: The trekker must make oneself physically fit and mentally confident for the world’s highest base camp trek.
• Hygienic food: Always eat healthy and balanced diet in Trek. Avoid non-veg and alcoholic beverages.
• Acclimatization: In EBC Trekking, you must acclimatize to adjust the thin air and to avoid AMS problem.
• Walk in constant pace: Save energy walking in easy pace with proper breaks.
• Manage the budget: In Everest Trek, control the extra expenses on food, drinks, and internet. Be economic travel if you want to travel forever.

In conclusion:

The Everest Base Camp Trek is once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the mystical heaven on Earth. To level oneself and make eye contact with the mighty Everest is absolutely out of the world experience. But, without exceptional plans and execution, the dream of conquering the Everest may not be possible. Therefore, MMT has shared this complete guide to Everest Base Camp Trek hoping this will be relevant guidance to every keen trekker. For any further details or help, please contact us. We are always at you service.