Everest Base Camp trek
About two weeks from Lukla to the foot of Everest and back, on tea house trails up the Dudh Koshi and Khumbu valleys. The stages, the Gokyo variant, the permits, and your own trek drawn as a print.
Everest Base Camp at a glance
- Base camp
- About 5,356 m (17,572 ft), across the glacier from Gorak Shep
- The trek
- About two weeks, Lukla to base camp and back
- High point
- Kala Patthar, 5,644 m (18,517 ft), above Gorak Shep
- Permits
- Sagarmatha National Park entry (NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Best seasons
- October to November and March to May
- Guide
- Not compulsory in the Khumbu, under the local municipality's ruling
The Everest Base Camp route, stage by stage
Lukla to Namche Bazaar
19.1 km (12 miles) one way · 2 days · starts at Lukla airstrip, 2,860 m (9,383 ft)
Most people fly into Lukla and take two easy days up the Dudh Koshi, stopping at Phakding or Monjo. Permits are checked at Jorsale, the park entrance just past Monjo, then it's about three hours up from the suspension bridge to Namche.
Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
1 day, after a rest day in Namche · starts in Namche Bazaar
Stop in Namche for at least a day to acclimatise, with short walks to Khumjung, Khunde or Thame. Then the path follows the Imja Khola with Ama Dablam alongside and Everest and Lhotse ahead, and ends with a steep climb to Tengboche Monastery.
Tengboche to Dingboche or Pheriche
1 day, plus a rest day · ends at Dingboche, 4,410 m (14,469 ft), or Pheriche
On up the Imja Khola through Pangboche to Dingboche or Pheriche. This is where the second acclimatisation day goes, often with the walk of about three hours out to Chhukung.
Dingboche to Lobuche and Gorak Shep
2 days · about 6 hours to Lobuche, then about 3 hours to Gorak Shep, 5,164 m (16,942 ft)
Lobuche sits on the moraine beside the Khumbu glacier. Gorak Shep, a handful of tea houses and the last settlement on the trail, is where you sleep before base camp.
Base camp and Kala Patthar
Base camp, about 5,356 m (17,572 ft), up to 5 hours along the glacier from Gorak Shep · Kala Patthar, 5,644 m (18,517 ft)
The last leg crosses the glacier, where the line can be hard to find and the ice is slippery, so take it slowly. Kala Patthar, the hill above Gorak Shep, is where trekkers go for the big view of Everest, and it's the highest point of the trek.
The walk back to Lukla
3 to 4 days down via Pheriche and Namche · the whole trek about 115 km (71 miles) there and back
Going down is quicker: back to Pheriche, then Namche, then Lukla. Flights out of Lukla depend on the weather, so leave a spare day before your flight home.
The Gokyo variant
About 135 km (84 miles) loop from Lukla with base camp, over the Cho La and Renjo La · Gokyo Ri, 5,357 m (17,575 ft)
Head west into the Gokyo valley and its chain of lakes, a protected Ramsar wetland, and climb Gokyo Ri. Crossing the Cho La links it to the base camp trail and makes a bigger, quieter circuit of the Khumbu.
Stages and times from the Nepal Tourism Board, distances and altitudes from Follow Alice, read October 2026. Check the forecast and go up slowly.
Your Everest Base Camp, drawn
Your own route, drawn from your phone or watch onto the map, with the peaks, huts and villages along the way named.
The print shown is a walk in the Surrey Hills. Yours is drawn from your own walk on Everest Base Camp.
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Good questions
How long is the Everest Base Camp trek?
The Nepal Tourism Board calls it a two-week trek, starting and finishing at Lukla. Follow Alice's classic itinerary covers about 115 km (71 miles) in 11 walking days.
Do you need a permit for Everest Base Camp?
Yes, two. The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit costs NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals, with under-10s free, and it is checked at Jorsale. You also need the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit. A TIMS card is no longer needed in the Khumbu.
Do you need a guide for Everest Base Camp?
Not at the moment. Nepal brought in a guide rule for foreign trekkers in April 2023, but the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality ruled that guides are not compulsory in the Everest area, so independent trekkers still go. Check again before you book, as the rules have moved before.
When is the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp?
October to November and March to May, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. December to February brings snow, and June to September is the rainy season.
What is the highest point of the Everest Base Camp trek?
Kala Patthar, 5,644 m (18,517 ft), above Gorak Shep. Base camp itself is about 5,356 m (17,572 ft).
Can I get a print of my own Everest Base Camp hike?
Yes. Send the file from your phone or watch, Strava, Komoot or any app that exports GPX, and we draw your trek with Lukla, Namche, the villages and base camp named.
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Send the file from your phone or watch, pick the colours, and we'll take it from there
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