The Essential Guide for Planning Your Mount Everest Base Camp Trek
Find out how to hike to Mount Everest Base Camp including the many hiking options you have, the essentials you’ll need to think about before going to Base Camp, and a first-hand account of what its like once you hit Kathmandu!
After a year of traveling around the world came to an end, I had one last big thing I wanted to do: Hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp. ย I realize to some it might sound a bit crazy, but sometimes you have to dream big, right?! And what’s bigger than climbing to base camp of Mount Everest – the tallest mountain in the world!
If you like to dream big too and are planning for the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek, then this guide can help you!
Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase.
Options for Trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp
The first thing to decide on is how you want to get to Base Camp. There are four main ways you can plan out your hiking adventure to Everest Base Camp from joining a tour to going it alone. Let’s take a look at these four options to help you make up your mind.
1. Book a Western Tour to Everest Base Camp Online
If you’re a planner and looking to get everything set in stone before you step foot on your plane, then this is the option for you! These tours typically will have all of the logistics planned out so you will just have to show up. The flights, accommodations, food, etc. will be handled for you.
It is however also the most expensive route to Everest Base Camp as the Western Tour operators generally hire a local company and pocket the difference. That being said, there are reasons to book ahead online.
One reason to book your trek to Mount Everest ahead of time is if you have zero buffer room on the days you can hike. Even then, please understand that sometimes flights into Lukla (where you’ll start the base camp hike from) get cancelled due to bad weather and this could still delay you a day or two. But if you’re short on time, trying to find a tour in Kathmandu may take too long and you’ll miss your window. Book online.
Another reason to book a tour ahead is if waiting until you arrive in Kathmandu will create massive anxiety. Then by all means, dot your i’s and cross your t’s before you get on the plane. You want to enjoy your trip! Don’t kick off your trip to this amazing part of the world with stress. Kathmandu can be overwhelming enough – no need to add to it.
Two other factors that will make your trek to Everest easier by booking ahead is knowing the quality of the tour by being able to read firsthand reviews online and getting an Everest Base Camp packing list from the guide.
Typically Western tours to Everest Base Camp run around $1,500. Check out these tour options to get a better idea of what’s available.
2. Book an Everest Base Camp Tour in Kathmandu
Your second option for hiking to Everest Base Camp is waiting until you arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal to figure out a tour. This can potentially cause anxiety by putting all your eggs in one basket. If that’s the case – you may want to book ahead. That being said, this is the option I ultimately took. Just show up and hope for the best!
When you land in Kathmandu and start roaming around the tourist district of Thamel, you will find dozens of tour operators hoping to sort out your trip to Everest Base Camp for you. If you are like me and skeptical of what sales people tell you when trying to earn commission, then I would ask your accommodation or other tourists for a recommendation.
These tours vary from large groups to one-on-one guides. Make sure to clarify what is and is not included to understand what you’re paying for. Also ensure that what you’re getting fits the type of experience you’re looking for. I will go over some of these key factors below under the Tips section.
Typically booking a tour this way will run you around $900.
3. Hire a Guide or Sherpa/Guide for Yourself or a Small Group
Finding just a Guide for Mount Everest may be a bit more challenging. But, you can do this similarly to the Tour Operator by asking for recommendations around Kathmandu. If you are not dead set on going with a Guide, you can also book your flights to Lukla and see about finding a Guide or Sherpa/Guide when you land.
To help distinguish why a Guide and Sherpa are different:
- A Guide will know more of the technical aspects of the hike to the base camp of Everest, such as the altitude and proper acclimation techniques, where to stay, key points of interest along the way, etc.
- A Sherpa (Porter) will not provide additional context to your hike but will carry your pack for you. They may or may not speak your language and will simply lighten your load.
- A Sherpa/Guide will do both – carry your pack and provide additional context and important details about the hike.
Again, with this option, make sure you understand the price up front and what it includes. Additionally, generally Sherpas and Guides receive tips at the end of the hike on top of the price you negotiate, so budget that in to the cost of getting to Mount Everest Base Camp.
4. Go It Alone
Believe it or not, you don’t have to go with a group or a guide to Everest Base Camp. The only way I would consider recommending this is if you have hiked at high altitudes before and understand altitude sickness symptoms and how to handle them.
I was surprised at the number of people who suffered from altitude sickness in my group, and in fact, a large percentage of the groups I met on the way to base camp had people flown off the mountains due to this. In fact, my roommate for the trek was helicoptered off.
That being said, the path to Everest Base Camp is mostly well worn and you shouldn’t get lost – unless you hit fresh snow. Then just make sure you are behind a group of some kind, and they will lead you in the right direction.
I personally would be hesitant to hike to Mount Everest Base Camp alone simply due to the dangers of getting lost in the mountains, but with a few friends or in “busy season” it would be way less formidable.
Just make sure whoever you are planning to hike with will want to go at a similar speed and that you understand how to acclimate. It is recommended not to increase altitude by more than 600m per day. I was surprised how many people I had dinner with in Kathmandu who were planning to hike on their own with zero insight into the basics of high altitude hiking. Yikes.
What to Include in Your Everest Base Camp Tour
With multiple options of how to do the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek, there are a number of other factors to take into consideration. For one, always make sure to find out what is covered in the fees before selecting your tour. This not only can save you some money, but it will also ensure your hike to Everest Base Camp goes smoothly.
Here are some of the basics to ask about:
1. Transportation to the Kathmandu Airport
Do you need to find your own ride to the airport or are they picking you up at your accommodations in Kathmandu? Where do you need to be and at what time?
2. Flights to Lukla (~$160 each way)
Are flights to Lukla included in the fees? This is a big expense. Make sure to verify this and also if they are handling all of the booking of the flights there and back. Most tours will handle this, but it does not hurt to verify.
Please note, these planes are TINY, like ~10 seat prop planes. Also, the runway in Lukla is rated as one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to the short length of the runway plus the mountain weather. Check it out in this short video of a plane taking off in Lukla.
3. Guide
Is a guide included? Do they speak your language? Are they a registered guide? If you have access to the internet, it never hurts to check if there are reviews of the tour operator or guide.
I recommend always getting a guide through a Tour Operator so you have somewhere to turn to if you have problems. If you hire an independent guide, do not pay them 100% up front to help ensure they will not ditch you along the way.
In terms of cost, you can budget $30 – $35 per day for a guide and share that guide with up to four people. More experienced guides may charge closer to $50 per day. If they are meeting you in Kathmandu, you will likely need to cover their flight to and from Lukla. Nepalese citizens do get a reduced price on their flight for around $100 roundtrip.
Remember, you will also want to tip the guide at the end. 10% of the total trip is considered a good tip for a guide or sherpa.
4. Sherpa (Porter)
Are sherpa services included to help carry your pack or will you be carrying it the whole way? Even if there isn’t a sherpa budgeted into the tour and you would like to hire one, the tour operator can help you find one and negotiate a price.
Sherpa’s typically run about $20 – $25 per day plus of course a tip at the end. You’ll also want to verify if you are expected to pay for room and board for them along the way or their flight to/from Lukla, if they are also coming from Kathmandu.
5. Permits Needed for Everest Base Camp
There are various hiking permits required throughout Nepal. As you hike to base camp, you’ll need to purchase two different permits, the Sagarmatha National Park Permit (~$30 US + Tax) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit.
The Sagarmatha permit can be purchased in Kathmandu or Monjo and costs around $30 USD with a 13% VAT tax. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit can be purchased in Lukla or Mongo and costs around $20. Any permit you need, you can purchase along the way. It would be hard to miss the stops! Just ensure you have cash on you.
Just a quick note. Previously hikers also needed the TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management Systems) local permit, which cost NPR 2000, but it was replaced in 2020 by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entrance permit.
6. Accommodation Options
Accommodation is actually extremely cheap at the tea houses on the way to Everest Base Camp. As you get higher up towards base camp, prices will increase just a tad.
Namche has a fixed price of NPR 500 and Lobuche has a fixed price of NPR 700, no matter where you stay. Most other accommodations are around NPR 500/night. Part of the reason it is so cheap is that you will be eating your meals there. That is where they make their money.
Note that most of the tea house accommodations are quite basic. We’re talking a bare bones room with two beds, a pillow, and blanket – no heat. Many times the bathroom is down the hall… and it may or may not be frozen depending on the time of year you hike. Fortunately, you’ll have a sleeping bag with you, so you will be warm enough overnight.
You’ll also find that all teahouses have a dining area where you’ll spend most of your waking hours in the tea house. This is where you’ll eat your meals, socialize, and stay warm as it’s the only heated room in the building, generally by stove or fireplace.
7. Meals Along the Way
As mentioned above, food during your trek to Everest Base Camp is where most of the tea houses make their money. You will always have a menu to choose from and the meals tend to average out around $8 USD/meal.
Please note that while you will find meat on the menu, but I do not recommend you order it. All of the food has to get to where you are eating. In many cases that means being carried up the mountains. The further up you get… the less fresh it will be. Additionally, meat does not digest as well at higher altitudes.
8. Travel Insurance – A Must!
It is not uncommon for people to be heli-flighted off the mountain. Please, please, please, make sure you have insurance, and it covers this before you go. I have always traveled with World Nomads and highly recommend them.
My Firsthand Account of the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek
Want a firsthand account of how it worked out for me? Read on…
Prior to my trip to Nepal, I had done some research about the trek to Mount Everest Base Camp and almost everything I read said to wait until you arrive in Kathmandu to book anything. Feeling a bit skeptical, I booked my expensive flights to Kathmandu (from my around the world travel budget) with 19 days in Nepal. I hoped it was enough to fit in the 12 day hike to Base Camp with a bit of a buffer.
Admittedly, if it had not worked out, my disappointment would have been really high!
Finding Info on the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek in Kathmandu
I arrived in Kathmandu late at night, processed my visa on arrival (30 days for $40), and made my way to my hostel with a lovely Dutch girl. Come morning, I stopped by the tour desk of my hostel to ask for information on the Mount Everest Base Camp trek.
It turns out they had a group of three who had left that morning, but their flight to Lukla had not taken off yet due to bad weather. If they didn’t make it out today, I could join them tomorrow. Excited, but hesitant, I explained I had zero of the necessary equipment and would need to shop for all of it.
They assured me it could be done in one hour. One hour!! I waited and waited for word on the flight, and eventually around 1 pm gave up and headed out into the city with the Dutch girl from the night before.
Exploring Kathmandu
Kathmandu is an adventure as all of the streets are bustling with excitement. Small shrines and temples can be found nestled within the busy blocks, and Durbar Square is of course the center of it all.
Unfortunately, there was still a lot of damage from the earthquake in 2015, but it is an incredible city to wander around and check out the colorful dress shops, the tangled wires (which surely are a fire hazard), and the various modes of transportation that zoom past kicking up a cloud of dust.
We stopped for a late lunch, and I called the tour operator to check in for an update. They confirmed the flight was canceled, and I could join the group tomorrow – Yikes! I rushed back to the hostel, filled out the paperwork, and set out to do all of my shopping with my guide for the next 12 days.
Buying Gear for Mount Everest Base Camp in Kathmandu
In my research, I had found that everything you need can be bought in Kathmandu and fairly cheaply. Of course, it is almost all knock-offs of well known brands, especially The North Face, but it is well enough made to last throughout the trek plus some.
In Kathmandu there are stores upon stores selling everything from backpacks to boots to down jackets. ย No matter what you need, you will find it. ย In fact, the hardest part is probably selecting a store!
Fortunately, my guide for my Everest Base Camp took me to a shop, made a list of what I would need, and between him and the shopkeeper they had me outfitted with all of my gear in an hour, as promised.
Everest Base Camp Packing List
Check out my full packing list for Everest Base Camp along with items I took and didn’t need. Keep in mind when shopping in Kathmandu that while things are cheap, all of the gear still adds up, especially if you are starting with nothing!
Bring what you can. In fact, bring it all if you have it! I just happened to be traveling around the world for a year with just one carry on backpack when I went and thus didn’t have the necessities! To help give you an idea of the cost of items:
- My hiking boots were my most expensive item at 6,000 NPR. They were “North Face” and held up well and didn’t give me blisters, despite no break-in period!
- I rented a down coat and sleeping bag for 120 NPR per day. You can purchase them but it’s obviously cheaper to rent, and once again, I had no way to take them with me after Nepal.
- All in, it was only ~$165 USD and I probably could have gotten it for less if I bargained harder. I also would not be surprised if my guide got a kickback of some kind, but that didn’t really matter to me because I was headed to Mount Everest Base Camp!!
Overall, I would not worry too much about planning for the Mount Everest Base Camp trek after you land in Kathmandu, even if you have no gear with you! Just keep pursuing the things you need to make it happen and things will fall into place. In Kathmandu, they do this day in and day out in the prime hiking seasons: ย March to May and mid-September to November.
Finish Planning Your Everest Base Camp Trek
Need more details to finish planning your trek to Mount Everest Base Camp ? Here are other detailed posts to get you ready to hike to the base camp of the tallest mountain in the world!
- Packing List for the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek: Getting ready to hike to Mount Everest Base Camp? Start gathering all the things you need with this packing list. See what you need and the justification for bringing or leaving key items behind.
- Hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp: My daily notes from my Base Camp trek, including the hiking distance and elevation each day, daily highlights, and 13 key things to know before hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp.
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