Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) is the busiest and most comfortable stop on the Everest Base Camp trail, and the lodge where you will sleep more nights than anywhere else on our trek. Set in a horseshoe-shaped bowl above the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers, the town has stone lodges with warm dining rooms, hot showers and Wi-Fi, plus bakeries, cafes, gear shops and ATMs just outside the door.

Your nights in Namche

You arrive on Day 3 after crossing the Hillary Suspension Bridge and climbing about 600 m. You stay a second night on Day 4, the acclimatisation day with the hike to Hotel Everest View and Khumjung, and return for a third night on Day 11 on the way down from Everest Base Camp.

What the lodge is like

Namche lodges are the best on the trek. Expect a clean twin room with bedding, often with an attached bathroom, hot showers, phone charging and Wi-Fi. Evenings are spent in a heated dining room where you can order dal bhat, pasta, pizza or Sherpa stew. Nights are cold (around -5°C in the main seasons), so bring a warm sleeping bag for the higher lodges.

Tips for your stay

• Withdraw or exchange cash here; it is the last reliable place for ATMs on the trail.
• Buy or rent any missing gear in the shops before you go higher.
• Visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and the Saturday market if your timing allows.
• Drink plenty of water and take it easy: 3,440 m is high enough to feel the altitude.