Everest Base Camp Trek 14 Days – Classic Nepal Himalayan Journey

Flying into Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla (2,840 m / 9,317 ft) is the thrilling start of your trek. Here is what you need to know.

Kathmandu or Ramechhap (Manthali) Airport?

• Peak months (usually March–May and September–November): flights to Lukla are moved to Manthali Airport in Ramechhap to ease traffic at Kathmandu. It is a 4–5 hour drive (about 130 km); we leave your hotel between 1:00 and 3:00 AM in a private vehicle for the 20-minute flight.
• Other months: flights leave directly from Kathmandu and take about 35 minutes. We pick you up between 5:00 and 6:00 AM.

Why flights get delayed

• Lukla has no radar, so pilots fly by sight and need clear visibility to land.
• Fog, heavy cloud or strong afternoon wind ground the planes until conditions improve.
• Delays of a day or two are common, especially in shoulder seasons, so plan 2–3 buffer days after the trek before your international flight.

Backup plan: helicopters

• Helicopters can fly in lower visibility than planes, so they often keep the schedule on track when planes are grounded.
• Shared helicopter seat: about USD 450–500 per person, one way (up to 5 passengers).
• Private charter: about USD 3,500 one way from Kathmandu or USD 3,000 from Manthali.

Lukla flights use small mountain aircraft, so airlines enforce strict weight limits.

• Total limit: 15 kg (33 lbs) per traveller.
• Duffel bag (checked): up to 10 kg (22 lbs). Your porter carries it on the trek; one porter carries the bags of two trekkers.
• Daypack (hand luggage): up to 5 kg (11 lbs) for water, passport, camera, layers and medicines.
• Excess weight costs about USD 2–5 per kg and may be refused when flights are full, so pack light.
• Non-trekking luggage can be stored free at your hotel or our Kathmandu office.

Kathmandu (before and after the trek)

• Standard 3-star hotel in Thamel (such as Hotel Jampa, Hotel Thamel House, Surya Heritage or Hotel Royal Singi), double or twin room with private bathroom and Wi-Fi.
• Breakfast included daily.
• Single rooms available for a supplement; spare luggage stored free.

Teahouses on the trek

• Simple, family-run lodges with twin rooms, wooden beds, foam mattresses, bedsheets and a pillow.
• Bedrooms are not heated; the dining room has a stove in the evening and is where everyone gathers.
• A four-season sleeping bag (-15°C to -20°C) is essential — we provide one free.

Bathrooms

• Attached bathrooms usually in Lukla, Phakding and Namche Bazaar; shared toilets higher up, especially in Lobuche and Gorak Shep.
• A mix of Western and squat toilets; higher up, toilets are flushed with a bucket because pipes freeze.
• Teahouses do not provide toilet paper, towels or soap.

Charging, Wi-Fi, showers and laundry

• Charging: about USD 1–5 per device. Bring a power bank.
• Wi-Fi: Everest Link or Air Link cards (about USD 20–30 for 10–20 GB over 30 days) or paid teahouse Wi-Fi; often slow.
• Hot showers: about USD 3–8; we advise skipping showers above Dingboche to avoid getting cold.
• Laundry is limited and clothes dry slowly, so pack quick-dry layers.

Prefer more comfort? Luxury lodges exist up to Namche and a little beyond. Ask us about an Everest luxury lodge trek.

Acclimatisation is the most important factor for a safe trek. The route climbs from Kathmandu (1,400 m) to Base Camp (5,364 m) and Kala Patthar (5,545 m), where there is roughly half the oxygen of sea level.

Two acclimatisation days

• Namche Bazaar (3,440 m), Day 4: hike to Hotel Everest View (3,880 m) and sleep back in Namche.
• Dingboche (4,410 m), Day 7: hike up Nangkartshang Peak (about 5,080 m) and sleep back in Dingboche.

Climb high, sleep low
Rest days are active: hiking higher during the day and sleeping lower helps your body adapt without staying at high altitude overnight.

Pacing and habits

• Walk slowly (“bistari, bistari”) and take short breathing breaks on steep sections.
• Drink 3–4 litres of purified water a day.
• Eat hot, high-carbohydrate meals; garlic soup is a local favourite.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking and sleeping pills above Lukla.

Symptoms to know

• Mild AMS: headache, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, poor sleep.
• HAPE (fluid in the lungs): breathlessness at rest, persistent cough, chest tightness.
• HACE (swelling of the brain): confusion, loss of coordination, hallucinations.

Monitoring and emergencies

• Your guide checks your blood oxygen (SpO2) and heart rate every morning and evening. Readings in the 80s are normal up high; sharp drops need attention.
• Diamox (acetazolamide) can help acclimatisation — ask your doctor before the trip.
• If symptoms don’t improve with rest, or HAPE/HACE signs appear, we descend immediately and arrange a helicopter if needed. Insurance covering rescue up to 6,000 m is mandatory.

• One porter for two trekkers: each porter carries the duffel bags of two clients.
• Porter load: about 20–25 kg in total, so each trekker’s duffel should weigh no more than 10–12 kg.
• Matches the flight limit: 10 kg duffel plus 5 kg daypack = the 15 kg Lukla flight allowance.

On the trail

• Your porters meet you at Lukla Airport.
• They walk faster than most trekkers and wait for you at the next teahouse.
• You carry your own 25–45 litre daypack with water, passport, permits, cash, warm and waterproof layers, snacks, camera, sun cream and medicines.

How we look after our crew

• Fair wages and medical and accident insurance.
• Proper clothing, boots and cold-weather gear.
• Hot meals and safe lodging every night.
• A private porter (one per trekker) is available for an extra fee.

Tipping
Tipping is customary. Most trekkers give about USD 150–250 each (roughly 10–15% of the trip cost), shared between guides and porters at the final dinner in Lukla.

Trekking above 3,000 m carries real risks, including AMS, HAPE and HACE. This is how emergencies are handled on our treks.

Health monitoring on the trail

• Government-licensed guides trained in wilderness first aid and altitude sickness management.
• Pulse-oximeter checks of your pulse and blood oxygen every morning and evening.
• A full first-aid kit and emergency oxygen carried by the team; extra oxygen can be bought in Lobuche and Gorak Shep if needed.

Evacuation steps

1. Immediate descent: the guide takes the trekker down on foot, or with help from a porter or horse.
2. Communication: the guide contacts our Kathmandu office by mobile phone or, where there is no signal, through teahouse phones and satellite links.
3. 24/7 coordination: our office arranges a helicopter, the hospital and approval from your travel insurance company.

Medical posts on the trail

• The Himalayan Rescue Association clinic in Pheriche (about 4,240 m), staffed by volunteer doctors in the main seasons.
• The Everest ER clinic at Base Camp during the spring climbing season.

Helicopter rescue

• In good weather, helicopters can land at Gorak Shep, Lobuche, Dingboche and Pheriche and fly to a Kathmandu hospital within hours.
• Rescue costs are covered by your insurance, not the trek price.

Travel insurance

• Mandatory, covering trekking and helicopter evacuation up to at least 6,000 m.
• Send us a copy before the trek so we can act quickly in an emergency.

Tipping is not compulsory, but it is expected and is the usual way to thank your guides and porters.

How much

• About 10–15% of your trek cost, usually USD 150–250 per trekker.

How to split it

• A common split is 60% to the lead guide and 40% to the porter, or 10% of the trip price for the guide and 5% for the porter.
• Tip assistant guides a little less than the lead guide.

When and how

• Give tips in Nepalese rupees so the crew can use them straight away.
• The usual time is the final dinner in Lukla on Day 12, when you say goodbye to the porters.
• Groups often pool their tips and present them together.

Other tips

• Drivers: USD 1–5 per transfer.
• Restaurants in Kathmandu: about 10%, unless a service charge is already on the bill.

Travel insurance is mandatory for this trek. Make sure your policy includes:

• High-altitude trekking to at least 6,000 m. Many standard policies stop at 2,500–3,000 m; this trek reaches 5,545 m.
• Emergency helicopter rescue and evacuation. There are no roads above Lukla.
• Medical treatment and hospital stays in Kathmandu.
• Flight delays and cancellations, which are common at Lukla.
• Loss, theft and baggage damage.

Providers trekkers often use (check that your exact policy covers trekking to 6,000 m):

• UK & Europe: Allianz, Europ Assistance, Austrian Alpine Club membership
• USA & Canada: TuGo, UnitedHealthcare Global, World Nomads, Blue Cross
• Australia & New Zealand: Fast Cover, Allianz, Cover-More
• Singapore & Asia: Ergo, World Nomads
• India: ICICI Lombard

Before you go

• Bring a copy of your policy to the briefing in Kathmandu; we keep it on file for emergencies.
• Unused services after leaving the trek early are non-refundable, but we provide all paperwork for your claim.

Teahouses run mostly on solar power, so charging is possible but limited and usually paid.

Charging

• About USD 1–5 per device or per hour; often free up to Namche, paid above it.
• Prices rise with altitude, and cloudy weather can mean little power for everyone.

Adapters

• Nepal uses Type C (two round pins) and Type D (three round pins) sockets. Adapters are cheap in Thamel.

Cold drains batteries

• At -10 to -20°C in Lobuche and Gorak Shep, batteries drain fast even when not in use.

Tips

• Bring a high-capacity power bank or spare camera batteries.
• A small solar panel on your daypack can help.
• Sleep with your phone, batteries and power bank inside your sleeping bag.

The Everest region has better connectivity than most trekking areas, with three options.

Prepaid regional Wi-Fi (best value)

• Everest Link cards from shops in Lukla or Namche: about NPR 2,500 (USD 20–25) for 10–20 GB valid 30 days, or smaller single-village cards.
• Air Link: short unlimited passes, for example 24 or 48 hours.
• Cards work on one device only.

Mobile data (Ncell and NTC SIM cards)

• Buy a tourist SIM at Kathmandu airport. Carrying both networks helps, as coverage differs between villages.
• Reliable to about Namche Bazaar; patchy above and often none near Lobuche and Gorak Shep.

Teahouse Wi-Fi

• Usually USD 2–6, sometimes free lower down; often slow when many people connect.

Good to know

• Bad weather can cut internet for hours or days.
• Your guide always has a way to contact our Kathmandu team in an emergency.

Yes. Everest Base Camp is a strenuous high-altitude walk, not a climb — no ropes, crampons or mountaineering experience are needed.

• Train first: start cardio and leg training (hiking, running, stair climbing) at least 8 weeks before you go, so you can walk 5–7 hours a day with a light daypack.
• Go slowly: choose a 14-day itinerary like this one, with acclimatisation days in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche.
• Trek with a licensed guide: not legally required in the Everest region, but strongly recommended. Your guide checks your blood oxygen twice a day, sets the pace and handles emergencies. Every InTicketo trek includes one.

With good preparation, a slow pace and an experienced crew, most active beginners reach Base Camp safely.