Classical Everest Base Camp Trek – 21 Days

It’s a going to be a long drive to Junbesi. From Kathmandu, our drive takes us eastward to Junbesi. It will be a difficult but scenic full-day drive up the Sun Koshi River Valley to Junbesi, the trail-head of our trek. We will pass via the town of Jiri.

Jiri is also the starting point of a trek to EBC but the road goes much further these days until Junbesi, so many groups start their trek from here.

The road is paved in concrete up to Shivalaya which is about 9 hours of the total drive. But beyond this, it’s dirt road with uneven surfaces for next 2 to 3 hours.

The ride will be bumpy. This section gets affected by rains making it impossible to operate vehicles during monsoon.

We climb to a ridge at 3,080 m from where Everest slowly begins to appear before your eyes. From Junbesi the trail leads to the hospital and the airstrip at Phaplu as well as the district headquarter and a small market at Salleri.

Leaving Salung, we make our way descending to the Ringmo Khola at 2,650 m followed by a small climb to Ringmo. We see an apple orchard at this spot; the Apple House offers apple juice, pie and rakshi (rice spirit).

The trail from Ringmo to Namche Bazaar was built in the 1980’s and avoids many of the steep descents and ascents of the older route. Then we reach Trakshindo pass (3,071 m), then the trail drops down pass the monastery of the same name, on to Nuntala at 2,440 m.

The trail continues descending to the Dudh Koshi where the trail then climbs through several Sherpa villages, terraced fields and forests to Khari Khola (2,257 m).

We begin a day with a climb towards Puiyan through Sherpa villages and woods, passing through a narrow canyon before arriving at Puiyan.

This day we continue a climb from Puiyan to a ridge at 2,800 m before a gradual ascent to the final ridge, where we climb down to Surke following the trail towards Phakding.

We continue trekking along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, crossing this majestic river many times on exciting suspension bridges laden with prayer flags.

After entering the Sagarmatha National Park, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views. Namche Bazaar, known as the Gateway to Everest, is home to many quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, money exchange, Internet cafes and a bakery.

Namche is the largest village along the entire Everest trail.

We spend a day in Namche Bazaar in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning air. We will trek a short distance to a museum that is celebrated for its exhibits of the traditional customs of the Sherpa people.

We also hike up the Syangboche Airport near the Everest View Hotel. From this point, we can see rewarding views of the Himalayas with a stunning sunrise and sunset over the panorama of Khumbu peaks.

The trail climbs steeply out of the valley through rhododendron forest, juniper and large conifers start to appear as the elevation increases making the trekking very pristine in springtime. The trail passes through Yak Kharkas and summer settlements. The views of Khumbi La and Tawache are magnificent throughout the day.

We climb a ridge for an excellent view both down the valley to Kengtega and up towards Cho Oyu and descend to a river and again climbs steep to the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpz glacier. We will reach Machherma by early noon.

The trek today takes us at one of our main destinations, Gokyo (4,790 m). We will make this camp our base for 2 nights as we will do sightseeing and hiking trips around Gokyo.

Early in the morning, we have a steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at an elevation of 5,357 m. There are ample rewards for those who attempt this trip – you get stunning views of the super Gokyo valley, the massive Ngozumpa glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the whole Khumbu Himalayas, including the giants Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang. This day we have for acclimatization and after noon back to the camp.

We trek to the foot of the Cho La Pass (5,420 m) for our overnight stay. Accomodation in Thangna will be very basic and in dormitory style room.

We start before sunrise at 4 or 5 am to reach the pass by 9 – 10 am to dodge bad weather conditions of the noontime. We cross over at an altitude of 5,300m where we could be exposed to strong winds if we crossing too late. We start to climb steeply that is regularly used and easy to follow. However, the problem may arise due to the altitude and snow. It often causes terrible problems to cross the pass if it is covered by snow. As you reach the top, you are rewarded by the magnificent views, then we descend to the Dzongla at noon. Accommodation in Dzongla will be very basic and in dormitory style room.

A rather easier and shorter trekking route will take us to Lobuche after 4 to 5 hours of trekking.

This is difficult day walk along the Khumbu Glacier and up to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m the closest you can get to Mt. Everest without mountaineering equipment.

There will likely be a team there about to attempt the summit. The view of the Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp is spectacular. We return back to Gorak shep for the night.

This will be one of the most difficult yet rewarding days of the trek. Most of morning, in this day is spent climbing Mt. Kala Patthar, a small peak (by the Himalayan standards) at 5,555 m.

The ascent is demanding but the climber gets the most magnificent mountain panorama: Everest, the highest point on the planet at 29,028ft (8,848.86 m), towers directly ahead and on all sides loom the other giants, Nuptse, Pumori, Chagatse, Lhotse and countless others.

We make a quick descent to Gorak Shep, a tiny hamlet at 5,180 m then trek down to Pheriche.

From Pheriche we take a slightly different route down to Orsho then to Pangboche village. Here is the oldest monastery in the region which contains what is said to be the scalp and bones of a Yeti or abominable snowman.

Leaving mountains behind us our descent takes us through the Tengboche Monastery at an elevation of 3,860 m before continuing back to Namche Bazaar. We arrive back to Namche Bazaar in the afternoon.

Finally, we return to Lukla where we started our trek, which might seem like a lifetime ago. We’ll spend some time enjoying and reflecting on the trek as a group and the personal achievement of all those who took part. We also have some spare time to explore the town some more.

Lukla to Manthali Flight (March, April, May, October, and November)
The flight from Lukla to Manthali is a 20-minute flight. After that, it is about a 5 to 6 hour drive to Kathmandu. Please note that the driving hours may vary according to the highway traffic condition. You’ll be transferred to the hotel in Kathmandu on a shared tourist vehicle.

Lukla to Kathmandu Flight (January, February, June, July, August, September, and December)
The flight from Lukla takes about 35 minutes. After arriving at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel in Kathmandu via a shared tourist vehicle.  Please be aware that the decision regarding the operation of flights solely depends on the airline and is influenced by the volume of travelers during a specific month.

On your flight back to Kathmandu as you leave Lukla, you can enjoy some last-minute glimpses of the mountains you just recently visited. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, our airport representative will transfer you to your hotel from the airport.

The trip concludes – our airport representative will drop you to Kathmandu’s Tribhuwan International Airport for your flight departure from Nepal.