14-Day Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal with Kala Patthar

A representative will greet you at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu upon your arrival in Nepal and transfer you to your hotel. You will have some free time to relax, eat, and freshen up. In the evening, you will meet for team introductions, trip orientation, and any general questions. Afterward, you will head out for a welcome dinner at a favorite local restaurant.

In the morning, depart from the hotel for Kathmandu Domestic Airport for an exciting and scenic 35-minute flight to Lukla, a Sherpa town where most treks and adventures begin and end around Everest and the high Khumbu region.

From Lukla, a gradual walk begins with short descents and ascents along a winding trail past pleasant Sherpa farming villages enriched with Buddhist religion and culture, where you will encounter rows of Mani prayer monuments and large spinning prayer wheels.

Your pleasant first day of walking ends on reaching Phakding, a moderate-sized village with many good lodges for an overnight stay near the glacial Dudh Kosi River.

Trekking Distance: 8 km
Trekking Duration: 3 hrs
Sleeping Elevation: 2,650 m / 8,694 ft
Fly Time: 35 min

Today's walk leads to the famous Namche Bazaar, with the altitude gradually increasing as the trek progresses. The morning walk follows the river, crossing it several times to reach Monjo village near the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. From here, the trail continues along the river valley and gorge through beautiful woodland of tall rhododendron, pine, and fir trees.

After crossing the final high bridge, a few hours of climbing bring you to Namche Bazaar, with stunning views of Everest, Lhotse, and Kongde peaks.

Namche Bazaar, at 3,440 m, is an ideal place for a rest day to acclimatize. It is the main town and village of the Khumbu, where the colorful and exciting Saturday market takes place once a week.

Trekking Distance: 9 km
Trekking Duration: 6 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 3,440 m / 11,286 ft

This is a rest day for acclimatization before heading to higher terrain. In the morning after breakfast, you have the option to hike to Everest View Hotel or walk above Namche, where you can enjoy superb landscape scenery with Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and a series of other high peaks. You can also visit the National Park Museum, which provides much information about the Khumbu region, Sherpa history and culture, flora and fauna, and details on mountaineering.

Sleeping Elevation: 3,440 m / 11,286 ft

After enjoying your time at Namche, the morning walk leads along scenic and gradual trails overlooking Everest and other giant peaks. The route then descends to the Imjatse River at Phunki Tenga, a small place with a few lodges that is an ideal spot for a refreshing break or lunch stop.

In the afternoon, the walk climbs uphill through enchanting alpine forest to reach the beautiful surroundings of Tengboche Monastery, which offers a grand panorama of mountains with Everest and Ama Dablam at close distance. Here, there is time to tour the monastery and witness monks and priests at prayer.

Tengboche also hosts Mani-Rimdu, a colorful religious festival in which monks perform masked dances to ward off evil spirits. This takes place in October according to the Buddhist lunar calendar.

Trekking Distance: 6.8 km
Trekking Duration: 5 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 3,867 m / 12,687 ft

In the morning, enjoy superb views of the high peaks, including Everest, as the route descends through forested areas to a metal bridge. From here, a slow climb continues past Mani prayer walls to Pangboche village, the last permanent Sherpa village on the route to Everest Base Camp.

From Pangboche, the walk continues into barren and arid country, where the tree line gives way to small bushes of juniper and dwarf rhododendron.

The trail then climbs into a river gorge before opening into a wide glacial valley on reaching Dingboche, where many good lodges face views of Imjatse, also known as Island Peak, toward the east.

Trekking Distance: 14 km
Trekking Duration: 6 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 4,410 m / 14,468 ft.

This is another important rest day for acclimatization as the elevation gets higher. Dingboche is a fine place for leisure hikes and walks around the area, and a climb up a nearby hill offers tremendous scenery of peaks, with Mt. Makalu on the eastern horizon. Enjoy a scenic excursion, with the afternoon free to catch up with your diary and relax while marveling at the views of Ama Dablam's north face and other giant mountains.

Sleeping Elevation: 4,410 m / 14,468 ft.

From Dingboche, the walk climbs to a ridge marked with prayer flags and stupas, then continues on a gradual uphill trail with marvelous scenery to reach the small place of Thugla, where the Khumbu Glacier melts into a torrential river.

This is a perfect place for a rest and lunch stop. In the afternoon, the walk leads to a steep climb up Thugla Hill, a place with memorials to unfortunate climbers who died on expeditions around the mountains of Khumbu and Everest.

The walk continues for another few hours on a gradual ascent to Lobuche for the overnight stop, a place with several good lodges and views of Nuptse and Lobuche peaks.

Trekking Distance: 8 km
Trekking Duration: 5 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 4,930 m / 16,174 ft.

Today is a great walk toward the main highlight and final destination of Everest Base Camp. The morning walk follows an open, wide valley with a slow climb above the Khumbu Glacier, passing moraine dunes to reach Gorakshep, a place with a few lodges at the junction of the Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar routes.

Gorakshep served as the base camp for Everest expeditions from the early 1950s until the late 1970s, before the route shifted farther away to the present base camp.

From Gorakshep, a few hours of walking over moraine and glacier bring you to your ultimate destination at Everest Base Camp, with sweeping views of giant peaks including Nuptse and Lo La, along with the notorious Khumbu Icefall and glacier.

During the high mountaineering season, this place becomes active with climbers and crews, with many camps set on top of the moraine and glacier.

After spending a grand time here, head back to Gorakshep for the highest overnight stop of the adventure, carrying fantastic memories of the day's walk to Everest Base Camp.

Trekking Distance: 17 km
Trekking Duration: 6 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 5,164 m / 16,942 ft

In the morning, climb to Kala Patthar at 5,545 m, the highest point of the trek, offering an incredible panorama of mountains with Everest at a stone's throw distance.

After an amazing time on top, head back to Gorakshep for breakfast and continue trekking downhill past Lobuche and Thugla. The walk then leads to the windy Pheriche Valley, where there are many good lodges and time for lunch before your overnight stop in Pheriche.

Trekking Distance: 14.5 km
Trekking Duration: 6-7 hrs.
Sleeping Elevation: 4,270 m / 14,009 ft

After leaving Pheriche, the walk leads downhill with a short climb and then a long descent to reach Pangboche village, with unique views of Ama Dablam at close distance.

From Pangboche, the trail descends to cross a bridge over the Imjatse River and then climbs for about an hour to Tengboche Monastery within green vegetation and tree line. There is time here to relax and enjoy the scenic views before heading downhill to Phunki Tenga, followed by another hour of climbing to reach a small place at Kyanjinma on the route to Namche, a pleasant and peaceful spot facing views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and other ranges of peaks.

Here, there are chances of spotting wildlife such as musk deer, herds of Himalayan thar, and the pheasant Danfe, the national bird of Nepal.

After a refreshing stop with superb views of Everest and adjoining peaks, a pleasant walk leads you to Namche for the overnight stop.

Trekking Distance: 19 km
Trekking Duration: 6-8 hrs
Sleeping Elevation: 3,440 m / 11,286 ft

This is the last walking day of the adventure, following the same trail back to Lukla past Monjo, Phakding, and Ghat villages, crossing the Dudh Kosi several times. A final climb brings you to Lukla town for the last overnight stop in the high scenic Khumbu and Everest region.

Trekking Distance: 18 km
Trekking Duration: 6 hrs

In the morning, transfer to Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport for a sweeping short flight to Kathmandu, with scenic views of mountains, green hills, farm fields, and pleasant villages and towns along the way. After landing at Kathmandu Airport, transfer back to your hotel, with a free afternoon to relax after your great and memorable Everest Base Camp trekking adventure.

Your last day in Nepal comes after a wonderful experience and adventure on the Everest Base Camp Trek. According to your international flight schedule, transfer to Kathmandu International Airport for your onward journey home or to your next destination.