Important

This Base Camp Trek 15 Days itinerary applies to other similar other itineraries but with varied days. Other itineraries may reflect 12, 14, 16 or 18 days. The major differences are the number of days one would spend in Kathmandu. This itinerary reflects a situation that gives you two extra days in the city.

The longer itineraries also include an extra acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar for those with more time on their hands.

Trip Introduction

Everest Base Camp Trek 15 Days itinerary takes us through the landmarks of the Khumbu region that are shadowed by majestic mountains, a breath taking flight and airport landing, friendly sherpas, ancient monasteries, turquoise rivers, tea houses, Namche Bazaar, the Sagarmatha National Park, yaks, glaciers and the base of Mt. Everest.

Enjoy the view points of Kala Patthar and encounter the dreaded Khumbu Icefall, and the climbers who take this challenge to reach the top of the world. Experience the worlds tallest peaks ranging from sights of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Nuptse, Ama dablam, Pumori, and others.

This trek is ideal for trekkers who wish to take up more challenges. The trail should be achievable by a novice trekker who is in good health and moderate physical fitness. The total distance for this particular itinerary is roughly 114 km (70.8 miles).

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,400m/4,600ft)

Arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, we will be greeted by Summits and Seas Adventures representatives on the ground and dropped off at our hotel to check-in. Thereafter, you can freshen up, take a rest and in the evening a welcome dinner and briefing on the schedule of Day 02. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Included meals: Dinner

Day 02: Kathmandu: Sightseeing and Trek Preparation

Tour Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa and Bouddhanath stupa which are all world heritage sites. The Durbar Square sheds light on the life of the royals in ancient times. Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for all Hindus.

Swayambhunath also known as the Monkey Temple dating back to 1st Century and Baudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, settle and discuss trip schedule for Day 03.

Thereafter spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the narrow
streets of Thamel District which is riddled with shops, restaurants and coffee shops. There you can pick up any last minute items needed for the trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Included meals: Breakfast

Day 03: Fly to Lukla, Trek to Phakding (2,610m/8,566ft)

Distance/Time: 40 minutes flight; 9km (5.6 miles), 3 – 4 hours trek

Early start to the day (Around 5am) to take a mountain flight to Lukla, which is the start of Everest treks. En route you will get a glimpse of Mt. Everest in the distance. Ideally we arrive at Lukla between 7am-9am. Meet the rest of the team in Lukla.

Start trekking on a trail that gradually descends to Cheplung village and get a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain which has never been climbed.

From here, we gradually descend until Phakding situated on the main trade route and the banks of the Dudh Kosi river where you will spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and acclimatizing but not before crossing the first of the famous hanging suspension bridge river crossings. Dudh Kosi river drains the whole of the Khumbu Region. Overnight at a lodge in Phakding.

Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,290 ft):

Distance/Time: 11km (6.8 miles), 5 – 6 hours

Our trail passes through a pine forest and we continue our walk on the trail that goes north up the Benkar valley. We cross Dudh Koshi River and pass Chumoa and Monjo villages onto the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park, the official entrance to the Everest Region.

After crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk alongside the Dudh Koshi and Bho te Koshi rivers. We ascend on a steep trail (Namche Hill) crossing the high double suspension bridges and reach Namche Bazaar which is the biggest town in the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 05: Acclimatization Day – Namche Bazaar: (3,440m/11,290ft)

Namche Bazaar, a centuries-old trading center between Tibet and Nepal. It is a prosperous trading town and the capital of the Khumbu Region. It is set with narrow cobblestone streets, where yaks roam the streets.

It has small shops, bars, coffee shops, Internet cafes, ATMs, restaurants and lovely markets. It is the last town on the trek before reaching Everest base camp. This is a good place to buy genuine Tibetan artifacts on the way down. Just across the valley to the east are the peaks of the impressive Thamserku and Kangtega mountains.

We can hike up towards Everest view hotel and enjoy the sites including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama dablam (which was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake), Thamserku, Kongde and more. If we are interested in a day hike, we can trek to Khumjung village.

Depending on time we can also visit the Hillary School and a monastery which houses a yeti scalp as well as a visit to the Sherpa museum. Overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 06: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,870m/12,694ft)

Distance/Time: 10km (6.2 miles), 5- 6 hours

We start off with an easy walk then descend into our lunch stop passing by several great views, small villages and numerous tea houses, we will cross the Dudh Kosi. From here we ascend the tough two hour zig zag trail towards Tengboche village which houses the very famous Tengboche monastery, which is the biggest monastery of the Everest region.

It is located within the Sagarmatha National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Imja Khola rivers. There are more panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama dablam and Thamserku from here.

The Tengboche Monastery opens at 3:00pm, so if we reach there by then we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche or Deboche, which is about 20 minutes down the trail.

Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 07: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,410 m/14,470 ft)

Distance/Time: 9km (5.5 miles), 5 – 6 hours

Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees. While trekking we can admire good views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We walk downhill to Debuche (If the previous night was not spent here) and cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche.

We take the upper Pangboche trail and admire the Himalayan views and the Pangboche Monastery. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River with lunch on the way before ascending to Dingboche. It is a beautiful village with stunning
views of Island Peak, lots of barley, potato and buckwheat fields complete with grazing animals. Overnight at a lodge in Dingboche.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 08: Dingboche: Acclimatization

Spending a day in Dingboche will help us to acclimate to the high altitude. We will climb a ridge located behind the village and see some of the world’s tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Also get views of Ama dablam, Cholatse and Taboche peaks. On the north-west rising above the Khumbu Khola valley is Lobuche West and Lobuche East.

Today we will aim to reach the height of 4,900m/ 16,076ft, gaining 500m/1,640ft with a possible hike up the Imja Khola to Chhukung or Nagarzhang Peak, a small summer settlement with great views of Island Peak, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and the fluted ice walls flanking the Amphu Lapcha pass. These views are one of the highlights of the entire trek. Overnight in a lodge at Dingboche.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 09: Dingboche to Lobuche (4940 m/16,210 ft)

Distance/Time: 7km (4.3 miles), 5-6 hours

Our day starts and continues through Alpine meadows and summer yak pastures with a gradual climb through Duglha at the end of the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier where we stop for lunch.

From here, we climb up a steep trail to Chupki Lhara, over the Thukla Pass to top out at the Everest Memorial where we find an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer), 10-time Everest summiter Babu Chiri Sherpa (Nepali mountain guide) who perished on a mission to climb Everest among others.

Next, we continue to the Khumbu Glacier moraine and find ourselves facing several great peaks – Khumbutse, Lingtren,
Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. The trail then eases off as we follow the val ley to Lobuche. Overnight in a lodge at Lobuche.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 10: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5164 m/16,942ft)/Everest Base Camp (5380 m/17,700 ft)

Distance/Time: 13km (8 miles), 6-7 hours

We will start early this morning. About three hours beyond Lobuche we reach Gorak Shep, the site of the 1953 Everest Expedition’s base camp. We will have lunch here, fill up with more water and continue 3 hours up the famous trail where the higher altitude makes this day’s trekking quite challenging.

We head onto the Khumbu Glacier to reach Everest Base Camp, where we will spend some time enjoying the Base Camp of the World’s highest mountain! You will walk around base camp, go to the edge of the Khumbu Ice fall.

From end of March to May you will meet some of the climbing teams preparing to summit the world’s highest mountain. We will enjoy the incredible melt patterns and admire the gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful.

We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp. After soaking in the beauty, we walk 2 hours back towards Gorak Shep where we spend the night. Overnight at a lodge in Gorak Shep.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 11: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar (5,645m/18,519ft) to Pheriche (4,371m/14,340ft)

Distance/Time: 16km (9.9 miles), 7-8 hours

We wake up early for the walk up to Kala Patthar. It is dark outside with cold temperature and most likely chilly winds. We walk on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace. As we are climbing up the hill we can see Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse mountains.

The view from the summit is outstanding. We can see the world’s tallest mountain Everest along other great Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit of Kala Patthar, we walk back to Gorak Shep which is relatively easy.
Note: There is an option of visiting Everest Base Camp the Next morning.

Those who wish to visit the Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast after Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both the groups will have early lunch together. After lunch we descend to Pheriche to spend the night. Overnight at a lodge in Pheriche.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 12: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,290 ft)

Distance/TIme: 20km (12.4 miles), 6 – 7 hours

We descend through a hillside filled with rhododendron and juniper trees and cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi river. We descend rapidly through pine forest where we can easily spot mountains goats, pheasants and other wild animals and birds common to the area.

The path eventually reaches Sansa from where we can enjoy views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse mountains. We walk on winding trails followed by another walk through a forest before reaching Namche Bazaar. Here you can buy souvenirs to take home with you. Overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 13: Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,860m/9,383ft)

Distance/Time: 19km (11.8 miles), 6 – 7 hours

We begin our trek to Lukla today on a rocky terrain. It is mostly a downhill trek except the last section on a trail alongside the Dudh Koshi River. We cross several suspension bridges, pass by several monasteries and villages before reaching Lukla. After reaching Lukla we spend rest of the day taking rest or spend time hanging out in the local restaurants, bakeries and bars. Overnight at a lodge in Lukla.

Included meals:Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Day 14: Fly to Kathmandu

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some last souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today as this Base Camp Trek 15 Days itinerary affords us an extra day . There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Included meals:Breakfast Dinner

Day 15: Final departure

Our adventure in Nepal ends today. We will be dropped off at the Tribhuvan International Airport a few hours before the scheduled flight. If flights are in the evening you will have an entire day to do more relaxing activities in Kathmandu

Included meals:Breakfast

Base Camp Trek 15 Days Itinerary Resources

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