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Trekkers crossing the wide high valley between Dingboche and Lobuche, Khumbu region

Sample journey · 18–21 days

To the foot of Everest

Kathmandu, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche & the high Khumbu

Photo: Abhijet Pokhrel / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not a technical climb: there are no ropes or ice axes. It is, however, a long and physically demanding walk at high altitude. Many days mean five to seven hours on foot, nights up high fall well below freezing, and the final days are spent above 5,000 metres, where every step takes more effort. The rewards are Sherpa villages, monastery bells, suspension bridges over glacial rivers and mountains whose scale is hard to take in.

This sample route is designed to gain height slowly, with two acclimatisation days on the trail and buffer days in Kathmandu in case weather delays the flights to or from Lukla. It suits people who already have some mountain-walking experience and exercise regularly. You could travel with a small group or with just your own guide and porter, and we'd shape the pace and acclimatisation around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Kathmandu
  2. Lukla
  3. Namche Bazaar
  4. Tengboche
  5. Dingboche
  6. Lobuche & Gorak Shep
  7. Everest Base Camp
  8. Lukla
  9. Kathmandu
  1. People walking the circuit around the great stupa of Boudhanath, Kathmandu

    01Days 1–2 · Kathmandu

    A circuit around the stupa

    The first days are for recovering from the flight, meeting your guide and checking your kit. In the evening it's worth going to Boudhanath, where Tibetan pilgrims and local people walk around the great stupa at dusk, turning the prayer wheels. The lanes of old Kathmandu are the place to buy or hire anything still missing, from a down jacket to a warm sleeping bag.

  2. The houses of Namche Bazaar in their mountain amphitheatre beneath snow peaks

    02Days 3–5 · Lukla & Namche Bazaar

    Up to the Sherpa capital

    An early flight by small plane to Lukla (around 2,860 m), one of the most memorable landings you'll ever make. The first day on foot is short, down along the Dudh Kosi river to Phakding; the second is a long climb over suspension bridges to Namche Bazaar (around 3,440 m). A whole day here is kept for acclimatisation: a short walk higher up, where on a clear day you may see Everest for the first time, then back down to sleep.

  3. Ama Dablam above the valley, with prayer flags fluttering in the foreground, Everest region

    03Days 6–8 · Tengboche & Dingboche

    A monastery and Ama Dablam

    The trail winds through rhododendron forest to Tengboche monastery (around 3,860 m), where in the afternoon you may be able to listen to the monks at prayer. Beyond, the trees give out and Ama Dablam rises above the valley, many trekkers' favourite mountain of the whole walk. Dingboche (around 4,400 m) brings the second acclimatisation day: a short hike up the ridge above the village and a long rest by the stove in the teahouse dining room.

  4. The summit of Everest lit by the first rays of the sun

    04Days 9–11 · Lobuche, Gorak Shep & Base Camp

    The highest days

    Past the stone memorials to lost climbers, the trail rises to Lobuche (around 4,940 m), and the next day to Gorak Shep and along the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Base Camp (around 5,360 m). These are the hardest days of the trek: less oxygen, cold nights and often short sleep. If you still have the energy, a dawn climb up Kala Patthar brings a view of Everest's summit, but that's an option, not a goal to reach at any cost.

  5. A small aircraft on the mountain runway at Lukla

    05Days 12–18 · Back to Lukla & Kathmandu

    Down the valley, with days in hand

    Going down is far easier: in three or four days you're back in Lukla, and every hundred metres lost brings back appetite and sleep. Flights from Lukla depend on the weather, so we keep at least one or two free days in Kathmandu. If the weather is kind, they become rest and a visit to Bhaktapur or Patan; some travellers add a few quiet days in Pokhara to finish.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Namche Bazaar

    A Sherpa town set in a mountain amphitheatre, with bakeries, a market and your first view of Everest nearby.

  2. 02

    Tengboche monastery

    A monastery on a ridge surrounded by peaks: a place worth lingering.

  3. 03

    Ama Dablam

    A mountain that keeps you company for several days and looks different every morning.

  4. 04

    Base Camp and Kala Patthar

    The Khumbu Glacier at your feet and, if you make the dawn climb, Everest's summit in the first light.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • A gentler version

    Instead of Base Camp, a trek to Tengboche and back via Khumjung, staying below about 4,000 m, with the same views of Everest and Ama Dablam.

  • Via the Gokyo lakes

    For experienced trekkers, a route through the turquoise lakes of the Gokyo valley and over the Cho La pass into the Khumbu when conditions allow; it needs a few extra days.

  • Solo or in a small group

    Solo travellers could join a small group of like-minded walkers or go with a private guide and porter; evenings round the teahouse stove become sociable either way.

  • With rest to finish

    After the trek, a few days by Phewa Lake in Pokhara or jungle mornings in Chitwan, or rest on the Sri Lankan coast.

Practical considerations

  • October–November and March–May are usually the best trekking seasons; winter is very cold up high, and from June to September the monsoon brings cloud that often hides the mountains.
  • Altitude sickness can affect anyone, regardless of fitness. The route climbs gradually, guides watch how you're feeling, and if needed plans change and you go down. Talk to a doctor or travel clinic before you go.
  • Flights to and from Lukla are often delayed or cancelled by weather, and in peak seasons they sometimes leave from Ramechhap, several hours' drive from Kathmandu, rather than Kathmandu itself, so buffer days are essential.
  • Travel insurance should clearly cover trekking at this altitude and helicopter evacuation. Teahouses are simple: higher up, toilets are often shared, only the dining room is heated and a shower isn't always possible.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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