Compare Everest Base Camp Trek by Intrepid Travel vs Everest Base Camp Luxury Lodge Trek by Peregrine Treks and Tours

Day 1 Kathmandu

Namaste! Welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 2 pm today. If you arrive with time to spare, maybe check out the storied stupas and pagodas of Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) or take a walk around the local Durbar Square. If you’ve got limited time in the city, consider an immersive Urban Adventure like Cook in Kathmandu, a community farm-to-table cooking class with the Seven Women social enterprise. ALTERNATIVE ITINERARY DUE TO FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS: Weather conditions in the Himalayas can change rapidly, which can result in the need for changes to be made to our intended itineraries. Flights throughout Nepal – particularly in high mountain areas – are often delayed or cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Flights between Kathmandu/Ramechhap and Lukla are particularly prone to these delays which has the potential to vary the itinerary of our tour departures. Our contingency plans in case of bad weather preventing the fixed wing aircraft flight from Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla are as follows: Day 2 – We will attempt to board our booked fixed-wing plane as per the itinerary. If this flight is cancelled, we will return to our hotel in Kathmandu/Ramechhap for an additional night. Day 3 – We will again attempt to board our booked fixed-wing plane. If this flight is cancelled we will endeavour to charter a helicopter to transport the group, provided helicopters are available and weather does not prevent them from flying to Lukla. There may be delays for helicopter flights due to limited availability of safety audited helicopter operators.  Travellers will need to use their emergency fund to cover the cost of the chartered helicopter. The exact cost will depend on how many travellers are in your group and could be up to US 500 per person. It is common practice for the helicopter company to charge varying prices, so you may pay different amounts to others on the flight. If we reach Lukla on day 3 by either fixed wing aircraft or helicopter we will then follow the same itinerary to Everest Base Camp but descend over one less day in order to take our return flight from Lukla on day 14. Day 4 – If both fixed-wing planes and helicopters are unable to reach Lukla on the morning of day 3, then on day 4 we will drive back to Kathmandu by private vehicle. While we will not be able to reach Base Camp itself on the altered itinerary to Langtang - Gosainkunda Trek, our travellers have still found it a highly enjoyable trek with superb views of snow caped mountains and visit the beautiful lake - Gosainkunda. This lake is sacred for both Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. We also advise allowing a few extra days in Kathmandu at the end of your trip should your return flights from Lukla be delayed due to weather conditions.

Day 2 Phakding (2610m / 8563ft)

Sitting at 8848 m, Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, is one of the greatest trekking destinations. Locally known as Sagarmatha, the mountain has long been revered as the home of the gods. First conquered by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, Everest has traditionally been the ultimate goal for mountaineers. On this trip you will take on the challenge of reaching the mountaineer's base camp and gain an insight into the world famous Sherpa culture. You will cross glaciers and broad plains, traverse valleys and climb high passes to reach the picturesque Everest Base Camp. Our accommodation comprises small, basic teahouses along the track. These basic but cosy remote houses are operated by the mountain Nepalese to cater for trekkers and also offer simple yet filling and delicious meals to sustain our efforts. This is a challenging trip and involves difficult trekking at high altitudes but the whole experience is simply awe-inspiring! Today we have a very early flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. If the weather is good, the views of the Himalayas from the small plane are amazing! After breakfast in Lukla (2840 m), a short safety talk and an introduction to your porters, gear up and commence your trek. Today is a fairly gentle introduction, following the milk-white Dudh Kosi River approximately three-hours to Phakding (2610 m).

Day 3 Namche Bazaar (3440m / 11286ft)

Today you’ll trek around 7 hours to Namche Bazaar, where you’ll spend a couple of days acclimatising to the altitude. You might also get your first look at Everest itself. From Phakding you’ll cross the river and head up the valley, following in the footsteps of the porters loaded with supplies for Namche Bazaar. The trail, lined with blue pine forest, follows the river valley and is especially spectacular in spring when the rhododendron flowers are bright in bloom. Cross the Dudh Kosi River at Benkar, and look way up above 6,000 metres to see the peaks of snow-capped Kusum Kanguru (6369 m) and Thamserku (6623m). Press on to Monjo (2835m), a good place to break for lunch. From here the walk starts to get a little tougher, with a steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. Enter into the national park, cross the river through the village of Jorsale (2805m) and then continue upstream. Cross another spectacular suspension bridge and begin the ascent to Namche Bazaar. Get your camera out as now there will be your first glimpse of the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Taweche. Namche will be your last chance to check your equipment and hire any additional gear for the high altitudes from Dingboche onwards. Namche Bazaar is also the last chance to enjoy the local nightlife or take to the pool hall and video parlours.

Day 4 Namche Bazaar (3440 m)

You’ll stay at Namche Bazaar for another night so that you can properly acclimatise to the altitude. One of the best ways to do this is to take strenuous walk up to a high altitude then come back down to sleep – Take an optional hike, visiting Sagarmatha Next along the way, who support local communities to create and implement a sustainable waste handling system in the region. There’s an optional walk to see views from the national park headquarters above the village. This stunning vista includes a super panorama of the Khumbu peaks and great views of Everest.The national park headquarters are home to interesting displays about Sherpa lifestyle and culture, and the local flora and fauna. Namche gained its importance during the period when Tibetan salt was traded for the lowland grains of Nepal. Rugs, clothing, salt and dried meat still all do a roaring trade in the village centre, so haggle for any extra supplies you might need. 

Day 5 Phortse Gaon ((3810m / 12500ft))

Today you'll trek for about 9 km from Namche Bazaar to Phortse. This route offers amazing insight into the life and culture of the sherpas, and that night we stay in a village that is home to a number of sherpas who have reached Everest's summit. Looking out from Phortse, the views of Amadablam are great.

Day 6 Dingboche (4410m / 14469ft)

Climb above the tree-line and trek approximately seven hours covering the distance of 12 kms to Dingboche. Here you’ll find a beautiful patchwork of small fields enclosed by stone walls. These walls protect crops of barley and potatoes from the cold winds. The scenery is once again spectacular and although Everest will be hidden behind the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge, the huge peaks that tower above the eastern end of the valley are more than worthy. If the weather’s right, then there will be gorgeous sunsets illuminating the peaks – Ama Dablam, the south face of Lhotse to the north, and also Island Peak in the centre of the valley.

Day 7 Dingboche (4410 m)

Today is another acclimatisation day. Staying the night in Dingboche you'll take day hikes to Nagarjun Hill or Chukkhung.

Day 8 Lobuche (4910m / 16109ft)

From Dingboche, ascend the small ridge behind the village above the Pheriche valley. From the stupa at the top, Taweche and Cholatse (6440 m) make for a pretty striking scene – they seem to lean forwards from across the valley in the west. To the north, Lobuje Peak (6119 m) and the snowfields of the Cho La are the kings of the skyline. The walking will now be fairly flat on wide-open fields, but remember that there’s no rush – take your time and ensure you’re well hydrated. Late in the morning you will cross the Khumbu Khola at Dughla and take a light lunch at the foot of the huge terminal moraines of the Khumbu Glacier flowing off Everest. In the afternoon, there will be a solid and quite steep climb on a rocky trail to the top of the moraines. On the crest of the ridge, you’ll pass a line of memorial cairns (stacks of stones), built in memory of the Sherpas and climbers who have died on various Everest expeditions over the last fifty or so years. From here the view is downright spectacular once again, with Pumori (7145 m), Lingtren (6697 m), Khumbutse (6623 m), and across the border in Tibet, Changtse (7550 m), surrounding you. Then follow the valley stream to the lodge at Lobuje, arriving early afternoon.

Day 9 Gorak Shep - Everest Base Camp (5140m / 16864ft)

This is the big one, the day of Everest Base Camp. From Lobuche, follow the broad valley that runs parallel to Khumbu Glacier, with a gradual ascent enabling you to build the slow, steady rhythm required when walking at high altitude. When you reach the moraines of Changri Nup Glacier, you will make a series of small ascents and descents over a rocky trail lined with cairns that eventually leads to the surprising glacial sands of Gorak Shep (5160 m) – reached after about three hours of walking. Now’s the time to grab a quick bite, gear up appropriately, and then head off towards Everest Base Camp. The trek to the base camp can be achieved in around three hours, and if trekking in the popular climbing period of March to May, you will almost certainly encounter yaks and porters supplying food and equipment to expeditions here. From Everest Base Camp you will not get views of Mount Everest, but you are able to see glorious glaciers, lakes, caves, and the notorious Everest Ice Fall that flows from the Western Cwm. It's regarded as technically the hardest and most dangerous section of the mountain. The return journey from the Base Camp to Gorak Shep takes the same amount of time. You will have an early dinner so that you are able to get up early the next day for awe-inspiring views of the Himalayan giants from Kala Patar.

Day 10 Kala Pattar - Pheriche (4240m / 13191ft)

Today you witness some of the Himalayas most recognisable sights. You'll make an early start to avoid the early morning clouds and trek to Kala Pattar (5545 m) to witness the best views of Everest. Don’t be surprised if you get a little tear in your eye when you soak up the views of Everest. Embrace that emotion and spend as long as you like here to savour this extra special moment. To get there from the lodge the ascent is quite steep, so start very slowly and try to ascend at a steady rhythmic pace. Kala Patar is the rocky hilltop below Pumori. It’s a tough walk because of the altitude, but the view from the top will surpass your wildest imagination. It will probably take a good hour and a half to reach the summit from Gorak Shep, although lower viewpoints can provide views that are almost as good. Pumori, Nuptse, Changtse, Ama Dablam, Taweche, Kantega and Everest – they’re all here. About three kilometres away and some 200 metres below, the area of the Everest Base Camp can be seen in a bowl at the bottom of the Khumbu Ice Fall. Then it’s all downhill from here – the descent to Gorak Shep is easy and when you arrive back at the lodge you will have a quick drink and head off to the rooms to pack your kit bags while breakfast is being prepared. After breakfast you will set off to Lobuche and Thugla, where you will stop for lunch. Then you’ll cross the Khumbu Khola and head down the valley below Cholatse to Pheriche, where you will stop for the night.

Day 11 Tengboche (3860m / 12664ft)

Descend through the small settlements at Orsho and Shomare before passing through Lower Pangboche. Here you’ll reach the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River, then ascend back to Tengboche to visit the monastery. According to legend, Lama Sange Dorjee, who came from Tibet’s Rongphu Monastery, founded Thyangboche Monastery in the 17th century. Tengboche was destroyed by an earthquake in 1933, rebuilt and again badly damaged by a fire in 1989. Construction of the present monastery was completed in 1992. Spend a bit of time visiting the monastery and the Sherpa Heritage Foundation museum.

Day 12 Chumo (2860m / 9383ft)

Descend steeply through beautiful forest of juniper, rhododendron and fir. Cross the Dudh Kosi River and ascend to Trashinga. From here the trail contours high above the valley through Shanasa and on to Namche Bazaar, before descending steeply down to the large suspension bridge over the Dudh Kosi River. You’ll follow the trail through Jorsale and back to Chumo, where you’ll stop for the night.

Day 13 Lukla (2840m / 9318ft)

You’ve done it, your last day of trekking! Today you'll walk back to Lukla via Benkar through blue pine and rhododendron forest, with great views of Kusum Kangaru. From here, make the final climb up to Lukla, where you’ll say goodbye to your Sherpa crew. Celebrate with a hot shower and a few drinks with your group before flying back to Kathmandu tomorrow morning.

Day 14 Kathmandu

Weather permitting, you'll take a short early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. Return to the hotel and have free time during the afternoon for further sightseeing or shopping. Shop in some of Kathmandu's many markets for clothing, embroidery, carpets or ceramics. If shopping is not your thing, take a trip over the Bagmati River to the adjacent city of Patan, with its abundance of temples and monasteries. Enjoy a final night together, reliving the trek and our extraordinary achievements.

Day 15 Depart

Say 'Namaste' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. If you'd like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent.

Day 1: Arrive In Kathmandu

Meals: Dinner

We are happy to receive you at the airport on your first day and show you off to your hotel. At the day time, we have our time to collect all of your essential documents and manage for the permits and required tickets. You can walk around the market area and grab equipment necessary for your trek.

Later on, we will meet you for your welcome dinner; introduce you to our professional guide. The guide will be giving a summary of your entire trek.

Overnight at Hotel Radisson or similar 5-star hotel

Day 2: Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing And Trek Preparation Day

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions of Kathmandu. Some of these landmarks including the historic Durbar Square, sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, (Swayambhunath) known as Monkey temple and Buddhist shrine (Buddha Nath) which is one of the largest and oldest sputa in the world are listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will give a brief pre-trip group discussion followed by trek preparation during late afternoon at Peregrine Treks and Expedition Pvt. Ltd. at the evening time and Overnight in Hotel Radisson or similar five-star hotel.

Day 3: Fly To Lukla And Trek To Phakding

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We fly early morning to Lukla and have our breakfast. After a while, we prepare ourselves for the first trek of our trip and walk the trail that follows the route of Chaurikharkha village towards DudhkoshiGhat until Phakding (2,652m/8300ft). On our first day of the trek, we will encounter Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain which is not climbed by anyone yet – overnight in Yeti Mountain Home or Similar hotel.

Note: Government of Nepal has declared that most of the flights to Lukla will start from Ramechhap until next notice to avoid over traffic crowding in Kathmandu airport. The airport in Racechhap lies 130km far from Kathmandu, and it will take around 4-hours to reach there.

On the other hand, the helicopter can be charted for five persons on a sharing basis with the addition of USD 500 per person for a one-way flight. We will try to form up the group at the airport, but it can be guaranteed. However, flying to Lukla and drive to Ramechhap is always guaranteed unless any change in the program comes due to climate change.

Day 4 Trek To Namche Bazar (3440 M)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We gear up after having early morning breakfast towards our second day’s trek destination, Namche Bazaar. This day’s trial consists of beautiful pine forest and riverbank of Dudh Koshi. We will cross a long suspension bridge, The Hillary Suspension Bridge. We might encounter some rare wild fauna such as Red Panda, Himalayan Bear, Himalayan Thar, and other few species as we enter Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We then walk on a steep trail leading us to Namche Bazaar, which is famous as Mini Thamel of Everest region. We pause our today’s trek and rest at Namche.

Overnight in Yeti Mountain Home or similar hotel

Day 5: Namche To Everest View Hotel And Overnight There

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today is an essential part of the trek before we climb to a higher altitude. We will stretch our legs for short hikes and explore the village. We can make this day flexible, by going on an early sunrise walk to Sagarmatha National Park to enjoy the sun rising over Mt. Everest, Lhotse, AmaDablam, Thamserku, and other surrounding mountain peaks. We can also organize day hike to Khumjung village, visit Edmund Hillary school and a monastery to encounter a yeti Scalp.

Overnight at Everest View Hotel or similar hotel

Day 6: Namche To Tengboche (3860)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On this day we climb on uphill-trek route with some seriously steep ground, few river banks and forest trail to reach our destination. The focal point of this day’s target is Tengboche Monastery, which is the biggest ones of the Everest region. It usually opens at 3:00 PM, so we will try our best to reach on time but without pressurizing our precious leg. Apart from its monastery, Tengboche is rich in the majestic view of sacred mountains viz. Mt. AmaDablam, Mt. Thamserku and Mt. Khumbila. We rest our day at one of a teahouse here.

Day 7: Tengboche To Dingboche (4410 M)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We will continue walking through lush alpine forest mixed with conifer and Rhododendron tree (national flower of Nepal). We descend to several Sherpa villages like Debuche and Pangboche. We will have a brief hike to one of the oldest monastery in the area named Pangboche monastery. We then will cross the Imja River and Lobuche River to reach Dingboche. You will be amazed to see a village at 4,360 m/14,300 ft. With beautiful barley, potato and buckwheat field complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields. We call our day off at Dingboche village.

 Day 8: Rest Day At Dingboche Or Climb Nagerjun Hill (5100 M)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

It is another opportunity to blend ourselves at a high altitude. We have plans to climb ridge located behind the village to get the rewarding views of Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Cho Oyu, Cholatse and Taboche peaks. We can also notice Lobuche West, Lobuche East, and Lhotse as the most dominant mountains on our northwest rising above the Khumbu Khola valley.

We slowly descend back to Dingboche to take the day rest and prepare for more significant trial tomorrow.

Day 9: Trek to Lobuche (4910)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we will gently climb towards Pheriche valley after an energetic breakfast. We silhouette along the northwest side above Pheriche valley through alpine vegetation treating awe-inspiring views of Tawoche and Cholotse peak to our eyes. We then gradually climb for about two hours to reach Thukla for our local Nepalese lunch. After fueling up, we head to take the most challenging yet worth walking trail to reach the top of Thukla pass. Here we will see the memorial stupas, dedicated to brave climbers and trekkers from all over the world, ceased for the sake of Everest. We will pause for a while to pay tribute to their bravery.

After a few hours of ascending, we will finally reach Lobuche and spent overnight here.

Day 10: Trek To Gorekshep And Everest Base Camp (5364 M) And Return Back To Gorekshep (5181 M)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On this day, we need to control our adrenaline rush because we will finally step on Everest Base Camp, most awaited day of our trip. We will walk for a few hours from Lobuche after breakfast to reach Gorakshep, which is comparatively an easy path. Here we will unload our backpack, change into day hike pack, and slowly ascend towards base Camp by fueling our energy with local yet delicious lunch. The main thing we need to focus is on our pace to insure not getting Acute Mountain Sickness due to speed walking.

On the way, we will come in contact with the top of the Khumbu Glacier and soon get a view of Khumbu Icefall. After walking for a few hours, we eventually will find ourselves in the lap of Mt. Everest at an altitude of 5,364m. We will provide a certain amount of time for you to blend in the scenic view and beauty of Everest Time and manage to walk back to Gorakshep before it gets dark.

Day 11: Climb Kalapathar (5545 M) And Return Back To Pheriche (4210 M)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Kalapathar is well known for the sunrise as we encounter first sun rays falling on the head of Mt. Everest and other surrounding Mountain peaks. To capture this magical moment, we will have to walk super early in the morning on a reasonably steep trail at a comfortable pace. We will manage to have our lunch and hike down to Gorakshep after spending time enjoying the sunrise. There we will have lunch and slowly descend to Pheric village to spend the night.

Day 12: Return Back To Namche

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Leaving the mountains behind we walk down to Namche Bazaar. We will be crossing the same trials of rhododendron, juniper, pine forest, and cross bridge over the Dudh Koshi river. We can easily spot mountain goats, pheasants, and other wild animals on our wat back.

We will reach Namche Bazaar after a few hours of walk and spend our night there. You can honor this day with your fellow trekkers on the occasion of hitting Everest Base camp.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home or similar

Day 13 Trek Back To Lukla

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We hike the same route crossing the Hillary Suspension bridge, several Sherpa villages and monasteries to reach Lukla. There we will have a mini celebration party for our accomplishment of Everest Base Camp trek and our last night on Everest region.

Overnight in the Yeti Mountain Home or similar Hotel.

Day 14 Flight Back To Kathmandu

Meals: Breakfast

We fly to Kathmandu hopping on an early morning flight taking off on a significant runway of Lukla airstrip. After reaching Kathmandu, you are free to do things on your own. We do guide if in case you might need them around Kathmandu valley for short day trips or souvenir shopping. At the end of this day, we will re-unite for your farewell dinner. We will have our ground open for your precious feedback session and experience sharing.

Overnight in the Hotel Radisson or similar five-star hotel

Day 15: Rest Day In Kathmandu For Shopping

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

It is a free day for shopping souvenir for your friends and families. You can do sightseeing in Bhaktapur or Patan – the ancient Royal Palace of Nepal. in this day.

Overnight in the Hotel Radisson or similar five-star hotel

Day 16: Farewell

Meals: Breakfast

Our staff will check on your tickets and flight time and drop you off to Tribhuwan International Airport to greet you farewell. We wish for your safe landing and soon return to Nepal for the next awesome trip.