For info on costs and other tips to prepare for your trek, see our Everest Base Camp Itinerary Page.
Katmandu
Entering the area of Thamel in Kathmandu
After your touchdown in Katmandu, it is wise to limit your time in Thamel. Hopefully you’ve prepared your body (See Physical Preparation) and your gear (See Gear List) for the epic trek to come! Grab your permits, a Sherpa hat, and any last minute items, and get to the Himalayas before the dust and smog of Katmandu takes your health down a notch.
Jiri – Lukla
Monastery on the trek from Jiri
Though an optional section, this one week trek through the outer foothills and passes of the Himalayas before trekking up the Khumbu valley is an attraction to consider, especially for the more adventurous. Also helps to acclimate you, and save a day or two of altitude sickness.
Highlights of this section include the Lamjura Pass and interacting with the Nepal mountain culture outside the tourist industry north of Lukla.
Lukla – Everest Base Camp
View of Everest Base Camp from the helicopter pad.
The normal path to Everest Base Camp is flying into Lukla and trekking to Namche and then on to EBC, returning the same path. Though this blog took the longer route, we followed most of the same route except the short stretch between Dingboche and Lobuche.
In this section, you can experience the largest mountains of the world including Everest herself and be immersed in the culture that sprung up to support the expeditions to explore and climb them.
Day 7: Khaurikharka (Lukla) – Namche
Recommended rest day – we skipped due to the trek from Lukla
Recommend rest day
Three Passes
Lunch on the Cho La
The Three Passes trek takes you on a side journey from the Everest Base Camp trail across rivers of ice and into valleys with picturesque mountain lakes. This trek is for more experienced trekkers as the climb over the three passes will test your fitness more than any other point on the trek.
Lukla
Time to go home. This way!
Leave yourself a couple days to catch the flight out from Lukla. Weather can be unpredictable in the Khumbu