Everest Base Camp Trek
Walk to the foot of the world's highest mountain
- Duration
- 14 days / 13 nights
- Location
- Nepal
- Grade
- Difficult
- Max altitude
- 5,545m
- Distance
- 130 km
- Group size
- 2–12 people
- Season
- Mar - May & Sep - Nov
- Trail type
- Out-and-back (tea-house trek)
Overview
A 14-day classic through Sherpa country to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, with sweeping views of Everest, Nuptse and Ama Dablam.
The Everest Base Camp Trek is the benchmark high-altitude trek in the Himalaya — a two-week journey through Sherpa villages, rhododendron forest and high alpine terrain to the foot of the world's highest mountain.
The route follows the Dudh Kosi valley from Lukla through Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche, with two acclimatisation days built in before the push to Base Camp (5,364m) and the Kala Patthar viewpoint (5,545m) for the classic Everest sunrise.
No technical climbing skills are required, but this is a serious high-altitude trek — good fitness and a realistic respect for altitude matter more than trekking experience.
Trip facts
- Walking hours/day
- 5 - 7 Hours
- Activities
- Trekking & Hiking
- Meals
- BLD
- Accommodation
- Tea house
- Starting point
- Lukla (via Kathmandu flight)
- Nearest airport
- Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (via Kathmandu)
- Fitness level required
- Good physical fitness; high-altitude trekking experience recommended
Highlights
- Everest Base Camp itself (5,364m) and Kala Patthar (5,545m), the classic sunrise viewpoint over Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse
- Sherpa culture and Tengboche Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu
- Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, through rhododendron forest and high alpine terrain
- Two acclimatisation days (Namche and Dingboche) built into the itinerary on a route that needs them
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Fly to Lukla and Trek to Phakding
Fly Kathmandu (1,400m) to Lukla (2,840m), trek to Phakding
35-minute mountain flight Kathmandu-Lukla, weather-dependent
Day 2
Trek to Namche Bazaar
Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Crosses several suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi; entry to Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo
Day 3
Acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar
Optional acclimatisation hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880m) or Khumjung village - climb high, sleep low
Day 4
Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
Descends to the Dudh Kosi before climbing to Tengboche Monastery, the largest in the Khumbu
Day 5
Tengboche to Dingboche
Route passes through Pangboche, the oldest monastery in the Khumbu
Day 6
Acclimatisation day in Dingboche
Optional acclimatisation hike up Nangkartshang peak (~5,083m) for Makalu views
Day 7
Dingboche to Lobuche
Passes the Thukla Pass memorials to climbers lost on Everest
Day 8
Lobuche to Gorak Shep, trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364m) and back
Long day across the Khumbu Glacier moraine to Base Camp and back - Everest itself is not visible from Base Camp
Day 9
Kala Patthar (5,545m) at sunrise, descend to Pheriche
Pre-dawn climb to Kala Patthar, the trek's highest point and best Everest viewpoint, then a long descent
Day 10
Pheriche to Namche Bazaar
Retraces the route via Tengboche and the Dudh Kosi valley
Day 11
Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Long final trekking day back down the valley to Lukla
Day 12
Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
35-minute return flight, weather-dependent
Day 13
Buffer day (weather-dependent Lukla flights)
Contingency day only used if Lukla flights are delayed - not a scheduled activity day
Day 14
Buffer day / departure
International departure, or a second contingency day if Day 13 was used for weather
What's included
Domestic flights: Kathmandu–Lukla–Kathmandu
Tea house accommodation throughout the trek
All meals during the trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Licensed English-speaking trekking guide and porters (1 porter per 2 trekkers)
Sagarmatha National Park permit and TIMS card
First-aid kit and basic oxymeter for altitude monitoring
What's not included
International flights to and from Kathmandu
Nepal entry visa fee
Travel, medical and high-altitude emergency evacuation insurance (mandatory)
Personal trekking gear and equipment
Alcoholic, bottled and canned drinks
Tips for guides and porters
Personal expenses — hot showers, battery charging, wifi and laundry not provided free at the tea house
Extra nights, meals or a helicopter evacuation from Lukla caused by flight delays beyond the two buffer days already built into the itinerary
Single room supplement, where a private room is available
Who can do this trip
- Age
- 12–60 years
- Fitness benchmark
- Comfortable walking 5-7 hours a day over multiple consecutive days, at altitude up to 5,545m
- Medical & health restrictions
- Consult a doctor before booking, especially with any heart, lung or high-altitude-sensitive condition.
Preparation & safety
Altitude
- This is a genuine high-altitude trek to 5,545m - the itinerary's acclimatisation days should not be skipped
Fitness Prep
- Good cardiovascular fitness recommended; regular walking, hiking or running in the weeks before departure helps
Health
- Consult a doctor before travel, particularly with any respiratory, cardiac or pre-existing altitude-sensitive condition
Altitude Sickness
- Know the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (headache, nausea, dizziness) and tell your guide immediately if you feel unwell
Insurance
- Travel insurance with high-altitude trekking and emergency helicopter evacuation cover is mandatory
What to pack
Personal to Bring
- Insulated down jacket, rated for sub-zero temperatures
- 4-season sleeping bag (comfort rated to at least -15C)
- Waterproof, broken-in hiking boots
- Moisture-wicking base layers and insulating mid-layers
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- Trekking poles
- Sun hat, sunglasses (high UV rating) and high-SPF sunscreen
- Water bottle or hydration bladder, plus water purification tablets or a filter
- Basic personal first-aid kit and any personal medication
- Daypack (30-40L) for daily essentials.
Operator provided
- Duffel bag for porter carried gear (15kg limit)
Departure dates
15 Nov 2026
Illustrative draft date - real schedule TBD [DRAFT - NOT REVIEWED]
Cancellations & refunds
Plans change, and mountains change them for you. Here is exactly what happens to your money when they do.
1. How much you get back
Cancellation charges are worked out from the day we receive your written notice to Day 1 of the itinerary — your arrival day in Kathmandu, not your flight date from the UAE.
60 days or more before Day 1 — 100% of the land package refunded
45–59 days — 75% refunded
30–44 days — 50% refunded
15–29 days — 25% refunded
14 days or fewer — no refund
Percentages apply to the land package — everything we run for you inside Nepal. Your deposit and the third-party costs listed in section 2 sit outside this and are deducted first. Not turning up is treated the same as cancelling on the day.
Peak-season departures (1 March to 31 May, 15 September to 30 November) and private or charter trips are held under tighter supplier terms. Where a different schedule applies, we show it to you on the booking page before you pay anything.
2. What we can’t refund
Some of your money leaves the UAE the moment your place is confirmed, and it does not come back to us. Once these are issued, purchased or committed, they are deducted in full from any refund, however early you cancel:
Nepal domestic flights, including Kathmandu or Ramechhap to Lukla, and Pokhara sectors
National park and conservation area permits — Sagarmatha, ACAP, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu, restricted-area permits and TIMS registration, all issued in your name and non-transferable
Nepal visa fees
Travel insurance premiums, once your policy is issued
Peak-season lodge and teahouse pre-payments on the Everest and Annapurna trails
International airfare, where we booked it for you — this follows the airline’s own fare rules
Equipment bought or hired specifically for you
If a supplier does return money to us after you cancel, we pass every dirham of it on to you, less the bank charges we incur receiving it.
3. Deposit and balance
A deposit of 25% of the trip price, minimum AED 1,500 per person, holds your place. It is non-refundable, but it can move with you to another departure — see section 4.
The balance is due 45 days before Day 1. Book inside 45 days and the full amount is payable at the time of booking. If the balance is not paid by the due date, we treat the booking as cancelled by you and the deposit is forfeited.
We take payment in dirhams by card or bank transfer to the company account named on your invoice. Never hand cash to a guide, porter or agent in Nepal, and never pay a third party on our behalf. Payments made that way sit outside this contract and we cannot refund them.
4. Moving your booking
We would rather move you than lose you.
60 days or more before departure — one move to another Jebel Expeditions departure within 12 months, free. Your deposit travels with you; any price difference is payable.
30 to 59 days — a move costs AED 500 per person, plus anything already committed under section 2.
Under 30 days — this counts as a cancellation and section 1 applies.
You can also pass your place to someone else up to 21 days before departure, as long as they meet the fitness and experience requirements for the grade and permits can be issued in time. That costs AED 500 per person plus the real cost of reissuing flights and permits.
One free move per booking.
5. If we cancel
Not enough people
Fixed departures need a minimum group size, shown on each trip page. We confirm or cancel no later than 45 days before Day 1. If we cancel, you choose: everything you have paid us back in full, including the deposit, or a move to another departure.
Anything else within our control
You get a full refund of everything paid to us. We will also cover documented costs you took on because of the booking — independently booked flights, visa fees — up to AED 2,000 per person, against receipts.
Events beyond anyone’s control
Earthquake, avalanche, extreme weather, airspace or border closure, suspension of Lukla flights, strikes and bandhs, unrest, epidemic, or permits withdrawn by the Nepal authorities. We charge you no cancellation fee of our own in these situations. We refund everything we recover from suppliers, and issue a credit note for the rest, valid 18 months and transferable to a close family member.
6. Delays and changes on the trail
Himalayan itineraries move with the weather. Your expedition leader may change routing, lodges, acclimatisation days or the objective itself where safety or conditions require it.
Lukla flights are the usual culprit. When they are grounded, we hold you in Kathmandu at the standard you booked. If the group chooses to fly by helicopter and conditions allow, we will arrange it — but helicopter transfers are not part of the trip price. The cost is shared between those flying and is payable before boarding, or claimed from your insurer if your policy covers delay transfers.
Extra nights, meals and transport caused by disruption outside our control are yours to pay, and are usually covered by travel insurance. Where a change is within our control and materially reduces what you get, we refund the difference.
7. Leaving early
If you leave the expedition before it ends — altitude, injury, a call from home, or simply choosing to stop — there is no refund for unused nights, meals, transport, guiding or permits. Those are already paid for.
Evacuation, hospital treatment and repatriation are your responsibility and are claimed from your insurer. We coordinate the evacuation and give your insurer every document they ask for. If we advance money for you in an emergency, it is repayable within 14 days of your return.
We may also end your trip if you are not fit to continue safely, if you misrepresented your health or experience, or if your conduct puts the group or our staff at risk. No refund is due in those cases.
8. Insurance is not optional
You cannot travel with us in Nepal without travel insurance. Your policy must cover:
trekking to the highest point on your itinerary — at least 6,000 m for Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar
helicopter search, rescue, evacuation and repatriation
medical treatment abroad
trip cancellation and curtailment
Send us your policy number, insurer and 24-hour emergency line at least 30 days before departure. Without it we cannot let you travel, and that counts as a cancellation under section 1.
Most of what this policy cannot return to you, a good insurance policy can. Read the cancellation clauses before you book, not after.
9. How refunds are paid
In dirhams, to the original payment method and the original payer only. We cannot pay a refund into someone else’s account.
Processed within 21 business days of us confirming the amount in writing. Card refunds can take another 7 to 14 working days to show on your statement.
Bank charges, card fees and currency conversion losses come out of the refunded amount.
Where the refund depends on money coming back from an airline or a Nepal supplier, the clock starts when we receive it. We will update you in writing every 14 days until it is settled.
Cancelling for a medical emergency, a bereavement in your immediate family, or a visa refusal outside your control? Tell us before Day 1 and send documentation within 14 days. We will chase supplier waivers on your behalf and turn what we retain into an 18-month credit note rather than keeping it.
10. If something goes wrong
Write to us first. We acknowledge cancellation notices within one business day, confirm the refund calculation within five, and answer complaints substantively within ten.
If we have not resolved it, you can take the matter to the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai at consumerrights.ae, through the Dubai Consumer app, or on 600 545 555, under Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection.
This policy forms part of our booking terms and conditions, is governed by the laws of the UAE as applied in Dubai, and the Dubai courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Nothing here removes a right you hold under UAE consumer protection law.
Cancelling or changing a booking
Send written notice to bookings@jebelexpeditions.com. Cancellations take effect from the moment we acknowledge them in writing, in Gulf Standard Time.
Complaints: complaints@jebelexpeditions.com
Jebel Expeditions Tourism L.L.C. S.O.C.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Licensed Outbound Tour Operator · DET Trade Licence No. 1638394
Gallery
Why book with us
- Licensed English-speaking guide and porters throughout, at a 1:2 porter ratio
- Domestic Kathmandu-Lukla flights included, not booked separately
- Flexible payment in local currency with EMI options via Tabby & Tamara
- Free Warm up hikes in UAE mountains
From
AED 5,200