Escape Himalaya - Adventure Tours and Trekking in Nepal more...
The 13-day Short Everest Base Camp Trek takes you straight to the foot of Mount Everest without needing weeks away from home. This carefully planned route covers all the major highlights of the Khumbu region while fitting comfortably into a two-week vacation. You'll trek through beautiful Sherpa villages like Namche Bazaar and Tengboche, cross suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River, and stand at both Everest Base Camp (5,364m) and Kala Patthar (5,545m), where the views of Mount Everest are simply breathtaking.
The itinerary includes two important rest days at Namche and Dingboche, giving your body time to adjust properly to high altitude and increasing your chances of reaching your goal safely and comfortably. Our experienced guides handle all the details, from booking teahouses to managing permits, so that you can focus entirely on the experience.
The Short Everest Base Camp route begins with an exciting flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,800m), landing on one of the world's most challenging runways. From Lukla, the first day is an easy walk downhill to Phakding (2,652m), following the Dudh Koshi River through pine forests and small villages. This gentle start lets you ease into mountain trekking without pushing too hard on day one.
Day two brings the first real challenge as the trail climbs steadily up to Namche Bazaar (3,440m), crossing the famous Hillary Bridge and entering Sagarmatha National Park along the way. Namche sits in a natural amphitheater surrounded by massive peaks, and this is where you'll spend an extra day getting used to the altitude. During your rest day, you can hike up to Everest View Hotel or visit the nearby villages of Khumjung and Khunde, both excellent for helping your body adjust while enjoying stunning mountain views.
From Namche, the trail continues through rhododendron and juniper forests to Tengboche (3,860m), home to the largest monastery in the Everest region. The monastery sits on a ridge with spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. After Tengboche, you walk to Dingboche (4,410m), passing through Pangboche village, where you can visit one of the oldest monasteries in the region. Dingboche is surrounded by stone walls built to protect barley fields from harsh winds, and this is where you take your second rest day with a hike up Nangkartshang Peak (5,083m).
After proper adjustment at Dingboche, the trail continues to Lobuche (4,910m), passing memorials to climbers who lost their lives on Everest. From Lobuche, you trek to Gorak Shep (5,181m) and then onward to Everest Base Camp (5,364m) itself. Standing at Base Camp surrounded by towering ice and the Khumbu Icefall, you'll see exactly where climbing teams set up their camps before attempting the summit. The next morning starts very early with a pre-dawn hike up Kala Patthar (5,545m) to watch sunrise light up Mount Everest in shades of gold and orange. The return journey retraces your steps back through Pheriche, Namche, and finally Lukla, covering about 130 kilometers over 13 days with walking times averaging 5 to 7 hours per day.
Getting ready for the Short Everest Base Camp Trek takes 8 to 12 weeks of focused training. You don't need to be a professional athlete, but good fitness makes the trek way more enjoyable and gives you better chances of success.
Physical Training You Need
Start cardio work 3 to 4 months before your trek. Running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking for 45 to 60 minutes, about 4 or 5 times per week, builds the endurance you need when oxygen gets thin at higher altitudes.
Do practice hikes on actual trails, especially routes with big uphill and downhill sections. Try to get in 3 to 4-hour hikes while carrying a backpack similar to what you'll have on the trek, usually around 5 to 7 kg. Make sure to wear your trekking boots during these practice walks so they feel broken in and comfortable.
Leg strength training really helps. Squats, lunges, step-ups, and calf raises build the muscle you need for steep climbs and protect your knees when you're walking downhill for hours. Throw in some core exercises too for better balance on rocky trails.
Before You Leave Home
Visit your doctor about 4 to 6 weeks before you go. Talk about any health stuff you have going on, and make sure trekking at high altitude is safe for you. Get whatever vaccinations you need done early so you're not dealing with side effects right before leaving.
Buy travel insurance that specifically says it covers trekking up to 6,000 meters and includes emergency helicopter rescue. This part isn't optional at all.
Get all your trekking gear at least a month early. Test everything out on your practice hikes. Pack your bag a few times to figure out what you really need versus what's just extra weight.
Trekking with professional guides and porters from Escape Himalaya makes a huge difference in your experience. Our guides have been doing these trails for years; some of them grew up in these mountains. They keep an eye on how you're doing health-wise and spot early signs of altitude problems that you might miss yourself. Your guide takes care of booking rooms each night, ordering meals, dealing with permit checks, and staying in touch with our Kathmandu office about weather updates and how the group is doing.
Guides also help you understand the Sherpa culture way better. They'll explain what prayer flags mean, introduce you to monks when you visit monasteries, and tell you stories that have been passed down in their families. If bad weather rolls in or someone in your group gets sick, your guide knows how to handle it and can get a helicopter rescue going if things get serious.
Porters carry your main duffel bag, which weighs up to 15 kg, so you only need to have a small daypack with your water bottle, some snacks, a camera, and maybe an extra jacket. This setup makes walking so much easier. We pay our porters well and make sure they have warm clothes and good boots. Usually, one porter works with two trekkers. The porter typically heads to the next village early to get rooms sorted, while your guide walks with you at whatever pace feels comfortable.
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from September to November, work best. These seasons give you stable weather and the clearest mountain views. Spring gets warmer as winter fades away and the rhododendron forests turn bright red and pink. March still gets pretty cold at night, but by April and May, the daytime feels nice even up above 4,000 meters. The only real problem with spring is how crowded the trails get. Lots of trekkers everywhere, and the good teahouses fill up fast, so you need to book well in advance.
Autumn works as well if you really care about mountain views. Once the monsoon rains stop in September, the air gets super clear, and you can see every peak perfectly. October is probably the busiest month because the weather stays stable, temperatures feel good, and flights to Lukla rarely get canceled. November starts to get colder, but conditions remain pretty good, and you'll see fewer people on the trail.
Winter, from December to February, gets really cold with snow at the higher camps, but if you can handle that, you get incredibly clear skies and hardly anyone else around. Just pack warmer gear and a better sleeping bag. Monsoon summer from June to August brings rain almost every day, leeches on the lower trails, clouds blocking all the mountain views, and Lukla flights getting canceled all the time. We usually tell people to skip summer unless you specifically want to see everything green and you're okay with not seeing much of the mountains.
The history of Everest Base Camp (EBC) is a fascinating tale intertwined with the evolution of mountaineering, particularly the relentless pursuit to conquer Mount Everest, the pinnacle of human achievement in the climbing world.
Early Ascents (1920-1950s)
In the early days, trekkers and explorers focused on climbing Mt. Everest. They tried different methods from Nepal and Tibet to climb up. George Mallory's safari in the 1920s made progress on the north face route, reaching 7,000 meters. Sadly, in 1922, seven Sherpa porters died in an avalanche on Everest, showing how dangerous it is. These early treks also set up primary trails and camps for future trekkers.
After many tries, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa made the first successful climb of Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953. The Khumbu region around Mt. Everest became a national park in 1976. It's called Sagarmatha National Park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
Development of Trekking (1960s onwards)
From the 1960s onwards, climbing remained a specialized activity, and trekking in the Everest region became increasingly crowd-pleasing. We've taken every measure to ensure your safety and comfort, with tea houses set up along the trekking route, providing basic accommodation and food for trekkers. As infrastructure and safety measures improved, more people were attracted to the beauty of the Himalayas. Everest Base Camp transitioned from purely serving mountaineers to becoming a beloved destination for trekkers.
Present-day EBC
Today, Everest Base Camp (EBC) is a starting point for climbers aiming to conquer Mount Everest, but it's primarily popular among adventure trekkers. The local economy depends highly on tourism, with lodges, restaurants, and guide services benefiting from the steady stream of trekkers. There's a growing emphasis on environmental conservation and sustainability, with efforts to manage waste and promote responsible tourism.
A 13-day trek package to Everest base camp is the best itinerary for hikers even with less experience in similar elevations. This EBC Trek course deliberately tries to present the most gratifying attractions in the Khumbu region. Traveling with Escape Himalaya, you can unlock Khumbu's concealment and build a genuine interaction with the Himalayas. Besides this short trek, we operate major trekking courses all over Nepal.
The journey to Everest Base Camp will be much more enjoyable, and the chances of completing the trek will be greater if one is in good physical shape. This trek basiscally includes 5-7 hours of hiking per day on rough, sometimes steep, terrain, often at a high altitude with low oxygen levels. One needs to get into routine cardio activities such as running, cycling, or swimming to be prepared. This should be combined with strength training, but more importantly, leg workouts. We also suggest including hill climbing or stair climbing in your workout regime to give you a feel for the trekking conditions. If you are really well-prepared, you will stay confident throughout, and that really makes this magnificent journey very special.
You need to get travel insurance that covers high-altitude trekking before we can confirm your booking. Your policy needs to specifically say it covers trekking activities up to at least 6,000 meters because regular travel insurance usually stops covering you somewhere between 4,500 to 5,000 meters. The essential part is making sure your policy includes emergency helicopter evacuation. If you get severe altitude sickness or hurt yourself on the trail, a helicopter is usually the only way to get you down to medical help quickly. These helicopter rescues can run anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on weather conditions and where exactly you are when it happens.
Good insurance should also cover medical treatment if you need a doctor or hospital in Nepal, trip cancellation if something comes up and you have to cut your trek short, lost or delayed luggage, and extra hotel nights if bad weather delays your Lukla flight. Buy your insurance right after you book with us and definitely before you leave your home country. You can't get proper high altitude coverage once you're already in Nepal. Keep a copy of your policy number and the emergency contact number in your daypack and save it on your phone. Make sure someone back home has all this info too. Some companies that offer solid policies for Himalayan trekking are World Nomads, IMG Global, and Seven Corners.
When you book the trek with us, you pay a 20% deposit to hold your spot for the dates you want. The other 80% needs to be paid about two weeks before your trek starts. We get that plans change sometimes because of work, family, health problems, or visa issues. We've built some flexibility into how this works.
If you need to change your dates after booking, just let us know as soon as you find out. Moving to different dates in the same year costs nothing extra, and we just shift your deposit over. If you want to push it to next year instead, there's a small fee to cover the rebooking costs, but your deposit still counts toward the new dates. If you cancel more than 30 days before you were supposed to start, you get everything back except that 20% deposit. Canceling less than 30 days out might incur extra fees, depending on what we've already paid for, like domestic flights and guide assignments.
It's really smart to get trip cancellation insurance when you book. That covers you if something unexpected happens, like you get sick suddenly, have a family emergency, or your work won't let you go. Got questions about any of this? Just email [email protected] or send a WhatsApp to +977 9851006121, and we'll figure it out.
The 20-day Everest Base Camp Trek for Seniors is a specially crafted travel package tailored to the needs of older adults and children. It offers a beautiful opportunity for families to explore the stunning landscapes of Nepal together. With a focus on comfort and ease, this trek ensures a smooth and enjoyable journey for all participants, taking into account their specific needs and preferences.
The Everest Base Camp Heli Shuttle Trek is a 12-day adventure that combines hiking and an exciting helicopter ride. Experience the thrill of reaching the world's tallest mountain base camp and enjoy a scenic helicopter ride back to Lukla, skipping the return walk.
Experience the 16-day Short Classic Trek to EBC, a popular alternative route starting with a drive to Phaplu. Many travelers opt for this unique journey instead of flying to Lukla.
This 17-day Everest Cho La Pass Trek goes beyond the classic Everest Base Camp experience. It pushes adventurers through challenging Himalayan terrain, including the thrilling Cho La Pass (5,420 meters).
The legendary 14-day Everest Base Camp trek is a phenomenal journey that takes you to the very lap of Mount Everest. Witness stunning natural beauty, rich cultural experiences, and the awe-inspiring landscapes of eastern Nepal. Hiking through the Khumbu region on this 14-day adventure offers a genuinely all-encompassing experience that is a must-do for any avid traveler.
Come along on Escape Himalaya Trek's 16-day Everest Base Camp Luxury Trek. Enjoy comfortable stays and excellent service while exploring Sherpa culture. Be sure to see the world's highest peak up close, surrounded by stunning views, all in luxury comfort.
By letting us know what you're interested in, you can customize the trip according to your preferences.
The weight limit for flights from Kathmandu to Lukla is typically 15 kilograms (33 pounds) per person for checked luggage. This limit is strictly enforced by the airlines due to the small size of the aircraft and the limited cargo capacity. Passengers are allowed to carry additional weight in the form of hand luggage, but this is usually restricted to 5 kilograms (11 pounds). If you exceed the weight limit, you may be required to pay additional fees or arrange for the excess baggage to be sent by another means, such as via a porter or a cargo flight.
Preparing for the flight to Lukla requires careful attention to weight limits, Airlines said only 15kg for each person including hand carry bag as excess luggage can pay extra charges, making it essential to pack efficiently.
If the provided schedule isn't suitable for you, we are able to create personalized travel arrangements according to your preferences and requirements.
Get all your trekking stuff together about 4 to 6 weeks before you leave, so you have time to use it on practice hikes. Break in those hiking boots on several training walks until they feel totally comfortable. Starting the trek with stiff new boots is basically asking for blisters everywhere. Try wearing all your layers at once to make sure your rain jacket fits over your puffy jacket and your pants work right with your boots.
You can apply for your Nepal visa online before you go, or get it upon arrival at Kathmandu airport. If you do it at the airport, bring two passport photos and $50 in US dollars cash for a 30-day visa. Make photocopies of your passport, insurance papers, and flight tickets. Download some offline maps of the Everest region on your phone using an app like Maps.me so you can see where you are even without internet.
Try learning some basic Nepali words beyond just saying Namaste. Even if you totally butcher the pronunciation, local people really appreciate it when you try. Read up a bit on Sherpa culture and Buddhist stuff before you go, so you understand what you're looking at. Simple things like always walking clockwise around stupas and mani stone walls, taking your shoes off before entering temples, and asking before taking photos of people or religious places.
Keeping you safe from altitude sickness is the biggest focus of this 13-day plan. The schedule includes two full rest days at Namche Bazaar at 3,440m and Dingboche at 4,410m. On those rest days, you actually do short hikes up to higher spots during the day, but then come back down to sleep at the lower elevation. This whole "climb high, sleep low" thing really helps your body make more red blood cells and get used to having less oxygen around.
Our guides carry small pulse oximeters to check your blood oxygen levels regularly. They watch for signs that altitude is hitting you, like headaches, dizziness, feeling sick to your stomach, or feeling way more tired than you should. If your oxygen level drops too much or symptoms show up, they know what steps to take. You may need extra rest time; they may use medications from the first-aid kit, or they may decide you need to go lower if things aren't getting better.
We don't let groups rush ahead even if everyone's feeling great and wants to move faster. This schedule is designed to give most people the best chance of making it to Base Camp. Drinking 3 to 4 liters of water every day really matters because dehydration makes altitude sickness way worse. Your guide will constantly bug you about drinking water. Guides carry emergency oxygen bottles and medical kits on every trek. If someone shows severe altitude symptoms, we get a helicopter to them right away.
Every night you stay in teahouses, which are family-run lodges operated by local Sherpa families. The rooms have twin beds, thick blankets, and pillows. Down in the lower villages like Phakding, Namche, and Lukla, a bunch of teahouses have rooms with their own bathrooms and hot showers. As you get higher up the mountain, bathrooms become the shared kind down the hall and hot showers cost extra, usually around $3 to $5. Way up at the highest camps like Gorak Shep, hot water is hard to come by and expensive because of how difficult it is to get fuel up there.
Every teahouse has this central dining room with a stove burning wood or dried yak dung. That room becomes where everyone hangs out once the sun goes down, and it gets cold outside. Usually, that dining room stove is the only warm spot in the whole building, so bring your warmest clothes for evenings and early mornings. Charging your phone or camera costs about $2 to $4 per device because electricity comes from solar panels at higher places.
The food is good considering how remote these places are. For breakfast, you can get eggs cooked however you want them, toast with jam, porridge with honey, Tibetan bread, pancakes, and hot tea or coffee. Lunch and dinner menus have dal bhat, which is rice with lentil soup and vegetables, and they give you unlimited refills, different kinds of fried rice, various noodle dishes, momos, which are like Tibetan dumplings, soups, and even pizza and burgers at the lower spots. Dal bhat is what most experienced trekkers eat because of those free refills and how it gives you steady energy all day from the mix of carbs, protein, and vegetables.
As you go higher past Namche, the menu gets smaller, and prices go up because porters or yaks have to carry every single food item up on their backs. Something that costs $5 or $6 down in Phakding might run you $10 to $12 up in Gorak Shep. Skip the meat dishes once you're above Namche because the meat isn't fresh up there. Stick with vegetarian stuff instead. Teahouses sell boiled water that you can use to fill up your water bottles for about $1 to $2 per liter, depending on how high up you are.
This trek works excellently if you're traveling by yourself. When you book solo with us, you've got two ways to do it. You can join one of our fixed group departure dates to trek with other people from all over the world who have chosen the same dates. This lets you split costs, make some new friends, and still have your own room at the teahouses. Lots of solo trekkers actually prefer the group option because you've got people to eat meals with and hang out with in the evenings, while still getting your own space.
Or you can book it as a private trek where we give you your own dedicated guide and porter just for you. This costs more per person, but you get total control over how fast you walk each day, when you take breaks, how long you stop to take photos, all that stuff. Your guide can adjust things based on what you're interested in.
Even if you're trekking solo, you won't feel lonely because every teahouse fills up with trekkers each evening. There's this natural social vibe where you end up meeting interesting people and swapping stories over dinner. Women traveling alone are totally safe with our guides. They're really respectful and take your safety seriously. Solo trekkers especially like having a guide handle all the language stuff and figure out where to stay and eat each day, while you just walk and take it all in.
Planning an EBC short Trek? Here are the Top 10 key things to know for an extraordinary adventure:
Bonus Tip: Capture the memories! Take photos and videos to document your incredible journey.
Apart from the significant costs of your EBC short trip package, you will need to budget for specific additional fees. Here's a simple plan to help you budget while still having a good time:
Trail Necessities:
Food & Treats:
Staying Connected:
Remember that prices might vary, so use these estimates as a guideline.
Please look at your spending patterns for drinks, snacks, and gifts.
Note: Carry Nepali Rupees for incidental expenses. While some tea shops accept US dollars, possessing the local currency eliminates conversion problems and ensures you have the correct amounts for smaller transactions.
By budgeting for these things, you'll be better prepared to deal with unexpected costs and enjoy your Everest Base Camp Short route!
Lunch and dinner on the Everest Base Camp Short trek are a delicious adventure. Dal Bhat, a traditional Nepali cuisine, is popular among trekkers due to its low cost and high-calorie content. But the variety does not end there. Tea houses cater to various tastes, with classic dishes such as fried rice, chicken curries, burgers, and pizzas. Noodle enthusiasts can have stir-fried noodles or cheesy pasta meals.
After a day of hiking, dinner becomes a joyous occasion, with tea houses broadening their menus to include a broader selection of familiar favorites and local specialties. So, whether you crave a hearty Dal Bhat or a soothing slice of pizza, the EBC short journey delivers a great and satisfying refill after each adventure-filled day.
Prepare for the EBC short Trek with our complete package, carefully planned to keep you comfortable and prepared during the entire trip.
We provide a 120-liter Duffel Bag for trek packing, a certified -20°C Down Jacket, and a four-season Sleeping Bag, ensuring warmth and coziness during chilly mountain nights.
A duffle bag, also known as a kit bag, is a cylindrical-shaped carrying bag with a top closure generally made of natural or sturdy fabric (usually canvas). It has a handle or a shoulder strap, making it easy for the porter to carry it. Duffel bags are commonly used for traveling, sports, outdoor activities, or temporary storage. They are used for carrying clothing, personal items, and electronics or sports gear during travel. The size of the duffel bag varies according to one's needs and requirements. They come in different sizes, from small to large travel duffel bags, and can hold the required gear during travel. Generally, duffle bags are used to carry loads up to 15 kg in all treks, which vary according to the size and materials to be carried during the travel and the porter's carrying limit. Duffle bags are suitable for trekking due to their comfort and accessibility as they are flexible and portable, making them easy to carry. It is an excellent choice to carry for traveling due to its versatility and ease of handling.
We arrange the duffel bags that hold up to 120 liters of storage capacity and are also waterproof, which helps in a rainy environment by protecting the materials inside the bag. Generally, the porter carries these duffle bags during the trek. You can bring a small or medium-sized carrying bag to have personal materials and gadgets. Please remember that your luggage and suitcase will be securely managed and safeguarded at our hotel while you enjoy your trek, and we will quickly return to you once you complete your trek.
Down Jacket
A down jacket, a puffer jacket, is a quilted coat filled with soft feathers from a duck or goose. Down jackets are more prevalent in cold climates and especially useful in mountains and higher altitudes. They are generally preferred by hikers, trekkers, and backpackers for being extremely comfortable due to their lightweight and compressibility, making them easy to pack without occupying much space. It has an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, which is the best for maintaining body heat and is essential for trekking in cold climates and higher altitudes.
It is also ideal for wearing and sleeping during high-altitude treks, providing excellent insulation and comfort. Please return it once the trek is completed to preserve it for the next adventures.
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bags are essential gear for travelers and trekkers. They provide good comfort and protection in various climatic conditions and altitudes. Most of our treks and tours require a sleeping bag, as it keeps you warm by trapping the heat around your body.
The sleeping bags we use are mummy-shaped, with a zip that opens and closes, keeping the top tight around you. They are used in cold and wet climates at high altitudes( -20°C to -25°C maximum temperature), giving you protection and comfort. They are also lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry on long treks. The sleeping bag is returned after the trek, as it helps us maintain our gear for future adventurers.
At Escape Himalaya, we provide a detailed checklist of essential trekking gear, ensuring you're fully equipped for your Himalayan adventure.
At Escape Himalaya, we provide a detailed checklist of essential trekking gear, ensuring you're fully equipped for your Himalayan adventure.
HEAD
FEET
HANDS
LOWER BODY
ACCESSORIES
Personal Hygiene Items
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
Prepare for your EBC short Trek confidently, knowing you have all the necessary gear and essentials to make your journey safe, comfortable, and memorable.
We had such an incredible experience with our guide Raj. His knowledge of the trek and the surrounding areas was amazing and his attention to details along the way made the trip so enjoyable. He made us feel safe and taken care of. We really felt like he was an expert at finding the best accommodations and recommended the best food for us to try at every tea house. He even took awesome photos and videos of our family so we have all the memories of our trip to look back on. I would absolutely recommend Raj to anyone who wants to hike anywhere in Nepal especially EBC
Raj with Escape Himalaya is hands down the best guide for any trek in the Himalayas! We did a private EBC trek (November 15th through the 25th) and had an absolutely amazing time. Throughout the duration of the trek Raj, and both our porters, Depak and Khud, did an excellent job of keeping us safe along the way. This group has many years of experience guiding and it shows. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and helpful every step of the way. From the airport pickup to the accommodations, and helping us maintain safe trekking speeds to avoid altitude sickness, everything ran smoothly, adding to the overall experience of the trip.
If you are looking to do any of the treks offered through Escape Himalaya, you will not regret going with this company - they are the best!!
Our EBC trek with Escape Himalaya was absolutely fantastic! Our guides, Dhurba, Ramesh and Indra were excellent, supporting us along the way and taking care of all our needs. We would strongly recommend using Escape Himalaya for an unforgettable experience! Edyta @ Swarve, Oct 2023
