Planning the Everest Base Camp Trek: A Complete First-Timer's Guide
Everest Base Camp sits at 5,364 metres above sea level. Getting there takes roughly 12 to 14 days of trekking from Lukla, passing through some of the most extraordinary landscape on earth. This is everything you need to know before you go.
Permits and Paperwork
You'll need two key documents before you set foot on the Khumbu trail:
- Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit — obtainable at Lukla or Monjo checkpoints, currently NPR 3,000 (approximately $22 USD)
- Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit — NPR 2,000 per person, available at the same checkpoints
If you're flying into Lukla, book flights well in advance. The Tenzing-Hillary Airport is one of the world's most dramatic airstrips — a 527-metre runway ending at a cliff face.
The Route, Day by Day
The classic EBC route from Lukla takes most trekkers 12 to 14 days one-way. Key overnight stops include Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorak Shep — the last village before Base Camp.
Namche Bazaar is the most important acclimatisation stop. Plan two nights here minimum. The town sits at 3,440 metres and has cafés, bakeries, gear shops, and a museum about Sherpa culture and Everest history.
What to Pack
Packing for EBC is an exercise in restraint. Your porter carries a weight limit. Bring moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers, a quality down jacket, waterproof outer shell, sturdy broken-in trekking boots, trekking poles, and a sleeping bag rated to -10°C.
Do not underpack on sunscreen. UV intensity increases dramatically at altitude. SPF 50 minimum — reapply religiously.
Altitude and Acclimatisation
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the main risk on the EBC route. Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. The treatment is always to descend. Never ascend with AMS symptoms.
The standard guidance: do not gain more than 400 metres of sleeping elevation per day above 3,000 metres. Take acclimatisation hikes — higher during the day, lower to sleep — at both Namche and Dingboche.
The Teahouse Experience
Teahouses along the EBC trail range from basic to surprisingly comfortable. Expect shared rooms, dal bhat for every meal (the trekker's staple of lentil soup with rice), and thin walls against which you'll hear the wind at 4,500 metres.
This is not a limitation. It's the point. The teahouse experience is one of the defining pleasures of Himalayan trekking — a kind of warmth that only makes sense because of the cold outside.
