Everest Base Camp Trek 2022/2023

The Everest Base Camp trek is an 129km round trip that starts from and ends in Lukla, where most people fly in from Kathmandu. It takes most travelers between eleven and 14 days to complete this journey, with the average duration being 12 days, of which it takes around eight days to trek from Lukla to the base camp. The return journey, which normally takes four days, is downhill.

We also recommend adding buffer periods of a day or two before and after your trek. You may need a couple of days in Kathmandu to shop for trekking gears and meet up with the tour guide to discuss the trek. The buffer period at the end of the trek is recommended because there is always a good chance of Lukla flights getting delayed due to bad weather. This means that your entire trip duration will be between 14 to 16 days. 

Trekking to Everest Base Camp is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Consistently voted as one of the best treks in the world, the entire journey is picturesque and features a variety of scenery. 

However, the breathtaking landscapes that you encounter along the way are just part of the adventure. The tea houses and village lodgings where you stay offer a chance to experience local life and interact with the Sherpa people, making this journey a cultural experience. Some might find the trek to be highly demanding, but beautiful landscape and cultural interactions make it well worth it!

Everest Base Camp is located 5,364 meters above sea level, while Lukla, the starting point of this journey, is situated at an elevation of 2,860 meters. That means that there is a staggering 2,504-meter elevation gain during the journey to the base of Mount Everest. However, almost all tour operators ensure that you have rest periods in between to decrease the chances of altitude sickness.

While Everest Base Camp trek is certainly not a walk in the park, you do not have to be an athlete to complete it. It requires no technical skills except for the ability to cover long distances on foot at altitude. Of course, the fitter you are, the more enjoyable you will find this journey.

The trek becomes more difficult as you get closer to the base camp primarily due to the altitude gain. The most challenging part of this trek is after you breach the 3,000-meter altitude, as the pressure level and the oxygen level drops. Altitude sickness can kick in at this height. Above 5,000 meters oxygen levels will be approximately 50% of the normal levels, which makes the trek that much more challenging. To learn more, read about altitude sickness while trekking in Nepal.

The price depends on the tour company you book with. But most tour operators charge between USD 700 and USD 1,500 for a trip to the base camp and back. There is also an option for a one-way hiking trip with a helicopter flight back to Kathmandu. This is significantly more expensive, though, at around USD 2,500 to USD 3,000 per person. Another option is a luxury EBC trip with comfier accommodation and more rest days. These tours can also go up to USD 3,000 per person.

Topographically speaking, Everest Base Camp is called a ‘mountain plateau’, which essentially means that it is cold throughout the entire year. However, temperatures do vary from month to month. The months of December and January are the harshest, with an average temperature of around -10°C. The weather is a bit warmer in spring and fall, often reaching 15°C during the day, although nights are still very chilly. Summers can see daytime highs of 22°C and an average nighttime temperature of 4°C. But since the monsoon coincides with warmer months, rainfalls are prevalent even in the mountains. For more information, here is our guide on trekking seasons in Nepal.

The Everest Base Camp sits at the foot of the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal, close to the border with China. The trek to the base camp takes you past highland hamlets as well as the de facto Sherpa capital, Namche Bazaar. The Everest Base Camp on the Nepali side is also called the ‘south base camp’, which is more popular and distinct than the ‘north base camp’ in Tibet, China. The latter has been closed to travelers since February 2019.

While you can hike to Everest Base Camp all year round, the best seasons are the pre-monsoon period between March and May and during the fall season (October and November). Fall is considered the best time to do this trek as this is when the sky is the clearest and the Himalayas look magnificent. More information in our guide on trekking seasons in Nepal.