Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp is open year-round, but the experience varies dramatically by season.

Spring — March to May (Best)

Clear skies, stable weather and temperatures between 5°C and 20°C make spring the most popular season. Rhododendrons bloom at lower altitudes and the mountains are crisp and vivid. The downside is crowds — accommodation books up fast and trails can be busy. The Sherpa New Year (Gyalpo Losar) is celebrated in spring, a wonderful cultural bonus.

Autumn — September to November (Best)

A close second to spring. The post-monsoon air is crystal clear and temperatures range from 2°C to 12°C. Nepal's two biggest festivals — Dashain and Tihar — fall in autumn, and Mani Rimdu is celebrated at Tengboche Monastery with three days of masked dances open to visitors. Trails are busy but the festive atmosphere is hard to beat.

Monsoon — June to August

Heavy rain, leeches and frequent flight delays at Lukla make this the least recommended season for most trekkers. The upside: empty trails and lush, green landscapes. If you are an experienced trekker who does not mind wet conditions, the solitude can be extraordinary.

Winter — December to February

Temperatures can drop to −17°C at night and many teahouses at higher altitudes close. Trails can be snowbound and tricky to navigate. Winter trekking is possible but only for experienced, well-equipped trekkers accompanied by a guide. The reward: snowcapped peaks in pristine silence.

Shoulder Seasons

Late February and early March, or late November, offer a sweet spot — fewer crowds and often excellent visibility. Worth considering if you want the views without the peak-season price premiums.

Two permits are required for the standard fly-in route to Everest Base Camp (a third, the Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit, is needed only if you trek in overland from Jiri). Both are included in your package if you book with Swotah — we arrange and carry them for you.

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit

This permit is obtained at Lukla or Monjo (not available in Kathmandu). The fee goes directly to the local Khumbu government for trail upkeep and community development. Cost: NPR 2,000 (approx. USD 15) per person for the full duration of your trek.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit

Required for entry into Sagarmatha National Park, which covers most of the trekking route above Monjo. Can be purchased in Kathmandu or at Monjo. Cost: NPR 3,000 (approx. USD 23) per person.

Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit

Only required if you are trekking in from Jiri rather than flying to Lukla. Available in Kathmandu only. Cost: NPR 3,000 (approx. USD 23) per person.

Note: A separate TIMS card is not required in the Everest region — here the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit replaces it. All permit fees must be paid in Nepali rupees. Bring two passport-sized photos and a photocopy of your passport.

Accommodation on the EBC Trek is in teahouses — family-run trekking lodges that are unique to Nepal. Standards vary with altitude.

What are teahouses like?

At lower altitudes (Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar) you'll find some very comfortable lodges with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and reliable Wi-Fi. As you climb higher, the teahouses become more basic. Above Namche, a standard room has two single beds and not much else — no heating in the sleeping room, shared bathrooms, and squat toilets are still common at some stops, though many are upgrading to Western-style facilities.

There is no heating in sleeping rooms, so your sleeping bag is essential. Dining rooms are always heated — they're where the social life of the trek happens, over bowls of dal bhat and mugs of butter tea.

Hot showers

Available at most stops, but charged separately — typically USD 3 per shower. Budget for this as part of your daily expenses.

Booking ahead

During peak season (spring and autumn) accommodation fills up quickly and you may share a room with another trekker. Our guides call ahead to reserve rooms, so you won't be left searching in the dark. In winter, many teahouses at higher altitudes close — a guide is essential for locating what is open.

Food on the Trek

Teahouse menus are surprisingly varied and three hearty meals a day are included in your package. Breakfast and dinner are at the teahouse; lunch is at a smaller trailside stop. The national dish — dal bhat (lentil soup, rice, vegetable curry, pickle) — is the best fuel you can eat at altitude, and you can ask for refills. Vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful. Menus at lower altitudes (Lukla, Namche) are more varied; higher up, simpler carbohydrate-heavy dishes are the norm.

Avoid meat above Namche Bazaar. Refrigeration is unreliable at high altitude and meat is transported slowly. Stick to vegetarian dishes once you leave Namche to keep your stomach happy.

Avoid alcohol on the trek. Alcohol and altitude are a dangerous mix — intoxication happens faster and a hangover can mask the early symptoms of altitude sickness.

Water

You need to drink 3–4 litres per day. Plastic water bottles are no longer sold in the Everest Region (a conservation measure). Your options are:

• Boiled water from the teahouse — bring a metal (not plastic) water bottle.
• Purification tablets or a LifeStraw filter — fill up from taps or streams and treat it yourself.

Boiled water costs around NPR 100–150 per litre at lower altitudes and rises as you go higher. A combination of boiled water and purification is what most trekkers use. Tap water and stream water — however clear they look — are not safe to drink without treatment.

The EBC Trek starts from Lukla (2,860 m / 9,383 ft), a small town about 370 km from Kathmandu and 62 km from Everest Base Camp on foot.

Flying to Lukla (Standard Route)

Due to congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport, flights to Lukla now depart from Manthali Airport in Ramechhap — about 4–5 hours by road from Kathmandu. Since Lukla's high-altitude runway can only operate in the morning (high winds close it by mid-afternoon), all flights depart Manthali around 6 am. That means leaving Kathmandu around 1 am. We arrange private transport for you — this pre-dawn drive through the mountains has its own sense of adventure.

The flight itself is under 40 minutes and absolutely unforgettable — the runway juts out from the side of a cliff. On landing you will understand exactly what kind of adventure you have signed up for.

Road + Trek Alternative (Jiri Route)

For those who prefer to avoid flying, you can drive from Kathmandu to Jiri (8–9 hours by jeep or public bus) and trek to Lukla from there. This adds roughly a week to the itinerary but lets you see more of the countryside and begin acclimatising gradually from a lower altitude. A Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit is required for this route. Ask us to arrange a Jiri-start itinerary if this interests you.