Arun Valley to Everest Base Camp Trek

Autumn (late September to November) and spring (March to May) are the two reliable seasons for the Arun Valley to EBC Trek. Autumn delivers the clearest skies and most stable conditions from valley floor to Kala Patthar, and is the most consistent window for the Khumbu above 4,000 m. Spring brings warmer temperatures in the Arun section and rhododendrons in bloom on the Salpa ridge, though early-season snow occasionally lingers on the upper approaches.

Winter (December to February) is cold but feasible for fit trekkers who accept limited lodge options and frozen conditions above Namche. The monsoon (June to August) makes the Arun valley section wet and slippery, though the upper Khumbu sits in a partial rain shadow. The season cards above show month-by-month conditions for this specific altitude range.

Three permits cover the full route. The Sagarmatha National Park entry fee is NPR 3,000 for non-SAARC nationals (approximately USD 22) and is purchased in Monjo at the park gate on the approach to Namche. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee, introduced in 2017, costs NPR 2,000 per person and is collected at Lukla or the trail checkpost. TIMS (Trekkers' Information Management System) costs NPR 2,000 for group trekkers and is obtained in Kathmandu before departure.

No restricted-area permit applies to this route. The Arun section does not pass through any controlled zone. Swotah collects passport copies and photos in advance and handles TIMS in Kathmandu; the two park fees are paid at the checkposts on the trail. Permit costs are confirmed before departure as they are subject to periodic review by Nepal's government.

Accommodation on the Arun Valley to EBC Trek falls into two distinct grades. The Salpa-Arun section from Tumlingtar to Puiyan (days 2 to 8) uses basic teahouses and locally run guesthouses with shared bathrooms and simple wood-stove heating; this is the least developed part of the trail, with fewer trekkers and smaller lodges. From Phakding and Namche onward, the standard Khumbu teahouse infrastructure returns, with reliable electricity, solar hot showers and a wider menu at most stops.

Above Namche, lodges at Tengboche, Dingboche and Lobuche are comfortable but cold at night; a four-season sleeping bag is essential from Lobuche upward. Gorakshep, the highest overnight stop at 5,170 m, has the most basic facilities on the route. Kathmandu hotels at the start and end are comfortable mid-range properties with all facilities.

Food on the Arun Valley to EBC Trek is teahouse cooking throughout, but the menu is widest in the Khumbu section. Dal bhat (lentil soup, rice and vegetable curry, with free refills) is the staple and the highest-calorie option per rupee on both sections of the route. Rai and Sherpa villages on the Salpa-Arun approach also serve local variants: local bread, potato dishes, spinach and seasonal vegetables. Above Namche, bakeries at Namche Bazar and Tengboche add pasta, pizza and western breakfasts to the menu.

Swotah includes three meals a day throughout the trek. For water, the target is 3 to 4 litres daily at altitude; treat all drinking water with purification tablets, a filter bottle or a UV pen, or buy boiled water at lodges. Carry a reusable bottle and avoid single-use plastics, which add to the waste problem in both the Arun valley and the Khumbu.

The trek starts with a 35- to 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar (450 m) in Sankhuwasabha district, which Swotah arranges as part of the package. Flights to Tumlingtar operate on small turboprop aircraft and are weather-dependent, so the schedule includes a buffer day in Kathmandu before the flight.

The return leg is the classic Khumbu exit: a short trek from Namche to Lukla, then the famous 30-minute mountain flight back to Kathmandu. Swotah books the Lukla flight well in advance, particularly for autumn departures when seats are in high demand. All Kathmandu transfers, the Tumlingtar outbound flight and the Lukla return flight are included in the package price.

The Salpa-Arun section, covering days 2 through 8, is the route's most distinctive feature. The Arun River is one of the great rivers of eastern Nepal, draining the Tibetan plateau and cutting through terrain that ranges from subtropical rice paddies at 280 m to cloud forest on the Salpa ridge above 3,000 m. The trail from Chyawabesi to Puiyan passes through Gothey Bazar, Salpa Phedi, Sanam and Guranse (2,880 m), Bung (1,900 m), Gai Kharka (2,300 m) and Puiyan (2,230 m), village stops that few Everest trekkers visit.

The communities along this corridor are ethnically layered in a way the direct Lukla approach bypasses. Rai villages predominate in the lower Arun section, Sherpa settlements appear on the higher ridges approaching Pharak, and Chhetri farmers occupy the lower terraces. The bird diversity of the Arun basin, documented at over 650 species, makes this section rewarding for anyone with binoculars. The trail is in good condition but less marked than the Khumbu, so a licensed guide is standard practice even though no restricted-area permit is required.

Kala Patthar at 5,643 m is the highest point of the trek and the closest non-technical viewpoint for Everest's Khumbu face and the Khumbu Icefall. The name means black rock in Nepali, and the summit is a rocky outcrop on the southern flank of Pumori (7,161 m). Most trekkers reach it at dawn from Gorakshep for the best light on Everest, Lhotse (8,516 m) and Nuptse (7,861 m).

Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m sits at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall, the starting point for all expeditions on the standard South Col route. The camp itself is a moraine clearing occupied by expedition tents in season (April to May, and September to October), with the ice towers of the Icefall visible directly above. The two objectives are usually combined over days 15 and 16: Base Camp in the afternoon of day 15 from Gorakshep, and Kala Patthar the following morning. After the Kala Patthar summit, the route descends to Pheriche (4,288 m) and then exits via Namche and Lukla.

A licensed guide is essential on the Arun Valley to EBC Trek, both for navigation on the less-marked Salpa-Arun section and for altitude safety above Namche. Swotah's guides hold Nepal government trekking licences, NMA first-aid training and current wilderness medicine certification, and the senior guides on the Khumbu routes have completed multiple EBC and Kala Patthar climbs.

A porter is strongly recommended for this 21-day trek. One porter carries 20 to 25 kg and is capped at that weight under Swotah's porter welfare policy; the porter and guide both receive insurance cover, meals, accommodation and fair-weather gear. The standard ratio is 2 trekkers to 1 porter. Swotah provides a duffel bag for your porter-carried gear so you walk with a 10 to 15 kg daypack, the right weight for the long days on the Salpa-Arun section.

Mobile connectivity on the Arun Valley to EBC Trek is good in the main Khumbu villages but patchy on the Salpa-Arun approach. Nepal Telecom (NTC) gives the best rural coverage in the Arun section; the Ncell network is stronger in Kathmandu and Namche. WiFi is available for a small fee at lodges in Namche and above, but is rare and slow on the Salpa-Arun section. Swotah provides a tourist SIM on arrival for local calls and data.

Charging is possible at most lodges but costs NPR 200 to 500 per charge above Namche, with costs rising with altitude. A power bank of at least 20,000 mAh covers two or three full device cycles, which is the standard recommendation for the Gorakshep stay, where charging options are limited. Cold nights above 4,500 m drain lithium batteries fast, so sleep with your power bank inside your sleeping bag.