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Everest Region

Khumbu, Solukhumbu District

The Khumbu is the valley on Mount Everest's southern side, home to around 6,000 Sherpa and to Sagarmatha National Park. Trails run from the airstrip at Lukla (2,860 m) up to Base Camp at 5,364 m, past Tengboche monastery and the Gokyo lakes.

8,848.86 mEverest Summit
5,364 mBase Camp
UNESCO 1979Sagarmatha NP
~6,000Sherpa Population
Explore Trips
Everest Region
8,849 mAltitudeKhumbu, Eastern NepalRegion
EVEREST REGION TRIPS

Trips Starting from Everest Region

Hand-crafted itineraries that start in Everest Region, from a single sunrise day-trip to multi-week Himalayan expeditions.

Everest Region
About Everest Region

Where Hillary and Tenzing Walked

Mount Everest is a Himalayan peak on the Nepal-Tibet border with an official height of 8,848.86 m. Nepal and China announced that figure together on 8 December 2020, settling a disagreement that had run for decades: the Survey of India measured 8,848 m in 1954, and a 1999 American GPS survey backed by the National Geographic Society argued for 8,850 m. Nepalis call the mountain Sagarmatha, “forehead in the sky”. To Tibetans it is Chomolungma, “goddess mother of the world”. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top on 29 May 1953.

Sagarmatha National Park protects 1,148 km² of the Khumbu and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Roughly 6,000 Sherpa live inside the park, in stone villages set between 2,800 and 4,400 m. Their Buddhism is on every trail: prayer flags strung across the passes, mani walls you keep to your left, and the monasteries at Tengboche and Pangboche. Tengboche still blesses climbing expeditions the way it blessed the 1953 one.

So which Khumbu trek should you actually walk? The Everest Base Camp Trek takes 14 days and is the busiest high-altitude trail in Nepal. It opens with the flight into Lukla, whose runway is 527 m long and cut at a slope into the hillside, then climbs through pine forest and yak pasture to the Khumbu Glacier. One thing worth knowing before you book: you cannot see the summit from Base Camp, because the west shoulder hides it. That is why almost everyone climbs Kala Patthar (5,545 m) at dawn instead. Trekkers who want the quieter side of the valley take the Gokyo lakes, and the Three High Passes Trek links both over three crossings above 5,300 m.

8,848.86 mEverest Summit
5,364 mBase Camp
UNESCO 1979Sagarmatha NP
Highlights

Things to do in Everest Region

Standout experiences hand-picked by our local guides.

  • 01
    Everest Base Camp
    The 5,364 m moraine where every south-side expedition begins. Fourteen days from Lukla and back.
  • 02
    Kala Patthar at Dawn
    A 5,545 m shoulder above Gorak Shep. This is where you actually see Everest, which Base Camp itself cannot offer.
  • 03
    Tengboche Monastery
    The largest gompa in the Khumbu, at 3,867 m. Hillary and Tenzing were blessed here in 1953.
  • 04
    Namche Bazaar
    The Sherpa capital at 3,440 m, built in a horseshoe of terraces. Saturday market, bakeries, and the acclimatisation stop nobody skips.
  • 05
    Gokyo Lakes and Ri
    Six turquoise glacial lakes under a 5,357 m viewpoint that takes in Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu at once.
  • 06
    Three High Passes
    Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La, each above 5,300 m. The hardest way to see the Khumbu, and the most complete.
  • 07
    Sherpa Khumbu
    Khumjung's Hillary School, the hospital at Khunde, and Mani Rimdu at Tengboche each October.
  • 08
    The Lukla Flight
    Tenzing-Hillary Airport, 2,860 m. In peak season the flight often runs from Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu.
When to visit

Best time to visit Everest Region

Trekking here concentrates in autumn (October to November) and spring (March to May). Winter is clear and very quiet but punishing above 4,000 m, and the monsoon closes the views.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best Good Avoid trekking Avoid
  • ★ BEST SEASON
    Spring
    March – May
    Rhododendron colours the forest below Tengboche and the Base Camp climbing season fills the trail. Warmer than autumn, with more haze by late May. Temperatures shown are Namche (3,440 m).
    -2°C – 12°C
  • MONSOON
    Summer
    June – August
    Monsoon. Cloud sits on the peaks most days, leeches appear in the lower forest, and Lukla flights cancel often. Fine for Sherpa culture and wildflowers, poor for mountain views.
    6°C – 16°C
  • ★ BEST SEASON
    Autumn
    September – November
    The clearest air of the year once the monsoon breaks, and the busiest trail. Book teahouses early through October. Nights below Lobuche drop under -10 °C by late November.
    -5°C – 11°C
  • GOOD
    Winter
    December – February
    Sharp visibility and almost no crowds. Cho La and Renjo La may be closed by snow, and the high lodges above Dingboche largely shut. For well-equipped trekkers only.
    -15°C – 5°C
Good to know

Everest Region questions, answered

How hard is the Everest Base Camp trek?
It is a long walk at altitude rather than a climb. There is no technical ground and no rope on the standard route. What makes it hard is the repetition: 12 to 14 days of 5 to 7 hours walking, sleeping at 5,140 m at Gorak Shep, and thin air. Anyone who can walk uphill for six hours on consecutive days, and who acclimatises properly, can finish it.
Can you see Mount Everest from Everest Base Camp?
No, and this surprises people. Base Camp sits at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall, and Everest's west shoulder blocks the summit from view. To see the mountain you climb Kala Patthar (5,545 m), usually before sunrise on the morning after reaching Base Camp. Every well-planned itinerary includes it.
What permits do I need for the Everest region?
Two. A Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee, which the local municipality collects instead of the national TIMS card. Both are arranged for you on a Swotah trip and are included in the trip price. Fees are set in Nepali rupees and are revised from time to time, so treat any dollar figure as approximate.
Do I need a guide to trek to Everest Base Camp?
In practice, yes, and you should plan on one. The Nepal Tourism Board moved in April 2023 to require a licensed guide for independent trekkers, and the Khumbu has been treated inconsistently since because the rural municipality runs its own permit system. The position has shifted more than once, so confirm the current rule before you travel rather than relying on an older blog post.
How high is Everest exactly?
8,848.86 m, agreed jointly by Nepal and China on 8 December 2020. Older figures still circulate: 8,848 m from the 1954 Survey of India, and 8,850 m from a 1999 GPS survey supported by the National Geographic Society. The 2020 number is the one both governments now use.
What happens if the Lukla flight is cancelled?
It happens, mostly to cloud or wind, and it is the single biggest risk to a fixed itinerary. During the autumn and spring peaks the flight usually operates from Ramechhap, a four to five hour drive from Kathmandu, rather than from Kathmandu itself. Build two spare days into the end of your trip. A helicopter transfer is the usual fallback and is charged separately.
How do you avoid altitude sickness on the trek?
By going up slowly and sleeping low. Standard itineraries build in acclimatisation days at Namche (3,440 m) and Dingboche (4,410 m), and gain roughly 300 to 500 m of sleeping altitude a day above 3,000 m. Mild headache and poor sleep are common; worsening headache, vomiting or breathlessness at rest mean you descend. Our guides carry a pulse oximeter and a first-aid kit, and descent is always the treatment.
When is the best time to trek in the Everest region?
Late September to late November gives the clearest air and the most reliable flights. March to May is warmer and greener, with rhododendron below 4,000 m, and it is the Base Camp climbing season, so the trail has expedition traffic. Avoid the June to August monsoon for views.