How many days do you need for the Everest Base Camp trek?

I walked 9 days on foot from Lukla to Everest Base Camp in October 2021, 52.6 miles on my GPS up to Base Camp and down to Pheriche, and flew out by helicopter. I skipped a night most people spend at Lobuche or Dingboche. Plan on about 13 or 14 days for the round trip on foot from Lukla, plus spare days in Kathmandu for the Lukla flights.

How high is Everest Base Camp?

Everest Base Camp is published at 17,598 ft (5,364 m). My highest night was Gorak Shep, 16,996 ft (5,181 m) on my GPS, and my high point was 17,618 ft (5,370 m) on the slope of Kala Patthar. Lukla, where the trek starts, is about 9,400 ft (2,860 m).

Do you need a guide for Everest Base Camp?

It's disputed. Since March 31, 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers on the Everest Base Camp trek to go with a licensed guide and carry an agency TIMS card. The Khumbu municipality says a guide isn't mandatory in its area and issues its own Trek-Card. I found no settlement as of October 2026; hiring a licensed guide through a registered agency is the safe choice.

What permits do you need for Everest Base Camp?

Two in 2026: the Sagarmatha National Park entrance permit, NPR 3,000 for foreigners, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Trek-Card, NPR 3,000 for most foreigners, issued in Lukla. In 2021 I paid NPR 3,000 and NPR 2,000. They're checked on the trail.

How do you avoid altitude sickness on the Everest Base Camp trek?

Go slowly. The CDC's guidance is not to raise your sleeping height by more than 500 m (1,650 ft) a night above 3,000 m, with an extra night for every 1,000 m. On this trail that means two nights in Namche and in Pheriche or Dingboche, and nights at Thukla and Lobuche before Gorak Shep. I went from Pheriche straight to Gorak Shep; don't copy that.

When is the best time to hike to Everest Base Camp?

October to November or March to May. December to February is cold with snow, and June to September is the monsoon. I walked in late October: mostly clear, cold mornings, and the busy season on the trail.

The Everest Base Camp film: Khumbu, Nepal

Khumbu, Nepal · 9 days · 52 miles

Everest Base Camp Hiking Guide

9 days on foot from Lukla to Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
Altitude and my nights

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The route

My GPS recording of 9 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Everest Base Camp route: 9 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Lukla, Everest, Pheriche, Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 9 days
Distance: 52 miles
Climbing: About 17,290 ft (5,271 m) up
Season: October to November or March to May
Permit: Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu municipality: NPR 3,000 each in 2026
Route: Lukla to Everest Base Camp on Day 8

What's inside

All nine days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the full route, with waypoints for the villages where I slept, Tengboche, the memorials, my Kala Patthar high point and the Base Camp rock, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Permits and fees. My 2021 receipts, the Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu fees for 2026, the visa, and the disputed guide and TIMS rule, explained plainly.
Altitude, explained. Every night's height from my GPS, the day I skipped a night of acclimatizing, the CDC's rules of thumb applied to this trail, and the signs of altitude sickness.
Getting there and home. Kathmandu, the flights to Lukla and the Ramechhap detour, and the walk back down (my GPS covers every step of it).
Teahouses, food and gear. What the lodges, food and water were like, and what I carried.
Other ways to do it. A slower way up with the nights spaced for acclimatizing, the Khumjung day, and Gokyo.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole trek.

About this trip

In late October 2021 I hiked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal: nine days on foot and about 52 miles from Lukla through Namche Bazaar, Khumjung, Tengboche, Pheriche and Gorak Shep to the Base Camp rock, with an evening walk up Kala Patthar to 17,600 feet. I walked it with a group of creators, Sherpa guides and porters while a TV show was being filmed. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, the permits with 2026 fees, the flights to Lukla, the walk back down, and how to space your nights for the altitude.

Watch the film on YouTube (913K views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

On this trek I walked with a day bag and porters or yaks carried a duffel. Here's what I carried in 2021, what I'd take now for the cold up high, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2021

My complete gear list for this trip was on LighterPack; my records don't hold it. This is what the record shows.

Day baga day bagKeep your glasses or contacts in it: the morning after Day 1 I had neither.
Duffela duffel of trekking gear from the organizersIt went up on porters or yaks. I had the lightest duffel in the group.
Jacketa warm jacket with a hoodI wore it up high.
Headlampa headlampI needed it on Day 1, when we arrived in Phakding after dark.

What I'd take now

Day bagHyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 HyperlitePorters or yaks carry the rest, so a day bag is all you wear.
Sleeping bagHyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Mummy Bag HyperliteLodge rooms are cold up high.
Down jacketArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryxMornings up high are below freezing.
Base layerPATH Projects Lynx PD Base Liner PATH Projects
HatPATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie PATH Projects
GlovesUnigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves Amazon
Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie PATH ProjectsThe sun is strong above the clouds.
CapPATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0 PATH Projects
SunglassesGoodr OG Sunglasses Amazon
HeadlampNitecore NU20 Classic Amazon
Water filterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonPlastic bottles are banned in the Khumbu: refill your own and treat any tap or stream water.
Power bankNitecore NB20000 AmazonLodges charge extra for charging.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline in Kathmandu. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offMobile data without a SIM swap. Higher up, lodges sell Wi-Fi: I had an Everest Link card in Pheriche.

Filming kit

I brought my whole camera kit. Check the drone rules in Weather and safety before you fly: Nepal and the national park each need their own permission.

CameraSony a7S III AmazonFor my locked-down tripod shots.
LensSony FE 20mm f/1.8 G AmazonNew on this trip, after the 16-35. A fixed prime: when I want a shot I just point and physically move instead of zooming.
DroneDJI Air 2S Amazon now the Air 3SWith extra batteries, because I didn't know how much charging there would be on the trek.
Tripodmy tripodI'd set it up, walk through the shot and come back for the camera.
PhoneApple iPhone 12 Pro Max

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 7, Pheriche to Gorak Shep page from the Everest Base Camp Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 7 free, plus my packing list

Pheriche to Gorak Shep

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 62-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
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Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
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Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days do you need for the Everest Base Camp trek?: I walked 9 days on foot from Lukla to Everest Base Camp in October 2021, 52.6 miles on my GPS up to Base Camp and down to Pheriche, and flew out by helicopter. I skipped a night most people spend at Lobuche or Dingboche. Plan on about 13 or 14 days for the round trip on foot from Lukla, plus spare days in Kathmandu for the Lukla flights.
How high is Everest Base Camp?: Everest Base Camp is published at 17,598 ft (5,364 m). My highest night was Gorak Shep, 16,996 ft (5,181 m) on my GPS, and my high point was 17,618 ft (5,370 m) on the slope of Kala Patthar. Lukla, where the trek starts, is about 9,400 ft (2,860 m).
Do you need a guide for Everest Base Camp?: It's disputed. Since March 31, 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board has required foreign trekkers on the Everest Base Camp trek to go with a licensed guide and carry an agency TIMS card. The Khumbu municipality says a guide isn't mandatory in its area and issues its own Trek-Card. I found no settlement as of October 2026; hiring a licensed guide through a registered agency is the safe choice.
What permits do you need for Everest Base Camp?: Two in 2026: the Sagarmatha National Park entrance permit, NPR 3,000 for foreigners, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Trek-Card, NPR 3,000 for most foreigners, issued in Lukla. In 2021 I paid NPR 3,000 and NPR 2,000. They're checked on the trail.
How do you avoid altitude sickness on the Everest Base Camp trek?: Go slowly. The CDC's guidance is not to raise your sleeping height by more than 500 m (1,650 ft) a night above 3,000 m, with an extra night for every 1,000 m. On this trail that means two nights in Namche and in Pheriche or Dingboche, and nights at Thukla and Lobuche before Gorak Shep. I went from Pheriche straight to Gorak Shep; don't copy that.
When is the best time to hike to Everest Base Camp?: October to November or March to May. December to February is cold with snow, and June to September is the monsoon. I walked in late October: mostly clear, cold mornings, and the busy season on the trail.