Everest Base Camp Hiking Guide

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.