Everest Base Camp Trek – Travel Guide At Wikivoyage

Prepare

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Successful trekking to Everest Base Camp demands a strong level of physical fitness, best developed through regular cardiovascular exercise and hiking on varied terrain. Essential preparations include acquiring proper layered clothing for a wide range of temperatures, as well as arranging your trekking permits and the crucial, weather-dependent flight to Lukla. Most importantly, your itinerary must prioritize slow and steady acclimatization to the high altitude to prevent serious illness; comprehensive travel insurance that specifically covers high-altitude helicopter evacuation is mandatory.

Hiring guides or porters

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Neither a guide nor a porter is required for the journey, although hiring one does provide welcome income for poor families and may give more flexibility. If you do hire a porter, keep your valuables with you. The vast majority of porters are honest, but it only takes one who is not to ruin a holiday. Expect to pay around Rs. 2,500–4,500 a day (more if your load is very heavy) for a porter's services, and as far as Namche Bazaar you are not expected to pay for their accommodation and meals. However, due to the high price of food and lack of provisions for porters above Namche, meals should be provided. (Namche has a cheap and clean lodge specially for porters). Anyway, ensure that your terms are clear at the time of hiring to avoid trouble later.

Guides are definitely not necessary if you are travelling no higher than Tengboche or Pangboche. Above that, you might consider hiring one. Not only can they guide you on the right path and explain local sights, but they can also be invaluable should you fall ill. Guides speak English (and often other languages: specify your choice when hiring) and need an official licence to operate. They command a much higher rate than porters (negotiate), and carrying your bags is not part of their service. Like porters, they will find their own accommodation and meals unless you invite them.

In general, guides are local Sherpas or Tamangs, while porters are Rai or belong to ethnic groups from other areas.

Guides and porters can be hired for a fee through trekking operators in Kathmandu or you can inquire at lodges in Lukla or Namche. At Lukla airport, there are always hopeful porters milling around the exit, but it is better to use a lodge owner as an intermediary. They can help you negotiate a good deal and translate your specific needs. Eco Paradise in Lukla or Namche Hotel in Namche are convenient and good places to do this.

Permits

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The Everest Base Camp Trek requires two mandatory permits: the Sagarmatha National Park Permit, costing NPR 3,000 per person, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit, also NPR 3,000 per person, with both prices inclusive of VAT. These permits are checked at designated checkpoints, such as Monjo for the Sagarmatha National Park Permit and Lukla or Toktok for the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Permit, to ensure compliance and support conservation and local infrastructure. Failure to obtain these permits can result in trekkers being denied entry to the Sagarmatha National Park or Khumbu region, facing fines, or being escorted back to Lukla by local authorities, disrupting the trek and causing significant delays.

Budget

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Lodges and restaurants in Khumbu only accept Nepalese rupees. Budget Rs. 3500–4500 per person per day for food and accommodation: prices rise with the altitude, and you may spend more in Namche because there is more on offer.

Prices are as follows:

• Lodges, basic room Rs. 700–1200
• Water Rs. 250–450
• Coke Rs. 150–400
• Meals Rs. 700–1500
• Hot Shower Rs. 400–800
• Candy Rs. 120–280
• Battery Charging Rs. 100–300 per hour.