Everest Base Camp Trek: The Definitive 2026 Guide

Every trekker on the standard route needs two permits: the Sagarmatha National Park entry fee (NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee (also NPR 3,000, raised from NPR 2,000 with fiscal year 2024/25, from 16 July 2024). Neither requires paperwork from home: the park fee is sold in Kathmandu or at the Monjo checkpoint, and the municipality fee is paid in person at Lukla or Monjo. TIMS is not collected in practice on this route, although the Nepal Tourism Board still lists it, so confirm with your operator.

The Nepal Tourism Board's rule, in force since about 1 April 2023, names Everest Base Camp as a guide-required route. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality has said solo trekkers are allowed in its area, which is a refusal to apply the rule rather than a granted exemption. Some operators report tighter checks at Monjo in 2026, though those reports are anecdotal, and no official notice has settled the dispute. Come prepared to show ID and answer questions at Monjo either way, and see the full 2026 permits guide for the complete picture, including the extra Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit (NPR 3,000) required on the Jiri route.

Budget guided packages start around USD 1,200 to 1,400 per person for a standard 12 to 14 day itinerary, covering permits, a licensed guide, a porter, teahouse accommodation, and three trail meals a day. Luxury, service-upgraded departures run USD 3,500 to 3,800 and up, adding private ground transport, upgraded lodges, and a lower guide-to-client ratio.

Domestic flights between Kathmandu or Manthali and Lukla run about USD 350 to 510 round trip on operator figures, set independently by the operating airlines rather than by trekking agencies. Tips for the guide and porter team typically total USD 150 to 250 for the whole trip, paid separately in cash at trek’s end. See the full cost breakdown for a per-category budget and a checkpoint-by-checkpoint teahouse cost table.

The entire Everest Base Camp route operates on a "teahouse" model: purpose-built mountain lodges offering private (but unheated) twin rooms, communal dining halls warmed by a yak-dung stove, and a hot kitchen. While lower villages like Namche Bazaar feature attached bathrooms and reliable electricity, amenities scale down dramatically above 4,000 m.

The staple trail meal is Dal Bhat (lentil soup, rice, and curried vegetables), which is cooked fresh and typically comes with free refills, making it a cheap source of carbohydrate. Extras cost more the higher you go. On 2026 operator estimates, a hot shower runs NPR 200 to 500 in the lower villages and NPR 800 to 1,200 at Gorak Shep, where it is often unavailable; device charging reaches NPR 400 to 700 at Lobuche and Gorak Shep; and Everest Link Wi-Fi costs NPR 700 to 800 per 24 hours in Namche Bazaar.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the Nepal Tourism Board's recommended seasons and the busiest on the trail, with daytime highs near 10 to 15°C at Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) and around -5 to 5°C at Gorak Shep (5,164 m) as rough planning figures. Autumn is not storm-free: heavy snow hit the upper Khumbu in late September and again from late October into November 2026, so carry buffer days. Winter (December to February) is colder, and the rainy season (June to September) is wetter; both see far fewer trekkers.

See the month-by-month season and weather guide for temperature ranges at every major checkpoint and a straight comparison of the trade-offs each season carries.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is common on this route: the CDC says prevalence can approach 30% at higher elevations, and studies on Everest trails range from about 20% to 55% depending on the cohort and altitude. The Lake Louise Score rates headache, GI symptoms, fatigue, and dizziness from 0 to 3 each. A total of 3 or more with a headache means AMS: stop ascending and rest at the same elevation. Severity bands above that are not standardised, so treat a score of 6 or a worsening trend as the point to descend. Confusion, loss of coordination, or breathlessness at rest means descend immediately, whatever the score.

The Wilderness Medical Society's guideline above 3,000 m is no more than 500 m of sleeping elevation gain per night, with a rest day every 3 to 4 days. The Khumbu's village spacing makes that hard to keep: on the classic itinerary, Phakding to Namche gains 830 m, Tengboche to Dingboche 550 m, and Dingboche to Lobuche 530 m. That is why a sound itinerary builds in two acclimatisation days, one at Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) and one at Dingboche (4,410 m), rather than one. See the full AMS guide with self-assessment tool for the interactive Lake Louise Score calculator and helicopter evacuation cost detail.

Standard holiday travel insurance is often inadequate for the Everest region. Because there are no roads above Lukla, the only rapid evacuation method for severe altitude sickness or physical injury is by helicopter. A private medical evacuation from Gorak Shep (5,164 m) to a hospital in Kathmandu is commonly quoted at USD 3,000 to 6,000, though we found no published tariff to check that against.

Carry a policy that explicitly covers high-altitude trekking up to 6,000 metres and includes emergency helicopter evacuation. Your trekking agency will ask for your policy number and emergency contact details before departure, since helicopter operators may want proof of cover or an upfront cash deposit before lifting off.

5 to 8 hours of walking on most days, on uneven terrain, over 12 or more days is the baseline physical demand on a full walking itinerary. Zone 2 aerobic training, 45 to 60 minutes at a conversational pace 4 times a week for 3 to 4 months before departure, builds the sustained cardiovascular base this trek actually requires more than raw strength does.

See the full training plan for a week-by-week Zone 2 protocol and the uphill-loaded-pack conditioning that translates most directly to Khumbu trail conditions.

Packing for EBC requires a strict layering system rather than heavy winter coats. You will often trek in a light base layer under the strong midday sun, but temperatures plummet below freezing the moment the sun dips behind the peaks. A high-quality down jacket and a 4-season sleeping bag (rated to at least -15°C) are non-negotiable, even though teahouses provide blankets.

Your most critical asset is footwear. Bring mid-to-high cut trekking boots with strong ankle support and ensure they are fully broken in before you arrive in Nepal, since blisters at altitude are slow to heal and can end a trek early. Most heavy gear, including down jackets and sleeping bags, can be rented in Thamel (Kathmandu) for a few dollars a day if you prefer not to purchase them outright.

Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla (IATA: LUA) sits at about 2,860 m on a 527 m sloped runway, and peak-season departures, mainly October to November and the spring peak, largely move to Manthali Airport in Ramechhap (IATA: RHP), about 132 to 146 km by road from Kathmandu. This means a pre-dawn drive of 4 to 5 hours from a Kathmandu hotel, departing roughly 01:30 to 02:00 AM, before the short Lukla flight itself.

Round-trip flight cost runs about USD 350 to 510 on operator figures, and cancellations from cloud and wind are common enough in peak season that two buffer days in Kathmandu at trip end is standard planning, not an optional extra. See the full Lukla flight and Manthali logistics guide for the helicopter, Salleri road, and Jiri walk-in alternatives if avoiding the flight entirely is the goal.

The Everest Base Camp Trek climbs from Phakding (2,610 m) through Sherpa villages to the lodges at Gorak Shep (5,164 m). Below are the major destinations and checkpoints along the route.

The maps hub plots an interactive route map for each of the 17 itineraries, with every overnight stop, walking distance, and a day-by-day elevation profile.