• Distance: 11km
• Duration: 6-7 hrs Trek

From Phakding, the journey to Namche Bazaar begins. You continue your way through various Sherpa villages: Rimi Jung, Zamfute, Benkar, and Chhamuwa. This day is slightly longer and more challenging. Yet the beautiful surroundings and view will motivate you.

You will continue along the banks of Dudh Koshi River through the magnificent forest, several prayer wheels, stupas, and Buddhist shrines. You will also pass caravans of donkeys and yaks carrying goods up and down the trails.

After Monjo village, you will enter the Sagarmath National Park, Here on, the trail gets steeper and heads to Namche Bazaar.

Acclimatization is necessary and recommended for the Everest region trek to avoid AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).

While acclimatizing, it is ideal to go for short, side trips. It helps your body to acclimatize better.

Some short trips you can take are to Sagarmatha (Everest) Museum and Everest View Hotel. You can get a panoramic view of Mt. Khumbila (5,761m/18,901 ft), Mt. Thamserku (6,623m/21729 ft), Mt. Everest (8,848m/29029 ft), Lhotse (8,516m/27940 ft) and AmaDablam (6,812m/22349 ft) from the hotel. You also get a beautiful view of the horse-shaped Namche valley.

On these hikes you can visit Khumjung Hillary School, Yeti headed monastery, Sherpa Cultural Museum, and Khunde Hillary hospital established by Sir Edmund Hillary.

You can also walk to the Syangboche airstrip. The airstrip offers picturesque scenery of Namche village from the runway.

You can also choose to rest for the rest of the day or explore the beautiful and bustling Namche Bazaar. Considered the ‘Gateway to Everest’, it is the central tourist hub of the Khumbu (Everest) Region. It is also the highest trade center in the world with many restaurants, hotels, pubs, lodges, shops, and ATMs.

• Distance: 9km
• Duration: 6-7hrs. Trek

From Namche, the trail takes you uphill and winds zigzag for a couple of hours.

On your way, you may catch sight of Himalayan Thar (mountain goat), blue sheep, musk deer, and Danfe (colorful pheasant).

You make your way through different villages like Kyangjuma, Lawichasa, Tashinga and Sansa. Sansa is the main junction to Gokyo Valley and Everest Base Camp.

You pass through forests of juniper, rhododendron, and birch. You can also get a stupendous view of sparkling AmaDablam (6856m). You will have lunch at the beautiful village of Phunki Thanga. After Lunch, you will continue your way through the dense forest for about 3 hours and reach Tengboche.

Tengboche is the oldest Sherpa village in the Khumbu region. It is also home to the famous Tengboche Monastery, one of the largest monasteries of the Khumbu region.

Once here, you can visit the ancient monastery. It is home to incredible ornate wall hangings and a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha. Here, you can attend or observe a prayer ceremony either in the evening or the next morning. Many of the local guides, and trekkers make it a custom to attend one. The monastery is also the host of the biggest festival in the Khumbu region- the Mani Rimdu festival.

• Distance: 8km
• Duration: 6-7hrs. Trek

From Tengboche, you will make your way through the stone-paved trail for 20-25 minutes to reach Debuche. Once here, you can visit Deboche Nunnery. It has beautiful Thanka and mural paintings and architecture.

From Debuche, you cross one of the many exciting suspension bridges. This one takes you over the Imja River.

This takes you to Pangboche: the last permanent Sherpa farm village on this trek. From here, you continue on to Orso sticking to the left side of the Imja river, arid landscape, and moraine boulders.

After the steepest climb of the day, you’ll reach Dingboche.

Dingboche is a quaint traditional Sherpa village. It offers exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam.

This is the second compulsory scheduled acclimatization destination before continuing to higher elevation.

On this day, you can hike to the ridge on the northern side behind the village: NangkarTshang Peak(5,616m/18425ft). Once here, you can visit Nangkartshang Gompa.

This hike takes around 4-5 hrs. You can also enjoy the awesome view of Island peak (6,189m/20305 ft), Thamserku (6623m/21729 ft), and AmaDablam (6,856m/22493 ft), Mt. Makalu (8,463m/27766 ft). You can see Ama Dablam in its entirety.

This village also boasts of its incredible views of the late evening sun.

After this hike, you can rest at the lodge or you can explore the beautiful village of Dingboche.

• Distance: 7km
• Duration: 5-6hrs. Trek

After breakfast, your trek begins through the rocky boulders to Dusa. From here, the trail ascends to Dughla via the Khumbu Khola valley.

Throughout your walk, you’ll enjoy majestic views of countless peaks like Mt. Pumori(7,161m/23494 ft), Taboche (6,542m/21463 ft), Cholatse (6,440m/21129 ft), AmaDablam (6,856m/22493 ft), Khumbutse (6,636m/21772ft) and Lhotse (8,516m/27940 ft). You will also see Chola lake.

Once in Dughla, you will climb up the steep terminal of the Khumbu Glacier. Here, there are many stone memorials. Each of these are dedicated to the climbers who lost their lives during their climbing expeditions to Mt. Everest and other nearby mountain peaks.

Even here, you get an amazing view of peaks including Pumori, Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Mahalangur Himal. After leaving behind the Khumbu Glacier and trekking for an hour, the trail climbs up to Lobuche.

The village of Lobuche is today’s destination. It lies at the foot of the giant Lobuche peak.

• Distance: 14km round trip.
• Duration: 8-9hrs. Trek

Today you make your way to Gorak Shep, the last human settlement on the Everest Base Camp trail.

The day begins early with a short 3-hour hike from Lobuche to Gorak Shep. To reach Gorak Shep, you walk via narrow mountain gaps, glacial moraine alongside the world’s highest, rocky glacier- Khumbu glacier.

Here, you can take a sidewalk to visit the Glass Pyramid. It is a meteorological station and a lab, established by Italy and the government of Nepal. The station helps to track and read the Himalayan weather and the flow of the glacier.

If the weather permits, you’ll head towards Everest Base Camp (EBC). If not on a Climbing expedition in the Everest Region, this is the closest you can get to Everest.

It takes 2-3 hours to reach EBC from Gorakshep. From EBC, you get a spectacular view of the Khumbu Glacier and Icefall. You can also see many small frozen lakes around the EBC.

During spring and autumn, you may find expedition teams who are about to attempt the summit.

After enjoying and exploring the Base Camp and surrounding areas, you’ll return to Gorak Shep.

• Distance: 15km
• Duration: 6-7hrs. Trek

Today, the day begins at dawn. Your hike takes you to the highest elevation of your Everest base camp trek 12 days itinerary – Kala Patthar at 5,545m.

This famous viewpoint is one of the main highlights of this journey. It offers an amazing 360-degree mountain panorama of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Pumori, and Mt. Ama Dablam. On the summit, you can witness the extraordinary sunrise view over the highest mountain ranges of the world.

After enjoying the view and the beautiful moments, you will hike back to Gorak Shep. After your breakfast at Gorak Shep, you’ll retrace your steps back to Pheriche for an overnight stay.

At Pheriche, you can visit the HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) office. It has a small medical post that has foreign volunteer doctors. They are available during the peak trekking seasons of Spring and autumn.

HRA provides emergency health services including AMS counseling and talks on first aid, risks, and sickness at the high altitude.

• Distance: 17km
• Duration: 7-8hrs. Trek

From Pheriche, you make your way back to Namche Bazaar.

The trail drops downhill to Orso, Somare, and the village of Pangboche. You trace your way along the west bank of the Imaja river and cross the bridge over Imja Khola. The bridge brings you back into the tree line as you climb up to Debuche and Tengboche.

From here the trail descends to Phunki Thenga before the final climb to Sansa. From Sansa, the trail gets easier which leads to Namche.

Overnight at Namche Bazaar. Once here, you can enjoy a hot shower, relax or explore the cafes, restaurants, and bars.

Note: If you wish, you can spend the night at other villages (Sansa, Monjo) along the trails.

• Distance: 19km
• Duration: 8-9hrs. Trek

From Namche Bazaar, the trail takes a steep descent to the borders of Jorsaley National Park. Here, you will cross the Dudh Koshi River from Namche Hill.

While enjoying the beautiful scenery of the forest, you’ll reach Monjo and leave the Sagarmatha National Park.

After this, the trail leads you back to Phakding and then to Lukla.

It is also the last day with some of your trekking staff like guides, and porters. So, if you plan to reward them for a job well done, it is the day. You may not meet them the next day.

Overnight stay at Lukla.

• Distance: 
  Kathmandu to Lukla: 138km
• Duration: 
  Kathmandu to Lukla: 45 min. Flight

Your Everest base camp trek 12 days itinerary comes to an end with a flight back to Kathmandu early in the morning. On the flight, you can enjoy the last glimpses of the Khumbu region.

Once at the airport in Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your respective hotels. You can choose to spend the remaining day as you wish. You can explore the city of Kathmandu or relax at the hotel or in one of the many restaurants, cafes, and bars in Kathmandu.

Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.