Trip Facts
Country:
Nepal
Duration:
16 Days
Max Altitude:
5,545 m
Activities:
Trekking and cultural sightseeing
Region:
Everest / Khumbu (Sagarmatha National Park)
Starting Point:
Kathmandu
Ending Point:
Kathmandu
Grade:
Strenuous
Group Size:
Min 2
Accomodation:
Teahouses on the trail, hotel in Kathmandu
Best Season:
March - May and September - November
Notice
This is the 16-day Everest Base Camp Trek via Kala Patthar. It is a longer, safer version of the classic route. The star moment is the dawn climb to Kala Patthar (5,545 m), the best place to see Everest itself.
The plan adds an extra rest-day hike to Chhukung (4,730 m) and a full Kathmandu UNESCO sightseeing day. So it suits trekkers who want more safety buffer and some culture. For the shorter route, see the Everest Base Camp Trek (14 Days).
Lukla flights leave from Kathmandu (35 minutes) in quiet months. In the busy months, they leave from Manthali, after a 5 to 6 hour drive.
Overview of Everest Base Camp Trek via Kala Patthar 16-Days
Quick answer: This 16 day route is built around one moment. At the top of Kala Patthar (5,545 m), sunrise gives you the finest view of Everest a trekker can earn on foot. Compared with our classic 14 day trek, you get two extra acclimatization days. Because of them, the altitude feels far kinder to first timers. Prices start at US$ 1,580, permits and guide included. In spring and autumn, the dawn skies stay clearest.
The Everest Base Camp Trek via Kala Patthar is a 16-day walk to the foot of Mount Everest (8,849 m), the highest mountain on earth. It runs through the Khumbu, the home of the Sherpa people. Most of the route lies inside Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1979. So the trail is both wild and protected.
First, you fly to Lukla. Then you climb slowly up the Dudh Koshi valley to Namche Bazaar. From there, the trail passes Tengboche Monastery and the village of Dingboche. Finally, you reach Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m. The next morning, you climb Kala Patthar for the best view of the trek.
Here is the thing most people do not expect. You cannot see the top of Everest from base camp, because Nuptse hides it. So the real view comes from Kala Patthar (5,545 m). At dawn, the sun lights Everest, Nuptse, Changtse, and Pumori. On the way, you also pass Namche Bazaar, Tengboche Monastery, the Thukla Pass memorials, and the Khumbu Glacier, the highest glacier on earth.
What sets this 16-day version apart is the extra time. It builds in two rest days, at Namche and Dingboche. On the Dingboche rest day, you hike up to Chhukung (4,730 m) to climb high and sleep low. After the trek, a full Kathmandu sightseeing day visits three UNESCO sites: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath, the largest stupa in Nepal. So you get both the mountains and the culture in one trip.
Spade Himalaya runs this trek with licensed Sherpa guides. So your guide sets a safe pace, watches the weather, and checks your health each day. Want a shorter plan? Try the 14-day Everest Base Camp Trek. So you know each stage before you fly: our Kala Patthar guide covers the summit-view morning, our Namche Bazaar guide covers the acclimatization stop, and our Lukla guide covers the flight in. For a tougher route, see the Everest Three Passes Trek. To add the Gokyo Lakes and the Cho La Pass, see the Everest Base Camp Gokyo Trek. Wondering how this route compares on budget? Then see the full Everest Base Camp cost breakdown. Also, our guides explain how hard the trail really is and which permits you need.
Trips Highlights
- Climb Kala Patthar (5,545 m) at dawn for the clearest Everest sunrise.
- Stand at Everest Base Camp (5,364 m), at the foot of the highest mountain on earth.
- Enjoy two full rest days (Namche and Dingboche) for a safer trek.
- Take the dramatic Lukla flight, one of the most thrilling flights anywhere.
- Walk through Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Explore Namche Bazaar, the lively heart of the Khumbu.
- Visit Tengboche Monastery, the biggest monastery in the region.
- See the Khumbu Glacier and Icefall up close.
- Wake to views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and Cho Oyu.
- Finish with a Kathmandu UNESCO day: Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath.
Route Details
In short, you walk up the Dudh Koshi to Namche. Then you climb the Imja valley past Tengboche and Dingboche to Lobuche and Gorak Shep. After that, you reach base camp and the Kala Patthar sunrise. Finally, you walk back to Lukla and finish with a culture day in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu (1,400 m) → drive to Ramechhap (Manthali) → fly to Lukla (2,846 m) → Phakding (2,610 m) → Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) → Tengboche (3,860 m) → Dingboche (4,410 m) → Lobuche (4,910 m) → Gorak Shep (5,164 m) → Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) → Kala Patthar (5,545 m) → Pheriche (4,240 m) → Namche Bazaar → Lukla → fly to Kathmandu → Kathmandu Valley sightseeing.
Trips Itinerary
A Spade Himalaya representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and drives you to your hotel, which is about twenty minutes from the terminal depending on traffic.
Kathmandu sits at 1,400 m, so there is no altitude to manage yet. You meet your guide and the rest of the group in the evening for a short briefing and a welcome dinner, so bring your passport, two photographs and a copy of your insurance for the permit papers.
- Duration: 20 min Drive
- Max Altitude: 1,400 m
- Accommodation: Shared 3 Star Hotel
In the busy months the Lukla flight leaves from Ramechhap rather than Kathmandu, so today you drive there along the BP Highway to be in place for an early departure.
Ramechhap is at 1,215 m and the drive takes four or five hours through green hills, farm terraces and small roadside villages. In the quieter months flights run straight from Kathmandu and this drive is dropped altogether, so your guide will confirm which applies nearer the time.
- Duration: 4 to 5 hrs drive
- Max Altitude: 1,215 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Hotel (Ramechhap)
An early flight lands you at Lukla, where you meet your porter and start walking, dropping gently through Sherpa villages to the riverside at Phakding.
Lukla is at 2,846 m and Phakding at 2,610 m, so the first day loses height rather than gaining it, across three or four easy hours after a twenty minute flight.
The airstrip at Lukla is short and built on a slope, which is what makes the landing famous. Below it you cross your first suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi, strung with prayer flags.
- Duration: 20 min flight & 3 to 4 hrs hike
- Max Altitude: 2,840 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
A long climbing day follows the Dudh Koshi through pine forest, enters Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, and finishes with the steep hill up to Namche Bazaar.
Namche stands at 3,440 m, around 830 m above Phakding, and most of that comes in the last two hours. Five or six hours in total, and it is the first properly hard day of the trek.
You cross the high Hillary Bridge where two rivers meet. Near the top of the climb Everest appears for the first time on a clear day, and Namche is the largest Sherpa town in the Khumbu.
- Duration: 5 to 6 hrs walk
- Max Altitude: 3,440 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
You stay in Namche for a second night and spend the day walking above the town to Syangboche and the Hotel Everest View, then come back down to sleep.
The hotel terrace is at 3,880 m, so you climb around 440 m and return, across four or five hours. Climbing high and sleeping low is the whole purpose of the day.
Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam fill the view from the terrace. The rest of the afternoon is free for the Sherpa culture museum, the market and the bakeries that Namche is known for.
- Duration: Walking: 4 to 5 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 3,880 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
- Accommodation: Guest House
A scenic day that follows the hillside with the big peaks ahead of you, drops to the river at Phunki Thenga, then climbs through forest to the ridge at Tengboche.
Tengboche is at 3,860 m and the walk takes five or six hours. You finish only a little above Namche, but the long descent and the re-climb out of it make this a real day out.
Tengboche Monastery is the largest in the Khumbu and sits with Ama Dablam in front and Everest behind. Try to arrive in time for the afternoon prayers, which visitors may sit in on.
- Duration: Walking: 5 to 6 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 3,860 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
You drop through forest, cross the Imja Khola and then climb steadily past mani walls and chortens as the trees give out and the valley opens up around you.
Dingboche is at 4,410 m after five or six hours, so you gain around 550 m. Above Pangboche there are no trees at all and the landscape turns to open stone and grazing ground.
Ama Dablam, Island Peak and the Lhotse wall fill the view for most of the afternoon. Dingboche itself is a patchwork of stone walled fields where yaks graze through the summer.
- Duration: Walking: 5 to 6 hrs .
- Max Altitude: 4,410 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
Your second day of getting used to the height, and an important safety step. You hike up the Imja valley to Chhukung and then walk back down again to sleep at Dingboche.
Chhukung is at 4,730 m, so you climb around 320 m above the village across four or five hours. The point is to feel the height and then sleep lower than you reached, which is what makes the days above here possible.
- Duration: Walking: 4 to 5 hrs .
- Max Altitude: 4,730 m (Chhukung)
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
You walk up the windy meadows to Thukla, climb the steep moraine to the pass above it, then follow the edge of the Khumbu Glacier along to the lodges at Lobuche.
Lobuche is at 4,910 m and the day takes five or six hours, most of it above 4,600 m. The climb up to the pass is the hard part and the rest is easier ground.
At the top of the pass stands a field of stone memorials to climbers and Sherpas who died on Everest. It is a quiet place and most groups stop there without needing to be asked.
- Duration: Walking: 5 to 6 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 4,910 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
The big day. You follow the glacier to Gorak Shep, leave your pack, then continue out over rock and ice to Everest Base Camp before returning the same way.
Gorak Shep is at 5,164 m and Base Camp at 5,364 m, with seven or eight hours of walking in total. The ground is loose moraine and the height makes every step slower than it looks.
The Khumbu Icefall tumbles down in huge blocks above the camp, and in spring the expedition tents spread right across the ice below it in their hundreds.
One thing worth knowing: nobody sleeps at Base Camp, so you walk back to Gorak Shep for the night, which is what makes this such a long day at height.
- Duration: Walking: 7 to 8 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 5,364 m (EBC)
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
You climb Kala Patthar before dawn for the best Everest view on the whole route, return for breakfast, then descend a long way back down the valley to Pheriche.
Kala Patthar is 5,545 m, the highest point of the trek, and Pheriche is at 4,240 m. That makes seven or eight hours across the day, and most of it is downhill.
The climb takes about two hours in the dark and cold, and the sunrise lights the summit first, with Nuptse, Changtse and Pumori around you. Pheriche has a clinic and thicker air.
- Duration: Walking: 7 to 8 hrs.
- Max Altitude: 5,545 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
The long walk back begins properly. You drop down the Imja valley past Pangboche and Tengboche, cross at Phunki Thenga, and climb the last stretch up to Namche.
Namche is at 3,440 m and the day takes six or seven hours. You lose 800 m overall but there is a real climb in the middle of it, which catches people out on tired legs. The forest turns green and warm again below Tengboche and it feels like a different country.
- Duration: Walking: 6 to 7 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 3,440 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
The last trekking day retraces the river down through Monjo and Phakding, and finishes with a final climb of about forty five minutes up into Lukla itself.
You end at 2,846 m after six or seven hours of walking. It reads as a downhill day, but that last climb is real, so keep something in reserve for the end of it.
This is the evening to thank your crew and settle tips. There is a farewell dinner with the Sherpa team, which is the traditional end to the walking part of the trip.
- Duration: Walking: 6 to 7 hrs ·
- Max Altitude: 2,840 m
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Accommodation: Guest House
A morning flight takes you back to Kathmandu, either direct or by way of Ramechhap depending on the season, and the rest of the day is yours to use as you like.
The flight takes about forty five minutes and returns you to 1,400 m. Lukla departures depend on the weather, so an early slot is always better than a late one. After two weeks on the trail a hot shower and a proper meal go a long way.
- Duration: 45 min flight
- Max Altitude: 1,400 m
- Meals: Breakfast Included
- Accommodation: Shared 3 Star Hotel
A guided culture day around three of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage sites, with short drives between them and a fair amount of walking at each one.
You are at 1,400 m with nothing strenuous in the day. It makes a genuine contrast with the mountains and it is a good way to spend your last full day in Nepal.
Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the old royal palace and its temples. Swayambhunath is a hilltop stupa with monkeys around it, and Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas anywhere.
- Duration: Walking: light ·
- Max Altitude: 1,400 m
- Meals: Breakfast Included
- Accommodation: Shared 3 Star Hotel
Your trip ends today. The morning is free for any last shopping in Thamel, then a representative drives you to the airport, about thirty minutes away though traffic can stretch it. This is the end of the Everest Base Camp trek via Kala Patthar.
- Meals: Breakfast Included
Trips Include
- Airport meet and assist on arrival and departure, with all transfers by private vehicle.
- Non-alcoholic welcome drink on arrival.
- 3 nights' twin shared hotel in Kathmandu (arrival, post-trek, and sightseeing night), with breakfast.
- 1 night hotel in Ramechhap (Manthali) with breakfast, in the seasons when the Lukla flight departs from there.
- Kathmandu Valley sightseeing with all monument entrance fees and a licensed city guide.
- Round-trip domestic flights: Kathmandu to Lukla, or Manthali (Ramechhap) to Lukla in peak season.
- Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit.
- All teahouse and lodge accommodation during the trek (twin or dormitory share).
- Three meals a day on the trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plus tea twice daily.
- A government-licensed English-speaking guide.
- Porter support, one porter per two trekkers (maximum 8 kg per trekker).
- Assistant guide for groups larger than 6.
Trips Exclude
- International airfare to and from Kathmandu.
- Excess baggage charges on domestic and international flights.
- Nepal entry visa (US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days).
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu, and any meals not listed.
- Personal trekking equipment such as sleeping bag and down jacket.
- Travel and medical insurance with helicopter evacuation.
- Wi-Fi, hot showers, and battery charging on the trek.
- Drinks, snacks, laundry, telephone, and personal expenses.
- Photography or video fees at monuments, if applicable.
- Tips for guides, porters, drivers, and staff.
- Costs from early return, trip extension, or unforeseen events (weather, landslides, strikes).
- Anything not listed under Cost Includes.
Trips Altitude
Trips Map
Trips Gallery
Packing List
General
- Four-season (zero degree) sleeping bag
- Sleeping bag liner
- Puffy down jacket
- Daypack, 35 to 45 litres, with a rain cover
Upper Body
- Sun hat or cap
- Knitted hat or beanie
- Neck gaiter, buff, or scarf
- Sunglasses (UV protection)
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- Technical base-layer tops (light for warm months, heavy for cold months)
- Short and long sleeve technical shirts
- Fleece jacket or pullover
- Waterproof, windproof shell jacket
Lower Body
- Technical base-layer trousers (weight to suit the season)
- Hiking trousers (2 pairs)
- Comfortable trousers for the teahouses
- Hiking shorts
- Waterproof, windproof shell trousers
Hands
- Wool or technical liner gloves
- Insulated hard-shell outer gloves
Feet
- Waterproof trekking boots (well broken in)
- Warm wool or technical socks, and hiking socks
- Liner socks (optional)
- Ice cleats or micro spikes (essential for November to March)
- Gaiters (light for dust, heavier for snow)
- Casual shoes for the evenings
Undergarments
- Quick-drying technical underwear
- Sports bras (women)
- Sleeping clothes or pyjamas
First Aid Kits
Your guide carries a kit and medication, but a personal kit is strongly recommended.
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Antiseptic ointment and blister care
- Cough syrup (the dry "Khumbu cough" is common at altitude)
- Personal medication and any altitude medication advised by your doctor
- Water purification tablets or a UV purifier
Others
- Passport and extra passport photos
- Reusable water bottle and a hydration bladder
- Toiletry kit, quick-dry towel, toilet paper
- High-protein snacks (bars, nuts)
- Waterproof or dry bags for documents and money
- Earplugs and trekking poles
Optional
- Power bank and spare batteries
- Camera or phone for photos
- Binoculars
Good to Know
Before you go
You only need a few things ready. First, bring your passport, two photos, and a copy of your insurance. Then Spade Himalaya can sort your two permits. Also, draw enough cash in Kathmandu or Namche, because the trail runs on rupees. ATMs past Namche are not reliable. Last, train before you come. A few weeks of walking and hill climbing helps a lot.
Lukla is a small mountain airport, so weather can cause delays. In quiet months, you fly from Kathmandu in 35 minutes. In busy months, you fly from Manthali after a 4 to 6 hour drive. So it is wise to keep a spare day before your flight home. A direct helicopter can also be arranged for an extra fee.
The plan follows one simple rule: climb high, sleep low. So it adds rest days at Namche and Dingboche, with the Chhukung hike. Drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day, and walk slowly. Skip alcohol up high, and eat well for energy. If you feel unwell, tell your guide at once. Going down is the best cure.
Accommodation. Cosy teahouses with simple twin or dormitory rooms. Higher up, rooms are basic and nights are cold, so a good sleeping bag matters (rentals available in Kathmandu).
Food. Expect dal bhat, noodles, potatoes, soups, and Tibetan bread, with tea served twice daily. Vegetarian meals are widely available and meat is best avoided at altitude.
Drinking water. Refill and purify with tablets or a UV purifier rather than buying bottled water, which is costly and creates waste high in the park.
The Khumbu cough. A dry cough from cold, dry air is common above Namche. A buff over the mouth, plenty of fluids, and lozenges help.
A dry cough is common above Namche, because the air is cold and dry. So cover your mouth with a buff, drink plenty, and use lozenges. It is annoying but harmless, and it fades once you go back down.
The trip ends with a guided culture day in the Kathmandu Valley. Dress modestly at temples and stupas. Walk clockwise around Buddhist shrines, and ask before you photograph people. Also, watch your bags around the monkeys at Swayambhunath.
Trips Reviews
Amazing Memories
Sunrise I’ll Never Forget
Trips FAQs
Why Choose This Everest Base Camp Trek?
This 16-day version puts the Kala Patthar (5,545 m) sunrise at its heart. It also adds an extra rest hike to Chhukung and a Kathmandu UNESCO day. The longer plan gives more altitude buffer and a cultural finish. So it suits trekkers who want a safer, fuller trip than the standard route.
Pick the 14-day Everest Base Camp Trek if you are short on time and used to altitude. Pick this 16-day via Kala Patthar version for more rest, the Chhukung hike, a Kathmandu culture day, and an easier pace. Both reach Everest Base Camp and the Kala Patthar viewpoint.
Trek Highlights & Mountain Views
No, and this surprises most people. At base camp, Nuptse hides the top of Everest. So the best view comes from Kala Patthar at 5,545 m. You climb it at dawn on Day 11. That is why this plan is built around both base camp and the Kala Patthar sunrise.
On Day 15, you tour three sites in the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO area (UNESCO, 2026). First, Kathmandu Durbar Square. Then the hilltop Swayambhunath stupa. Last, Boudhanath, the largest stupa in Nepal. The valley was listed in 1979 and holds seven monument zones of temples, palaces, and stupas.
Trek Difficulty: Who Can Trek?
It is graded strenuous. The hard part is the thin air, not the trail. There is no climbing skill needed. Still, you walk 5 to 8 hours a day for two weeks, and you reach 5,545 m. So the two rest days and a slow, guided pace make it doable for any fit person who trains first.
Guide Requirement & Trek Regulations
Not by law in the Khumbu. Nepal’s 2023 rule lists the Everest region among the areas needing a licensed guide (Nepal Tourism Board, retrieved 2026-06-29). However, the local Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality rejected the rule and allows solo trekking (The Himalayan Times, 2023-03-28). So independent trekking is still allowed. Still, a guide adds real safety at altitude. So Spade Himalaya gives you a licensed Sherpa guide who handles the permits, the route, and your health.
Permits and Entry Requirements
You need two. First, the Sagarmatha National Park permit (about NPR 3,000). Second, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit (about NPR 3,000). There is no TIMS card in the Khumbu. Spade Himalaya arranges both, and a ranger checks them on the trail. They are paid in cash, in Nepalese rupees.
Transportation and Lukla Flights
It comes down to air traffic. In the busy months (March, April, May, October, and November), flights move to Manthali to ease the load. So you drive 4 to 6 hours, then fly 20 minutes. In quiet months, you fly straight from Kathmandu in 35 minutes. A direct helicopter is also an option for an extra fee.
Best Time to Trek Everest Base Camp
Spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November) are best. In these months, the skies are clear and the views are sharp. Winter is cold but quiet, and you can still go with warm gear. The monsoon (July to August) brings cloud and rain low down. For how winter affects high trekking, see our Annapurna winter guide.
Trekker's Well-Being & Safety
Yes, it is a must. Your policy has to cover trekking up to 5,500 m and a helicopter rescue. Many normal policies do not, so check the wording first. Arrange it at home before you fly. Then leave a copy with Spade Himalaya at the briefing, so the team can act fast in an emergency.
