Short trekFamily friendly
Kathmandu · Lukla · Phakding · Namche · Everest View Hotel3,880 m
8D / 7N4.7(0)
Everest View Trek (Family Trek)
The short Khumbu walk that tops out at 3,880 m
- Flights in
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Everest Region · Nepal
Everest Region (Khumbu) tour packages
The Everest region, called the Khumbu in Nepal, is the Sherpa homeland in the country's north-east, entered by a 25-minute flight to Lukla at 2,845 m. It holds Namche Bazaar, Tengboche monastery, Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m and the Gokyo lakes, all inside Sagarmatha National Park.
Everest Region (Khumbu) in one paragraph
The short version
The Everest region covers the Khumbu valley system inside Sagarmatha National Park, 1,148 sq km of UNESCO-listed terrain on Nepal's border with Tibet. Almost every trip begins with a 25-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (LUA) at 2,845 m, although in the busy October–November and March–April windows that flight moves to Ramechhap/Manthali, which means a four-hour drive out of Kathmandu starting around 1 am. From Lukla the trail climbs to Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m, where nearly everyone takes a rest day, then past Tengboche monastery at 3,867 m to Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorak Shep at 5,164 m. Base Camp itself sits at 5,364 m on the Khumbu Glacier moraine; Kala Patthar, at 5,545 m, is the viewpoint the Everest photographs are actually taken from. The Gokyo lakes offer a quieter parallel route. Lukla weather cancellations of one or two days are routine, so build in buffer.
When to visit Everest Region (Khumbu)
Twelve months, rated honestly. We would rather lose a booking than sell you a month that does not work.
Jan
January: MixedFeb
February: MixedMar
March: Best timeApr
April: Best timeMay
May: GoodJun
June: AvoidJul
July: AvoidAug
August: AvoidSep
September: GoodOct
October: Best timeNov
November: Best timeDec
December: MixedBest timeGoodMixedAvoid
Why people go
- Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m — the Sherpa trading town, Saturday market, and the standard first acclimatisation stop
- Tengboche monastery at 3,867 m, with Ama Dablam framed straight down the courtyard
- Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, reached across the rubble of the Khumbu Glacier
- Kala Patthar at 5,545 m — roughly two hours of climbing from Gorak Shep for the clearest Everest view on the trek
- Gokyo's chain of six turquoise glacial lakes and the 5,357 m climb up Gokyo Ri
- Sagarmatha National Park, UNESCO-listed since 1979, with musk deer, Himalayan tahr and blue pine forest below Namche
- Everest helicopter day tours from Kathmandu, landing for breakfast at Kongde or Syangboche
Everest Region (Khumbu) packages
KTM-LUKLA-NAMCHE-BASE CAMP-GOKYO-KTM0 m
18D / 17N5.0(0)
Everest Base Camp, Gokyo and Renjo La Trek
Fortune Trek
- Flights in
- Tea
- As per included
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Bestseller
Ktm-Lukla-Namche-Renjo-la-Cho-la-and-Kongma-la-Ktm.5,545 m
19D / 18N5.0(0)
Everest 03-Passes Trek
Three Passes Trek - Everest
- Flights in
- Tea
- Breakfast, Lunch and
From, per person
$0
$0/day
Day tourNo trekking required
Kathmandu · Lukla · Kala Patthar · Everest View Hotel
1D / 0N4.8(271)
Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour
A morning charter to Kala Patthar and back before lunch
- Flights in
- 4★
- Breakfast at Hotel
From, per person
$1,150
$1,150/day
Save 14%Bestseller
Kathmandu · Lukla · Namche · Tengboche · Dingboche · Gorak Shep · EBC · Kala Patthar5,545 m
14D / 13N4.8(386)
Everest Base Camp Trek
Lukla to the Khumbu Glacier with two full acclimatisation days
- Flights in
- Teahouse
- All meals on
From, per person
$1,450$1,690
$105/day
Places you will hear about
- Namche Bazaar
- Sherpa capital of the Khumbu at 3,440 m, built in a horseshoe bowl, with bakeries, gear shops and the region's last ATMs.
- Tengboche Monastery
- The largest gompa in the Khumbu at 3,867 m, rebuilt after a 1989 fire and host to the Mani Rimdu festival each autumn.
- Everest Base Camp
- The 5,364 m expedition camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall, occupied by climbing teams from April to late May.
- Kala Patthar
- A 5,545 m shoulder of Pumori that gives the full Everest south face, unlike Base Camp where the summit is hidden.
- Gokyo Lakes
- Six glacial lakes between 4,700 m and 5,000 m beside the Ngozumpa, the longest glacier in Nepal.
- Khumjung
- A village of green-roofed houses at 3,790 m with a Hillary-funded school and a monastery displaying a claimed yeti scalp.
Everest Region (Khumbu) questions, answered
How hard is the trek to Everest Base Camp?
It is long rather than technical. You walk five to seven hours a day for about twelve days on well-made trails with no climbing gear, but you finish above 5,300 m where oxygen is roughly half sea-level. The difficulty is altitude and repetition, not skill. Anyone who can hike six hours on consecutive days with training can complete it.
Why do Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu?
During the October–November and March–April peaks, Kathmandu airport handles too much traffic to slot in the Lukla shuttles, so the sector operates from Manthali airport in Ramechhap. That means a four-hour road transfer leaving Kathmandu around 1 am. Outside those two windows flights run direct from Kathmandu in about 25 minutes.
What permits do I need for Everest Base Camp?
Two. The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit costs NPR 3,000, about USD 23, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee costs NPR 3,000, about USD 23, paid at Lukla or Monjo. The TIMS card is not used in the Khumbu because the municipality fee replaced it. We arrange both before you fly.
Do I need a guide to trek in the Everest region?
Nepal's rules require a licensed guide for foreign trekkers on national park routes, and the Khumbu is no exception. Beyond compliance, a guide manages your acclimatisation profile, spots altitude sickness before you do, and can organise a helicopter evacuation in under an hour. Porters are separate and typically carry 20 kg for two trekkers.
Can I see Everest without trekking for two weeks?
Yes. The Everest helicopter day tour leaves Kathmandu after dawn, lands at Kalapatthar helipad for photographs, then stops for breakfast at Everest View Hotel or Syangboche and has you back by late morning. The five-day Everest View trek to Namche and Khumjung is the walking alternative, topping out around 3,880 m.
Quick answers
Common Everest Region (Khumbu) questions
Health
How fit do you need to be for Everest Base Camp?
Fit enough to walk five to seven hours a day, on consecutive days, on uneven ground. That is a moderate rather than an athletic standard. Everest Base Camp turns people back through altitude, not fitness — the trail tops out at 5,545 m on Kala Patthar, and no amount of training prevents altitude sickness.
Read the answerPlanning
Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp?
Choose Annapurna Base Camp if you have under two weeks, want to stay below 4,200 m, or would rather not gamble on a Lukla flight. Choose Everest Base Camp if you specifically want to stand at 5,364 m below Everest and can give it fourteen days. ABC is cheaper, shorter and lower; EBC is higher, harder and the one people mean.
Read the answerFree to ask
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