Everest Base Camp
itinerary
16 days
ITINERARY
11 days
TREKKING
5,364m
ALTITUDE
Dates
2025 & 2026
Walk among the Himalayan giants
This trekking challenge will take you all the way to Everest Base Camp- at the very foot of the World’s highest peak. With 11 days of trekking through the Khumbu Valley you’ll get to see the incredible Himalayas from all angles. You’ll also get to experience Sherpa culture and hospitality, as we’ll be staying in traditional tea houses for the entirety of the trek. Acclimatisation days built in, side trips and an optional sun rise trek to Kala Pattar all help make sure we have a world class adventure. Then it’s off to the bustling capital of Kathmandu. After 11 days of trekking the comfortable hotel accommodation and traditional Nepali celebration meal round off an incredible challenge!
DAY 1 DEPARTURE UK
- Inflight
- Dinner inflight
We will meet our group and Action Challenge staff at the airport and check in together before boarding our flight to Kathmandu.
DAY 2 ARRIVE , NEPAL
- Hotel
- Lunch & Dinner
On arrival, we are met at the airport by the local Nepalese team and start our 6 hours + journey to our overnight destination of Mulkot. Once all checked
into the hotel, we will have a briefing from our Action Challenge Leader and local head guide who will be leading us on the challenge. In the evening we enjoy a welcome meal together and relax before our early departure in the morning.
LAND ONLY
You will meet the group at the airport and join the transfer to the overnight hotel destination.
DAY 3 TREKKING DAY 1
- LUKLA TO PHAKDING
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 3 hrs
- 2610M
We leave our hotel early and transfer to Manthali airport (which is about an hour’s journey) for our exhilarating flight to Lukla. Clear skies permitting, we will get our first glimpse of Everest, Ama Dablam and Nuptse. The awe-inspiring scale of these Himalayan giants will give us an exciting taste of what’s to come. On arrival in the famous town of Lukla (‘Place with many goats and sheep’), we will trek towards Phakding, following the Dudh Kosi river along a centuries-old trading trail that runs from Nepal to Tibet. We will spend the night in a lodge in Phakding.
DAY 4 TREKKING DAY 2
- NAMCHE
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 5 - 6 hrs
- 3449M
On our first full trekking day we cross the mighty glacier-fed Dudh Kosi River zigzagging back and forth 5 times – across wire bridges which gradually get higher above the river as we climb. The 5th and final bridge of the day is the Hilary Bridge, at 300m above the river bed– an amazing feat of engineering and an awe inspiring crossing. As we continue through alpine forest valleys we finally enter Sagarmatha National Park, Sagarmatha is the Nepalese name for what we know as Mt. Everest – and on a clear day we are rewarded with our first sighting of Everest’s summit behind the Lhotse ridge. The final climb of the day takes us into the village of Namche Bazar and we have lunch at our Teahouse for the night. For those looking to understand more about the history and culture of the Sherpa people – and to help acclimatize further – there will be an optional walk up to the Sherpa Culture museum situated just on the surrounding hillside outside of the town. As the sun sets we return to our Teahouse, where the communal stove and heaters keep us warm before dinner and an early night.
DAY 5 TREKKING DAY 3
- ACCLIMATISATION DAY
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 4 - 5 hrs
- 431M
Today we rise early for an early morning climb (30-45 minutes) to the ridge above Namche, for a stunning sunrise over the panorama of the Khumbu peaks and a statue of Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese Sherpa who accompanied Sir Edmund Hilary to the summit in May 1953. We watch the sunrise over Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse and many more famous peaks. Once the sun has risen, we return back to our Teahouse for breakfast before setting out for an acclimatisation walk to the hills above Namche Bazaar. Slow and steady we climb, the route winds and ascends steps along a narrow dusty trail initially for approx. 2 hours
before opening out onto a plateau. Here the views of the majestic Konde Ri towering above Namche Bazar make a dramatic backdrop with Namche Bazar far down below. The final push takes around a winding mountainside – up to the Everest View Hotel at 3,880m where we spend an hour or so relaxing and enjoying a hot chocolate looking out at Everest itself. Once we become slightly more acclimatised to the altitude, we return back down to Namche in time for lunch at a local café and we have the afternoon to rest and recuperate – picking up some snacks from the local shops or taking in a film/ documentary at one of the few locals café.
DAY 6 TREKKING DAY 4
- DEBOCHE
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 7 - 8 hrs
- 3820M
After an early breakfast we depart Namche heading up the same route initially as the day before, however unlike the day previously we follow the trail for ‘Tengboche’ , a trail which winds around the mountain side – with Ama Dablam ahead to our right, and Everest, Lhotseand Nuptse further in the distance. From here we will see incredible views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. We pass by a small Stupa, built by Tenzing Norgay’s son, which frames perfectly the peaks around us. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stop-over for lunch. Here we can rest before making the steep climb up to Tengboche, a slow and steady 2-3 hours of ascent – stopping to allow for the occasional Yak caravans pass. As we near the top of the climb – prayer flags signify our arrival into Tengboche. We will visit the legendary monastery here, the largest in the Khumbu region, and may have the chance of witnessing a Buddhist ceremony with the monks in prayer. A blessing by the head monk will give us good fortune for the trek ahead. From Tengboche, it is a short hike along rhododendron-shaded trails, to reach Deboche, where we spend the night.
DAY 7 TREKKING DAY 5
- DINGBOCHE
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 6 - 8 hrs
- 4110M
From Deboche, the trail winds through rhododendron forest, before turning onto a mountainside path; getting very narrow at times, before opening up to a wire bridge crossing. It then climbs gradually, past beautifully carved mani stones to reach the small village of Pangboche, which sits in the shadow of the mighty Ama Dablam (6,812m). If time allows we stop here for a cup of lemon tea, before continuing along the confluence of the Khumbu and Imja Kholas, turning east into the Imja Valley. The vegetation is sparse now, not much will grow at this altitude, scrubs and heather. Continuing on we keep Ama Dablam to our right all the way into the village of Dingboche, a small hamlet of low lying Teahouses, dwellings and cafes. If the weather is clear, we can see Island Peak in the distance – a directional marker for tomorrow’s walk.
DAY 8 TREKKING DAY 6
- ACCLIMATISATION DAY
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 4 - 5 hrs
- 400M
Dingboche village lies at the head of two valleys in the shadow of Pokalde (5745m). For our acclimatisation walk today we head up the Chukung Valley for fantastic views of the Himalaya’s most famous peaks – today is one of the most beautiful walks so far. A slow and gentle ascent we head towards Island Peak (6,100m) at the head of the valley, often used as a training climb for Everest summiteers – it is striking but remains in the distance. Peaks to our left and right, the valley is home to memorials with balanced stones and prayer flags marking the memory of lost climbers on these higher peaks. The Nuptse wall, and Lhotse peak is to our left, with Everest hiding behind. After 3 hours we reach an altitude of 4,700m where we stop for lunch at a Teahouse. We take a long break here to stay exposed to the altitude before an hour and a half descent back along the route to Dingboche. Upon arrival back at the Teahouse there is time to relax and rest, or enjoy a card game and chocolate cake at the local café before dinner and an ear night.
DAY 9 TREKKING DAY 7
- LOBUCHE
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 6 - 8 hrs
- 4910M
An immediate uphill climb as we depart Dingboche, we climb quickly with the valley floor far below. Stopping at a stupa for a quick photo before continuing along a wider plain gradually heading upwards. The mountains of Taboche (6,541m) and the Cholatse (6,440m) ridge are behind us, as we continue to look back at their awesome sight framed against the valley backdrop. We pass the village of Pheriche, which lies far below us – we will return to on our way back. Continuing up a mountainside pass, the route becomes narrower and steeper with the mountainside drop to our left. The path slowly turns from a dusty trail to rocky with boulders either side. Heading upwards towards our lunch stop at Dukhla, a teahouse perched on the edge of a mountainside – to reach it we need to navigate over boulders and across frozen glacial pools. After lunch, we are faced with our toughest climb yet – an immediate uphill ascent where we need to use trekking poles, and take regular breaks to ascend up and into the next section of the valley. At the top, we walk into what has become known as the ‘climbers graveyard’ – a
collection of stupas and memorial stones framed in prayer flags for those who lost their lives on Everest, and the surrounding mountains.
DAY 10 TREKKING DAY 8
- BASE CAMP
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 8 - 10 hrs
- 5364M
Today is the day! With the buzz of expedition in the air, we leave Lobuche very early as the sun is rising. The first section of the route is flat – along a valley floor with mighty peaks all around us. Two might peaks mark our route with the conical peak of Pumori (7,161m) to our left, and Lingtren (6,749m) ahead of us. After an hour or so the valley floor rises, and we climb up a steep step section onto the Khumbu Glacier. From here we traverse over boulders and rocky paths before stopping at Gorekshep (‘Graveyard of Crows’), where a couple of simple mountain lodges are housed. We stop here for a lunch before embarking on the final climb up to Everest Base Camp. We spend a little time taking photos and celebrating our achievement before making our way back down to Gorakshep (5,164m) where we spend the night.
DAY 11 TREKKING DAY 9
- KALA PATTHAR
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 8 - 10 hrs
- 5550M
Today, for those wish to and with weather allowing, there is an optional trek up to the summit of Kala Patthar departing before the sun rises. It is a 2-3hr ascent to the top, where the sun will rise over the peaks of Everest, Lhotse and the whole range of mountains – making it a once in a lifetime sight. Those who make the climb will then descend back down to the Teahouse at Gorekshep for breakfast, before all starting out for the long descent down to Pheriche. We follow the route we ascended only days before – but covering more ground and with the pace quickening the lower the altitude. We stop for lunch at Dukhla, before continuing down rocky step sections, and onto the valley floor for the final hours of the day crossing over glacial streams, and past small farm holdings. Once down here we can see Pheriche in the distance – a small village but a welcome sight after along day of trekking we should reach here in time for a sunset.
DAY 12 TREKKING DAY 10
- DESCEND TO NAMCHE
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 6 - 8 hrs
- 3449M
After breakfast this morning, we set out initially along the valley floor from Pheriche towards Tengboche, however we are soon faced with our first uphill climb along a long winding mountainside path. The river flowing below us we pass through the small village of Pangboche, then a further uphill climb into the village of Tengboche. We stop here at the top for views back at the mighty peaks of Everest and Ama Dablam before embarking upon a steep downhill ascent back down towards the valley floor. After lunch, the route winds along and undulates until we reach our destination of Namche Bazaar – the familiarity of which and the potential (no promises) of a hot shower await. Dinner at the Teahouse after a long day.
DAY 13 TREKKING DAY 11
- DESCEND TO LUKLA
- TEA HOUSE
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- 8 - 9 hrs
- 2850M
Today, we complete the last leg of the trek – the route is familiar territory in reverse – our 1st 2 days joined together to make one long day. Setting out from Namche we have approx. 2 hours descent through alpine forest, traversing back over the Hillary
Bridge, and the other wire bridges as we zig zag back over the river before reaching the valley floor. We pass through the village of Monjo in half the time it took to do the same route a week ago, before the pace slows and we encounter uphill on our way up to Phakding where we stop for lunch. The air is warmer, and humid lower down and the lower altitude makes breathing much easier. However, the toughest part of the day is to come – a slow, long, steady ascent up to Lukla. Perhaps the toughest part of the route – these final hours. After 3 more hours of climbing (and some downhill) a familiar arch comes into view – where we posed for our first group photo – 11 days ago. It’s an emotional moment -one of elation and celebration. We’ve made it – back to where we all started – having conquered something unforgettable together. A final group photo before we walk through the small streets of Lukla towards our Teahouse for the evening.
DAY 14 FLY TO MANTHALI AIRPORT
- HOTEL
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
An early morning flight (weather permitting) we take the short 30 minute flight back to Manthali airport. Upon arrival we depart the airport together to make the journey back tour hotel in Kathmandu, with a lunch stop en route. We check into the hotel late afternoon/ early evening to rest. Tonight we will all dine together one final time with a celebration dinner at a traditional Nepalese restaurant.
DAY 15 DEPART KATHMANDU
- IN FLIGHT
- Breakfast
This morning, we will have the opportunity to take in the ancient Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, crammed full of brightly-coloured stalls laden with Buddhist and Tibetan souvenirs and surrounded by palaces and temples. We can also visit Swayambhunath, a large stupa with stunning views of the city, plenty of monkeys and a great place to eat momos (a delicious local speciality!). at 11:40 in the evening, you will transfer back to the airport 3 hours prior to your flight departure.
DAY 16 LAND UK
