Everest Base Camp Trek by Land – 18 days

  • Duration18 Days
  • Difficulty Level Moderate

Embarking on the Everest Base Camp Trek without taking a flight with Spiritual Excursion is like taking the road less traveled. It's a different way to explore the Khumbu region, following the paths of famous climbers like Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary. While many people choose the usual 12-day trek with a flight to Lukla, going without a flight lets you see a quieter side of Everest.

One of the best things about this trek is getting to see the hidden parts of the lower Khumbu Region with Spiritual Excursion. Not flying to Lukla also helps your body get used to the high altitude, so even if you're not a super experienced trekker, you can still manage it if you're in good shape. Starting your journey in Kathmandu with Spiritual Excursion, you'll drive to Thamdanda via Salleri, then walk to Phakding and join up with the regular trekking route. Passing through villages like Phakding, Monjo, and Jhorsale, you'll reach Namche Bazaar, a busy town that's the gateway to Everest. After a day of rest in Namche, you'll continue on to Everest Base Camp and Kalapathhar before heading back the same way. Choosing to trek to Everest Base Camp by land has its perks with Spiritual Excursion. You'll get to experience the natural beauty of the area, including rivers, forests, and small villages. You'll also see some of the world's highest mountains up close, like Everest and Lhotse. And you'll get to learn about the Sherpa people and their way of life. Just be prepared for some challenges along the way with Spiritual Excursion, like steep paths and less oxygen at higher altitudes.

But don't worry, as long as you take it slow and steady, you'll be fine! Book this 18 days trekking trip today and skip flight delays by traveling overland.

Trip highlights:

  • Enjoy a private Jeep drive to Thamdanda and back to Kathmandu, traversing picturesque countryside.
  • Delve into the rich cultural tapestry of Rai and Sherpa communities, immersing yourself in their traditions.
  • Trek along the classic and traditional EBC Trek route via Salleri, soaking in the scenic beauty along the way.
  • Witness mesmerizing sunrise views over Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, and a host of other majestic peaks.
  • Experience the awe-inspiring Khumbu Ice Fall, meandering rivers, verdant valleys, and breathtaking landscapes firsthand.
Itinerary
Tour Plan
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When you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, our friendly Spiritual Excursion representative will be there to greet you warmly. They'll help you get to your hotel in Kathmandu smoothly. Once you've checked in, take some time to rest and recharge. Then, head out to Thamel Bazaar to soak in its lively vibe, filled with shops, eateries, and cultural sights. Enjoy a comfortable night's stay at your hotel in Kathmandu.

Enjoy your first breakfast in Nepal at the hotel. Then, you'll meet your Spiritual Excursion’s trekking guide who will give you important details and help for your upcoming trek to Everest Base Camp. After getting ready, going through the itinerary, make sure you have all the gear you need and check your supplies twice. Relax and get mentally ready for the journey ahead while you overnight at your hotel in Kathmandu.

Your guide and porter will show up at your place bright and early, around 5 AM, as per the Everest Base Camp Trek without Lukla Flight Itinerary. They'll then take you to the Jeep station as planned. After a five-hour drive along the BP Highway, you'll stop for lunch in the charming town of Ghurmi. The journey from Ghurmi offers beautiful scenery with rivers, terraced fields, green landscapes, and villages. It takes about four hours from Ghurmi to reach Phaplu via Salleri. Dinner and overnight stay at the teahouse.

Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the teahouse, energizing yourself for the journey ahead. Embark on a three to four-hour off-road expedition to Thamdanda, taking in the rugged landscapes along the way. Upon arrival, transition to the trekking phase, ascending for about two hours until you reach the picturesque Paiya village. Enjoy the scenic views and lush surroundings as you make your way. Upon reaching Paiya, settle into your accommodations for the night, indulging in a delicious dinner crafted from local ingredients.

The following morning's journey leads you along a path that gradually descends through a lush rhododendron forest, eventually bringing you to Surke. As you pass the remnants of ancient Buddhist Chortens, the trail meanders alongside the majestic Dudhkoshi River until you reach the picturesque village of Chaurikharka nestled below Lukla. A short trek further will bring you to Chheplung, where the main route to Everest Base Camp awaits, bustling with a bunch of trekkers disembarking from Lukla's airstrip. Continuing onwards, you'll arrive at Phakding, a charming Sherpa village, after a leisurely two-hour stroll through quaint hamlets, verdant woods, and sturdy suspension bridges that span gorges. Your night's accommodation and dinner awaits at a teahouse in Phakding.

Your trek today starts with a stroll along the river from Phakding after breakfast. After passing through Tok Tok, you'll enter Sagarmatha National Park at Manjo in about three hours for permit checks. Then, cross a suspension bridge and descend to the Dudhkoshi River, entering Jorshale. You'll cross the river again, then head downstream to the Tenzing Hillary Bridge. Hike uphill for two to three hours through the jungle to Namche Bazaar for your first view of Everest. Spend the day exploring the Sherpa homeland and watching the sunset from the National Park View Point. Stay overnight in a teahouse and have dinner in Namche Bazaar while enjoying the Himalayan scenery.

Namche Bazaar serves as an excellent location for acclimatization during the overland trek to Everest Base Camp without relying on a flight from Lukla. With multiple cultural buildings, cybercafés, ATMs, eateries, shops, and additional amenities, it acts as the primary village for the Khumbu Region. Health professional’s advice staying active during rest days rather than remaining sedentary. Therefore, Spiritual Excursion recommends a short day hike on this day. You can ascend to Khumjung village from Everest View Hotel in Syangbuche. Our guide will lead you to the Sagarmatha National Park Tourist Visitor Center, where you can delve deeper into Sherpa culture, the early Everest explorers, and gain insights into the diverse flora and fauna of the Everest Region! Dinner and overnight stay at the same teahouse back in Namche Bazaar.

Today's route leads to Tengboche via a nature trail through Buddhist lands. Along the way, you'll be treated to awe-inspiring views of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. After crossing the Dudh Koshi River and trekking for three to four hours, the main path descends through the alpine forest to Phungi Tenga. Here, you'll encounter two trail intersections, one from Gokyo Lake and the other from Khumjung. Keep an eye out for the Himalayan Thar and Himalayan Monals as you ascend through the forest. Eventually, you'll arrive at Tengboche Monastery, perched atop a hill offering spectacular vistas of Ama Dablam, Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, and more. After settling in, enjoy a delicious dinner in this tranquil monastery village, where you can admire the mountains right from your window!

On this day after breakfast we follow the trail which descends through the jungle to Deboche from Tengboche, offering a chance to spot endangered species like Musk Deer and Daphne. Passing through Milingo, you'll cross a double-decorated bridge over the Imja Khola. As you ascend towards Pangboche town, you'll get a closer view of Ama Dablam. It's about a three-hour walk to Somare, then two to three hours to Dingboche, with beautiful scenery along the way. Enjoy a well-deserved dinner and good night’s rest at the teahouse in Dingboche.

This second rest day during your trek to Everest Base Camp is designated for acclimatization. After breakfast, embark on a hike up the hill behind the village on the northern side. Enjoy the picturesque path to Island Peak, where you'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Nuptse. Alternatively, consider heading up to Chhukung Ri, offering views of peaks like Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Makalu, Tawoche Peak, and others. For a stunning perspective of the Chhukung valley, including Kangtega, Ama Dablam, Taboche, Lobuche East, and several other magnificent peaks, a hike to Nagarjuna is recommended! Dinner and overnight stay at the same teahouse back in Dingboche.

Today's hike from Dingboche to Lobuche will take around five to six hours, located above the town of Pheriche. Now the trail passes through a meadow area with a few abandoned buildings after climbing the slope above Dingboche. Upon reaching the small community of Thokla, situated at the edge of the Khumbu Glacier, you'll enjoy a delightful three-hour trek with stunning mountain views. Then, after a steep about 45-minute climb to the Thokla Pass, where several monuments honor climbers, you'll reach the Italian pyramid hotel in about 20 minutes. Continuing for another two hours around the Khumbu Glacier, you'll finally arrive at Lobuche, where you can have a delicious dinner and spend the night at the teahouse.

Today marks the most significant day of your Everest Base Camp Trek by land as you will finally reach Everest Base Camp. The journey begins in the morning from Lobuche and takes approximately three hours across the Khumbu Glacier to reach Gorakshep. Upon arrival, you'll check in at Gorakshep's teahouse and leave all your belongings there before embarking on the hike to Everest Base Camp. The trek from Gorakshep to Base Camp typically takes around 2 to 3 hours. While visiting EBC (Everest Base Camp), it's important to pack enough water, use a flashlight, wear warm clothing, and carry additional equipment. During the spring hiking season, Everest Base Camp is bustling with expedition groups. As you explore the Khumbu Glacier and admire the breathtaking mountain scenery, don't miss observing the Khumbu Icefall. Although you won't see Mount Everest itself from Base Camp, the sight of nearby mountain peaks will leave you in awe. After your visit, return to Gorakshep for dinner and overnight at the teahouse.

Today, early in the morning, we hike toward Kalapatthar for a spectacular dawn view over Himalayan peaks including Mt. Everest, Mt. Pumari, Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse, and Nuptse. Ascending Kalapatthar is quite adventurous. To be rewarded with an once-in-a-lifetime experience and incredible natural beauty, it will take two hours of arduous ascent. The best vantage point to observe Mount Everest at its closest range is from Kalapatthar. After spending some time on the summit of Kalapatthar, hike back to Gorakshep for breakfast before continuing your descent to Pheriche, which will take about 4 to 5 hours, and be at the teahouse for the night to enjoy dinner.

After breakfast, we depart from Pheriche and descend back to Namche Bazaar. Although the journey will take 7 to 8 hours, you'll enjoy retracing your steps and reminiscing about the sights you've seen during your trip. Along the way, you'll encounter streams, dense forests, exotic animals, and stunning scenery. After a four-hour trek, you'll likely have lunch at Phungi Thanga before continuing for another three hours to Namche Bazaar, where dinner at the teahouse awaits.

You will follow the same trail until Monjo and Phakding. Then, from Phakding, the trail diverges towards Surke. Now, you are retracing the driving route that we used at the beginning of the trek. Furthermore, you may encounter fewer fellow trekkers along this route. You'll spend the night at Surke.

Today, you'll enjoy an easy trek up to Thamdanda lasting 4 hours, followed by a drive back to Phaplu by Local Jeep. This will combine trekking and driving for a total of 8-10 hours. You'll spend the night at Phaplu.

You'll enjoy the same off-road drive from Phaplu to Kathmandu, about 7-8 hours with some stops along the way. When you arrive in Kathmandu, you'll check into the hotel, and later in the evening, join us at Spiritual Excursion for a heartwarming farewell dinner at a local Nepalese restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.

On the day of your departure, start your day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel before checking out. Our team will be there to transfer you to the airport for your return journey. Before you leave, we at Spiritual Excursion want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for joining us on the incredible 18-day Everest Base Camp trek by land. We hope you had a truly enriching experience and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back again soon!

Cost Details
Includes
  • Airport pickups & drops in a private vehicle.
  • Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast as per the itinerary.
  • Teahouse accommodation during the trek.
  • All transports as per the itinerary.
  • An experienced, English-speaking and government-licensed trek guide and necessary porters.
  • Food, 3 meals a day on the trek (breakfast, lunch and dinner), each meal a cup of tea or coffee.
  • Staff costs include their salary, insurance, equipment, domestic airfare, food and accommodation.
  • Duffel Bag, warm/down jacket and Sleeping bag.
  • All necessary paperwork and trekking permits (National Park Permit, TIMS).
  • Trip achievement certificate.
  • Medical kit (carried by your trekking guide).
  • Farewell dinner in Authentic Nepali Restaurant.
  • All government taxes, VAT and office service charge.
Excludes
  • Nepal Visa fee (bring accurate USD cash and two passport size photographs).
  • International airfare to and from Kathmandu.
  • Lunch & Dinner in Kathmandu.
  • Excess baggage charges (The baggage weight limit to Lukla flight is 15kg per person in total).
  • Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, and earlier return from the mountain (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary.
  • Travel and rescue insurance.
  • Personal expenses (phone calls, internet / Wi-Fi, laundry, bar bills -tea/coffee, hot chocolate, juice, beer, battery recharge, extra porters, bottled or boiled water, shower etc.).
  • Tips for guides and porters.
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